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 ANNALS 
 
 OF 
 
 IRISH HISTORY. 
 
 For several years previous to the arrival of Earl Fitzwilliam 
 as chief governor of this kingdoro, in 1795, the northern coun- 
 ties of Ulster had been deeply agitated by a series of political 
 events. However, on his lordship entering upon his go vermeil t, 
 the murmurings of the disaffected seemed allayed ; rumour, 
 with her hundred tongues, proclaiming a redress of the greiv- 
 ancescom plained of. A reform in the Commons House of 
 Parliament was pronounced as certain ; Roman Catholic eman- 
 cipation, which had become a popular measure, was deemed 
 equally sure, and even the vexatious exaction of tithes, was 
 said to be on the eve of modification. The press teemed with 
 eulogiums on this favourite viceroy ; his portrait graced the 
 monthly publications of the capital ; while many conceived 
 that they beheld, in the distance, a better order of things. 
 
 On the 24th of January, a meeting of the Protestant inhabi- 
 tants of Belfast was held in the meeting-house of the third 
 Dissenting congregation, Charles Rankin, Esq., in the chair, 
 when a petition to parliament was agreed to in favour of the 
 total emancipation of the Roman Catholics of this kingdom. 
 On a committee being appointed to prepare a petition, they re- 
 tired for a short time, returned, and said— they were unable to 
 form a more fit petitition than that adopted by the town in 
 January, 1792, which was then produced, read, and approved 
 o^y a large majority, as that of the meeting. On the 2nd of 
 F^ruary, this petition, with upwards of 1900 signatures, was 
 presented to the House of Commons by the Right Hon. Henry 
 
r 
 
 4 
 
 • Grattan ; and also the petition of the Roman Catholics of the 
 county of Antrim, praying for farther relief. 
 
 While plans were also in forwardness for carrying other 
 popular measures into effect, Earl Fitzwilliam was unexpectedly 
 recalled from his government. Never, perhaps, did any act of a 
 British Cabinet, towards Ireland, produce so deep a sensation. 
 The latent embers of disaffection were immediately fanned 
 into a flame by the United Irishmen, many of whom, while they 
 bitterly complained of his recal, secretly contemplated it as a 
 X>rovidential auxiliary to their schemes. 
 
 For some time after, pains were taken to inflame the public 
 mind by the speeches delivered, and resolutions entered into 
 at county, and other meetings, and in the addresses to his Ex- 
 cellency regarding his removal. In Belfast, a numerous meet- 
 ing of the inhabitants took place on the 4th of March, who voted 
 an address to his lordship, and deputed three of their body 
 to present the same to him in Dublin. It was also agreed that 
 the day of his departure from the kingdom should be observed 
 as one of “ National Mourning,” and, on the 25th of March, 
 not a shop or counting-house was open in that town — all 
 seemed one scene of sullen indignation. ^ 
 
 On the same day a meeting of the freeholders of the county 
 of Antrim took place at Carrickfergus, Hugh Boyd, Esq., one^ 
 of the members of parliament for the said county, in the chair, 
 Mr. Luke Teeling, secretary. The resolutions entered into by 
 them was expressive of their regret at the recal of Earl Fitz- 
 william, and their fears “that the venal, profuse, and tyrannical 
 
 ^ Earl Fitzwilliam arrived in Dublin on the 5th of January, 1795, and 
 retired from office on the 25ih of March in the same year. Earl Camden, 
 his successor, arrived in Dublin on the 31st of the same month, and was im- 
 mediately sworn into office at the castle. The carriages of the Lord Chan- 
 cellor, the Primate, and several others known to have been hostile to the 
 measures of Earl Fitzwilliam, were pelted with stones by the mob on their 
 return from the Council Chamber. The Chancellor received a blow of a 
 stone on his forehead, and his house was attacked, as were the houses of 
 Alderman Warren, and J. C. Beresford ; but some of the mob being made 
 prisoners, and one of them being killed by a shot from the house of the latter, 
 they dispersed. 
 
 The provost, fellows, and scholars of Trinity College, afterwards proceeded 
 in a body to the castle, in order to present a complimentary address to his 
 Excellency. On their arrival at the gate the scholars suddenly wheeled 
 about and retired to Hyde’s coffee-house, where Mr. Thomas Moore, since 
 distinguished as a poet, being called to the chair, and W. H. Ellis appointed 
 secretary, an address w’as voted to the Right Hon. Henry Grattan, expres- 
 sive of their approbation of his principles and conduct during the late ad- 
 ministration. — Northern Star. 
 
5 
 
 measures of a former administration” were to be persevered in. 
 They likewise declared, that his lordship had, by his purposed 
 measures, proved himself the true friend of Ireland, “by as- 
 sociating, in his councils, men of virtue and talent and they 
 expressed their determination to employ every constitutional 
 means in their power to obtain the two great objects, “so 
 essentially necessary to the peace, safety, and happiness of 
 Ireland — complete Catholic emancipation, and a radical reform 
 in the representation of the people.” An address was also 
 voted to his Excellency, which the chairman was instructed to 
 forward to him. 
 
 Two days afterwards a numerous meeting of the Koman 
 Catholics of the same county was held in the town of Antrim, 
 Mr. Luke Teeling, chairman, Mr. Charles H. Teeling, secre- 
 tary. They also expressed their sorrow at the recal of Earl 
 Eitzwilliam, to whom they resolved to present an address, in 
 which they said — “ As friends to mankind we regret your de- 
 parture from power, as Irishmen we deplore the misfortune to 
 our country, and dread a revival of that system of monopoly 
 and disunion so fatally experienced.” In their resolutions 
 they complimented the volunteers, whom thej'' called “ The 
 IMMORTAL VOLUNTEERS OF ULSTER,”^ and declared that 
 
 ^ These high compliments to the volunteers of Ulster could only relate to 
 those who, two years before, had been prohibited from appearing in arms by 
 the government, in consequence of their notorious disaffection, and, there- 
 fore, would probably have been spared, only that the parties had now sinister 
 purposes in view. 
 
 The volunteers of 1778*79, and for some years after, evinced no particular 
 interest about Roman Catholic g^ffairs, nor were they admitted into their 
 ranks. Dr. Dickson, in his Narrative^ informs us, that such as offered to 
 l)ecome volunteers in his neighbourhood (Portaferry'), were even insulted; 
 and the Rev. John Wesley, in his Journal^ mentions first seeing some 
 volunteer companies at Cork, and remarks that, “ if they answer no other 
 end, they will at least keep the Papists in order.” 
 
 In 1778, we find the two Belfast companies of volunteers, the first em- 
 bodied in the kingdom, celebrating the 1st of July with three vollies, and on 
 the 4th November firing a feu de-joi in honour of King William III.’s birth 
 day ; and on the following day the like rejoicing took place in memory of 
 the frustration of the Gunpowder-plot. On this night the play of “ Tamer- 
 laine ” was usually acted at the theatre in that town, volunteers attending 
 in full dress. On these occasions the tunes of the “ Boyne Water” and 
 “ Prussian Drum” • were their favourite quicksteps, and orange lilies, or 
 orange cockades, were worn in their hats or caps. So lately as Jlovember, 
 1791, the Dublin volunteers paraded round the statute of William III. in 
 College Green, but in November, 1792, they “ abolished orange cockades,” 
 and adopted green. In October, 1784, a Civil Convention was held in 
 Dublin, entitled, “ The Assembly of Delegates for promoting a parliamentary 
 reform,” William Sharman, Esq., chairman, John T. Ashenhurst, secretary, 
 where it was determined not to embarrass the cause of reform by the introduc- 
 
6 
 
 they would unite with their Protestant brethren in every legal 
 and constitutional means for promoting the good of the nation. 
 On the 29th of the same month, a meeting of the Eoman 
 Catholics of Belfast was held in their chapel, who, after ex- 
 pressing their regret for the departure of Earl Fitzwilliam, in 
 their resolutions they said — “ We will cordially unite with our 
 Protestant brethren, on all and every occasion, to resist such 
 insults to our national independence , whether the attack come 
 from a British Cabinet or Irish incendaries, — and that we will 
 henceforward co-operate with them, in all due means, in ob- 
 taining that great national object — a representation of the peo- 
 ple in the legislature, without which, it is our belief, we can 
 never be prosperous as a nation, or happy as a people.” A 
 few days previous, a meeting of the Koman Catholics of the 
 county of Down was held in Downpatrick, John O’Neill, Esq., 
 Banville, in the chair, who entered into resolutions similar to 
 those of their brethren of Antrim. 
 
 Up to this period the great body of the Roman Catholics 
 throughout the northern counties of Ulster had kept aloof 
 from secret associations. ® They appeared even loyal, firmly 
 attached to the throne, and grateful to the legislature for 
 the repeal of some of the most hateful of the penal statutes ; — 
 and until this time the United Irishmen w^ere rather formidable 
 from the talents and activity of those leagued, than from their 
 numbers. By the recal of Earl Fitzwilliam a powerful stimu- 
 lus had been given to the exertions of the disaffected, yet 
 Roman Catholic emancipation and Parliamentary Reform 
 were continued as the watch-words, while the ancient bias 
 between Protestant and Roman Catholic, on the score of reli- 
 gion, seemed lost in the vortex of affected liberality. 
 
 tion of any question about the claims of Roman Catholics to have votes for 
 members to serve parliament — thus throwing, as it were, their claims over- 
 board. — Belfast News-Letter; Life of Theobald. W. Tone; Belfast 
 Mercury. 
 
 ^ We believe the only exceptions were in the baronies of Upper and Lower 
 Iveagh, county of Down, but particularly in the neighbourhood of Rathfri- 
 land, where a savage warfare was kept up between the defenders and peep- 
 o' -day -hoys, alias, break-o' -day-boys, each party accusing the other of being 
 the aggressor. In May, 1792, the Rev. Samuel Barber, and some other 
 gentlemen, interesting themselves to put an end to those scenes of rapine and 
 murder, a peace was made between the parties, who agreed “ to forgive and 
 forget all past injuries and insults, and to be good friends” — but they soon 
 after flew to arms. — Northern Star, May, 1792. 
 

 Notwithstanding the friendly dispositions evinced in the 
 numerous addresses to Earl Fitz william, it is more than pro- 
 bable that had he been continued for a few weeks longer in 
 his government, he would have retired as unpopular as many 
 of his predecessors. The leaders of the United Irishmen were 
 openly bent on annual parliaments, universal sufferage, and 
 “ that no property qualification should be necessary to entitle 
 any man to be a representative.” However popular, it is 
 certain that these measures would not have been acceded to by 
 the government, and hence the clamour would have been con- 
 tinued by our embryo Marats, Dantons, and Robespierres. 
 It has also been asserted, that had the ostensible objects of the 
 Union been complied with, the progress of civil war would 
 have been arrested — and to those but partially versed in the 
 sayings and doings of the four preceding years, this may seem 
 a plausible tale. A brief retrospect of the leading facts, how- 
 ever, removes this delusion, and these facts we shall here en- 
 deavour to point out, from which the candid reader will be 
 enabled to judge, whether they were not more nearly allied 
 to French revolutionary principles, than Roman Catholic 
 emancipation, and a reform in the legislature. 
 
 In the spring of 1791, the public mind appeared sunk into a 
 passive indifference with regard to domestic politics. Many 
 of the most ardent friends of reform, disgusted with the wild 
 reveries of their colleagues, had relinquished the pursuit, and, 
 as for Roman Catholic emancipation, it was little talked of 
 beyond the precincts of Belfast. The volunteer associations, 
 which had been declining from 1785, were become nearly ex- 
 tinct — their field-days and reviews were discontinued ; — 
 while the political proceedings in the north were confined to 
 those of the Northern Whig Club, which met in Belfast, but 
 were little mentioned beyond the columns of a newspaper. ® 
 
 <i In the address of the society of United Irishmen of Dublin to the Irish 
 nation, dated January 25th, 1793, signed, William Drennan, chairman, 
 Archibald H. Rowan, secretary, they declare — “ix. That every male of sound 
 mind, who has attained the full age of 21 years,” and dwelt six months pre- 
 vious to the election in the county, should be entitled to vote for a represen- 
 tative in parliament, “xvi. That parliaments should be annual.” “xxi. 
 That no property qualification should be necessary to entitle any man to 
 be a representative.” 
 
 ® This club was established in Belfast on the 17th of March, 1790, on the 
 suggestion of the Earl of Charlemunt, and soon after a similar club was 
 
 2 B 
 
 
8 
 
 The common apathy with regard to domestic politics was, 
 however, amply made up by the interest excited regarding 
 those of the French — though it was soon evident that the mob 
 of Paris, guided by a few men of restless ambition, were, in 
 reality, the principal legislators. So early as 1790, a corres- 
 pDndence with France had been opened by some democratic 
 emissaries, ^ while the barbarous means by which the French 
 Revolution was carried on and efiected, if not always praised, 
 were yet pronounced to be justified by the end, and their 
 example held forth as a glorious pattern for the imitation of 
 mankind. ^ 
 
 With the general admiration of the movements in France 
 were introduced an influx of wild and levelling opinions, and 
 hence republican principles and a desire of change became 
 equally prevalent ; and, in order to give a warlike impulse to 
 those feelings, on the 14th of July, 1791, the French Revolu- 
 tion was celebrated in Belfast with considerable eclat. At 
 two o’clock the two volunteer companies of that town assem- 
 bled at the Exchange, and, on completing their arrangements, 
 they moved in procession through the principal streets. Their 
 rear was brought up by the Northern Whig Club, and a great 
 number of the inhabitants wearing green cockades. In their 
 ranks flags were borne, on which were painted portraits of M. 
 Mirabeau, Dr. Ben. Franklin, &c., and on a large standard 
 was a representation of the releasement of the prisoners from 
 
 formed at Ballymoney. They really seem to have been very lukewarm re- 
 formers, as at their first general meeting in Belfast, only 27 members were pre- 
 sent, 24 being absent. About 34 of the original members belonged to the 
 counties of Down and Antrim. One of their standing toasts was — “ The 
 glorious and immortal memory of William III. and the Roman Catholic 
 question was excluded from their subjects of discussion . — Life of Lord Ed- 
 ward Fitzgerald. Vol. I., p. 199. 
 
 f The political history of Europe for the year 1790. 
 
 ^ Sir Richard Musgrave, in his memoirs of the different rebellions in Ire- 
 land, states, that in 1791-2, Rabaude de St. Etienne, the bosom friend of 
 Brissot, the famous leader of the Girondine party, in the French National 
 Assembly, passed some time between Dublin and Belfast, “ sowing the seeds 
 of future combustion.” Before the Revolution, this gentleman was a Pro- 
 testant minister at Nismes, in Languedoc. He was a violent and universal 
 reformer, and declared that “all ancient establishments were a nuisance, 
 and In respect to the peo|ile, we ought,” said he, “ to renew their minds, to 
 change their ideas, their laws, their manners ; to change men, things, words ; 
 in fine, to destroy everything, that we may create everything anew\” The 
 revolutionary tribunal of Paris, acting on the latter suggestion had him 
 gullotined, on the 7th of December, 1793 . — Autobiography of A, H. 
 Rowan, p. ICO. 
 
9 
 
 the Bastile. feu-de-joies were fired by the infantry, 
 
 which were answered by their artillery, and a declaration of 
 the sentiments of the meeting on the French Kevolution was 
 ordered to be transmitted to the “ French National Assembly, 
 through their president. Colonel William Sharman. A long and 
 fraternizing answer was soon after received from the president 
 of that body, and also from the citizens of Bourdeaiix and 
 Nantz. It was intended, on this occasion, to have introduced 
 a “ collateral resolution of admitting the Eoman Catholics to 
 the right of citizenship, which was, however, withdrawn, from 
 an apprehension that the minds of those present were not yet 
 prepared for the measure.”^ 
 
 On the 14th of October, the first society of United Irishmen 
 was formed in Belfast, William Simms, secretary, to which 
 society was attached a select, or secret committee, consisting 
 of the following gentlemen: — William Sinclair, SamuelTM‘Tier, 
 William M‘Cleery, Thomas M‘Cabe, William Simms, Robert 
 Simms, Samuel Neilson, Henry Hazlett, William Tennent, 
 John Campbell, Gilbert MTlveen, Theobald W. Tone, and 
 Thomas Russell. The first declaration of the society was 
 written out by Theobald W. Tone, an avowed republican, in 
 which it was said, — “ We have no national government.^* ^ A 
 few weeks after, 19th of December, a similar society was esta- 
 blished at Tempi epatrick, and on the following day, another 
 at Doagh, and about the same time at Randalstown, Killeade, 
 and Muckamore. The first society of United Irishmen, in the 
 county of Down, was installed at Saintfield, January 16th, 
 1792, under the auspices of the Rev. Thomas L. Birch, Liberty- 
 hill, Presbyterian minister of Saintfield. 1 
 
 In the mean time, January 4th, 1792, the Northern Star 
 newspaper began to be published in Belfast, for the purpose of 
 
 h M‘Nevin’s pieces of Irish history. 
 
 i This memorable meeting was held at a house in the Crown-entry. On 
 the 9th of November, a similar society was established in Dublin, the Hon. 
 Simon Butter in the chair, James N. Tandy, secretary, who adopted the de- 
 claration of those of Belfast. They also resolved that the society be fur- 
 nished with a seal, with a harp at the top, and the words, “ I am new strung,” 
 and beneath, “ I will be heard,” and on the exerque, “ Society of United 
 Irishmen of Dublin .” — Life of Theobald W. Tone, American Edition, Vol. 
 I., p. 142. 
 
 J About this time Mr. Birch threw up his portion of the Regium Donum, 
 then only about £10 per annum ! — Northern Star, No. 4, and 10. 
 

 10 
 
 propagating the principles of the United Irishmen, “ and finally, 
 as the necessary, though not avowed, consequence of all this, 
 to erect Ireland into a republic independent of England.”^ 
 For the first year of its establishment, it was particularly di- 
 rected to prepare the minds of the people for the rejection of 
 regal government. Kings were pronounced tyrants, and 
 “ hereditary succession a burlesque upon monarchy;” and they 
 were told that any rascal might he a lord ; and were declared 
 to have rights, while the rights of man were denied. * Those 
 persons attached to the government were stigmatized as despots 
 or aristocrats, and described as a pack of mean wretches, who 
 wished the nation to he oppressed for the advantage of a few. 
 A democrat was represented as a good feUow — one who merely 
 desired “ fair play, and equal protection to all;” “ yet while they 
 talked of liberty and independence, it was evident that the only 
 liberty dealt out to others was that of adopting their plans. 
 
 The Kevolution of 1688 was said not to deserve that name, 
 and pains were taken to turn the same into contempt, and to 
 excite a general expectation of a separation from Great Britain. 
 The stability of the government was represented as founded on 
 the ignorance of the people, and it was added, in Italics — 
 is too had, ” The Constitution was likened to an old tree that 
 had sheltered beneath its branches beasts of prey, and ought 
 to be cut down as cumbering the ground. The lower classes 
 were taught to expect some great and inevitable change, by 
 which revolution was always plainly understood ; and direc- 
 tions were given for the making of gunpowder, and for the 
 use, in war, of missiles and hand weapons, and for the evolu- 
 tions of battalions and squadrons. “ The advantage of the 
 pike, as a military weapon, was carefully explained, as “a 
 safeguard against horsemen,” and as ‘‘ the most honourable of 
 all weapons ;” and pattern pikes, said to exactly resemble 
 those used in the French armies, were handed about on volun- 
 teer parades for approval. ° 
 
 Life of Theobald W. Tone, Vol. I., p. fiS. 
 
 1 Northern Star, March 10th, 1792. ™ Northern Star, March 17th, 1792. 
 
 “ Northern Star, April 1st, 1792, and December 12th,*1792. 
 
 ° In the same month, the writer witnessed a newly-made pike, presented 
 to a volunteer corps on parade, and it was said to resemble those used by the 
 French. To the one side was attached a kind of small hatchet, and on the 
 other side a sharp hook, which, he was informed, was for cutting the bridles 
 
11 
 
 Following the great model, France, every art was used to 
 seduce the military from their allegiance. The common sol- 
 diers were told that “ the late pitiful advance that had been 
 made to the army, in respect of pay and necessaries,” bore no 
 proportion to the advanced state of provisions. To their oiR- 
 cers it was said — “ every man knows that it is utterly impos- 
 sible for gentlemen to live and to keep any kind of rank on 
 three shillings, or three shillings and sixpence per day and, 
 it was added, “they order these things better in France.” ^ 
 In Belfast, printed handbills were distributed among the sol- 
 diers, reflecting on the arbitrary nature of military service, and 
 the same was also published in the Northern Star of December 
 8th, 1792. In this paper we also find the following invitation 
 to mutiny: — “The brave and honourable soldiers of France 
 refused to fire upon their fellow-citizens, w’hen ordered by the 
 slaves of arbitrary power ; through their noble forbearance the 
 nation became free, and their own lot rendered comfortable 
 and respectable for ever. The Prussian soldiers, it is said, 
 have lately evinced a similar disposition.” Fabricated ac- 
 counts of mutinies in the army were also, at all times, published 
 in the same paper. In one of these, it was stated, that the 
 regiment of “ Scotch Greys” had joined the people, and had 
 taken possession of the castle of Edinburgh without opposi- 
 tion ; — that “the universal cry was, ‘A Republic — no 
 King;’” and that the soldiers refused “to fight against 
 liberty, saying, they wanted it themselves, and thought they 
 would be very ungrateful to injure those who supported them.” 
 At a meeting of the second society of United Irishmen, a few 
 evenings after the pretended receipt of this news, one of their 
 toasts was — “ The Scotch Greys, and may all the military fol- 
 low their example.” At another time the Clare militia and 
 9th dragoons, then quartered in Dublin, wdre said to have 
 refused to obey their officers, ^ which was equally untrue. 
 
 of horsemen, and pulling them off. In June, 1798, he saw several pikes of 
 the same shape which were surrendered by the rebels . — Northern Star, 
 December 12th, 1792, 
 
 In France the pike was early a revolutionary weapon. Just before the 
 destruction of the Bastile, we find ^0,000 pikes ordered to be made in Paris. 
 — Thier's History of the French Revolution, Vol I., p.52. 
 
 P Northern Star, November 28th, 1792. 
 
 ^ Northern Star, November 28th, 1792, and April, 1797. 
 
12 
 
 On the 28th of January, 1792, a numerous meeting of the 
 inhabitants of Belfast was held for the purpose of considering 
 the propriety of a petition to parliament in favour of the 
 Roman Catholic claims. The Rev. Sinclair Kelburne being 
 called to the chair, an interesting debate took place, as to 
 whether the petition should be for full and immediate, or pro- 
 gressive emancipation. The former proposal was at length 
 carried by a large majority, and a petition to that effect signed 
 by nearly 800 persons. From this decision, however, 265 
 gentlemen dissented, among whom were many of the most 
 talented and influential persons in Belfast. At this meeting 
 M. Le Blanc, a Frenchman, a tambour-worker, who was re- 
 ported to be an emissary from France, made a short speech, 
 in which he said, “ it appeared to him no little ridiculous to see 
 the inhabitants of a town deliberating about granting rights to 
 others who had no rights themselves.” February 8th, this 
 petition was presented to the House of Commons by the Right 
 Hon. John O’Neill, one of the members in parliament for 
 the county of Antrim, when Sir Boyle Roche proceeded to 
 load the petitioners with the most outrageous language. He 
 said “ their petition was an airy fabric, raised upon a sandy 
 foundation, and had, for its basis, fraud and deceit, as it meant 
 the very reverse of what it professed. They had,” he said, 
 “moved heaven and earth, in order to foment disturbance in 
 the country ; and, at the same time they were forming their 
 petition in behalf of their Catholic brethren, they were holding 
 a correspondence with the French National Assembly, Now 
 the question is,” he added, “ whether we will receive the 
 insidious petition of a turbulent, disorderly, set of people, 
 whom — 
 
 ‘ No king could govern — no God could please,’ 
 
 or whether we shall treat it with its merited contempt. For 
 my part, I call upon you to dispose of it as it deserves, by 
 tossing it over the bar, and kicking it into the lobby.” The 
 petition, however, was received, with the single exception of 
 the uncourtly knight, but its prayer was afterwards rejected 
 by the House, when Sir Boyle said — “ the sentiments of 
 Roman Catholics was not to be culled from shop-keepers and 
 
13 
 
 shop-lifters.”^ On the 18th of February, Mr. O’Neill also pre- 
 sented to the House a petition, signed by 350 Protestant in- 
 habitants of the four lower baronies of the county Antrim, 
 gentlemen, clergy, and freeholders, in which they briefly stated, 
 that they would find themselves happy that Homan Catholics 
 would receive every immunity consistent with the spirit of 
 the Constitution, and the interest of the Protestant religion. 
 
 Meanwhile the United Irishmen were particularly busied in 
 establishing their system. Active emissaries from Belfast 
 were despatched about the country for the purpose of forming 
 new societies, who appear to have been everywhere successful ; 
 and on the 18th of April, it was announced in the Northern 
 »S/ar, that at a meeting of the Six-mile-water society of United 
 Irishmen^ “clergymen of difiereait persuasions became mem- 
 bers.” As these societies gained strength, men of forward 
 dispositions were everywhere seen to take an imperious lead, 
 and to give early proofs that, if their schemes succeeded, 
 every thing deemed valuable in society would give way to 
 numbers and ignorance. Many of those thus engaged were 
 men of desperate fortunes, while others were decoyed into the 
 society by the specious pretext of the golden age that was to 
 succeed a reform of the House of Commons, which was 
 anxiously desired, being considered a certain remedy for every 
 real or imaginary grievance. For, as it has been truly ob- 
 served, the test was so plausible, “and its expressed objects 
 so constitutional and legitimate, that we cannot wonder that 
 it should be taken with avidity by numbers of all classes, 
 especially, when recommended by men of talent,” or who had 
 some influence in the country. 
 
 From the period of the celebration of the French Kevolution 
 in Belfast, great exertions were made by the leaders of the 
 United Irishmen for the revival of the armed volunteer 
 associations, for the purpose of giving a warlike impulse to 
 revolutionary measures, and overawing the parliament and 
 
 ' About half past five o’clock, on the night of the 27th of February, 1792, 
 the Irish House of Commons was discovered to be on fire, and the members 
 had scarcely made their way out, when the roof fell in. In the same year, 
 on the 9th of May, the British House of Commons was observed to be on fire, 
 but it was extinguished without having done much damage. Both houses 
 were generally believed to have been maliciously set on fire. — Parliamentary 
 Debates, 
 
24 
 
 the executive government, and dictating to both. One of the 
 first steps of these new levies was to ingratiate themselves 
 with the Roman Catholics, who had formerly been excluded 
 from their ranks, and who had hence been led to regard vol- 
 unteers rather as so many enemies than friends. In this 
 career of liberality, the Broughshane volunteers. Captain 
 William Duffin, led the way, by attending mass at Glenravel, 
 where they “ made a solemn declaration of their principles, 
 and good intentions towards their Catholic brethren,” and 
 were hospitably entertained by “ the friar” and his hearers. ® 
 Soon after money began to be collected throughout the country 
 for the purpose of assisting the Erench in a war with which 
 they were threatened by the emperor of Germany and king of 
 Prussia, and in July these sums were forwarded to the presi- 
 dent of the French National Assembly. The following sums 
 were noticed in the Belfast newspapers as being sent : — Cole- 
 raine and Newtonlimavady, £600, Armagh city, 2,750 livres, 
 
 Newry, £300, second society of United Irishmen^ Belfast, £ , 
 
 not known. 
 
 By the beginning of J uly, the numbers and discipline of the 
 volunteers of the counties of Down and Antrim were deemed 
 so respectable, that a review of those bodies was appointed to 
 be held on the 14th of the above month, on the Plains^ near 
 Belfast. The Earl of Charlemont, who had usually acted as 
 reviewing-general on similar occasions, was not invited to at- 
 tend, as he was known to be inimical to some of the measures 
 about to be brought forward. John Crawford, of Crawford’s- 
 burn. Esq., a major in the volunteer army, was appointed to 
 act in his room. 
 
 Though great efforts were made to have a numerous muster, 
 only thirteen volunteer corps were upon the field, six of which 
 were from the county of Down, * and the others from that of An- 
 trim, amounting in all to only 790 men, 194 of whom belonged to 
 the two Belfast companies. It had been given out that the Consti- 
 tution regiment. Colonel Forde, and the Union regiment. Colonel 
 Wm. Sharman, were to have attended, but they did not come. 
 
 * Northern Star, April 28th, 1792. 
 
 ‘ These were the companies of Moira, Dromore, Villa, Ballinahinch, Down- 
 patrick, and Dromore light infantry. Mr. Tone in his Life, Vol. I., p. 157, 
 says the Down corps were little better than so many peep-o' -day-boys. 
 
15 
 
 The review passed over without anything remarkable as a 
 volunteer spectacle, and on the return of the several corps 
 into the town they, were drawn up and feu-de-joies fired in 
 honour of the day, but the great fete was reserved for a grand 
 military and civil procession. On a triumphal car, drawn 
 by four horses, richly caparisoned, was elevated the great 
 standard, supported by two volunteers, on which was painted 
 the releasement of the prisoners from the Bastile, — motto, 
 
 Sacred to Liberty,’" The reverse exhibited the figure of 
 Hibernia, one hand and foot in shackles, and a volunteer pre- 
 senting to her a figure of Liberty — motto, “/or a people to be 
 free, it is sufficient that they will it.” On other flags were 
 portraits of Dr. Ben. Franklin and Mirabeau. 
 
 The civil part of the procession was equally attractive. It 
 moved in rear of the volunteers, and consisted of a considerable 
 number of persons belonging to the town, and about 180 others 
 from the adjoining parishes of Templepatrick and Carnmoney^ 
 Many of these wore green cockades, and green ribbons on their 
 breasts, on which were imprinted, in silver letters — Fourth 
 year, era of liberty.” These also carried a green flag, on 
 which was the motto, — “ Our Gallic brother was born July 14/A, 
 1789 ; alas! we are still in embryo.” Reverse — “ Superstitious 
 jealousy the cause of the Irish Bastile, let us unite and destroy 
 it.” There were also five other flags carried in the procession, 
 
 entitled those of the five free nations, viz France, Poland, 
 
 America, Great Britain, and Ireland; — on that of the latter 
 was — “ Unite and be free.” 
 
 Having walked through the principal streets, the whole 
 body, amounting to nearly 5000 persons, entered the square 
 of the White-Linen- Hall, where, after several speeches had 
 been delivered in favour of Roman Catholic emancipation, an 
 address was voted to the National Assembly of France, and 
 another to the people of Ireland, in behalf of the Roman 
 Catholic claims, and reform. Three Presbyterian ministers, 
 of the Synod of Ulster, took an active part in the proceedings, 
 viz. : — William S. Dickson, Portaferry ; Thomas L. Birch, 
 Saintfield ; and Sinclair Kelburne, third congregation, Belfast. 
 
 In the evening 104 gentlemen, who had taken an interest in 
 the affairs of the day, dined .together at the Donegal Arms. 
 
 c 
 
16 
 
 Among these were Theobald W, Tone, John Keogh, Theobald 
 M‘Kenna, James N. Tandy, Dr. Callwell, Magherafelt; W. 
 Stokes, jun., a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin ; and several 
 other noted political characters " of the French revolutionary 
 school. At dinner, many political toasts were drunk, and 
 several songs, written expressly for the occasion, were sung — 
 one by Mr. Thomas Stott, of Dromore, beginning with, 
 “ While tyranny marshalls her minions around,” was greatly 
 applauded. The anniversary of the French Revolution was 
 likewise celebrated in the towns cf Ballymoney, Randalstown, 
 and Newtonlimavady. Addresses were also voted, in the two 
 former towns, to the French National Assembly, 
 
 To this meeting the Roman Catholic committee of Dublin 
 sent down a deputation of fourteen persons, “of whom one 
 was a priest and Mr. Tone, in his journal, gives a glowing 
 account of their reception. The dinner parties in honour of 
 these gentlemen were numerous and sumptuous, and on one 
 of these occasions, “ Mr. M‘Teir in the chair, chequered at the 
 head of the table sat a Dissenter and Roman Catholic.” The 
 room was decorated with “ the four flags of America, France, 
 Poland, and Ireland, but no England ;” ^ for though it had 
 been deemed prudent that the latter should be borne in the 
 late procession through the streets, it was deemed proper to 
 discard it at the orgies of these patriotic citizens ! 
 
 On the 18th J uly, the Dublin delegates set out in two divi- 
 sions on their way homeward. Mr. Tone, accompanied by 
 Samuel Neilson, and Alexander Lowry, of Linen-hill, went by 
 Rathfriland, where a meeting was held with some of the neigh- 
 bouring gentlemen regarding the best means of allaying the 
 warfare kept up between the peep-6* -day-boys, and the defen- 
 ders. After some consultation the meeting separated on good 
 terms, hut without their having efiected an amicable arrange- 
 ment. * Colonel James N. Tandy, and suit, proceeded by the 
 way of Lurgan, in which town he was waited upon by the 
 
 “ Northern Star, July, 1792; Belfast News-Letter, same date. 
 
 ^ Sir Richard Musgrave’s History of the Rebellion of 1798. 
 
 Life of Theobald W. Tone, Vol. I., p. 161-2. 
 
 * In the following month we find Mr. Tone, John Keogh, and Samuel 
 Neilson perambulating the county_ Down on a similar mission . — Life of 
 Theobald JV. Tone, vol. I., p. 163. " 
 
populace with military music, decorated with green cockades, 
 breast ribbons,” &c., who offered to chair him, which he de- 
 clined. Afterwards, however, the populace took the horses 
 from his carriage and drew him out of the town “ in a style of 
 enthusiastic triumph unexamplified,” to the distance of half a 
 mile, ‘ ‘ amidst the plaudits of the greatest assemblage of the 
 inhabitants which, on any occasion, hath been known to col- 
 lect together.” ^ 
 
 The/e^es and pageantries connected with this review, having 
 passed off highly to the satisfaction of the multitude, and also 
 of those by whom its movements were arranged, immediately 
 after numerous new corps of volunteers were arrayed for the 
 avowed purpose of improving the Constitution. These bodies, 
 generally, adopted a green or blue uniform, * and seemed to 
 vie with each other in their assumption of French names and 
 phrases. Hence several companies were distinguished by the 
 names of “ National Guards,” the members of which addressed 
 each other by the French foppery terms of “ Citizen Soldier.” 
 Many cor|)s had attached to their other names, that of ‘ ‘ In- 
 dependent,” and some, by the way of still greater distinction, 
 
 ‘ ‘ Real Independents, ” or “ Patriotic” and ‘ ‘ Independent. ” A 
 few took the name of “ Intrepids,” and others “ Invincibles 
 even the sorry village of Maghera, county of Derry, boasted 
 of its corps of “ National Guards,” and that of Castledawson 
 of its “ Sons of Liberty and Loyalty.” ^ 
 
 The country now resounded with the sound of the spirit- 
 stirring drum, and the ear-piercing fife. Several corps were 
 already provided with cannon, and some gentlemen contributed 
 liberally to purchase the like for others, while companies, less 
 fortunate in wealthy patrons, entered into subscriptions to pro- 
 vide cannon for themselves. The Northern Star, in noticing 
 these subscriptions, hopes tliat they will be patronized “by 
 the friends of liberty and of Ireland.” In the same paper the 
 public were informed, that a plan was in agitation for procur- 
 
 y Northern Star. 
 
 * The Dublin Morning Post of November 27th, says ; “ So great is the 
 demand for green cloth, to array the ‘ National Guards’ of Ireland, that the 
 cloth merchants cannot answer it. Orders to the amount of 14,000 yards 
 have been given ; as much more has been purchased.” 
 
 * Northern Star, December 26th, 1792. 
 
18 
 
 
 ing the best firelocks, on the newest construction, to be given 
 out to the “ National Guards” at first cost. 
 
 During autumn, reviews were held of such volunteer corps 
 as, from their distance, or not having been then embodied, had 
 been unable to attend the review at Belfast. On the 1st of 
 August, a review was to have taken place on Broughshane 
 moor, but on the corps coming to the ground, a dispute arose 
 between the Braid and Broughshane companies as to their 
 seniority, and which should take the right in the line; and 
 each appearing determined not to yield this point, the review 
 .was adjourned sine die. September 11th, a review of ten corps 
 took place at Tobernamein, near Kells, Captain Edward Brice, 
 of the Carrickfergus True Blues, acting reviewing-generaL On 
 the 19th of the same month, eighteen companies were reviewed 
 at Dromore, by Colonel William Sharman, and on the 19th of 
 October, twenty-seven corps, amounting to 1169 men, by 
 Earl Annesley, near Eathfrlland. December 26th, a volun- 
 teer review was also held at Drumbo, which presented the 
 singular spectacle of the Eev. William Stavely, Covenanting 
 minister, and captain of the Drumbracken volunteers, acting 
 reviewing-general ! ^ 
 
 In the latter end of October, some alarm was excited in Bel- 
 fast, by seditious papers circulated among the soldiers of the 
 garrison ; and about the same time bonfires, illuminations, and 
 other demonstrations of joy, took place in almost every town 
 and village of the county Antrim, and in several places of the 
 adjoining counties, in consequence of the combined Austrian 
 and Prussian armies being expelled from France. They had 
 some weeks before invaded that country for the purpose of in- 
 terfering in its internal government, and hence their disastrous 
 retreat was hailed as the triumph of liberty over despotism ; 
 while the late dethroning of the king, and the savage massacres 
 in Paris, were equally regarded as the glorious ebulitions of 
 freedom, and the subject of general congratulation. Volun- 
 teer corps greeted the expulsion of the combined armies with 
 feu-de-joieSf and the town of Belfast, with the exception of a 
 few houses, was brilliantly illuminated, and transparencies and 
 mottos displayed, exhibiting clearly the prevailing bias of the 
 
 ^ Northern Star. 
 
19 
 
 inhalDitants. One of the former was a gallows suspending an 
 inverted crown, and of the latter the following were among the 
 most conspicious: “Vive la republique;” “Vive la nation;” 
 “ Rights of man;” “ Irishmen look at France;” “ Liberty and 
 equality;” “France is free, so may we — let us will it;” “ May 
 the fate of every tyrant he that of Caput.” Days of thanks- 
 giving were likewise held in several Presbyterian congrega- 
 tions, for the success of the French arms — among these were 
 those of Saintfield, Magherafelt, and Maghera. Political dis- 
 courses were delivered on those occasions, which were called 
 volunteer sermons, and their preachers were often entitled 
 chaplains.® The attendance was always numerous. 
 
 Though dispositions for revolution were continued, and the 
 commencement eagerly anticipated, the cry of Roman Catholic 
 emancipation, and parliamentary reform was kept up to save 
 appearances, till the clamour may be said to have reached that 
 stage, so facetiously described by the poet : — 
 
 “No sow-gelder could blow his horn. 
 
 To geld a cat, but cried— reform.” 
 
 'A train of untoward circumstances had increased the num- 
 bers and confidence of the disaffected even beyond the expecta- 
 tion of their leaders. Royalty had been' abolished in France, 
 and a republic established in its room, while their armies 
 were every whete triumphant; and on the 19th of November 
 the French government passed their famous decree of frater- 
 nity. By this decree assistance was offered to every nation, 
 who, as it was expressed, were desirous to recover their freedom ; 
 or, more properly, to extend universally the new principles of 
 government adopted in France. The generals, at the head of 
 
 ® The following notices regarding these sermons are copied from the same 
 paper : — “ According to previous notice, sanctioned by the hearty concurrence 
 of the whole worshipping society (a few individuals excepted, on whom the 
 breath of aristocracy had shed its baneful influence), the Presbyterian con- 
 gregation of Maghera, assembled at their meeting-house, with our stated 
 pastor, the Rev. John Glendy, exhibited, on this great occasion, distinguished 
 abilities, in a manly, disinterested, and public-spirited manner, having dis- 
 played, with peculiar energy, the signal interposition of heaven, on behalf of 
 the French nation. James Graham, session-clerk, December 5th. 1792.” 
 
 “ Dunagore volunteers, on parade, Sunday, February 3rd, 1793— Resolved 
 unanimously. That the warmest thanks of this company be given to the Rev. 
 John Wright, for his excellent sermon delivered to us this day, wherein the 
 nature of civil liberty and civil government were explained in such a man- 
 ner as merited our entire approbation. Benjamin Adair, Lieutenant.” — 
 Northern Star. 
 
 2 C 
 
20 
 
 their armies, were empowered to protect such foreigners, as 
 had or might suffer in the cause of liberty ; or, in other words, 
 that they would assist in promoting rebellion in every nation 
 in Europe. A few days after, a deputation of English, Scotch, 
 and Irish, appeared at the bar of the National Convention, and 
 felicitated them on the triumph of liberty. ^ 
 
 In Belfast no time appears to have been lost on the receipt 
 of this joyous intelligence, as on the 30th of the same month 
 the president of the French National Convention read a letter 
 from the “society of the friends of liberty and eq^uality,” in 
 Belfast, which was also accompanied by an address from the 
 same society. ® The contents of these papers have not trans- 
 pired, but from the temper of the leading politicians of that 
 town, at this period, it is highly probable these greetings were 
 fcfr the purpose of claiming their assistance in virtue of the 
 above decree ; and this appears, in some measure, confirmed by 
 the following correspondence with Mr. Tone. Robert Simms, 
 Belfast, when writing to that gentleman in Dublin, thus de- 
 scribes the progress of political affairs in his neighbourhood : — 
 “We are going on here with boots of seven leagues, and will 
 soon be at liberty and equality,” literally signifying, according 
 to the political vocabulary of that day, that in a short time we 
 w^ould be as far forward as the French. That this was his 
 true meaning is confirmed by the letter of his colleague, 
 Samuel Neilson, to the same, dated from Belfast on the 28th 
 November, wherein he says: — “ You can have no conception 
 of the progress of union here ; and I do assure you we are far- 
 ther forward than ever I expected in a twelvemonth. The 
 universal question throughout the country is — When do we be- 
 gin? Do we refuse hearth-money or tithes first?” ^ In his 
 editorial lucubrations in the Northern Star of the same date, it is 
 emphatically asked — “ When does the revolution begin ? When 
 will it commence first ? Such questions are in the mouth of 
 every one.” The import of this language cannot be mistaken ; - 
 it comes at once to the purposed rebellion. The Jesuitical 
 cant about reform and emancipation were no longer deemed 
 
 ^ Gentleman’s Magazine, Supplement, p. 1211 ; — 1792. 
 
 ® Gentleman’s Magazine, 1792, p. 1211. 
 f Life of Theobald W. Tone, vol. I. p. 221. 
 
necessary ; and it was proclaimed, in the same paper, “ let us 
 resort to a National Convention,” — a term truly invidious, from 
 its obvious allusion to the turbulent government of France. 
 The newspapers now teemed with declarations, resolutions, 
 toasts, and details, of the progress of volunteer associations, 
 and the several societies and clubs daily starting into notice. 
 A few brief specimens of the language used by them are here 
 given, and as straws thrown up are said to show how the wind 
 
 I 
 
 blows, we begin with the sentiments toasted over their cups 
 by the sturdy citizens of Doagh. 
 
 At a meeting, in November, of the society of United Irishmen 
 of that village, William G. Owens, chairman, William Galt, 
 secretary, the following toasts were drunk: — “ The French 
 republic.” “ May every United Irishman become a volunteer, 
 and every volunteer a United Irishman.” “ May the world be- 
 come a republic, and every inhabitant a citizen.” In the 
 resolutions of the Ballyclare independent volunteers, they said : 
 “ Eesolved, that the immutable laws of reason and justice saith 
 that man, by nature, is free, and that liberty is his property ; 
 and that he or they who may infringe on said property shall 
 ere long be responsible to the majority of the people.” The 
 Lisburn volunteers. Captain Alexander Crawford, published 
 no manifesto of their principles, but on the 2nd December they 
 made a public display of their liberality by attending mass in 
 that town. Among the interesting news of the day it was 
 announced, in the Northern Star^ that a man in the parish of 
 Carnmoney, named Donaldson, and another, a member of the 
 Carrickfergus True Blues, had their infant sons baptized 
 Dumevrier-^the name of a then popular French general. Of the 
 latter infant, it was added, “ The child must certainly, in time, 
 be a ‘patriotic soldier.’” The same newspaper, of the 5th 
 December, thus points out — “What evils will be removed, 
 and what advantages gained, by a reform in parliament. ” “1st, 
 Tithes will be abolished, and every man will pay his own 
 clergy. 2nd, Hearth-money, that abominable badge of slavery 
 and oppression to the poor, will cease. 3rd, ,We will not here- 
 after be taxed to pay pensioners and policemen to vote against 
 us ; the consequence of this will be, that tobacco, for which 
 we now pay 16d. per pound, will then be sold for 4d. per pound. 
 
22 
 
 and every other article of imported goods in proportion. 4th, 
 We will have no excise laws ; the merchant and shopkeeper 
 will get leave to carry on their business quietly, without the 
 intrusion of plundering revenue officers. 5th, The expenses 
 and tediousness of the law will give way to prompt and equal 
 justice, gratis. Irishmen ! are these objects of any importance; 
 unite then — associate — resolve — and carry your resolves into 
 execution** In the same newspaper of the 8 th, the subject is 
 continued ; and the public were told, that on a reform taking 
 place, “church cesses would he no more,” and “customs at 
 fairs would be abolished.” The Press would he unshackled, 
 “ for a newspaper which now costs twopence, would be then 
 sold for one halfpenny ; and the present ridiculous idea of ob- 
 ligation to landlords be done away.” By such idle tales, false 
 hopes were raised in the minds of the multitude, who were thus 
 led from discontent to rebellion. 
 
 In the same month, a club was established in Belfast, en- 
 titled the “ Irish Jacobins,” in imitation of the Jacobin club 
 of Paris, so fatally signalized as the inciters of the numerous 
 massacres which disgraced that capital, and whose leading 
 members were Marat, Danton, and Robespierre. ^ Strange, 
 however, as it may now appear, the savage deeds of these 
 monsters were applauded by our Belfast Jacobins, and in 
 the Northern Star, the French club were called the saviours 
 of their country! The declaration and resolutions of our 
 Irish Jacobins — signed, Rowley Osburne, chairman; Samuel 
 Kennedy, secretary, were equally violent and declamatory as 
 those of their Parisian brethren. They proceeded to proclaim 
 
 ^ The club of the Jacobins was one of the most violent of the numerous 
 clubs then in Paris, and of this triumvirate it has been s£ud : “ Danton mur- 
 dered to glut his rage — Robespierre to avenge his injured vanity, or to re- 
 move a rival whom he hated — Marat from the same instinctive love of blood 
 which induces a wolf to continue his ravages of the flocks long after his 
 hunger is appeased, and his political exhortations, in a journal of which he 
 was editor, began and ended like the howl of a blood-hound.” Robespierre 
 has been described as one in whose presence “ virtue was a crime and genius 
 a foundation for suspicion,” yet possessing little talent, saving a deep fund 
 of hypocrisy. His speeches, whether in the National Convention or Jacobin 
 club, were lauded in the Northern Star, and were also sometimes published 
 in pamphlets at the office of that paper. It was hence supposed, that on his 
 being gullotined, an elegy would have appeared in the Northern Star re- 
 cording his virtues and lamenting his loss. None, however, was published, 
 the editor conforming at once to the new order of things in France — calmly 
 remarking, that his “ removal from power had become indispensable.” — 
 Northern Star, December, 1792. 
 
23 
 
 that their country had no “national government,’’ and the 
 people were advised to turn their thoughts to a “ National / " 
 
 Convention,” in order to collect the public opinion on the sub- \ 
 
 ject of reform. They declared their wishes to extend the elec- 
 tive franchise to all citizens ; and that when the mode of govern- 
 ment was “ not derived from all the people clearly expressed, 
 that nation has no Constitution.” They also announced their 
 determination to form an association for the purpose of dis- 
 seminating their principles, and, individually and collectively, 
 to exert every means in their power to carry the same into 
 execution, in order that the country might be “liberated from 
 the shackles of tyranny.” ^ At the same time the public 
 are informed by the newspapers, that the Belfast volunteer 
 company, blue, had agreed to adopt a cheap uniform, in order 
 to facilitate the admission of new members at “ this serious 
 crisis.” 
 
 \ 
 
 The “ National Guards” of Maghera, county of Derry, were 
 equally explicit regarding their conduct, and the improvement 
 of the Constitution, as their Jacobin brethren. They proceeded 
 to announce “ to the world their political principles, in order,” 
 as they declared, “ to confound envy, silence the babblings of 
 jealousy, illumine ignorance, and inspire public confidence.'* 
 
 They went on, with all the ability which the preamble promises, 
 to declare several laudable feelings and propensities of theirs ; 
 and the moment when public resistance is public virtue, which 
 was pretty significantly told, as not far off, and that they were 
 not to be deterred from their duty, “ until the country should 
 taste the sweets oi freedom, andp/wc^ the fruit luxuriant from 
 the tree of liberty '. ^ 
 
 In the resolutions of the Newtownards volunteers, they said : 
 
 “ We solemnly promise and engage not to lay down our arms 
 but with our lives, until we have accomplished the full redress 
 of our greivances.” The Larne corps, who appear to have 
 been equally a chivalrous body, declared that they would pro- 
 tect their fellow-citizens and themselves from every “ species 
 of oppression, whether it proceed from a mob or a monarch, 
 
 b About the same time a similar club was established in Dublin. 
 
 i Northern Star. 
 
a riot or a proclamation;” and the Belfast light dragoons pub- 
 lished, that they would continue embodied until they should 
 obtain the object of their wishes, and afterwards “ continue in 
 arms to defend them.” This puissant troop amounted to ex - 
 actly seventeen "persons ! 
 
 Up to this period, masonic lodges were said to have kept free 
 from political discussions, hut many of these now launched 
 out into republican declamation, with the fury of so many 
 Jacobin clubs. At a meeting of Lodge No. 730, at Garvagh, 
 they went on to say : “We detest any man, or body of men, 
 who sway from their country’s cause, under a cloak of allegi- 
 ance, or any other motive whatsoever.” Again— “ Resolved, 
 That factitious titles, such as monarchy, royalty, serenity, ex- 
 cellency, &c., are ponderous and oppressive mountains in the 
 great globe of despotism, under which poor Erin sinks and 
 groans.” A word in your ear: “ Whereabouts is France at a 
 loss for the want of either.” Lodge No. 539, the Worshipful 
 A^braham Elliot, in the chair. “ Resolved — That, as masons 
 and as men, unbiassed by the subtle insinuations of govern- 
 ment pimps and their retainers, we profess our steady and 
 loyal attachment to his present Majesty King George the Third, 
 and shall always do so, while there are no attempt on his part 
 to extend the executive power beyond the limits of the Con- 
 stitution.” On a meeting of delegates from ten lodges, at Lis- 
 burn, they commence their manifesto by declaring themselves, 
 “ Political, hut not voluntary, slaves.’* At Dungannon, dele- 
 gates from thirty lodges assembled, the Worshipful James 
 Reynolds, M.D., Corkstown, in the chair. By them the bre- 
 thren were recommended to “be peaceable, but powerful;” 
 and it was said in their declaration : “ Let every lodge in the 
 land become a company of citizen-soldiers — let every volunteer 
 company become a lodge of masons.” The resolutions of the 
 lodges of Tubermore, Castledawson, Comber, Randalstown, and 
 many others, were nearly similar, i In some lodges the oath 
 of allegiance, which it had been usual to administer on the ad- 
 mission of a brother, was discontinued. 
 
 While the volunteers of the north continued to advance 
 with “boots of seven leagues,” in Dublin their affairs had 
 
 3 Northern Star. 
 
25 
 
 taken an unfavourable turn. The first battalion of “ National 
 Guards” of that city had been summoned by their secretary, 
 Captain Mathew Dowling, to assemble in Ship-street, on the 
 9th December, to celebrate the success of the Drench arms, 
 and the triumph of universal liberty. Their summon com- 
 menced with the popular Drench phrase of citizen-soldier, and 
 was dated, “the last year of slavery but on the morning of 
 the 8th, a proclamation was issued by the Lord Lieutenant and 
 Council, forbidding the assembling of armed bodies in the city 
 or vicinity of Dublin. Hence no armed assemblage took place 
 in that city on the 9th, and the only volunteers who appeared 
 in uniform in Ship-street, were James N. Tandy, Archibald 
 H. Rowan, and William P. Carey. The dress of this regi- 
 ment was copied from that of the Drench National Gua,rds. 
 
 Their coat was green, turned up with white ; white waistcoat, 
 striped trousers, gilt buttons, impresssed with a harp and no 
 crown, but a device over the harp of a cap of liberty upon a 
 pike — emblems truly significant of the intentions of their 
 wearers ! 
 
 However, the leaders of the volunteers in Dublin, as if to 
 make trial how far the Irish government would suffer them- 
 selves to be insulted with impunity, on the 14th of the said 
 month, they issued a counter-proclamation, signed William 
 Drennan, chairman, Archibald H. Rowan, secretary. In this 
 document the citizen-soldiers were conjured by their interest, 
 their duty, and their glory, to stand to their arms ! This 
 earnest appeal, nevertheless, failed of producing the desired 
 effect — and for its dispersion the secretary was afterwards 
 tried and found guilty of a seditious libel on the government 
 and constitution of the kingdom, and sentenced to be two 
 years imprisoned in Newgate, and to pay a fine of £500. ^ The 
 
 k On the trial of Mr. Rowan, the attorney general (Wolfe) thus noticed 
 the extinction of the Dublin “ National Guards “ The 1st battalion of 
 “ National Guards” were to have paraded, clothed like Frenchmen. The night 
 before, the Lord Lieutenant had summoned the council of the kingdom ; * 
 
 upon that night a proclamation was issued, stating, that there were inten- 
 tions to assemble men in arms, with seditious signs, and apprehending dan- 
 ger from this assembling, it prohibited their meeting.” “ Appalled by this 
 proclamation, the corps did not meet as it was intended, though some few 
 were seen dressed in the ‘ National Guards’ uniform, parading the streets, 
 with a mob crowding at their heels ; but, however, nothing followed. They 
 were seen, and blessed be God, they were seen no more.’*-^ Parliamentary 
 debates ; trial of Archibald H. Rowan ; Northern Star. 
 
26 
 
 chairman was afterwards tried for the part taken in the same 
 address, but acquitted. 
 
 These ominous movements against the ** National Guards’* 
 of the capital, excited a serious sensation among the citizen- 
 soldiers of the north, who probably anticipated that a similar 
 proclamation might one day be directed against themselves. 
 In Belfast the volunteers affected to be highly indignant that 
 their loyalty should be suspected, and at a meeting of one of 
 the corps of that town, on the 17th December, they agreed upon 
 an address to the volunteers of Ireland. In this address they 
 proceeded to comment upon the proclamation of the 8th, and 
 the right of the people to carry arms. After some sentimental 
 observations about philanthrophy, renovation of the Constitu- 
 tion, emancipation, reform, and their preservation of the 
 public peace, they said : “ If bad advisers, or weak and wicked 
 men, shall force the people into extremity, on them let all the 
 miseries fall of civil convulsion.” On the following day a 
 meeting took place of the Belfast first volunteer company, 
 which also agreed upon an address to the volunteers of this king- 
 dom. This they commenced, in capitals, with the astounding 
 intelligence of, “ Fellow-soldiers, your country is in danger.” 
 They proceeded to condemn the proclamation that had been 
 issued against the assembling of the “National Guards” in 
 Dublin, and complained that the public grievances were 
 almost innumerable and intolerable. Their ‘ ‘ fellow-soldiers, 
 were called upon to be firm,” to persevere, to unite, to increase 
 their numbers, and to improve their discipline, with the con- 
 soling assurance, that if they did, their “country must be 
 saved.” ^ 
 
 On the 25th of December, a numerous meeting of the in- 
 habitants of Belfast was held in the meeting-house of the 
 second Dissenting congregation, Charles Rankin, Esq., in the 
 chair, Mr. Samuel Neilson, secretary, for the purpose “ of ex- 
 pressing their sentiments on the present state of public affairs, 
 and to enter into such measures as might be deemed expedient 
 for the accomplishing that great object — an equal representa- 
 tion of the people in parliament.” The business of the day 
 was opened by Mr. Robert Thompson, who, in the course of 
 
 1 Northern Star. 
 
27 
 
 his speech, said, that he “ had preferred our government to 
 any other, with an improved representation, hut without it 
 any other was as good.” He was followed in much the same 
 strain hy William Sinclair and Robert Getty, Esqrs. Mr. 
 
 Monford recommended “the steady and able men of the 
 country” to come forward and enrol themselves among their 
 armed brethren, and those who were in an advanced state of 
 life to contribute to the cause in a pecuniary way, and he hoped, , 
 by the poor coming forward at this crisis, much good might 
 be done by the contributions of the rich. The Rev. Sinclair 
 Kelburne said, “ he did not prefer our much-boasted Constitu- 
 ^tion — he did not know whether there was really any such 
 thing; he had heard of a government of king, lords, and 
 commons, but he could never approve of hereditary legislators 
 yet he concurred in the present declaration, and preferred a 
 reformed parliament rather than have recourse to violence, 
 though he might esteem another government more perfect. In 
 the resolutions entered into upon this occasion, it was said : 
 “ Our warmest thanks are justly due to the volunteers of Ire- 
 land. Soldiers of liberty, we thank you ! Be firm, increase 
 your numbers, perfect your discipline.” It was also agreed 
 that those who were in an advanced state of life should con- 
 tribute to the purchase of ‘ ‘ arms, ammunition, and accoutre- 
 ments” for the “National Guards,” and a committee of 
 twenty-four persons was appointed to receive the several 
 patriotic subscriptions. “ 
 
 Throughout the north the arming and array of the volun- 
 teers were continued with unabated activity. In a few places 
 a levy, en masse, was even contemplated, of which we have the 
 following specimen, in an extract of a letter from Saintfield, 
 as published in the Belfast News-Letter, dated on Christmas 
 day ; — “ The Presbyterian congregation met this day, and en- 
 tered into resolutions upon the present state of affairs. It was 
 proposed at the meeting, and unanimously applauded, that 
 the congregation, for the defence of their families and pro- 
 perties, shall immediately proceed to acquire the military 
 exercise, whereby, with those already in arms, upwards of 500 
 brave fellows will be added to the ‘ National Guards ’ of Ireland. ” 
 
 “ Belfast Politics, p. 107, 114. 
 
 D 
 
28 
 
 In Belfast, several corps of volunteers, lately arrayed, were 
 formed into one body, and took the title of the “First Belfast 
 regiment of National Guards.” On Sunday, the 3rd of 
 February, 1793, they first paraded in uniform, and attended 
 divine service at the meeting-house of the second Dissenting 
 congregation in that town. Their number amounted to about 
 360, and were divided into four companies. Their coat was 
 green, faced with yellow, green waistcoat, white breeches, 
 long black gaiters, and leather cap. “ At the same time the 
 other Belfast companies were united into one regiment and 
 took the name of the “ Belfast battalion. Blue,” Charles Rankin, 
 Esq., colonel. On these arrangements, the latter regiment 
 appointed a recruiting committee of twenty-four persons, and 
 a few days after the following advertisement appeared in the 
 newspapers: — “Recruits are requested to attend drill at the 
 market-house, on the mornings and evenings of Monday, 
 \Yednesday, and Friday, at eight o’clock.” It was also an- 
 nounced that two additional drummers and fifers were wanted 
 for each of these regiments. 
 
 The general movements of the disaffected now tended to 
 indicate that their plans fast approached completion. ® In 
 Belfast, efforts continued to be made for the seduction of the 
 soldiery from their allegiance, for which three inhabitants were 
 arrested, and a printer of seditious hand-bills, that had been 
 distributed among the military in garrison, kept out of the way. 
 In the Northern Star it was said, “We feel gratified in announ- 
 cing to the volunteer army of Ulster that a committee of the 
 Belfast regiment of volunteers have in preparation a new and 
 simple system of military exercise which is nearly identieal 
 with that at present practised by the army.” On the 12th of 
 January, it was stated, in the same paper, that the “ Carrick- 
 
 " The following gentlemen are noticed by Mr. Tone as being captains in 
 this regiment ; — Thomas M‘Cabe, Henry Haslett, James Hyndman. Francis 
 M‘Cracken was captain-lieutenant . — Belfast News-Letter. 
 
 ° In January, 1793, the writer was in the house of a first lieutenant of a 
 country corps of volunteers, who had just returned from evening parade, and 
 
 was relating to some friends that Mr. H , who, a few evenings before, 
 
 had been chosen second lieutenant, had declined that honour, choosing ra- 
 ther to continue as a private. He proceeded to comment on the strange sim- 
 plicity of Mr. H , observing, that in a few weeks they would be under 
 
 pay, “ And sure,” continued he, ” you all know the great difference there is 
 between the pay of an officer and that of a private.” His hearers nodded 
 assent. 
 
/ 
 
 29 
 
 fergus True Blues” were mounting their cannon, and enlisting 
 men to work them,” while, at the same time, a reward was 
 offered in the newspapers for the discovery of the persons who, 
 two nights before, had feloniously carried off fifty-six stand of 
 small arms from a house adjoining the castle gate, Carrick- 
 fergus, where they had been lodged for safety. In several 
 districts of Down and Louth, the “ Defenders,” though equally 
 busied in warlike preparations, and equally hostile to the 
 government, continued to regard the United Irishmen merely 
 as a separate faction ; and it is equally certain that compara- 
 tively few Eoman Catholics had joined the volunteers, though 
 their ranks were now commonly open to them. It indeed 
 appears that, with a few exceptions throughout the north, the 
 Catholic body continued unfriendly towards the volunteers, from 
 whose ranks they had formerly been excluded, ^ which feeling 
 is amply illustrated by the following fact. On the 18th of 
 January, a carman coming from Dublin, with arms for the 
 Buckna volunteers. Captain John Gordon, was robbed of his 
 charge, near Jonesborough, by a body of “Defenders,” though 
 he kept lustily calling out that they belonged to their Protestant 
 brethren, who had lately attended mass at Glenravel ! 
 
 About this time a company of artillery, with several field- 
 pieces and ammunition waggons, arrived from Dublin in 
 Belfast ; and six informations were filed, in the court of King’s 
 Bench, against the proprietors of the Northern Star for the 
 publication, in their paper, of the like number of libellous and 
 seditious articles. The proprietors were obliged to repair to 
 Dublin to enter into a recognizance, and were accompanied, in 
 that city, by a retinue of Eoman Catholic gentlemen ; and to 
 demonstrate the general union that prevailed, each bail-bond 
 was jointly executed by a Protestant and Eoman Catholic. In 
 the same month (January^, the houses and stores of several 
 persons in Belfast were searched by the officers of customs for 
 smuggled fire-arms, but none were found. ^ 
 
 On the 2nd of Pebruary, a circular letter was issued by the 
 Belfast volunteer committee, for a meeting of delegates from 
 
 P Since writing the above, we have heard, on respectable authority, that 
 there were several new corps in the county of Down, who were wholly Ro- 
 man Catholics. 
 
 ^ Northern Star. 
 
the corps of the county of Antrim, to assemble in the town of 
 Antrim on the 11th, for the purpose of taking into considera- 
 tion the state of their afiairs. No account of their proceedings 
 were then published, but the omission is fortunately supplied 
 by the following extract of a letter from Kobert Simms, mer- 
 chant, Belfast, to his friend Theobald W. Tone, dated the day 
 after. “Yesterday, assembled at Antrim, delegates from 
 thirty-five volunteer companies of this ‘county, representing 
 about 2000 men, and unanimously agreed : 1st, To associate 
 all the volunteers of the county into one body, and recom- 
 mended similar associations to the volunteers throughout the 
 kingdom, preparatory to a union of the whole. 2nd, To appoint 
 a committee, for one year, who are to have the sole direction of 
 the volunteers of the county, and to fix a mode of exercise, 
 reviews, and appoint generals, fix the quantity of ammunition, 
 accoutrements, and stores necessary for each corps. There are 
 sixty in the county, amounting to about 3100 men, and will 
 be 5000 before Christmas. We are taking the effectual steps to 
 provide the necessary articles and stores fdr volunteers.” ' The 
 progress of these armings would seem to have been seriously 
 watched by the government, as, about this time, an act was 
 passed by the Irish parliament to “ prevent the importation of 
 arms, gunpowder, and ammunition into the kingdom, and the 
 removing and keeping of gunpowder, cannons, fire-arms, &c., 
 without license, under a heavy penalty, that those who enter- 
 tained rebellious designs, should be debarred from obtaining 
 supplies.” This prevention would appear to have become 
 necessary, as, on the 11th of February, it was stated by the 
 Earl of Farnham, in the House of Lords, that a large quantity 
 of gunpowder had been seized on its way to the north. ® 
 
 For some time previous, the growing agitation had been 
 heightened in consequence of the election of parochials, and 
 other delegates, preparatory to a Provincial Convention, about 
 to be held at Dungannon, for the purpose, as was expressed, 
 of taking into consideration the state of the kingdom, and de- 
 claring “the sense of the people” in their several districts. On 
 the 15th of February, the delegates met, at least some of whom 
 
 ' Life of Theobald W. Tone, vol. I., p. 268. 
 
 ® Parliamentary Debates. 
 
31 
 
 attended, ‘‘rather in the hope of preventing ill than in the 
 achieving much good.”^ Their resolutions were prefaced by 
 a short declaration, “that they were cordially attached to the 
 original principles of the British Constitution ; regretted the 
 Ijrobability of a war with France ; urged the necessity of a re- 
 form in Parliament, and Eoman Catholic emancipation ; de- 
 clared their hostility to a national militia, and proclaimed their 
 obligation to the volunteers, who were exhorted to increase 
 their numbers, and improve their discipline.” A committee 
 of thirty persons was appointed, with the power of re-convok- 
 ing the assembly, and to communicate with the other pro- 
 vinces, to concert measures for calling together a National 
 Convention, should circumstances render the like necessary. 
 The members of this committee, for the county Antrim, were 
 — Thomas M. Jones, James A. Farrel, Alexander M ‘Manus, 
 Wm. Sinclair, Hugh Boyd; county of Down — Gawan Hamil- 
 ton, Alexander Stewart, Joseph Pollock, John Crawford, Wm. 
 S. Dickson ; from county of Derry — J. Church, Hugh Lyle, 
 Alexander Knox, James Scott, James Achison ; county of the 
 town of Carrickfergus — Wm. Finlay. The Eev. Wm. S. Dick- 
 son preached before this meeting. His text was Joseph’s advice 
 to his brethren : “ See that you fall not out by the way.” 
 
 It is equally strange as true, that this meeting originated 
 with a number of gentlemen who were really reformers, and 
 who hoped, by their induence and exertions, to turn the chan- 
 nel of revolutionary principles by a declaration in favour of 
 the government, with the improvement of a reform in the 
 national representation. " However laudable the motives of 
 these projectors may have been, they appear to have been 
 strangers to the schemes and influence of the United Irishmen^ 
 though, for months previous, enough had appeared in the 
 newspapers to disclose their real intentions. It is hence cer- 
 tain that this meeting failed of producing any useful effect, 
 while their opposition to the measures of the government, and 
 encomiums on the volunteers, were gratifying to many ; and 
 it was boasted in the Northern Star, that ‘ ‘ the whole pro- 
 vince is one great society of United Irishmen.'^ 
 
 t A Letter to the inhabitants of the Lordship of Newry, 
 
 "MS. written by a delegate to this meeting, 
 
 2 D 
 
In the interim, notwithstanding the prohibitory order of the 
 government against the assembling of armed bodies in the city 
 or vicinity of Dublin, efforts were made to keep up volunteer 
 parades. On Sunday, the 28th of January, part of the Gold- 
 smiths* corps assembled in Ship-street, under the orders of 
 Thomas Bacon, a taylor, but who, from his volunteer rank, 
 was commonly called Major Bacon. They soon dispersed, 
 on their being waited upon for that purpose by Alderman 
 Warren. However, on the 24th of February, the “ Dublin 
 Bangers,” under the orders of Major Askenhurst, a public 
 notary, also paraded in Ship -street, where Alderman James 
 desired them to disperse, which they refused to do. On their 
 refusal, he hastened to the castle-guard for assistance, but be- 
 fore the arrival of the guard, the volunteers were on their way 
 to Drumcondra, in which direction they were followed by the 
 soldiers. The former taking cover in a house, the guard passed 
 on, and the volunteers, in dropping parties, returned to the 
 city, and did not again appear in arms. A few days after- 
 wards, Alderman James seized four pieces of cannon belong- 
 ing to the “Liberty Bangers.’* On the 2nd of March, the 
 Lawyers’ corps made a voluntary surrender of their cannon 
 to the government, and on the 7th of the same month, some 
 pike-heads were seized by him in Suffolk-street. ^ 
 
 Though the volunteers throughout the north continued 
 busied in strengthening their ranks, and their parades were kept 
 up, yet from the state of volunteer affairs in Dublin, serious 
 apprehensions were entertained that the days of their appear- 
 ance were numbered. Their cannon and stores were, therefore, 
 secreted,- and on the 2nd of March, the following appeared in 
 the Northern Star : — Caution : volunteers who have cannon, 
 would do well to take the hint from the Dublin affair, and dis- 
 pose of them as soon as possible, lest they loose them, and in- 
 cur a penalty of £500.” Two days after, the stores of several 
 merchants in Belfast were searched, under the gunpowder act, 
 for cannon and ammunition, but none were found. On the 
 same day, search was made in Lisburn, under the direction of 
 a magistrate, for the cannon of the volunteers of that town, 
 but only their carriages were discovered. March 6th, this ad- 
 
 ^ The Dublin newspapers. 
 
33 
 
 ditional “caution” was published in the same paper: “At 
 the present alarming period, we would earnestly recommend it 
 to the people to behave with manly coolness, and not to suffer 
 themselves, through indignation of the proceedings of the capi* 
 tal, to be hurried into any act of outrage, or resistance to the 
 laws. By this line of conduct they will evince that they are 
 capable and worthy of enjoying rational liberty, and that they 
 know the difference between the demands of a nation and the 
 resistance of a part. Soon will Ireland speak her cause of her 
 present state, and the measures above alluded to accelerate 
 the period. Until then, let the people rest quietly on their 
 arms, and give no handle to their enemies wherewith to vilify 
 them. ” 
 
 In this state of things, little appears to have been wanting 
 on the part of the disaffected, but a pretext to “ Cry havock, 
 and let slip the dogs of war,” when an event took place, which 
 was, for a time, believed would have proved the harbinger of 
 revolution. On the evening of Saturday, the 9th of March, a 
 blind fiddler, playing in North-street, Belfast, was desired by 
 some of the 17th dragoons present, to play “ God save the 
 
 t 
 
 King,” but a crowd of persons present declared that he should 
 not play it. Some expressions were also used against his ma- 
 jesty, and those who would take his part, and at the same time 
 a stone was thrown at the dragoons. ^ A confiict immediately 
 ensued between the parties, and the dragoons being joined by 
 some of their comrades, the crowd was compelled to retreat, 
 and the victors proceeded to hack, with their swords, the signs 
 ofGeneralDumuvrier, Washington, M. Mirabeau, andDr. Ben. 
 Kranklin, that had lately been put up. During these riotous 
 proceedings, the windows of several houses were also broken, 
 and some persons passing, who are said to have been no way 
 concerned in the riot, were wounded by the horsemen. 
 
 The riot was soon suppressed by the presence of some mili- 
 tary officers, but as the affair was nOw looked upon as a titnely 
 pretext for the commencement of the revolution, it was deter- 
 mined that it should not be lost. Accordingly, during the 
 night, about 450 volunteers, bearing their arms, assembled in 
 the meeting-house of the third Dissenting congregation, while 
 
 ^ Belfast Politics, p, 128. 
 
34 
 
 sereral of the ‘*Xational Gnards,’’ in fall nnifonn, were 
 despatched abont the country to solicit the assistance of their 
 brethren in arms. Some of these who kept watch in the meet- ‘ 
 ing-house appeared unwilling to wait for the expected aid. 
 Among these was an officer, who, brandishing his sword, sal- 
 lied into the street, calling upon those near him, to drive the 
 despots from the town ! He was borne off home by some of 
 his men, who having made less free with the bottle, seemed 
 less anxious to open the campaign ! 
 
 The forenoon of the 10th was passed in deep suspense by 
 those in the meeting-house, where a sermon was delivered to 
 them by its revered pastor, Mr. Kelbume. We have been un- 
 able to learn the text or context of his discourse, but presume 
 that it was calling his hearers forth to deeds of arms, as a 
 loaded blunderbuss lay on the cushion before him during its 
 delivery I 
 
 In the evening, the messengers from the country arrived and 
 made their report. They were declared willin g to lend their 
 assistance, but unable to join in an immediate warfare, as the 
 arms of the srreater number were unserviceable, and manv 
 destitute of ammunition, circumstances, however unfortunate, 
 yet were really true. In their absence a meeting of the in- 
 habitants had been held, and a committee of twenty-two 
 persons appointed, consisting of the sovereign, five magis- 
 trates, the high constable of the barony, and other gentlemen, 
 to inquire into the cause of the riot. The committee were 
 now waited upon by General White, commanding the northern 
 district, who, three days before, had been sworn into the 
 commission of the peace for the counties of Down and Antrim. 
 He “was invited to attend as a member” of the commitee, 
 which he declined, but desired an interview with them, to 
 whom he expressed a wish that the volunteers would disperse, 
 as he had ordered a sufficient force to preserve the peace. At 
 the same time he ordered the dragoons off to other quarters ; ^ 
 and the volunteers being aware that no aid was to be expected 
 from the country, retired to their homes. Samuel Xedson, 
 one of the volunteers, thus notices these proceedings in a 
 letter to Mr. Tone. The volunteers assembled to the number 
 
 ^ The Xorthern Star. 
 
35 
 
 of 450 or 500; “this turned the scale, the military took the 
 alarm, bowed, and begged pardon, and this day the whole 
 regiment of horse was ordered to leave the town in fifteen 
 minutes warning by General Whyte. We have forgiven the 
 troop, and permitted the offenders to depart with the corps.” 
 Eobert Simms, Belfast, when writing to the same, regarding 
 this affair, says, “ The soldiers not only destroyed M‘Cahe’s 
 shop, hut also the adjoining one belonging to Mr. Orr, a 
 zealous volunteer, and a milliner’s shop, who had trimmed the 
 helmets of the volunteer light horse. They dispersed after 
 several of them were taken prisoners. Fortunately for them 
 they did so, for the volunteers began to assemble, and would 
 have finished them,” as, in a short time, the volunteers were 
 400 strong. “ The mob also gathered in great force, and 
 began to threaten vengeance. Had the riot continued, the 
 neighbouring volunteers would have come to town.” He goes 
 on to say, that it was beyond a doubt the plan of the riot was 
 laid in Hillsborough, and “that some of the officers were 
 abettors and encouragers of it.” ^ 
 
 Two days after this affair a proclamation of the Lord Lieu- 
 tenant and council, dated on the 11th of the same month, was 
 received in Belfast, forbidding the assembling of armed bodies 
 within that town, “ and the several districts adjacent thereto.” 
 In this document it was stated, “ That arms and gunpowder, 
 to a very large amount — much above the common consump- 
 tion — ^had been recently sent to Belfast and Newry,” and 
 that “bodies of men in arms” were drilled and exercised by 
 day and night, and that the declared object of the said armed 
 bodies was a redress of alleged grievances. In a letter of the 
 same date from the chief secretary, Hobart, to the sovereign of 
 that town, it was said : “ And if any body shall again assemble 
 in arms in Belfast and the neighbourhood, the magistrate will 
 exert himself to prevent the same, for which purpose General 
 White has directions to give every assistance in his power.” 
 From this period the volunteers of Belfast, and its immediate 
 vicinity, ceased to parade. The Northern Star, when noticing 
 this proclamation, merely said, “ It is for the consideration of 
 the volunteers of this town and district adjacent, whether it 
 y Life of Theobald W. Tone, Vol. I., p. 272. 
 
 / 
 
36 
 
 would be wise or patriotic in them to risk the peace of the 
 country, by appearing in bodies, with arms, unless to preserve 
 the public peace, and to aid the civil power ; is it not much 
 more magnanimous to discontinue the use of arms for the 
 present ? The time may come, and that shortly, when all 
 Ireland may be glad to see the saviours of their country once 
 more in formidable array.” A few days after the Newry com- 
 pany of volunteers, called the fusileers, Captain Moody, sur- 
 rendered their cannon to persons appointed to receive them 
 by the government. On the 15th of the same month, 225 
 rounds of canister shot, fitted for six pounder cannon, were 
 found in a shallow part of the river Lagan, near Lisburn. They 
 could not have been for the cannon of the Lisburn volunteers, 
 which were only three pounders, but they may have been for 
 those of Belfast, and as a search for the like had been made in 
 that town, perhaps those who had them in charge took this 
 wajr to dispose of them. 
 
 . On the 19th of March, the “volunteer standing committee,” 
 of the county of Antrim, met in Ballymena, Adam Dickey, Esq. , 
 in the chair, Henry Haslett, secretary. In their declaration 
 they said, “ That the good of the country had been their only 
 aim, and that they would stand or fall together in her defence. 
 That obedience to the laws of the land had been the unalterable 
 principles of Irish volunteers ; that they had associated for con- 
 stitutional purposes only,” and it was to them Ireland was 
 indebted for her present tranquility. They concluded by calling 
 upon their brother volunteers, to join with them in vindicating 
 their honest fame, which, they said, had hitherto been un- 
 tainted by the breath of calumny. 
 
 At the spring assizes held at Dundalk, a biU of indictment 
 was found against James N. Tandy, merchant in Dublin, for 
 having published a printed hand- bill, entitled, ^^Common Sense/' 
 said to contain seditious matter. He attended in court to take 
 his trial, but learning that a charge was also to have been 
 brought against him for the part that he had taken with a 
 body of defenders at Castlebellingham, among whom he was 
 reported to have distributed money, he deemed it prudent to 
 withdraw, and soon after left the kingdom. Twelve of the 
 
37 
 
 defenders were condemned at this assizes — two of whom suf- 
 fered death on the same evening they were convicted. * 
 
 In the county of Antrim, Moses Dawson and Robert Orr, 
 both of Belfast, were tried at the assizes on an indictment 
 charging them with an attempt to alienate the allegiance of 
 some soldiers of the 55th regiment, and acquitted. A bill of 
 indictment was also found against Daniel Blow, printer, of 
 the same town, for printing seditious libels, and uttering sedi- 
 tious words, but he did not appear. Joseph Cuthbert, tailor, 
 Belfast, was tried at the same assizes, for delivering to James 
 Rose, soldier in the 55th regiment, an extract from a pamphlet, 
 published by Thomas Cooper, reflecting on the arbitrary nature 
 of military service. The trial lasted from ten o’clock in the 
 morning to eight at night, when he was found guilty, and sen- 
 tenced to stand one hour in the pillory in Belfast, and to be 
 imprisoned in the county jail for one year. These persons 
 were volunteers, who, according to their repeated declarations, 
 assembled for “ Constitutional purposes.” 
 
 Early in this summer, a confidential agent arrived in Dub- 
 lin, from France, with a message directed “to the popular 
 leaders in Ireland,” and also for the purpose of his sounding 
 and conversing with them. He had an interview with Lord 
 Edward Fitzgerald, and ofiered to deposit, in any Bank in 
 Europe, the pay of 40,000 men for six months, “they being 
 informed that such was the number of the Irish volunteers,” 
 on the ‘ ‘ condition that they would declare an absolute inde- 
 pendence of England.” This offer, however, was declined, and 
 the emissary soon after retired without effecting his purpose. ^ 
 For the leaders of the United Irishmen declining this offer no 
 satisfactory cause has been assigned, but it is believed to have 
 been the imperfect state of the volunteer associations. For 
 though, in a popular harangue delivered some time before at 
 the Rotunda in Dublin, the volunteers were rated at the above 
 number, it is certain those really armed did not amount to 
 one-half of those given out, and even these, with the excep- 
 
 * Anthologia Hibernica, vol. I., p. 240 ; Autobiography of Archibald H. 
 Rowan, p. 188. 
 
 * M‘Nevin’s Pieces of Irish History ; Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald ; 
 Autobiography of Archibald H. Rowan, p. 161. 
 
 t 
 
38 
 
 tion of a few corps in Dublin and Belfast, were nearly equally 
 destitute of ammunition or serviceable fire-arms. 
 
 The growing spirit of disafiection throughout the kingdom 
 was greatly heightened, about this period, by the arrangements, 
 going forward for establishing a “national militia.” It was 
 circulated that it was a scheme of the government to entrap 
 the people into the regular army, and in several parts of the 
 kingdom, serious riots took place, and in numerous instances, 
 the like was only prevented by the presence of a military force. 
 On the 28th of June, a meeting of the governor and deputy- 
 governors of the county of Down, was held at the hamlet of 
 Castlereagh, for the purpose of carrying the provisions of the 
 militia act into effect. Erom some hints of disturbance that 
 had been given, the governors were attended by a troop of the 
 17 th dragoons, and though there was a vast body of people 
 present, the business of the day passed quietly on. However, 
 about the hour of two o’clock, the dragoons retired to some 
 distance to water their horses, and no sooner were they out of 
 sight, than a furious discharge of stones was made by the peo- 
 ple on the house where the governors were met, its windows 
 staved, the sentinel woimded, and his horse knocked down. 
 Shots were now fired from the house, which being heard by the 
 dragoons, they returned with all haste, and were met by a 
 shower of stones, on which they charged, and drove the rioters 
 from the road into the fields, where they kept mustering, as if 
 meditating a fresh assault. An account of these proceedings 
 was immediately forwarded to Belfast, and soon after the 38th 
 regiment, and a detachment of artillery, with two pieces of 
 cannon, arrived at Castlereagh, but before their arrival the 
 people had dispersed. Six or seven persons from the country 
 are said to have been killed on this occasion, and about the 
 same number were reported to have been wounded. Through- 
 out the adjoining counties, the people were equally hostile to 
 the establishing of a militia, but no opposition was made. The 
 Northern Star, of J uly 3rd, stated, that 743 inhabitants of the 
 parish of Connor, William WaUdngshaw, secretary, had pre- 
 sented a petition to the Bight Hon. J ohn O’Neill, requesting 
 him to resign the command of the Antrim militia, and to dis- 
 courage others from taking any part in that hateful measure. 
 
39 
 
 From the Convention at Dungannon, it was openly circu- 
 lated, that a grand “National Convention” was about to be 
 held at Athlone, and 1st September was, according to report, 
 at length pointed out as the day for the meeting of that august 
 assembly. In the interim, however, the Earl of Clare brought 
 a bill into parliament, “ to prevent the election, or other ap- 
 pointment of conventions, or other unlawful assemblies, under 
 pretence of preparing, or presenting petitions, or other ad- 
 dresses to his majesty or the parliament.” The bill was passed 
 into a law on the IJth of July, and it, for a time, arrested 
 the impending storm, which, from the few regular troops in 
 the kingdom, the government appeared ill prepared to meet. 
 
 Though the volunteers of Belfast and its immediate neigh- ^ 
 bourhood, from their being, as it were, under the eye of a 
 strong military force, had ceased to parade, the drillings of 
 many country corps were continued. Emboldened by the 
 seeming indifference of the government, on the I4th of Septem- 
 ber, a review of these bodies was appointed to be held on the 
 Northern bank of the Six-mile-water, near Doagh, where was 
 to have been assembled the following corps : — Ballyclare, 
 Ballynure, Ballyeaston, Ballymena, Ballygarvy, Broughshane, 
 Brusilee, Kells, Dunagore, Doagh, Muckaraore, Eoughfort, 
 and others. A few days previous, boxes filled with ball- 
 cartridges were secretly despatched into the country, to such 
 corps as were known to have serviceable arms, to enable them 
 to resist opposition if any was offered. 
 
 The morning proved most tempestuous, the wind was high 
 and cold, and the rain fell in torrents, yet before the hour that 
 the volunteers were to have been upon the field, the 38th ^ 
 regiment, Fermanagh militia, and a detachment of artillery 
 with two pieces of cannon, arrived from Belfast ht Doagh. 
 Intelligence of their approach had been received before their 
 arrival, and hence a few companies of volunteers, on their way 
 to the review, were halted, and the contemplated which 
 for weeks previous had been the subject of general conversa- , 
 tion, was adjourned sine die. Such was the final exit of the 
 Irish volunteers, a body of men who associated in 1778-9 for 
 the noblest of purposes — the defence of their country — but 
 who, in 1792-3, becoming fascinated by the levelling principles 
 
 I 1? 
 
40 
 
 of the French revolution, in imitation of their “ National 
 Guards,” appeared determined to become legislators — and on 
 the ruins of the government, to establish a republic on the 
 model of that of France. 
 
 On the 14th of November, the Hon. Simon Butler, and 
 Archibald H. Rovan, Esq., arrived in Belfast from Edinburgh, 
 where they had been attending a meeting of the Scotch con- 
 vention. They were splendidly entertained at dinner by the 
 gentlemen of the town, and on the health of ^Ir. Rowan being 
 given, in connection with the sentiment, “ May the friends of 
 liberty ever be found virtuous and brave,” he rose, and in the 
 course of a speech, delivered with great energy, he said, “If 
 the present government, or any government of the country, 
 should offer them a carte blanche to fiU up their own outline of 
 a free constitution, they should refuse to accept of it from 
 them, unless they were permitted to form their constitution on 
 the model of the French primary assemblies.’’ From the high 
 rank and honourable character of the speaker, and as an influ- 
 ential leaded of the United Irishmen, it is believed his words 
 may be fairly taken as a specimen of the views of their leaders 
 at that period. On this occasion the four societies of United 
 Irishmen of Belfast, presented an address to the Hon. Simon 
 Butler, expressive of the high sense they entertained of his 
 firm and patriotic conduct, during, and since his imprison- 
 ment, to which he returned a most satisfactorv answer. 
 
 On the 3rd of January, 1794, Hugh Boyd, Esq., Ballycastle, 
 was chosen, without opposition, one of the members in parlia- 
 ment for the county of Antrim, in room of the right Hon. 
 John O’Neill, who, on the 30th of the previous November, 
 was raised to the peerage. Early in March, a bill that had 
 been brought into the House of Commons by W. B. Ponsonby, 
 for promoting a more equal representation of the people in 
 parliament, was r^ected by a great majority on the plea of 
 the evils that had arisen from the introduction of the principles 
 of reform in France, many well-meaning persons opposing 
 that measure from a fear of the consequences of so sudden 
 and great a change being the first step towards the ruin of the 
 empire. 
 
 In April, the Rev. William Jackson, an Irish clergyman of 
 
41 
 
 the established church, “an envoy from the French govern- 
 ment to the Irish patriots,” was arrested in Dublin for high 
 treason, as he was about to set out for Cork. His arrest ex- 
 cited the most serious forebodings among the disaffected in 
 Dublin with whom he had been in confidence, but who they 
 how suspected of being a spy. Under this impression, Archi- 
 bald H. Kowan, Esq^., then confined in Newgate for a seditious 
 libel, efiected his escape by duping the turnkey, fearing to be 
 immediately charged with treason. ^ Mr. Eowan embarked 
 at Sutton on board a fishing wherry, and landed in France 
 at a small bay called Eoseoff, where he was made prisoner, 
 and detained some time as an English spy. ® 
 
 Much speculative anxiety prevailed about this time through- 
 out Ulster in consequence of a considerable number of the 
 ^freeholders of the county of Antrim being summoned to Dub- 
 lin to serve as jurors on the trial of the proprietors of the 
 Northern Star, for publishing a seditious libel. This trial 
 took place on the 28th of May, and on the jurors being called 
 over, two of them, Hugh Lyle and John Haltridge, were ob- 
 jected to by the crown-lawyers. No challanges were made by 
 the defendants. On the part of the crown it was stated, 
 “ That they, the proprietors, tending to stir up discontent and 
 sedition among his Majesty’s subjects, and to cause it to be 
 believed tha^ there is not any government legally constituted” 
 in this kingdom, did, on the 15th December, 1792, publish, or 
 cause to be published, a wicked, malicious, and seditious libel, 
 
 ^ In the Hibernian Magazine for that month (May), was a picture of his 
 flight, with a song written on the occasion, the second verse of which thus 
 describes Mr. Rowan ; — 
 
 “ In Green-street chambers lodging, tho’ mighty sore against his will. 
 
 In freedom’s path long trudging, and using both his tongue and quill ; 
 Lived late a man, who no one, who knew him well, could bear in spite, 
 The famous Hamy Rowan, who scampered off on May-day-night. 
 
 “ Miss Diana in a tower, was closely kept by her papa. 
 
 But in a golden shower, it is said Jove he got in — O la ; 
 
 This story Hamy reading, it in his mind did incite. 
 
 To come within succeeding, on a rejoicing May-day-night. 
 
 Then in a hurry-burry, as soon as Hamy’s flight was known. 
 
 It was wondered next day early, which way the prisoner could be gone ; 
 They followed to Dunleary, to Bush, and over the Atlantie quite, 
 
 And was in a quandary where he had gone on May-day-night.” 
 
 ® Autobiography of Archibald H. Rowan, p. 219. 
 
42 
 
 entitled the “Declaration and Eesolutions of the Irish Jaco- 
 bins.” On behalf of the proprietors it was urged, that the 
 evidence before the court could only apply to the printer, 
 John Eabb, and the jury coinciding in this opinion, the pro- 
 prietors were acquitted. Eabb being out on bail did not 
 appear to surrender himself, and his recognizance were 
 estrated. ^ For some time previous the leading society of 
 United Irishmen in Dublin met in Taylor’s-hall, Back-lane, 
 but on the night of the 23rd of May they were dispersed by 
 the city Sheriffs, Alderman "Warren, and High Constable 
 Carleton, and their books and papers carried away. 
 
 In Belfast efforts were continued for the seduction of the 
 army, and in J une were so far successful, that a mutiny broke 
 out in the 79th regiment, quartered in that town, among whom 
 had been distributed anonymous inflammatory hand-bills, tend- 
 ing to deceive them, and to promote disaffection. Two hun- 
 dred guineas reward were offered by the inhabitants for the 
 discovery of the persons who had distributed these papers 
 among the soldiery, but no disclosure was made. However, 
 on the arrival of their colonel, a few days after, all disorder 
 ceased, and the regiment being embarked for Bristol, this 
 scheme for promoting confusion feU to the ground. 
 
 On the ] 7th November, an information that had been filed 
 against the proprietors of the Northern Star, for publishing the 
 address of the society of United Irishmen of Dublin to the 
 volunteers of Ireland, came on in the court of King’s Bench 
 before a respectable jury of the county Antrim. The jury, 
 after two hours deliberation, returned a verdict of ‘ Guiltv of 
 publishing, but not with a malicious intent,” which verdict 
 not being ■ accepted by the court, the jury again retired, and 
 returned a verdict of not guilty. 
 
 Having, as we conceive, demonstrated that the leading 
 members of the United Irishmen were, from their institution, 
 bent on revolutionary projects, and kept up a treasonaMe cor- 
 respondence with France, we resume our narrative where we 
 left off, in March, 1795, when we find the Northern Star 
 thus recording the formidable progress of their friends : “ It 
 
 d This trial was afterwards the subject of a severe satire, written by 
 Counsellor Sampson, entitled, “ A faithful report of the trial of Hurdy 
 Gurdy .” — Northern Star. 
 
43 
 
 cannot but be a matter of proud exultation to the societies of 
 United Irishmen, that the whole people of Ireland, with ex- 
 ceptions scarce worth mentioning, are now of those very 
 opinions which they broached three years ago, and which 
 were then considered by the wise, the constitutional, the 
 moderate, and the cautious, as symptoms not only of madness, 
 but of wickedness, in the extreme.” 
 
 After several adjournments, on the 23rd of April, the Eev. 
 William Jackson was put upon bis trial in the court of King’s 
 Bench, Dublin, for high treason. It appeared in evidence, 
 that he had arrived in London from Paris about the end of 
 January, 1794, on a special mission from the committee of 
 Salut Publique, i. e., the committee of public salvation. That 
 he was instructed to wait on “ the Irish patriots, and to 
 promise, if the people of Ireland were inclined to reform the 
 abuses of their government by a declaration of independence, 
 that the French government would assist them in any way 
 they might deem proper, and would desire no farther inter- 
 ference.” ® Before leaving France he had been furnished with 
 letters of introduction from J. H. Stone to his brother Wm. 
 Stone, in London, John Horne Tooke, and Dr. Crawford, of 
 the same city. In London he passed by his own name for an 
 American merchant, where he revived an old acquaintance 
 with an attorney named Cockayne, to whom he disclosed his 
 mission, who informed the gbvernment of his designs, and on 
 the solicitation of Mr. Pitt he agreed to aceompany Jackson to 
 this country. Before their setting out, arrangements were 
 made with William Stone for the transmission of any letters 
 that Jackson might have occasion to send to the continent, 
 with the superscription, Mens Chapau Rouge, Merchand, 
 Hamburgh'* This person was to forward the letters to Mr. Ben- 
 jamin Beresford, at Basle, in Switzerland, who was to find means 
 to convey them to Paris. William Stone, in writing to Jackson 
 to address him by the name of Thomas Popkins, and in his 
 correspondence, , instead of his own name, that of William 
 Enots, the latter part being simply that of Stone reversed. 
 
 Matters being thus digested, Jackson and his companion set 
 forward to Dublin, where they arrived on the 1st of April. 
 
 * Trial of Jackson ; Autobiography of Archibald H, Rowan, pp. 210, 211. 
 
 I 
 
Immediately after we find them in correspondence with 
 Theobald W. Tone, Archibald H. Rowan, Leonard M‘- 
 AnaUy, Edward J. Lewins, Hon. Simon Butler, James 
 Reynolds, M.D., Cookstown, ^ and other active leaders of the 
 United Irishmen* Assisted by the two former gentlemen, a 
 memoir was drawn out on the state of the country, for the 
 purpose of its being transmitted to Amsterdam, and from 
 thence to Paris. On the information given by Cockajme, the 
 memoir was intersepted at the post-office. On the night of the 
 24-th of April, Jackson was arrested, on which Mr. Rowan, 
 then in prison, contrived to effect his escape. The original of 
 this report was written out by Mr. Tone, but that put into the 
 post-office was in the hand-writing of Mr. Rowan. When in 
 treating of the different religious sects in this kingdon, it was 
 said : “ ‘ The Dissenters ’ are the most enlightened body of 
 the nation, they are steady republicans, devoted to liberty, 
 and through all the stages of the French revolution have been 
 enthusiastically attached to it ; ” and it was also stated, that 
 on the French landing, “the north would rise to a man,” 
 and that ‘ ‘ the militia, the great body of whom were Roman 
 Catholics, would, to a moral certainty, abandon their leaders.”^ 
 
 Jackson was found guilty of high treason, and on his being 
 brought up on the 30th, before sentence, he died in the dock, 
 liaving that morning taken “ a large quantity of arsenic and 
 aquafortis mixed in tea. He had a splendid funeral, and, to 
 the astonishment of Dublin, it was attended by several mem- 
 bers of parliament and barristers, ” who gave this presumptive 
 proof that they were friendly to his mission. ^ 
 
 f He was summoned before a secret committee of the House of Lords, but 
 refusing to be examined upon oath as to the state of Ulster, he was com- 
 mitted to prison, where he remained until the 27th of July. On the 20th of 
 December, same year, we find him chairman of the leading society of United 
 Irishmen in Dublin, and also afterwards we find his name to an address to 
 the people of Ireland on the subject of universal sufferage. — Proceedings of 
 the United Irishmen of Dublin, March 25th, 1793. 
 
 ^ Trial of Jackson. 
 
 Two of the barristers here alluded to were John and Henry Shiers. In 
 the Morning Post of that day, Jackson’s father was said to have, at one time, 
 officiated in the Prerogative Court, Dublin, and his brother to have been Dr. 
 Richard Jackson, vicar-general to the Archbishop of Cashel. For a time he 
 had been private secretary to the celebrated Duchess of Kingston, and had 
 been employed by her in writing against Mr. Foote, who had satirized her in 
 some of his farces. About 1792, he w’as a contributor to the Morning Post, 
 a violent ministerial paper, published in London. On quitting this engage- 
 ment he went to France. — Jonah Barrington's sketches-, vol. II. pp. 121, 122. 
 
45 
 
 T 
 
 Although Mr. Tone had throughout borne a prominent part 
 % 
 
 in the proceedings of Jackson, he was not even arrested, and 
 through the interest of some influential friends he was permit- 
 ted to quit the kingdom, “ and to go into exile in America.” ^ 
 Meanwhile, by the 10th of May, the increase in the numbers 
 of the United Irishmen was such, that delegates from seventy- 
 two societies met in Belfast, who, in addition to their previous 
 plans, formed a more enlarged “ system of committees.” These 
 were divided into parochial, baronial, county, provincial, and 
 national, or executive directory, and though the members of 
 the latter were only known to a few, yet their commands were 
 implicitly obeyed. Each of these committees to meet once in 
 every month, and to report their proceedings to their consti- 
 tuents. At this meeting a plan was also devised for raising a 
 common fund, by monthly subscriptions, to be applied for the 
 support of prisoners, and to extend the union. The obligation 
 or test taken by United Irishmen likewise underwent an impor- 
 tant revision, the words, “ a full representation of the people,” 
 being inserted, omitting the words, ‘ ‘ in the Commons House 
 of Parliament,” and changing the original obligation into an 
 oath; or, as it has been expressed, “the substance was so 
 altered as to correspond with the progress of opinion, embrac- 
 ing both republicans and reformers.” Thus, to use the words 
 of one of their most zealous friends, the 10th of May “pro- 
 duced the most important consequences to Ireland, and, as such, 
 , will be remembered to the latest posterity;”! while the Nor- 
 thern Star proceeded to demonstrate that the people were 
 ripe for revolution, as the state was ruined. 
 
 On the 21st of the same month, Theobald W. Tone arrived 
 in Belfast, on his way to the United States of America. He 
 had probably chosen this circuitous route for the purpose of 
 taking leave of his northern friends, to whom he imparted his 
 intention, on his arrival in the States, namely, to obtain a 
 passport from the French minister, to enable him to proceed 
 to Paris, “to follow up negotiations begun with Jackson,” 
 which met “ with their perfect approbation.? During the stay 
 of Mr. Tone, a series of civic festivals were held in compliment 
 
 i Life of Theobald W. Tone, vol. I. p. 120. 
 
 »j M‘Nevin’s pieces of Irish History. 
 
46 
 
 to that gentleman. One of these was an excursion to Kams- 
 island, and another took place on the summit of M‘Arts fort, 
 Cavehill, which was attended by the leading political charac- 
 ters of that town. And here the party took a solemn obliga- 
 tion, never to desist in their efforts until they had subverted 
 the authority of England over this country. ^ 
 
 Mr. Tone sailed from Belfast on the 15th of June. Previous 
 to his departure he was loaded with favours by his Belfast 
 friends, and they afterwards remitted him £200, as a subsidy, 
 in order to enable him to carry into effect the arduous enter- 
 prize of going to France. In noticing this communication, he 
 says — “ They pressed me, in the strongest manner, to fulfil 
 the engagement I had made with them at my departure, and 
 to move heaven and earth to force my way to the French 
 government, in order to supplicate their assistance.” ^ 
 
 From the great meeting of delegates in Belfast, the proceed- 
 ings of the United Irishmen were conducted with a greater de- 
 gree of secrecy and circumspection, while the most sanguinary 
 acts of the French were applauded as the triumphs of liberty, 
 and furnished a constant theme of exultation. Their armies 
 were said to be invincible, and specially directed by providence 
 for the extirpation of tyrants and kings, and hence they were 
 called the advanced guard of the liberties of Europe, while 
 their admirers seemed to say, — 
 
 “ France shows us the way — an example how great ; 
 
 Then, like France, let us stir up a riot ; 
 
 May our name be preserved by some damnable fact, 
 
 For who but a wretch would be quiet.” 
 
 In the progress of these events, many of the clergy became 
 equally busied as the other classes of the community. Among 
 the most forward of these was a Eoman Catholic priest, who, 
 heedless of the extirpation of his order in France, perambu- 
 lated the counties of Down and Antrim, preaching in fields. 
 His hearers, on those occasions, commonly amounted to several 
 thousands, and the subject of his discourses were invariably 
 brotherly love, with allusions to the great work going forward 
 for the renovation of mankind. At one of those field musters, 
 the writer witnessed a Presbyterian clergyman dismiss his 
 
 k Life of Theobald W. Tone. 
 
 1 Ibid. 
 
47 
 
 flock before he had commenced the religious services of the 
 day, and proceed, at their head, to the friar, where, from the 
 multitude assembled, scarce a word could be heard of the 
 preacher’s oration. Many of the Presbyterian clergy, also, 
 evinced that they were deeply infected with the popular mania, 
 adopting, in the fullest extent, the levelling principles of the 
 day, and some of their houses of worship were even magazines 
 of arms, where was also matured their most secret treasons. “ 
 The country now resounded with blasphemous rhymes, 
 which were called patriotic songs, though, with a few excep- 
 tions, they neither possessed the common melody of song, nor 
 smoothness of diction — uncouth curses, strung into equally 
 vulgar verses, being the order of the day. A favourite toast 
 at this time was, — “ May the skin of old Geordy (meaning the 
 king) be a drum -head to rouse the republicans to arms.” 
 
 As the united system gathered strength, many of its vota- 
 ries threw aside disguise, and in their inordinate love of French 
 politics, avowed their contempt for every ancient right or pri- 
 vilege, and determination of destroying whatever institutions 
 were not truly republican. The most illiterate bumpkin ap- 
 peared to consider himself a consummate politican, and “ in- 
 spired with the spirit of pulling down kings and princes.” In 
 this levelling spirit, a division of the properties of the wealthy 
 commonly bore a prominent feature, and furnished much in- 
 teresting speculation. “ It was openly said, that on a general 
 division of the lands of the kingdom taking place, they were to 
 be free from rent, cess, or tithes ! in fact, the chimera of un- 
 controlled liberty had taken root in the minds of the multi- 
 tude, who seemed to think, with Jack Cade, that “ it was never 
 a merry world since gentlemen came up,” and “ the good 
 old rule, the simple plan,” appeared to be, — 
 
 “ That they should keep who have the power, 
 
 And they should get who can.” 
 
 “ In the meeting-house of Templepatrick, two brass six-pounder cannon, 
 belonging to the Belfast volunteers, were erected, and in that of Ballyclare 
 met often their secret committees. .. 
 
 " Strange as it may appear, the advocates, fof^ this system of equality are 
 far from extinct. In 1826 , a pamphlet was published in Belfast, entitled, 
 Our Natural Rights— ior the purpose of shewing the unalienable right 
 that every occupier of land has to the soil he cultivates, and that “ the 
 principles of limited ownership is the only remedy for the complicated 
 evils of the old world.” The writer concludes with an address to the people 
 
48 
 
 The hair, which for many years had been worn at its length, 
 but tied either clubbed or queued, now began to be cropt short 
 in the manner of the Roundheads during the usurpation of 
 Cromwell. This custom, however, had a direct allusion to 
 the modern politics of France, as so early as January, 1793, 
 we find, in Paris, short hair esteemed a proof of being a good 
 Jacobin, o On the introduction of the fashion here, some 
 young persons, who prided themselves on the colour or length 
 of their hair, were refactory to its being cropt, but they were 
 soon compelled to submit by stratagem or force. At length 
 cropt hair was generally adopted, even by females, and in 
 time the custom gave rise to the term croppy, by which name 
 those said to be Onited Irishmen were called by their opponents. 
 
 Among the numerous devices of the disaffected for promot- 
 ing confidence and enthusiasm among the ignorant, were false- 
 hoods and legends, which were called prophecies. These were 
 said to be contained in an ancient manuscript, entitled. The 
 Irish Chronicle, written out by the celebrated Saint Columb- 
 kille, which work, though no one even pretended to have seen, 
 all appeared to believe in its marvellous predictions. ^ Its fa- 
 bulous relations were affirmed to point out great events about 
 to take place in Ulster, and the fortunate completion of the 
 national revolution. The parish of Dundonald, county of 
 Down, was particularly noted as the place where several of 
 these prophecies were about to be fulfilled. Here a young 
 maiden, with two thumbs on her right hand, was to sit upon a 
 large stone, and to hold the horses of three kings during a 
 great battle, in which Ireland was to be, as it were, three times 
 lost, but at length won. During this conflict the wheel of an 
 adjoining mill was to be three times turned round with the 
 
 of the United States of America, warning them, “ that if they do not take 
 measures for prohibiting the absolute ownership of land, their freedom and 
 happiness would silently and gradually fade away.” In the same work 
 money is called, “ the vile creation of man.” 
 
 ® However, on the execution of Robespierre and his party in July, 17^4, the 
 fashion changed in Paris, and persons were murdered in the streets because 
 they wore short hair — but the custom continued the same in Ireland. — An- 
 thologia Hibernica, vol. I. p. 158 ; Autobiography of Archibald H. Rowan, 
 p. 239. 
 
 P The writer has lately heard that an old man named Donnelly, who re- 
 sided in the town of Antrim, had an old Greek book, which he showed to 
 some favourites as this famous chronicle. 
 
« 
 
 49 
 
 blood of the slain. Previous to this great day the maiden was 
 to have crossed the Atlantic ocean three times, which, it was 
 asserted, she had already accomplished. Two common briars 
 growing in the same neighbourhood, at a considerable distance 
 from each other, were also to entwine their branches before 
 this great battle, which union was affirmed to have been per- 
 fected — therefore, civil warfare was believed to be at hand. 
 
 Visions were also affirmed to have been witnessed at certain 
 places, and many persons were reported to have had strange 
 and prophetic dreams regarding the landing of the French 
 near Belfast, and their victorious progress. It was also given 
 out, that at the dread hour of midnight, lights had been ob- 
 served in several ancient churches, and that a person, more 
 hardy than his neighbours, on looking in at one of the win- 
 dows, heard an angel read out of a green book the order for 
 the extirpation of the English interest in Ireland ! 
 
 In several districts of the counties of Antrim and Derry, two 
 worthless pamphlets, which had become rare, suddenly came 
 into great repute. One of these was entitled, “ The prophecies 
 of Thomas the Khymer, ” an unintelligable worthy of the olden 
 time, who is said to have flourished in the latter end of the 13th 
 century. His prophecies (as they are called) extant, appear 
 to relate chiefly to the union between England and Scotland. 
 The other tract merely contains an account of the wanderings, 
 persecutions, and ravings of the Rev. Alexander Peden, a 
 Scotch Covenanter, who about 1682, traversed the county of 
 Antrim, and who, like some others of his canny countrymen, 
 had the address to impress his simple hearers with a belief of 
 his being a prophet. The following interesting document 
 proves how highly these pamphlets were regarded at this time. 
 
 At a meeting of a society of United Irishmen^ in the hamlet 
 of Rasharkin, 106 members present, 47 of whom were 
 Roman Catholics, the following resolutions were unanimously 
 entered into ; — 
 
 ‘ ‘ Resolved — That we behold plainly the case of not every 
 one knowing the prophecies of Thomas the Rhymer, and the 
 
 Thomas Learmond, alias, Thomas of Erildowne, alias, Thomas the 
 Rhymer, has been equally celebrated as a prophet and a poet. However, 
 according to the Irish version of his history, he was born in Ireland, but was 
 stolen away in his infancy to Scotland by the fairies ! 
 
50 
 
 propKecies of Alexander Peden, all useful to the people in the 
 making of our laws, and as many of our brethren cannot read 
 them, and explain them, and tell about them ; 
 
 “ Kesolved — That Donald O’Kennedy will read to the county 
 of Derry, and that Archy Woods will read to the county 
 of Antrim, and that they tell the French news to everybody, 
 and dispute with all who dare to contradict them. Signed, 
 William Wilson, Secretary.” The former of these readers was 
 a Eoman Catholic, the latter a Dissenter, which class gave a 
 decided preference to the reading of Peden, while their bre- 
 thren were equally delighted with the wild dark predictions 
 of the Khymer. ^ 
 
 In order that nothing might be wanting on the revolution 
 breaking out, a guillotine was made by a mechanic in the 
 vicinity of Kilrea, and a list made out of those to be decapi- 
 tated, or, as it was said, “ to oil first the wheels of the revolu- 
 tion for the public good.” As in France, the properties of the 
 wealthy were to have been confiscated for the benefit of the 
 republic, and hence, in, the language of Kobespierre, the 
 guillotine was to have been called the “ National Mint,” — a 
 phrase much applauded for the expressive ingenuity of the 
 application. The Kilrea instrument was nearly ten feet in 
 height, its axe sharp and heavy, and about ten inches deep. 
 It was moved up in a groove by a pulley and rope. Lead being 
 scarce, from the great demand of that metal for bullets, the 
 axe was loaded by a piece cut off an old millstone. A few ex- 
 periments were made by beheading dogs and cats, which being 
 declared satisfactory, the maker was said to have deserved 
 well of his country, and the instrument was carefully deposited 
 in an ark in the corn-mill of Lisnagrat. ^ 
 
 Early in December it was announced that an election for a 
 knight of the shire for the county Antrim was about to be 
 held in the room of Hugh Boyd, Esq., deceased. Accordingly, 
 on the 12 th of the same month, a meeting of thoje calling 
 themselves the freeholder’s committee, appointed, as they said, 
 
 I 
 
 in 1792, to guard the country from the baneful influence of 
 the aristocracy, was held in Ballymena, Mr. William Dufiin 
 
 ’■ At this time only about one person out of 300 in those parishes could 
 read.— M.S. 
 
 
51 
 
 m the chair. They proceeded to declare, that they did “not 
 represent, nor pretend to represent, any person hut them- 
 selves.” Kegretted that the meetings of the “ immortal volun- 
 teer army,” had been prohibited; advised the “independent 
 freeholders” of the county not to interfere in contested elec- 
 tions, and, among other reasons given for thus withdrawing 
 
 themselves, were declared to be the degraded state of the re- 
 
 \ 
 
 presentation, the great body of the people being excluded from 
 the elective franchise, “but above all, that the successive 
 administrations who have borne sway in this country have 
 ever made a pretext of refusing a reform, not because it was 
 improper, but because the people were clamerous.” 
 
 Eichard G. Kerr, Eedhall, and John Staples, Esq., offered 
 themselves as candidates to the electors, but the former soon 
 after withdrew. James Murphy, Belfast, an old debilitated 
 toper, was also put forward by some persons as a fit and proper 
 gentleman to represent the county in parliament, and several 
 addresses to the electors, bearing his name, appeared in the 
 newspapers. On the day appointed for holding the election, 
 Mr. Murphy came into court, but, like many others aspiring 
 to be great men, he found himself deserted by his friends, and 
 Mr. Staples was returned without opposition. 
 
 About the commencement of 1796, delegates from the De- 
 fenders in Dublin arrived in Belfast, for the purpose of pro- 
 moting an amicable arrangement between that body and the 
 United Irishmen, for up to this time, though they were equally 
 hostile to the state, “ they had been kept wholly distinct- 
 bodies.” On the return home of these delegates they made 
 their report to their leaders, which being approved of, the de- 
 fender system was new modelled, which laid the foundation of 
 the union of those parties a matter of great interest, the or- 
 ganization of the latter embracing “the whole peasantry of 
 Ireland, being Eoman Catholics,” while, at the same time, 
 nearly 10,000 of the army were “ sworn defenders.”® 
 
 The government were probably aware of this junction, as 
 about the same time spies and informers were engaged to dis- 
 cover their secret plans, some of whom becoming suspected of 
 
 ® M‘Nevin’s pieces'of Irish History ; Life of Theobald W. Tone, vol. II., 
 pp. 189, 192. 
 
 F 
 
 X' 
 
52 
 
 their engagements, fell by the pistol or dagger. New schemes 
 were hence devised by the disaffected to guard against the 
 machinations of these ruffians, and hence committees of assas- 
 sination were established. * However guilty, innocent, or dis- 
 tant, the accused persons might be, they were arraigned by 
 these tribunals, and as rarely any but their enemies could be 
 heard, they seldom escaped conviction. It is nevertheless 
 more than probable that several of the persons thus disposed of 
 were innocent of the crimes with which they were charged, as 
 it is certain some of them were not United Irishmen, while the 
 excellent character of others falsified such an infamous impu- 
 tation. During the winter, considerable disturbance took 
 place in several parishes of the county of Down, particularly 
 in those of Donaghcloney, Dromore, and Dromara, in conse- 
 quence of threatening letters, robberies, and various depreda- 
 tions said to arise from political causes. 
 
 On the 24th of March the insurrection act was passed, 
 which excited a loud and general clamour among the United 
 Irishmen. By it the Lord Lieutenant, in council, was autho- 
 rised to proclaim, on the requisition of seven of its magistrates, 
 assembled at a petty sessions of the peace, any county or dis- 
 trict thereof, as in a state of disturbance, and thereby to invest" 
 the magistrates with an extraordinary power of seizing, im- 
 prisoning, and sending on board the fleet without trial, such 
 persons as should be found at unlawful assemblies, or acting 
 so as to threaten the public tranquility. It required the re- 
 gistry of arms ; and magistrates were empowered to search for 
 the like. The information of any prosecutor in behalf of the 
 crown, who might be murdered, was made evidence on the 
 trial of the accused ; and any magistrate or peace officer, mur- 
 dered, while on duty, or in consequence of his exertions to 
 serve the public, the Grand Juries of counties were empowered 
 to levy money off the county for his representatives. When 
 the county or district was declared in a state of disturbance, all 
 persons to keep within their houses, between sunset and sunrise. 
 
 t The existence of these committees has been denyed by their principal 
 leaders in their memoir, delivered by them to the Irish government in 
 August, 1798. The writer, however, has heard their existence acknowledged 
 by several who were deeply engaged in the political affairs of that day ; one 
 of whom, upon a certain occasion, sat presittent of a club. 
 
 X- 
 
 
53 
 
 In the meantime, the leaders of the disaffected in Belfast 
 continued their earnest exertions to strengthen the common 
 cause, and as “ the new system of organization had not, as yet, 
 been carried into complete effect anywhere but in Ulster, the 
 executive committee of which province, holding its sittings 
 in that town, managed the interests of the whole union. 
 
 About the end of March, a report was industriously spread, 
 and for a time credited by some, and pretended to be believed 
 by many, that an host of Orangemen ^ were coming from the 
 county Armagh to destroy Belfast, and also “those in the 
 country who had promoted the union of Irishmen,” and, in 
 short, all those who adherred to the divine doctrine of ‘ ‘ Peace 
 on earth, and good will to all men.” This absurd rumour was 
 so far credited that the military guards in Belfast were 
 doubled, and the troops kept ready at a moment’s call. Dur- 
 ing this alarm, a deputation of the late Belfast volunteers 
 waited upon the sovereign, “ requesting him to inform Gene- 
 ral Nugent that they were willing to co-operate with the mili- 
 tary under his command,”^ but their services were not ac- 
 cepted. The editor of the Northern Star, when noticing this 
 report, assures his readers that there was sufficient force in 
 Belfast “ to annihilate the entire horde” of Orangemen. 
 
 Early in April, an itinerant preacher named Gibson, began 
 to traverse the county of Antrim, 
 
 “ To preach sedition and the Word.” 
 
 He was of that sect called Covenanters, and commonly lec- 
 tured in the fields, where his hearers often amounted to several 
 thousands. The religious services of the day, if such they may 
 be called, seldom concluded in less than six hours, and his 
 texts of scripture were always taken from the book of the 
 Eevelations, the eighteenth chapter of which seemed to be his 
 favourite. These harangues were always of a political ten- 
 dency, and the texts applied in such a manner as to impress 
 
 “ Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol. I., p. 275. 
 
 ^ The name Orangeman originated from the following circumstance -On 
 the 21st September, 1795, a battle took place near Portadown, at a place 
 called the Liamond, between the Peep-o’day-boys and Defenders, in which 
 the former were victors, and the first Orange lodge was formed on the same 
 day, “on the field of battle but an association of a similar stamp had been 
 formed some time previous by a person of the name of Wilson. — Kirkpatrick's 
 Origin of Orange Lodges^ pp. 235, 236. 
 
 ^ Northern Star. 
 
his hearers that it was the word of God which inculcated upon 
 them certain duties, while, in reality, they were inflamed to 
 deeds of rebellion, tyranny, and murder. On entering upon 
 his mission, he, at times, so far forgot himself as to relapse for a 
 moment into his holy hatred of popery, by introducing the 
 antiquated dogmas of his sect, in allusions to the man of sin, 
 and an old jade dressed in scarlet, dyed with the blood of the 
 saints, said to reside near Babylon. These untimely slips of 
 his reverence were overlooked by the hearers with a truly 
 Christian forbearance, for which kindness he was afterwards 
 sure to make amends by pointing out the immediate destruc- 
 tion of the British monarchy. Gibson was at length removed 
 by his employers to some other circuit, and was succeeded by 
 a preacher of the same sect named Orr, who proved himself 
 equally zealous in the discharge of his missionary labours. * 
 
 Though it was notorious that seditious meetings were held, 
 and that the United Irishmen continued to increase, at the 
 spring assizes for the county of Antrim, the Grand Jury, step- 
 ping out of “the noiseless tenor of their way,” published an 
 address to the inhabitants, complimenting them on their loy- 
 alty to the best of kings, and the peaceable state of the county. 
 'VYe have been unable to discover the object of the jurors in 
 this address. Were they afraid to avow that they knew trea- 
 sonable practices were pressing forward, or did they, in the 
 simplicity of their loyalty, imagine that they could cajole the 
 people to lay aside a system in which they were solemnly 
 leagued ? 
 
 About the end of April, a proposition was made from the 
 executive directory of the Trench republic, by Theobald W. 
 Tone, then in Paris, to the persons then directing the Irish 
 union, that they were disposed to assist them in their plan to 
 revolutionize the kingdom. ^ A meeting of the Irish executive 
 
 ^ Dr. M‘Nevin, in his pieces of Irish history, says the Ceyenanters were 
 “ republicans by religion and descent,” and were the most active promoters 
 of the system.” 
 
 y This proposal was probably brought over by a person named Aherne, who 
 had previously been employed on a similar mission to Scotland, and who, 
 about this time, was sent on a mission to this country. Prior to his setting 
 out, Mr. Tone furnished him with a list of friends to call upon, among 
 whom were C. Teeling, S. Neilson, and R. S., perhaps Robert Simms. — 
 Mr. Tone landed at Wilmington from Belfast, August, 1st, 1795. On the 
 1st of January, 1796, he embarked at Sandyhook, for Havre, where he ar- 
 
55 
 
 directory was immediately conyened to take into considera™ 
 tion this proposal, who returned for answer, that they ac- 
 cepted their kind offer. This answer was despatched by a 
 special messenger named Lewins, and still farther assurances 
 were given of the friendly dispositions of the French govern- 
 ment, and that ample succours would be sent as soon as they 
 could be got ready. To hasten these intentions, in the latter 
 end of May, Lord Edward Fitzgerald and Arthur O’Connor, 
 Esq., departed, by different routes, for the continent, and at 
 Basle, in Switzerland, near the French frontier, they had an 
 interview with General Hoche, where is believed to have been 
 finally settled the treaty for the armament, which, in the fol- 
 lowing December, made its appearance in Bantry Bay.* 
 
 A short time prior to this communcation, a meeting of dele- 
 gates from the different half baronies of the counties of Down 
 and Antrim had been held in Belfast, who gave in their reports 
 to an official gentleman appointed to receive them, regarding 
 the general feelings of the people in case of an invasion of the 
 kingdom by the French. These reports were decidedly 
 favourable to such a measure, and it was declared that the mass 
 of the people anxiously looked forward for the auspicious 
 day. 
 
 At the summer assizes held for the county of Antrim, the 
 Grand Jury noticed that a “spirit of riot and depredation ” 
 existed in a part of the county. James Livingston, a black- 
 smith, was found guilty of posting up and publishing, on the 
 door of his shop, at Bushmills, a seditious libel entitled, 
 
 Liberty and Equality,'* calling upon the people to plant the 
 tree of liberty instead of a crown of tyranny. He was sen- 
 tenced to be imprisoned one year, to stand three times in the 
 pillory, viz. ; — in the towns of Ballymoney, Ballymena, and 
 
 rived on the 2nd of February, and proceeded direct to Paris. Immediately 
 after we find him negotiating with the French directory for the invasion of 
 this kingdom. In December following he was on board one of the French 
 ships that entered Bantry Bay. In July, 1797, he was at the Texel in the 
 admiral’s ship, but that expedition being given up in September, 1798, he 
 sailed from Camaret Bay in the Hoche, which ship was, on the 11th of Octo- 
 ber, taken oif the coast of Done gall by the squadron of Sir John B. Warren. 
 — Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August 2\st, 1798 ; 
 Life of Theobald W, Tone, vol. II., pp. 90, 91. 
 
 * Report of the secret committee of the House of Lords, August, 30, 1798; 
 
 ■ Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol. I.', p. 280. 
 
o6 
 
 Belfast, but from the popular feeling in his favour the pillory 
 seemed rather a triumph than a punishment. 
 
 Soon after, the common ferment was greatly heightened by 
 arrests in Belfast, and its vicinity, of persons reputed to be 
 leaders of the United Irishmen. On the morning of the 16th 
 September, a king’s messenger, the Marquis of Downshire, 
 the Earl of Westmeath, and Lord Castlereagh ^ arrived in that 
 town. Immediately after, the numerous garrison of horse, foot, 
 and artillery, were under arms, and the following persons 
 were arrested for high treason: — Samuel Neilson, Thomas 
 Russell, Henry Haslett, Samuel Kennedy, Daniel Shanaghan, 
 John Young, James Barcley, and Rowley Osbourne. Charles 
 H. Teeling and Samuel Musgrave, Lisburn, were also taken 
 prisoners on the same day on a similar charge. In the evening 
 all the prisoners were sent off to Dublin in post-chaises, under 
 an escort of dragoons. These arrests were soon after followed 
 by that of many other persons in the counties of Down, Antrim, 
 and Derry, all on treasonable charges, Avho were mostly con- 
 fined in the jails of their respective counties, and many fled, 
 or, for a time, kept under cover. 
 
 On the alarm occasioned by these proceedings having, in 
 some degree, subsided, a novel system was adopted by. the 
 friends of the prisoners to testify their respect for them, and 
 their attachment to the principles for which they were im- 
 mured. This was strikingly exemplified in the numbers of 
 those who attended to reap the corn, or to raise the potatoes — 
 or, in fact, any other work supposed to stand behind, or to re- 
 quire help in consequence of the absence of the owner. These 
 assemblages usually varied from 500 to 2000 persons, among 
 whom were always a number of females decorated with green 
 ribbons, handkerchiefs, and the like, and, at times, a Presby- 
 terian minister was seen in the crowd. At Sivatragh, county 
 of Derry, in raising the potatoes of a Mrs. Clark, whose son 
 was in prison charged with seditious practices, the Rev. John 
 Smith, minister of ' Kilrea, was observed busied gathering 
 potatoes in his new castor hat ! On finishing the labours of 
 the field, these bodies commonly proceeded in regular order, 
 
 ® In the Memoirs of the Life and Times of the Right Hon. Henry Grattan, 
 vol. I., it is stated that Lord Castlereagh was, on their origin, “ a member of 
 the society of United Irishmen, and drank the republican toasts of the day." 
 
four or six men deep, through the neighbouring towns and 
 villages, each digger carrying his spade on his shoulder, and 
 accompanied by the sounding of horns, conch shells, and long 
 glass tubes called trumpets. No spirituous liquors were taken 
 on those occasions, and, in a few instances, where the like were 
 exposed for sale in the fields, the owners retired without selU 
 ing one glass ! 
 
 Throughout the previous summer several itinerant Cove- 
 nanted clergy continued their harangues in the fields, which 
 appear, at length, to have created some alarm in the moderate 
 portion of that community, as on the 3rd of October, the 
 following advertisement appeared in the Northern Star, but 
 though in the language of the oflSlcial paper of a sect, it bore 
 no signatures : — “-4 Seasonable and Necessary Information* 
 At a critical period such as the present is, when the public 
 mind is much agitated, and so many false alarms in circula- 
 tion, we, the members of the reformed church, called Presby- 
 terian Dissenters, (reproachfully called Mountainmen), hold it 
 as our duty to step forward, and, from conscience, publicly 
 declare that we hold it in the highest abhorrence and detesta- 
 tion, all tumultuous and disorderly meetings ; and we utterly 
 disclaim all connection with such, whether publicly or pri- 
 vately held, where anything is said or done that is prejudicial 
 to the peace, the safety, or property of any individual or 
 society. Done in the name of the reformed church in the 
 counties of Antrim and Down, October 3rd, 1796.” As 
 might have been expected, this paper had no effect in restrain- 
 ing the political orations of their reverences, at least three of 
 whom were now holding forth in the fields. 
 
 On the 15th of October, the habaes corpus act was suspended, 
 and at the same time printed hand-bills were circulated about 
 the country by the government, to such gentlemen as might be 
 supposed to take a part in the formation of yeomanry corps ; 
 but from the influ^ce of the United Irishmen, for some time 
 little progress was made. On the night of the 28th of the 
 same month, the king’s stores in Belfast were broken into, and 
 ten casks of gunpowder carried away. About the same time 
 caricatures of the armed yeomenry were spread about by per- 
 sons from Belfast, and printed papers were posted up at 
 
58 
 
 meeting-houses, and other public places, cautioning the people 
 to be obedient to the laws, as their implacable enemies wished 
 to goad them into an insurrection. 
 
 In order to counteract the arming of the yeomanry, which 
 at length began to make some progress, the United Irishmen 
 also adopted a military organization. Each regiment con- 
 sisted of one colonel, one major, six captains, and 600 men. 
 Great pains were taken to have proper men for serjeants, who 
 hence were generally the most active and intelligent men in 
 the corps. There exertions, at this time, were greatly em- 
 boldened by the recent arrival ofLewins, their messenger, from 
 Paris, with an assurance that a large fleet, with 15,000 land 
 forces on board, and adequate arms and stores, might soon be 
 expected. The most strenuous efibrts were, therefore, con- 
 tinued to perfect their arrangements to take the field. Pike- 
 heads were forged in great quantities, and, in several places, 
 the arms of the military were stolen from their quarters. ^ 
 
 Among the numerous devices instituted at this time by the 
 disaffected to forward their plans, perhaps one of the most 
 singular was societies of United Irishwomen. The chief object 
 in establishing these societies was by an obligation to keep 
 their tongues quiet as to what they might hear or see regard- 
 ing political affairs, to communicate such news as they might 
 learn, and to collect, from each society, a subscription to the 
 common fund. By their friends these meetings were commonly 
 called tea-pot-clubs, and some venerable matrons are said to 
 have introduced their daughters into society by the endearing 
 names of Miss Liberty and Miss Equality. Judging from 
 the violent language of those amazons, they were anxious for 
 an opportunity to rival, by deeds of the dagger, the “ Dames 
 de la Halle*' and the “ Poissardes," those valuable allies of the 
 French revolution. ® 
 
 On the 6th of November, the Lord Lieutenant and council 
 
 b Parties of the 24th dragoons were disarmed in this way at Eallymoney, 
 county Antrim, and Cumber, county of Down. 
 
 ^ This love of massacre among the females appears to have been every- 
 where common throughout France. To such lengths did this spirit proceed, 
 that in Normandy women were seen fighting who should, cannibal-like, 
 devour the yet throbbing heart of a young man that they had butchered, their 
 landlord, whose only crime was having been born noble ! — Lady Wallace's 
 Letters to her Son. 
 
 
 t- 
 
59 
 
 issued a proclamation forbidding the assembling of the people 
 under the pretence of reaping corn or digging potatoes. 
 Nevertheless, on Saturday the 12th of the same month, a 
 considerable number of persons, with spades, met at Stoney- 
 ford, and proceeded, accompanied by martial music and a 
 green flag, they commenced digging up the potatoes of Jeremy 
 Galway, against whom a warrant had been issued for treason- 
 able practices. On intelligence of this muster, the Kev. 
 Phillip Johnson, Derriaghy, a magistrate, accompanied by six 
 dragoons and a number of armed men from his neighbourhood, 
 reputed Orangemen, proceeded to disperse them. Porty-four 
 potato diggers were taken prisoners, who were^soon after libe- 
 rated on their taking the oath of allegiance. ^ On the same day 
 Lord O’Neill, governor of the county Antrim, and seventeen 
 magistrates, assembled in the town of Antrim to deliberate on 
 the agitated state of the county. Their worhsips afterwards 
 published some trifling resolutions, and met again in Bally- 
 mena on the 23rd, where their resolves were equally futile 
 and uninteresting. In the interim, twenty-four magistrates of 
 the county of Down assembled at Killyleagh, and declared the 
 parishes of Seapatrick, Moira, Maralin, Aghaderg, Tullylisk, 
 and Donaghcloney out of the peace. About this time an 
 Irishman named M‘Sheehy was despatched from Brest on 
 board of an American vessel bound for Dublin, to acquaint the 
 leaders of the United Irishmen with the forward state of the 
 expedition designed for this kingdom,® and, of course, with the 
 time it was expected to put to sea. 
 
 Meanwhile the disaffected continued their prepartions with, 
 if possible, still greater diligence — the smiths in forging pike» 
 heads, and the others in cutting timber at night for their 
 shafts, and each member was to be ready at a moment’s call. 
 The want of powder and lead continued to be severely felt ; the 
 former, however, was occasionally obtained, at most exorbi- 
 tant prices, from smugglers who brought* it over from Scotland 
 
 d The Northern Star^o^ the 14th of November, when noticing this affair, 
 says ; “They were raising the potatoes of a poor widow and the Press 
 newspaper of the 21st December, 1797, when alluding to their dispersion as 
 an unexemplified act of tyranny and outrage, says, the people were “ busy 
 in the god-like work of digging up the potatoes of a poor woman.’* 
 
 ® Life of Theobald W. Tone, vol. II., p. 230. 
 
 
60 
 
 by the way of Cantyre, while, in the scarcity of the latter, the 
 leaden weights were taken from the country dealers’ counters, 
 the leaden statues stolen from gentlemen’s gardens, and the 
 lead from the grocers’ tea chests was eagerly sought after as a 
 supply. ^ 
 
 Early in December it was confidently asserted that a special 
 commission' was about to be issued for the trials, at Christmas, 
 of the state prisoners confined in the jail of the county of An- 
 trim. As no such event was contemplated by the government, 
 it is probable that this report originated in their expected re- 
 lease by the French, and proves, in some degree, how generally 
 an invasion was looked for at that season. 
 
 On the 20th of the same month, the following extraordinary 
 proceeding took place at Kilrea : — A wretched vagrant named 
 M‘Caul, who, a few years after, was transported for stealing 
 cattle, made oath before the Rev. John Torrens, that seven 
 persons whom he named were captains in the army of the 
 United Irishmen, The persons accused, fully aware of the 
 danger to which they were exposed by the machinations of 
 such a ruffian, fied, and their fiight was immediately proclaimed 
 by his reverence as an indubitable proof of their guilt. A few 
 days afterwards, a detachment of the Kerry militia arrived at 
 Kilrea, and, under the direction of Mr. Torrens, they pro- 
 ceeded to set fire to the house of James Stewart, one of the 
 persons who had fled. The houses of two of the others sworn 
 against by M‘Caul being connected with others, were not 
 burned, but their scanty furniture was carried out and con- 
 sumed. During these proceedings his worship observed in a 
 jocular way to those near him, “ boys I have made you a good 
 bonfire.”^ These proceedings were briefly noticed at the 
 time in the Northern Star, but except by the miserable suf- 
 ferers, they seemed soon forgotten amidst the common ferment 
 occasioned by the report that a French fleet haA arrived at 
 Cork. 
 
 f A leaden statue was taken at night from the garden of Castleward, 
 county of Down. 
 
 s This affair was briefly noticed at the time in the Northern Star ; and 
 in that paper of the 23rd of January, 1797, it is said, that at a meeting of 
 magistrates at Magherafelt, on the 16th of January, thanks were returned to 
 the Rev. John Torrens, “for his spirited and proper conduct as a magistrate 
 in suppressing sedition." — M,S. 
 
 'jf \ 
 
61 
 
 On the 27th of December, it was rumoured in Belfast that 
 a fleet of large ships, supposed to be French, had come to 
 anchor in Bantry Bay on the evening of the 23rd. By the 
 29th the report had increased, and on the morning of the 30th, 
 John Brown, Esq., sovereign, communicated to the gentlemen 
 on ’Change the contents of a letter that he had received from the 
 chief secretary of the Lord Lieutenant, confirming this alarming 
 intelligence. Mr. Brown now urged those present to form a 
 yeomanry corps on the conditions that had been prescribed by 
 the government. To this it was replied, that they were ready 
 to serve as they had formerly done as volunteers, for the pro- 
 tection of persons and properties, hut that they could not, 
 without doing violence to their consciences, take an oath to 
 support faithfully the present laws, which would include the 
 gunpowder bill, convention bill, and others of a similar ten- 
 dency. After much conversation of a like kind, it was agreed 
 that a meeting of the inhabitants should he held at the Ex- 
 change on the following day, and in the interval it was said 
 in the Northern Star, “We have the pleasure of informing 
 our readers, that the whole of the intelligence respecting the 
 French fleet being on the southern coast of the island is false.” 
 ' On the people again assembling, the great room of the Ex- 
 change was soon crowded to excess, and the sovereign having 
 taken the chair, stated to the meeting the alarming state of the 
 country, and again submitted to them the propriety of their 
 taking up arms against the common enemy. He was followed 
 by the Rev. William Bristow, who urged the necessity of the 
 measure, and entered into an explanation regarding armed 
 associations, which he alleged had been generally misunder- 
 stood. He concluded by hoping that the inhabitants would 
 prove how ill-founded had been the reports circulated regard- 
 ing them, and that they would be found at their post in the 
 hour of need. 
 
 It was now proposed by William Sampson, Esq., a barrister, 
 that a committee should be appointed to take into consideration 
 the business before the meeting, which motion was supported 
 by Mr. R. Thompson and Arthur O’Connor, Esq. The latter 
 spoke at great length in support of Counsellor Sampson’s 
 motion. He said he could not let the opportunity escape 
 
62 
 
 of joining with the inhabitants, when met, to consider what 
 measures were best to be adopted for the good of their country 
 and in support of their rights. And he would take this, and 
 every opportunity of showing his disapprobation of the present 
 administration, the most detestable that had ever disgraced 
 any country. He approved of the proposal of a committee, 
 because it afforded time for the inhabitants to deliberate on the 
 propriety of such measures as might be adopted ; he wished 
 them to be cautious in determining — but when they did de- 
 termine, he wished they would be firm. The present adminis- 
 tration, he remarked, had oppressed the people, but he hoped 
 the time would come when he would have an opportunity of 
 vindicating their rights. It was his determination, that when- 
 ever he could discover what were the sentiments of the majo- 
 rity of the people, with them he would go. In conclusion, 
 they were informed that he had just received a letter from 
 Cork, which took no notice of an enemy’s fleet being upon the 
 coast. 
 
 The question, on being put, was carried with loud acclama- 
 tions by a great majority. A committee was then appointed, 
 consisting of the sovereign. Rev. William Bristow, Robert 
 Thompson, J. C. White, William Tennant, Robert Simms, 
 Gilbert MTlveen, Wm. Sampson, and Arthur O’Connor, Esqrs. 
 They were to meet on Sunday morning, at ten o’clock, to 
 draw up such resolutions as they might judge proper; and the 
 meeting was then adjourned until Monday. At times this 
 assemblage was rather tumultuous, and some opposition 
 was made to Mr. O’Connor addressing them, as he was 
 not an inhabitant of the town; threats were used of throwing 
 the Hon. Chichester Skeffington, collector of the customs of 
 the port, out of one of the windows.^ However, before the 
 
 people dispersed, they were addressed by Tumley, Esq., 
 
 who at once came to the chief business about which they had 
 met. After some preliminary observations, he said, that those 
 who believed that the French were not upon the coast, had 
 nothing to fear, and might return to their homes in peace ; but 
 those who, like himself, were of a contrary opinion, he thought 
 had better look to themselves. It was immediately purposed 
 h Belfast Monthly Magazine, vol. XL, p. 322. 
 
63 
 
 by Mr. Thomas ’ Whinnery, that a book should be opened 
 where those disposed to take up arms, agreeable to the terms 
 offered by the government, should subscribe their names. 
 This proposal being seconded by Mr. Tumley, about 120 
 names were then enrolled, for the purpose of forming a troop 
 of cavalry and a corps of infantry. Tor the former, Charles 
 Kankin was chosen captain, and for the other Robert Wallace, 
 Esq. Two other companies of infantry were soon after em- 
 bodied in Belfast, of the one John Brown was captain, and of 
 the other Robert Batt, Esq. 
 
 Agreeable to adjournment, a considerable number of per- 
 sons met at the Exchange, but that building being incapa- 
 ble of containing a tenth of those present, the meeting was 
 adjourned to the White-linen-hall; but no arrangements hav- 
 ing been made there to receive such a multitude, they assem- 
 bled in front of the hall in the street. The sovereign not 
 attending to take the chair, and several gentlemen mentioned 
 as chairmen declining that honour, Mr. Sampson proceeded 
 to address the people in the following words: — 
 
 “ Gentlemen, as one of your committee, chosen by you to 
 deliberate for you, and in your name, upon the most impor- 
 tant of all subjects, where and in what manner, and how far, 
 and for what you are tq risk your lives. Sensible of the im- 
 portance of this charge, when you have been sleeping in your 
 beds, I have been awake in mine. Since your last meeting, 
 two of your committee have seceded from us, and your chief 
 magistrate has left you to yourselves, the very gentleman who 
 called you first together, for what purpose, or with what views, 
 it would best become themselves to have stood forth to say — I 
 cannot see them among you. It is necessary for you to know 
 this matter. It is regard to your safety and your character 
 that would alone induce me to be obtrusive for an instant. 
 There are some men malignant enough to hold you out just 
 now as a disorderly assembly. The shame lie on their heads, 
 who brought you here, and then deserted you. But, gentle- 
 men, I doubt not that your dignified temper and forbearance 
 from inveighing even against those that have ill-treated you, 
 will give a wholesome lesson to a few proud individuals; them- 
 selves are but the shadow of your body, and that in the good 
 
 G 
 
 I 
 
64 
 
 sense, the firmness, and the virtue of the many is to he found 
 the peace and honour of the country. Kememher, that the 
 first step towards reform is to reform yourselves, and that 
 before we pretend to control the vices of our rulers, we should 
 be able to control our own passions, 
 
 I am sorry, my friends, to see so many wealthy and dis- 
 tinguished men amongst you ; I could have wished if it had so 
 happened that you had all been of the poorer class, that that 
 which among any other people, similarly placed, could not 
 have been expected, might be more eminently contrasted with 
 that of those who effect to look down upon you, and despise 
 you. It is to you that are poor, therefore, that these observa- 
 tions are addressed by one who loves you, to guard you against 
 the rancorous calumnies and snares of those that hate you. 
 Gentlemen, you have already debated the matter, whether we 
 should put ourselves under the command of our government 
 and offer our lives without condition or qualification of any 
 kind. To this you have been exhorted by the example of the 
 venerable Earl of Charlemont. I will detract nothing from 
 the merits of that venerable Earl, but I see among you the 
 genuine originators of the Irish volunteers ; and, besides, the 
 danger of being led by an individual. I remind you of this 
 which you well know, that it was not Lord Charlemont that 
 raised the volunteers, it was the volunteers that raised Lord 
 Charlemont; and had Lord Charlemont abided by the volun- 
 teers, there would have been little occasion for a yeoman bill, 
 and little room for the deliberation we have had. By the same 
 steps that men raise themselves upon the honest cause of the 
 X)eople, by the same steps do they descend when they forsake 
 it. Eollow you the example of the volunteers, who adorned, 
 preserved, and civilized their country, who, to this moment, are 
 the flower of all their country. Be like them, brave and gene- 
 rous, discreet and wise ; stand fast together, compacted in the 
 firm bond of union and affection; be loyal and true-hearted to 
 each other, and the proudest he in all this land will not be 
 long too proud to follow you. But it is said, it is against the 
 law to act as a volunteer, and an act of parliainent has been 
 read to you, from which that argument has been inferred. It 
 were to be wished that every act of parliament should be so 
 
 
 * 
 
65 
 
 < 
 
 penned as to carry its meaning clearly to the meanest appre- 
 hension; hut I, for my part, can see nothing in that, or any 
 other act to justify the inference. You have been threatened, 
 unless you forced your consciences to take the oath, to have 
 your to»rn demolished. For some time a report has been in 
 circulation, that the government were about to destroy Belfast. 
 This threat might determine a conscientious man never to take 
 it. You have been threatened to be deprived of the king’s 
 peace. Friends, whatever share of the king’s peace may be 
 allowed you, keep peace among yourselves, I do beseech you ; 
 whilst you do so, men of sense and spirit will be with you. 
 For my part, were there no man by me, whose coat was bet-* 
 ter than the worst of yours, whilst you entrench yourselves 
 within the line of your acknowledged rights, be virtuous, or- 
 derly, discreet, and wise, and may I be forsaken of every 
 thing that’s good, if I forsake you. You are told to wipe off 
 the stigma affixed upon your town. If any, besides the envi- 
 ous and unjust, have received evil impressions of you, it is to 
 be lamented; but for the rest, when you consider for what 
 you are calumniated, by whom and by what means your are 
 calumniated, you must feel those calumnies to be most exqui- 
 site praise. Some few have shown a forwardness to swear, and 
 many a marked determination not to do so ; every man must 
 be the best judge of his own principles and scruples, and we 
 should learn to tolerate each other. We have been charged to 
 draw up such resolutions as we of your committee judged most 
 likely to produce perfect unanmity. For the sake of that per- 
 fect union of sentiment so necessary to Ireland, and chiefly to 
 the richer order, who have most at stake, we have adopted re- 
 solutions, not framed upon the spur of the occasion, but long 
 since prepared by grave and deliberate men for the adoption 
 of this and any other counties ; and if I am rightly informed, 
 with the approbation of those of the highest station in the 
 county.”* 
 
 Mr. Sampson having finished his oration, he was unani- 
 mously called to the chair, and the resolutions being read, 
 were adopted without opposition. They were as follows : — 
 
 » In the Memoirs of William Sampson, written by himself, these resolu- 
 tions are said to have been written by John, first Lord O’Neill . — Northern 
 Star. * 
 
66 
 
 1st. Resolved — That the imperfect state of the representa- 
 tion in the House of Commons is the primary cause of the 
 discontent at present existing in this country. 
 
 2nd. That the public mind would be restored to tranquility, 
 and every impending danger effectually averted by* such a 
 reform in parliament as would secure to population and pro- 
 perty their due weight^in the scale of government, without 
 distinction on account of religious opinions. 
 
 3rd. That a determination firmly manifested on the part of 
 government to comply with the just desires of the people — ■ 
 whose object is reform alone-^and thereby constitute the only 
 ‘rampart of defence that can bid complete defiance to the 
 efforts of foreign and domestic enemies. 
 
 4th. That such a change in the system of government would 
 give to property, law, and religion, and the necessary distinc- 
 tions of rank, additional stability and weight, and that no 
 opinion can be entertained by the people so dangerous as the 
 despair of not succeeding in their constitutional exertions to 
 obtain the most important object of their views, i 
 
 5th. That we conceive a government of king, lords, and 
 commons — the commons being thus reformed — when wiselj^ and 
 honestly administered, capable of affording every happiness a 
 nation can enjoy. 
 
 6th. That we are ready, if permitted by government, to arm 
 in like manner as the volunteers, whose memory we revere, 
 and whose example we wish to imitate. 
 
 Resolved — That the chairman be requested to wait on the 
 sovereign with a copy of their resolutions, and to request him, 
 
 j The corrupt state of the Irish representation, fro.ra the time of its decayed 
 and rotten boroughs, had long been a subject of just complaint with those 
 really reformers. By a return of the state of the representation made by the 
 volunteers in 1783, if appeared, that of 300 members, of which the House of 
 Commons consisted, only seventy-two were returned by the free election of 
 the people, as fifty-three persons nominated 124 members, and influenced the 
 choosing of ten others. Fifty commoners nominated ninety-one, and in- 
 fluenced three. Mr. Grattan asserted in the House, and no one denied, that 
 200 members were returned by individuals, from forty to fiTty, by ten per- 
 sons, and that several of the boroughs had no resident electors. In the state 
 of the representation published by the United Irishmen in October, 1792, 
 they say seventeen boroughs have no resident electors ; sixteen have but 
 one ; sixteen have from two to five ; ninety have thirteen electors each ; 
 ninety persons return for 106 venal boroughs; that is 212 out of 300, the 
 whole number. At Bannow, county Wexford, there was not even a house, 
 and when notice of an election arrived, it was posted on the ruins of an old 
 chimney, amidst a drifting desert of sand ! 
 
 >4*1. 
 
 V 
 
 
G7 
 
 in the name of the meeting, to communicate the same to the 
 Lord Lieutenant, and solicit permission for the inhabitants to' 
 arm themselves, agreeably to the above resolutions. 
 
 To this request the sovereign refused to comply. He had 
 taken no part in the business of the committee, and the Kev. 
 William Bristow had also declined having anything to do 
 with their proceedings.' The committee, in fact, was so con- 
 stituted that it was impossible they could have agreed on any 
 measure for the defence of the nation. At least two of them 
 had been notoriously engaged in promoting that very invasion 
 now the cause of alarm, the one by remitting money to Mr. 
 Tone for that purpose, and the other by arranging, on the 
 continent, the treaty for the expedition with General Hoche, 
 commanding the troops on board of the enemy’s fleet. ^ A 
 
 k The French fleet, under the command of Admiral Morard de Galles, 
 consisting of forty-three sail, viz., seventeen sail of the line, thirteen frigates, 
 and the remainder corvettes and transports, sailed from Brest on the night 
 of the 16th December, 1796. In order to avoid the English, four of whose 
 vessels had been observed in the offing on the previous day, they passed 
 out by a dangerous way called the Raz, where one of their ships was lost. 
 On the morning but eighteen of their fleet were in co npany, and the day 
 being fine they steered W.N. W., at the rate of five or six knots an hour ; 
 on the 18th there was a close fog; on the 19th, during a dead calm, about 
 sixteen sail were seen at a distance, which were discovered, by signal, to be 
 the vessels missing. Early on the morning of the 21st they were only about 
 four leagues from Cape Clear with a favourable wind. About this time the 
 Kangaroo sloop of war passed through the enemys fleet, and on the 22nd she 
 landed an officer at Crookhaven with despatches for Admiral Kingsmill, and 
 then shaped her course for England. The Admiral, on receiving the intelli- 
 gence that an enemy’s fleet was upon the coast, directed the Rush revenue 
 cutter, a remarkable fast sailor, to take the officer of the Kangeroo on board, 
 and make the best of her way to the nearest English land. She sailed on the 
 24th, but was obliged to return on Monday, after suffering much from the 
 tempest. However, she again sailed on the 29th, and after a passage of 
 twenty-three hours she arrived at Kingsroad. The Kangaroo was so dis- 
 abled by the storm, that she did not reach Portsmouth for some days after. 
 
 On the morning of the 22nd, sixteen of the enemy’s fleet, nine or ten of 
 which were of the line, entered Bantry bay, with a strong wind at east. These 
 were mostly of the eighteen vessels noticed above, afterwards the other ves- 
 sels of the fleet also arrived, except one ship of line and three frigates ; on 
 board of one of the latter was the chief admiral and General Hoche, com- 
 mander of the land forces employed in the expedition. During the night a 
 servant of Richard White, Esq., Seafield, near Bantry, rode, in four hours, 
 forty-two Irish miles into Cork, to General Dalrymple, with the intelligence 
 of an enemy’s fleet being upon the coast. The storm increasing on the 24th, 
 the fleet got under weigh taking up the bay, but they made little progress, 
 the wind blowing hard at E.N.E.; on proceeding about two leag-ues they 
 again cast anchor. On the evening of the 25th, a Lieutenant and eight men 
 in a boat were driven on Bere island, who were made prisoners by the pea- 
 santry, and the officer sent off to Dublin. On the 26th and 27th the w’ind 
 continued from the same quarter, and increased to a hurricane, and several 
 of the vessels drifting their anchors, were compelled to cut their cabels and 
 go out to sea. Their force being thus reduced, a council of war was held. 
 
 
68 
 
 few days after forty tumbrils, laden with ammunition from 
 Dublin, arrived in Belfast, and was lodged in the new barrack ; 
 and a proclamation of the Lord Lieutenant and Council de- 
 clared the parishes of Banagher, Boveagh, Baltagh, and Dun- 
 given, county of Derry, under the insurrection act. 
 
 This hostile fleet having been happily dispersed by a 
 tremendous storm from the east, which raged with incessant 
 fury for above a, week, those who anticipated the landing of 
 their troops, the overthrow of the government, establishment 
 of a republic, and the consequent advancement of themselves 
 and their friends, suddenly changed their tone. They affirmed, 
 that no French ships had been upon the coast, and the report 
 was merely a trick of the British minister to discover if they 
 would really fly to arms, in which device, it was triumphantly 
 added, he had been disappointed. These falsehoods were 
 likewise resounded in the Northern Star, from which paper, of 
 the 12th January, 1797, is copied the following : — The master 
 of a vessel arrived in Dublin, declares, that he had been off 
 Bantry bay during fourteen days last past, and never saw any 
 part of the French squadron, which, with the help of good 
 glasses, magnifying glasses to be sure, was so clearly discovered 
 from the shore.” 
 
 Notwithstanding the failure of this formidable expedition, 
 the spring of the following year was marked by an unabated 
 activity on the part of the United Irishmen, and, if possible, a 
 still more rancorous hostility against those who failed to join 
 
 and on the evening of the 27th the remaining vessels left the bay. Soon 
 after the frigate Fraternite, with the general and admiral on board, arrived, 
 but learning the return of the fleet, they hastened to follow. However, on 
 the 31st December, several of the enemy’s ships were seen again at anchor 
 in the bay, and on the same day some frigates passed higher up, and two 
 armed boats put off from a seventy-four gun ship, and it was for a time 
 supposed that a landing was intended, but no attempt of that kind was made, 
 and the boats, after boarding an American vessel, returned to their ship. 
 On the 4th January, 13 vessels remained in the bay, but on the morning of the 
 5th only two of seventy-four guns, two frigates, and a cutter were in sight, 
 and they soon after stood down the bay, wind S.E. Mr. Tone states that 
 this armament had on board, when it sailed, nearly 15,000 land forces, 7,000,000 
 musket cartridges, twenty-one field-pieces, nine battering cannons, 61,200 
 barrels of gunpowder, and 41,160 stand of small arms. On the 1st of Janu- 
 ary, 1797, they appeared at the mouth of the Shannon, where they detained a 
 pilot boat, with a revenue officer, who had went off to reconnoitre. Two of 
 these vessels anchored off Ray-head, and sent their boats out for provisions, 
 all of which they paid for. — Life of Theobald W. Tone; Hibernian Ma- 
 gazine ; Theirs' History of the French Revolution ; Two Months at 
 Kilkee. 
 
69 
 
 their societies. The most slanderous tales were invented to 
 blast their reputation, and they were commonly branded as 
 Orangemen or informers — terms equally hateful. In many 
 instances, these slanders terrified the accused to join their 
 ranks ; few persons, however, guarded they might be against 
 the dagger of the assassin, haying the hardihood to continue, 
 as it were, outlawed by their relations, neighbours, and former 
 friends, who, however amicably disposed, dared have no con- 
 nection with them. At this time the number of societies of 
 United Irishmen in Belfast amounted to eighty, or nearly 3000 
 persons. 
 
 On the 2nd of February, Arthur O’Connor, Esq., then a 
 candidate for the representation of the county of Antrim, was 
 arrested in Dublin, charged With publishing a seditious libel in 
 his second address, “ To those who were electors of the county 
 of Antrim,” dated January 28th, 1797, in which address hq 
 justified an alliance with France. The same day a king’s 
 messenger, accompanied by a military guard, seized all the 
 books, papers, types, &c., in the office of the Northern Star, 
 and placed a guard in it. Robert and William Simms, the 
 only proprietors of that paper out of prison, were likewise 
 arrested, and sent off to Dublin. The guard was withdrawn 
 from the office on the 7th, and the Northern Star began to be 
 published on the 20th of the same month. 
 
 About this time there began to be privately printed and cir- 
 culated, at irregular intervals, a paper ^n^tled, “ The Union 
 StarT It was only printed on one side, and chiefly consisted 
 of the names and abuse of persons hostile to the schemes of 
 the United Irishmen, with exhortations to the people to rise 
 and take vengeance upon their oppressors. Each number 
 commenced thus : — “As the Union Star is an official paper, the 
 managers promise the public that no characters shall be 
 hazarded but such as are denounced by authority, as being 
 the partners and creatures of Pitt, and his sanguinary journey- 
 man Luttrell. The Star offers to public justice the following 
 detestable traitors, as spies and perjured informers. Perhaps 
 some one, more lucky than the rest, may reach his heart, and 
 free the w^orld from bondage.” Then followed the lists of 
 prescription, from one of which is copied the following: — 
 
/ 
 
 70 
 
 “ William Bristow, sovereign of Belfast, by trade a minister 
 of the Church of England. This infamous mountebank 
 unites the cruelty of an inquisitor to all the chicanery of a 
 vicious priest.” 
 
 “ Chichester Skeffington, high sheriff of the county of An- 
 trim. This villain inherits all the vices of tyranny, as de- 
 scendant of the first English settlers, robbers, and invaders ; 
 under the patronage of what is called the head of the church, 
 to whom he looks for rewards for committing every atrocity 
 that ever corruption and villany promoted.” 
 
 Each number of this paper concluded with an exhortation to 
 their friends. In No. 2, the people were called upon to 
 ‘ ‘ establish the empire of universal benevolence and fraternity 
 from Wicklow hills to Belfast, from the channel to the Atlan- 
 tic.” In No. 3, it was said, “ Though we are not advocates 
 for assassination, we know, on the authority of history, that 
 assassination preserved the liberties and rescued many of the 
 ancient republics from the power of aspiring villains who raised 
 themselves on the necks of the people, and on the ruins of 
 liberty. It was a positive law in Corinth, Rome, Athens, 
 Syracuse, &c., that any citizen was justified, and should be 
 rewarded and honoured as the deliverer of his country, who 
 would assassinate any villain aspiring to the sovereign power, 
 or infringing upon the rights of the people.” In No. 5, when 
 treating of the virtue of assassination, it was said, “We appeal 
 to thy noble and venerated name, O ! Brutus, prince of patri- 
 otic assassins, who bravely assassinated the tyrant amidst his 
 
 % 
 
 cohorts, and in the presence of his pensioned senate.” 
 
 A proclamation was issued by the Lord Lieutenant and 
 council offering a reward of £200, each, for the apprehension 
 of persons concerned in writing, printing, and publishing this 
 paper, but no discovery was made. It was commonly believed 
 at the time to have been printed in Dublin, and it was “ broadly 
 insinuated” by the disaffected that it was published “ by the 
 connivance of the Irish government,” and a part of the system 
 “encouraged by the British cabinet” to vilify the Irish 
 patriots. In a work entitled. Strictures on Plowden, it is 
 stated to have been printed in Belfast, and oral record has 
 named its editor and printer in that town. However, in a 
 
71 
 
 work just published, it is affirmed that its editor and publisher 
 was the notorious Walter Cox. Be this as it may, it appears 
 evident that the publishers had correspondents in both places, 
 as the persons pointed out to be murdered belong to each. 
 This paper ceased to be published about December, 1797, 
 having only had a temporary existence of about eight months. 
 
 On the 1st of March, a meeting of the magistrates of the 
 county of Down was held at Saintfield, in order to deliberate 
 upon the distracted state of that county. The Marquis of 
 Downshire being called to the chair, he proceeded to advert to 
 the several barbarous murders lately committed, particularly 
 that of Mr. Cummins, near Comber, and he concluded by 
 proposing, that the baronies of Ards and Castlereagh be placed 
 under the insurrection act. He was followed in the same 
 spirit of language by Lord Annesley, who moved, that instead 
 of the baronies, the entire county should be substituted. This 
 notion was supported by the Earl of Londonderry, and opposed 
 by Messrs. Pottinger, Eankin, Crawford, and Gordon. , The 
 motion of Lord Annesley was, however, carried by a great 
 majority, and the county was declared to be in a state of dis- 
 turbance, or likely to become so, and a memorial was ordered 
 to be forwarded to the Lord Lieutenant and council, to place 
 it under the insurrection act. A few days after, eighteen 
 persons from the neighbourhood of Saintfield were arrested 
 and committed to the county prison, charged with ‘ ‘ treasonable 
 practices and house-racking.” ^ 
 
 In the meantime, the general business of the country be- 
 came, in a great degree, suspended, public credit being shaken 
 to its foundation. So much so, indeed, that the governor and 
 directors of the National bank in Dublin, refused to issue cash ; 
 and such was the common alarm, that during the forenoon of 
 the 2nd of March, the commissioners of the revenue refused to 
 receive National notes for the payment of duties. ^ At the 
 same time, the utmost exertions were continued by the United 
 Irishmen to take the field, in procuring lead, gunpowder, and 
 arms. At Ballyclare, a large leaden statue of Neptune, that 
 had stood for nearly a century on a pedestal in a mill-dam, 
 
 1 Northern Star. 
 
 ™ Hibernian Magazine, March, 1797, p. 287. 
 
 
 
72 
 
 was carried off at night, as was a cistern of the same metal, for 
 the purpose of being cast into musket balls. 
 
 Early in March, the necessity of conciliation was brought 
 forward in the House of Commons by Sir Lawrence Parsons, 
 and parliamentary reform and Roman Catholic eman'cipation 
 recommended as the most likely means to allay the general 
 discontent that existed throughout the kingdom ; but on a divi- 
 sion of the house, only nineteen members voted in support of 
 the motion. “ About this time, the supporters of the Northern 
 Star became highly exasperated at the interruption that had 
 been given to the publication of that paper ; in several parts of 
 the counties of Down and Antrim, the carriers of the Bel- 
 fast News-Letter were robbed, and their papers destroyed, and 
 warned to discontinue that employment. In other districts, 
 those persons forwarding the Northren Star suffered, a similar 
 annoyance. 
 
 Notwithstanding the strong measures adopted by the govern- 
 ment, the progress of the disaffected continued to he marked 
 by a succession of daring outrages. On the night of the 11th 
 of March, a number of men, with their faces blackened, and 
 otherwise disguised, forcibly entered the dwelling-houses of 
 several persons in the town of Belfast, and carried of the arms 
 which the inhabitants had for their protection. In consequence 
 of many similar outrages, and other nightly depredations, on 
 the 13th of March, a proclamation was issued from Belfast, 
 signed G. Lake, Lieutenant General, commanding the northern 
 district. It called upon the people to immediately surrender 
 such arms and ammunition as were in their possession, and 
 rewards were offered to those as should discover where the like 
 were secreted. A few days after the appearance of this pro- 
 clamation, a violent debate took place in the Irish House of 
 Commons, regarding the order that had been issued for dis- 
 arming the north. In the course of this debate, Mr. Grattan 
 declared his decided disapprobation of the measures adopted by 
 the government. He said, “ that the officer who enforced the 
 order to disarm the people was guilty of robbery, and that if 
 carried into general execution, it was high treason — a levying 
 war against the king.” If the government of Ireland, said he. 
 
 “ Parliamentary Debates. 
 
73 
 
 
 “ can issue such an order, and execute it, the government of 
 Ireland is a despotism! If the House sit still, and with folded 
 arms, see an English minister carry it into execution, the 
 House is not the representatives of the Irish nation ! they are. 
 voluntary slaves, and not an independent legislature! For 
 himself, he would consent to see the north trampled upon. 
 He did not defend their excesses — for excesses they had been 
 guilty of — but those excesses he could not believe were so nu- 
 merous as had been stated, or so enormous as to justify a 
 declaration of military law against them.” The Attorney 
 General (Wolfe) “entreated gentlemen to give this import- 
 ant subject an impartial and serious discussion. He was the 
 slave of no administration, nor had ever been, and whatsoever 
 
 sentiments he uttered in that House were the sentiments 
 
 * 
 
 which his heart avowed, and not the dictates of official situa- 
 tion. On the question before the House he was free to ac- 
 knowledge that the measure which had been taken by govern- 
 ment was a stretch of the prerogative beyond the law ; but, at 
 the same time, he declared it was a measure which met his 
 most hearty concurrence, as being made indispensably neces- 
 sary by the daring outrages, the robberies, and the assassina- 
 tions which had been committed in that part of the country, 
 and which the civil power had been found unable to restrain or 
 punish. No man, he thought, could have a doubt in his mind 
 whether that necessity existed, as it was a matter of most pub- 
 lic notoriety, that for two years back, there had subsisted in 
 that part of the country a conspiracy, not for reforming, but 
 for absolutely oversetting the Constitution. It was a matter 
 of equal notoriety, that the persons engaged in this conspiracy, 
 had not been contented with poisoning the minds of the inha- 
 bitants of that province, hut they had instituted ‘directing 
 and corresponding societies,’ for the purpose of propagating 
 their principles and doctrines through other parts of the king- 
 dom ; they had, in many instances, to murder and treason ; and 
 particularly had compelled numbers of his majesty’s armed 
 subjects, the yeomanry, to give up their arms.” He concluded 
 by observing, that as the civil power had been found incapable 
 to reach the evil, it became necessary to adopt strong measures, 
 
and a general disarming of the people was thought the most 
 eligible. ° 
 
 Though the measures of the government were persevered in, 
 comparatively few arms were surrendered in consequence of 
 General Lake’s proclamation, nor were the parties of the mili- 
 tary sent out in quest of the like more successful, while their 
 numerous depredations inflamed the general discontent. Dur- 
 ing their search, the properties of persons were, in numerous 
 instances, wantonly destroyed or carried off ; trunks, chests, 
 and the like, staved, while their owners stood by ofiering to 
 unlock them ; and torture was even inflicted to discover where 
 arms were secreted. If, as has been reported, these maraudings 
 were for the purpose of goading the United Irishmen into a 
 premature rebellion, the object was, in some degree attained, 
 as a plan for a general rising of the north was digested at this 
 time, but it was soon after given up. 
 
 Early in April Lewins was again despatched to Paris, under 
 
 the assumed name of Thompson, as the accredited agent of th 0 
 
 Irish republic. At Erankfort, he had /an interview with 
 
 General Hoche, from which city he continued his original 
 
 route. He was instructed to solicit not more than ten 
 
 thousand troops, nor less than five, but to request an additional 
 
 $ 
 
 supply of arms, to make up for those taken from their friends 
 in the north — and to endeavour to procure a few Irish officers 
 who had been in foreign service, by offering them higher 
 rank. On the 10th of April a number of persons who had 
 been for some time confined in the artillery barrack, Belfast, 
 charged with treasonable or seditious practices, were put on 
 board of a prison ship moored in Garni oyle. 
 
 Though arrests were continued of persons charged with 
 offences against the state, the exertions of such friends as were 
 still at large continued unabated. Their meetings, however, 
 at dimes, were thwarted by informers, among whom J. Bird, 
 alias Smyth, alias Johnston, Frederick Duttqn, and Edward 
 
 ° Parliamentary Debates. 
 
 P A blacksmith named Shaw was tortured on the picquet at Downpatrick, 
 to extort a confession where pikes were secreted. 
 
 Report of the secret committee of the House of Lords, August 30th, 
 1798. 
 
 Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August 21, 
 1798 ; Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol. II., p. 2. 
 
75 
 
 J. Newell were, at this time, most notorious. The former 
 ruffian was a member of the London corresponding society, 
 and for some time passed himself off in Belfast as a personage. 
 Dutton’s labours were chiefly confined to the town and vicinity 
 of Newry, where he acted in concert with the noted Major 
 Wardle, dragging whoever they had the slightest suspicion of to 
 the guard-house or prison. Newell was for some time a portrait 
 painter in Belfast, and on his information, about half- past eight 
 o’clock on the night of the 14th of April, Colonel Barber, with 
 a party of the Reay Highland fencible regiment, surprised two 
 committees of United Irishmen, consisting of twenty-one per- 
 sons, in the house of John Alexander, Peter’s-hill, Belfast. 
 With these committees were taken a number of important 
 papers, and also the papers of another society, the eightieth 
 copies of these were afterwards published in the report of the 
 secret committee of the House of Commons. By them it ap- 
 peared, that on the 14th of April, 1797, the United Irishmen in 
 the county of Antrim amounted to 22,726; cannon, 8; mortars, 
 1; guns, 2,228; bayonets, 1,748; pistols, 117; swords, 397; 
 pikes, 4,888; ball-cartridges, 24,911; musket-balls, 90,943; gun- 
 powder, pounds, 1,236; cash in hand, £693, 8s. 9^d. The num- 
 ber of United Irishmen in the county of Down was stated at 
 28,577 ; but the return of arms, stores, and cash in hand were 
 not found. In the county of Derry the number of United Irish- 
 meji was rated at only 10,500; guns, 1,277; bayonets, 416; pikes, 
 1,230; pounds gunpowder, 1,319 ; ball-cartridges, 8,545 ; balls, 
 550 ; cash, £25^ 4s. * In these papers it was recommended to 
 the different societies to enter into voluntary subscriptions to 
 equip those for the field who were unable to arm themselves. 
 It was declared improper to hold any communication with per- 
 sons not in society, and “that if any United Irishman, on a jury, 
 was to find any prisoner charged with being a brother, guilty, 
 they ought to lose their existence.” On the breaking out of 
 the revolution, the property of those known to be hostile was to 
 be confiscated “ to the national benefit,” and no avowed enemy 
 to be permitted to serve in their ranks. Magistrates to be 
 
 ® For some cause we are unable to account, those numbers, are under- 
 rated; for instance, their cannon were as follow ; — Belfast, six six-pounders; 
 Lisburn, two three-pounders; Ballymena, two six-pounders; Larne, two 
 six-pounders. 
 
 H 
 
 Vi 
 
 
 
76 
 
 appointed to act in concert with the revolutionary committees 
 of the several districts. It also appeared, that the sums paid 
 monthly by the inferior societies into the baronial committees, 
 was only two shillings and eightpence halfpenny ; which sum 
 being too small to support the secret services of the union, was 
 occasionally aided by voluntary subscriptions from the higher 
 classes. 
 
 A few days after the arrest of these committees, a con- 
 spiracy was discovered in Carrickfergus to deliver that castle, 
 then the principal depot of military stores in the north, into 
 the hands of the United Irishmen, At least twenty of the con- 
 spirators were soldiers belonging to the different corps then in 
 garrison, three of whom deserted, one turned informer, and 
 eight or nine were sent off to regiments on foreign service, a 
 few were liberated, and several inhabitants charged with being 
 concerned in the plot, fled, or were imprisoned. The greater 
 number of the soldiers engaged in this affair belonged to the 
 artillery, and, in furtherance of their scheme, they had ex- 
 tracted the gunpowder from a tumbril of six- pounder case 
 shot, attached to some field pieces in their charge. 
 
 At the county of Antrim assizes, held in April, J ohn Story, 
 John and Alexander Gordon, and Joseph Cuthbert, inhabi- 
 tants of Belfast, were indicted for a conspiracy to murder, and 
 shooting at and wounding at Drumbridge, on the 8th of Sep- 
 tember, a man named John Lee. Only Cuthbert, however, 
 was put upon his trial, against whom Lee swore positively to 
 his being the person who fired the shot by which he was 
 wounded, having passed him the moment before. On the 
 part of the prisoner two witnesses were produced, who swore 
 to their having been drinking with the prisoner in Belfast, at 
 the very time sworn by Lee to have been wounded by him. 
 The prisoner was acquitted, but before he and his colleagues 
 left the dock, they were remanded to prison on a charge 
 of high treason. In the evening they were visited by an old 
 friend, when the events of the day became the subject of con- 
 versation, in the course of which Cuthbert acknowledged that 
 the alibi was merely a judicious scheme of his attorney, for by 
 G — he was the very man who winged Lee ! A woman named 
 Bell Martin had given a garbled account of this conspiracy. 
 
77 
 
 which she stated to have overheard as she waited upon those 
 persons in the upper room of a public-house in Sugar-house- 
 entry, Belfast, where they, and a few” others, met daily, under 
 the name of the Muddler ’s-club. She also deposed, that a pri- 
 vate soldier of the artillery was daily in attendance upon these 
 persons, who, in fact, constituted the Belfast directory. The 
 artillery soldiers were drawn out on parade, and Bell passed 
 up and down their line in earnest review, but was unable to 
 point out the supposed delinquent, which shook no little the 
 confidence of her friends in her veracity. The fact was, the 
 person sought did not belong to the army; he was an old 
 volunteer wearing the uniform dress of his corps, blue, faced 
 with red, and hence his dress had a great resemblance to that 
 of the artillery. On this occasion Bell was brought from Dub- 
 lin in the custody of a king’s messenger, but she was not pro- 
 duced upon the trial. At the same assizes, several persons, 
 confined for seditious pratices, were liberated without a trial, 
 the informers having absconded, or denying what they had 
 formerly sworn. 
 
 At Down assizes, a man named J ohn Broom was found guilty 
 of administering unlawful oaths to John Waring, a soldier in 
 the artillery ; and twelve persons were indicted for assembling 
 at night, with many others, and firing into the house of 
 Hugh M‘Kee, near Saintfield. The prisoners were acquitted, 
 and twenty-two others .were liberated on giving bail, and 
 about forty discharged. At the assizes held for the county of 
 Derry, one man was found guilty of tendering illegal oaths, 
 and sentenced to be transported, and three others charged 
 with treasonable ofiences were acquitted. About the same 
 time. Dr. Alex. Crawford, Lisburn ; Eev. Sinclair Kelburne, 
 Belfast; William M‘Cracken, Jacob Nixon, Henry Spear, and 
 others, from the same town, accused of offences against the 
 state, were arrested, and sent off under an escort of dragoons 
 to Dublin. 
 
 On the 15th of May, William Ponsonby, in the House of 
 Commons, after a short prefatory speech, proposed his motion 
 on the subject of reform, which he then read, and which in- 
 cluded a reform in the national representation, and that all 
 disabilities on Account of religion be for ever abolished. This 
 
78 
 
 was opposed by Secretary Pelham, who said, that the House 
 ought not, at present, to enter into a discussion on those sub- 
 jects, especially as they had been made the pretexts for trea- 
 sonable practices, and he, therefore, moved a motion of ad- 
 journment, in which he was supported by M. Beresford, Sir 
 Hercules Langrishe, Mr. Jepson, and others. The motion for 
 adjournment was strenuously opposed by Mr. Stewart, of 
 Killy moon, Mr. Fletcher, George Ponsonby, Sir John Freke, 
 the Knight of Kerry, Sir William Smyth, Mr. Curran, and 
 Mr. Grattan. Mr. Curran proceeded, at considerable length, 
 to answer the objections that had been made to these measures, 
 which he said had been “ used in all times, in war, in peace, 
 in quiet, in disturbance. Reform,’’ he said, “ had become an 
 exception to the proverb that says, ‘there is a time for all 
 things,’ but for reform there is no time, because at all times 
 corruption is more profitable to its author than public virtue 
 and prosperity, which they know must be fatal to their views ; 
 and that the objections to it were a compound of the most 
 unblushing impudence and folly. It was said that reform 
 was only a pretence, and that separation was the real object of 
 leaders — if this be so,” said he, “ confound the leaders by 
 destroying the pretext, and take the followers to yourselves. 
 You say they are 100,000, I firmly believe there is three times 
 that number.” Mr. Grattan proceeded in the same strain, 
 and with his usual eloquence, but on the question of adjourn- 
 ment being put, there appeared 170 members for it, and 
 against it only 30. Upon this division, Mr. Grattan and the 
 other leaders of the opposition, seceded from parliament.* 
 
 In the same month it was discovered, through the informer 
 Newell, that a considerable number of the Monaghan regiment 
 of militia, then quartered in Belfast, had been seduced from 
 their allegiance, and taken the United Irishmen's oath. Seve- 
 ral of these men were immediately arrested, and the regiment 
 being drawn out in the square of the new barrack, 75 of them 
 stepped forward and acknowledged to General Lake their hav-. 
 ing taken said oath, and professing their sorrow, were par- 
 doned. Seventeen, however, of those who had been previously 
 arrested, were put upon their trial before a general court- 
 
 * Parliamentary Debates. 
 
 
Id 
 
 martial, and four of them were found guilty of mutiny, a de- 
 sign to murder their officers, and to join the French on their 
 landing in this kingdom. On the 16th of May, these prison- 
 ers were taken, under a strong guard, to the camp at Blaris, 
 where the proceedings of the court-martial being read, they 
 were sentenced to be shot, which sentence was immediately 
 carried into effect. This act, says Mr. Teeling, in the sequel 
 to his personal narrative, ‘ ‘ was the first important blow 
 which the national confederacy sustained.” 
 
 These unfortunate men were kept buoyed up to their last 
 hour with an assurance that they would be rescued, and dis- 
 j^ositions were actually in progress for that purpose. Some 
 days previous to their execution, the people of the adjacent 
 country were warned to hold themselves in readiness, as on the 
 rescue of the soldiers the revolution wotlld commence. Agree- 
 ably to this plan, on the night of the 15th, a meeting was held 
 in a house in North-street, Belfast, for the purpose of effecting 
 the liberation of the prisoners, but these soon retired, the num- 
 bers who assembled being quite inadequate to accomplish their 
 project. 
 
 Four days after the tragical scene at Blaris, a few serjeants 
 and corporals of the Monaghan regiment, proceeded with an 
 address and declaration of their loyalty to the office of the Nor- 
 thern Star for insertion in that paper. Its insertion was re- 
 fused, unless they would consent to expunge the following 
 paragraph reflecting upon the town : — “ We entreat them 
 (the public) to recollect our former good character, and as 
 some palliation for our late disgrace, we have been a conside- 
 rable time quartered in a town remarkable for its seditious 
 practices. ’’ On this refusal, the soldiers retired grumbling, 
 but they soon returned, accompanied by a considerable num- 
 ber of the same regiment, and likewise of other corps, carry- 
 ing sledges and other instruments of destruction, and proceeded 
 to destroy or carry off all the effects in the office of the Nor- 
 thern Star, ' From this period that paper ceased to be published. 
 At the following assizes for the county of Antrim, the proprie- 
 tors of the Northern Star sought to recover damages for the 
 destruction of their printing-office and property, by a number 
 " The Life and Confessions of Edward J. Newell. 
 
80 
 
 of men in military dress. The damages were laid at £4,000, 
 but on one witness being examined, their claim was found not 
 to come within the statute. 
 
 This outrage proved merely the prelude to several similar 
 depredations, or as such robberies were then called — rackings ; 
 and for weeks afterwards, Belfast seemed as given up to a 
 licentious soldiery, whose destruction of private property ap- 
 peared rather the acts of a savage mob, than those of an army 
 levied for the support of good government, and the protection 
 of the inhabitants. 
 
 According to public notice, about the same time, a nume- 
 rous meeting of the freeholders of the county Antrim was held 
 in the Linen-hall, Ballymena, the Hon. Chichester Skeffington, 
 high sheriff, in the chair, Mr. Luke Teeling, secretary. The 
 business of the day was opened by the chairman reading over 
 the requisition presented to him to call the meeting, and stat- 
 ing, that as freeholders alone were called, he hoped no others 
 would interfere. 
 
 The meeting was then addressed by Edward J. Agnew, Esq., 
 one of the members in parliament for the county, who, in a 
 brief speech, said, — he was particularly gratified in meeting so 
 numerous and respectable a body of his constituents, and he 
 proceeded to comment with severity on the executive govern- 
 ment of the country, which he stigmatized as ‘ ‘ profiigate, ” in 
 the extreme, having added greatly to the public burthens, and 
 taken away more of the rights and privileges of the people 
 than any other administeration had ever done before them. 
 He concluded by proposing a petition to the crown, which was 
 seconded by Dr. Alexander Halliday, Belfast. The petition 
 being now read, James Agnew Farrel, Esq., in a speech, de- 
 livered with considerable vehemence, supported the prayer of 
 the petition. He declared that measures of conciliation alone 
 could only save the country. After a few short, and rather 
 dull speeches, of a similar tendency, had been delivered, it was 
 moved, that the petition be put paragraph by paragraph, 
 which was accordingly done. During its reading, opposition 
 was made, and amendments proposed — ^but these were after- 
 wards withdrawn, or not seconded, and the petition, after 
 some debate, agreed to, with only seven dissentients. It im- 
 
81 
 
 plored his Majesty, “ by that great covenant which binds the 
 sovereign and the subject,” not to shut his ears against the 
 dangers of the empire, or the miseries of the people. They 
 went on to say, that his Majesty’s ministers had laboured to 
 ‘ ‘ destroy the third estate of the legislature, and the government 
 to an arbitrary despotism,” and the ‘ ‘right of being free from ar- 
 bitrary arrests and imprisonments,” while a licentious military 
 force had been let loose upon the country. That the people 
 were put out of the protection of the peace, by which num- 
 bers had been banished without even the form of a trial, or 
 crowded into dungeons, “and this only, because they had 
 dared to unite together in the vindication of common right.” 
 They concluded by preferring their complaint against his 
 Majesty’s “ wicked and unprincipled ministers,” and praying 
 him to dismiss them from his presence and councils for ever. 
 The chairman was instructed to transmit a copy of this peti- 
 tion to the Earl of Moira and the right Hon. Charles J. Eox — 
 they to present the same to his Majesty. ^ 
 
 This meeting having passed over highly to the satisfaction 
 of the United Irishmen, immediately after, efforts were made 
 to get up a similar one in Down. The high sheriff, Thomas 
 Waring, however, refused to call a meeting of the freeholders, 
 on which a notice appeared in the public papers, signed by the 
 protestant bishop of Down and Connor, and thirty magistrates 
 and freeholders, calling upon the freeholders to assemble in 
 Downpatrick, to deliberate upon the alarming state of public 
 affairs. In the interim it was confidentially reported, that it 
 was intended to disperse this meeting by the military, on 
 which printed handbills were circulated, signed by sixteen 
 magistrates, cautioning the freeholders not to assemble at 
 Downpatrick. Nevertheless, on the day previous to that 
 which had been appointed, 25 of the persons who had signed 
 the requisition, met in Ballinahinch, Arthur Johnston, chair- 
 man, Eldred Pottinger, secretary. These persons afterwards 
 published an address, in which they regretted the refusal of 
 the sheriff to call a meeting, as they had, “ a perfect reliance 
 on the peaceable and orderly conduct of the freeholders.” 
 After some brief remarks regarding their staunch loyalty, and 
 . , ^ Belfast News-Letter. 
 
82 
 
 the rectitude of their intentions, they concluded by saying : 
 “ And we do hereby pledge ourselves to the country, to take 
 the most effectual measures in our power of collecting the sen- 
 timents of the freeholders, and conveying them to his Majesty. 
 We do farther declare, that we will not relax in our exertions, 
 by every legal and constitutional means, to obtain a full, fair, 
 and adequate representation of the people of Ireland in parlia- 
 ment, without regard to difference of religious opinions ; and 
 that we are fully convinced that the plan of reform lately laid 
 before parliament, if acceded to, would effectually satisfy the 
 public mind, and restore peace and tranquility to the nation.’’ 
 They afterwards forwarded a petition to his Majesty, signed 
 by 4,803 freeholders, which was presented to him by Charles J. 
 Fox, in which petition it was complained, among a list of 
 grievances, that “ the right of bearing arms had been grossly 
 violated, not only by a series of laws repugnant to the written 
 and acknowledged compact between the crown and the people, 
 expressed unequivocally in the bill of rights, but in a late in- 
 stance, by an act of state, avowedly illegal.” They concluded 
 by entreating his Majesty to dismiss his present ministers from 
 his councils, and to call to his councils such men as would 
 assist the people in obtaining a reform in parliament, embrac- 
 ing every religious persuasion. 
 
 The high respectability of the greater number of those who 
 attended these meetings, and their attachment to the princi- 
 ples of the constitution, rendered them above even suspicion 
 of their being engaged in revolutionary schemes. Yet, from 
 their liberal use of the phraseology of the disaffected, it would 
 seem that they had either, for a time, been deceived by their 
 specious language, or feared to deviate from it, though, for 
 years previous, it had been notorious, that if ever for a moment 
 reform had been contemplated, it had long since repined into 
 rebellion. ^ It is nevertheless certain, that for some time pre- 
 vious, many of the higher classes had become seriously alarmed 
 at the progress of the United Irishmen — and though compara- 
 
 An infimate friend of the writer, who, from the formation of a united 
 society in his neighbourhood, to their last meeting, held office in their civil 
 and military organization, assures him that he never even heard Roman 
 catholic emancipation or parliamentary reform mentioned in their meetings 
 —their object, at all times, being a separation from Great Britain, and the 
 establishment of a republic as in France. 
 
83 
 
 lively few of these had, as yet, joined their ranks, a sudden fear 
 had spread over the country, that, as in France, from law 
 breakers they might become law makers. Hence they deemed 
 it expedient to seem friendly disposed, or at least passive, as 
 the pistol or dagger had denounced the danger of an active 
 opposition. It is equally certain, that about this time some 
 cautious persons took an oath of secrecy, that is, not to dis- 
 close what they heard or saw passing towards the meditated 
 revolution ; and that a few wealthy confidential friends, who 
 objected to oaths, were even admitted into society, without 
 their having taken any test or obligation whatever! * 
 
 For some months previous to the time of which we have 
 been treating, Defenderism had been making rapid progress in 
 the county of Antrim, an active agent named Stanley, from 
 Armagh, being deputed on this special service. In their oath, 
 taken on admission, they were called loyalists, and the obliga- 
 tion contained no direct expressions against the crown, while 
 the better to mask their intentions, there was introduced a ^ 
 clause to be true to the king while under his government ! 
 
 About this time, a proclamation was issued by the govern- 
 ment, offering pardon, with a few exceptions, to those who had 
 been guilty “of outrage and rebellion,” and should surrender 
 themselves within one month, and give security for their future 
 good behaviour. This proclamation failed of producing any 
 useful effect, as few, however disposed, dared to come forward 
 in the manner prescribed, and the few who did so, were pointed 
 out as objects of derision by their neighbours. The warlike 
 preparations of the disaffected were hence continued unabated, 
 and at Belfast, two persons caught in the act of forging pike- 
 heads, were paraded through that town with the pikes on a 
 rope about their necks, and they were afterwards put on board 
 of a tender. 
 
 By the beginning of June, a special commission was issued, 
 as it was expressed, for the trial of such state prisoners as 
 were confined in the jail of the county of Antrim; and on the 
 
 ^ The common fear and alarm which now prevailed, is strickingly evident 
 from the following fact : — The petition to the high sheriflf of Down, to call 
 a meeting of the freeholders, was signed by several magistrates who had 
 formerly memorialized the', Lord Lieutenant and Council to proclaim the 
 county under the insurrection act ! — Speech of the Earl of Clare, in the 
 House of Lords, February 19, 1798. 
 
84 
 
 8th of that month, two judges of assize arrived in Carrickfer- 
 gus, as was believed, for that purpose. The following day 
 was spent in opening their court and in arraigning the pri- 
 soners, all of whom, except two, declared that they were ready 
 to take their trial. No trials, however, were proceeded mth, 
 and their lordships, after administering the oath of allegiance 
 to a considerable number of persons, adjourned their court to 
 Belfast, where many persons also took said oath. 
 
 For some weeks after, the magistrates throughout the county 
 of Antrim were busied in administering the oath of allegiance 
 to those persons who presented themselves for that purpose, 
 who, on taking the oath, usually received a certificate to that * 
 effect. To some, the taking this oath proved a seasonable pre- 
 text for withdrawing from the societies of TJnittd Irishmen, 
 and, perhaps, from an office they were anxious for an excuse to 
 get rid of. By the greater number, however, it was merely 
 taken as a protection against their commital to the military 
 guard-house, the tender’s hold, or the county prison. At Bal- 
 lycastle, 832 persons took this oath, accompanied by a sur- 
 render of a considerable number of arms, among which were 
 134 pikes, the only ones, we believe, voluntarily given up in the 
 country ! At this time, the number of United Irishmen enrol- 
 led in Ulster, was rated at 150,000. ^ 
 
 Notwithstanding the general swearing of allegiance, many 
 of the disaffected continued unabated in their warlike prepara- 
 tions, and hence arrests were continued of persons charged 
 with offences against the state; the principal of these were 
 Kev. Samuel Barber, RathfrUand; David Armstrong, Ballina- 
 hinch; John Birnie, Saintfield; Rev. Sinclair Kelburne, Bel- 
 fast; Rev. William Stavely, Knockbracken ; and Thomas 
 Huston, surgeon, Belfast. In searching the drawing-room of 
 the latter gentleman, a sliding board was discovered in the 
 floor, on removing which, many constitutions of United Irish- 
 men, and political pamphlets, were found. ^ 
 
 Though the search for, or surrender of arms, under General 
 Lake’s proclamation, had weakened the means of the United 
 
 y Report of the secret committee of the House of Lords, August 7, 1798. 
 
 ^ The charge against Mr. Stavely was his being a general officer in the 
 army of the United Irishmen » — M. S, 
 
 
 
 
85 
 
 Irishmen^ in numerous instances they had eluded the intentions 
 of the military, and retained their arms, while those carried off 
 were in a great measure replaced by pikes, and hence a rising 
 in the north continued to be seriously contemplated as at hand. 
 In furtherance of this plan, some Irish officers, who had been 
 in the Austrian service, arrived in Dublin to assist in the 
 revolution, and two of these. Colonel James Plunkett and his 
 nephew Captain O’Gorman, were now despatched on a tour of 
 observation. On the evening of the 16th of June, they reached 
 Hillsborough, where, by appointment, they met Messrs. 
 Hughes and M‘Cabe from Belfast. The evening passed in 
 social hilarity — several improvements on the meditated rising 
 were suggested — and on the following morning the party 
 walked out by different routes, for the purpose of examining 
 the defensive state of the camp at Blaris. 
 
 At dinner much conversation took place regarding the 
 strength of the encampment, which all, except the colonel, 
 pronounced as very strong and difficult to be assailed. “ As 
 the first step towards its reduction,” said the colonel, “I would 
 seize the cannon that I see here so slenderly guarded. These 
 secured, I would soon clear the ground. The river and canal, 
 on which you lay so much strength, would prove but a slender 
 defence against a well directed fire of round shot. I would 
 soon render the post untenable. ” The projected capture of the 
 camp occupied the attention of the company till a late hour. 
 In the morning they were much surprised on seeing the 
 military busied in removing the cannon and stores from 
 Hillsborough into the camp. This, for a moment, excited a 
 suspicion that their conversation had been overheard, or that 
 a traitor was in company, but the former was declared by all 
 impossible, and they were all honourable men — the removal of 
 the cannon was therefore deemed accidental, and the conver- 
 sation soon took another turn. 
 
 In the evening the colonel, accompanied by his Belfast friends, 
 continued his route by the way of Crumlin, where they had 
 an interview with Mr. James Dickey, jun. After some con- 
 versation regarding the prosperous state of their affairs, and 
 the patriotic feelings of the north, on the suggestion of Dickey 
 it was agreed that the colonel and his suit should pass the 
 
86 
 
 night at Crumlin. That Dickey should assemble as many as 
 possible of his regiment, in order that the company might 
 witness the excellent state of their discipline, and the progress 
 made by their commander in the evolutions of the field. 
 
 Agreeably to this arrangement, the clouds of evening had 
 scarcely thickened in the grey west, when Dickey, accompanied 
 by his friends, passed into an adjoining field where some 160 
 men were assembled, each armed with a pike or musket. The 
 winds were hushed as if listening to the warlike dispositions 
 going forward. Not a leaf rustled in the hedgerows, or 
 trembled on the branches of the tallest trees, and the silence 
 was only broken by the footsteps of some stragglers as they 
 fell into the rank, or the harsh call of the corn-creak in the 
 fields. 
 
 The corps had been told off into grand and sub-divisions, 
 and their ranks dressed, when Dickey advanced in front for 
 the purpose of putting them through a few movements, in 
 which he deemed them most expert. The word ‘ ‘ attention” 
 had just been given, when the quick pace of horses was heard 
 in the distance, and a deep hum passed along the line, “its 
 the Antrim dragoons.” “ Steady,” now repeated by their 
 commander, only served to increase the confusion ; a few men 
 were seen to fall out in the rear ; the next moment they appeared 
 to reel from centre to flanks, and soon spread over the field. 
 Dickey used every effort in liis power to restore order, he 
 stormed, swore, collared some, knocked down others, and 
 snatching a pike from one of the runaways, he compelled a 
 few to turn back, but running in pursuit of other fugitives, 
 those taken again fled, and at length all attempt to restrain 
 their flight was given up. 
 
 The colonel retired highly disgusted with the scene he had 
 just witnessed, while Dickey followed, overwhelmed with con- 
 fusion. At length he so far recovered as to offer some apology 
 for the strange panic that had seized his men, by the relation 
 of similar cases, which, he said, had occurred to veteran troops. ^ 
 
 On the succeeding morning the colonel and his friends con- 
 tinued their journey to Randalstown, where a meeting of the 
 
 ^ The alarm was occasioned by a few persons trotting briskly home from 
 Broughshane fairu 
 
87 
 
 provincial committee was to be held to receive the report of 
 the county of Antrim colonels, who were to assemble upon 
 that day at Parkgate, on the important question of peace or 
 war. 
 
 Among the representatives of Ulster, met on this interesting 
 occasion at Eandalstown, were Bartholomew Teeling, Dun- 
 dalk ; Eobert Moore, city of Derry ; John Hughes, Belfast ; 
 Thomas M‘Cabe, of the same ; William Dunn, Larne ; Alex- 
 ander Lowry, Linen-hill, near Eathfriland; and the Eev. 
 Arthur M‘ Mahon, Holy wood. The latter was also a member 
 of, and delegate from the national executive or directory. 
 Dunn and M‘ Mahon did not arrive for some time after the 
 others, having been detained at Parkgate to receive the 
 final decision of the colonels there met. ^ On proceeding to 
 business, the report of the colonels was read by Dunn, in which 
 they declared, in the most solemn and implicit terms, that 
 they deemed it imprudent that a rising should take place 
 without foreign aid. Yet if their brethren in Down persisted 
 in that enterprise, and would not put it off, they of Antrim 
 would assist them with nine or ten thousand men. The re- 
 mainder of the report was of little interest, and it was aflSrmed 
 that the meeting at Parkgate broke up much dissatisfied in 
 consequence of their division, several being warm in support 
 of the measures proposed by those of Down. M‘Mahon fur- 
 ther stated, that on the previous day he had attended a meet- 
 ing of the Down colonels in Saintfield, and that he was 
 instructed to inform those of Antrim, they were .ready to take 
 the field. ® To this intelligence little attention was paid, and 
 after some desultory conversation the meeting broke up as 
 discontented as those at Parkgate ; and Messrs. Lowry, Ten- 
 nant, and Teeling, seeing their schemes frustrated, and 
 alarmed lest they should be arrested, retired to Hamburgh, 
 
 b The Rev. Arthur M‘Mahon was a probationer of the Presbytery of An- 
 trim, and was long in the pay of the French government. In 1804, we find 
 Marshal Berthier recommending to Bernedotte two Irishmen, then in Ham- 
 burgh, as spies. One of these was named Durnin, and the other M‘Mahon ; 
 but it being discovered that the latter person had rendered himself more 
 serviceable to England than to France, he was not employed by Bernedotte. — 
 Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August 2\st, 1798. 
 — Bourrienne's Memoirs of Bonaparte, vol. II., pp. 295-6. 
 
 Ibid. 
 
 I 
 
88 
 
 while Robert R. Reid, Hastings, Mason, and M‘Mahon, took 
 a boat at Bangor, and passed over to Scotland. ^ 
 
 In Down, nevertheless, some of their leaders appear to have 
 continued disposed to take the field, and on the 22nd of June, 
 a partial rising of about twelve or fourteep hundred men took 
 place near Kirkeel but “ the men of Mourne,” soon dispersed 
 on learning that a body of dragoons was advancing upon them 
 from Dromore. It has also been stated, that their leader, 
 upon this occasion, w'as John Maginnis, and that the dragoons 
 pursued him for some miles across the country, but were un- 
 able to come up with him. ® 
 
 These combination of unfavourable circumstances appear to 
 have produced a general apathy in the ranks of the United 
 Irishmen, as at the next meeting of the provincial committee, 
 only four counties, viz. : — Antrim, Down, Tyrone, and Done- 
 gall, were represented. In a great degree the common ferment 
 also subsided. Many of the inferior societies throughout the 
 country even ceased to meet, so that it required all the zeal 
 and address of their leaders to keep the union alive. At one 
 time serious fears were entertained, that notwithstanding the 
 frequent cajolings and mutual expressions of “ brotherly love,’" 
 that the Roman Catholics and Dissenters would become sepa- 
 rate parties ; and some of the Presbyterian leaders in Down 
 and Antrim were reported anxious to inculcate the notion 
 that they could dispense with Catholic aid. ^ 
 
 About the beginning of July, Dr. William J. M‘Nevin, a 
 member of the national executive, and secretary to that body, 
 was despatched to Paris, with some instructions which they 
 had overlooked, or unable to give, at the departure of Lewins. 
 Among other matters, he was to urge the promised succours, 
 but the number of troops sought were lessened, as, from the 
 aggrandizing policy of France upon the Continent, they feared 
 the efiect of a foreign army competent to keep possession of 
 the country ; or, to use the words of one of their most zealous 
 friends — the Irish directory desired, “just sufficient to liberate 
 
 d Ibid. — Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol. II., p. 3. 
 
 * Musgrave’s History of the Rebellion. The writer has also heard this 
 rising mentioned in a song. 
 
 f Report of the secret committee of the House of Lords, August 30th, 1793. 
 — Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol. II., p. 6. 
 
89 
 
 their coiintry, but incompetent to subdue it.” ® He was like- 
 wise to endeavour to negotiate a loan of half a million of 
 money in France, or, if the sum could not be procured there, to 
 address himself to the court of Spain, and to assure the French 
 government that the expense of fitting out the armament 
 would be cheerfully repaid as soon as the Irish republic was 
 established. ^ On the 1st of July, James Burnside, and other 
 state prisoners from Belfast, confined in Dublin, were brought 
 into the court of King’s Bench, when their indictments for 
 high treason being read, their trials were appointed for next 
 term. 
 
 On 12th July, the Orangemen made a formidable display of 
 their numbers in Belfast, amounting, by common estimation, to 
 upwards of 6,000, but a considerable number of these were in 
 military or yeomanry uniform. General Lake, commanding 
 the northern district, accompanied by his staff, passed along 
 their line as if in review, after which he proceeded to Lurgan 
 where upwards of 100 lodges were met. The lodges in Belfast 
 afterwards walked through the principal streets of the town, 
 bearing orange flags, and accompanied by martial music 
 playing the “Prussian Drum” or “Boyne Water.” Perhaps no 
 trait on record so fully displays the distraction of these times as 
 the following: among those who walked in this procession wear- 
 ing orange cockades and toasting the glorious and immortal 
 memory of William III., and who, from their dress, might well 
 have been supposed loyal, were several United Irishmen ! who, 
 only a few weeks before, had been engaged in treasons of the 
 deepest dye ! 
 
 Early in August a despatch was received by the national 
 directory from Lewins, announcing that the expedition fitting 
 out in Holland at the Texel was destined for this kingdom.^ 
 From the journal of Mr. Tone it appears that he, Alexander 
 Lowry, Linen-hill, and John Tennant, Belfast, were, on the 
 5th of August, on board of the admiral’s ship the Vryheid. He 
 also states that the troops, amounting to 13,544 men, were em- 
 barked, and that the expedition consisted of fifteen sail of the 
 line, ten frigates, and twenty-seven transports, and only 
 s A brief statement, by Samuel Neilson, printed at Newgate, 1802. 
 
 Report of the secret committee of the House of Lords, August 30th, 1798. 
 
 * Ibid. 
 
90 
 
 waited a fair wind to put to sea. About the same time a con- 
 siderable quantity of arms that had been seized or surrendered 
 in the counties of Down and Antrim, were brought into Bel- 
 fast, and several state prisoners confined in the barrack of 
 that town were liberated on taking the oath of allegiance and 
 giving bail. 
 
 The auspicious tidings regarding the, expedition at the Texel 
 afterwards became damped, in consequence of its not arriving 
 as soon as had been expected. During the months of August 
 and September, the intentions of the Dutch admiral to leave 
 the port were bafiled by light or contrary winds, and the sea- 
 son becoming rough and far advanced, it was feared that the 
 expedition was given up. Their friends becoming impatient 
 at this delay, and the provincial directory being accused of not 
 being sufficiently on the alert, a few spirited men in Belfast 
 subscribed 500 guineas to send a messenger to France, to 
 hasten the sailing of the Dutch fleet, i The deep wailings of 
 the north, in consequence of this delay, are thus pathetically 
 described by a late author : — “ The expedition of the Dutch com- 
 prised the entire disposable force of the Batavian republic, and 
 was officially announced to the United Irishmen, and the 
 country prepared for its immediate reception ; and never did 
 the public mind appear more deeply interested, impatiently 
 waiting its issue. Many a longing eye was directed to the 
 coast, but, alas! the winds a second time frustrated an in- 
 vasion, and for upwards of two months, every attempt of the 
 fleet to put to sea proved abortive.” ^ During this suspense. 
 Dr. M‘Nevin arrived in Dublin, from Paris, and made the 
 report of his mission to the directory, in which they were as- 
 sured, that they might, with confidence, continue to rely on the 
 promised support of the French republic. ' From the silence 
 
 I 
 
 3 John Tennant afterwards became an oflBcer in the French army, and fell 
 at the battle of Leipzic, fought October 13, 1813. — Alexander Lowry, in 
 1792, was captain of the Ballyroney volunteers, and a companion of Theo- 
 bald W. Tone. On the Irish expeditions being given up by the French 
 government, he went to America. About 1806, through the interest of Lord 
 Castlereagh, he obtained leave to return home. The vessel in which he had 
 taken his passage being drove into a port in Norway, he there married a 
 young lady, who he brought with him to Ireland, where he died a few years 
 after. 
 
 ^ Sequel to Teeling’s Personal Narrative, p. 13. 
 
 > Report of the secret committee of the House of Lords, August 30, 1798. 
 
91 
 
 observed regarding a money loan, it would seem that he had 
 been unable to obtain any. 
 
 In September, at the assizes held for the county of Antrim, 
 William Orr, a respectable farmer from the neighbourhood of 
 Antrim, was found guilty of administering the oath of an 
 United Irishman to James Wheatly and John Lindsay, sol- 
 diers in the Fifeshire fencible regiment. By the insurrection 
 act, under which he was tried, this offence had been made 
 felony, and from the extreme severity of his sentence, great 
 interest was made to have it commuted, but though three 
 times respited, he was executed on the 14th of October. Few 
 persons from the country were present on this melancholy oc- 
 casion, but a considerable military force, with four pieces of 
 cannon, were under arms. At the place of execution, he dis- 
 tributed a printed paper, wherein he declared his innocence of 
 the crime of felony, and concluded by hoping that his “vir- 
 tuous countrymen,” would bear him “ in their kind remem- 
 berance, and continue faithful to each other, ” as he had ‘ ‘ been 
 to all of them.” The colour of his coat at the time he suffered 
 became a kind of uniform dress with many, and finger rings 
 were worn, on which were engraved inside, or wrought with 
 silk or hair, “remember Orr.”“ 
 
 At Down assizes, the Eev. Thomas L. Birch was indicted 
 for some seditious expressions, said to have been uttered by 
 him ; he was acquitted. A considerable number of prisoners 
 charged with seditious practices, or minor offences against the 
 state, were put upon their trial, a few of whom were found 
 guilty. Armagh assizes presented the singular spectacle of 
 Captain J. St. Ledger, of the 24th dragoons, being found 
 guilty of having taken the oath of an United Irishman, and of 
 having administered the oath to his troop. He was transported ! 
 
 Contrary to common expectation, the troops on board of the 
 fleet at the Texel were disembarked, and the admiral ordered 
 out to fight the English. No sooner had they put to sea, than 
 
 “ The seduction of the army had been early a primary object with the 
 United Irishmen, having succeeded so well in France, where the French 
 guards, amounting to 3,600 men, were completely corrupted by the populace. 
 — Thiers' history of the French Revolution, vol. I., p- 52. — The seduction of 
 Wheatly and Lindsay, who were two ruffians, was accidentally discovered 
 by the seizure of some seditious papers in the city of Derry, wherein these 
 persons were mentioned as being up — a cant phrase for their having taken 
 the oath of an United Irishman. 
 
 
92 
 
 Admiral Duncan had notice, and on the 11th of October they 
 were attacked, drawn up in line upon their own coast, the land 
 being only about five miles distant. The action lasted nearly 
 two hours and a half, and was gallantly contested by the Dutch 
 admiral, who, nevertheless, was compelled to surrender. The 
 result of this memorable action is well known, and it efiectual- 
 ly settled the hopes of the disaffected as to aid from that quar- 
 ter. “ A subscription was entered into for the relief of the 
 widows and orphans of the seamen who fell in this action on 
 board Admiral Duncan’s fieet. The several subscriptions in 
 the county of Antrim amounted to £704, 8s. 5d. 
 
 Though the United Irishmen were again interrupted in their 
 favourite project of invasion, they did not abandon themselves 
 to despair, nor relax in their endeavours, but, with assiduity, 
 continued their exertions as if nothing unfortunate to their 
 interests had taken place. Their frequent drillings in barns 
 were, therefore, continued under the direction of deserters from 
 the army, but their evolutions were performed by moonlight, 
 on heaths, or in fields at a distance from the public roads. On 
 these occasions sham battles were fought, in which the column 
 called the French army were always victorious. The charges 
 with the pike were made at a brisk trot. 
 
 On the 8th of November, the state prisoners from Belfast, 
 who had been arraigned in Dublin on the previous July, were 
 again brought into Court, and their trials again put off* at the 
 instance of the crown. A few days after, several of these 
 prisoners were liberated on giving bail. On the 14th of the 
 above month, a provincial meeting was held in Armagh. Re- 
 turns formerly ordered of the number of military in the different 
 counties of Ulster were here presented. In the county of An- 
 trim was 4,000, 700 of whom were reported friends; in county 
 of Down were 1,100, of whom 1,000 were rated friendly to their 
 cause.® About a fortnight after, Robert Simms was chosen 
 by the Belfast directory, (then, it would appear, composed of the 
 
 “ The Dutch fleet consisted of 26 sail, including frigates, under the orders 
 of Admiral de Wintar, carried 1,266 guns, and 8,682 men; the British fleet 
 consisted of 15 sail of the line, exclusive of frigates, and carried 1,134 guns, 
 and 8.815 men. Eleven of the Dutch ships were taken, with three admirals. 
 The British loss in killed and wounded was 751 ; the enemy's loss was not 
 exactly known. 
 
 ° Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August 21, 1798. 
 
93 
 
 following persons: Wm. Tennant, Eobert Hunter, Clotworthy 
 Birnie, John Coulter,) general and commander -in-chief of the 
 County of Antrim, and about the same time an executive com- 
 mittee was established in each of the four provinces ; the 
 national directory, however, continued to sit in Dublin. ^ 
 December 7th. Eejoicings took place in the town of Ballina- 
 hinch, to celebrate, as was given out, their patriotic landlord’s 
 (Earl of Moira) birth-day. The good citizens of that town 
 appear to have also had other objects in view, as during their 
 hilarity the military on duty were made drunk, and the am- 
 munition in charge of the detachment was carried off.^ 
 
 1798. This eventful year commenced with all the usual 
 sources of discontent, agitation, and alarm, which had so 
 luxuriantly been fermenting the two preceding years. On 
 the 3rd of J anuary, the prisoners, eighty-seven in number, on 
 board the ship moored in Garmoyle, endeavoured to regain 
 their liberty. Their watchword was “ Blood, blood!” and in the 
 scuffle that ensued, two of the officers of the ship were wounded, 
 and six of the guard, and one of the prisoners leaping over- 
 board was shot in the water, and several were so badly wounded 
 that they were sent on shore to an hospital. The attempt was 
 chiefly frustrated by the hurry of those in the press-room to 
 mount the ladder to get upon the deck, as by their weight the 
 ropes by which it was suspended were broken. At a meeting 
 in Armagh, on the 14th, of twelve provincial delegates, it was 
 announced that a messenger had arrived from Paris with in- 
 telligence that the French government were determined to 
 invade the three kingdoms at the same time, and that on 
 no account would they desert the interests of Ireland. They 
 w'ere also informed, that in order to keep up a regular commu- 
 nication between the countries, eleven Irish delegates then 
 passed between Paris and Hamburgh.’^ 
 
 At this period the growing ferment was greatly heightened 
 by 163 of the most respectable freeholders of the county of 
 Antrim being summoned to Dublin, to serve as jurors on the 
 trials of the state prisoners from that county, given out as 
 
 ** Speech of the Earl of Clare in the House of Lords, February 19, 1798. 
 
 *■ Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, Aug., 21, 1798. 
 
 P Belfast News-Letter, August 10, 1798 
 
 
94 
 
 about to take place. On the 24th of J anuary, the prisoners 
 were brought into court, when a list of the freeholders sum- 
 moned was produced by Mr. Curran, counsel for the prisoners, 
 on which list was marked their several political characters. 
 The first eighty names were marked good, the next nineteen 
 timid, and the remainder stated, “ bad in every sense of the 
 word.” Mr. Curran proceeded to challenge the array of the 
 panel, as not being duly and impartially returned by the high 
 sheriff. The court then ordered the fact of partiality to be 
 tried before two freeholders of the county there present, Mr. 
 O’Hara and Mr. Joy, and it was mutually agreed by the 
 respective counsels, that they should be sworn to try the fact, 
 and they were accordingly sworn. General L. Barber, who 
 had been summoned on the part of the prisoners, being sworn, 
 acknowledged that he had seen a “ list of names with a gentle- 
 man in Belfast,” and was told by the person who showed him the 
 list, that a number in it, “to the number of about 140, were 
 of a very extraordinary character, by which he understood was 
 meant that they were disaffected. The person who showed 
 him the list, he believed, had been engaged in some office con- 
 nected -with the sheriff’s department,” and that his name was 
 Moore. The sub-sheriff of the county of Antrim was now 
 called in support of the challenge, but he did not appear. The 
 court then proceeded to recapitulate to the triers the evidence, 
 and expressed their opinion on it, that it did not support the 
 challenge, and the triers gave their verdict “for the array, 
 and against the challenge.” The trials of Burnside and Bar- 
 rett, were then proceeded with, who were acquitted, there 
 being no prosecution, and S. Kennedy, and a few others were 
 immediately liberated, John Bird, alias Smith, a/^as Johnston, 
 the informer, having taken flight from Dublin two days before. 
 The trials of others were put off by affidavit, “ that Henry Joy 
 M‘Cracken, a material witness, was seriously indisposed in 
 Belfast, without whose evidence they could not, with safety 
 to their lives, put themselves on trial.” ® Newell, the informer,, 
 a few days previous, had made his peace with the prisoners from 
 Belfast, during a visit to Kilmainham prison ; and deserting 
 
 the service of the government, about the 20th of February, in 
 
 ® In the Life of Newell, he says, that some of these names were marked by 
 General Barber and himself . — Belfast News-Letter^ January 29, 1798. 
 
company of Robert Orr, chandler, and a few other old friends, 
 he again made his way to the north. ^ 
 
 February 1. The Ulster committee, or directory, met at 
 Maclean’s, Shane’s castle — nine members present. A messenger 
 from Dublin gave a long detail of the success that they had 
 obtained over the government on the late trials. He said, by 
 
 h s he would now speak his mind freely, for he was not 
 
 afraid, as delivery was now certain. They were also informed, 
 that their friend priest Quigley had lately returned from France, 
 who confirmed the intelligence regarding the progress made in 
 fitting out the expedition, which, they were assured, would be 
 ready by the end of April, or early in May. It was likewise 
 stated that priest Quigley and the Rev. Arthur M ‘Mahon 
 had opened a communication with the United Britons, a mat- 
 ter deemed of great importance. But what was still more fiat- 
 tering, that delegates from that august body had arrived to the 
 national directory, whose address was laid before the meeting, 
 and that already legislators were appointed for the three 
 kingdoms, to act as an executive for the whole. The members 
 were instructed to cause their men to hold themselves in 
 readiness, and to make out lists of their enemies, and their 
 places of abode. By a return of the 25th of this month, it 
 appears that the number of armed United Irishmen in Ulster 
 was 110,990, and in the kingdom about treble that number. " 
 
 At this period, the exertions of the disaffected in the 
 northern counties of Ulster, were such as to call forth the 
 warmest encomiums from the national executive. On their 
 meeting of the 27th of February, it was decreed, that the pa- 
 triots of these counties deserved well of their country, ‘ ‘ for 
 the many offers of emancipating her directly, but that they be 
 requested to bear the shackles of tyranny a little longer, until 
 the whole kingdom be in such a state of organization, as will, 
 
 t About two months after, he was again suspected of becoming informer, 
 on which he was consigned to Moiley, who, to use the language of that day, 
 eat him ! — Life and Confessions of Edward J. Newell. 
 
 j I" Mr. Tone, in his journal of the above date, mentions the following Irish 
 refugees being in Paris : — James N. Tandy, Edward J. Lewins, Alexander 
 Lowry, John Tennant, Bartholomew Teeling, Arthur M‘Mahon, Joseph 
 
 Orr, Anthony M‘Cann, Francis Burgess, M‘Kenna, Maguire, John 
 
 Cormic, Richard Cormic, M‘Sheechy, Duckett, Wm. Hamilton, 
 
 and Mathew Tone. — Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons^ 
 August 21, 1798. 
 
96 
 
 by their joint co-operation, effect, without loss, that desirable 
 object which they stated as drawing to a crisis.” ^ Upon 
 the same day, the provincial committee again assembled in 
 Armagh, to whom it was announced that a delegate had just 
 arrived from France to hasten the complete organization of 
 the people, as the French directory had assured him the expe- 
 dition would be ready to sail by the beginning of May. That 
 the national executive had honoured a draft of £500, for the 
 use of the delegates, which sum they intended to levy off the 
 different provinces — that in Ulster by a voluntary loan. The 
 want of money was greatly complained of, and the lottery for 
 raising money could not yet be drawn, 600 of the tickets re- 
 maining unsold. On the 28th of this month, Arthur O’Con- 
 nor, alias Colonel Morris, which name he had for a time as- 
 sumed; James J. Quigley, alias O’Coighley, alias Priest 
 Quigley, alias Captain Jones, alias James John Fevey; Mr. 
 Williams, alias John Binns, an active member of the London 
 corresponding society; John Allen, who passed for a servant 
 of Mr. O’Connor, and Jeremiah Leer, really servant to that 
 gentleman — were arrested at Margate, on the point of embark- 
 ing for France, as was believed, to accelerate the meditated in- 
 vasion of these kingdoms. In a pocket-book found in a great 
 coat pocket, hanging up in a room where Quigley was at 
 breakfast, was discovered a paper purporting to be an address, 
 “ From the secret committee of England to the executive di- 
 rectory of France.” Among other expressions in this paper, 
 it was declared, that “ with the tyranny of England, that of 
 Europe must fall;” — and it was added, “Haste, then, great 
 nation, pour forth thy gigantic force ; let those base despots 
 feel their avenging stroke ; and let our oppressed nation call 
 forth the praises of France at the altar of liberty.” In the 
 baggage of the party, was also found, “ papers expressive of 
 their being a sort of ambassadors from the United Irishmen to 
 the directory at Paris, ” but they denied that any of the bag- 
 gage was theirs. * 
 
 Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, Aug. ?1, 1798. 
 
 From the same authority, it appears that this lottery consisted of 2000 
 tickets, at one guinea each ; that John Callwell, Belfast, was treasurer, and 
 that the profits were to be applied, “ to the general system of United Irish- 
 men.'* — Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, Aug. 21, 1798, 
 ^ On the arrest of Mr. O’Connor, tTie avowed editor of the Press news- 
 paper, published in Dublin, the materials and papers of that establishment 
 
 
97 
 
 / On the 28th of February, General Sir Ralph Abercromby, 
 commander-in-chief, addressed a letter to the military com- 
 manders thoiighout the kingdom, in reprobation of the irregu- 
 larities committed by the troops ; but this remonstrance fail- 
 ing of producing any effect, a few weeks after he made a 
 resignation of his office, in which he said, that the Irish army 
 “ had become contemptible to its enemies, and formidable only 
 to its friends.” 
 
 On the 12th of March, through the information of Thomas 
 Reynolds, of Kilkea castle, county Kildare, a colonel in the 
 united army, 14 delegates, composing the Leinster committee, 
 with their papers, were seized by Mr. Swan, a magistrate, in 
 the house of Mr. Oliver Bond, Bride-street, Dublin ; and on 
 the same day, Mr. Bond, Thomas A. Emmet, William J. M‘- 
 Neviii, John Sweetman, Henry and Hugh Jackson, were ar- 
 rested ; and warrants were issued for the apprehension of Lord 
 Edward Fitzgerald, Richard M‘Cormic, and William Sampson; 
 the latter was soon after taken at Carlisle. ^ By this disaster 
 the affairs of the disaffected in the capital were thrown into 
 some confusion, and, in order to prevent a despondency, a few 
 days after, a handbill was circulated in Dublin, in which were 
 announced the safety of the arrested, a ten-fold activity in the 
 leaders, and a perfect organization of the city, with a caution 
 against precipitate measures. 
 
 March 25. The Ulster committee met at the house of Samuel 
 Graves, Moy, but an alarm being given, they adjourned to 
 Blackwatertown, where being again alarmed by the appear- 
 ance of some dragoons, they retired to Armagh, where they 
 concluded the business of the day. Among the business tran- 
 sacted on this occasion, was the appointment of a revolutionary 
 staff and adjutant-generals, to transmit to the national execu. 
 
 were, by an order of the government, carried off. The first number of this 
 newspaper was published September 28, 1797, on the plan of the “ Northern 
 Star, whose successor and emulator,” it professed to be ; the last number 
 was dated March 13, 1798. Its most inflammatory papers were afterwards 
 published, and entitled, “ Extracts from the Press." There was also another 
 edition called, “ The Beauties of the Press." On the 24th of March, the 
 papers and materials of a seditious newspaper, printed' in Cork, entitled. 
 
 The Harp of Erin" were also carried of by the sheriffs of that city. — 
 Eife of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol, II., p. 17. — Trial of Arthur O' Con~ 
 nor. 
 
 ^ Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol. ll.,,p. 17.— Report of the secret 
 committee of the House of Commons, August, 21, 1798. 
 
tive the state of their respective corps. At this meeting, a 
 delegate from the Leinster committee reported that they had 
 completely recovered the late severe shock, and in four days 
 after their friends were taken, they had the whole province in 
 a perfect state of organization. That a friend had arrived 
 from France, with the glad intelligence, that the French were 
 to commence the embarkation of their troops on the 1st of 
 April. The next meeting of the committee to be held in Bel- 
 fast on that day. * 
 
 t 
 
 On the committee again assembling, the persons names were 
 reported whom the national executive had selected from the 
 lists furnished to them of those qualified for the office of adju- 
 tant-general, but only those of four counties were returned, 
 the others not having forwarded their lists. In the evening a 
 delegate, who had been despatched to Dublin some days 
 previous, arrived and joined the company. He said that the 
 Leinster committee had received a letter from Bartholomew 
 Teeling, then in Paris, stating that the French troops would 
 certainly be on board by the middle of April ; the Brest fleet, 
 he said, was destined for Ireland, and would use every strata- 
 gem to avoid that of the British, whose fleet would probably 
 be thus drawn off* their own coast, while the troops embarked 
 at the other ports w ould make a descent upon England. He 
 farther stated, that there were fourteen persons from the north 
 in Dublin, “ supposed the most active men in the kingdom, 
 and that Samuel Heilson, in particular, “was riding about 
 night and day organizing the people.” That it was the deter- 
 mination of the executive, in case of the French expedition 
 being again frustrated, to make a rising themselves, as the 
 citizens of Dublin, with the assistance of their friends in the 
 army could secure the capital at any moment. ® This 
 statement was probably true, as to such lengths had the seduc- 
 tion of the army proceeded, that early in May we find surgeon 
 Lawless holding a conference in Dublin on the subject of a 
 rising, with delegates from almost all the militia regiments in 
 Ireland. 
 
 * Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, Aug.l2, 1879. 
 
 ^ Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August 21, 
 179S, — Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, vol. II., p. 76. 
 
99 
 
 The reports of the fulfilling of the prophecies of St. Columb- 
 kille were now revived, with several new and interesting ad- 
 ditions. Koman Catholics, in particular, were seriously alarmed 
 by an account of their extirpation by a murderous band called 
 the black militia, which was always construed to mean the 
 Orangemen. Eeports were also spread in the Glynns, county 
 of Antrim, and other Roman Catholic districts, that the 
 Orangemen were coming at night to massacre them in their 
 beds, having entered into a compact to wade kneedeep in their 
 blood. ° At several times, the night was pretended to have 
 been accidentally discovered on which this massacre was to 
 have taken place, and the Roman Catholics lay armed about 
 the ditches, on the road by which it was believed the assassins 
 must pass, determined on giving them a warm reception. On 
 those alarms, man, woman, and child, deserted the houses and 
 took to the fields, and at one time considerable fears were ex- 
 cited by the shaking, by the wind, of some luxuriant ragweeds 
 that were, for a time, mistaken for the advance of the Orange 
 legions ! Their not coming at the times given out was always 
 pretended to be, by the Orangemen having, by some means, 
 learned how well their intended victims were prepared! — 
 About this time several houses were racked at night in the 
 neighbourhood of Glenavy, by persons reputed to be Orange- 
 men. 
 
 In the counties of Derry and Donegall, it was reported, and 
 commonly believed, that when the chapel of Covey should be 
 nailed up by the black militia, such persons as repaired to 
 Glenfion would be safe, and on taking a stocking of meal with 
 them for food, it would do them to the end of the wars. Some 
 weak-minded females, however, not waiting"^ for the nailing up 
 of the chapel, repaired to Glenfion with their stocking, but its 
 contents soon becoming exhausted, in sober sadness they re- 
 turned to their homes. About this time a printed hand-bill 
 was sold about the country, headed with an annexed print, 
 “ A zebra foal,” which stated, that at a certain place in Ire- 
 land, now forgotten by the writer, that an animal had been 
 
 * In the Press newspaper. No. 9, Arthur O’Connor, proprietor and editor, 
 the following was inserted as the Orangemen’s oath ; — “ I, A. B,, do hereby 
 swear that I will be true to the king and government, and that I will exter- 
 minate, as far as I am able, the Catholics gf Ireland.” 
 
 K 
 
 •>, .y, 
 
 
 iS&ku: a 
 
d 
 
 . V 
 
 '1. 
 
 100 
 
 foaled, beautifully stripped, which immediately after repeated 
 •audibly the following distitch : — 
 
 “ A wet winter, a dry spring, 
 
 A bloody summer, and no king.** 
 
 To strengthen these fabulous allusions on the minds of the 
 ignorant, a book was published in Dublin, entitled “ A Para- 
 phrase on the Prophecies of Daniel and John.” In this work 
 these prophecies were affirmed to be one and the same ; and 
 the beast there mentioned, was said to be “ absolute tyrannical 
 monarchy, in^ hereditary line,” the total annihilation of which 
 wd^ triumphantly pointed out as at hand.*^ At a visitation of 
 Trinity college, Dublin, which ended on the 21st of April, 
 nineteen students were expelled, some for refusing to answer 
 questions put them, others for being United Irishmen. 
 
 At the assizes held in April for the county of Antrim, 
 Charles M‘Clean, weaver, Belfast, was indicted, under the 
 Whiteboy Act, for administering an illegal oath to Patrick 
 King, soldier in the Monaghan regiment of militia. He was 
 found guilty, and sentenced to be transported. John Story, 
 printer, Belfast, was also tried for administering the oath of 
 an United Irishman to Owen Parrel, of the same militia, and 
 acquitted. At Downpatrick assizes, John MTntyre was put 
 upon his trial for seducing and administering an unlawful oath 
 to Lawrence Gleeson, soldier in the Carlow militia, and for 
 endeavouring to seduce James Parrel and Patrick Dillon, of 
 the same corps ; the prisoner was acquitted of all the charges. 
 The Rev. Thomas L. Birch was indicted, at the instance of 
 Joseph Harper, for offering said Harper £50, providing he 
 would forbear prosecuting United Irishmen ; also, with assault- 
 ing Richard Harper, son of Joseph — no prosecution. A record 
 for damages was tried at this assizes, wherein William Davison, 
 of Newry, was plaintiff, and Gustavus Matthews and William 
 Saul, officers in the Mourne yeomanry, were defendants. The 
 damages were laid at £200, for the latter having ordered their 
 men to set fire to and burn the plaintiff’s premises. The jury 
 gave a verdict for £196, with costs. On the 28th of April, ' 
 
 d It is worthy of notice here, that in Cataline’s conspiracy at Rome, re- 
 course was had to similar feigned prophecies, in order to heighten the hopes 
 of the conspirators. — See Hook's Roman History. 
 
101 
 
 several of the state prisoners from Belfast, confined in Dublin, 
 were put upon their trial and liberated, there being no prose- 
 cution. 
 
 May 10th. The Ulster committee met in Armagh, eleven 
 
 members of whom were present.® A messenger from Dublin^ 
 
 reported that no intelligence had been received from France 
 
 since that of Mr. B. Teeling, but that a delegate was hourly 
 
 expected. That the national executive had been changed 
 
 three times within the last ten days, in order to get good 
 
 patriots and men of ability, and a plan was laid to seize the 
 
 city of Dublin, Chapelizod, and Laughlinstown camp, at the 
 
 same moment. The executive, he said, required the names of 
 
 » 
 
 the persons chosen by the respective counties to be added to 
 those about to compose the national convention of Ireland. 
 Seven of these persons were then reported as already appointed, 
 viz. ; a silversmith for Armagh, a Presbyterian minister for 
 Tyrone, a probationer Presbyterian clergyman for Donegall, 
 a farmer for Louth, an adjutant-general for Derry, a cloth- 
 merchant for Antrim, and a farmer for Monaghan.^ On or 
 about the same day, a letter was received in Dublin, by Lord 
 Edward Fitzgerald, from Lewins, the agent at Paris, stating 
 that the promised expedition could not be ready for four 
 months. On this intelligence, a resolution was taken by the 
 directory to prepare for a general rising, and messages to that 
 effect were transmitted to all parts of the union ; and it was 
 afterwards announced, that on the night of the 23rd of May 
 the general movement was to take place. ^ 
 
 In furtherance of the proposed measures, the Ulster pro- 
 
 ® The names of the following persons are recorded as being present on this 
 interesting occasion : — Thomas Bashford, for county of Antrim ; John 
 
 Cormellan, for county of Louth ; Donaldson, for county of Armagh ; 
 
 William Cunningham, for county of Monaghan ; William M‘Keiver, for 
 county of Derry ; John Moore, for city of Derry ; John Wilson, for city of 
 Derry. — Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August 21, 
 1798. 
 
 f A messenger from the national executive attended each provincial meet- 
 ing, to receive their reports, issue orders, and take charge of the monies 
 collected. 
 
 ^ Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August, 21st, 
 r,98. 
 
 h So completely had the militia been gained over, that early in May we 
 lind Surgeon Lawless holding a conference on the subject of the rising, with 
 delegates from almost all the militia regiments in Ireland. — Life of Lord 
 Edward Fitzgerald, vol. II., p. 76. 
 
102 
 
 rincial committee again assembled in Armagh, when two 
 members who had been deputed to assist the provincial exe- 
 cutive in their contemplated plans, made their report, the 
 substance of which was, that the citizens of Dublin were to 
 rise and seize upon the government, and the mail-coaches to be 
 stopped and destroyed, as a signal for their friends to act. It 
 was complained that the Ulster directory had taken no steps to 
 put the people in readiness, and that when required to sum- 
 mon the provincial delegates together, they neglected. The 
 reporter declared, that he thought it the duty of the present 
 committee to denounce them, and also to vote them out of 
 office, and they were accordingly divested of their charge. 
 The committee then chosen, were to assemble in Ballymena 
 on the 8th of June. It was likewise agreed, that the adjutant- 
 generals of Down and Antrim should meet on the following 
 day, to form a plan for rising en masse ; a copy of this^ plan 
 to be forwarded, with all despatch, to the different adjutant- 
 generals throughout the province, but that if the rising was 
 again put off, this meeting was to assemble in Belfast on the 
 24th of June; the new addition of one member from each 
 county to the provincial executive, however, to meet at 
 Banbridge, in the house of one Stirling, on the 4th of the said 
 month, and it was announced that a printer of Belfast was to 
 furnish them with a press, for the better issuing of their orders 
 and proclamations. After some other matters of minor import 
 had been discussed, it was finally determined that Blaris 
 camp and the town of Belfast should be taken at the same 
 moment ; the three counties of Ulster not to rise until they 
 
 should hear of the capture of these. ^ 
 
 ✓ 
 
 j Report of the secret committee of the House of Commons, August 21st 
 1798. — Belfast News-Letter, August 10th, 1798. 
 
 On the 22nd of May, Arthur O’Connor, Esq., and those made prisoners 
 with him, were put upon their trials, at Maidstone, when all, except Quigly, 
 ■were acquitted, but Mr. O’Connor and Binns were detained on a new 
 charge, and the former, a few days afterwards, transmitted to Ireland. In 
 the great coat pocket of Quigly was found a paper, purporting to be an 
 address “ From the secret committee of England to the executive directory 
 of France,” in which it was said — “ With the tyranny of England, that of all 
 Europe must fall. Haste, then, great nation ! pour forth thy gigantic force ! 
 Let the base despot feel thy avenging stroke, and let our oppressed nation 
 carol forth the praises of France at the altar of liberty!” Quigly was found 
 guilty of high treason, and he was executed at Pennington Heath, near Maid- 
 stone, June 7th, 1798. In his life, published and written by himself, it is 
 said, that his success in uniting the Catholics and Protestants, there being 
 
103 
 
 In the county of Down, the progress of rebellion was deemed 
 equally satisfactory. 4t a county meeting of united delegates, . 
 held in Saintfield on the 1st of March, it was resolved, that the 
 colonels of regiments be summoned to meet, and that officers 
 be appointed in the room of those who had left the kingdom. 
 Agreeably to this resolution, on the 9th of the same month, 
 seven colonels met in Belfast, who, among other business, ap- 
 pointed three adjutant- generals; and at a meeting of ten 
 colonels, held in Saintfield on the last day of May, they deter- 
 mined to put their corps in readiness to take the field. A 
 strange irresolution appears afterwards to have pervaded their 
 councils. One of the generals sent in his resignation, and at 
 a meeting of colonels, a few days after, only two of them de- 
 clared for an immediate rising, the others refusing to act with- 
 out the promised assistance from France. It was, nevertheless, 
 given out, that one of the adjutant-generals was about to esta- 
 blish his head-quarters at Ballinahinch, and that the patriots 
 of the county of Antrim, intended seizing upon the magis- 
 trates as hostages, at the opening of the campaign. By the 
 5th of June, affairs in Down had taken a more warlike turn, 
 the colonels, in a message to the chief adjutant-general, urging 
 him to put the troops in motion, or they would find a man 
 who would, j 
 
 While matters were thus progressing on the part of the dis- 
 affected, the friends of the government were equally on the 
 alert. At military posts the guards were doubled — the yeo- 
 men were placed on permanent duty — parties of whom were 
 daily hastening to Belfast or Carrickfergus for ammunition or 
 arms. ^ Patrols of cavali^ traversed the roads at night, 
 
 ^nany deep-rooted prejudices on both sides, would have been comparatively 
 trifling, had it not been the spirited exertions of that truly respectable, 
 virtuous, and enlightened body, the Dissenters of the county of Antrim, but 
 chiefly and in particular, those of Belfast. He thus writes, after sentence of 
 death was passed. “ You know of the attachment I had for Belfast, even so 
 far as to wish my ashes there.” He had expressed a wish that his bones 
 should rest at Belfast, but this was denied. He was a native of the neighbour- 
 hood of Charlemont, but for some time previous to his becoming so deeply 
 engaged in the politics of the country, he had resided at Dundalk. 
 
 j The chief duties of the adjutant-generals were to obtain returns of the 
 state of each regiment ; the number of hills in the district ; the state of the 
 roads ; how many men could be quartered in each town or village ; and who 
 were the most zealous patriots . — Report of the secret committee of the House 
 of Commons, August ‘list, 1798. 
 
 k At this period there were 23 corps of yeomanry in the county of Antrim, 
 
 16 corps in Down, and 12 in that of Derry. 
 
104 
 
 and no persons were permitted to be abroad from nine o’clock 
 in the evening until five in the morning. The names of the 
 inhabitants of each house were ordered to be posted on their 
 outer doors, and the names of such strangers who should ar- 
 rive to be immediately added. This roll to be called over at 
 any hour the civil or military authorities might deem fit, to 
 see that none were absent. None were permitted -to go from 
 home without a pass, signed by a magistrate, or some military 
 officer. 
 
 In this distracted state of things, public credit became 
 shaken to the foundation, and the common ties of the com- 
 munity seemed hastening to a convulsive dissolution. Friends, 
 when differing in political creeds, cancelled at once the friend- 
 ships of youth, and the mutual obligation of years, and in 
 numerous instances relationships were equally disregarded from 
 j a similar cause. Though the usual business of the country 
 was in a great measure suspended, this scarcely appeared a 
 matter of regret with the working classes, and it was said, 
 that in a short time, with those who wrought and with those 
 who played, it would be all the same ! 
 
 On intelligence that the northern mail coach had been stopped 
 and burned at Santry by the rebels, on the night of the 23rd 
 of May, the Cork coach at Naas, that for Athlone at Lucan, 
 and the Limerick coach at the Curragh, the above regulations 
 were strictly enforced. Four days after, martial law was pro- 
 claimed throughout the north ; many suspicious persons were 
 arrested, some fire-arms were surrendered, and a court-martial 
 assembled in Belfast for the trial of such prisoners as should 
 be brought before it. On the 28th, John Kelso, charged with 
 being-an United Irishman, and with having concealed arms,, 
 received 200 lashes in the street, by the sentence of this court ; 
 and on the same day another man was also flogged on Kelso’s 
 extorted information. A few dqys afterwards, three persons, 
 
 Thompson, — — Hanna, and Smith, were also 
 
 flogged in the streets of Belfast, charged with seditious prac- 
 tices. On the 30th, two brass field-pieces, six-pounders, the 
 property of the late Belfast volunteers, were found in a cow- 
 house off North-street, Belfast, and two other pieces belonging 
 to the same corps, and of the like calibre, were 
 
V 
 
 105 
 
 the Short-strand near that town. Two brass cannon, three- 
 pounders, of the Lisburn volunteers, had been surrendered to 
 the military on the previous day. 
 
 Unawed by the presence of the numerous military every- 
 where in arms, the United Irishmen continued indefatigable to 
 perfect their arrangements. Meetings of their committees 
 continued to be held — confidential agents, bearing verbal 
 messages, traversed the country — and on the 29th of May a 
 circular notice was issued by the commander-in-chief of the 
 county of Antrim, for the officers composing the military 
 committee, to meet him on the 1st of June, at Parkgate, on 
 matters of the highest import. This summons was duly at- 
 tended by most of the committee, but when about to proceed 
 to business, they were alarmed by a report from one of their 
 scouts that a body of dragoons was advancing from Antrim, 
 on which they immediately dispersed. The dragoons, how- 
 ever, passed on without halting, but such a train of fears had 
 been excited that the committee did not again assemble at 
 Parkgate, but retired, in a stragglingmanner, to Templepatrick. 
 Here the general, on addressing the assembly, made a resigna- 
 tion of his high office. The committee was astounded at such 
 an unlooked-for event, which they regretted the more as they 
 knew not where to find a proper successor. Several persons 
 were, however, proposed, and their respective merits discussed, 
 but the committee still lingered in their decision. Three per- 
 sons were at length proposed, each of whom appeared to enjoy 
 their confidence; but as these were absent, it was finally 
 agreed, that he of these who should be first found, by persons 
 then appointed to deliver his charge, should be the honoured 
 man. ^ It was likewise determined, that in order to come to a 
 final decision on the great question of peace or war, that the 
 commanders of corps should mejst on the second day after, on 
 the northern side of Bally holey mountainj at a secluded place 
 called the Sheep-ree. 
 
 . On the same day, four delegates from the neighbourhood' of 
 Randalstown, met, by appointment, at Castledawson, six dele- 
 
 I One of these persons was the unfortunate Henry Munroe, another John 
 Coulter, the proprietor of a linen bleachfield at Collin, near Lisburn, and the 
 third a gentleman belonging to the neighbourhood of Larne. 
 
106 
 
 gates from the villages or Jowns of Garvagh, Kilrea, and 
 Maghera; those from the latter, were William M‘Keiver, and 
 Walter Graham. These persons determined that risings 
 should take place at those towns, at the same hour as at Toome 
 and Randalstown, in order to distract the attention of the 
 army. They were also to secure and disarm the yeomen and 
 Orangemen of their respective districts ; and, if necessary, 
 afterwards to form a junction with the patriots of Antrim, with 
 whom a daily correspondence was to he maintained by the 
 way of Toome. 
 
 June 4. His Majesty’s birth-day was celebrated in Belfast 
 by a general illumination. A notice had been issued by 
 General Nugent, commanding the military in that town, that 
 candles should not be placed in shop windows, nor the lower 
 apartment of houses; yet many persons had their shop or par- 
 lour windows broken by the military and yeomen, because 
 these windows were not lighted. It being reported that a 
 rising would take place on that night, late in the evening a 
 strong detachment of the military, with cannon and lighted 
 matches, were marched through the principal streets. 
 
 In accordance with the decision at Templepatrick, 35 
 colonels, or representatives of corps, met at the appointed 
 time and place. The business of the day commenced by an 
 inquiry, if that the persons appointed to wait upon those de- 
 puted to the chief command, had delivered their charge. It 
 was briefly answered in the negative, which produced some 
 severe reflections regarding their indifi’erence to the national 
 interest, in the course of which altercation it was urged, that a 
 rising should immediately take place without waiting for foreign 
 aid, >^as they had now, for the third time, been disappointed. 
 This was strenuously opposed on the ground that their force, 
 though numerous, were imperfectly organized, and hence un- 
 fit for immediate warfare. The observations were followed 
 by a warm debate, and on the question being put to the vote, it 
 was decided that they should continue to wait for the arrival 
 of the French. Several, however, protested loudly again&t 
 any further delay, and stigmatized the whole proceedings as 
 dastardly in the extreme, hostile to the rights of man and 
 liberties of Ireland, and retired growling from the hill. 
 
107 
 
 The greater number of the meeting proceeded homeward by 
 the village of Ballyeaston, where a few members halted, and 
 where was then waiting a number of inferior oflScers, with a 
 leading gentleman belonging to Belfast, all anxious to learn 
 the decision of the day. On this being known, the crowd burst 
 forth into an open uproar, and the shouts of aristocrats, 
 despots, cowards, villains, and even traitors were heard from 
 the multitude. The unpopular leaders sought shelter from 
 the “pelting of the pitiless storm.” Amidst horrid threats 
 and confusion, a meeting was convened anew, at which the 
 Belfast gentleman presided, the decision at the Sheep-ree was 
 reversed, and the sovereign people declared they were ap- 
 peased! 
 
 Harmony being restored, the day of the insurrection was 
 fixed upon, as had been originally projected, viz., Thursday, 
 the 7th of June." A more distant day would have been pre- 
 ferred, but as the magistrates of the county were to meet upon 
 that day in the town of Antrim, it was determined not to let 
 ^ip the opportunity of securing them for hostages. Messages 
 to this effect were forwarded to such colonels as were absent 
 aT this important juncture ; the following copy of one of these 
 laconic epistles is taken from Teeling's Personal Narrative, 
 page 232 : — 
 
 “ Army of Ulster! To-morrow we march for Antrim, drive 
 the garrison of Randalstown before you, and hasten to form a 
 junction with the commander-in-chief. First year of liberty, 
 6th day of June, 1798. 
 
 Henry Joy McCracken.” 
 
 Of the persons who had thus hurried the country into a civil 
 war, and now hailed the near approach of the revolutionary 
 storm, not one of them were of the landed proprietors, mer- 
 chants, or influential gentlemen of the county. With a few 
 exceptions, they were men of principles as desperate as their 
 fortunes, and %ho, hence, perhaps imagined, that in the confu- 
 sion incident to a civil war, some events might spring up that 
 would advance their interest. Several of the most active on 
 this occasion were common tradesmen, who, for years previous, 
 had neglected their own affairs to attend to those of the state, 
 while they made no secret of bettering their condition by the 
 
 
 
108 
 
 plunder of the wealthy, and hence preferred the orgies of their 
 midnight cabinet to the humble vocations of the last or the 
 loom. In fact, on a review of the body by whom war was now 
 waged, the satirical saying, that “Patriotism is the last refuge 
 of a scoundrel,’* seemed, in many instances, really true. 
 
 Prom this period, the glorious reign of equality was said to 
 be at hand, and nothing was talked of but preparations for the 
 eventful day. Fire-arms were brought from where they had 
 been secreted, and pike-heads were shafted, and others con- 
 tinued to be forged — while workmen. 
 
 Females were equally busied, many in baking oaten cakes, 
 and other culinary preparations, while others sewed up cloth 
 into small bags to carry three days provisions, and which was 
 commonly believed would be sufficient for the campaign. 
 Throughout the country these preliminary preparations were 
 easily managed; but in towns where the military or yeomanry 
 were quartered, they were matters of no little difficulty ar\^ 
 danger. In Belfast, though the streets were patrolled by the 
 military at all hours, guards placed on all the public roads 
 leading out of the town, and all suspicious persons examined 
 or arrested, such was the daring enterprise of the disaffected, 
 that a sack containing flints, swords, and a green flag, was 
 passed out to the country on a car, in the wake of another 
 car guarded by yeomen, returning home with ammunition! 
 The sack containing these articles was untied, and thrown 
 carelessly on an empty car, and from the mouth of the sack 
 projected weavers old heddles. Mingled with the yeomen was 
 a countryman, owner of the horse and car ; of these, however, 
 he seemed to take no notice ; and beneath his old great coat 
 was suspended, by a rope resting upon his shoulders, 18 swords ! 
 On passing the guards stationed on the roads, 1^ whipped his 
 horse, and parted company with the yeomen. 
 
 The state of society at this period broadly displayed those 
 features of civil commotion so truly depicted by the poet, as 
 ^ characteristic of intestine convulsion, viz., “Rich men look 
 sad, and ruffians dance and leap,”— and though songs and 
 
 “ With busy hammers closing rivets up, 
 Gave dreadful note of preparation.” 
 
laughter were also occasionally heard from the young and 
 tbpghtless, it was easy to perceive, from the looks of many, 
 thlt all was far from at ease within. As the time of the rising 
 reached, an ominous gloom seemed to steal over society, 
 
 Lud to outward appearance all seemed unusually calm it was, 
 
 however, such a calm, as mariners augur to forbode the coming 
 hurricane, or travellers the sameil of the desert 
 
 “ Or, as we often see, against some storm, 
 
 A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still. 
 
 The bold wind speechless, and the orb below 
 As hush as death — anon the dreadful thunder 
 Doth rend the region.” 
 
 Agreeable to concerted measures, on the morning of the 7th 
 of June, the green flag was displayed at the hamlet of Rough- 
 fort, about six miles from Belfast. Some twenty persons were 
 here assembled with arms, among whom appeared, as leader, 
 Henry Joy M‘Cracken, from Belfast; but though the people 
 of that neighbourhood, were, in the language of that day, 
 esteemed good patriots, and had been apprized of the rising, 
 the thinness of their present muster testifled, that danger is 
 “ more often found than sought.” 
 
 For some time these persons kept moving about, evidently 
 undetermined how to act, when a man on horseback was seen 
 posting towards them from the hamlet of Carnmoney, and in a 
 few minutes drew up his steed near the flagstaff. He proved 
 to be a well-known emissary, last from Ballynure, who briefly 
 stated, that victory had already crowned their eflbrts, that the 
 patriots of Larne had led the way ; the military in that town 
 had been defeated, and compelled to surrender ; he had hastened 
 thither to proclaim the glorious news, and everywhere, as he 
 passed, the national flag was unfurled. This intelligence pro- 
 duced an immediate effect ; the welkin rung with three hearty 
 cheers, and messengers were despatched about the adjoining 
 country, to sumSbn to the field those who still lingered shar- 
 ing in the glories of the day. 
 
 Presently a number of men, armed with pikes or muskets, 
 were seen hastening towards the flag-staff, who, as they ar- 
 rived, were heartily cheered. While thus mustering, they were 
 joined by a numerous corps from Carnmoney, under the orders 
 
110 
 
 ♦ 
 
 of a young farmer named Blackburn ; and the whole being 
 soon after formed into line, they moved off to form a junction 
 with their friends at Templepatrick, where we shall now leave 
 • them and proceed to notice the progress of the rising at other 
 places. 
 
 In Larne, where hostilities first commenced, the insurgents 
 began to assemble in arms by eleven o’clock on the night of 
 the 6th, at a place near that town called the Cold Well. Their 
 numbers amounted to about 250, at least sixty of whom were 
 armed with muskets, and the others, with a few exceptions, 
 carried pikes or pitchforks. Offensive operations were, for 
 some time, retarded by the absence of their chief commander, 
 who, on inquiry, was discovered to have sailed the previous 
 evening for the Isle of Man. This difficulty was at length 
 surmounted by the promotion of another officer in his room, 
 and about two o’clock on the morning of the 7th they advanced 
 into the town in two divisions, the greater number of whom 
 took post near the Pound. In the town w'ere then quartered 
 an officer and twenty men of the Tay Scottish Pencible regi- 
 ment, who occupied a house in the town as a barrack. ..On 
 the evening of the 6th, they had been apprized that a rising 
 of the disaffected would certainly take place on that night ; the 
 officer had, therefore, made some suspicious persons prisoners, 
 and with a few loyalists, by whom he had been joined, had been 
 on the alert, without having observed any movements to coun- 
 tenance the reports received. However, at half-past 2 o’clock, 
 some persons were observed crossing the street .in a hurried | 
 j manner, on which the officer, with a few men, proceeded in that ( 
 direction, to see if there was really an unusual stir. They soon i 
 found themselves assailed by the main body of the insurgents, | 
 and from the great disparity of numbers, the soldiers were soon 
 compelled to retreat, leaving three of their number dead, and 
 having the like number wounded, one of whom was their com- * 
 mauder. Only one of the rebels is said to nave been killed, I 
 but several were severely wounded, one of whom died a few | 
 days after. I 
 
 On the retreat of the military, they concentrated their small | 
 and dispirited force at the barrack, expecting every moment I 
 to be attacked. No dispositions were, however, made by the I 
 
Ill 
 
 insurgents to follow up their advantage, but on George A. 
 M‘Claverty, Esq., a neighbouring magistrate, being brought in 
 prisoner, it was proposed that he should be sent into the bar- 
 rack with a summons, demanding the immediate surrender 
 of the soldiers. Mr. M‘Claverty protested loudly against his • 
 being the bearer of such a message, on which it was suggested 
 that he should be put in front, while a party in his rear ad- 
 vanced to attack the soldiers. This barbarous proposal was also 
 rejected, but a summons was sent into the barrack by another 
 hand, but it was returned unopened, the officer declaring that 
 they would defend themselves to the last extremity. This 
 message seemed to paralyze the exertions of the insurgents, who 
 now retired to the MiUbrae, where Mr. M‘Claverty ventured 
 to hint that they should return to their homes, while he 
 would use his best interest with the government for their pardon. 
 About this time they were joined by Edward J. Agnew, Esq., 
 of Kilwaughter, who had been sent for on the request of Mr. 
 M‘Claverty, in hopes that he would have been enabled to per- 
 suade the people to give up their arms, and to cease farther 
 warfare. However, his advice and entreaties were equally un-, 
 successful, and after his most earnest endeavours, all the favour 
 obtained was leave to return to Kilwaughter. The insurgents 
 were now joined by several straggling parties, the greater 
 number of whom had been brought from their hiding places. 
 
 At the same time an account was pretended to have been re- 
 ceived of the capture of the castle of Carrickfergus that morn- 
 ing by their friends, on which three hearty cheers were given, 
 and about eleven o’clock, they moved off in high spirits with 
 their prisoner, for the appointed general rendezvous on Done- 
 gore hill. 
 
 At the village of Bally carry, four miles from Carrickfergus, 
 the insurgents assembled on the morning of the 7th, in con- 
 siderable force, a party of whom were immediately; despatched 
 to Redhall, to^ecure some fire-arms known to be in that man- 
 sion. This service being soon effected, the entire body pro- 
 ceeded for Larne, for the purpose of forming a junction with 
 their friends in that town. Near the hamlet of Glynn they 
 were met by a few armed stragglers, who announced their 
 
 victory at Larne, and the departure of the main body some 
 
 L 
 
 ■11 
 
112 
 
 time before for the camp. Mutual congratulations having 
 passed on the successes of the auspicious day, those bodies 
 also moved for Donegore, bringing with them two prisoners, 
 the one a soldier, the other a farmer — the latter not having 
 taken the oath of a United Irishman, declared he had no right 
 to “ turn out.*’“ Near Mounthill, the Carrickfergus yeomen 
 cavalry were seen on another road about half a mile distant, 
 on which each party halted, and those of the insurgents with 
 fire-arms were orderedin front. No farther hostile dispositions 
 were made on either side, and after gazing upon each other 
 for some time, they resumed their respective routes. 
 
 At the towns of Bally dare, Belleaston, Bally nure, and their 
 respective districts, the rebels mustered in great force on the 
 morning of the 7th. Many, nevertheless, were reported absent, 
 the greater number of whom were esteemed veteran patriots, 
 who, for years previous, had declared that their highest am- 
 bition was to serve in the army of the Irish republic. On in- 
 quiries made regarding the numerous defaulters, some were 
 reported to have been suddenly seized with the most violent 
 bowel complaints, others with cramps or rheumatic pains ; the 
 wives of several were given out as at the point of death ; some 
 only the night before were said to have had their ankles 
 strained, but for the absence of the greater number, not even 
 a pretext was assigned. Parties were immediately sent out in 
 search of the fugitives, some of whom were discovered, and 
 compelled to “ turn out” from their hiding places, while others, 
 on being dragged forth, protested they would not go to fight, 
 and if they must die, they would rather die where they were. 
 Some of these, notwithstanding their piteous wailings, were 
 forced along to the ranks, while others, after a few hearty 
 kicks, were suffered to remain. 
 
 In Bally dare, their chief commander was a wheelwright, with 
 whom was associated a man who had been for some time in the 
 regular army, and hence he was believed to ^ an adept in 
 martial tactics. About half-past ten o’clock this body was 
 joined by a regiment from Belleaston and Ballj^boley, under 
 the orders of a respectable dealer of the former place. The 
 
 “ In speaking of this insurrection it is very rarely called a rebellion, but 
 commonly the “ turn out the call used at the time, to those who appeared 
 tardy to come forth to the ranks. 
 
113 
 
 bodies were now formed into sections, every thirteenth man 
 of whom was an officer of one rank or other. During these 
 arrangements, accounts were said to have^ been received of the 
 capture of the castle of Carrickfergus that morning by storm. 
 This news appeared to give new life to their proceedings; 
 shouts of joy reverberated throughout the line, while during 
 these deafening cheers, orders were given to march, and the 
 whole took the road leading to Antrim. These corps bore 
 with them the colours or flags of their former volunteer com- 
 panies. On that of Belleaston was in large capitals, ‘ ‘ Liberty 
 and our country,'^ and on Bally dare, “ Fear no danger.'' By 
 the way, many were pressed into the service, and near Doagh 
 they were joined by another corps commanded by a farmer of 
 that neighbourhood. Their progress was marked by songs, 
 cheers, and peals of laughter, and all seemed to say, — 
 
 “ Blithe souls and merry hearts have we.” 
 
 The Bally nure regiment proceeded by a different route, 
 joining, by the way, those from Larne. Just before- their 
 junction, the following incident took place, which afterwards 
 became the subject of conversation: — In front of the line, on 
 horseback, rode Larry Dempsy, a deserter from the 24th dra- 
 goons, who, on this occassion, flourished a rusty sword, by 
 , which he, at times, appeared to direct the movements of the 
 corps. The pride of office, for Larry was now an adjutant, 
 had thrown him off* his guard, and he exclaimed, in a rich 
 
 Munster brogue, “By J s, boys, we’ll pay the rascals 
 
 this day for the battle of the Boyne.” This untimely slip of 
 Larry excited no little uneasiness, and he was calmly cautioned 
 by a brother officer, and told not to use such language, as it 
 would not do ! The bustle that now took place in congratu- 
 lating the heroes of Larne on their glorious victory, saved 
 Larry from farther rebuke, but allusions continued to be 
 made to his words, until they arrived in the vicinity of Done- 
 gore hill, when the novelty of the scene changed the conver- 
 sation. 
 
 In the towns of Belfast, Lisburn, and Carrickfergus, the 
 disaffected were awed into submission by their numerous gar- 
 risons, yet some days previous, several zealous adherents from 
 
114 
 
 these towns passed into the country, and were actively en- 
 gaged in the insurgent ranks ; and, on the night of the 6th of 
 June, at a meeting of United Irishmen^ held near the latter 
 town, where it was, with a few exceptions, determined not to 
 attempt a rising until they should learn the result of the forth- 
 coming day. In fact, in almost every town, village, or hamlet, 
 in the county of Antrim, hostile movements, in a greater or 
 lesser degree, took place, but as several of these bodies were 
 not engaged in the assault on the towns of Randalstown, An- 
 trim, or Ballymena, we proceed with an account of the actions 
 at these places — afterwards following up the lesser events of 
 the day in detail. 
 
 In the parishes of Drumaul, Dunean, district of Grange, 
 and part of the parish of Connor, the insurgents assembled in 
 great force on the appointed day, for the purpose of co-oper- 
 ating in an assault upon the town of Kandalstown. In that 
 town were then quartered about fifty of the Toome yeomanry 
 under the orders of Captain Henry Ellis. On the preceding 
 day he had been apprised of some hostile preparations in his 
 neighbourhood, and during the night a few cavalry sent out 
 to patrole were made prisoners on the Ballymena road. 
 
 About 12 o’clock, a.m. the insurgents’ column was seen 
 advancing in great force, on the roads leading into the town, 
 their political orders distinguished by their several banners 
 or flags ; the ensigns of those merely United Irishmen were 
 merely pieces of green stuff attached to a pike shaft ; those of 
 the defenders were of the same material, but edged with white 
 or yellow, a large yellow cross in the field. Some of these 
 were ornamented in a fanciful manner with a yellow harp 
 without a crown, and on, at least, one, was wrought in Roman 
 capitals, “Remember Armagh.” The regular returns of 
 the leaders of the defenders in the coun^ of Antrim, in round 
 numbers, only amounted to 8500. 
 
 On the arrival of these bodies near the town, some delay 
 took place as to which should advance first to the attack, and 
 at length it was determined that they should advance together, 
 which they did. The chief commander, until this time, ap- 
 peared to be a person named Henderson, but he now deserting 
 his post, was filled up by another named Dickson, who after- 
 
115 
 
 V 
 
 wards behaved with fearless intrepidity. Their number, at 
 this time, has been estimated at 9,000 men, but though very 
 numerous, they have probably been overrated. 
 
 At this time, they, the yeomanry, were drawn up across 
 the street, between whom and the insurgents, who had ad- 
 vanced by the Toome road, firing immediately commenced, 
 but the former being also about to be assailed in their rear, 
 retreated into the market-house, and securing the gates, re- 
 tired to the upper story, while the insurgents, taking 
 possession of the opposite houses, a desultory warfare was, for 
 some time, kept up, with little efiect on either side. Judging 
 from the firing kept up during this confiict, never were 
 combatants less disposed to deeds of blood. Seldom did any 
 of either appear in sight ; the muzzles of the guns were merely* 
 seen, and they were fired off either by those protected by the 
 window jambs, or who lay squatted on the floor. During this 
 contest, some, however, of the insurgents, ventured in close to 
 the walls of the market-house, and as their opponents pointed 
 out their pieces to fire, they knocked them aside with their 
 pikes. This caution, however, was commonly unnecessary, 
 as the contents of their guns rarely descended lower than the 
 roof of the adjoining house, so that if any person was killed or 
 wounded, they had themselves to blame. 
 
 The warfare had continued for about forty minutes in this 
 way, when a woman brought out some burning straw from an 
 adjoining house, and thrust it through the iron gratings of the 
 market-house. This fire being likewise fed with straw by 
 those without, and also by some of the like material lying 
 about'within, the place was soon enveloped in smoke and flame. 
 The yeomen now ceased firing, and cried "out that they had 
 surrendered, and the stairs leading to the loft being burnt 
 down, they were relieved from their perilous situation by 
 ladders raised against the windows from the street. In this 
 affair three of the yeomen were killed, and five wounded ; of 
 the rebels two were killed, but their wounded could not be 
 ascertained. 
 
 Immediately on the surrender of the yeomen they were dis- 
 armed and sent off under a strong guard to Grogan island, an 
 insurgent encampment then forming about one mile distant ; 
 
116 
 
 and on the following morning their officers, and Jones, 
 were forwarded, under an escort, to Ballymena, which, at this 
 time, was regarded as head-quarters. 
 
 The capture of Randalstown being thus effected, a strong 
 division, chiefly consisting of those from Dunean and Grange, 
 were ordered home to throw down Toome bridge, lest they 
 should be attacked in their rear by troops from the county of 
 Derry. At the same time a numerous body under their 
 respective leaders, Orr, Dickson, Maginnis, and Halliday, the 
 former of whom appeared chief commander, hastened to assist 
 in the meditated attack upon the town of Antrim. 
 
 The Toome column had scarcely proceeded about one mile 
 and a half homeward, when they were met by a messenger, by 
 whom they were informed that some cavalry from Derry had 
 already passed the bridge, and were on their way to Randals- 
 town ; on which intelligence they moved off the great road, and 
 took post nearly a mile distant in the fields. Presently the 
 horsemen came in sight. They were soon distinguished to be 
 the Salterstown yeomen troop, imder the orders of Captain 
 Patterson. On their observing themselves so near an armed 
 host, they slackened their pace, and wheeled about, to return. 
 At this moment a shot was discharged by one of the insurgents, 
 from a long fowling-piece. The ball hit one of the cavalry, 
 who feU, while his horse on looking at his fallen rider, brought 
 up their rear. A hard run was now made by a number of 
 the insurgents towards the fallen horsemen ; and a furious 
 struggle took place for his boots and buckskin breeches, which 
 were torn off as quickly as they could have been by so many 
 Cossacks or Arabs. He proved to be a young man named 
 HuU, from Magherafelt, who died two days after of his wound. 
 
 The corps continued their route, to execute the service on 
 which they had been deputed, and about 6 o’clock in the even- 
 ing commenced the destruction of the bridge. From its excel- 
 lent masonry it proved a work of no little difficulty and labour, 
 and resisted, for nearly 14 hours, the most earnest application 
 of the crow-bar, spade, and pick-axe, when a little after 8 
 o’clock, on the morning of the 8th, the centre arch fell into 
 the river with a tremendous crash. 
 
 In the evening, the Randalstown insurgents, alarmed by the 
 
117 
 
 report of the defeat of their friends at Antrim, evacuated that 
 town, and retired to their encampment at Grogan island, and 
 in the course of the night many stole off home. Many, how- 
 'ever, were merry over their battle, and some omens of dissen- 
 tion were even visible, the Protestant party toasting success to 
 the Irish union, while the Eoman Catholics merely drank suc- 
 cess to the real defenders — meaning themselves. 
 
 Agreeably to preconcerted arrangements, on the night of 
 the 7 th, a rising took place at Maghera, county of Derry, to 
 the amount of at least 5000 men, about 500 of whom had fire- 
 arms ; the others were armed with pikes, pitch^forks, and turf 
 spades. On the evening of the 6th, one of the Kilrea dele- 
 gates joined the yeomen, and turned informer, hence, no ris- 
 ing was attempted there, but a partial rising took* place at 
 Garvagh, but not being so numerous as had been expected, 
 they were deserted by their leaders, and soon after dispersed. 
 During the night of the 7th, two messengers from Maghera 
 were despatched to Antrim, to learn if that their forces were 
 wanted in Antrim ; and they were instructed to hasten thither 
 with all speed. They were scarcely gone homeward, when 
 accounts reached Toome of the defeat at Antrim on the 7th, 
 and the wounding. of their respected landlord. Lord O’Neill, 
 and that General Knox, and Colonel Leigh were advancing 
 upon Maghera and Castledawson. In this dilemma, it was de- 
 termined to redouble their efforts to throw down the bridge, 
 and to let the Maghera people shift for themselves ! In the 
 mean time, the insurgents at Maghera had received intelligence 
 that the army were advancing upon them, and that the 
 Boveagh cavalry, under Captain Keyland were already seen 
 at some distance, the whole legion assembled, fied, leaving 
 their leaders to make the best terms they could. The chief 
 leaders upon this occasion were William M‘Keiver, William 
 Harper, and Walter Graham. The two former effected their 
 escape to America, but the, latter was betrayed at Newtown- 
 limavady into the hands of the military, suffered the extreme 
 penalty of the law, as did a person named Hardy. 
 
 While hosts were thus pressing forward to Antrim, Major 
 Seddons, commandant in that town, had, about nine o’clock on 
 the same morning, received a message from General Nugent, 
 
acquainting him that the town was about to be attacked by 
 the rebels, and that troops were ordered to his support. The 
 garrison of Antrim, at this time, consisted of one troop of the 
 22nd dragoons, a company of yeomen belonging to the town, 
 and about forty other inhabitants who had been summoned 
 that morning to take up arms, but on the services of many of 
 these no dependence could be placed. The common alarm 
 was greatly heightened by the discovery that several of the 
 disaffected had left the town that morning, as, was believed, to 
 assist in the meditated attack. On searching the premises of 
 some of these, pike-heads were found, on which two of their 
 houses were set on fire and consumed. At the same time 
 thirty-five suspected persons were arrested, and lodged in the 
 great room above the market-house. 
 
 About eleven o’clock, several persons came into the town 
 from the country, each of whom brought a varying tale. They, 
 however, agreed that the people were everywhere in arms and 
 concentrating their numbers on Dunegore hill, where they pur- 
 posed an encampment. Soon after several magistrates arrived 
 to attend the proposed meeting, among whom were James S. 
 Moore, and Eobert Gamble, Esqrs. They had come from 
 Ballymena that morning, where they had left all quiet,' but 
 they had been assailed by some armed men near Kells. 
 
 At half-past one o’clock, the dragoons stationed on the look 
 out reported that immense bodies of armed men were advan- 
 cing on the Ballyclare and Templepatrick roads, and soon after, 
 these halted near the head of the Scotch-quarter, or east end 
 of the town. In each column those armed with muskets were 
 in front, and were mostly old volunteers ; in the rear of the 
 Templepatrick division was a brass six-pounder cannon fixed 
 on the wheels of an old chaise, and filled to the muzzle with 
 musket balls. This pi€ce was under the direction of deserters, 
 chiefly from the artillery, but they had neither slow match 
 nor portfires, peat, carried by one of the gunners, in 
 an iron pot, serving for both. ° The column consisted chiefly 
 
 ° This was one of the Belfast volunteer cannon that had been long secreted 
 in the Presbyterian meeting-house of Templepatrick. The other cannon, hid 
 in the same house, was also dug up, but having only a few rounds of ammu- 
 nition, and no carriage, it was suffered to remain near where hid, and on the 
 following day was surrendered to the army. 
 
119 
 
 t 
 
 of the Carnmoney, Eouglifort, and Templepatrick regiments, 
 and had been joined at Muckamore by those of that district, 
 Cruinlin, and Killead, and now filled the road, their pikes ap- 
 pearing above the adjoining hedges, as far as the eye could 
 reach. 
 
 This halt was occasioned by the smoke still issuing from 
 the houses that had been set on fire, the cause of which they 
 were anxious to learn before they entered the town. During 
 this delay, messengers passed several times across the fields be- 
 tween those on the different roads, and a little after two o’clock 
 the whole were again in motion, amounting to upwards of 
 7000 men. Notwithstanding these numbers, from their coming 
 within about a mile of Antrim, their forces had been diminish- 
 ing on various pretences, some by halting, as they said, to ease 
 nature, others by sitting down pretending to take gravel out 
 of their shoes, and many made off without assigning any 
 cause whatever, none of whom ever again joined the ranks ; 
 these were, however, comparatively few, compared with those 
 who threw away their arms on the order given to advance, 
 who scampered off without minding, in the least, the threats or 
 scoffs of their companions. The desertions from the Bally - 
 dare division, in particular, has been computed to amount to 
 nearly one-fifth of their original number. 
 
 Those on the Templepatrick road moved down by the 
 Scotch-quarter or east end of the main street. Their advanced 
 division was told off for street firing ; in their rear came the 
 field-piece, and behind it were the numerous pikemen. Those 
 on the Bally dare road did not enter the town, but turned off 
 to their right across the fields, and defiled down the north side 
 of the town, for the purpose of entering it by Bow-lane. A 
 division from Randalstown was also to have entered by Pedie’s- 
 lane ; by these arrangements it was purposed to place the mili- 
 tary between two fires, by which, it was believed, they must 
 immediately surrender, or be cut to pieces. 
 
 The delay occasioned by the smoke proved highly fortunate 
 for the garrison, as, in the interim, a reinforcement had arrived 
 from Lisburn, consisting of two troops of the 22nd dragoons, 
 SL troop of yeomen cavalry (Maragel), and a detachment of 
 artillery with two pieces of cannon. These were under the 
 
120 
 
 rders of Colonel Lumley of the 22nd dragoons, who had 
 hastened forward before the 4th light battalion, under Colonel 
 Clavairy, from Blaris camp, ere the troops on their way from 
 Belfast could possibly arrive. The artillery took post in the 
 street, in a line with the west side of the entrance from Belfast, 
 by Massereene bridge — the yeomen of the town, in eschalon, 
 were stationed on their flanks, and the cavalry were drawn up 
 in their rear on the sides of the street, to be ready to act as 
 circumstances might appear to require^ 
 
 By the time these momentary dispositions were completed, 
 the head of the insurgent column, which moved down the main 
 street, had halted about eight or ten perches above the church, 
 and immediately fired a volley. This was the next moment 
 answered by that of the artillery and yeomen, but though the 
 distance was scarcely 200 yards, with little efiect on either 
 side. The artillery continued to fire several rounds of grape 
 shot with great rapidity, which, had their guns been judiciously 
 laid, must have swept their opponents off the street ; but so 
 ill were they directed, that the only injury felt by the insur- 
 gents from their fire, was the shot casting up some gravel in 
 the street — while the fire of the yeomanry is reported to have 
 been almost equally inefficacious. 
 
 That no impression had been made on the enemy by the fire 
 of the cannon, had probably been observed by those who had 
 them in charge, as at this time a bombadier was killed by a 
 musket ball, in the act of laying anew one of tlie guns. The 
 rebel musketeers perhaps anticipating more fatal effects from an 
 alteration making in the direction of the guns, made a sudden 
 rush from the street over the wall of the adjoining church-yard, 
 which, at the part where they passed over, was only about four 
 feet high — lower down, however, the wall was much higher, 
 and it also commanded, in a great measure, the adjoining 
 street. At this time the slight current of air stirring, carried 
 the smoke raised by the firing on the faces of the military, 
 who were thus, for a time, deprived of seeing what was passing 
 in their front. Hence the slackening of the fire of the insur- 
 gents, as they clambered over the wall, had been mistaken for 
 their having fallen into confusion, or retreat, and the cannon 
 and yeomen were ordered to cease firing j about 80 of the dra- 
 
121 
 
 
 goons were formed into a line, and headed by Colonel Lnmley 
 — they made a furious charge up the street. At setting out, 
 they were met by a discharge from the six pounder cannon of 
 the rebels, which, until this time, had been unobserved. When 
 nearly up with this gun, it was again discharged with still 
 more fearful eflect, while, at the same time, they also sustained 
 a destructive fire from those in the church-yard. One of the 
 wheels of the rebel cannon was broken down by this last shot, 
 or, according to another account, from one of the wounded 
 horses having fallen upon it. Be this as it may, it was ren- 
 dered unfit for farther service, and after an attempt made to 
 I)rop up the broken wheel, it was abandoned. 
 
 Notwithstanding the severe loss sustained, the charge was 
 vigourously continued, until they became entangled among the 
 numerous pikemen who filled the street, who closing upon 
 them, their swords were found a very inefficacious weapon, 
 where, perhaps, a dozen pikes were at once directed against 
 the rider or his horse. From this unequal contest they were 
 soon compelled to retire, and they again suffered some loss as 
 they passed the church, from the fire of those in the yard. 
 
 The greater number of the horsemen retreated by Massereene 
 bridge, the artillery retired farther down the street, nearly 
 opposite the entrance from Bow-lane, and the yeomen hastened 
 their retreat into the garden of Massereene castle, the wall of 
 which was an excellent defence, and commanded, in a great de- 
 gree, the main street as far as the church. These movements 
 had become imperative, as it was confidently asserted that 
 they were about to be attacked in their rear. This report 
 proved really true ; and the force was the Ballyclare division, 
 who agreeable to concerted measures, were appointed to enter 
 the town by Bow-lane. In their progress, a company were 
 ordered to join a corp under the orders of John Story, about 
 to enter by Pedie’s-lane, but by this time the firing had com- 
 menced by those of Templepatrick, and the entreaties and 
 threats of Story were equally unavailing, his men, one and all, 
 refused to quit the lane, and go out to the street. ^ 
 
 At length the head of the Ballyclare column entered the 
 main street, where they were met by a volley from the yeomen, 
 P Trial of John Story, Belfast News-Letter, July 3.1793. 
 
122 
 
 # 
 
 about to enter the castle garden— and also by the fire of those 
 called loyalists who lined the garden wall. Appalled by the 
 fall of a number of their men, in tumultuoais confusion those 
 who had entered the street fied back into the lane, many of 
 whom continued their flight across the fields. However, about 
 one-half of the column, as if ashamed of their timidity, halted 
 in the adjoining gardens, and after some consultation, they 
 determined to make another effort to enter the town, which 
 they did by passing by the rear of some ruinous houses, and 
 came into the main street, a little east of the market-house. 
 From the situation of this building in the street, they were 
 also, in a great measure, covered from the fire which continued 
 to issue from the garden wall, on the least chance of its doing 
 execution ; while, at the same time, chance shots were heard 
 from those in the church-yard. 
 
 Those from Ballyclare, as they entered, were ranged on the 
 northern side of the street, and such as had fire-arms imme- 
 diately commenced firing upon some wounded and straggling 
 horsemen, which remained a little farther down on the oppo- 
 site side, who, unable to offer opposition with any chance of 
 success, retired by Bow-lane ; while the artillery having two 
 of their number killed, and without any support, fled, leaving 
 their guns and tumbrils in the street. On their retreat, a 
 party of rebels rushed forward with loud cheers to seize the 
 cannon, but every man of these are said to have been kiUed 
 by the fire from those in the garden, and no farther attempt 
 of the kind was made. At length a woman belonging to the 
 town, of herculean strength, named Gordon, ventured out and 
 seized the straggling horses. She yoked them to the tumbrils, 
 and drew them in under cover of the garden wall, which hav- 
 ing secured of herself, with the help of a brave artillery man, 
 who had not left his charge, they dragged the two guns along 
 side the tumbrils. Not a shot was fired at her during this 
 service, very few of the insurgents being in sight at the time. 
 
 At this time, only a few shots were heard from the garden 
 wall, those within only firing when persons appeared in the 
 street. Thus greviously annoyed by their fire, by which many 
 had been killed and wounded, it was purposed by M‘Cracken, 
 who was now engaged in rallying his troops, that a detach- 
 
123 
 
 merit, headed by himself, should pass down by the north side 
 of the town, and through a small wood, force the garden gate 
 in the rear, and cut off the rascals in the garden, from whom 
 they had suffered so much. In Bow-lane, as observed above, 
 were then collected a number of the scattered dragoons, who, 
 on seeing a considerable body coming, as they believed, to 
 attack them, and to cut off their retreat, set off on the Ran- 
 dalstown road at full gallop. At this time a large body of men, 
 the chief commander of whom was Samuel Orr, had advanced 
 from Randalstown, who had now halted, and their other leaders, 
 Dickson, Halliday, and Maginnis, not then knowing that the 
 town was in possession of the insurgents, were engaged in an 
 angry discussion, as to which of the divisions should enter the 
 town at Patie’s, and which by Bow-lane. At the height of 
 their discussion, the dragoons hove in sight, and them from 
 Randalstown supposing that their friends in Antrim had been 
 defeated, immediately fled, each man deeming himself lucky 
 in effecting his escape. This strange scene had been observed 
 by the party of M‘Cracken, who were seized with panic, and 
 they refused to go farther. He, however, insisted on their 
 advancing, but fair words or threats were equally disregarded, 
 and seizing a pike, he swore he would destroy the first one 
 who offered to run away. This threat, however, only served 
 to increase.the confusion, and in attempting to stop some who 
 were making off, he was thrown down by the pressure 
 of the crowd, who letting fall their weapons, they scampered 
 away in promiscuous confusion. 
 
 On this occurrence being known, a person named M‘Givern, 
 belonging to the town of Antrim, and one of those who had 
 left it that morning for the purpose of assisting in its attack, 
 volunteered to lead a party against the yeomen, on the service 
 purposed by M‘Cracken. After some time, 53 persons armed 
 with muskets proffered their service, but as they were about 
 to march off, it was announced that the army from Belfast 
 were at the head of the town, and, in a moment after, the whole 
 party, with their numerous friends who were regaling them- 
 selves in the adjoining houses, were in tumultuous retreat. 
 
 This reinforcement was under the orders of Colonel J ames ^ 
 
 Durham, of the Pifeshire fencible regiment, and consisted of 
 
 M 
 
one troop of the 22nd dragoons, the Belfast yeoman cavalry, 
 about 300 of the Monaghan militia, and a detachment of ar- 
 tillery with two field six-pounders. Some round shot were 
 fired by these in their advance down the street, hut by this 
 time the insurgents were mostly clear of the town, and out of 
 the way of either shot or shell. It being reported that many 
 of the insurgents were secreted in the liouses, single files of 
 men were sent down in rear of the houses, as the main body 
 proceeded by the street, and many of the inhabitants fied into 
 their gardens, and by not having kept their houses, lost their 
 lives. 
 
 About twenty minutes after their arrival, the third light 
 battalion arrived from Blaris, bringing with them some thirty 
 prisoners whom they had taken by the way, with arms in their 
 hands, who were disposed of in a very summary manner, 
 as were such wounded as were found about the gardens and 
 streets. This battalion remained in the town for the night, 
 and the artillery were ordered to take post in Shane’s castle. In 
 the course of the night they amply justified the public opinion, 
 
 t 
 
 formerly given by General Abercromby, of the disordered state 
 of discipline in the British army, of whom, at present, it is 
 enough to say, that throughout the night their conduct exhi- 
 bited ample proofs. Soon after their arrival in that mansion, a 
 Serjeant was sent to the adjoining village to purchase bread 
 and other refreshments. On passing a little thicket on his 
 way, two stout fellows rushed out, made him prisoner, disarmed 
 him of his sword, and bore him forcibly along, before, in his 
 surprise, he had time to call out for assistance, or even look 
 about. They carried him ofi* that evening to near Kells, where 
 he was kept to their final dispersion on the following Saturday. 
 We shall here leave them, and proceed to notice the progress 
 of the insurrection in other parts of the country. 
 
 At Glenarm, the rebellion began on the 7th, by the insurgents 
 taking prisoners some yeomen and loyalists, in retaliation for 
 some of their friends arrested by the former on the previous day. 
 Immediately after, the rebels began to assemble in considerable, 
 numbers on Bellavie hiU, near that town, while the yeomen 
 corps took post in the castle of the Earl of Antrim, in its im- 
 mediate vicinity. During the day, some loyalists from Larne, 
 
125 
 
 yho were hastening to Glenarm, not being aware that it was 
 in the hands of the insurgents, were made prisoners by a party 
 of insurgents, and carried to Bellavie, and threatened to be 
 shot. On their inquiry by whose order they were detained, 
 they were answered by a fellow named Eourke, “by the 
 authority of the republic.’' On the 8th, an exchange of pri- 
 soners took place, man for man. Among those liberated by . 
 the yeomen, was the Rev. Robert Achison, Presbyterian 
 minister of Glenarm, who immediately after took the chief 
 command of the insurgents. On the arrival of Achison in the 
 camp, it was purposed by the leaders from the Glynn, that 
 they should immediately march for the general rendezvous at 
 Dunagore, but this proposal, after some debate, was laid aside, 
 and it was agreed that they should wait to the following day. 
 The number upon Bellavie hill on this evening was computed 
 at 1800 men, besides many women, boys, and children, and a 
 report being spread that Belfast and Blaris camps had been 
 taken on the 7th, by the troops of “the republic,” the time 
 passed in all the fabled festivities of the tented field. At 
 dusk, however, their mirth was turned to sadness. Some fu- 
 gitives arrived, who announced their defeat on the evening of 
 the 7th, at Antrim, and by the morning of the 9th, not one 
 person remained on Bellavie to testify where this fa?mous muster 
 had been. 
 
 At Ballymena, the report of an insurrection breaking out 
 had been whispered for some days previous to the 7th of June ; 
 and on the 6th, many of the disaffected of the town and neigh- 
 bourhood w^ere busied in shafting their pikes, and flinting 
 their fire-arms. By the morning of the 7th, the alarm had . 
 become general, which, about 12 o’clock, was much increased 
 by two prisoners being brought in by some yeomen from the 
 neighbourhood of Portglenone ; two had been taken that morn- 
 ing in the act of warning the people to rise in rebellion. At 
 2 o’clock, it was reported that the insurgents were advancing 
 upon the town on the Broughshane road, and soon after, the 
 Rev. William M‘Claverty, a magistrate, accompanied by four 
 yeomen cavalry, set out in that direction to learn if this re- ^ 
 ' port was true. About a mile forward, the insurgents were 
 seen advancing in a dense column, who immediately com- 
 
 
126 
 
 menced firing, on which the cavalry scampered oflT. Mr. 
 Claverty’s horse taking fright, and becoming restive, he was 
 thrown oflT, and while lying from the effects of the fall, he was 
 barbarously beaten by some of the insurgents. He was at 
 length enabled to rise, and though wounded and besmeared 
 with blood and dirt, was brought into Ballymena, amidst the 
 most savage yells of exultation. 
 
 A little before Mr. M‘Claverty’s setting out, about 30 of the 
 most respectable inhabitants, who, a few days before, had set 
 down their names to assist, when necessary, in defence of the 
 town, were summoned to attend at the market-house to take 
 up arms. A few of these were really zealous loyalists, but the 
 greater number had been called thither lest they should be 
 available to the rebels, rather than from any aid expected from 
 their services. Their fidelity was sooner put to the test than 
 had been expected, for, on the report being spread of the cap- 
 ture of Mr. M‘Claverty, the greater number of those collected, 
 fled, while those who remained, with some four or five yeo- 
 men, entered the market-house, and securing the gates, took 
 post in its upper or second story. 
 
 Presently a most discordant flourish of horns, conch-shells, 
 and glass-trumpets or tubes, announced the entry of the in- 
 surgents at the head of the town or Church -street. Their 
 front division were entirely armed with muskets, and were 
 chiefly composed of the “ Boys of the Braid,” a district formerly 
 pre-eminent for the number of its volunteer corps. Their 
 numbers filled the street from side to side, and, as seen from 
 the market-house, could not fail of impressing upon the few 
 within, the folly of opposition. Some one, therefore, ven- 
 tured to suggestthe propriety of their immediate surrender, 
 in case they were offered good terms. The mention of sur- 
 render roused the fiery indignation of Thos. Dickson, a school- 
 master, and a most determined loyalist, between whom and 
 the disaffected of the town, there had for long existed the most 
 inveterate hostility. He declared, with great vehemence, that 
 however others might be disposed, he would never surrender 
 ^ his arms to rebels, and he proceeded to point out that they had 
 nothing to fear, having plenty of ammunition and arms, and 
 within good stone walls. His harangue was here broken off 
 
127 
 
 by a volfey from those without, which, however, from the low 
 situation of the assailants, did no damage except breaking the 
 glass of the windows, their shot having lodged in the ceiling of 
 the room. 
 
 This salute was immediately answered from the market- 
 house, but from their height above those in the street, their 
 balls passed harmlessly over their heads, though, at the time, 
 they appeared to have “ done the state some service.” Alarmed * 
 by the astounding peal and whistling of the balls overhead, 
 those nearest the market-house endeavoured to get away, and, 
 in the confusion that ensued, were thrown down. Their cries 
 served to increase the confusion among the crowd, and many 
 others, in their haste to get off, were also overthrown, and 
 others again falling over them, several thousand persons were 
 thus sprawling on the street, the greater number of whom 
 supposed that all were slain, or at least kilt, but themselves ! 
 
 During this confusion a considerable number are reported to 
 have made off home, but the multitude, on recovering from 
 their panic, and finding themselves really alive, as if ashamed 
 of the strange confusion into which they had fallen, seemed 
 anxious to renew their attack on the market -house, which, 
 however, was again suspended by an equally unlooked for event. 
 
 On that morning a detachment of yeomen cavalry quartered 
 in the town, had, with the exception of some six or seven, left 
 it for the purpose of escorting two of their officers, who were 
 magistrates, to Antrim, to attend a meeting of the magistracy, 
 called by the governor of the county on that day. This 
 service being performed, they had hastened back, and arrived 
 at the end of the bridge leading into the town as the insurgents 
 were about to arrange matters to renew their attack. — 
 Astonished at the appearance of such a vast concourse, where, 
 a few hours before, they had left all quiet, they stood unde- 
 termined how to act. To advance or retreat appeared equally 
 hopeless and impracticable. Before them was an armed host, 
 and, in their rear, they had seen the people everywhere in 
 arms. While thus amazed, the pikemen rushed forward with 
 savage yells, to whom the yeoman officer surrendered his 
 sword, his men did the like, and were led off prisoners to the 
 black-hole, and their commander to an adjoining ale-house. 
 
128 
 
 Immediately after this achievement by the pikemen, the 
 musketeers, in high spirits, resumed their assault upon the 
 market-house. However, for some time they seemed to have 
 scarcely surmounted their former fears, firing only when 
 sheltered by the jambs of doors, and the corners of streets ; 
 but they at length took post in the opposite houses, from the 
 windows of which they were* enabled to fire into those of the 
 * market-house with greater safety and effect. 
 
 Throughout this warfare the interpid Davison, by his 
 example, endeavoured to keep up the spirits of his companions, 
 and fearing that balls might fall short, he husbanded his stock 
 by firing from his blunderbuss, buttons cut from his coat, and 
 nails taken from the walls. The iron gates below were at 
 length forced open by sledges, and shots were discharged by 
 those below up through the loft, and down in return, but 
 without either producing any deadly effect. At this time a 
 tar -barrel was also set on fire for the purpose of its being 
 carried in beneath the loft, but as this service was deemed a 
 kind of forlorn hope, the barrel was for some time suffered to 
 waste its flame in the street. 
 
 At this time a man was observed sitting in the street, on a 
 basket, with his head reclining upon his knees, and who appear- 
 ed neither to see, hear, nor take an interest in the busy scene 
 passing around him. He was on his way home from Dublin, 
 where he had been defeated in a tedious lawsuit, and had come 
 from Belfast that morning, bringing with him some flax on 
 which he now rested. On coming into the town he had been 
 taken prisoner by the United Irishmen, with whom he had no 
 connection ; a pike had been put into his hands, which now lay 
 beside him, and he wished for any chance to mend his life, “ or 
 to be rid on’t.” His downcast and disordered looks had at- 
 tracted the notice of some of those near him, one of whom gave 
 him a hearty swill from a jug of whisky, teUing him, at the 
 same time, to keep up liis heart for the sake of Quid Ireland, 
 in whose cause they were now fighting. The spirits taken had 
 began to operate upon him as a cry was raised, “ will no one 
 serve his country and carry the barrel under the market-house 
 before it bums out.” Roused by this appeal, he darted forward, 
 seized the barrel, now half enveloped in flame, and threw it 
 
 
 
 .. 
 
129 
 
 beneath the loft. The admiring crowd gave three hearty 
 cheers, and while they yet sounded, he grasped his basket, the 
 crowd made way, and the next moment he was on his way to 
 the Glynn ! 
 
 The flame being fed by other persons, soon made its appear- 
 ance through the floor, when all, except the heroic Davison, 
 called out that they had surrendered, and ceased to fire. The 
 firing, however, was still maintained from without, on which 
 some of those within, slided down by a window in the rear, or 
 made to descend into the street. In this attempt three persons 
 were shot, as has been reported, through the obstinacy of 
 Davison, who had not given in, but as the men killed had no 
 arms, and had held up their hands to testify their submission, 
 the tale appears an ill-founded excuse for their barbarity. 
 However this may have been, Davison was at length, secured, 
 and, amidst the savage yells of exulting thousands, consigned 
 with the other prisoners to the dungeon. In this affair, four 
 of the loyalist party were slain, and several wounded. Only 
 one of the rebels is said to have fallen, and of the number of 
 their wounded no account has been obtained. 
 
 Emboldened by these successes, which were magnified into 
 great victories, the multitude became more noisy and ferocious, 
 and agreeably to their received notions of ‘‘ liberty and equa- 
 lity,” deemed themselves on the eve of the consummation of 
 their schemes. One fellow, who, during the day, had been 
 more conspicuous for his vociferation than deeds of arms, fired 
 a ball through the gate leading to the mansion of Mr. Adair, 
 lord of the soil, exclaiming that it should no longer be called 
 Adair’s place, but by his name. The wife of an old nailer, 
 concluding that the grand revolution, so long talked of, was 
 come at last, ordered her husband to look dut for a “better 
 house for folk to leeve in,” but not to take an adjoining man- 
 sion near the brewery, “as it was a doomed hole,” but to get 
 one at the Hillhead. We do not learn how far her orders were 
 complied with. 
 
 About 8 o’clock in the evening, James Dickey arrived from 
 Randalstown, but last from Ahoghill, bringing with him a 
 reinforcement from the latter village. He was on horseback, 
 dressed in a green jacket, and wore a horseman’s helmet, and 
 
carried a sabre, and from his expressions and bustling activity, 
 appeared to take a great interest in affairs. Though the de- 
 feat at Antrim must have been known to him, he seemed in 
 high spirits, and if he made any communications to that effect, 
 it must have been to very few. 
 
 The close of the evening passed in the noisy demonstrations 
 of the victors, and the joyous tidings of their successes being 
 spread abroad, the surrounding districts, during the night, 
 poured forth their marshalled legions to the common rendez- 
 vous. At the same time, several of the new provincial execu- 
 tive directory, or, as they were called, committee, arrived at the 
 head inn. Guards were formed, and sentinels placed on the 
 different roads and avenues leading into the town, and none 
 were permitted to depart without giving the countersign, 
 which, on this night, was “ Fitzgerald in the dark.” 
 
 The streets were patroUed%throughout the night by several 
 thousands, accompanied by the beating of old drums, sounding 
 of horns and conch shells, and, in fact, any thing that could 
 make a noise, the discordant sounds of which were drowned at 
 times by the screaming cheers of the multitude. Though the 
 night was clear, the windows of each house were lighted up by 
 order of the committee ; while the glare and clashing of the 
 rusty arms, as they passed, and their blasphemous songs, and 
 shouts of liberty, recalled to the minds of some, the most fero- 
 cious scenes, as depicted in the public prints of the Parisian 
 rabble. The only thing wanted to complete the picture, was 
 a few dead bodies lying about, which, though overlooked at 
 the time, were, nevertheless, forthcoming on the following day. 
 
 On the previous evening, the dungeon or blackhole, beneath 
 the market-house, had been crowded with prisoners almost 
 to suffocation. Early on the morning of the 8th, their cries 
 for water and air were so excessive as to soften the hearts of 
 some of the less obdurate of the guards, and the door was 
 thrown open, while a strong guard was drawn up in its front. 
 On these arrangements, a cry was raised by the crowd, “ We’ll 
 murder Davison,” and a number of the most ferocious ruffians 
 advanced into the dungeon for the purpose of dragging him 
 out. In this attempt they were completely foiled, as Davison 
 defended himself so valiantly with a knife that he had secreted 
 
131 
 
 up hrs sleeve, that seven or eight of the ruffians were severely 
 wounded, and compelled to make a precipitate retreat. De- 
 feated in this attempt, none others dared to advance against so 
 formidable an opponent, but a number, with their guns 
 cocked, ventured to the door of the dungeon, and with the 
 most horrid imprecations, swore that they would fire into it, 
 and destroy the whole, unless Davison was put out. In the 
 distraction and terror of the moment, Davison was expelled, 
 and his murderers were seen struggling with pikes, bayonets, 
 and swords, who could pierce him first. Dor some hours after 
 his body lay exposed in. a filthy puddle, and while yet writhing 
 in the agonies of death, some of those passing, who had not 
 been present at this civic treat, gave him a stab; as they wittily 
 said, “ to try their pikes upon him.” 
 
 A few hours afterwards, James Dickey arrived from Connor, 
 where he had that morning murd^d Samuel Parker, an in- 
 habitant of that village, by stabbing him through the breast 
 with a sword. The only charge against him was his being a 
 loyalist. Dickey, on his arrival, repaired to the committee, 
 and, soon after, accompanied by a ferocious armed crowd, re- 
 paired to the black-hole, and the prisoners were called out, as 
 was said, to receive their sentence. William Crawford, a 
 constable belonging to the town, on being stabbed by him, 
 attempted to escape, calling for mercy, but he was knocked 
 down by a pike, and while lying, his head was nearly struck 
 off by Dickey with his sword, who, holding it up, exclaimed, 
 “See what a clean cut I have made.” The dead body was 
 cast into the channel beside that of Davison, but they were 
 soon after thrown on a car, and, amidst the" fiendish exclama- 
 tions of the multitude, cast into a pit that had been made to 
 receive them, in th^ church -yard. It was observed that with 
 these murders, the demand for green, or national cockades, 
 greatly increased, and the cloth shops being soon cleared of 
 their ribbons of that colour, some webs of green stuff were 
 cut up into stripes in lieu to answer the demand. 
 
 About one o’clock, a.m., a great press and bustle among the 
 crowd, accompanied by tremendous cheering, proclaimed the 
 entrance of a numerous column, from the neighbourhood of 
 Ballymoney. Their leaders ^were Callwell and Gunning, the 
 
 
132 
 
 former of whom rode with a drawn sword in front, and judg- 
 ing from his looks, he was highly gratified with his new situa- 
 tion, They had assembled on the hill of Kilraught, where 
 they had spent the previous night. On their way hither they 
 had been joined by considerable bodies from Killymorris, 
 Loughguile, Clough, and their respective neighbourhoods, who 
 had gathered on the hill of Drumlurg, which, from that in- 
 cident, has since been usually called the Pike-hill. 
 
 These divisions appeared to have been more provident than 
 any of those by whom they had been preceded, bringing with 
 them several cars laden with provisions, and wines taken from 
 the cellers of some opulent aristocrats. These were said to 
 be for the camp at Dunagore, but it is certain that no part of 
 this good cheer reached that depot ; the hampers of wine were 
 soon emptied of their contents, the heads of the bottles struck 
 off, and the wine drank or^illed in the streets . The hams, 
 and other provisions, were disposed of in an equally summary 
 manner. On the same day, some hampers of wine, which had 
 lain for many years in the secluded cellers of the mansion of 
 Mr. Adair, were also brought out to the street, and soon dis- 
 posed of. Their contents, however, did not give that satisfac- 
 tion to its consumers that might have been reasonably expected 
 from its ancient vintage, as some of them swore that they would 
 rather have had buttermilk or “ bunyramer!” 
 
 The number of insurgents in Ballymena on this day, have 
 been estimated at about ten thousand men, of whom, by far 
 the greater number were armed with pikes, and the arms of 
 many of the others as imperfect and rude as can well be 
 imagined. Some carried old guns, which appeared most dan- 
 gerous to those by whom they would have been discharged, 
 and some were even without locks, which had perhaps fallen 
 ofi*. A few carried peat spades or scythes, tied on a pole, some 
 old reaping hooks, harrow pins, or bayonets, fastened in a 
 similar manner; others carried pitchforks — one was observed 
 with an iron spindle tied upon an undressed stick — and some 
 150, who, from their unprepared state, had probably been 
 pressed into the service, were without any offensive weapons 
 whatever. In fact, the whole, from their conduct, seemed ra- 
 
o 
 
 133 
 
 ther a savage horde let loose, than men, come, as they said, to 
 look for their rights. 
 
 The junto, or executive, who directed all movements, and 
 received all messages, acquainted with the defeat at Antrim, 
 had probably begun to contemplate the desperate state of their 
 affairs, as upon this day they remained close in the inn, and 
 
 w ' 
 
 rarely appeared at the door or in the streets. It was even 
 whispered, that discord already pervaded their councils, those, 
 merely United Irishmen blaming those who were defenders for 
 having goaded them into a premature insurrection, which they 
 now alleged must lead to their inevitable ruin, 
 
 About three o’clock, p.m., an active looking man, in genteel 
 apparel, came posting into the town on horseback, inquiring 
 for the committee, and was immediately taken to their quarters. 
 In a few minutes after, he appeared on the street with two 
 members of that body, who announced, to the wonderingcrowd, 
 the surprise of the castle of CarricM“ergus by their friends, and 
 his dear friend on his right was the bearer of the happy news. 
 This joyous intelligence was proclaimed by the deafening shouts 
 of thousands, and had probably come in good time, for, in spite 
 of all the care taken by the committee to keep any disastrous 
 news from being spread, it had been given out by some strag- 
 glers, that their friends had been worsted at Antrim ; and the 
 evasive answers made to the inquiries of its truth, had served 
 to confirm the reports that had been raised. 
 
 Soon after, the stranger, who rumour now honoured with the 
 rank of a general from the enemy’s ranks, came from the inn 
 accompanied with the members of the committee, and the com- 
 manders of corps were ordered to muster them in the street. 
 As many as could be found were formed into line, when the 
 stranger took the command, and proceeded to arrange and ex- 
 ercise in their turn, both gunsmen and pikemen, with all the 
 alertness of a regular disciplinarian. 
 
 At dusk, two of the committee, accompanied by the stranger, 
 rode out to examine the outposts, which, in the evening, had 
 been farther extended, in order to prevent surprise. Talking 
 over the occurrences of the day, and their projected plan of 
 defence, they had exceeded the line of posts on the Eandals- 
 town road, when their companion perceiving that they would 
 
 j 
 
134 
 
 go no farther that way, put spurs to liis horse, and was soon 
 out of sight, while his late friends, not a little alarmed, re- 
 turned in haste to their quarters. 
 
 This night proved much quieter than that of the pre- 
 ceding, as the patrolling in the streets had been nearly laid 
 aside. The defeat at Antrim was generally known, and seve- 
 ral groups stole off from the service, in which all now declared 
 they had been pressed into, by persons they knew not whom, 
 who came from they kncAv not where. Some leaders, also, 
 took counsel from the general growing fears, and also made off, 
 and, to use a poetic phrase, 
 
 “ Fled full soon, and bade the rest keep fighting.*’ 
 
 On the morning of the 9th, though the committee still con- 
 tinued in their quarters at the inn, confusion there, also, began 
 to reign, and the members were seen running in and out like 
 rabbits in a warren, making inquiries about news at every one 
 they met, and whispering ^ith one another. As the day ad- 
 vanced, the disorder was heightened by a report that the light 
 battalion, which had been encamped at Shane’s castle on the 
 
 y 
 
 evening of the 8th, were about to advance upon Ballymena by 
 the "way of Toome. Bodies of hundreds together were now 
 seen making off without ceremony ; but thousands still lin- 
 gered in the streets, evidently overwhelmed with confusion, 
 and undetermined how to proceed. At twilight a shout was 
 raised, “ Let those who are for the camp at Dunagore hold up 
 their hands,” and after much sturdy shouting in this way, 
 about 200 persons, all bearing fire-arms, took the road leading 
 to Dunagore, while each road leading from the town appeared 
 equally thronged with the promiscuous fiight of the fugitives, 
 among whom were seen some of the grand committee ! 
 
 At Kells, they determined on halting for the night, and a 
 report being spread that the army was advancing from An- 
 trim, an ambuscade was laid for them, under the direction of 
 Larry Dempsey, but as no part of the army came, his prepara- 
 tions for their reception were in vain. 
 
 By the 10th their numbers were still farther reduced, seve- 
 ral having retired during the night, and on a consultation held 
 of the parties, various plans were purposed, but none of them 
 meeting with general approbation, others also' made off to 
 
135 
 
 shift as they could. Ninety-nine persons, all of whom were 
 believed good men and true, however, still remained with their 
 leader, Henry Joy M‘Cracken, but these still appeared equally 
 undetermined what course to pursue; but at length it was 
 determined to seek shelter, until they should learn farther 
 news, in the fastnesses of Slemish, about five miles east of 
 Kells. 
 
 On the morning of Sunday, the 3 0th, not a stranger was to 
 be seen in Ballymena, though some of the leaders of the 
 insurgents were secreted in the neighbourhood, being afraid to 
 return home. Few inhabitants were seen on the streets, 
 though the public were in a constant state of alarm, by reports 
 that the army were coming to burn the town for the part they 
 had taken in the rebellion ; though all now declared that the 
 rebels were utter strangers, who had come from no one knew 
 where, and had gone off none knew whither. At length on 
 the 11th, these reports were, in a certain measure, realised; 
 the light battalion, under the orders of Colonel Clavering, of 
 the Argyle fencibles, entered the town, and were halted on 
 the lawn in front of the mansion of Mr. Adair, and the gate 
 closed. Immediately after, the inhabitants were required to 
 furnish a refreshment for the troops, but this order not being 
 attended to, they were informed, that if provisions were not 
 immediately sent in, the soldiers would be permitted to find 
 provisions for themselves. This intimation soon produced an 
 ample supply, and in about an hour afterwards, the troops 
 were again in motion, retiring by the same road they came. 
 
 The small party of McCracken continued several days in 
 the vicinity of Slemish, and, in a marshy spot, beneath the 
 southern brow of this mountain, they dug a well, called by 
 their leader’s name, and on some stones adjoining, are still seen 
 his initials, and those of some of his followers. During their 
 stay the heath was their bed, and the sky their only canopy, 
 and each night their numbers were thinned by desertion, so 
 that, in a few days, they were reduced to about 30. On the 
 evening of the 14th, a special messenger named M‘Cann, ar- 
 rived from the insurgent camp, near Sahatfield, who announced, 
 in glowing colours, the prosperous state oftheir affairs in Down. 
 The party, in joyous expectation, immediately decamped for 
 
136 
 
 the purpose of passing into Down, by Shaw's bridge, by which 
 route the messenger had come. At dusk they reached the 
 mountain of Little Collin, and a report being spread that they 
 were come to organize a new “ turn out,” the men actually 
 fled as if an army had been at their heels, though, at this 
 time, the numbers of McCracken were reduced to 22 persons. 
 In their progress, they purposed to pass a little westward of 
 Ballyclare, and on coming near that town they heard the 
 sentinels of a guard, composed of the inhabitants, who were 
 placed on the road, challenging such persons as advanced. 
 This proceeding roused the indignation of our travellers, for 
 though this guard was formed for the ostensible purpose of 
 opposing the rebels, without one exception, the members had 
 been only a few days before deeply engaged in the rebellion. 
 A halt was now called by M‘Crackeu, and on counting their 
 numbers one was found absent, and as he was above suspicion 
 of having ran away, it was supposed, that being a stranger, he 
 had missed his way down the fields, and had fallen into the 
 hands of the guard. Determined, therefore, on the rescue of 
 their comrade, they advanced briskly, and in a few minutes 
 disarmed the sentinels and guard. This accomplished, it was 
 purposed by some to inflict an exemplary punishment on some 
 of those audacious apostates, but after some threats, the design 
 was given up, and it being evident that their comrade had 
 taken French leave, the party proceeded on their way. 
 
 Slanting across the country in the direction of Roughfort, 
 about daylight they arrived on the confines of the parish of 
 Derriaghy, where they were informed of the defeat of their 
 friends at Ballinahinch. Their situation was now deemed by 
 all desperate in the extreme, and after a short consultation, it 
 was agreed that they should disperse, on which the greater 
 number buried, or threw away their arms, each man shifting 
 for himself as he could. 
 
 A few days afterwards, M‘Cracken and two of his associates. 
 Watt and Queeny, were accidentally taken by the Carrickfer- 
 gus cavalry, when crossing the commons near that town. The 
 former was immediately tried by a court-martial, and suffered 
 the extreme penalty of the law in Belfast on the 17th of July, 
 and his two companions were, by the same court, sentenced to 
 
137 
 
 4 
 
 be transported, but after a long imprisonment, were permitted 
 to transport themselves to America. 
 
 In the northern parts of the county of Antrim, none of the 
 disaffected appeared in arms until the morning of the 8th. At 
 Ballycastle, that day was spent in mustering their forces, 
 while the yeomen corps of the neighbourhood, unable to offer 
 resistance to such an host, retired to Coleraine. In that town 
 were then quartered the Manx fencible regiment, and some 
 corps of yeomen, who had retired thither. The inhabitants 
 subscribing £150 to repair the old earthen ramparts of the 
 town, and the military being on the alert, the disaffected were 
 thus awed into subjection, and no hostile assemblage of the in- 
 surgents took place in that neighbourhood. 
 
 At BaUycastle the insurgents were no sooner in arms, than 
 they began to turn their thoughts towards the property of 
 their neighbours. Immediately after, and while they were 
 only mustering, one of their leaders, in passing a gentleman’s 
 house, struck the door a smart slap with his sword, exclaiming, 
 in a loud voice, “ This is mine.” In his progress, he passed 
 the Chapel of Ease, which he struck, using a similar expression 
 
 adding, that he would put out the present parson, and put in 
 
 another, who he then named. Thus proving, although a 
 Roman Catholic, that he had no intention of destroying the 
 church, but only to change its patronage ! 
 
 At Portglenone, Rasharkin, and their neighbourhoods, the 
 United Irishmen were in a great measure overawed by the 
 yeomen and loyalists. The latter was chiefly engaged in 
 guarding the pass over the river Bann, at Port-neal bridge, 
 and afterwards in an attempt to barricade, or throw that 
 bridge down, the rebels being reported to be in great force in 
 the county of Derry. However, on the dispersion of the in- 
 surgents on the morning of the 8th, at Maghera, their num- 
 bers at the bridge were greatly increased, thousands ‘flocking 
 thither, under the pretext of being loyalists, but who had 
 really been wielding the pike only a few hours before at 
 Maghera. 
 
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