Ammunition and all things necessary whereas they had not â—â—n Pounds of Powder in the Town and not Twenty â—â—â—ll fixed Fire-Arms But the Towns-men were still bent â—â—n their first Resolution at all hazards not to receive the â—arison for then they did expose their Lives as they said 〈◊〉 the Mercy of their barbarous and bloody principl'd â—nemies Upon Thursday the 13th of December News was brought to the Town that the two Companies were on their March towards them and upon Friday that they were come to Clownish within eighteen miles of the Town and then the Towns-men thinking it full time to look to themselves send again to all their Neighbours praying them to come to their relief promising that whilst they stayed with them they shou'd have free-Quarter for Man and Horse Upon this several of the Neighbourhood came into the Town with their best Horse and Arms promising to stand by them in Defence of their Lives and the Protestant Religion which they did believe by the preparations they heard were making by our Enemies wou'd be very soon invaded Upon Saturday the 15th of December the two Foot-Companies came to Mac Guires Bridge within eight short miles of the Town and upon Sunday by ten of the Clock word was brought into Town that they were upon their march and come to Lismella a Village about four miles distant from Innskillen At the time when the news of their so near approach came most of the men in the Town were gone to Church but soon came out and went to their Arms resolving to meet the two Companies before they came near the Town and being drawn out they were about 200 Foot and a hundred and fifty Horse and having consulted what was fit to be done they sent some of their number before to perswade them by fair means to return and brought some Ale and Meat from the Town to treat them in case they did comply with their desire And at the same time Gustavus Hamilton Esq our present Governour came with about a hundred Horse within a mile of the Town to support the Towns-men if there should be occasion for it was reported that the two Companies had brought with them two or three Horse loads of spare Arms to Arm a numerous Rabble of the Country Irish that flocked to them from all hands But the Inniskillen Horse advancing towards them under the Command of Captain Browning and Lieutenant Christopher Carleton and the Foot under the Command of Captain Molcome Cathcart who came no sooner in view of the two Companies but they with the whole Rabble that was with them turned their backs and fled without halting in very great fear and disorder back that Night to Mac Guires Bridge and their Officers being then at Dinner in a Gentlemans House not far from them hearing that Inniskillen-men were come out left their Dinner as was reported before they had half done and fled after their men in as great fear and disorder as they had gone before The next day they went to Cavan twenty four miles distant from Inniskillen where they stayed in great fear of the Inniskillen-men till they received new Orders from the Lord Tyreconel to march to some other Quarters And I must here take notice that they did not shew their Potent to Quarter in the Town nor once askt to be admitted into the place About the 18th of December the men of Inniskillen and those that did adhere to them seeing the Storm that threatned them grew still more black the Irish arming on all hands and growing much more insolent than usual thought it adviseable to put themselves in some posture of Self-Defence and at a full meeting unanimously made choice of Gustavus Hamilton Esq to be their Governour a Gentleman that was a Justice of the Peace in the County of Fermanagh of which Inniskillen is the County Town His Father Lodowick was Brother to the late Lord Glenawly in Ireland both Sons of Archibald Hamilton Arch Bishop of Cashell in Ireland had been both Colonels under Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden and both raised to the dignity of Lords in that Kingdom The Lord Lodwick married his Lady who is Mother to our Governour in Swedland she was a great Fortune to him and 't is said she is nearly related to the Crowns of Denmark and Swedland But he desirous to live in his native Country near his Brother the Lord Glenawly upon his return was unfortunately killed at Sea leaving our Governour and a younger Son behind him Our Governour had been for several years Cornet to the Troop that belonged to his Uncle the Lord Glenawly but was disbanded by the Lord Tyrconel when the rest of the Protestant Offices were turned out of the Army in Ireland and after that he lived constant ly at home on his own private Estate He was not present at the Election but as soon as it was made known to him he consented to take that Charge upon him and immediately gave orders to raise two Foot Companies in and about the Town the one under the Command of Captain Allen Cathcart and the other under the Command of Captain Malcome Cathcart and in a very few days formed a good Troop of Horse and a Foot Company for himself out of his own Estate and the Country adjoyning and used all the endeavours he cou'd to provide them Arms and what else they wanted and then removed his Family from his own Dwelling House to the Castle of Inniskillen Some time before this having heard that Derry had denied entrance to the Lord Antrim's Regiment that was order'd to Quarter in that Town and had chosen their former Governour Mr. Phillips and were putting themselves in a Posture of Self-Defence against any Irish Garrison to be sent there which nearly resembled our Case we did therefore about the 20th of December send Captain Allen Cathcart and Lieutenant William Mac Cormick to Derry with Letters acquainting the Governour and others that had any Command there with what we had done craving their advice and assistance in case of any trouble to us as promising them likewise our Friendship and assistance if they stood in need of it and we had a very kind return to our Letters by those Gentlemen that were sent Soon after this we had news brought us that the Protestants in all parts of the Kingdom were very much opprest by the Papists first by stealing their Goods in the Night and in a short time after taking them publickly in the day and upon complaint made to the Magistrates who were for the most part Papists had no redress given them some of them having the confidence to tell the Protestants who had been robbed of their Goods that if their Lives were spared they had no cause to complain and now about this time several came to us from other parts of the Kingdom leaving all their goods behind them and among many others those two worthy Gentlemen Thomas Lloyd and Daniel Hodson Esquires with their Families
the first is now a Collonel among us who though young and of little experience before yet by his care and diligence has supplyed all other wants and shewn himself a person of Courage and good Conduct beyond expectation It was about this time that the News came to us of the ate King having deserted the Kingdom and Government disbanded his Army and left all in confusion in England and the Lord Tyrconell of his own head was Arming all the Irish Papists and inlisting forty or fifty Thousand of them The Month of January was spent with us in Raising some more Troops and Foot Companies and our Officers used all the care and diligence they possibly cou'd to fix the few fire Arms they had procured they caused a great Number of Pikes to be made and beat out a great many Sythes fixing them in Poles whereby in a short time the few Foot we had were in an indifferent posture of defence and having about twelve Companies and some few Troops raised the Officers thought it time to Regiment themselves and made choice of Gustavus Hamilton Governour of Inniskillen to be their Collonel and Thomas Lloyd their Lieutenant Collonel and about the latter end of January sent Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart two â—o their number who had been very active among them with an Address to the then Prince of Orange and with full power and instructions to act for them at the Court of England to solicite for Commissions Arms Ammunition and some Mony for the place We ordered them to make their way by Scotland for their greater safety and sent Letters by them to the associated Lords and Gentlemen of the Counties of Down and Antrim acquainting them with our Affairs and craving their aid in Case we were put to any extremity and soon after had very kind Answers returned to us The month of February was spent in Consultations and several Meetings and Treaties with Collonel Lundy and the leading men in the Counties of Derry Dunegall Tyrone Cavan and else where orders were given out that the protestants in the several Counties in the North West part of Ireland shou'd form themselves into Troops and Companies and afterwards into Regiments for the North East part had done the same before and all concluded in case of extremity to submit to Collonel Lundy who was in great reputation with us for Conduct and experience in military affairs The Gentlemen of the County of Fermanagh did meet and conclude to raise two Regiments of Foot and a Regiment of Horse which by reason of some mens backwardness to the service were not made up so that the great stress of our Country was left upon the Governour of Inniskillen and those Gentlemen who did adhere to him And here I cannot but with honour make mention of Sir John Hume who has been always reputed to have the greatest fortune and best Estate in that County but was then so sickly and infirm that he cou'd not undergo the Toyl and Fatigue of those Confusions yet he was not behind in contributing to his utmost for the common security he raised more than a hundred Horse and above two hundred Foot of his Tenants and Armed them indifferently well at his own expence who have behaved themselves on all occasions very well with us he sent for his Eldest Son from England who had been three or four years in the Army there a very hopeful young Gentleman who died in the service to Command them and to defend his house which standing near Loghearn within three miles of Inniskillen he fortified very well and plentifully furnisht it with Provisions to his great charge which has maintained a great Garrison ever since and been a very great security to the Country about and of much consequence to the defence of Inniskillen He being forced by his great infirmity retired into England with his younger Children his second Son being in England before he came there he sent him under the Command of Major General Kirk to the relief of Derry who died of a Feaver at Sea much lamented of all that knew him Now came the News to us That the Convention of the Estates in England as well Spiritual as Temporal had Voted the late King James's Desertion to be an Abdication and placed their Present Majesties in the vacant Throne and from this time and upon these grounds we thought we were oblig'd to behave our selves as their Subjects our Allegiance being transferr'd and descending from the late King James upon his voluntary Desertion as if he had been naturally dead and accordingly March the Eleventh we did proclaim King William and Queen Mary at Inniskillen with such Joy and Solemnity as our Circumstances cou'd bear rejoycing unspeakably to see the Crown descend in the same Royal Line which time out of mind had inherited our Government About the 16th of March we had an Account that the Garrison of Dunganon by order from Collonel Lundy was deserted and that they and all the Inhabitants in the Country near Dunganon were fled towards Strabone and Derry And about the same time our Governour received Letters from Collonel Lundy acquainting him that it was concluded at their Committee that all the Forces in the North West of Vlster shou'd draw towards Derry and the Legan to make good Fin Water against the Enemy and he gave us a very melancholly account of the Ill condition his own men were in But our Governour and the rest of the Gentlmen that adhered to him were positively resolved not to desert Inniskillen the keeping whereof being of so great consequence that it kept the Conaught Irish from joyning with the Vlster Irish and so was a great security to Derry and all the Country about it March the 20th all the Protestants in the County of Cavan in pitiful stormy Weather and in great disorder came running to Inniskillen and the Villages about to the no small surprize of us all about three or four Troops of Horse coming before followed with about as many Foot Companies and then the whole inhabitants with their Women and Children to their middle in Clay and Dirt with pitiful Lamentations and little or no Provision to sustain them Our Governour order'd them free Quarter for Man and Horse in the Town and Country about many of them were indifferently well Armed and we were joyful that they were come to us being in hopes that they wou'd joyn with us in the defence of our Country But upon enquiry into the reasons of their leaving their Country as they did where they had several good strengths that might for some time have been defended Their Officers told us that they had orders from Colonel Lundy for so doing and did endeavour though to no purpose to perswade our Governour to do the same with Inniskillen But that which hastened them away in so great disorder was the Lord Gilmoy's coming with a part of the Irish Army into the County of Cavan and surprizing a House
bless us with the most signal and remarkable Victory obtained over our Enemy in this or the former Age. And as we were early in the demonstration of our Loyalty in proclaiming Your most Sacred Majesties on the eleventh Day of March last so we shall persevere in the same Dutiful Allegiance to our Lives End ever imploring the Divine Majesty to continue Your prosperous Reign long and long over us most humbly begging Your Most Sacred Majesties favourably to accept this Address of our most humble and sincere Obedience which we shall ever be ready to make good both with our Hearts and Hands Gustavus Hamilton Govern Tho. Lloyd Tho. Hart Edw. Dixy Dan. Hodson W. Smith Morgan Hart Allex. Acheson Isaac Collyer George Dury Tho. White William Wiseheart Robert Moor Fran. Folliot John Dean Fran. Graham William Jivine Ja. Graham Tho. Roscrow Andrew Montgomery Daniel French Henry Smith Richard Newstead Robert Starling Henry Johnston Matthew Webster William Slack Allan Cathcart An. Hamilton James Johnston Ja. Golden Arnold Cosbye Jo. Price Robert Johnston Francis Aldrich William Parsons Ambrose Bedel H. Hughs Jason Hazard Tho. Hughes Ichabod Skelson Hon. Howel Robert Stevenson Thomas Johnston William Johnston Thomas Osborn Thomas Scot John Lowder William Kitle William Birney James King Jo. Rider Christopher Carleton Ja. Devitt Charles mac Fayden Lawrence Crow Edward Ellis William Blashford Robert Clark William Browning Ja. Johnston Ja. Browning Roger Wilton Ed. Wood F. King Robert Drury John Browning Ja. Campbell George Cashell Povey Hookes John Armstrong Toby Mâ—lloy Robert Vaughan Robert Wear Malcome Cathcart Robert Robison James Matthews Mart. Armstrong Claud. Bealy Nivian Scot Tho. Armstrong Jo. Frisell Dan. Armstrong Matthew Young Marc. Buchanan George Wattson Ro. mac Connell Ja. Robison Jo. Roberts Ro. Ward Bar. Gibson Jo. Crozier Hu. Blair Jo. King Thomas Young John Fulton George Hart James Matthews Ja. Lucy Francis Ellis Hercules Ellis John Corry Jo. Neper James Corry John Sherriffe George Corry Samuel Forth James Cathcart Edward Cosbye William mac Cormick William Campbell Charles King Hugh Montgomery George Cooper Hu. Cathcart Hugh Corry Ed. Davenport Au. Ellis Jo. Woodward William Gore William Charleton George Russell Aylet Sammes Ja. Michell Mat. Lindsay Thomas Davenport All. Fulton Paul Dean Provost Ja. Ewart Jo. Ballard Thomas Shore Richard Taylor Ed. Gubbin Thomas Leturvel George Hamersley William Frith Jo. Hall Robert Johnston Cor. Donellau Theo. Bury Hu. Galbraith William Ross John Galbraith Matthew Young James Delap William Ball Jo. Smith BEcause some who delight to reflect upon others for reflecting sake even where no occasion is given have ventured to give it out That neither Mr. Andrew Hamilton who came lately over nor Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart who were sent over hither from Iniskillin in January 1688. had any Commission or Instructions from the Governour and Gentlemen of Iniskillin but took upon them such Imployment meerly to recommend themselves whereby they have done what in them lay to obstruct what might be offered by them in behalf of that People I have therefore subjoyned to this Narrative the Credentials which they had from Iniskillin with which I would not otherwise have incumbred this Brief Relation desiring to have nothing in it but what was necessary to the Subject in Hand The Governour of Iniskilling his Commission in behalf of himself and People unto Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart to present their Address to the then Prince of Orange and to solicite for Arms and Ammunition TO all Christian People to whom these Presents shall come We Gustavus Hamilton Esq elected Goververnour of Iniskillin in the County of Farmanagh and Kingdom of Ireland together with the Inhabitants of the said Town and a select number of Protestants united to them send greeting in our Lord God Everlasting forasmuch as we have drawn and signed an Address of Thanks to be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange for his being the happy Instrument under God of our Delivery from Popery and Arbitrary Power Now know ye That we the said Inhabitants of Iniskillin aforesaid for divers Causes and Considerations us thereunto moving but more especially that they have been eminent in concurring with us and influencing the Country against the Designs the Lord Tyrconnel had against this Place have nominated constituted and appointed our well-beloved Friends Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart joyntly or severally to offer the said Address to his Highness and to be presented by the Honourable Earl of Clarenden or any other Nobleman about Court As also we impower the said Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart to solicite his Highness for Arms and Ammunition for this Place We also desire That Credit may be given to these our Deputies both for our Trust to them as also in their charactering this Country Given under the Hand and Seal of the Governour this sixteenth Day of January One thousand six hundred eighty and eight by unanimous Consent of the Inhabitants of the said Town Gustavus Hamilton The Copy of a Letter sent to the Earl of Mount-alexander Lord Viscount Massareene and unto divers others of the Nobility and Gentry in the North East part of Ulster from the Governour of Iniskillin Iniskillin January 23. 1688. My Lord WHilst we and all the Protestants of this Kingdom groan'd under the fears of approaching Miseries and there was nothing but a universal dread of imminent Ruine suggested to our Thoughts and that we see our Religion our Laws Lives and our All at stake so that nothing could be added to our danger but our willingness to lay under whatsoever was imposed upon us The Law of Self-preservation one of the ancientest of the World constrained us rather to choose a hazardous undertaking than a voluntary Slavery to which we were the more provoked by the insulting menaces of those who under the pretence of Quartering upon us came to Pillage us and designed to make this their entrance to the devastation of this part of the Province So that not being willing to be enslaved and help to make others so too this Pass being the only Inlet from Conaught to Ulster from whence as by an Inundation it might have been overflow'd We stand upon our Guard and do resolve by the blessing of God rather to meet our danger than expect it We doubt not but your Lordships Consideration with others of that part of the Country has suggested thoughts of this nature to you also which may induce you to a necessary defence of your selves and others and therefore do intreat your Lordships candid and sincere Advice in the management of this great affair too weighty for our weak Shoulders to bear alone since we are sure to be the first shall meet with the dangerous and highly incensed revengeful hand of our Enemies Our great hope is that God will incline your Lordship to our assistance and give us Courage and Success in this so just an undertaking we intreat Credit may be given to these