A perfect NARRATIVE OF The proceed of the Army under the Command of Col. Michael jones Commander in Chief of the Forces in the Province of Leymster IN Their last advance from Dublin; with the taking of the strong Castles and Forts of Ballysonan, All●n, Black-hall, Raville, and Granye, in the said PROVINCE.  
Sent in a Letter to some persons of quality at Westminster.  
Published by Authority.  
LONDON, Printed for John Wright at the King's head in the old Bayley. Octob. 17. 1648.   

A relation of the passages in Lemyster from September the sixteenth, to the twenty seventh, 1648.  
SIR:  
I Make bold to present this enclosed Narrative to your view, wherein you may observe the goodness of our God to us in this last expedition against the Rebels; our valiant Governor commanded in chief himself, and all his Officers and Soldiers are ready to venture with him upon all occasions, as in this you may see an instance; and truly the Lord hath blest their undertake in reducing the Forts and Castles herein mentioned, so that now we h●ve liberty forty miles about Dublin; the particulars I must refer you to the enclosed, and rest  
Dublin, 2 Octob. 1648. Yours to command T. I.  
ON Saturday the 16. of September, 1648. Col. Jenas, our Commander in chief and Govern our of Dublin marched forth of Dublin 〈◊〉 about 2500 foot and 300. Horse, one Demi-canon, two Culverings, and one Morter-peece, the rest of our Forces from the-out Garrisons being to meet at the Randezvouz, that night we quartered at Rascoole, six miles from Dublin.  
Septemb. 17. we quartered near Duddingstown in the County of Kildare, short of the river of Liffy, whither came Sir Thomas Armstrong with his Troop, Sir Patrick Wemis, Lieut. Col Yarner, and Captain Fisher with their Troops, and some Troops of Colonel Cootes Regiment.  
Sept. the 18 we passed the Liffy, and sat down before Ballisonan, whither the rest of our Forces being come from Drogeda, Prim, Athboy Kildare, and other Garrisons, our Army was about 4000 Foot, and 1000 Horse; of all the enemies Garrisons in Lemyster this of Ballisonan lay most to the annoyance of our quarters, and stood as a main stop to the proceed of our Army, or any out-designes towards Satherlagh, Kilkenny, and other the enemies principal holds, of all which this of Ballisonan was held for strength most considerable, and was known by the name of the Maiden Garrison, as having never been by our Forces attempted since the beginning of the Rebellion; whilst our Armies marched further off, and by it to Castledermot, Catherlogh, and Rossy, this being still passed over as impregnable; this place had been mainly fortified by Pierce Fitz Gerrard, (commonly known by the name of Mac Thomas) Lieut. Gen. of the Rebel's Horse in Lemyster, and proprietor of the place.  
It had a large out-line of good defence, & a strong Castle on the West of it, as part of the work and first to be attempted, as commanding all approaches to the main work; within this out-line was cast up a great ditch running East and West with a return to the Church answering to the Castle, and the main work whereunto that Line and the Church served as a second Out-work, and very defensible; within which second Line was an high Mount overlooking all, having on the top a round Brest-worke open to the house, and principal works, whither was from the Mount a narrow way leading on either side pallizadoed.  
Thence by a Draw bridge was entrance into that called the Fort of Ballisonan, compassed with an out Moat or Ditch, with water about twenty foot over, and very deep, regularly flanked, where by another Draw-bridge was entrance into the innermost works over another large Moat, with water more than twenty foot over, and of a very great depth; within was a stone wall well and strongly flanked, and within that the house, a place of good strength, double roofed, and having at the West end of it a small round Garret. Besides, a Foot Company, the ordinary Terret of the place there had been (on the noise of our approaching) two other select Companies drawn thither with all necessaries, and the command of all given to one Captain St. Leaguer. There was also in the place Mistress Fitz Gerrald, Wife to Mac Thomas, a Gentlewoman of a masculine spirit; as for Mac Thomas, he would not be shut up there, having thereby opportunity for soliciting Preston and his confederates in Munster and Connaught, as also Owen Roe with his Forces, for relieving a place to all of them of so general concernment.  
Until the 19 we did but look on (our blinds cast behind us in our march, not coming up to us until two of the Clock in the afternoon; the Governor had a little before summoned the place, and Sir Theophilu●●f … (who had been at B … s … an a Prisoner and there found civil respects) laboured by Letters to facilitate the business, by dealing with Mistress Fitz-Gerr●rd for the surrendering the place, offering himself (in way of gratitude) to mediate with the Governor for bettering her conditions if then yielding, unto all which there were returns given full of resolution for holding out to the last. That night was spent in setting up the blinds and preparing the battery, with our three Guns against the Castle part of the outwork.  
September 20, our Ordinance began to play, after a while one of our Culverings was rendered unserviceable, failing in her carriage, so as the battery was maintained by the Demi canon and one Culverin only, our Morrer piece being there, and at that distance of no use; About ten of the Clock, and after thirty six great shot one side of the Castle fell, in all which time the Defendants shot at us, holding out with an undaunted resolution, until our men entered the Breach; whereupon the enemy in the Castle retired to the Fort of Ballisonan, yet with some loss being overtaken, and the Officer commanding in that Castle slain in the going off.  
Being so possessed of the Castle, the Outworks with the Church became ours, whence the enemy had been beaten, and retired into the Fort not fare from them; then was the Mount gallantly stormed by our men, and resolutely maintained for some time by the enemy, wherein we lost three or four (which was all that was lost in that whole service) some we had wounded, among whom Sir Theophilus Jones forcing the Mount, he being shot in the neck, the Bullet at quarter Musket shot) entering into the colour, and by a strange providence graysing only on the flesh.  
The Mount thus gained that thereof open to the House, and inner works was by us suddenly made up, and it with the Castle and Church manned, out of all which our Musqueteers played on the Enemy in the main works; ther● had been five Shot made at the House from the first battery, but being at that distance it did no hurt; The Governor therefore commanded the Guns to be drawn without the out-line, and making use of the second out-line for a blind as present, th●re were thence made five Shot at the round Terret at the end of the House, whereon had been bung out a Flag of defiance, which at the first Shot was beat down, with part of the Terret, the Morter-Piece planted also near the Church began to play, and did great execution on the House to the great terror of the defendants; this night were the blinds set up, and the battery settled as the Church against the House and Inner works.  
September 21. Upon fight of our Guns so planted the Enemy beat a Parle, St. Leaguer commanding in the place desiring time until three or four of the clock in the afternoon, for resolving on further answer to the summons sent him, adding that he was limited to a time for holding out, and could not till then give any positive answer, whereby and by other advertisements given; the Governor found this to be intended only as delatory for hindering us in our work, and for gaining time until the Enemy might draw towards 〈◊〉 for relieving the place which was expected of the besieged, and probably believed of us, the consequence of the place considered with the nearness of Preston about twelve or thirteen miles from us, and Mac Thomas showing himself with some Horse within less than two miles of our Campe.  
Wherefore our Governor i●●eturne would but afford them one half houred tim● only to consider of their course, which not…ed, our Battery began to play at the works and flan●ers ●●d our Morter-Piece at the House, so continuing until two in the afternoon, having in that time made sixteen great Shot▪ and six out of the Morter-Piece, the latter was of the greatest terror, and loss to the defendants, especially to the women, of whom were about 100L in the place, by whose out 〈◊〉 and the not appearing of the expected and promised supplies, and by the resolution of our men (more than men) the ●nem● did again come to a Pailey, and about four of the clock was concluded that Captain Sir Lerger Governor of the place, with all the rest of the Soldiers should by twelve of the clock the next day, march our with their Arms, bag and baggage, and that in the mean time 200 of our men should be admitted for possessing the place for us, which was done accordingly.  
September 22. According to the articles of surrender, there marched away three Companies of the Rebels, many of their wounded being left in the place to be sent for  
Colonel Fenwick was appointed to the guard of the place with 200 Foot, and two Proopes o Horse; The gaming of the place in so short a time was strange to all, knowing the strength of it, the Enemy believing it would hold us so many Months rather than days, occasioning their not yet appearing to the relief of it, which otherwise they would doubtless have attempted, if any danger of carrying it had been but suspected; The place also being gained and better viewed by us, it seemed to us, yet more strange to them particulary, who until then little valued the work, conceiving it to be more feaziable than it how appeared, which before considered of by our Governor, and that the storming of that place might be the lost of five hundred men's lives, and yet not carry it, that loss of time might be dangerous, there being so many and so great parties in the field, as Preston with his Army, with in one mile of Casterl●gh, Owen-Roe with his Army in the Queen's County, and Inchiquin at Aghoboe, earnestly solicited by Preston, and Mac Thomas against us, who yet refused to join with them against the English, whereunto was added the falling short of our provisions, and particularly our Powder and Ammunition, whereof at the last Parley was found left but two Barrels, only besides the convenience of the place for a fixed Magazine on further undertake, and for a present Garrison, to our Quarters, of exceeding great concernment, the conveniently whereof had been lost if the Battery had continued, the House being already much defaced; in all which considerations, our Governor conceived it necessary to lay hold on all occasions, to entertain any reasonable propositions, whereby the place might be in our power without further dispute; The strong Castle of Blackball near Bollyson●n a piece of great consequence lying on a pass, and a place of great strength, nothing short of the Castle of Iron-hill, the only Battered Castle in our last going out and Ra●●●le in the County of Catherlagh, and G●any in the County of Wickloe (all following the fortune of Ballysonan) submitted to us.  
23 Order was given for making up the breaches at Ballysonan, and for fortifying the Mount with a new work, than a convey of 150 Horse were sent to secure our provisions from Dublin to the Camp at Ballis●nan, which for want of a convenient number of carriages brought us not provisions for half a week, this shortness of carriages being found the great obstruction to all our great undertake, so that without them nothing of consequence can be attempted, more than twenty miles from Dublin▪ whence we are all to be supplied.  
Therefore our Governor was enforced to work nearer home, and the ●4 to march bacl towards the Island of Alton, the next most consider able place possessed by the Enemy, to the great annoyance of our Quarters, this being within us a very receptacle and den of thiefs whence were made daily incursions even to the very gates of Dublin; The Island of Allon being a near and safe retreat for them, It is called an Island being encompassed with a Bogg to horse in accessible and not to be passed by foot, but by blin● and dangerous wai●s, and easily defended by a fe● 'gainst thousands. This Island is about seven or eight mile's compass, having in it sixteen Villages and some Castles, among others the principal and of grea●●● strength is that of Kil●ma●ge two miles within the Island, possessed by M●rris Fitz Gerrara of All●n, it is ●●ted well and deeply, having a draw bridge, 〈◊〉 Iron Grate, and out works very defensible▪ having also two companies for the guard of it, command●● by Captain B●r●●…all. Into this Boggy Island was b●t one common passage called the ●●acka●●ch, being a ca●sey made through the Bogg▪ almost a quarter of a mile in length, this the Rebel● had cast through in 〈◊〉 several places more than twenty Foot over and to cast it up ridgeway almost throughout, that where it was not cut but for one Footman to stand upon, without Ordinance was not the Castle to be forced, and this way only was Ordinance to be brought, the ●●…ting whereof would have been a work very different (were there) thereunto no opposition given; but for hindering any such design, the Rebels had towards the further end of that causey, made a round Fort of Sod with a great Moat, and water twenty Foot over, and a pick length in depth, over which was a passage by planks, only drawn into the Fort in nature of a drawbridge and put forth as occasion acquired; the passage into the first was so low that without stooping almost knee low there was no entrance the top of this work was rounded with Musket Baskets, artificially made and orderly placed with advantage to the defendants, within were huts and room for forty men, and the Fort itself so placed that our Ordnance could not command it at such distance, the Guard whereof was committed to a Sergeant and twelve Musqueteers.  
For gaining this passage, and if it were possible the Fort also, our Governor sent out five hundred commanded Foot, with about one hundred Horse. This night the Army passing by the Li … quartered at a place called A … ris-T●wn, about one 〈◊〉 short of the pass, that resolute commanded Party of Foot had with much danger gained a passage through the bog, sideling of that broken Causeway; and having surrounded the Fort threatened the casting in of Granades, which could not have been no other then Bugbears had not God himself in 〈◊〉, as in all other things done his own work by 〈◊〉 taking from the Rebels their resolutions, they after some little dispute desiring quarter, and that they might retire into the Castle of Kilm●●g● in the Island, adding, that they saw all given to us▪ and that there was no resisting us; there was a Guard of ours placed the rest of that commanded Party of Foot, went into the Island, and quartered that night-short of the Castle of Kilmaoge.  
September the 25. Orders were given for cutting down Trees for making the way passable for Ordnance, and many hands employed in the work, which was found a work● of time beyond what we first imagined, most of this day being spent on it with little advantage; our Governor having with some difficulty and hazard passed the Bogs into the Island, and appearing before the Castle with that small Party before mentioned, and summoning the place the Defendants came to a Parley, and that night admitted of a Garrison of fourscore men into the Castle, the Rebels being the next day to march out.  
Septemb. 26. Captain White, of Colonel Kinnistons' Regiment with one hundred men was appointed for the defence of the Castle and Fort of the enemy, having marched away according to agreement. This day upon intelligence given of Prestons and Taa●●es preparations for attempting something against Ball●son●●, ●●ders were given for drawing in thither some oth●● Companie● if cause so required, as also for streng●● having the Garrisons of Kildare, Naray, and ●ron 〈◊〉 This day the Army passing the Liffy marched homewards, quartered that night at Kill, two mile's ne●●● Dublin.  
September 27. our Parties called from the out quarters for this service, being sent bacl to their restrictive homes, the Governor with the rest of the 〈◊〉 my returned un●● Dublin, having in this march very much enlarged and secured all, and almost locked up our quarters from incursions by the enemy whereunto we were formerly laid open.  
FINIS.