WSsi^S^^^SS^ n ./ \ OCT 24 '390' /^ WITH A MAP, AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY WELL-KNOWN ARTISTS NEW YORK CHARLES P. SOMERBY 23 Lafayettk Place a^"^ Copyright, 1890, By V. GRIBAY£D0FF, THE LIBRARY or CONGRESS WASHINOTON CONTENTS. PAGB List of Illustrations . 5 Authorities 7 Preface 9 CHAPTER I. The Events leading up to a French Invasion of Ireland — Several Preliminary Attempts at an Invasion — Intrigues of the League of United Irishmen — Outbreak of the Insurrection 15 CHAPTER 11. Humbert lands in Killala with a Thousand Men — Career of the Hero and Composition of his Army — Bishop Stock's Testi- mony to the Invaders 26 CHAPTER HI. A Proclamation to the Irish People — Astonishment of the In- vaders at the Religious Zeal of their Irish Allies — Peculiar Position of the Irish Clergy — Their Intolerance rebuked by the French 49 CHAPTER IV. The Field of Operations — Morale of the English Forces — An Engagement near Ballina — Episodes at the Capture of that Town 61 4 CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. PAGE The Theatre of Operations — Weary March of the French and Irish — Scenes in Castlebar — The Battle — Panic and Flight of the British 73 CHAPTER VI. A Disgraceful Incident — Losses on Both Sides — The French indulge in the Pleasures of Music and Dancing — General Results of the Battle — A Republican Government for Con- naught 100 CHAPTER VII. Humbert resumes Operations in the Field — The British Plan of Campaign — Battle of Colooney — Battle and Surrender at Ballinamuck — Case of Bartholomew Teeling . . 114 CHAPTER Vni. A Second Battle of Castlebar — Defeat of the Insurgents — The Three French Officers left at Killala — Their Efforts to sup- press Religious Persecution — Riot and Lawlessness the Order of the Day — Advance of the Royal Armies — Battle of Killala 144 CHAPTER IX. Humbert's Career subsequent to his Return from Ireland — His Part in the Campaign against the Austrians, and the Expedi- tion to San Domingo — His Love Intrigue with Pauline Bona- parte — Escape to America — Present at the Battle of New Orleans — Expedition to Mexico i75 Appendix 185 Index 189 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Castlebar Drawn by Harry Ogden. . Frontispiece. OPP. DRAWN BY PACE Arrival of the French Vessels Edw. Siebert 29 Portrait of General Sarrazin V. Gribay/doff. 45 Portrait of Marquis of Cornwallis. . F. Gribay/doff. . . . . 61 Sarrazin Embraces a Patriot's Corpse. .Edw. Siebert 67 The March to Castlebar IV. C. Fitler 72 Portrait of General Hutchinson ^■^. G>ibay/doff 84 Lake's Flight from Castlebar Baron C. de Grimm. 98 The Ball after the Battle Tho?nas Mclhmine. 105 Map of Connaught i r6 Portrait of Colonel Charles Vereker. . Comerford. 123 Retreat of the French Edw. Siebert 129 The Gory Heights of Ballinamuck Charles Graham . . . 136 The Battle of Killala Edw. Siebert 160 AUTHORITIES. Dublin Penny Jotirnal. Dublin, 1833-34. History of the Rebellion in Ireland. Rev. J. Gordon. London, 1801. Rise and Fall of the Irish Nation. Sir Jonah Barrington, 1815. Memoirs of the Rebellion in Irelattd. Sir R. MUSGRAVE. Dublin, iSoi. An Historical Review of the State of Irelattd. FRANCIS Plowden. Dublin, 1805. Jottes' Narrative of the Itistirrection in Connaught. Reprint. Carlisle, Pa., 1805. General Humberts Official Reports to the Directory attd the Marine Minister, 1798. Archives de France. Le Moniteur General. An vi. and vii. Reports and Letters of Generals Lake, Trench, and Hutchinsott. 1798. A Narrative of What Passed at Killala. By an Eye-witness. London, 1800. Notice Historiqiie de la Dt'scetite des Fratt^ais eti Irlande. L. O. Fontaine. Paris, 1801. Persotial Narrative of the Irish Rebellion. C- H. Teeling. Bel. fast, 1832. Saunders' Newsletter atid Daily Advertiser. Dublin, 1798. Parochial Survey of Irelattd. M. W. Monk. Dublin, 1814. Topographical Dictr. of Ireland. S. Lewis. London, 1837. Pieces of Irish History. W. J. McNevin. New York, 1807. 8 A UTHORITIES. Dissertations on the History of Ireland. C. O'Connor. Dublin, 1812. Nouvelle Biographie Universelle. DiDOT. Paris, 1852. Biographie Universelle. MiCHAUD. Paris, 1843. A New Biographical Dictionary. H. J. Rose. London, 1848. Correspondence of the Marquis of Comwallis. London, 1859. Resumen Histotico de la Insurreccion de Nueva Espagna, desde su origen hasta el desefnbarco del Senor E. X. de Mina. Mexico, 1821. Annuaire N/crologique. Mahul. Annee, 1823. Thiers' History of the First Consulate and Empire. Views of South America atid Mexico. New York, 1826. PREFACE. The present volume is an effort to rescue from comparative oblivion one of the many extraordinary episodes of the great French revolutionary war. Cortez and Pizarro, and scores of minor conquerors — nay, even buccaneers like Morgan — have found their panegyrists, but on the subject of General Humbert's descent upon Ireland in 1798 history is almost silent. Scarcely more than two years ago an English general — if I mistake not, Lord Wolseley — in a public speech referred to the " glorious fact that the United Kingdom had not been insulted by the presence of an armed invader since the days of Will- iam the Conqueror." The speaker's ignorance was excusable, seeing that the majority of English his- tories barely mention Humbert's name. None of them do justice to the magnitude of his achieve- ments, or recount, in a manner worthy of the sub- ject, the exploits which carried his small army to the very heart of Ireland. Maxwell, in his History of the Irish Rebellion, ren- dered famous by a set of Cruikshank's illustrations, lO PREFA CE. devotes one and a half chapters to the story of the expedition ; but his narrative, being exclusively based on the official reports and the extremely par- tial account of the Tory writer, Sir Richard Mus- grave (Dublin, 1801), the result is anything but sat- isfactory from a strictly historical point of view. For a similar reason does Mr. Froude's version of Hum- bert's descent, as contained in his recently published History of Ireland, prove .superficial and inaccurate. Nor has the hardy Frenchman received better treat- ment from his own countrymen. Thiers dismisses him with six lines, and Guizot with the words: "A French invasion under command of General Hum- bert for^ a time gained some successes, owing to the incapacity or connivance of the Irish militia, but it was soon repulsed." Two years of research, involving an examina- tion of musty records and archives that have lain untouched in the British Museum and the Biblio- theque de France for almost a century, have con- vinced me that I am dealing with a case of histori- cal oversight. Had Humbert's expedition not taken place at a period when the attention of Europe was riveted by Bonaparte and his schemes of Oriental conquest, the episode would doubtless have figured in history side by side with the " Bridge of Areola," the passage of the St. Bernhard, the " Charge of the Light Brigade," and other popular traditions. PREFACE. II For what, in brief, were the circumstances under which the French landed in Ireland ? Their entire strength fell short of i,ioo men of all arms, and on the day of their arrival at Killala the country was occupied by 150,000 English troops, thoroughly prepared for every emergency. For three weeks the invader held his own in the face of every dif^- culty, defeated several forces in the field — one, at the lowest computation, being seven or eight times his superior in size — conquered an entire prov- ince, and only surrendered to overwhelming odds after out-manoeuvring the British commanders dur- ing an unremitting march of a week's duration. The French by that time had penetrated 150 miles into the interior of the country. As will be fully shown, Humbert's action was less quixotic than ap- pears at first sight. An unfortunate delay of a few hours prevented his junction with a large body of Irish insurgents. Had he accomplished his purpose the road to Dublin would have been thrown open to him, and the history of Ireland might have been changed. A word is perhaps apposite regarding several of the authorities I have consulted, a list of which will be found on pages 7 and 8. It is a habit of all chroniclers of the events of '98 who take the anti- English view to treat Sir Richard Musgrave's Me- moirs as utterly unreliable. Musgrave, as a Tory 12 PREFACE. member of the Irish Parliament and an opponent of CathoHc emancipation, naturally allowed his par- tisan prejudices and religious convictions to color his writings. These teem with invective and de- nunciation against the rebels and the Catholic clergy. Nevertheless, a comparison of the Me- moirs with other contemporaneous works on the rebellion — even those of pro-Irish writers — fails, in my opinion, to reveal any deliberate instance of mendacity or fabrication on his part. By reason of his connection with the government he had access to many channels of information closed to the ordinary citizen, and in his copious appendix will be found copies of the numerous sworn depo- sitions upon which his charges against the rebels are based. Musgrave's principal sin is one of omis- sion rather than commission, for he is ever careful to pass over in silence the cruelties committed in the name of the king and the constitution. All of which being the case, it is fair to assume that his narrative, shorn of its animadversions, deserves some consideration as an historical record. With all its faults, it helps to throw much light on the events of the day, and I have not hesitated to refer to it very frequently. My most valuable authorities are a small work entitled, Jones Narrative of the Insurrection in Connaught, of which a reprint was published in PREFACE. 13 Carlisle, Pa., in 1805,' and Louis Octave Fontaine's Notice Historique dc la Descente dcs Franqais en Irlande (Paris, 1801). The first-named book con- tains the narrations of several participants — active and passive — in those stormy events. Their style is simple but eloquent, and often dramatically de- scriptive. The absence of all striving for effect and partisan motive seems to stamp them with the seal of truth. On the merits of Fontaine's account I will not dwell at this stage, as a reference to the author is introduced into the story. As far as my personal investigations go, neither of these works has been previously consulted by any writer on the rebellion, and, in fact, it is a question whether more than one or two copies of them are now in exist- ence. For picturesque quality the French invasion of Ireland will stand comparison with the conquest of Mexico by Cortez. To Americans, in particular, the interest in the event will be enhanced by the tact that the hero died an American citizen on American soil, after gallantly serving his adopted country during the war of 1812. But apart from these considerations the story of Humbert's adven- ture points a moral that, amidst republican institu- tions like ours, will not fail to receive appreciation. It shows, on the one hand, the elevating influence ' A copy of this very rare work is in the author's possession. 14 PREFACE. of newly acquired liberties on a race ground down by centuries of feudalism and monarchical oppres- sion, and, on the other, the debasing effects of relig- ious and political intolerance both on the tyrant and his victim. For this reason mainly have I ven- tured on a domain that properly belongs to the military writer. The Author, New York, April 75, iSqo. THE FRENCH INVASION OF IRELAND IN '98. CHAPTER I. The Events leading up to a French Invasion of Ireland — Several Preliminary Attempts at an Invasion — Intrigues of the League of United Irishmen — Outbreak of the Insurrection. BbS^ 9^y^o ^':ir &^^ Tj HE echoes of America's glorious revolution shook ^ the old monarchies of Eu- («„ rope almost to their foun- dations. That of France uTo^/B^^fPo^l^ soon succumbed to its ef- fects. The year 1789 saw the abolition of the ancient regime^ with its manifold abuses, and the dawn of a new independence that To what promised great things for the Old World extent these prospects were marred by the excesses of demagogues and the mad infatuation of the mul- titude, history has suf^ciently informed us ; but there is no exaggeration in saying that with all the 1 6 THE FRENCH INVASION follies and crimes that marked its progress, that was the grandest epoch in France's history as a nation when five hundred thousand of her sons, ill- clad, half-starved and poorly drilled, faced the coalition of monarchical Europe in defence of their mother country and the republican idea. The watchword, " la patrie en danger^' and the strains of Rouget de Lisle's inspiring battle hymn, made heroes out of the commonest clay. Men who had never smelled powder in their lives marched with light heart and steady tread against the well-disci- plined foe. On the northern frontier it was the English and Austrians, on the western the Prus- sians, on the southern the Spaniards, who heard their ringing battle-cry and felt the prick of their cold steel. These ragged, unkempt Sans-ciilottes, not satisfied with hurling the enemy back over the frontiers, followed him into his own country. They overran the Rhine province and Belgium, and in the depth of winter crossed the frozen Dutch canals, driving the British before them like chaff ; and, for the first time in the history of the world, a troop of cavalry captured a large fleet of powerful men-of-war, caught fast in the ice. But notwithstanding her numerous successes on the field of battle, the odds continued to be enor- mously against the young republic. England's maritime power was making itself felt in an alarm- ing degree. A cordon of British men-of-war, ex- tending from Dunkirk to La Rochelle, and also the OF IRELAND IN 'g8. 1 7 entire length of the Mediterranean seaboard, kept up an effectual blockade of every large port and deprived the French of their only means of replen- ishing a well-nigh exhausted exchequer. Every attempt to break the cordon, or even run the blockade, met with disaster, for, with all their bravery and devotion, the sailors of the republic were no match for the " tars of Old England." In- ferior seamanship and lack of discipline, in fact, had resulted in an almost complete annihilation of the French navy. In this dilemma the attention of the French Directory was turned toward Ireland as a potential ally. The story of Ireland's wrongs is a hackneyed theme nowadays, especially in America, and for that reason it has ceased to interest the majority of people. The writer must therefore be pardoned for indulging in a little sentiment anent the condi- tion of that unhappy island, a prey alike to the ex- actions of the oppressor and the conflicting pas- sions of the oppressed. Whatever may be said in extenuation of British methods in Ireland at the present time, testimony is not lacking to show that at the conclusion of the last century her grievances were numerous enough to justify the spirit of dis- content which France found it to her interest to foster. The elective franchise was denied to all Catholics, and in consequence the major portion of the population were rendered indifferent to sup- porting laws in whose making they had no partici- 15 THE FRENCH INVASION pation, and which neither benefited nor protected them. Protestations on the part of the disfran- chised, accompanied too often by acts of lawless- ness, only elicited the most stringent coercive meas- ures ; and at last there reigned a period of terror throughout the country which almost recalled the martyrdom of the Spanish Netherlands under Alva's bloody ri'givie. The people in whole districts were required to remain within their houses from sunset to sunrise, and, to insure their doing so, visits were paid them during the hours of darkness. Woe be- tide the unfortunate man who had absented him- self. He often returned to find his home in ashes. Nay, more — cases are known of persons merely suspected of treasonable offences being dragged from their beds, and, without the formalities of a trial or an effort to secure proof, being shot in cold blood or doomed to a lingering death amid the pestilential horrors of the prison ships. The in- famous Insurrection Act provided the death pen- alty for all who even afifiliated with secret societies ; but, far from crushing the spirit of the patriots, who had organized themselves into the formidable "Order of United Irishmen," it served to bring them to a full realization of their desperate straits, and to brace their nerves for a final effort to throw off the galling yoke.' ' That the above statements are wholly unexaggerated may be gathered from the debates in the British House of Lords, November 22, 1797, on a motion by Lord Moira to petition his Majesty for the OF IRELAND IN 'g8. 1 9 As a natural result, the overtures of the French Directory for an alliance were eagerly accepted by the Executive Council of the Order, but with the express stipulation that no French invading army should exceed ten thou'^and men, and that Ireland, after her liberation, should be left free to enact her own laws and adopt her own form of government without foreign interference. The Directory hav- ing pledged its faith to these conditions, an arma- ment was soon after equipped from the port of Brest under the command of General Lazare intervention of the Crown in the affairs of Ireland. " My Lords," declared the speaker, "I have seen in Ireland the most absurd as well as the most disgusting tyranny that any nation ever groaned under. There is not one man, my Lords, in Ireland, who is not liable to be taken out of his house at any hour, either of the day or night, to be kept in rigorous confinement, restricted from all corre- spondence with the persons who have the management of his affairs, be treated with mixed severity and insult, and yet never know the crime with which he is charged, nor the source from whence the in- formation against him proceeded. Your Lordships have, hitherto, detested the Inquisition. In what did that horrible institution differ from the system pursued in Ireland? Men, indeed, have not been put to the rack in Ireland, because that horrible engine was not at hand. But I do know instances of men being picketed in Ireland till they fainted ; when they recovered, picketed again till they fainted ; recovered again, and again picketed till they fainted a third time ; and this in order to extort from the tortured sufferers a confession, either of their own guilt, or of the guilt of their neigh- bors. But I can even go farther : men have been half hanged and then brought to life, in order, by fear of having that punishment re- peated, to induce them to confess the crimes with which they have been charged. . . He who states these things should be pre- pared with proofs. I am prepared with them." . . . 20 THE FRENCH INVASION Hoche, the hero of Weissenberg and Quiberon, and without contradiction one of the most promis- ing leaders of the repubhcan armies. Not yet thirty years of age, a man of keen insight, cool de- liberation and iron will, ardently attached to demo- cratic institutions, but withal averse to the acts of savagery that had attended their introduction into his own country, he seemed moulded by destiny for a great and glorious career. The liberation of Ire- land, it should be added, had been his dream ; he had urged it on the members of the Directory ; he had dilated on it to his companions-in-arms. He based his argument on sentimental as well as politi- cal grounds. Ireland, he averred, that had supplied so many brave regiments to the armies of France, should be allowed to reap the benefits of the new republican era. The French armament, consisting of a fleet of 43 sail, carrying an army of 15,000 men and 40,000 stands of arms, also a formidable train of field artillery and heavy cannon, started from Brest in the month of December, 1796, and made for Bantry Bay, in the south of Ireland. Had this imposing force effected a landing, the re- sult may be easily conjectured. How inadequate were England's preparations for her defence is evi- dent from what occurred when the French did land > ighteen months later. Sufifice it to say that the special providence which, for good or for evil, has guarded England's shores since the day that the Spanish Armada went to pieces amid the waves of OF IRELAND IN 'g8. ^1 the English Channel, once more interposed, and after encountering one storm after the other, and failing entirely in the attempt to approach the Irish shore, the French fleet, somewhat battered, but without any material loss, returned to its moorings in the harbor of Brest. The failure of the Bantry Bay expedition, while it proved a damper on the immediate hopes of the United Irishmen, in no manner discouraged them. Their emissaries in France continued to urge a re- newal of the attempt, and pointed out the growing strength and cohesion of the brotherhood, with its ramifications extending to the remotest village in the land. Their efforts were partially successful, for in the following June the Batavian Republic, at the instance of the French Government, undertook to equip an armament for the purpose of carrying out General Hoche's project. Despite the reduced condition of her exchequer and the disorder in her military and naval departments, Holland was soon able to collect at the Texel sixteen sail of the line and a number of frigates, under the command of Admiral De Winter, with a landing force of thir- teen thousand men, led by the intrepid Daendels, Commander-in-chief of the Batavian Army. This force practically constituted the entire disposable strength of the nation, and the willingness of the latter to devote it to the liberation of a suffering sister has been cited by enthusiasts as a case of national self-sacrifice, unprecedented in modern his- 22 THE FRENCH INVASION tory. Expectations in Ireland ran high, and many longing eyes were directed toward the coast. But the patriots were doomed to fresh disappointment. Weeks and months passed and the sail of the deliverer appeared not. Again had the elements interposed themselves in England's favor. All at- tempts to leave the Texel had been frustrated by contrary winds, and after lying inactive for two months the troops were disembarked, owing to a scarcity of provisions, and the entire project was abandoned.' Almost simultaneously with the failure of the Batavian expedition came the news to the Irish Union of the death of General Hoche, their staunch friend, and the expulsion of Carnot, the able or- ganizer of the Bantry Bay expedition, from the French Directory — and the realization of the United Irishmen's dream seemed further off than ever ! At this juncture, however, their hopes were again revived by the sudden conclusion of peace between France and Austria, and the private assurance of the Directory to the Union's emissaries that a fresh effort in the direction of securing Ireland's inde- pendence would shortly be made. This informa- tion, while giving confidence to the mass of the brotherhood, was also the means of restraining their impetuosity, which, had it taken the form of a pre- ' This Dutch fleet fell a prey to Lord Duncan and his heavy " seventy-fours," in the memorable action off Camperdown, October II, 1797. OF IRELAND IN 'g8. 23 mature outbreak, would have worked lasting injury to the cause. The spring of 1798 was the time set for the fulfilment of the Directory's promise, and to Bonaparte, the savior of Toulon and conqueror of Italy, was to be given the command of the new expeditionary army. For the third time the British Government was filled with alarm, and the United Irishmen rejoiced. Every Briton capable of bearing arms was called upon by his sovereign to aid in the country's de- fence. The arsenals and ship-yards bustled with a feverish activity, and the well-fed shopkeepers and landed proprietors trembled for their homes and money-bags. But for a third time Fate was kind to Great Britain. Bonaparte was thinking of nothing so prosaic as a campaign amidst Irish bogs. His vivid Latin imagination had conjured up dreams of Oriental splendor. The entire East with its fasci- nating associations — in the foreground Egypt with her pyramids and sphinxes, then Palestine and Syria with their ancient ruins, and beyond that Hindustan with her untold wealth — these were the realms that seduced his fancy, and thither he sailed with the finest armament France had equipped in many a year ! The wail of disappointment and desperation that went up from Irish throats as the French fleet started for Egypt could scarcely fail to impress the British rulers, and to prepare them for coming events. Another circumstance tended to still fur- ^4 THE FRENCH INVASION ther open their eyes. Through the medium of its spies the British Government discovered that emis- saries of the Irish Union had deliberately thwarted the negotiations for peace opened at Lille by Lord Malmesbury, the English ambassador. These men were found to be in intimate association with the chiefs of the French Army, including Bernadotte, Dessaix and Kilmaine, whose influence they used to effect the rejection of all British overtures. The presentation of the above facts in the Irish House of Peers by the Lord Chancellor himself only tended to accentuate the crisis. The policy of co- ercion was followed up with redoubled vigor, the object of the ministry — as has been charged — being to drive the nation into armed rebellion, which would serve as a pretext for depriving it of its last vestige of independence. The plan, if such an one was intended, succeeded only too well. Goaded on by the arbitrary acts of the military leaders, who, without the slightest authority of law, took it upon themselves to supersede the ordinary tribunals of justice and to try by court-martial citizens accused of mere civil offences, the members of the League at last threw off all restraint, and in the month of May, 1798, broke out in open rebellion, first in the neighborhood of Dublin, then in Kildare, Wexford and Wicklow, and finally in Ulster. It is not my purpose to dilate on the horrors that followed. Each side vied with the other in barbar- ity and disregard of all human rights. But com- OF IRELAND IN 'g8. 2 5 mon justice requires that this distinction be made: whereas the rebels were, for the greater part, igno- rant and fanatic peasants, conscious only of the grievous wrongs they had suffered, and therefore in a certain degree excusable for their acts, no such excuse can be offered for the disciplined troops of his Majesty, and, above all, for the Protestant Anglo-Irish militia, who richly deserve the reproba- ,tion of all ages for a degree of bloodthirstiness un- paralleled in the history of modern warfare. For months the revolted provinces remained a prey to the conqueror, and scenes of devastation and rapine were of daily occurrence. The League of United Irishmen was practically a thing of the past, and the iron hand of the despot seemed to hold the stricken land tighter than ever in its deadly grasp. It was at this supreme hour of misery that the electrifying news sped through hill and dale, through town and hamlet, that a French army had landed at Killala, in the province of Connaught, and was on the march to deliver Ireland from the oppressor ! CHAPTER II. Humbert lands in Killala with a Tliousand Men — Career of the Hero and Composition of his Army — Bishop Stock's Testimony to the Invaders. HE town of Killala is situated on the bay of the same name, on the coast of County Mayo. It is an ancient bishop's see, and was founded in almost prehistoric times by Amhley, a prince of the district, who, according to tradition, was 'i:^-^^ikir'^' converted by St. Patrick, together 1 with seven hundred of his subjects, in a single day. In 1798 there still remained some relics of a bygone age. Among them were the ruins of a "round tower," erected in the sixth century by the eminent Irish architect and divine, Gobhan, on a knoll in the centre of the town. From the base of this elevation three roads diverged — the main street taking an easterly direction, winding by the church- yard wall, down a steep hill to the bishop's castle, FRENCH INVASION OF IRELAND. 27 another aged structure dating back many centuries, that but for constant repair would long since have crumbled into decay ; a second road running south to the "Acres," a distant height on the border of the town ; and a third pursuing a westerly course to the banks of the Owenmore, two miles away. This river is crossed by a majestic stone bridge of eleven arches at the village of Parsontown, from which point the road branches east, following the windings of the stream for nearly a mile ; then bending north- west parallel to the Bay of Rathfran — an inlet of the Bay of Killala — it merges into the highway of Foghill. On the banks of a creek at the western extremity of the Bay of Rathfran stand the moss- grown ruins of Kilcummin, a cell built by Cumin in the seventh century. It was within sight of this romantic spot that, early in the afternoon of the 22d of August, 1798, several fishermen, while busy repairing their nets, were surprised by the appearance of three large war-ships suddenly rounding a neighboring prom- ontory and casting anchor two hundred feet from the shore. For some days past vague rumors had floated through the air that a French fleet had left La Rochelle and was on its way to the Irish coast. At first sight, therefore, the men decided that this must be the enemy. But a second glance revealed the British colors flying at the vessels' bows, and, eager to earn a few pennies, they left their work and at a brisk gait crossed the high ground that hid 28 THE FRENCH INVASION the bay from the town of Killala. Reaching this place they made a straight hne for the dwelHng of the Rev. Dr. Joseph Stock, Protestant bishop of Killala, and in all respects the leading inhabitant of that section of the country. This excellent man, in spite of his intense Protestantism and fealty to the government, harbored a deep resentment toward the ultra-loyalists, whose machinations were furnishing a plausible pretext to the Romanists for distrust and hostility toward their Protestant brethren in general. Orange lodges for the avowed purpose of stirring up strife were being started in Connaught, and the bishop was opposing them with might and main. On this very day he was busied in entering a protest, in his " primary visita- tion " charge, against the first sentence of the oath by which Orangemen are banded together, viz. : " I am not a Roman Catholic." To his broad and lib- eral mind such a sentiment had too pharisaical a ring. It sounded too much like : " Stand off, 1 am holier than thou ! " ' Greatly pleased were the reverend gentleman and his guests — clergymen from the vicinity — at the news brought by the fishermen. A British fleet in the bay meant an end to all danger from the French. It meant an end to the condition of suspense into which the Protestant population had been thrown by the persistent rumors from all sides. Even among the servants in the bishop's ' Narrative of What Passed at Killala. y-0 OF IRELAND IN 'gS. 2g household the belief had been firm that something unusual was impending. A Protestant servant- maid, married to a Catholic, suspected of afifiliation with the rebels, had circulated the report, and Mr. William Kirkwood, the local magistrate, had in so far credited it as to keep under arms, as a precau- tionary measure, the entire body of yeomanry un- der his command, together with the Prince of Wales' Fencibles under Lieutenant Sills — ^number- ing about fifty men, say the loyalist writers, but numbering man}' more, say other authorities.' Impelled by a desire to pay their respects to the officers of the squadron — possibly also to extend the hospitalities of the castle — the bishop's two sons, Edwin and Arthur Stock, ran down to the wharf and jumped into a fishing boat. Here they were joined by the port surveyor, Mr. James Rut- ledge, and a few minutes later the three were skim- ming over the placid surface of the bay on their way to the men-of-war. It was nearly three o'clock, and the sun beat on the water with a fierce, white glare. The three stately ships in the foreground, and the verdant, undulating hillocks bordering the shore beyond, formed a charming picture. As the small boat came within hailing distance Rutledge commented on the peculiar construction of the vessels, all three apparently frigates. His surprise was increased at the sight ' Adjutant-General Louis Octave Fontaine, for instance, estimates the British force at two hundred men. — Notice Historiqiie, p. 7. 30 THE FRENCH INVASION of a number of minor craft plying to and from the shore, laden with blue-coated soldiers, who formed in line at a short distance from the water's edge. Still suspecting nothing, the three approached the nearest war ship, from the bows of which numerous shaggy heads stared expectantly. "Nice-looking fellows for British man-of-war's men ! " remarked Rutledge, derisively. His hailing cry was answered in a deep bass voice, with an unmistakable Irish brogue. A rope ladder was lowered, and the three men were hoisted on deck. But what was their astonishment to find, in lieu of a natty British captain and crew, a row of gaunt and sallow men in the uniform of the French army, one of whom stepped forward and informed them, in fjood Dublin English, and in the name of his superior, General Jean-Joseph Humbert, there present, that they were on board the French frigate Concorde, prisoners of war in the hands of France. The prolonged absence of the bishop's sons and the surveyor soon awoke suspicions in the minds of the loyalists of Killala. By four o'clock the excite- ment was at fever heat. The inhabitants had gath- ered on Steeple Hill, where Captain Kirkwood with his corps, in full uniform, were awaiting the issue of events. Two officers from the garrison of Ballina, eight miles away, who had seen service at the Cape of Good Hope and were judges on matters naval and militarv, were eagerly interrogated by the spectators, buc they could form no authoritative OF IRELAND IN 'g8. 3 1 opinion as to the nature of the vessels. " Here," said Captain Kirkwood, handing his telescope to an old denizen of the town who had fought under Howe and Rodney, " here, tell me what these ves- sels are." "They are French, sir," returned the sea-dog. " I know them by the cut and color of their sails." Turning to leave the crowd, Captain Kirkwood was questioned by Neal Kerugan (a noisy malcontent, and afterward a leader of the insurgents) as to the nationality of the frigates. " Ah, Neal," replied the captain, significantly, " you know as well as I do." Just about this time a peasant covered with dust and sweat rode furiously into Parsontown with the startling information that troops in blue uniforms were landing from the ships, and were distributing arms to many of the inhabitants who had joined them. Presently this fact was confirmed when a solid body of men were descried moving along the road leading to Killala. Now hidden in the hollows, now sharply outlined against the sky, their arms flashing in the rays of the setting sun, they marched slowly but steadily onward, preceded by a single horseman — a large, robust-looking man, dressed in a long green hunting frock and a huge conical fur cap. On meeting parties of the townsfolk he stopped and saluted them in the Leinster patois : " Go de mil ha tu " (How do you do). Close upon his heels rode a French general — Sarrazin — and his aide-de-camp, one Matthew Tone, both seemingly 32 THE FRENCH INVASION much amused at the other's successful handling of the Irish tongue. When they had crossed the Par- sontown bridge General Humbert drove up in a gig and ordered three hundred of his men to bivouac on the green esplanade in front of the village, while the remainder were sent on to Killala. Twilight was falling on the world, and the gentle voices of the evening insects were singing a lullaby to the drowsy earth when Sarrazin's stalwart grena- diers and infantry marched down the hill of Mullag- hern and advanced upon the little town. Captain Kirkwood, informed of the true state of affairs, has- tily gathered together his yeomanry and the Fenci- bles, and ordered them to a commanding ridge on the outskirts; but soon deciding this position to be less advantageous than one within the town itself, he fell back and took a stand at the top of the decline leading to the castle. He showed his wisdom, for no better situation could have been selected for a retreat. Sarrazin, on arriving within gunshot of the enemy, made his dispositions. He sent a detach- ment under Neal Kerugan — now a full-fledged rebel — to occupy the "Acres" road, to turn the British, if in position, or cut them off in the event of their retreating. He stationed a handful of sharpshooters on the deserted ridge, and sent the green-coated horseman referred to before forward to reconnoitre. Through the winding streets the chasseur dashed. The target of many a bullet, he reached the market- place unharmed. Here be was challenged by a OF IRELAND IN 'g8. 33 young gentleman of the place in yeoman's uniform with: "What do you want, you spy?" The voice of war is the scream of the bullet, and the answer, conveyed through the medium of a pistol, was both convincing and silencing. One more dash in the face of death to inspect the enemy's position, and this modern Achilles, with his heel well booted, was back among his companions, where he related with much unction that " though he had been in twenty battles, he had never before had the honor to receive the entire fire of the enemy's lines."' By this time the action had begun. The sharp- shooters were showing their mettle, and the grena- diers, who had headed the attacking column, de- ployed on the main street, in the centre of the town. There they were opposed by the English with a faint-hearted fire. Captain Kirkwood, alarmed at the indecision of his men, ordered them in ex- cited tones to charge. The command found no response. The line hesitated, wavered, broke — - and in a moment the whole force were skurrying toward the castle gates. In the scramble the town's apothecary, a respectable citizen of the name of Smith, was laid low by a bullet from a French trooper, and the Rev. Dr. Ellison, of Castlebar, an ' This interesting episode is gleaned from the account of an eye- witness published in the Dublin Penny Journal oi 1833. The name of the hero is unfortunately not mentioned, but the man was prob- ably Henry O'Keon, one of the prominent Irish members of the expedition. 3 34 THE FRENCH INVASION Anglican clergyman and guest of the bishop, who had bravely appeared in the ranks, musket in hand, received a wound in the heel. At the castle gates the fight was resumed, this time with some spirit. The defenders endeavored to barricade the entrance, but notwithstanding the unquestionable bravery of their commanders, one of whom, Lieutenant Sills, wounded an ofificer of the attacking party, the gate was forced open and what remained of the British laid down their arms. These were nineteen in number. The rest had been killed or wounded, or had f!ed. Among the latter were the two ofificers from Ballina, who carried the news to their com- mander. An interesting scene occurred when the smoke in the court-yard had cleared away. A tall man of resolute mien, wearing a general's epaulettes, who arrived at the conclusion of the fight, accompanied by a numerous staff, and who proved to be Hum- bert himself, suddenly ordered the troops in stento- rian tones to ground arms. Then turning to the three prisoners, Mr. Rutledge and the Stock boys, who had been brought with the column, he asked through an interpreter where the bishop could be found. Naturally the badly frightened men were unable to supply the information ; but the suspense was of short duration, for presently the worthy prel- ate emerged from the bushes of his garden near by. He was at once assured by the same inter- preter, one Bartholomew Teeling — of whom there OF IRELAND IN 'gS. 35 will be occasion to speak further on — that no harm was intended ; and as he stepped forward Hum- bert extended his hand. What improved matters was the bishop's knowledge of French, an advan- tage which, combined with his honest exterior, impressed the general favorably. At all events the latter's first words breathed kindness and good will. "Take my word for it," was his assurance, "that neither your people nor yourself shall have cause to feel any apprehension. We have come to your country not as conquerors, but as deliverers, and shall take only from you absolutely what is neces- sary for our support. You are as safe under our protection as you were under that of his Majesty, the King of England." All contemporaneous authorities, be they Eng- lish or Irish, loyalist or revolutionist, agree that, to the honor of the French name, this promise was religiously kept. History furnishes few examples of so scrupulous an observance of the rules of civi- lized warfare, so thorough a respect for the rights of the conquered, as distinguished the operations of General Humbert and his little army. And now a few words regarding the origin and organization of this expedition, which for a short period threatened to crush out England's suprem- acy in the Emerald Isle. In the preceding chap- ter reference was made to the several isolated attempts on the part of the French Directory to 36 THE FRENCH INVASION land an invading army on the Irish coast. The last one had been balked by Bonaparte's designs on Egypt. Thereafter the demands for aid of the Irish emissaries in Paris only became more urgent and incessant. Owing to the Egyptian expedition having well nigh drained the republic of money, ships and stores, several months elapsed before a fresh armament could be equipped. This time it was decided to send out two small advance forces, and to follow them up later with a main body. For that end General Humbert was stationed at La Rochelle with about 1,000 veterans, while General Hardy took up quarters at Brest with 3,000 soldiers, mainly ex-convicts. The gros of the expeditionary force, numbering 10,000 men, was placed under the orders of " Kibnaine Ic brave'' as his companions-in- arms delighted to call him. This distinguished officer was an Irishman by birth, named Jennings, who assumed the " nom dc guerre " of Kilmaine upon entering the French military service, where his splendid achievements on the frontier of the Austrian Netherlands elevated him to the rank of lieutenant-general. Of these three separate forces only the smallest, under the orders of Humbert, was destined to reach its goal. Humbert himself, if some of his biog- raphers are to be believed, was far from being the ideal hero of a romance of war. To his many brill- iant parts were allied vices that in any but a dis- organized state of society must have disqualified OF IRELAND IN 'gS. 3 J' him for every position of honor. Beset as she was at that epoch with enemies on all her borders, France had need for every citizen who could con- tribute to the salvation of the fatherland. Purity of character was little in demand, and the man of ability, however unscrupulous, possessed better chances of advancement than his honest but me- diocre neighbor. The authorities are divided both as to Humbert's birth-place and the date of his birth.' From one source we learn that he was born at Rouveroye, November 25, 1755 ; from another that he first saw the light of day in 1767 at Bouvron (Meurthe). But this is a small matter. It appears to be beyond dispute that young Jean-Joseph Amable Humbert was a " hard character " from the very start, and that he brought much sorrow on his grandmother, on whom the care of the youth de- volved after the early death of both his parents. After leading her a life of misery, he left her roof at the age of seventeen to enter the service of a cloth merchant in a neighboring town. He had shown an early disposition to pay undue attentions to the fair sex, and his handsome face and lithesome figure had stood him in good stead in these matters. Away from home the temptation grew stronger, and we soon find him dismissed from his employ for acts of gross immorality. The youth returned ' See Didot's Biographie Universelle, Paris, 1852 ; Michaud's Biographie Universelle, Paris, 1848; Le Bas' Encyclopadie Bio- graphique, Paris, 1853. 38 THE FRENCH INVASION to Rouveroye/ but his reputation had preceded him, and he saw every door closed at his coming. For the second time he left home to seek his for- tunes elsewhere, and again, as before, his ill-conduct brought with it a summary dismissal from a steady situation in a hat factory in Lyons. The young man now became a social pariah. These were still ante-revolutionary times, and a disgraced employd found it difficult to secure recognition anywhere. Starvation stared our hero in the face. In this dilemma a happy thought struck him. He had cas- ually discovered that skins of certain animals, such as rabbits, young goats, etc., were in great demand in the glove and leggings factories of Lyons and Grenoble. He therefore started out with a few francs in his pockets, and wandering among the remote villages of the Vosges district, purchased at low rates as much of this merchandise as his means would allow. A handsome profit on the first batch encouraged him to undertake a second and a third tour, and after awhile his figure became familiar throughout a large tract of the country. At last there resounded the tocsin of the great revolution. For once the heart of the wanderer seems to have throbbed with a grand impulse. The fires of ambition that had lain dormant in his breast blazed forth in all their fury. Abandoning his now prosperous pursuits, he threw himself into the great ' The weight of evidence is in favor of Rouveroye as the birth- place of Humbert. OF IRELAND IN 'q8. 39 movement. Peasants who had bartered and bar- gained with him, maidens who had known him as a peripatetic swain, were electrified by the earnestness of his exhortations. He joined one of the first vol- unteer battalions organized among the Vosges, and by his active republicanism no less than by his mili- tary qualities, quickly rose to be its chief. With the rank of Mar^chal-de-cavip, he accompanied the army under Beurnonville which in 1793 burst into the territory of Treves. It was here that another bad side to his character disclosed itself. On the field of battle brave to a fault, utterly regardless, of his own person and ever ready to embark in the most perilous enterprise, in camp he proved himself an arch intriguer. Anxious to secure promotion, he secretly sought permission from the Directory to act as an informer on the movements of his com- rades-in-arms, averring that many were guilty of lukewarmness in the cause of the republic. Beur- nonville, however, got wind of his subordinate's schemes, and wrote a scathing letter of denunciation to the military authorities in Paris, characterizing the action as the height of baseness (/ yS-g. 1271 135-6, 172. Ballina, battle near, 65-7 ; conflicting accounts of the battle, 66-7, note; re- sults of second battle, 68. Ballinamucli, battle of, described, i .2- 6; slaughter of the Irish, 135-6; losses of contestants, 138 ; treatment of French prisoners, 138. Bantry Bay Expedition, its formidable character and unavoidable failure, 20-1. Barrett, Patrick, officer of Irish insur- gents, heroically saves lives of Prot estants, 156-7. Batavian Republic, its great self-sac- rifice for the i)rinciples of liberty, in equipping expedition for Ireland, 21. Blake. General Richard, Irish patriot, captured and hanged at Ballina- muck, dies bravely, '136. Boudet, Captain, French officer in ex- pedition to Ireland, described, 152. Castlebar, romantic character of its vicinity, 73-4 ; sketch of the tovs'n, 74-5 ; frequent broils between Eng- lish regulars and militia, 75-6 ; illus- tration of Protestant pietistic spirit, 77; strength and position of British force, S2-7. Battle of, described, 81- og ; defeat of the Irish contingent, 87-8 : foolish experiment of the French, 89 ; their splendid audacity at the last charge, Sg ; French and English troops compared, 90, note ; cowardice of the British, Q2-4 ; fights in the town and at the bridge, 94-6 ; acts of heroism. 95-8 ; the English flight called " the races of Castle- bar, " qi; opposite conduct of Lake and Hutchinsim, 98 ; losses and re- sults, 103-5. E.xcesses of the Irish recruits after the battle, 107-9 \ mas- sacre of Protestants prevented by the French, 108 ; good conduct of the French soldiers during the occu- pation, 109-10 ; evacuation by the French, 118 ; movements preceding second attack on it by Irish insur- gents, 144-S ; panic of the citizens, 1.(6; description of the battle, 147-8. Chambers, Captain, in English army, his courage at Castlebar, 94-7. Character of English troops in Ireland, 62-3. Charost, Lieutenant-colonel, in French army, sketched, 150-1 ; firmly main- tains order at Killala, 152-63 ; re- leases persecuted Protestants, 158 ; diverts a mob from its villainy, 162-. 3 ; has narrow escape at Killala, 171; is sent prisoner to Dublin, 171. Colooney, description of march to, 121-3 : battle at, 124; orderly retreat of the English, 124. Connaught, republican government for, formed by the French, 112. Cornwallis, Lord Lieutenant and com- mander-in-chief, denounces the Eng- lish force in Ireland, 62-3 ; reorgan- izes Lake's defeated army, iig; moves against the French, 120 ; his generalship against Humbert, 130-1; becomes cruel to the Irish patriots, 141. Cowley, Father Owen, a bloodthirsty priest, 156-8. Crawford, Colonel, enters Castlebar, and terrorizes the " President," ij8- 19 ; harasses the rear of Humbert's army, 126-8 ; makes general attack and is defeated, 128 ; is captured and released at Ballinamuck, 133-5. England, her naval power in 1798, 16-17 ; her blockade of French ports, 17 ; her tyranny in Ireland, 17-ig : humiliating reflections upon her power, 83 ; inordinate national van- ity of, S4-5. IQO INDEX. Enfjlish oppressions of Ireland, i7-:8 ; described by an English nobleman, 18-19, note ; military barbarities, =4-5- 127, 135-6. English forces in Ireland, bad charac- ter of, 62-3 ; military operations in Ireland, during French invasion, begun, 63-4 ; engagement near Bal- lina, 65-7 ; defeat at Castlebar, 87- 99; movements after Castlebar, 119- 21 ; Trench's operations in Con- naught, 164-7. E.xpeditions to aid Ireland, first, French, under Hoche, 19-21 ; sec- ond. Dutch or Batavian, 21-2: third, under Humbert, see Humbert; fourth, captured by British navy. Fontaine, Adjutant-General Louis Oc- tav-e, his history of the Irish cam- paign, 45. France, grandest epoch of her history, 16 ; blockade of her coast by Eng- land, 16-17. French Revolution, heroism produced by, 16. French Directory, terms of its alliance with Irish patriots, ig; despatches expedition to Ireland, 19-20 ; breaks its promise regarding another, 23. French expeditions to Ireland, motive for, 16-17 '• description of first one, and why it failed, 20-1 ; Batavian, 21-2 ; Humbert's, see Humbert ; fourth, captured by English navy, 143- French soldiers in Ireland, good be- havior of, 50-2, 109-10; proclamation to the Irish, 53-4 ; their excellent character, 90, note ; distraction and pleasure after Castlebar, 105-6 ; pris- oners of war at Ballinamuck, their treatment, 138 ; conduct on the way to Dublin, 13S-9 ; at Liverpool and Litchfield, 139. Granard, an important point, attacked unsuccessfully by the Irish insur- gents, 129. HocHE, General Lazare, character of, 20 ; leads unsuccessful expedition to Ireland, 19-21. Humbert, General Jean-Joseph A., his landing at Kilcummin, near Killala, 27-35 ; first skirmish of his troops, 33-4 ; his pledge to the Irish people, 35 ; origin and organization of his expedition, 35-6 ; sketch of his early life, 36-43 ; personal appearance, 42-3 ; change in his character, 38 ; his conduct of civil war in La Ven- due, 40-1 ; his dauntless determina- tion, 43 ; his fleet and army, 44 ; his proclamation to the Irish, 53-4 ; re- ligious difficulties in organizing them, 55-9 ; short speech to the fierce Catholics; 57 ; why the priests aided him, 58-9; English move- ments begTjn, 63-4 ; battle near Bal- lina, 65-7 ; moves toward Castlebar, 72 ; has a tedious march, 80 ; size of his army at Castlebar, 84 ; his plans and movements, 87; battle of Castle- bar, 88-99 ; wins by a bold stroke, 89-91 ; despatches Teeling after the British commanders, loo-i; exagger- ates to the French Directory, 103 ; prevents revenge on the Protestants, 108 ; makes great mistake by at- tempting politics, 1 10- 1 3 ; organizes government for Connaught, iii ; makes large promises to the Direc- tory, 114-15 ; results of dilatory policy, 117; begins march to the in- terior, 118-21 ; skirmish at Tubber- curry, 122 ; battle at Colooney, 124 ; praises Col. Vereker, 125 ; turns and moves toward Granard, 128; gives a blow to the harassing Crawford, 128; crosses the Shannon, 129 ; arrival at Cloone, 129 ; his purpose defeated by too much talk and sleep, 129-30; forced to an engagement at Ballina- muck, 1 51-2 ; conduct at the battle. 133-5 ; his life saved by Teeling, 135; surrenders, is brought before Lake, and sent to Cornwallis, 137 ; thanked by clergymen at Litchfield for his humanity, 139 ; his efforts to save Teeling and the Irish officers, 139-41; goes to prison with Teeling, 140 ; sent to Dublin and afterward to France, 138-40; main reason for his failure, 173-4; his career after leav- ing Ireland, chapter ix.; fights the Austrians, 176; is sent to San Do- mingo to fight against liberty, 176-7 ; falls in love with Pauline Bonaparte, 178 ; escapes a prison by fleeing to America, 179; fights at battle of New Orleans, 179 ; raises expedition to aid Mexico, 181 ; returns unsuccess- ful to the United States, 182 ; dies an American citizen at New Orleans in 1823, i8.i. Brilliancy and impor- tance of his career in Ireland, pre- face ; lesson of the account, preface, 13-14- Hutchinson, John Hely, English mr. jorgeneral, moves against the French, 63 ; resumes command at Castlebar, 81-2; misrepresents to Cornwallis, 82, 84. Ireland, as a possible ally of the French Republic, 17 : brutal treat- ment of, by England, 17-8, 24; secret societies in, 18 ; Insurrection Act in, iS. First expedition in aid of, 19, 21 ; INDEX. 191 attempt of the Batavian Republic, 21-2 ; plan of third attempt, 36 ; par- tially carried out by Humbert, see Humbert. Emissaries of, in France, their influence, 24. Insurrection of, in 1798, its outbreak, 24 ; weakness of Irish character, 111-13. Irish insurgents, their ideas and pur- poses, 107-8, 115-16, note, 148-0; large increase of forces, 117; their desertions, 121-2, 127 ; they attack Granard, 129 ; are massacred at Ballinamuck, 135-6; continue the war after surrender of the French, 144; their malice against Protestants, 155-9; they fight unsuccessful battles at Castlebar, 144 ; and at Scarmore, 164-5 '• finally defeated with great slaughter at Killala, 167-70 ; tried by court-martial and hanged, 172; reasons for their failure ana destruc- tion, 173-4. Kerr, Major, commands English at Ballina, 65-6. Killala, landing place of Humbert, de- scribed, 26-7 ; appearance of fleet in bay, 27 ; first skirmish at, 33-4 ; rais- ing of the green flag at, 49; scene of a decisive battle, 167-9 ; Kirkwood, magistrate of, 51. Kilmaine ("/<> /iraev"). Lieutenant- general, an Irishman with assumed name, 36. Kirkwood, magistrate at Killala, 51 ; his house sacked by Irish revolution- ists for breach of parole, 51. Lake, Gerard, general of an English force, commands at Castlebar, 78 ; his erroneous opinions of the French, 78-9; his brutal character, 78-9; cowardice at battle of Castlebar, 92, 98; sent by Cornwallis, with a reor- ganized army, to pursue Humbert, 119-20 ; harasses the French, 126-27; his merciless barbarity to the Irish, 127; forces Humbert to an engage- ment, 131 ; massacres the Irish in- surgents, 135-6 ; surprised at the smallness of his victory, 137. MoiRA, Lord, speech in the British House of Lords, November 22, 1797, on the wrongs of Ireland, 18-19, note. Moore, John, " President of Con- naught," 112; shows great coward- ice on the entry into Castlebar of Colonel Crawford and his cavalry, 118-19. Napoleon Bonaparte, his desertion of the Irish, 17 ; dreams of conquer- ing the East, 23. O'DowD, Irish patriot, captured and hanged, dying bravely, at Ballina- muck, 136. O'Keon, Henry, "the green-coated horseman," 31 ; his daring ride, 32-^ ; sketch of, 47-8 ; his method of convincing the Irish, 70-1 ; leads in- surgents against Castlebar, and isde- feated, 144 ; aids in saving lives of Protestants, 156; with Barrett,attacks the British at Scarmore, 165 ; is cap- tured at Killala, tried for treason, but escapes death, 171. Ormond, Earl of, his bravery at Castle- bar, 92-3. Order of United Irishmen, see United Irishmen. Paine, Thomas, writes to French Di- rectory regarding Irish patriots in French army, 142, 185-6, appendix. Ponson, Captain, a French officer, de- scribed, 151-2 ; single-handed quells a crowd of ruffians, 162. Proclamation of Liberty to Ireland, 53-4- RELiGiotis difficulties of the French in Ireland, 55-9 ; Humbert's effective little speech at Killala, 57 ; bad mo- tives of the parish priests, 58-9 ; peculiar position of the French, 59- 60 ; fickleness of recruits, 65 ; efforts to conciliate, 69-71. Revolution, American, effects of, in Europe, 15. Sarrazin, General, sketch of, 44-5 ; skirmish with and flight of British at Ballina, 55 ; leads the attack near Ballina, 65 ; honors an Irish martyr, 6q ; at Castlebar, 87-8, 91 ; deserts Humbert at Ballinamuck, 132-3. Scarmore, battle at, and defeat of rebels by Lord Portarlington, 164. Secret societies in Ireland, 1S-19. Shortall, English artillery captain, does efficient service at Castlebar, 88 ; makes good use of his fists, 91. Sligo, panic of inhabitants in, 125-6. Stock, Reverend Joseph, Bishop of Killala, describes Humbert, 42 ; testi- mony to the many excellent qualities of the French soldiery, 90, note ; saves life of an Irish patriot, 171 ; receives letter from Humbert, 187, appendix. Superstitions of Catholics and Protes- tants, 70-1, 77, 112. Teeling, Bartholomew, Irish patriot in French army, sketch of, 46-7 ; ad- venture at Castlebar, 100-3 ; saves Humbert's life at Ballinamuck, 134-5; taken as a rebel by Lake, 140 ; is ac- companied to prison by Humbert, 192 INDEX. who tries to save him, 140 ; tried by court-martial at Dublin, 141 ; partic- ulars of his execution. 142. Tone, Matthew, Irish patriot in French army, taken at Ballinamuck, tried and executed, 141-2. Tone, Theobald Wolfe. Irish patriot, also falls a victim to the English, Trench, general in English army, 161 ; emissaries sent to him entreat- ing fair treatment of prisoners, 161 ; assures fair treatment of prisoners, 163 : arrives at Castlebar and plans future movements, 164 ; marches to Crossmalina, 165 ; skirmish with the rebels, 166 ; joins Lord Portarling- ton at Ballina, 166: his battle with rebels at Killala, 167-g. True, French officer, described, 152 ; allows insurgents to persecute Prot- estants, 156. Urquhart, Captain, English com- mander at Castlebar, posts his forces advantageously for the defence of the town on second attack, 147. United Irishmen, Order of, 18 ; its alli- ance with the French Directory, 19 ; its disappointments, 21-23 ; thwarts English diplomacy, 24 ; is crushed out by the English military, 25. Verkker, Colonel Charles, English commandant at Sligo, has a battle with Humbert.' at Colooney, 124 ; wins the admiration of Humbert, 125. Walsh, a revolutionist hanged by the British, 67: his corpse kissed by Sar- razin, 6g ; incongruous scenes at his funeral, 70. " War of plunder and massacre," on the part of England, so described by Cornwallis, 63. "'FSNiS' "^ffDffhEhTDDD SSaM9N03 JO AHYHBIl