A true and particular ACCOUNT Of the Total Defeat of Coll. SARSFEILD and his PARTY, Not far from BELLISHANNON; Occasioned by the intercepting of a Letter from Coll. Sarsfeild to Monsieur d▪ Avaux, General of the French Forces in IRELAND.  
LICENCED, Aug. 28. 1689.  
SIR.  
SINCE my last the News is very great▪ For we are certainly informed, That Coll. Sarsfeild and his Party are totally routed. The manner as we hear, this Coll. Sarsfeild hearing of the Landing of his Grace D. Scombergh, and the defeat of the Lord Montcastle, began to be afraid of himself, and therefore not believing he was strong enough to prevent the Men of Iniskillin from joining his Grace, which he mainly desired to hinder, called a Council of War, where it was resolved to send a faithful Messenger to the French General Monsieur d' Avaux, to advance with those Forces which he had under his command, giving him also to understand, That Coll. Sarsfeild would decamp at the same time, and join him the next day by such an Hour. The Letter being thus written and directed to Monsieur d' Avaux, was delivered to a Trusty Messenger, and such a one he might probably have been, had not Providence thrown him into the hands of the Protestants. For some of the Iniskillin Scouts being abroad in the Road between Coll. Sarsfeild and Monsieur d' Avaux, intercepted this faithful Messenger and carried him to Iniskillin, where the chief Commander of the Iniskillin Forces caused him to be searched, and finding about him the Letter written from Coll. Sarsfeild to Monsieur d' Avaux; This Letter was read, and a great consultation ●eing had thereupon it was concluded, That they should lay hold of the opportunity which s●●●ed to the Chief Commander to be a very fair one. It was concluded therefore, that they should write a Letter back to Coll. Sarsfeild, as from Monsieur d' Avaux, wherein d' Avaux promised not to fail Sarsfeild at his hour and place appointed. By that time they thought that the Letter might be delivered, they set forward, and putting themselves into the Road which D' Avaux was to take, that he might join Coll. Sarsfeild; they marched forward▪ Sarsfeild thus deluded, sets forward to meet D▪ Avaux, and when he saw the Iniskillin Men at a distance, verily thought they had been his Friends; which made his Party upon the same presumption much more remiss and negligent in keeping their Orders, as than they should have been. On the otherside, the Iniskillin Men marched with all the silence, and in the best order that could be imagined▪ considering the disadvantages of the Place: But no sooner were they got near enough to show Coll. Sarsfeild his Error, but they fell upon him with an extraordinary fury and bravery. In this surprise Coll. Sarsfeild and his Men were at a loss, not dreaming of such an Entertainment. However, for a time they made as stout a resistance as could be expected from Men so surprised, and in that condition as they were; till at length being all in confusion, they were at last totally routed above Two thousand slain, a great many Prisoners taken, with good store of Arms and Provisions: And it is farther said, That the Iniskillin Men are in pursuit of the rest. We daily expect a confirmation of the Particulars, which so soon as it comes to our hands you shall not fail of. Remaining in the mean time  
Your very loving Friend L. W.   

London▪ Printed for R▪ Robinson in the Strand. 1689.