i|! ;; > :v: JH-v^iiiiiy ieicyiai-11 r\??j^riiit2>. — j.nu. tj. The person charging ^^^.^^tl^lZ Latest Date stamped below. ^^ ^ ^^^ Theft, m«.Il..«.". •"- ::;*'X"'r..««» »" *-"^' *^ for dlM«P«I«»«'Tr "«♦•••• "" the University. r— t-r 333-MOO ;;'^- i 0i i^mogBt TtB ^ow L161— O-1096 tt EVENING TELEGRAPH" REPRIN'ts.— V. lEELAlSTD'S ATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS A SERIES OF ARTICLES BY WESTON ST. J. JOYCE Reprinted from the ''^Evening Telegraph" 4* DUBLIN: 33 MIDDLE ABBEY STREET. 1886. }£ii^Jkiii:-.w% div£i>it.^'. -■■ ■ „. i.-. .•;.;j v-Olj v -.t-' r-f^- :' .■;» ■ ; i w ^ '.^w yi j^iim ' tCT :p-^.^ ^ fr-- .«l;_v'.' . C: - -—i •■•' ■ V'^^^^'--pVi^<^'f.. ' k I eO PREFACE In the following series of articles an endeavour has been made, without deference to sect or party, to truthfully delineate the leading battles fought on Irish soil from the Danish invasion down to modem times. From still earlier ages many great battles arc recorded ; but in those remote periods history was to such an extent encroached ujMn, if not superseded, by fable and romance, as to render any detailed accounts almost valueless, except as legendary classics. Even in the Danish period, chroniclers appear to have possessed but a rudimentary appreciation of sober, truthful narrative. Bombastic and extravagant exaggeration was their prevailing characteristic, and it is rather in collateral and incidental issues than in the main narrative that we must seek for authentic details. During the earlier portion of the Anglo-Norman period English historians are, as a rule, very prejudiced and untrustworthy ; "but in the later Anglo-Irish wars, the official military despatches are calmly and intelligibly written, and, on the whole, are fair and truthful. In the case of the Williamite wars the authorities are more conflicting than in any other Irish war ; but there are so many writers on this period, that a judicious examina- tion of them cannot fail to elicit the truth as to this great dynastic struggle. It will be observed that the Irish won most of the great battles till the Williamite wars. This may seem inconsistent with the continuity of English sovereignty in the country j but it should be recollected that these battles did not follow one another with sufl5cient rapidity to have any very marked result, that in the innumerable minor conflicts the English were more frequently victorious, and that the Irish, during long periods of their history, were so busily engaged in petty inter-tribal warfare that they had no time to devote to fighting the invader. The Danish war — the first dealt with in this series — ended at the battle of Clontarf, where the power of the fierce Vikings was crushed for ever in Ireland. A succession of petty dynastic wars occupied the attention of the country from that time till the ill- advised expedition of Robert Bruce, which left but little mark upon the sands of history, and terminated with the life of its unfortunate leader at the battle of Faughart hill in 1318. 7 59 455 ly . PEBFACB. Tho wiir of Hugh O'Neill Wiis tl\o most serious revolt ngniiist their sovereignty with wliich tlic Kuglish over had to contciid. After a sticcossion of victories leading up to the battle of tho Yellow Ford, followed by tho abortive cam[)aign of l']ssex, tho tide at length turned in favour of England, and the Irish, with their S])anish allies, in IGOI, met with a ruinous defeat at Kinsalo, Avhich completely broke up their forces, and loft tho country ^laralysed for a considerable period. From the insurrection of IG U to tho Confedorato war and tho close of CromwoH'g campaign in 1050, the country was one constant scene of tunudt and bloodshed, and the history of this period is extremely perplexing, owing to tho strange complications and multiplicity of parties. The Williamite struggle was tho sequel of the great "Revolution in England. James, renounced by his English subjects, found it convenient to espouse tho cause of tho Irish Catholics, and, with tho aid of France, hoped, if not to regain tho English throne, to at least establish an independent kingdom in Ireland. Throughout this campaign the individualities of the rival monarchs present a strong contrast, .and there is little doubt that the great difference in their personal characters contributed largely to the issue of this momentous conflict, which closes the writer's detailed record of " Ireland's Battles and BattleiieUls," which are herewith republished from tho columns of tho Evening Tdegrujih. ^uiie, issa. <- ;; CONTENTS 3"6 Ths Battles op Rilmasiioour, Siilcoit, and paoe OlenMAMA— 919-1000 A.D.— First v sits of the Danes to Ireland— They oHtabliHh thctnHelvua In DubUn and Waterford— The Kattle of Kil- mashogue— Revolt of the DalcassianH against the Danes— Total defeat of Danes at Sul(:r)it— Assassination of Kini< Mahon by the Danes- Brian Bora succeeds him, and makes war unon the Danes — His march through Leinster -The Battle of Olenmama — Death of tho Danish prince, Harold— The battlefield Thk Battle of Clontarf, 1014 a. d.— Brian be- comes Kinfc of Ireland — Uava(;os of tlie Danes- Brian marches against them and lilorkadca Dublin — The blockade abandoned — Massing of the Danish hosts in Dublin— IJrian ai^ain marches on Dublin— Tho Jiattlo of Clontarf — The battlefield— Death of King lirian, his son, and grandson ... The Careeii and Battles op tup, Bih;cf.s, l.'Jls- 1318. — Landing of Edw.ard Bruce in Ireland^ - Capture of Dundalk — Siege of Carrickfergiis Castle — Battle of Athenry — The IJruoes march on Dublin— Vigorous measures of tiie citizens- Edward Bruce marches to Dundalk — Battle of Fai^hart — Death of Bruce, and total defeiit of the Scots 7-11 ll"li] The Wars of Hugh O'Neill.— The Irish besiege EnniskiUen Castle — The English despatch a conToy of provisions to its relief — "The Battle of the Biscuits "—Capture of the crmvoy and surrender of Enniskiilen — The i5,ittle of Clon- tibret— Encounter between O'Neill ami Sea- grave — Tlie Irish besiege Armagh— A convoy sent to its relief — O'Neill captures tho convoy — His strategy— The battle before Armagh— Sur- render of the town rrRRELLSPASS AND Drumfluicii, 1597.— Feach MacHugh O' Byrne killed — Tyrrell's expedition — Tyrrellapass, description of— The battle— Siege of Hallyshannon Castle — Storming and Capture of Portmore by Deputy Borough — O'Neill's unsuccessful attack on Portmore — Conference with O'Neill . . Bellanaboy or the Vellow Ford, 1508.— O'Neill's demands and Queen Elizabeth's reply— O'Neill pardoned — O'Neill appears before Port- more— Consternation in Dublin— Expedition to relieve the fort — English massed at Aiinagh — Bagenal's advance on the Yellow Ford — The battle— Death of Bagenal — Explosion of English powder magazine — Bout of the English — Survi- vors retire to Armagh— Surrender of Armagh andPortmore— The battlefield The Disastrous Campaign op Essex, 1599.— Essex appointed viceroy— Land sin Dublin with immense army — Marches for Munster— His progress— "The Rattle of the Plumes"— Bar- nagutty— Reaches Kilkenny— Captures Cahir Castle — Defeat of English under Sir Henry Harrington near B!>Jitinglass 15-18 19--22 22-2G 26-29 i'iiE Battle of tub Cuulif.u Pas.\ IAOQ.— iaov iissex's continued march thr..;<-^.i. r^t-Ei ;'«-**^ 7i-,:^Tr"?Ks ^c^""x^3f^^?v^^^^7^ CONTENTS. .^**^->^ ■*'• description of the affray— Subsequent sklr- PAOR iniHhes with the mountain septg. Lord Unnonde, the Viceroy. bealegeH Dutilin in 1640 and encarapa at Rathinlnea— He fortlflea Baggotrath Caatle — General Junes HalUus out from the city and 8urprUe.<« Ormonde -Tlie Battle of Bathminea— Total defeat of tlie Boyaliat army— Uiatorv of BagKotrath Castle . . 47-61 The Sirge of Dkrhy, lOSO.- The ahuttinj? of Derry gates— The Jaco1>ito8 march on Dorry — Diaaensiuns within the town — The in- habitantM reaolve on resistance— Arrival of tlio Jacohitea under King Jamos — The 8it>({0 com- mencos— The Battle of Windmill llill-Un successful attempt of the Jaoobit«H to stonn the town— Great distreaa of the inhabitanta— Gene- ral KIrke arriveafrom England with supplies for the gaiTison, but is stopped by the b(H)m— I he garrison starving— The Jacobites again attempt to storm the fown— Cruelty of De Rosen — The garrison reduced to dreadful privations — Kirxe forces the boom and relieves the gar- rison—The siege raised— Departure of tlie Jacobites .. .. .. .. .. 61-66 The Battle op the Boyne, 1690.— William of Orange lands at Carriokfergus— He marchea ■onthward— James retires before him and en- camps on the Boyne- William takes up a position on the opposite bank —Narrow escape of King William— The roapectivo forcest— I'lan of the battle — Death of Calimotte and Schonberg — Brilliant conduct of the Irish Cavalry- Forcing of the Jacobite positiona— Strntogic advance of the Williamite riitht wing— llotreat of the Jacobite army to Dublin .. ..56-69 The First Siege op Limerick, icoo. -William appears before the walla of Limerick— Strength of the besieging force— Tlie Iriah aluinduned by their I^wich allies— William awaits the arrival of his siege train— Sarafleld determines to in- PAOR tercept it— His midnight inaruli by the Shannon —Ho surprisea the ci>nvoy,at Uallyneoty— Do- atructirin of the siege train— William aeuda for a now sieco train— The siege commences— A broach made in the walls— 'i he storming of tho breach— The Wlllliimitea effect an entrance- Desperate flghtinp— The >Mlliaraite8 forced l)ac^ to the lireach- Kxplosion of the mine— I'epulao of the Williamites— The siege aban- doned .. .. .. .. .. 69-68 I'liK Two SiEOKS OP Atiiixine, 1690-01.— General Douglas marches on Athlone— The Siege— Tho Defence — Douglas retires and raisea the siege — (liuckel advances on tho town— Capture of tho Knglish town— The tight at the bridge— Tho Knglish repair the bridge- The Irish break It down— Desperate str igglo— The town captured through the carelesaneas of the garrison . . 68--A6 The Battle op Auoiirim, 1691.— St. Roth marches to Aughrim— Tiie Williamites follow — The respective forces— The battle — Skilful manceuvring of St. Rutli— Capture of the Castle of Aughrim— Death of St. Ruth and defeat of the Jacobites— The battlefield . . Od~71 The Second Siege of Limerick and the Treaty, 1001.— The Williamites again march on Limerick— The Siege — Tho tight at the draw- bridcre— The parley— Th- Treaty of Limerick- Capitulation of the girrison— How tho Treaty was kept .. .. 71-71 Conclusion.— Revolt of the American Colonies — Grattan'a Parliament— Ilia Declaration of In- dependence — Lord Charlemont and the Volun- teers — Tlie French Revolution— The lirest Ar- mada— The Rebellion of '98— landing at Killala of the French under Humbert— The Union— Kmancipation of the Catbolica .. .. 74- -70 'n ■ t J A," ^ O^i' ^. •^■^ IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. THE DANISH WARS. THE BATTLES OP KILMASHOGUE, SULCOIT, AND GLENMAMA. \ N 796 A.D. the D a n • ■ ftrat viaited Ireland. Thouf^h ccm- monly called Danes, they came Dot only from Denmark proper, but also from Norway, Swe- den, and in general trom the islands and coasts •f the Baltic. Finding that Ireland offered a fair tleld for plunder they soon came in larger numbers and organised a 8erie4 ef predatory expeditions, chiefly directed against the wealthy eceleeiasfeical establishments. They contmued these raids, with few reverses, ap to about the year 838, when, under Turgesius, they established, themselves in Dublin, where they erected a stronghold, probably on the* hill now occupied by the Oastle and Christ Church Cathedral. Once established in Dublin they gradually ex- • tended their power, till in a few years a great part of the country groaned beneath the oppi-es- sion »f these ruthless barbarians. From abeut 912 to 916 a constant succession of Danish fleets and expeditions poured into Waterford, taking possession of the town, such as it vnta then, during which time it is supposed by some that they built Reginald's Tower, still standing perfect on the quays. They then ravaged all south-eastern Muaster, occupying every har- bour and fortress of importance, and compelling the inhabitants to pay tribute, In 916 they defeated the King of Lebster at Cenn Fuat, said to be Oonfey, near Leixlip, where fifty Irish chieftains were slain. En- couraged by these successes, another great rein - forcement shortly afterwards arriTed in Dublin and encamped in the neighbourhood. Niall Oluniuff, King of Ulster, hearing ef this fresh invanon, marshalled his troops and clansmen, and marched on Dublin to attack them, lite Danes then retired to the moun- tains, probably to choose tlieir ground, and on Wednesday, 15th September, 919, the opposing forces met at Kilmasbogue Mountam, above Whitecburch, abeut six miles from Dublin, where an obstinate and bloody battle was fought, in wliich the Irish wore disastrously defeated, brave King Niall, with twelve tributary Kings and a great number of the Ulster nobles, being num- bered among the slain. From the strange site chcisen for this battle in the mountains, then co- vered by primeval forests, ft is not onlikely that the Irish were entrapped into aa ambuscade, ns they werA much less skilled in such artifices than their adversaries. The remains of a cromlech within the grounds of OlenaouthweU, on the side of Kilmashogue Mountain, in all probability marks the spot where King NiaD or some of these chieftains was buried after the battle. I inci- dentally referred to it in No. VL of BanibU$ Around Dublin. A year after this reverse the Irish had ample revenge, for they defeated the Danes with great slaughter at a place, unidentified, in the county Meath, where, in the words of die old chroniclers, " tli^re escaped not more than oioa^ t* te]l ifiiii?ii'iii1tti''''"'^'^~--*'--^iTTffMi^^^ a^jia^fcaaifc-; .. ;.' ■•• •, "■ , ■■■: r ■■>;■?. •'. IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. what hntl happened; nnd tlioro fell of the uobleg of the Nurseinou here as many an had fallen of the iiublea and plebeians of the Qaol (Irish) at the battle of Ath-oliath," meaning Kilmashogue. By 9G0 a great part sf Munster had fallen under the rule of the Danes, who levied black- mail and exacted ruinous taxes from the unfor- tunate inhabitants. Two illustrious chiefs of the Dalcoasian tribe, Mahon and his yuungor bro ' ther Brian (afterwards the hero of Cloutarf), re- solved to raise an army and endeavour to free their country from the tyi-unuy of the foieign yoke. Accordingly, taking all their people and goods with them, they crossed the Shannon westwards from Limerick, and went into the county Cloie, whore, from the fastnesses of the woods of Thomond, they ha- rassed the enemy for a eonsidorablo perio^l by a system of guerilla warfnre. At length, after protracted disagreements and conferences be- tween tlte brothers, the tribe decided upon as Burning a more aggressive attitude, and resolved on open warfai-e. Ivar, King of the Limerick Danes, however, determined to forestall this move. He at once proclaimel a war of exterini- natisn against tliem, and from far and near the Danes of Munster, as well as many »f the recreant Irish, flocked to his battle standard. Meanwhile the Dalcassians, under then' two chieftains, had mai'ched into Muskerry on the borders ef Cork and Kerry, where they wei-e joined by a number of adherents, an>■- IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. •.«*.• neighbourhood *f Dunlaviu, though th« name •f " Qlentnama" haa long since been forgotten ; and eTen the very aputs where the dead wore buried in proiniscueua heaps could be painted out till recently by some of the old inhabitants. The ancient fortress of Dunlavin, the palace ef the Kings of Leinster, stoed one mile due seuth •f the medern town of Dunlavui. and higher up the hillside which forms the southern slope ef the valley of Qleumama. The i-emahis are now gene- rally known as the Moat of Tournant. From thia the valley runs generally in a uorth-easterly direction and terminates about twe miles from Dunlavin. After the first rout the Danes retreated back ftlong the delile and across the low hills which intervene between it and the ford of Lemons- town, on a tributary of the Lifiey, where they attempted to rally, but only to be killed in thousands. Their bonea are to this day turned up in the fields near this ford, and several sepulchral mounds along the banks of the stream are full ef them. Another body of the fugitives fled to Holly^'ood, about a mile and a half east- ward of the ford, and on to the Horsepass on the Liffey, where they made a last but futile stand against the victorious Irish. A reference to a map of the locality will make these details much more intelligible. Travellers from Dublin by the Blessicgten and l^altinglass rond, on approaching Poulaphuca, may Save noticed up Uie tivar, to the left, the shattered and orunbling arches of a Teuerable-looking bridge. Thia is Horsepass Bridge, which super- seded the ancient ford, and was in its turn super- seded by the modern bridge of Poulaphuca. At this place, as the name would indicate, waa in for- mer times a deep and dangerous ford, whiob, - except when the river was very low, could only \>e passed on horseback. The old road from Dublin crossed the Liffey here, and it can still be plainly traced for some distance at each side of the ruined bridge. The Danish army must have forded the river here on their march from Dublui, and the survivors, in attempting to recross it on their retreat, were killed er drowned in great numbers. Towards the close of the laat century, when some ef the wild swamps and moors around Dun- lavin were being reclaimed, the workmen came upon the pits where the slain were buried in heaps, but closed them up again on seeing what they were. About twenty years ago, when soma further excavations were being made hei-e, one of these pits was again opened, and was found tu contain a great quantity of human bones, among which was a Danish sword. To the eastward of Glenmama is tlie old church- yard of Crehelp, now almost indistinguishable and unknown. Within it conspicuously standi a granite pillar or shaft, about five feet high. Dim tradition avers that beneath this rude memorial, in a warrior's gory grave, sleeps the fierce Harold, SOD of Amlaff, Prince Rey »1 of the Norsemen of Erin. ' .^^ V -li-iutS li/iui ui^Vfr. S Iki-l^^ii^^^ THE BATTLE OF OLONTABF. II.— THE BATTLE OF CLONTARF. RIAN BORU 'baring defeated th« Danes and th« Lemster Irish at Qlen< mamR, adopted a policj of concilia- tion t«wards them, in pursuance of which he ft^ave his daughter in mar- riage to Sitric, King of the Dublim Danes, and himself married Gorm- flaith, mother of Sitrio, and sister of Mailmora, Kingof Leinster. This Gormfiaith was a woman mt celebrated beauty but questionable antecedents, as she had been previously married to and repu- diated in turn by ' Amlaff, the Dane, and King Malaohy II. She appears to have been of a deep and vengeful disposition, and centinually hatching mischief. Having forMcd this confederacy with his vanquished foes, Brian returned to his palace at Kincora, near KiUalee, whither he was accom- panied by Germflaith. Here . he held his court, and received the homage of many priuces and chiefs. But the - great victery of Glen mama seems to have awakened in his mind the ambi- tion to make himself ruler of all Ireland, and accordingly, with this object, he organised a con- spiracy in violation of his treaty with Malachy to depose him front the throne. After some trifling engagements between them, Malachy reluctantly gave his informal conseat to an arrangement by which he became a vassal of Brian's mih the nominal title of King of Meatb, and then Brian became sole King ef Ireland. Meanwhile Germflaith was plotting aa usual, and this time against Brian, her husband. Mail- mora one day arrived at Kincora, bringing aa a present to Brian three pine maats which had been out in the forest of Figile near Clonsaat, five miles north-east of Portarliugton. In conveying the trees fiom that place Mailmora {.ersoaally assisted in lifting one of them for a few momeats. He wore a* tunic of silk with silver buttons, a present from Brian, and in the exertion one of tko buttons got torn off, which, on his arrival at Kincora, he asked his sister, Gormfiaith, to re- place. She took the tunic, but, to his surpiise, threw it into the fire, reproaching him bitterly for his meanness in submitting as vassal to any man, adding that his father or grandfather would never have been guilty of such. This iueidenbgreatly excited Mailmora, and before long another incident occurred which precipitated the inevitable result. Brian's sod, Murrogh, wu playing a game of cheas with his cousin, when Mailmora, looking on, suggested a move by which Murrogh lost the game. Murrogh, annoyed at .this, said, " That w«a like the advice you gave the Danes, which lost them the battle of Glen- mama," to which Mailmora replied, " I will give them advice again, and they shall not be de- feated." Murrogh answered bitterly, " Then you had Wetter remind them to prepare a yew tree for your reception," alluding to hia having taken refuge in a yew tree after Glenaama. Mailmora was so much exasperated by this reply that he left Kincora abruptly next memieg, and set out for Leinster, vowing vengeance against Brian and hia allies. On hia arrival he lost no time in rousing his tribe to revolt, in which Uiey were soon joined by the Dublin Danes. In 1013 they made an expedition into Malachy '■ kingdom, ravaging it, murdering the inhabitants, and plundering the churches, whereupoa Malachy sent messengers to Brian to demand the proteo tion to which he was entitled aa a vassal. Brian collected his Dalcassian troops, with their allies, and marched into Leinster, ravaging the hoetile districts with fire and sword. His son, Murrogh, in command of an auxiliary force, proceeded by a different route and devastated the whole district from Glendalough to Kilmainham. As the coun- try lying directly between these two places is even now little more than a desert, it nuy be safely pre- sumed that his line of march lay along the coast. The two armies, under King Brian and his son, met at Dublin, the walls of which they surrouaded, forming a blockade. There they remained from 9th September till Christmas without a move being made by either party, the Irish resting in their camp and the Danes keeping close within their walls. Then, as events began to prove, i' »«SiifS?:.-<>A'Sas.';> : ■..: - u-.',i.ir^ii.i'-7»i.«A»i...ii»-, i*'s:x. s»s^-.>. > - . ■ •^'v' - y :\^'':'- ft IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. WM ()h« b«a{egers who were renUy blockaded, for their proviBiona became oxJiaustod long before those of til* besieged, ami bu Brian wan obligod, much to his disappointment, t<» raise tlm siege »nd return to his headquarters in Munstt-r. But the Danes well knew that ho wius not a Jnan to be easily dirertfid from his purpose, and accord- ingly news soon ))egan to reach tliem <•! prf parationa for a second and greater expedition. Thoroughly alarned, for they had not forgotten Olenmama, and greatly distrusting t)ieir own strength to cope with him, they sent ambassadors to their various allies abroad, to raise t)ie standard of war and inyoke assistance for a final contest with this for- midable foe. All Scandinavian Europe now brstled with preparations for the coming struggle, and every armoury in Norway, Sweden, and Den- mark resounded with din and clangour. In the following spring detachments began to arrive, and fleet after fleet poured into Dublin mighty cohorts of mailed and armed warriors in corselets of gleaming brass or glittering steel. And thrro came nobles and chieftains •i mighty renown from Saxon-land, from the far isles of Orkney, and from the bleak Northern coasts. But Brian unawed by those pi-eparations, strove night and day to perfect his plans te crush " the proud in- Tader." He again marched intc Leinstcr, burning Howth and ringall. And whoa the Danes from the buttlcmeuts of Dublin saw afar tiie blaze and glow from tlie plains <»f Fingall, they knew that he was on the march, And tliey sallied forth to attack him on the " Plain of the Bird Flocks," which extended from Tallaght to Howth. Brian was new -encamped on the Green of Dublin, probably at the norckern side of the LifFey, On the eve ef Holy Thursday, hearing that the Danes were determined to fight next day, he held a council of war with his nobles, and, after leng- thened deliberations, it wait decided to prepare for battle, though they were very unwilling to fight on a day hallswed by such sacred associa- tions. When Good Friday, 23rd April, 1014, dawned the two armies stood face to face, de- ployed in battle line, waiting for the signal to be- f^n, the Danish fleet lay moored al*ng the northern side of the bay, and a small portion of Mieir army garrisoned the fortress of Dublin. The weight of evidence would seem bo indicate that the battle was mainly fought south of the Tolka, instead of north of it. as has been generally iwsunied; in othur words, that the battlefield was not Clontarf, but the ground now covered by the north side of t he city. In-proof of tluH it is recorded that the progresi of the battle was anxiously watched from the bat- tlements of Dublin by Sitric and the Danish gar- rison, who, it is stated, could distinguish friends from foes. Those battlements must have been Bomewhcrc on the hill at present occupied by the Ciistle. Now, assuming that all north of che LiGfey was then open country, and without taking into account the inequalities and undulations of tlio ground, it may be bafely asserted that the range i»f distinct vision could not extend beyond the Tolka, two miles distant. The fact that the battle is now known aa "Tho Battle of Clontarf " does not aflford much clue to the site, for in the contemperary Scandinavian records it is called " Brian's Battle" and in the Iiish records," the Battle of the Fish- ing-weir of Clontarf," and there is good reason to believe that this weir stood hot at Ballybough- bridge, aa has been supposed, but higher up the Tolka, near Clonlifife, wliich was more likely tlie mouth at that time. In 1763, when opening some new ground at Cavendish-row and Gran by -row.a great quantity ml kuman bones, accompanied by the remains of arms and armour, were discovei-ed in trenches- relics, no doubt, of this great battle. The Irish account of the battle (Wars of the Gaedhil xcith the Gaill) states that a few days be- fftre the engagement, part of the Danish army sailed in their fleet to Howth, probably to attack the Irish there, but, returning, eSected a junction with the main body wf the Danes and the Leinster Irish under Mailmora, upon which the battle com menced immediately. From the foregoing facts, it may he reason- ably concluded (1), that during the comhat the Danish fleet was moored along the coast imme- diately north of the Liflfey, and that the Danish army formed on the shore with their backs to the sea ; (2), that King Brian having chosen his ground so that th« . - -r:j.,....*f -'-i, I ,' I ; ' - -• ■ ■- it'1^''fin;'ii.*^iyiVifiittWii-ifi W>'' -r - '■<"'': %*^^*sr^/-';r -^ THB BATTLE 07 OLONTASF. l^lStj Intftrpoaed batwem tha battleGeld and the fortrew of Dublin, the Daaea were forced to ftbaodon Dublin as a baae of refuge and -to de- pend solely ou their fleet in caee of retreat, and (8) that the bulk nf tlie fif^htinp; t<;ok place, as I have stated, between the Tolka and Mie Lifiey. The waters of Dublin Bay then flowed very much farther inland than now, and tlie Bea>-hore epitended from about Gratian Bridge by Abbey street, O'Cenuell (or Sackville street), and thence somewhat etuitward of Mountjny square eut to the Tolka between Ballybough and Drumcoudra. Bonally engage in it, rode along in froafc of hie army, and buIdiuK aloft the cross, th« emblem ti tlieir proscribed and persecuterl religion, reminded them of the great sai:ritice of tliat day, and exhorted them to fight valiantly for their faith and fatherland. They then advanced to the combat, the details of which are given in extra- vagant and bombastic language by the old histiiriann. The battle raged from early morning till about four o'clock in the eveuing, when, nearly all the DanLih leaders of note having fallen, tlie Iriah Drumcorvdifto, Or ^ ^<^ o ^f- CastleWO] ...(?-v.-::::r--;-:^ J fV/" The position then of the twe armies in actim» rades in Dublin by crossing the Liffey at Duff- gall's Bridge, supposed to have been near the present Queen's-street Bridge, but the Irish had ft'tc'"- ^».^-.i-j A.v........ ^.,i.v -toiMiMiJiiiai&i ^_g^ j*^ A 5'*.-»t»; * .f^ . •^»-i'J^-'»:Tj , .T;'7'A*^S?'<-.''^' -w Pt 10 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. antioIp»t«d them there, and, cutting uff their retreat, net a man esoaped. Another large body fled back te the strand to res:aiu their ships, hut when they reached the shore th«y found ^at it was high water, and they were thus cut off from all refuge in that quarter. In dosptiir mnny threw themselves into the sea, and oiideav<)ur- ing to swim out to the ships were drowned in great number.", A wood called Tomar's Wood then fringed the northern shores of Dublin Bay, and in this vroed some of the Irish took up a position, killing many of the fugitives who came that way. The Danes, now hemmed in between the Tolka on the nerth and the Liffey on the south, with tlie Irish on their west side and the sea on the eaat, made a desperate rush to force a passage across the Tolka, then swollen by the returning tide; here the greatest slaughter took place, the river bed being in places choked up with the bodies. A considerable number, however, suc- ceeded in escaping across it and over to the '' northern shore of the bay, and, being pursued, a running fight was kept up along the Strand from Clontarf out to Howth. The recollection »i this may have originated t)ie local tradition that the battle was fought at Clon- tarf, though probably very little •f Uie actual fighting took place there. It is likely, however, that the district of Clontarf was then more ex- tensive, and reached inland as far as Druncondra and southward as far as the Tolka. Another tra ■ dition states that a party of Danes who were pur- sued out to Howth took refuge on the Bailey promontory, on which a ruined fertress stood, and there defended themselves against desperate odds till tlieir ships took them off in safety. The battle was all open fighting, the nature of the greund admitting of no ambuscades and little strategy. The combatants fought man to man and breast te breaat, and the victory was gained by dint of sheer physical strength and personal valour. No mention is made of any cavalry having been used in the engagement, though there are evidences of the existence of Danish cavalry in Ireland before this period. Towards the close of the conflict, when King Ijfjan waa praying in his tent, bis attendant noticed a imall party ef Dmim approaohbig, and directed hia attention to them. They were about to pasa him by, when one of them recognised him as the Irish King. Thereupon Bredar, the oom- mander of the fleet, who was one of the party, raised his i^Ieaming battle-axe and attacked him. Brian drew his sword, and with one furious blew cut off his leg at the knee, but the fieree Viking before falling had time to cleave the King's head with his axe. So fell the mighty Brian Boru, th« one Irish sovereign who rose superior to tho petty jealousies and tribal disputes of his time, and united his country in a supreme and suceesa- ful effort to free it from the Danes, who at that time and for long afterwards held undisputed sovereignty in England. Brian's son Murrogh also fell in the battle. Ha engaged in combat a Danish chieftain, but hii hand was so disabled that he had ta drop hia sword; he then seized his adversary by the hel- met with his left hand, and tearing off his armour threw him te the ground. Murrogh then being uppermost, seized the foreigner's sword and stabbed him thrice with it, but notwithstanding this the dying chieftain drew hia long knife and gave Murrogh a deadly wound of which he expired next morning. Brian's grandson Turlough, only 1 5 years of age, the sou of Murrogh, was found drowned at the fishing- weir after the battle with his hands entangled in the long hair of a Dane whom he had pursued into the river. Among others that fell in the battle were the traitor Mail mora and Brian's nephew who played the celebrated game of chess at Kinuora. They fell in combat with each other. Thus at a blew the reigning family became ex tinct, and there can be little doubt that the dynastic wars which followed, bringing Ireland to the verge of social and national dissolutioa, ultimately paved the way for the invasion of Strongbow and the Anglo-Kormaus. Among the incidents of the battle it ia recorded that in the earlier part of the day, while the isaue waa yet doubtful, Sitric, who was on the hattla- nients of his watch tower in Dublin, said, " Well do the foreigners reap the field; many is the sheaf they cut down," to which his wife (Brian's daughter) replied, "That will be seen at the end of m^'^-T^z^^-'c^-^'^i^:^. *W^.w^ '' r'y^, '^ ■'^'^"j£:^'i- THE BATTLE OP OLONTAEP. 11 tha dny.** But when it mm ereuing, and the Danes were im full retreat towards the ■ea, she said to him, in bitter ironj, "The foreigners are gomg into the sea, their natural inheritance. I wonder is it to ceol tbeoi- aelvesf ' Whereupon he became so angered that he struck her a blow in the mouth which knocked out one of her teeth I Sitric was the son of Anlaif, and brether ef Hareld who fell at Olenmama, so that it may be naturally suppesed that he felt great enmity to- wards the Irish. His marriage with King Brian's daughter, which took place soon after Gleamama, was a diplematic alliance for which Brian him- self was mainly responsible. There is curious oerroberatlTe evidenee to show that the writer ef the Irish account of the -battle must have been an eye-witness or got his details from ena wbe was. It is stated that oa the day ef the battle (23rd April, 1014) full tide coincided with sunrise, and that the full tide again in tlie evening cut eff the Danes from their ships. This has since Ween proved te be true by Dr HaughtoB, T G D, who, without a knowledge of the Irish account of the battle, by a difficult and abstruse calculation found that on that particular day it was high water at 5 30 o'clock in the morning and again at i 55 o'clock in Hm evening. THE CAREER AND BATTLES OF THE BRUCE& ROM the tiaie ef the Anglo- Norman invasions the history of Ireland is occupied by a tedious succession of aimless civil wars without any battles of note till the era of the Braces in 1315. Tlie Battle of Bannockburn placed Robert Bruce on the thrcme ef Scotland, but in the wars with the English, his brother Edward had shown such vigour and ability that it became desirable to find some fitting position fer him. Ireland seemed to offer a likely field, and accordingly, an arrange- ment having bees concluded with some ef the Irish chieftains, on 26th Hay, 1315, Edward Bruce landed near Carrickfergus with an army of 6,000 men and a number ef Scottish efficers of distinction. They then sent hotae their ships determined, like the Dedaanane ef old, to leave no means of retreat. The colonists of eastern Ulster, under the great De Burgh, known as the Red Earl, encountni ed Bruce shortly after landing, bnt were utterly defeated by him at a place called Connor, uear Ballymenit, upon which a party of them re- treated to Carrickfergus aad shut themselves up in til* strong castle there. Bruce now marched on and took possession of Carrickfergus, at that time an important town and especially valuable to him on account of its proximity te Scotland. Itagreat castle, however held onty and as he had no adequate means of attacking it, he left a por- tion of his army there te maintain a blockade. He was by this time sorely in want ef previsions, and, marching southwards, he drew up his army in array before Dundalk, which was garrisoned by a powerful English force. A reconnoitring party sent out from the town returned with the cheer- icg news that the Scots would be but " half a dinner to them." But the Scotch attack was so vigerous that the place was captured in one as- sault, and Bruce's army triumphantly entered the tewn, where they found abundance »f storea and proTisions. 'A-M-.riS^-:''V' U:Vi,,-Jr.. .^i-.rHi^k^siAL^ :T*™.7f'l,*-#;5S. -■'■5 '. IS IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. After tliia great victory Bruce wm crowaed King of Ireland on the Hill ef Knock- namelin, near Dundalk. Hearing now that the. Viceroy was «n the march against hin witli an army of 20,000 mmi, he left Dumlalk, and. mov- ing westward, reached a great forest which then lay south of Lough Ross in Monaghan. Here he remained in concealment for a month with hia army, awaiting tlie coming of various Irish chief- tains who had promised him assistance. While sheltering in this forest his scouts saw a large army movmg past in command ef the Red Earl. Bruce, hewever, did not show himself, as his army was greatly inferior in num- bers, but retreated slowly northwards Neil Fleming, » brave old warrior who had won his spurs en many a bloody field. He, seeing how matters stned, resolved t* sacrifice himself and his party in engaging the assailants, so as to give the Scots time t« get ready. Having sent a mes* senger to Bruce he rushed forward, sword in hand, shouting, " Now they shall see how we can die for eur king." He received a mertal wound in the combat, and nearly all his men were killed, but his heroic conduct cheeked the onset of the English. Mandeville, temporarily victerious, now marched in triumph through the streets •£ Carrickfergus till he was met by Bruce and his men. Gilbert Harper, a renowned Scottish officer of gigantic stature and strength, recognising CAR HICK FERGUS AND CASTLE. and renewed the siege of Carrickfergus Castle. After about two months, the garrison showing no signs of surrender, he wju» again obliged in December to 8Ui«pend active operations till the following spring on account of the severity •f the weather. On 10th April, 1316, Lord Thomas Mande- ville, in command of a strong body ef troops, marched to the assistance of the Castle, and succeeded in obtaining an entrance after a struggle with the besiegers. Early next morning at daybreak he made a suddfn and des[>crate sortie on the Scots, who were lying in camp utterly unprepared for the attack. They .had only sixty men on guard, commanded by one Mandeville by the richness of his armour, singled him out, and felled him to the ground with a blow of his battle-axe, where he was immediately de- spatched by Bruce with a dagger. The English, disheartened by the death of their leader, turned and fled back to the Castle, whither they were so closely pursued by the Scots that the garrison had to laise the diawbridge and abandon thoir comrades to the mercy of their ruthless enemies. Bruce now closely invested the Castle, knowing tliat their provisions were nearly exhausted, and about this time his brother Robert arrived from* Scotland with reinforcements, and assisted in the siege. The garrison, now seeing thoir hopeless plight, THE CAREER AND BATTLES OF THE BRUGES, 18 offered to lurrender on Slsfc May, uuless relieved in the meantime. This was agreed to by the Scots, and, when that time arrived, Bruce sent 30 •f hia men to the Castle to demand surrender. They were admitted, but immediately made prisoners by the garrison, who then raised the drawbridge and announced their intention to hold out to the last. Bruce accordingly kept up the blockade, and oy the end of August the be- sieged were reduced to such desperate straits for provisions that they ate their shoes, boots, and horses, and ended, as the annalists (^Cox, Stany- hurst, etc) gravely inform us, by eating the 30 Scottish prisoners, after which they were good enough to surrender unconditionally. Having left a strong garrison in the Cattle, Bruce now proceeded southwards, and took up his quarters at Lough Sewdy, uow Lough Sunderlin, at Bally more, in Westmeath; thence he marched iuUi the heart of the Pale by Hathangan, Eildare, Athy, and Naas, where he was joined by a number of the wild clans from the fastnesses of the Wick- low mountains. Meanwhile Felim O'Conor, a powerful Con- naught chieftain, who had been fighting on the side of the English, seceded from his alliance with De Burgh, and openly declaa-ed for Bruce. Having secured the assistance of the chief tribes of the West he mustered an immense army in Cunnaught and marched onAthenry, then the fortified strong - ^Id of the De Burghs and De Berminghams. On 10th Aug, 1317, was fought the battle of Athenry, said to have been one of the most bloody and decisive ever fought on Irish soil. It was con- tested with heroic obstinacy, but tlie armour-clad Norman hosts under William De Burgh and Richard De Bermingham ultimately prevailed over the linen coated clansmen of the West. 10,000 of whom were left dead uijou the field. Tlie trained English archers contributed largely to the issue of this battle, the Irish being no more able to stand against them than the French were in after years at Crecy and Poictiers. It was a sad and disastrous day for the Irish arms, and" almost extinguished the hopes of the Bruces in the South. A great number mi the Irish nobility fell, asd tradition states that, like the Fabran family of old, the nee powerful sept of the O'Conors were all but exterminated, Felim ■ brother atone survivmg. De Bermingham after tliis was made Baron of Athenry. llie English, emboldened by this success, now adopted more vigorous measures. The Mayor of Dublin, in command of a band ef citizens, went to Mary's Abbey, then outside ih» city, and after a conflict, arrested the Red Earl on a charge of complicity with Bruce, to whom he was closely related by marriage. The Braces were now marching on Dublin, and took Castleknock, where they encamped. That night the citizens of Dublin, frantic with terror, burnt the western suburbs of the city, and adopted such other de- fensive tneasures as deterred the Scots from at- tacking the place. The Bruces, now foiled, marched along the green banks of the Lififey till they reached the pleasantly-situated waterfall at Leixlip (Salmon Leap), where they rested for four days. They now commenced a career of plunder and destruction, and paaaiu^ on to Naas reduced the ancient town to ashes. They next plun- dered Castledermet Friary, and marched on to Kilkenny, devastating and burning ibm whole country through which they passed. Their course could l'>e tracked by the fire and smoke ef burn- ing towns and houses, and the unfortunate in- habitants were reduced to such distress that great numbers died by starvation. The closing act in tlie career of this unhappy prince was now fast approaching. Robert had returned to Scotland to look after his own king- dom, and Edward, apprehensive of an attack from Mortimer (Earl of March) again retired northwards. John De Bermingham had assem- bled an immense army in the Pale, whence he was advancing on Dundalk, whera Bruce was encamped. Notvdthstanding tho great numerical inferiority of his army, Bruce resolve*! to risk the issue of battle, contrary to the advice of all his officers, who wished him te wait for reinforcements hourly expected from Scotland. It is Slated that before the battle the English commander De Bermingham, who was anxious to see Bru.e so as to identify him afterward-!, dis- guished himself as a meudicant friar and obtained admission iuto the Scottish camp, where Mus wan being celebrated- He made h\ nay te Bruce, ■ ^ ^vy^j^:i T- •^wi':'.' ;-.,>,' 't^? fi'om hut miaaal and ordered his attendants to give something to the troublesome mendicant. But Bruce discovered the identity of this strange visitor after his departure, and nt onoe divining the object of the viait, ke obangnd clothes with Gilbert Harper. On Sunday, 14th October, 1318, the two armies met on the grassy slopes of the Hill of Faughart, near Dundalk. Sir John De Bermingham commanded the English one John Mapns, who struck him down with « leaden plummet er slung-shot, and after the battle his body was found lying across that of Bruce. It is said by some that Mapas had previously made himself acquainted with the King's appearance, and, knowing that the fortunes •f the day depeadad on it, determined tm kill him in battle, even at the cost of hi> own life. Faughart Hill is situated about tw* milM from Dundalk, and on its summit are the ruins of St Brigid's churoh and churchyard, about a quarter FAUGHART HILL AND EUINS. and Lord Alan Stewart the Scotch. Bruce, auxioua to personally secure the credit of the expected victory, prematurely ordered a charge, which was repulsed with considerable loss. The English then made a rapid charge upon the Scots, portiuu of whom stood firm, but were quickly hewn down; the remain- der fled back to the Irish contingent. De Ber- mingham, notwithstanding his having seen Bruce, mistook Stewart for him, and slew him in single combat* on which the Scots fled in disorder. Bmee was, however, subsequently recognised by •f a mile to the left ef the old road from Dun£ntfi| to Newry. The churchyard is still used as a burial-ground. About four yards from the western corner, in a neglected grave, lie the muti- lated remains of the unfortunate and chivalrous Edward Bruce. His head was sent te England, a ghastly present for the King. At the western end »f his grave is sua uninseribed, er at least illegible, tombs tene, nearly horizontal, of which but little now remains above the soil. The hollow Bpa:e known as Carrickbroad, between Faughart Hill and the Moiry Pass, is still pointed out ■■ ^t^rt^f. THE WARS OF HUGH NEILL. 15 the spot where Bruce, haying gone eut from his oamp unguarded, was killed by Mapas. TakiBg a brief retrospective view ef Bruce's career, it is difficult to see how it could have ended otherwise, and, except for the nu mber of Irishmen who fell in his caur^/, it is hard to regret his discomfiture. Though chivalrous and brave, his hasty and impetuous dis- position pre-eminently unfitted him for a posi' tion of authority, and his horrible sacrileges, wanton cruelties, and inexplicable spirit of destruction alienated the sympathies of those he undertook to emancipate. He possessed but few of those great qualities which mado his iDnstrieua brother the victor «f Bannockbum. It is a remarkable fact that Faughart Hill was the scene of another great battle in far earlier times — 732 a.d. — between Hugh Allan, King •{ Ireland, and Hugh Roiii, King of Ulidia, er Eastern Ulster. The King of Ulidia wan defeated, and beheaded on a stone called in Irish ' ' The Stone of Decapitation," which is still pointed out by tradition in the doorway of St Brigid's church on the summit ef the hilL The cause of this battle was the profanation of Kilcoonsy church, in county Tyrone, by King Roin. THE WARS OF HUGH O'NEILL. i I.— THE FORD OF HILE Hugh O'NeiU, Earl of Tyrone, was wavering in his aUe- giance to tlie English, but had not yet openly declared for the Irish, a great partof the North was in rebellion. In 1594 the Lord Deputy ef Ireland marched from Dublin with ft large force and besieged EnniskiUen, capturing tlie castle there, and having placed a strong gar- rison in it he returned to Dublin. When Hugh Maguire, one of the rebel chieftains, heard of the Deputy's departure he despatched messengers to Red Hugh O'Dunnell requesting his assistance to besiege and re-capture the town. Toung O'Dun- nell, who had only just escaped from his prison m Dublin Castle, gladly responded to this demand, and, marching to his assistance, they both laid siege to the castle from the beghining of June till the middle of August, when O'Donnell left to meet some Scottish allies who had just landed in tiie Forth. The garrison contrived to send word to Dublin that they were reduced to great ez- THE BISCUITS. tremities for want of provisions, on which the Deputy ordered two expeditions, from Lelnster and Connaught respectively, to march to Cavan, then an English stroagkeld, where they were to unite and obtain supplies, and thence to preceed by forced marches to the relief ef EnniskiUen. ' The town of EnniskiUen is situated on an island in the centre of a deep and winding strait connecting upper and lower Lough Erne, embayed on all sides by mountains, to th« left ef which lay the English line of mftrcfa. Ma- guire having heard of this expedition and its ob- ject, relinquished the blockade of the oastle, and setting out with his own forces and some of O'DonneU's, took up his position at a ford on the river Arney, now spanned by Drumane Bridge, about five miles south of EnniskiUen, across which he knew the English must pass. In a few days the expedition arrived and halted near the ford, where they were unexpectedly assailed after night- faU by a heavy fire from the Irish, which was maintained at intervals throughout the night. Next morning the English advanced en the ford in three lines, between which were the baggage and provisions, the flanks being supported by cavalry and musketeers. As they approached the river they were fiercely attacked by the Irish musketeers and pikemen, but they fought stubbornly ea, cut their way through thelrisli, and crossed the ford. But now iArjf-i. .f their countrymen in full march to relieve them wich provisions; then they saw the Irish make an onslaught on them, and a furious battle seemed to proceed. Both parties kept up a tre- mendous fire with their muskets loaded with powder only, and the quasi-combataots fell on every side according to instructioas. After a while the English seemed to be over-matched; the Irish were pressing fiercely upon them, pour- in? in a terrible fire, brandishing their battle-axes, and shoutmg ferociously the while. This was more than the hungry garrison could Lear. Staf- ford, the commander, gave orders that half of ARMAGH. approach of the convoy, he made preparations to meet it on the way, and succeeded in capturing it, and makmg prisoners of the escort. He now ordered a number of his men to strip the English prisoners of their uniform and attire themselves in them, and at daybreak marched them towards Armagh with English colours flying, as if corring to the relief of the place. The previous night he had btationed an ambuscade in a ruined monastery « little to the south-east of the town. O'Neill now pursued the supposed English up to near the ruin, upon which commenced a fieice sham battle between them, the party in the ruin remaining hidden all the time. The garriseu of Armagh, aroused by the tumult them should take up arms and advance rapidly to the relief of their countrymen on che battlefield. Wk«n they arrived they found to their amaze- ment that both English and Irish united in at- tacking them — nay, even the dead and wounded on the battlefield marvellously revived and as- sisted in the attack. So dumbfoundered were they by these extraordinary pr«>ceedings that they had scarcely the strength to defend themselves. After a brief though gallant struggle they were worsted and attempted to return to Armagh. But now the party in the monastery, s&Uying forth from their ambuscade, cut oflf their retreat, and thus, surrounded ou all sides, they were SDPedily killed or taken prisoners. StafiTord, who commanded C 18 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. de remainder of the garrison in Armagh, seeing the futility of further resistance, surrendered to O'Neill, and was permitted by him to retire with th« surviTors to Dundalk. The Irish then entered Armagh in triumph ; but O'Neill, whe preferred •fiiensire to defensive measures, and was unwilling to garrisoB it, dismantled the fortificatiens and evacuated the town. Soon afterwards the English, under the Deputy^ again entering the town, restored the fortifica- tions and held them till -tlie Battle of the Yellow Ford. The monastery in which the ambuscade was stationed, though a very extensive ruin in the 16th century, has since been gradually dilapidated and removed for building pui'pn;es, and but little of it now remains. THE TAKING Od' AEMAGH, 1596. Twas fast hy grey Killoter we made the Saxons run ; We hewed them with the claymore and smote them with the gun. " Armagh ! Armagh !'- cried Norris, as wild he sparred •way. And sore beset and scattered they leached its walls that day. Aias, we had no cannon to batter down the gate. To level fosse and rampart ; so we were forced to wait. And leaguer late and early that place of old renown. By dint of plague and famine to bring the f oeman down. VTe camped amid the valleys and bonnie woods about. Bat spite of all our watching one gallant wight got our. Till far Dondalk he entered, by spurring day and night. And told them of oar 'leaguer, and all their wofui plight. Twas on a stormy twilight, when wildly roared the blast, Up to our prince's standard a scout came spurring fast, And told him how that convoy— four hundred stalwart men- Had pitched their camp at sunset by Oartan's woody glen. We swept npon their vanguard, we rushed on rear and flank ; Like corn before the sickle, we mowed them rank on rank. And ere the ghostly midniiflit we'd slain them every one— I trow they slept far soimder before the morrow's dawn. " Now don the convoy's garmenta, and tak« their aUiK dard, too—" Twas thus at break of meminc out spake our gallaafe Hagh; " And march ye toward the city, with baggage, arms» and all. With all their promised sneooor, and see what shall befall.' We donned their blood-red garmenta, and shook their banner free. We marched us towards the city, a gallant sight to see < Upon their drums we rattled the Saxon point of war. And soon the f oemen heard us, and answered from afa& • • • • • • • With all his rushing troopers, out from the wood he sped. Their matchlocks filled with powder — they did not want the lead— And well they feigned the onset, with shot and sabre stroke. And deftly, too, we met them with olouds of harmless smoko. Some tossed them from their saddles, to imitate tho slain; Whole ranks fell at each volley, along the bloodies* plain; And groans and hollow murmurs of well-feigned woe and fear From that strange fight rang moumf ally upon the foe* man's ear. Up heaved the huge portcallis, round swang the pon- derous gate. Out rushed the foe to rescue or share their comrades* fate; And fiercely waved their banners, and bright their lancea shone, And " George for Merrie England !" they cried as they fell on. Saint Columb 1 the storm of laughter that from our ranks arose. As up the corpses started and fell upon our foes; As we, the routed convoy, closed up our thick ranka well. And met the foe with claymore, red pike, and petronel I Yet stout retired the Saxon, though be was sore dis- trait. Till, with his ranks commingled, in burst we through the gate; nien soon the Bed Hand fluttered upon their highest towers. And wild we raised our triumph shoot, for old Armagh was ours 1" Robert Dwyke Joycs. THE WABS OF HUGH O'NEILL. Vd IV.— TYRRELLSPASS AND DRUMFLXnCH. M r'N 1597, after the capture ^f Armftgh, 1 11 Red Hugh O'DonHell and a number of ^''C Irish cbieftauis entered Connaught with their troops, raTaging and burning the hostile towns. In Leinster, the great Wick- low chief, Feagh MaeHugh O'Byrne, was be- trayed inte the hands of the English by seme ef hia kinsmen, and killed in the wilds ef Bal- linacor, near Rathdrum. Lord Thomas Borou^ was appointed Deputy this year, and one of his first acts was to deprire Sir Thomas Nerris of his eommand, and send him to gorern Muneter with his brother. Borough was a much more able and determined man than his predecessor Russell, and had orders to presecute the war yigoiously against the Irish. After some fruitless attempts at a confert,nce between the belligerents, a truce of one month was agreed to, though the object in view by both parties was to rest and ceUect their forces. The month having expired, the Deputy set eut for Ulster in cemmand ef a powerful army, and directed his ceurse towards Armagh, while Sir Cenyers Cli£ford, geremor. of Connaught, simul- taneously adranced with his troops to Boyle, and thence marching by the western shares of Leugh Erne he was to effect a junction with the Deputy in the North. The Anglo-Irish of Mea'..h, being anxious to distinguish themselves in service against O'Neill, aasembled at Mullingar to the number ef 1,000 men, also te join the Depu^ in the North. They were oemmanded by young Barnewell, a sen ef Lord Trimblestoa. O'Neill, in Ulster, hearing of all these preparations against him, saw that something should be done at once t* create a diversion and check the flow ef troops to the North. For this purpose he chose an officer in his army named Richard Tyrrell, Lord ef Fer. tuUagh, in Meatk, an Englishman by desoent, and one ef his own personal friends and ablest eom- manders. His capabilities for sustaining fattigue and peculiar talents eminently fitted him to com- mand a flying expedition, for there waa not a mountain pass, bog, or wood in aU the eeuntry-side with which he was net thoroughly acquainted. O'Neill aecordinghr despatched him with 400 light infantry to march by a circuitous route through Leinfeter and get the assistance of the Wicklow clans. Tyrrell marched through the whole of Heath without meeting an enemy, and now, having reached Fertuilagh, his own territory, lying south of Mul- Ungar, he rested a while. While reposing hia little army here in the woods around the beau- tiful Lough Ennel, news reached Mullingar of his whereabouts, on which young Barnewell, confi- dent of success from his superiority of numbers, sallied out to attack him. Tyrrell then retired to Tyrrellspass. Tyrrellspass is a village prettily situated in a softly rolling country, about twelve miles south of Hullingar. There is no " pass" here in the ordinary signification ef the word, but at that time there were impassable bogs at each side of the narrow road, and at the western extremity of the village the castle of the TyrreUs guarded the only road to Achlone. Its crumbling ruins are still to be seen be->ide the road. Immediately westward ef Tyrrellspaas is the small hamlet of Killavalley, meaning " the church of the way or pass," so that it is evident that the pass extended from the old caatle along by the site ef this village. The name ef Tyrrellepass is merely a transla- tion of the original name — " Ballagh-an-treely," meaning " the road or way of the family of Tyrrell," and se called because they owned the castle that commanded the passage of the ad- jacent road. Most writers unacquainted with the locality, in describing this battle, have eonsc> quently fallen into the very natural error of sup* posing that it was fought in a mountain paas. The "paas," however, must have been then a very 20 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. awkwRrd place U be okught in ambu«o«d«, fer titere wm uo uoape at the aide*, one ahould either adTatii e ur retreat. When Tyrrell, who waa aome diataao* aorth of C'hia, beoaiiin aware ef fiarnewell'a approach he fell baek till lie gained kite pau, whiek he aade still nore dangeroua by placing felled treea and otli«r obttruokiona along the aidea of the road. He tliaa at dawn secreted half his little aroay, un- der Owuy 0'C«inner. in some brushwood near tlie tuiirance to the ''piua," while he hiaaelf boldly marched forward aa if to meet the eaemy. When lite Kogliah oatiia in aight he appeared «o heaitate, (liuu ilowly retreated, ae aa te draw them after liim iutu the paaa. They followed impetuously, I toping to aanihilaie hia little band, hut tlie menent they had all deiiled pHat the ambuscade the ahrill notes of the pipes from O'Ouunor'a party resounded through the morning air to the tune of " The Tyrrell's March." This being tlie preeoaoerted bigaal, Tyrrell turned about, faced hia puraners, and aa«ailed tliam in front, while Oway O'Gouuor and his man atepped forth from their hidiag-plaoe and attacked theca in the rear. The English, eatircly hemmed ia aad unable to deploy, oa account of the boga aad obatructiena at the aidaa, fought with the energy of deapair, hut were completely defeated and aanihilated. Voung BaruewsU wae the only prisoner, aad of the theuaand who had set out from MuUiagar l>ut three d»ys before, oaly ene ether eseaped by piuugmg up to hia aeek in a quagHire, where he lay ooacealed by the reeda and aedge till night. He brought news of the disaater to MuUingar. U'Oonuor fought with such fury that day that hia htuid swelled within the fcuard of his sword, and I'lid to be released after the battle by the aid of a tile. XYRRELI.SPASS. a.D. 1507. By Ri-aelRl DWYBK JurcE. Uy the flowery baaka of iniiy the burninc suuaet fell. In many a stream and golden gleaia, en hlU, and mead. Mod dell. And frtnn thy shorefl, bright Ennel, to the ita-oft mountain crest. O'er plain and leafy wildwood there was peace and quist rest. Ob! sunset is the sweetest of all the hours that be For muslnf lone, or tale of lore, by glen or forest tree; But its radianoe bringeth saddening tlioughts to him whoae good right hand Must guard his life in the eoming strife 'gainst tlie foe of hia fatherland; For he knows, when thinking lonely by hia Hniall tent on the plain, Ihe glories of the kinking sun ho ne'er may hbo affaln. Brave Tyrrell xat that summer eve amid the fure»t liilli. With hold O'Connor at his side, by Inny's founiuin rilla- Bravo Tyrrell of the flying camps, and Owen Oxe of Cong— And round them lay thuir warriors wild the forest t(lade along. Four hundred men of proof they were, thene warriors free and bold; In many a group they sat around the green skirts of the wold ; Some telling of their early loves, and soaie of mighty deeds. In regions wide by Shannon side, in (Jalien of the steeds — Somo cursing the Invader's steps, and wishing for the fray, That they might sate their burning hate ere the close of that bright day. Now up the woody mountain-side the battle rolls along ; Nuw down into the valley's womb the tugging warriors throng ; As hounds around a hunted wolf some forest rock be- neath, Whence comes no sound save the mortal rush and the gnash of many teeth. Their charging shouts liave died away — no sound rolls upward sare The volley of the murderous gun and the crash of axe and glaive I Oh I life, it ia a precious gem, yet many there will throw The gem uway in the mortal fray for vengeance on the fue. And thus they tug more silent still, till the glen ia covered wide With war-steed strong, and sabred corse, and many a gory tid& Hurrah ! that about it roUeth up with cadence wild and stern; 'lis the triumph rpar of the gallowglass and the sharp yell of the kern 1 Hie f oeman flii-a before their steel— not far, not far he files; In the gorge's month, in the valley's womb, by the mountMn foot he dies; Where'er he speeds, death follows him like a shadow ia his traoka— THE WARS OP HUGH O'NEILL. n He meet* the uleam of the fMrfnl pike and the sharp aad gorjr axe I llirir leader of the boasting words, joang Trimbleston, was ta'en, And his rbamplons all, save one weak man. In that bloody fforge were tlain : He sped him on, unchased by kern, nnsmote by gallow- Rlnm, Tliat he miRlit tell how bis comrades fell that mom In TyirnirHPass. Meanwhile Sir Coayers Clifford had marched friSin Bojle to Sligo, and thence to the Erne, which he croBied after a serere struggle at the Ford of Ath-Cooloeii, half a mile west of Belleek. In this eugageofieut lie lost one ef hin principal officers, Murregh O'Brien, Baron of Inchiquin, who was •hot when midway across tke ford. Clifford having been sent some cannon hj sea from Qal- way, next laid siege to Ballyshannou Castle, which WM defended with great oliatiaacy by the Irish and Spanish garrison. After the cannon had been playing on the castle for three days without any satisfactory result, the Knglish under eerer of a testude mads a determined effort to sap the foundations, but the garrison hurled such a tremendous shower ef rocks and missiles of every description on them as broke the testudo, and forced them te retire, leaving some dead be- hind them. Next morning Red Hui^fa O'Duunell unexpectedly arrived with a large force, and besieged the English in their own camp. Clifford, now overmatched, resolved to retire, and accordingly, in the grey dawa ef meraing, he silently and stealthily recrossed the Erne at a dangerous ford immediately above th« eataraot of Assaroe, over which several et his men were washed by tho swiftness ef the current. O'Doa- BeU, annoyed that they had so easily escaped him, pursued them across the river, but the pow- der of the Irish having got wet, they had to aban* don the pursuit and the English reached Sligo in safety. Berough, the Deputy, having reached Ulster in safety with all his forces, took pes«essiou of Armagh, which had been abaadeued by O'Neill ftfter he had destroyed the fortifications. A few miles aerthward wns Portmore, a fort erected by the English oa the banks ef the Blackwater, com- manding the ford across which lay the road te J Dunganaon, O'Neill's stroagkold. The modern BlackwatertewB is supposed to be aear the site of Portmore. After the capture ef Armagh the Irish took this fort aad expelled the small garrisoa from it, and now Borough was marehroir ea it with 1,500 men, te place it onee aiere in the haads ef the English. He met with some slight resistance ea the way, but ultimately forced a pae- sage acress the river and teek the fort by sterm, the Irish garrisen, hewever, nunbering enly forty naca. The official despatehes on the subject neo- tion that the rampart was so high, the diteh ee deep, and the hedge befere both so plashed (in- terwoven) that the 1,000 English had enough to do, without tvsistance of any enemy, te break threugh the one and scramble up the other. It is also mentioned that the embrasures of tlte fort were so badly constructed that the cannon could only sweep the slopes ef the oppoeite hill, while the ford waa left unguarded except by mus- ' keteers. While they wore engaged in prayws and thanka- givings fer this success, the Eugliah were iater- rupted by the reappearance ef the Irish in an unexpected quarter, oemmanded by O'Neill in person. Tlie Deputy ordered an advance against then, but it was repulsed by the masterly t*ctics of O'Neill, who had divided his foroe inte two parties sufieiently aear te assist each other. When the attack was made the two divisions cealesced te meet it, and in the engagement which earned the Deputy was severely wounded. He died at Newry shortly afterwards, it is supposed, »f his injuries. The Earl ef Kildare waa also gereusly wouaded, and twice threwa from hia horse in the heat of battle. Hie two feeter- brothers, in attempting to lift him on his hcn» agaia, were slain by bis side, and he died in a few days afterwards, whether of grief <»■ ef hie woanda it is aot certain. Among the slain were Sir Francis Vaughaa, the Deputy's brother-m-law, Themas Waller, Robert Turner, and uiany other efficers td dia- tiactien. This battle waa fought at » plaoe caUed Dram- fliaeh, between Blackwatertewn and and Beabarfa. After this reverse the English built aome addi- tions te the fort, in which they placed a garriaon 22 Ireland's battles and battlefields. of 300 men under » bnv* ofBeer aanad WillUmi. They then reireatedl to Newry, wh*no« they marched ■outhward into the Pale, leaving Port- mere and its Kftrrison to defend themaelvei single- handed against Uie Irish. No seoner had the English retired than O'Neill attacked the fort with a storming party and scaling ladders whieh, hoyrever, pruTed toe short, but the heroic garrison met his assaults with such detemiuatieB and bravery that 84 ef his men wei-e left dead in the ditch, and O'Neill had to give up all hope ef takmg the place by foroe. On the death of Lord Borough, the Qovernment appeinted Arohbiahop Lef tus and Sir Robert QbX' diner Lords Justices, and made Lord Ormomde oommander-in-ohiefef the army. About ObristMM the Earls of Ormonde and Thomond, having beoB authorised by the Queen to treat with O'Neill, proeeeded to the north and remained for three day* in eonferenoe with him and O'Donnell, endeavour- ing to come to tersBS with them. In oonsequcnc* of an arrangement then made, a truce was to be observed for eight weeks, while the Qovernment communicated hia demands to Queen Elizabetii. v.— BFTJJNABOY, OR THE YELLOW FORD.* C* si PS -^ ^'^^ Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, after which his demands were submit- ted to Queen Elizabeth. About the middle ef the following March her an- awer was received, and another •eaference waa held to communicate it to him. Her Majesty was willing te pardon him upon eertaiu specified conditions, some of which went fair enough, but others were entirely unreasonable, and these latter he objected to. An arrangement of some kind seems to have been concluded, for the pardon waa actually drawn up, bearing date 11th April, 1598, and ■aaled virith the Great Seal of Irel&ud. O'Neill, however, now refused to accept it, whether in THB O'NBILL arms — " THX BLOODT HAND." oonsequenee of any further disagreement it is diffieult to say, but it is certain that he never acknowledged it. On the 7th June the last truce expired, and two days afterwards O'Neill appeared with an army before the fort of Portmore "swearing by his barbarous hand that he would not depart till he had carried it." The brave Williams and his men in- side the fort were by this time nearly famished with hunger; they bad eaten all their horses, every blade of grass, aud every bit of weed and herbage that grew upon the walls; and each morn- ing they anxiously strained their eyes over Uie southern hills, hoping to see the English flag flut toring in the breeze or their spears glinting in tho morning sun. They still managed to subsist a while by making sallies out of the fort aud capturing some of th« Irish troop horses; but even that forlorn hope was now cut off, for O'Neill surrounded the fort with immense trenches more than a mile in length, sevoial feet deep, with a great thorny hedge over it. Every approach to that unhappy fort waa " plashed " (rendered impassable with felled trees and interwoven boughs), and tho Irish army were so scientifically distributed that it waa impossible for a relieving force to approach &om any quarter without fighting a battle under avery disadvantage. * In writing the account of this famous battle, I have used the followinc authorities :— State Papers of Queen Elizabeth on "The Jomey of the Blackwater," published in Kilkenny Archaeological Joomal for 1866-7 ; Annals of the Four Masters ; Harerty's History of Ireland ; Moryson's History of Ireland ; Facsimiles ol Kational MSS., edited by John T. Gilbert, Esq., M.R.I.A. THE WAES OP HUGH O'NEILL. When mesMBgert brought thu newi to Dublin it oaused grMt anxiety ; frequent and prelonged meeting! of tho Oounoil were held in the Cutle, and opinion* were dirided u to the coune to bo punued. Some would hare Williami make tho best terms he could and surrender tho fort, but thui proposal waa OTorruled by tho military olemont. Marshal Bagenal urged that an ex- pedition should at once start for tho relief of Portmore under his own command, and ultimately this sup;geBtion waa adopted. New, it happened that O'Neill and Bagenal were bitter personal enemies, for Tyrone had married tho Marshal's sister much against her brother's wishes, and out of this grew a deadly feud between them ; no that the Qovernmont thought no fitter man could be chosen to crush this proud northern rebel than his brother-in-law and mortal enemy, Marshal Sir Harry Bagenal. UN THK BbACKWATEU. Accordingly, early in August the exped?tioo, consisting ef 4,000 foot, 400 horse, and some field artillery, started from Dublin in command of tho Marshal and Sir Thomas Wingfield, bringing with them supplies and ammunition for Portmore. The OoTernment had nearly double that number of troops aTailable, but by an unaccountable act of stupidity,insteadof despatching their whole forces «gaiust O'Neill, they diyided them, sending half under Ormonde against the Cavenaghs of Leinster. Bagenal and his army marched by Drogheda, Dundalk, and Newry, to Armagh, where they pitched their camp immediately outside tho city walls. From here tkey could see O'Neill with his army preparing to eentest thoir paosagoMroos tho Callan rirer, which they must c r oss on thoir war to Portmore, five miles distant. On Monday, 14th August, 1598, tho Englifeh marched from Armagh with bands playing aixi colours flyins;. They advaaeed in nx rogiMont* formed into three divisions, about half a miie distant ftom each other, tho Tan being eom manded by Colonel Cosby, the middle or maiu body by Sir Thomas Wfaigield, and tho reor by Colonel Cunie. Marshal Bagoaal rode in the Tan. The horse waa diTided into two bodiea, and oom- manded by Sir Calistkenes Brooke. When they had marched about half a mile from Armagh, their course lay between a bog on tho one side and a wood at tho other, and here tho Irish sharpshooters, who had concealed thomselToo m the brushwood at tho sides, opened a hoary fira upun them, which was maintained tho whole way to tho trench. This trench was a formidable ob- stacle; it was fire feet wide, four feet deep, and plashed with thorn bushes. The ranguard bad a large field-piece, which stuck fast in tho )>ogg>- ground as they approached tho trench; but, boii^ exposed to a heavy fire, they had to leave it be- hind them. They then charged tho Irioh, and forced their way across tho treneh. Hm main body, under Sir Thomas Wingfield, next eomii^ up, endeavoured to extricate tho gun, bat tlM Irish crowding around them, killed tho oxen ttet drew it, and one of tlio wheels breaking, tho nmin body had likewise to abandon it. Hie drspatchri say that it caused serious obotruetioa to the troops from lying right in tho line of naardi. Meanwhile tho vanguard, having p^aod tho trench, were advancing, and, having crosaed oomo rising ground, were lost to view from tho i«aain- der ot the army. The main body haTii^ been considerably delayed by tho fioid-pioco, ICankal Bagenal sent a message to the ranguard to rotnm and wait for tho rest. All tliis time heavy firing was heard from tho rear, and tho Marshal, foarirg that tho last division waa hard boaot, sent Wing- field to its assistance, while he himself w«nt for- ward to the van. Just then Wingfield aaw tba rear coming up, and spurred forward to tell tho Marshal, who raised his vizor to look. At (ha* same instant a bullet from an unknown 24 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. man pierced hia brain, and ttie brave Bageual I'ell dead at Winfc field's feet. When the Tanguard, already nearly ererpowered by the Iriah, received the order to retura, it ap peara t<> have alarmed them considerably, for they wheeled abouc in su disorderly a faahiou that the Irish instantly fell upon them, broke their ranks, .-^nd drove them back in a eonfuded body to the '' trench, where they were aearly all slain, and their colours captured. The aurvivors, retreating, wildly rushed into the ranks of the advancing main body, causing considerable confusion. At the same time a soldier, carelessly replenishing his pouch, let fall a spark iuto one of the barrels ef powder, exploding it and several others beside it. The explosion was tremendous, and the surround- ing hilly ground was enveloped in a dense smoke for the rest of the day. By this accident many of the English were killed and another of their pieces disabled ; and before they could recover from their confusion they were charged by the Irish eavalry, led by O'Neill in person. The result waa utter rout and slaughter — the English retreating in a disorderly mass to Armagh, pur- sued by the Irish the whole way, " in couples, in scores, in thirties, and in hundreds." The English loss was about 2,000, and the Irish about 400. The survivors retreated to Armagh and shut themselves up in the town. They found, how- ever, on taking count of the provisions, that they Ixad not more than would suffice for ten days at the utmost, and that there was no provender at all tor the horses. It was therefore proposed by some that thoy should retreat to Newry. But aa Newry was twenty milea off, and the road lay through a broken and difficult country, the chances were that, pursued and harassed by the enemy the whole way, few would ever reach the friendly shelter of ita walls. In this perplexity the officers conferred long together and decided that the best plan was for Captain Montague, in command of the horse, to attempt to cut his way that very night through the cordon of Irish that environed the walls, and then ride with all possible speed to Newry and southwards to alarm the Pale and bring relief. Captain Montague aaaented to this arrangement, atating that he waa willing to risk his life in so good a cause, and he and his party succeeded that night in escaping with trifliHg loss, though he was pursued for aeveial miles towards Newry. Meanwhile the Iriah continued to besiege Armagh, and both partiea kept up a fire at each other for three daya, at the expiration of which time the English ceased hoatilities and sent mes- sengers to the Iriah to say that Pertmore would be surrendered if its garrison were permitted to come to Armagh anMolested, after which they engaged to surrender Armagh itself if given quarter and escorted to their own territory. The Irish then held a council to con- aider this offer ; some were for putting all the garrison to the aword, but they finally agreed to the conditiona proposed, and sent a message back to that effect. A number of Irish and English officers then proceeded to Portmore, and, on their telling the garrison how the case stood, Williams surrendered the fort, and he and his famished companiona came to Armagh to join the rest. They were then all escorted into English territory. It should be mentioned that it was not a usual proceeding in those days to allow a garrison to surrender on such easy terms — in fact it was the almost universal practice of English commandera to put them all to the sword, so that this act of O'Neill shows that he was a man of humane and generous disposition. The Battle of the Yellow Ford was undoubtedly the greatest defeat ever received by the English upon Irish soil — it was the climax of a long serie» of successes achieved by O'Neill, and nearly severed the slender connectioa between the two countries. Camden says of it — " Tyrone triumphed to his heart's desire over his adver- sary, and obtained a remarkable victory over the English ; and doubtleas, since the time tliey first' aet foot in Ireland, they never received a greater overthrow^thirteen atout captains being slain and 1,500 of the tommoa soldiers, who, being scattered by a shameful flight all the fields over, were alain and vanqukhed by the enemy. Thi» was a glorious victory for the rebels, and of special advantage, for hereby thoy got both arma and provisions, and Tyrone's name waa cried up all over Ireland as the author of tkeir liberty." THE WAKS OF HUGH O'NEILL. 25 Why, it may be aeked, did Dot O'Neill follow up the victory by marching on Dublin ! Why did ke permit the garriaou ef Armagh to march ■oubhwards and swell tlie ranks •£ the attenuated army of the Pale ? There waa then, apj^areutly, no garrisen in Dublin, and a thouaand men would .have captured the Castle without difficulty ^indeed, its terror-stricken warders would pro- bably have surrendered it without a struggle. The only explanation of this apparent remissness is that O'Neill prvbably knew that even if he secured possession of the capital he could not hope to bold it long against the myriads that would be despatched against him , so that in thib respect he perhaps only showed his sound judgment. THB FORT OF PORTMORK, 1598 (200 PACKS LONO). (From a contemporary drawing.) The battle was essentially a scientific one — a game of skill between two brave commanders and consummate tacticians, and is most interestmg to analyse in detail. Both sides fought with great valeur, and there has been no accusation ef cowardice made by either. Briefly summarised, the prezimate cause3 of the defeat may be ■aid to be — (1) The superior generalship of O'Neill, who completely out-naauoeuvred his tdversary. (2) The excessive distance which intervened between the English vanguard, main body, and rear guard respectively, whereby each of these divisions was cut to pieces before tho others could coma to its assistance; and (3) the disastrous explosion of the powder magazine, which disranked and disorganised the English linos, BO that they fell easy victims to the im- petuous charge of the Irish cavalry. Two miles due north of Armagh, not far from the CaDan river, is a small well-de- fined marsh or bog, which still retains tlao historic nasso of " Bellanaboy." The thickest ml the fight took place upon this spot; and a quarter of a mile north of it stands a whitethorn baah called " Qreat Man's Thorn Tree," under whidi. according to tradition, sleeps the brave MarahnI Sir Harry Bagenal, who fell as befitted % soldier. Near the battlefield is "tbo Yellow Ford" across the Callan Rivw. On tke 6-inch Ordnance Survey map of tho district tho battlefield is marked by crossed swords above tbo words " Beale-atha-buidhe. 1598." A strange variety of weapons were used in this battle — guns, matchlocks, crosa-bows, long bows, battle-axes, swords, spears, and lances. Tho English wore armour, but the Irish fought am usual in their linen tunica. The lengthy despatches and State correspon- dence on "The Jorney of tbo Blackwater," ao this campaign was called, leave no doubt that the blockade of Portmore and the subsequent defeat of tho relieving force inspired the Government with the greatest terror. One of tho letters (whidi, however, was never delivered) is trom tho Lords Justices to Tyrone, begging of him to spare the survivors of tho army cooped up in Armagh and Portmore, lest he sltould further incenao her Majesty. Queen Elizabeth, who seems to have bad mare courage than aU her Irish cuuneillora, was furious when she read this communication, and wrote back a scathing letter to the Lorda Justices reproaching them for their moauness and cowardice. The letters from tho Lords Justice* to the English Privy Council are couched in tho most abject and suppliant language, prayiqg for assistance to save them from tho Irish "rebbeUs." The following spirited lines by Drennan aiv perhaps the best on the subject : — By O'Neill close beleaguered, the spirits might droop Of the Saxon three hundred shut up in the coop. Till Bagnal drew forth his Toledo, and swore On the sword of a soldier to succour Portmore. His veteran troops in the foreign wars tried. Their features how bronz'd, and how haughty thMr stride, Stepped steadily on; it was thrilling to see That thunder-cloud broodinc o'er Beal-an-a-bni ! D ■26 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. The flash of their nrmonr, iciaid with fine gold, Oleaming matchlocks and cannons that mutterincly roUed. With the tramp and the clank of those stern cnirassiera, Dyed in blood of the Flemish and French cavaliers. . • • . f • Lnnd of Owen Aboo I and the Irish mshed on : Hie foe flr'd but one Tolley — their gunners are gone. Before the bare bosoms the steel coats have fled, Or despite casque or corselet, lie dying or dead. And braTe Harry Bagnal, he fell while he fought, 'With many gay gallants : they slept as men ought. Their faces to Heaven : there were others, alack : By pikes overtaken, and taken aback. And the Irish got clothing, coin, eoloun, great store, Arms, forage, and provender — plunder galore. niey munched the white maachets, they champed tbe brown chine, Fnliluab for that day, how the natives did dine 1 The chifcf tain looked on, when O'Shanaghan rose. And cried: "Hearken, O'Neill, I've a health to propose- To our Sassenach hosts," and all quaffed in huge gleo. With Cead mUle/ailthe go ! Beal-aN-A'-boi t THE DISASTROUS CAMPAIGN OF ESSEX. AOENAL'S death and tho sigaal disaater at tho Tellow Ford caused great consteniacioD in England. The military prowess of O'Neill, great aa it waa, was exaggerated, and Moryson saya of him — " Tho generall Toyee was of Tyrone amongst tho English after the defeat of Blackwater, aa of Hannibal among tho Romans after the defeat of Cannae." Elizabeth was greatly exasperated at the catas- trophe and wrote indignant letters to tho Irish 4}oTemmemt, upbraiding thorn for dividmg and wasting their forces in petty contentions with tho Tobels of Leinster. To replace Bagenal, who waa aa honourable man, she sent Sir Richard Bingham, an officer who had distinguished himself by the most savage acta of brutal butchery in Con- naught. He died, however, almost immediately ou landing in Dublin, so that he had not time to repeat his exploits. Sir Samuel Bagenal, brother -of tho late Marshal, waa then sent to Ireland with iS,000 men to replace the losses at tho Yellow Ford. England's best generals — De Burgh, Eildare, Norris, and Bagenal — had now been successively hurled bnck in ignominious defeat trom tho fron- tiers of Ulster, and Elizabeth felt that if Ireland were to bo retained at all it would be only by a supreme effort of all the powers of the empire. By some strange infatuation she appointed as Lord Lieutenant her Court favourite, Robert Devereux, Earlof Essex, a young man only 22 years of age, with little experience and absolutely devoid of prudence and judgment. She invested him with plenary powers — almost those of a king — and en- trusted to his eonmand a vast army of 20,000 foot and 2,000 horse, one of the largest ever sent into Ireland. His instructions were to neglect all the insurgents of lesser note, and on landing te march at once with all his forces to reduce rebel- lious Ulster. With this splendid army he landed in Dublin on the 15tii April, 1599, and was sworn in the same day. But now his ineptitude became manifest. In direct violation of his instructions he divided hia army, sending 3,500 men, under Sir Henry Har- rington, to Wicklow to check the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles, 3,000 more to Sir Conyers Cli£Ford in Coanaught, and ho also seat garrisons to Dun- dalk, Drogheda, and Naaa. Thus his fine army was soon scattered all over the country, and he had now but 7,000 left. With these he marched against the Munstor Geraldiues, instead ef pro- ceeding against O'Neill, as he had Ween ordered. Having reached Athy he seized a fortified bridge across the Barrow, by which he advanced with his force into the Queen's County. He then pro- ceeded by the Caatle of Rheban on to the English fortress ef Maryborough, vrhich he victualled, and next encamped on the slopes ef a high hill called Crosby Duff, abouk three miles farther south- ward. From the summit of this hill, which com- manded an extonsive view, he surveyed the sur- rounding coimtry, and directed his march accord- ingly. But he waa not unobserved. Owny O'More hung on his flank, and, with his scouts securely postod on the Dyaart hills, waa kept apprised of every movement. THE DISASTROUS CAMPAIGN OP ESSEX. «7 At Crosby Dull^ Essax marshalled his ranlcs and tidTanc«d by tha Ballyknockam cross-roads to- wards Ballyroan, knowing that th« eneny wer* Mmewhere in that diractton. His course lay thratifk almost impenetrable woods, which afforded secure corer for the Irish, and enabled them to form an ambuscade. The road here tra- versed a narrow winding defile, and this place Owny O'More selected for' the attack. The en- gagement which ensued has been minutely de- scribed by Sir John Harringten, an English officer whe fought on the occasion. His account is pub* lishcd in " Tractt Relative to Ireland," VoL II. The road passed for a mile through a dense weed, and was plashed at the sides with trees •nd boughs, behind which the Irish main- tained an intermittent fire, and at one place they had dug a deep trench across the road to delay the passage ef the English. Adjoining the woed were bogs, quite safe te the lightly- equipped Irish, but which the English dared not attempt, and in a small village between the wood and the bog the Irish were massed in consider- able numbers. To force a passage through this dangerous de§Ie Essex divided his army into three divisions. Before the vanguard marched the forlorn hope, consisting of "forty shot and twenty short weapons," and they were ordered not to discharge them " until they presented them at the rebels ' kreaats in the trenches, " and were te suddenly enter the trench at either side of the vanguard. The baggage and part of the horse preceded the Main body, and in front ef the last division were placed the remainder of the horse, except thirty, who in command of an officer cempleted the rear. The Irish apparently allowed the first division to pass unmolested and then fiercely attacked the middle and rear, throwing them into partial con- fusion, Meanwhile the vanguard had hurried en till they emerged from the pass into the open plain, where they halted for the rest to cone up. The English of eeurse greatly outnumbered their assailants, and would have easily defeated them in the open, but, being unable to fight to advan- tage in the pass, the battle partook ot the nature of a running attack by the Irish and a hurried inarch by the English te gain the open country. About fifty years ago, when the foundations of an eld building near Ballykneckan Houee were being excavated, cartloads of human remains ware exhumed and removed by the workmen. Consi- derable quantities ef these remains also lie in the high gravelly ground between Ballyknoekan cross- roads and the Castle. The tradition of a great battle haring been fought here is still quite vivid amenf the peasantry ef the neighheurhood, wIm ■ay that the ight raged fer about half a mile along this road, which was strewn with dead bodies. The battle terminated at a bog eaOed ' Monecn-na-fulla," meaning " the little bog of the blood " in which skulls, human remains, and arms have been found from time to time. On account of the great number of plumed hel- mets found in the pasa after the battle it got tbe name ef Bamaglitty er " The Pass of the Plumes." This name is, however, now obeelete and forgotten. It should be mentioned that the site ef this battle was unknown until it wassatisfaeterily iden- tiled and all controversy set at rest by the invee- tigatiens ef the Rev John Canon O'Hanlea, M K I A, te wkese paper on the aubjact in the Pro- ceedings of the Royal Irish Academy I am in- debted fer my local details. This was the first reverse experienced by Kaeex, and from the letters he wrote to the Privy Council subsequently it seems to have impraeeed him vTith a greater respect for the fighting powetB ef the Irish than he previously had. After this engagement Essex marched te Bally- ragget, and thence te Kilkenny, " a cytty when the Earl of Ormend is resident." Here he was re- ceived with great demonstrations by the Kt^ ^^ill^ inhabitants. He next preceeded by Clenmel to Cahir, where " in the midst ef the ry ver Snyre lyeth an Hand, the same a naturaU rocke, and upon yt a castle which, although it may be nei built with any great arte, yet is the scite aneh by nature that yt may be said te be inexpugnable. " {"Tracts Relative to Ireland.") When he reached the castle he sent officers to parley with the garrison, but failing to induce them to surrender he made preparations for • siege. Accordingly he planted cannon in poaitkm, and, having sent SOf men te take possesaiaa cf 28 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. the bawn who expelled " feheae beastes," aa the Irish are hert elegantly dtsignated, he com- menced a vigorous cannonade which s«*n breached the walls. Hearing that some reiBforcements were advancing fr«m Mitchelat«wn to the relief of the castle, he ssnt Sir Christopher St. Lawrence, with 300 w«n, to break d«wn a bridge over wliich the relieving force would have t* pass. The garrison, seeing themselves tbutii cut off from this expected relief, endeavoured to leave the castle under cover of the night, but they were dis- covered by tlie English, who feU upon them, and killed about eighty . of thena. The English tiien took possession of the castle and placed a strong garrison in it, and Essex advanced to Limerick, leaving the wounded at Clonmel. CAHIR CASTLE. While the English were storming Cahir Castle, Sir Thomas Norris, Governor of Munster, came to Kilmallock to meet Essex, as he knew he weuld pass that way. He had been nearly a fortnight in the town before the Earl arrived, and in the interval was in the habit of daily sceuring the ■tirrounding roeuBtains accompanied by his soldiers t.o try if he could not capture or kill some of the " Irish rebbels." He happened ene day te meet a well-known rebel, one ef the Burkes of CaatleeoBnell, with d,bout 100 Irish soldiers; a sharp conflict ensued in which some 20 of the Irish were killed, but Norris received his death wound, and was carried to Kilmallock where h» died six weeks later. Meanwhile bad news began to arrive from other parts of the country, and ill luck appeared te at- tend all the expaditiens. Sir Henry Harrington sustained ascriens reverse at Ranelagh, near Bal- tinglass, in couBty Wicklow, ef which a most de- tailed account is given by himself. According to this naiTative he set eut with his troops from Wicklow anil marched to Ranelagh, but ascertaining that the Irish were massed in great force in the neighbourhood he attempted to return next day. The Irish followed and soon overtook him, keeping up a running fight fer some miles. Another party of the Irish teok a short cut to a ford, across which the English were to pass, and intercepted their van. Tlie main body of the English were seme distance behind, and be- fore they could come up the vanguard fired off their pieces recklessly, and thnu, throwing Ihem away, turned and fled. One of tlie officers who had charge of the colours also rau away, aud a large number of pikemen in the main body broke from the ranks and followed his example, throw- ing away their arms, and even stripping them- selves of their clothes ! Harrington writes — "All that I or tiieir captains could do could never make one of them eBce to turn his face tewards the rebels." Another officer. Captain Ather ton writes, "When we came to the rear we found some of the rebels killiBg our men, they making no resistance, nor once turning their faces towards their enemies" — " never offered to turn or speak, but as men without sense or feeling, ran one upon another's baek, it being not possible to break, by reason of the captains, who endeavoured by all meaas to stay them, but in vain." Essex, on hearing of this disgraceful defeat, hastened to Dublin, and held a courtmartial on those responsible, and the lieutenant, who had charge of the colours, with one out of every ten seldiers, were executed. Sir Henry Harrington was also suspended for a time, thcugh he was net te blame in the matter. THE DISASTBOIJS CAMPAIQN OF ESSEX. THE BATTLE OF THE CURLIEU PASS. N Juue, 1599, Essex left Limerick oity, and preceeded t* Adare. Next day as he marched westward, he was met by the Earl of Desmond and his *rmij, who contested his progress the whole of that day, killing a number ef bis men and delaying him so that he wa« only able to reach Askeaton that evening. The following day Ess*x and Ormeade, after consultation, decided to leave part of their ammunition and stores in the Castle of Aakeatoa, and not to proceed fur- ther westward into Munster on account of the menacine attitude of the Irish chiefs. Ob their return eastwards next day they were again attacked by the Geraldines under Desmond at a place called Fiuniterstown, in the parish of Adare, ten miles south-west of Limerick. Here, by the wooded banks of the Maigue, m the vale of " Sweet Adare," a san- guinary conflict ensued, and the sylvan solitudes were rudely disturbed by the crash and roar ef musketry from the thickets adjoining the road, where the Irish had concealed themselves in am- buseade. In this actiem Sir Henry Norris re- ceived a bullet wound, of wkicb ke died about two moBtha after; he wa« the third ef the brothers Norris that fell in these fruitless Irish wars. Essex then proceeded to Kilmallock, and having rested his army there for three dajs, he directed his course southward through the pass of Barna Derg; thence, by Conna aad Mogeely, he journeyed to Fermoy, where he crossed the Blackwater by a ford, and marched to Lismore in Waterford. During all this marchimg and ec untermareh- ing through the country, the Irish never ceased Uieir attacks. Inferior in numbers, discipline, and equipment to the Eagliah, thoy winly avoided general eagagements, but hung on thur flanks and rear, dogged their footsteps, cut off stragglers, and greatly impeded thoir mov*- ments. From Lismore Essex marched to Dangarvan and Waterford, still followed by the Qoraldiuee ; but at Waterford they left hina and returned to their own ceuatry. He remained for aome days in Waterford examining the forts and harboTurt; he also inspected the fort of Duncannoa in the eounty Wexford, which was built to eommand the passage to Waterford harbour. This fcn-t waa unanimously condemned by the military officers aa useless, " for the scite ii so overtopped by an emynent height not distant from it more thui 150 paees, that no aian can stand secure in tho piazza of tho forte" {Traett Rel. to Ireland. Vol IJ. Dymmek). The modem Duncannoa is a prettily situated fishing village, nearly opposite Passage, on " Tho lovely green banks of tho Suir." From tho many other defects of this so-called fort, eau- morated in detail by Dymmok, a bombardaMat of passing ships most have been a comparatively harmless amusement to all parties concerned. From Waterford Essex marehed to Enais- corthy, aai along tho coast by Arklow, Wicklow, and Newcastle, in each of which places was a castle held by an English garrison. fie roaehod Dublin at last with tho shattered remnants af his army, worn out with sickness and fatigue afte prisoner. He waa ultimately liberatod m the following June on payment of a ransom of £3,000 and giving hostages not to seek rotali*- tion. Though it is difficult to say whether his captura was preconcerted or not, there is no dsabt that Ormoxde showed little prudence or discretion, first in attending a mooting in no ooa- picious a place; and secondly, in so far forgefcfeing himself as to use such unseemly language at tko conference. Immediately after this Carew and Thonsoad marched from Kilkenny to Waterford, and theaoa to Youghal and Cork. In July, 1600, tboy set out from Limerick, and, marchine into the county Clare by the northern bank of the Shannon, tkoy recrossed the river and laid siege to tho Castle of Glin, on its banks, near the borders of Limerit^ and Kerry. The cannon were brought by river from Limerick in one of Lord Thomond's veaaois. The English planted their artillery in pueitioo without any resistance from tho garrison, after which tho Knight of the Valley, tho owner of tk* castle, requested an interview with Carew. Thia being granted, they held a parley for some time^ but, failing to arrive at any satisfactory terms, tfa* Knight left the camp and the bombardmont ctua- naenced. After about three hours' firing a breach wao made in the waU under the great entrance hall of the castle, and one of the English captains was commanded to enter with some companiea of soldiers. They succeeded in forcing an entrance^ though stoutly resisted by the garriicm, who then took possession of one of tho adjoining towers, from which they kept up a fire on tho English. The storming party then ascended • stairs, leading from the entrance hall to two turrets, which they captured and occupied, loeii^ one officer and several men in tho encounter. As it was now over night, the storming partj fortified themselves in the portions they had taken, and deferred further operations till the foUowtoi; morning. The constable of the castle, seeing no possibility of success and little hope ni mercy. 34 IRELAND S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. made an attempt with some of his h«b to escape in the darkHess of the night, but they were perceired by the English, whe put them to the iword and fixed the constable's head on a ■take to intimidate the rest. Early next morning whieh the besieglDg party burned, causing such • smeke that for a ceuple ef hours there was no going near the place. At the end ef that time one et the Irish came down the stairs and ofiPered on behalf of the rest te surrender. His offer waa re- e THE STORMING OF GUN CASTLE. (From Pacata Hibemia), the remainder ef the garrison established tham- ■elves in the upper part of tire principal tower of the castle, to which the only approach was an ex- tremely steep and narrow stairs. At the batten •f this stairs was a massive wooden doorway. fused and he himself waa kiUed, upon wliich the garrison retired, te the battlements determined to fight to the last. The English now ascended the stairs without resistance until they reached a deor at the top lead- DOWNFALL OF ESSEX AND CAMPAIGN OF MOUNTJOY AND CAREW. 35 ing out upon the roof; as they entered at thia door a dreadful struggle commenced, the Irish fighting with the oiergy ef despair, but in vain, they were ultimately overcome by the superior numbers of their assailants, and the whole garrisen, soma 80 in number, were slain. The English accounts {Pacata Hib. and Cox) say that 11 of their men were killed and 21 wounded at this siege. The Irish had no cannon whatever, se that it is not sur- prising that they were wersted. Carew remained here for five days repairing the caatle, after which, leaving a garrison in it, he marched on Carrigafoyle Csujtle, about twelve miles westward on the Shannon, opposite Scattery Island, which was surrendered to him without resistance by the owner, 0' Conor Kerry. He also took or obtained possession of several other castles in the neighbourhood. The whole popu- lation of the surrounding country, seeing the English .prevailing against them, abandoned their houses and fied to the mountains and forests. Meanwhile the English Government resolved to concentrate all their eflforts towards reducing O'Neill, and with this object despatched a fleet to Lough Foyle, conveying a powerful army and munitions ef war, in command of Sir Henry Docwra, who, after some trifling skirmishes, marched on and occupied Londonderry. Red Hugh O'Donnell advanced to besiege him, on which Docwra made a vigorous sortie eut of the town, but was repulsed with some loss, he himself being dangerously wounded in personal combat with O'Donnell. Lord Mountjoy, the Viceroy, was during thia time carrying on the war against the "rebels" of Leix, who, under their chieftain, Owny O'More, had recovered all their original possessions from the English except PortLeix (Maryborough). But this famous guerilla chief, having incautiously exposed himself in one of the border skirmishes, fell pierced by a musket ball on 17th August, 1600. His death so discouraged his followers that the whole district of Leix soon afterwards reverted to the possession of the English. Morysou says of this incident: — " But the best service at that time was the killing of Owny Mac Rery, a bloody and bold young man, wh* lately had taken the Earl of Ormond prisoner, and had made great stirs in Munster. He was the chief of the O'Mores' Sept in Leix, and by his death tbey were so discouraged that they never after held up their heads." " Our captains, and by their example (for it mm otherwise painful) the common soldiers, did cat down with their swords all the rebels' eom, to the value of £10,000 and upward, the only means by which they were to live and to keep their Bonnaghts (or hired soldiers). It seemed incredible that, by so barbarous inhabitants, the ground should be so manured, tte fields so orderly fenced, the towns so frequently mhabited, and the highways and paths so well beaten as the Lord Deputy here found them. The reason whereof was that the Queen's forces during theee wars never tiU then came among them "(!) Early in 1601, after repeated attempts. Mount- joy forced the passage of the dangerous Moyry Pass, immediately north of Dundalk, and erected a castle on the northern approach to it. He then crossed the Blackwater and marched on the castle of Benburb, but the resistance he encountered on the way was such that he deemed it advisable to return to Dublin after having relieved the several garrisons along his route. When he reached Dublin he issued proclama- tions offering £2,000 for the capture of O'Neill alive and £1, 000 for his head, but even these tempting ofifers failed to effect any result. In all directions, however, disasters began to fall thickly upon the Irish. Nial Garv O'Donnell, who had fought with distinction against the English, now went over to them and was sent by Docwra with 500 troops to occupy the monastery of Donegal, where he was besieged by his kinsman and former comrade. Red Hugh O'DonnelL After a desperate midnight struggle, in which the building took fire, exploding the powder magazine, Nial Garv re- treated to the monastery of Magherabeg, which he occupied instead. There he was again closely besieged till tidings came that a Spanish fleet had arrived in Kinsale to assist the Irish who were at war, upon which Red Hugh broke up camp and marched southward to Munster. 8( IBELAMD'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. THE SIEGE AND BATTLE OF KINSALE. N th« evening of 20th Septem- ber, 1601, a fiiherman BtAnd- ing on the old Head of Einsale, saw far out at sea a great fleet in full sail, bearing for Cork harbour. The shipe, forty-five in number, passed close to the fiead on their way, but as they were near- ing the harbour a contrary wind ares* which blew so hard that they were forced t* tack abouli, and make for Kinsale in- stead. On 23rd September they entered the harbour of Kinsale with Spanish oeloura flying, and landed all their forces in the town. The long- promised aid from Spain had indeed come at last. The small English garrison evacuatad the town without attempting resistance, and retired to Cork, while the Irish received the new-comers with great demonstrations of joy. The Spaniards, some 3,000 strong, were commanded by an officer named Don Juan Del Aguilha, who, on entering, •t once proceeded to fortify the place and garri- son the forts ef Rincorran and Castle-na-park, at the eastern and western points of the harbour respectively. Lord Mountjoy, the Deputy, was at Kilkenny when he heard of the invasion, and with Sir George Carew, President of Munster, hastened to recon- noitre the enemy's camp. Kinsale is a seaport town situated at the mouth of the river Bandou, in County Cork, in a position extremely difficult to defend except against an attack by sea. It is hard te account for so unfor- tunate a choice by the Spaniards, unless indeed that they were driven into it by stress of weather, and even if such were t)ie case there was nothing to prevent tkem leaving it when tlie weather had calmed. Both O'Neill and O'Donnell had be- sought the Spanish King to send hia aid t« Ulster, 80 a« to efifect a junction with the Irish forces there, but, now so far distant from them as Kinsale, the Spaniards were almost ^i- tirely unsupported. On landing, however, they lost no tioie in despatchuig messengers to the north to apprise the Irish chieftains of their ar- rival, upon which Red Hugh O'Donaell, accom- panied by many of the nobility of the North, at onoe set out on the march. Carew, with a superior force, marched from Kinsale and endeavoured to intercept him near Cashel, while St Lawrence, with the Army of the Pale, pursued him in the rare. But notwithstanding these formidable pre- parations for his destruction, O'Donnell succeeded in esoaping by taking a circuitous route west- ward over tlie Slieve Felim Mountains in Tip- perary and Limerick, accomplishing a journey of 40 English miles in a day with an army encum- bered by baggage, a feat almost unprecedented in military history ! Carew, after a frantic effort, abandoned the pursuit, despairing ef overtaking so swift-footed a commander. On 17th October the English army, number- ing about 12,000 men, afterwards increased to 15,000, aat down before Kinsale, and encamped at a hill called Knock Robin, a mile and a-half north-east of the town. Towards the close ef the month they sent a party to attack the fort of Rincorran, which the Spaniards attempted to relieve by sea, but were repulsed by the English ships in the harbour. The English cannon con- tinued te play night and day upon the fort, and the Spaniards made another unsuccessful attempt to relieve it by land, inflicting, bowevw, consider- able loss on the besiegers. On 1st November, after a prolonged parley, the garrison, eighty in number, surrendered, and, with their com- mander, were sent prisoners to Cork. About the middle of November the English vessels commenced a bombardment of the fort of Castle-na-park, at the other side of the harbour, but failed to effect anything further than damaging the battlements. They then sent ashore a storming party ef 400 men to sap the foundations, but the garrison met them with such a tremendous' volley of musketry and missiles of every description that they were forced to abandon the attempt with the loss •f several of their number. On 20th Novem- ber, after a heroic defence ap;ainst hopeless odds, the small garrison (seventeen) of this fort also DOWNFALL OF ESSEX AND CAMPAIGN OF MOUNTJOY AND CABEW. 37 surrendered on condition of their Utm being spared, and were sent prisoners after their com- rades to Cork, and thence t* England. All this time the English ordnance, about twenty in number, were eonatantly playing on the town, while the Spaniards hail enly three er four pieces to return the fire, the vessels ceavey- ing their artillery having put back to Spain owing to stress of weather. At the end of November the English sent a trumpeter to formally summon the garrison to surrender, but he returned with the answer that— attempt was made after this to enter th« t«wn, but the eannen continued to play, reducing it m p»rtB to ruins. Oa 3rd December the aissing portion of th* Spanirii fleet sailed into Castlehaven, about 80 miles westward, and lauded some troops there, part of whom garrisoned the castles of Baltimore, Dunboy, and Castlehaven, and the remainder joined Red Hugh O'Donnell's army, and marched with them on Kinsale. These vessels also brought a quantity of artillery and ammunition, which they landed and placed along the harbour for its ^^id^^S^^Mm KINSALE HABBOITB. " Don Juan held that town, first for Christ, and then for the King of Spain, and so would defend it against all their enemies." Again the English artillery thundered against the devoted town, and by the 1st of December the besiegers were rewarded by the sight of the first breach in the walls. At once a party of 2,000 were seat forward to enter, protected by an incessant cannonade; but the garrison, sallying out, met them with such gallantry that, after an hour's fighting, the English retired te their camp without making even an attempt to storm the breach. No further defence. The English, hearing of th« new arrivals at Castlehaven, at once sent six of thaii fleet to attack them, and a fierce engagement ensued in the harbour, one ef the Spanish veHcla being sunk in shallow water. Having expended aU his ammunition, the English commander than attempted to sail victoriously out of Uie harbeor, but, to his intense chagrin, he found he was b*- calmed, and when a wind afterwards arose it wia contrary, and only drove him closer to the shor*. The Irish, seemg how matters stood, opened fra with all their cannon, which they plied inrnmantlj 38 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDa during the two days the English vesaelB were oem- fined in the harbour, bo that whem they returaed t* Kintale they were in a sorry plight, haying lost ■everal hundred of their men and received about feur or five hundred hot durins their brief sojourn. On 21st December — soon after O'Donnell's ar- rival — Hugh O'Neill appeared with a large feroe on a hill called Belgooly, three miles nerth-east of the English camp, where he entrenched himself directly between the besiegers and Cork, thereby cutting off their supplies from headquarters. In that position he resolutely remained and refused to he drawn out of it by any ruse. The English commanders now became seriously alarmed^ sickness and desertion were fast thianing their ranks, their supplies had been cut off, while those they had were nearly exhausted, and, worse than all, the dreaded victor of Bellanaboy lowered like a thundercloud over their camp, ready at any mom^it to burst forth in destruction upoM thein. Mountjoy began to consider the advisability ef abandoning, or at least postponing, the siege, and retiring to Cork. But the Spaniards, cooped up in the town, became more and more impatient seeing that no active measures were being concerted, and Del Aguilha despatched several communications to the Irish com- manders pressing them to take immediate action. O'NeiU strongly resisted all proposals for active measures, knowing that time was the greatest enemy of the English, who were fast withering away by disease and famine. But oba Spanish commander renewed his demands, strenuously urging the Irish to make a general attack upon the English camp an a certain night, while he was simultaneously to make a sortie from the town. When this proposal was discussed in council by the Irish it was still opposed by O'NeiU, who earnestly entreated them to wait, as the English could not hold out much longer ; but Red Hugh O'Donnell, with the ardour and impe- tuosity ef youth, advocated an immediate attack, in which view he was supported by the majority of the Irish chiefs. Thereupon O'Neill, unwillmg, acquiesced in the arrangement. On th« night of the 22nd December an Irish officer named MacMfthon, whose son had served as a page to the President in England, sent • messenger to the English camp to request the favour ot a bottle of agua vitCB from the President. To this request Carew, for the sake of their old friendship, readily acceded, and sent him th« bottle by the messenger. Next day MacMahon sent another messenger with a letter thankinc: him for his kindness ; but unfortunately for the Irish his gratitude did not end there, for the letter also warned him of the intended attack upon the English camp that night. The President was well repaid for his bottle of whiskey. It is right te say that the sole authority for this incident is " Paeata Hihernia." Messengers were now despatched hotfoot to all the outlying English posts, and the whole camp bustled with preparations. A letter from the Spanish commander which was intercepted cen- firmed the intelligence as to the attack that night. A little before daybreak one of the English officers rode up in great haste to the Deputy, say- ing that he had seen great numbers of matches glimmering through the darkness [the guns then in use were matchlocks], and that lie believed the Irish were marching upon them in force, and soon afterwards thescouts reported similarly. Thereupon the Deputy sent forward a body of picked men to oppose the passage of the Irish at a barricade across the road by which they were advancing. The main body of the English marched to a piece of ground to the west ef the town, enclosed be- tween a bog and a trench, and here, protected on the flanks by cannon, they awaited the onset of the enemy. The Irish had originally set out in three divi- sions, but, the night being exceptionally dark and tempestuous, they lost their way, and the divi- sions becasae separated. When O'NeiU, stealthily advancing by a ciroui^ tons route in the uncertain light of dawn, crossed a low hiU from which he could view the English camp he was confused and thunderstruck at the sight which met hisgaze. Instead of taking the Eng- lish unawares, as bethought, biU and dale bristled with serried masses of cavalry and infantry, spears and sAbres gleamed in th« dim twilighti DOWNFALL OP ESSEX AND CAMPAIGN OF MOUNTJOY AND CAREW. 39 Btandarda waved ia the meraing breeze, toki the olank and dm ef arms mingled with the crash of tiie breakers •■ the shore. He retaiaed his pre- sence •£ mind, however, and ordered his men to stand well together, aad then to retire slowly towards a ferd at the foot ef the hill; but all that he eould d* would act keep then steady, and after a time they broke up and re- treated in considerable disorder. When Marshal Wingfield thought he ebserved some cenfusion in their rasks he and Lord Clanricarde charged them, but O'Neill's cavalry thea came to the rescue, and drove back the English again and again, till reinforcements arrived, when the Irish at length gave way, still fightiag stubbornly. The retreat became a rout, and the English cavalry poured upon the broken masses, killing them in hundreds. Another body of Irish and Spaniards under Sir Richard Tyrrell, then came up and made a brief stand, but, being unsupported, they were likewise broken and a great number killed. According to the English aceoimts, the Irish lost pver 1,200 in this engagement, but the Irish, with soma reason, make the number much less. The Earl of Clamricarde distinguished himself that day, killing twenty Irish with his own hand, aad crying out to " spare no rebel," for which ■arrioe the Deputy knighted him im tho field in ijbm midst of the slain. The English then held a thanksgiving, and fired off a feu-de-joi on tho field of battle, hear- ing which the Spaniards sallied out of tlio tuwn, imagining a battle was proceeding, but quickly re- turned on discovering their mistake. Through some extraordinary misunderstanding the Spaniards failed to support the Irish attack by a simultaneous sortie from the town, as tboy had promised ; and it was only when the engagement was quite over that they made their appearance as above described. U&ny prisoners were taken in this battle, and the English themselves admit that thev were hanged on being brought into camp. {" Pacata Hibernia," page 421). This disastrous overthrow of the Irish took place on the morning of 24th December, 1601, Old Style ; it broke the power of O'Neill, who waa then an old man; and O'Donnell died shortly afterwards, broken-hearted, in Spain, whither ho had gone to invoke further aid for his unhappy countrymen. THE SACK OF DUNBOY AND THE RETREAT OF DONAL O'SULLIVAN BEARK FTER tho battle of Einsale the Spanish commander capitulated, and his army marched out of tho town with all the honours of war. Del Aguilha after this formed an inti- mate friendship with Sir George Carew, and openly expressed his con- tempt and dislike for the Irish, so that it is not sur- prising that their leaders believed him to bo guilty ef cowardice or treachery. Not only had he sur- rendered Einsale, but he undertook also to deliver up the Castles of Baltimore, Dunboy, and Castlehaven, which, though garrisoned by Spanish troops, were the private property of the Irish chieftains. Baltimore and Caatleks-ven sur- rendered, according to Del Aguilha's agr«^ement, but Doaal O'Sullivaa, Prinee of Beare and Ban try, deemed the proposal to surrender his anco ^ral castle as nothing short of treason, and detorninod to hold it airainst the English till help should come from Spain. Accordingly he marched with a snail force to the walls of the castle and demanded admittance, but he found it occupied by a Spanish garrison, who refused to give him possession of it, having heard of Del Aguilha'i terms of capitulation. O'Sullivan, however, kn< wing the positions of the outworks, determined to try strategy, and one dark, tempestuous night ho approached the castle and made an aperture in the eutor wall through which he and his men effected an en- trance, surprisiag and overpowering the Spaniards, some of whom remained in tlie castle and tlie rest left for Einsale. Del Aguilha was greatly irritated at the seizure of Dunboy in defiance of his capitulation, and be 40 Ireland's battles and battlefields. •ffered to go himself and iis]»oiPeB8 O'Sullivan, but this geMtrouB proposal was dscliueil by th« English coinmander. Carew set out from Cork •n 20tli April, 1602, with an army rf 3,000 men, while Wilmot, with another force »f 1,000, marched from Kerry — both t© attack Dunboy. Early in Jume this army •f 4,000 sat d«wn befora tha casble, defended by 143 resolute and datermined men, who had only a few small cannoa to appose tha well equipped park af artillery of the besiegers. The defence af tha castle was entrusted ta Richard MacGeoghegan, while O'Sullivan and Tyrrell were encamped at some distanca inland. Before tha siaga commenced Carew seat a letter ta the Spaniards who were among the garrison, attempt- ing ta bribe them into betray isg the castle or in- juring the ordnance and ammunition, but this preposition they rejected with scorn. He next sought to corrupt tha Irish commander, and seMt tha Baron of Inchiquin to hold a parley wil h him, but ia this he fared no better, for the brare MacGeoghegan was the soul of chivalry and honour. Meanwhile a Spaaish ship had arrived at Ardea, on Kenmai-eBay, brmginj: arms and treasure, as well as the cheering intelligence that a fresh ex- pedition was being argaaised in Spain, upan which O'Sullivan at once set out ta meet tha ea- voys who had landed there. Th% English now began the bombardment of the castle, and after a few days attempted to starm it, but were vigorously repulsed after ■ama loss on bath sides. The batteries still con- tinued to play incessantly, and in a few days more a breach was made; agaia a storming party sought to enter, but were repulsed as before, though they succeeded far a time in gaining the hall af kha castle. By the 17th of June the castle was little mare than a shattered ruin, and the garrisaa, seeing the hopelessness «f further re- ■istanca, sent a messenger to tha English caup to offer surrender provided they were aHawed to depart with their arms. The offer was refused, tka messenger at once hanged, and the order given for a fresh attack. The garrison disputed thv entrance for a long time, but ultimately were forced to yield to tha averwhalming numbers of their assailants, who at length planted thair standard in one of the tawars. New inspired by despair, however, the Irish fought with the most amazing fury — from turret to garret, from hall to stairs, from vault to vault, tha dreadful struggle raged all day till tha castle flowed with blood. Some thirty af tha garrison attempted to escape by swimming across an arm of tha sea, but they were killed, some before they could reach tha water and the others by saldiers posted in boats for that nurpese. At length the survivors tttok refuge ia a cellar, entered by a narrow flight af Btaue stairs, in which part af tha castle the gun- powder was stored. MacGeoghegan was now mortally wounded, and the command devolved on Thomas Taylor, wha, when he entered the cellar, threatened to fire tha powder and blow up castle and all unless thair lives were promised to them. Carew, however, refused this, and poiired a fubilade of cannon balls into the cellar, upon which Taylar was forced by his comrades to desist* fram his threat, and surrender with them uncon- ditionally. But Mac6eaghagan, thaugh dying, disdained to surrender ; and when he saw his companions yielding and tha Englifih enterinc^ the place, by a superhuman effort ha raised himself from tha floor, where ka had lain down to die, and, seizing a lighted torch, crawled over to fire the barrels af powder. There- upon one ot the English officers caught him just in time to prevent him effecting his des- perate design, and held him ia his arms till he was killed by some of the soldiers. So died the brave MacGeoghegan, a true hero and gallant soldier. Taylor and his companions, 78 in all, were then brought prisoners into tha English eamp. Fifty-eight of these brave fellows were hanged that day ia tha market-place af Castle- tawa Beare, and the remaining fifteen ware executed a few days later in Cork and els'ewhere, sa that not one af that little baud survived after a heroic' defence for eleven days against thirty times thair number. The defence af Dunboy is ana of the most bril- liant episodes af Irish history, and the lustre with which even unbympatbatic annalists have in- DOWNFALL OF ESSEX AND CAMPAIGN OF MOUNTJOY AND CAREW. 41 TMted it ia not tarnished by the absence of sue- eesa or by the cruel fate of iti gallant defender!. "Pacata Hibernia," says — "The whole number of the ward consisted of oae hundred and forty- three selected fightinf; men, being the West choice of all their forces, of wbick no oae escaped, but were either slaia, executed, or buried in the ruins; and so obstinate and resolved a defence had not been seen within tliis kingdom." On 22nd June, 1806, Carew blew up the re- mains of the castle with the gunpowder found in the cellars. Of this once famous stronghold there mow re- mains but two parallel walls, about 49 feet long, 10 feet high, 8 feet thick, and 36 feet asuader. There also remains a small portion of the wall at the western end, but of the eastern ead wall every trace has disappeared. Some low, irregular grassy mounds, relics of the original outworks, extend around the ruins. On the north side tlie descent to the sea is nearly per- pendicular, and on the east the ground facing the open bay slopes /gradually to the water's edge. The ruins are now surrounded by trees, giving the place an air of frloomy solitude, and the tra- veller often passes on his way, uaeonscious of bis proximity to a spot of such tragic celebrity in Irish history. After tko destruction of his ancestral castle O'SuUivan Beare, now homeless, retired with hie people to the mauatains and woods of Glengarriff, where he kept the Eaglisk forces at bay till Christmas time, when, forsaken by aaaay of his •fficers, his posibioa became desperate. Cooped up in a wild and desolate glen, the overhanging mountains covered with the winter aaews, he was pressed hard by the English while eaeuaabered by a crowd of his people unarmed, infirm, and laany of them women and children. His fighting aaen were only a few hundred in number. After % hastv consultation with his few remaining officers, it was decided, as all other resources were •xhaustod, that their oalv hope was now torotreat northwards to Ulster, and fight their way through the hostile districts till they reached the territory «C O'Ruarc, Prince of Sreffni. The project was a desperate one, but to remain where they were was certain destruction. Accordingly, on the Slst December, 1602, vytm- menced this memorable aad disastrous retreat, which has excited the admiration of historians of every country. O'Sullivaa, when setting out, had 400 fighting men and 600 nou-cumbatants, the latter mostly women, children, old people, and servant;. He had been unable to make any special arrangements for supplying them with ■food, aad w:is obiie:ed to depend upon the chaaees of obtaining a sufficiency on the way, as he had plenty of atoney sent him from Spain. But ke found «h« people afraid to sell him anythwg, as the President had Rent word that anyone asaisfc- iag them in any way would be tre ited as O'SuOi- van's covert or open abettors. And any lands through whieh they passed were to be forfeited to the Crown. BERBHATSNT. With the imperfect resources at his disposal O'SuIlivan found it utterly impossible to brtiq^ his sick and wouaded with him, and accordingly he left them behind in his camp with a supply of food, hoping probably that they would be humanely dealt with. But he was mistaken, for in the words of Carow himself in Pacata JSihemia (page 659) — " The next morning, being the 4th January, 1603, Sir Charles Wilmot, comming to seelce the Enemy m iheir Campe, he found nothing but hurt and tiehe men, wh«se pains and lives by the soldiers were both determined" (ended). The first day of their march O'SuUivt-n and his people reached Bally vourney ; from that they proceeded into the couatj Limerick, and uade for the Glen of Aherlow, where they hoped for » brief rest in the fastnesses of the Galtoe?. On the way they were met by Viscount Barry, with a strong force, at Bellagkan ford, near Buttevaat, where he hoped to stop their progress, but the 42 IRELAND S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. famished and desperate fugitivea fought with such ferocity that they utterly routed their oppo- neaka. They then reached th« Tale of Aherlow, where thoy refreshed themaelTts with kerbs and water, for they could get no other food. On tkey still advanced, their ranks thinning eTery day, BtiM harassed and pursued by their ruthless foes, botk EaglLsh and Irish, and often reduced to the direst straits for wank of food. On the ninth day of their toilsome journey they reached the Shannon at Lorrhae oppeaitd Portumna, but they had no means of crossing, and maan while their assailants were horering around like vultures, but afraid to at- tack. O'Sullivan ordered hia men to entrench tkemaelves, and gave directions to have a number of his heraes killed ; the flesh was kept a» a luxury for the sick aud wounded, and the skina were stretched over wooden frames so as to form light eurraghs or boats. In those frail skiffs ke trans- ported his people across the river, repelling at the same time an attack by the Sheriff of Tipporary, who attempted te throw the women uid children into the river. The gaunt and attenuated band next reached Aughrim, where they were met by three times their number, under Captains Malby and Burke, Lord Clanriearde's brother; but here they wore again victorious — like starving wolves, maddened by hunger and suffering, they dashed upon their foes with resistless fury, scattering them like chaff before the wind, killing their leader and capturmg their standards. When they arrived in Roscommon, where they were kindly treated by the inhabitants, a guide pi-eaented himself and offered to conduct them te O'Ruarc'a castle, about a day's march oft. O'Sul- livan, struck by his kindness, gave him two hun- dred pieces of gold, which he accepted with some kesitattoa, as he wished for no reward. After travelling for a whole night in the dark, they at length reached the summit of one of the Curlieu mountains at sunrise, from which the guide pointed out in the distanee the towers and battle- ments of O'Ruarc's castle rising above the trees. There being no further difficulties he then bade them farewell. About noon O'Sullivan, with 85 survivors, resehed the castle, where they received every pos- Bible kindness; some more straggled in next day in detached parties of two or three, but out of the thousand who had originally set out from Olengarriff, not one hundred reached the friendly portals of O'Ruarc, Prince of BreffnL BSKBUBB. 43 BE NBU RB. N 1646 Owen Roe O'Nsill was Oom- maader of the Irish treops ut CTlster, and in the spring ef that year he travelled to Kilkssny t* neet Rinuecini, the Pope's Nuncloj who hrought him money and supplies. He then returned to the North te calleet his forces, and in the month e£ May had assembled an army of 5,000 foot and 500 horse. Esrly in June, while drilling his troops at Cr Dana^h, in Cavan, news reached him that the whole of the English and Scotch garrisons in Ulster were to start immediately from their quarters, unite in one great army imder Major- General Hunroe, and advance by foreed marches on Kilkenny to suppress the assembly of repre- sentatives there. The intended point of rendezveus was Glaslough, in the north of Menaghan. The main body, under Major-Qeneral Munroe himself, was te march there fe-om Belfast, another detach- ment under his brother George was to proceed southwards from Coleraine, crossing the Black- water at Benburb, and these two forces united were to be joined at Clones by the Donegal con- tingent. To prevent the union of all these troops was BOW O'Neill's plan ; there was no time for heiita- taon, he therefore resolved to threw all his strength into one swift and telling blow before the two first-mentioned forces could effect a junetien. The 5th of June was the day appointed for the meeting of the brothers Munroe at Waslough. O'NeiH was there by the 4th; thence he uarchod north ward,croesed the Black water into Tyrone, and encamped at Benburb. He then sent a strong body of cavalry northwards to intercept GteorfO Munroe and beat him back upon his route, and be despatched another force to hold the ford at Port- more, lest either party should attempt to cross there. Meanwhile, on same day (4th}, the main body, under Major-Gensral Munroe, had marched from Dromore, in Sown, to Loughadyan, near Poyntz- pass,on the borders of Armagh,about 20 miles from Benburb. Munroe had sent en iu advance a small force ef light cavalry to cross the Blackwater at Benburb and meet his brother's forces en their way te Glaslough. By accident thib cavalry fell in with a few of the Irish scouts, and sncceededin making prisoner of one, kem whem they elicited the startling intelligence that O'Neill was already entrenched at Benburb. Quickly retracing their steps they bore their prisoner back te their eosa- mander, who then learned that O'Neill lay right between him and his brother's forces. Althoufl^ it was new late at night, Munroe roused his army irom their slumbers and instantly despatched all his cavalry te Armagh, while the infantry and artillery struck their tents, broke up camp, and foUewed. About eight o'clock on Friday morning, 5th ci June, Ceneral Munroe and his army rode out from Armagh and made a reconnaissance of the enemy's position at Benburb, which he observed to be very strong, as they held both the bridge and the ford. He then held a council with his officers, at which it was decided that it would be imprudent to risk an engagement with the Irish in so advantageous a position, but that the best plan would be to march about six miles higher up the river to a ford at Calcdon {iktm Kinard). cross the river there, and thus draw the enemy out of 'the strong position which they held. Accordingly tkcy marched along the river in view of the Irish and succeeded in crossing at 44 Ireland's battles and battlefields. CaledoB without meating resistance; but wk«Q they had proceedaci some distaace at the other side towards Beaburb their ranguard was at* tacked, aud a smart engagement wsued between them »nd the advajsced body of the Irish at the wooded pass ef Ball^kilgaria, three niles north of Caledou. The English ultimately forced this pass and drove the Irish eut ef it. O'Neill meanwhile had abandoned his positiea OB the rirer, and adranced westward te meat the English, taking up his position oa a "screggred high hi U " called Kneckaacloy, abeut two miles west ef Benburb and immediately westward of the confluence of the Oona and the Blackwater. His army then faced south-east, and hia left wing was protected by the Oona river and his right by an impassable swamp. Munroe than came up and deployed his troeps in battle line oa another hillock about 500 jards to the southward, looking aortk-west, so that the two armies now stood face te face, with a shallow valley or hallow between them. . Hostilities commenced about 6 o'clock p m by skirmishing parties being thrown forward from tka wingi •! betk armies next the river, where I lie brushwood was dense and thick; in these en- cuuaters the English were mostly worsted and had to be aautiuually supported by detachraeats frwm the maia body. At ene time, however, the Scotch musketeers serieusly threateaed t.he Irish left wing, but O'Neill sent forward a stroag body of his famous light cavalry who at once dis- persed and routed theni. All this time the Eng- lish field artillery was playing from the summit ..t the hiU, but it appears te have been but badly served, as most of tke shot passed harmlessly high, aad oaly twice struck down iles ef tke Irish. An attempt was made by Lerd Ards, one ef tke English commanders, te attack the Irish left wing by crossing the Oona with a body of cavalry, pre- eeeding along its eastern bark, and charging the Irish across the shallows ef the river. O'Neill, liowever, >ent his son Henry to meet tkem with GOO foot, who completely routed them, Lerd Ards and many ^f his ofiBeers beinc; made prisoners. Tke Irisk were at length losing patience at being kept so long inactive and exposed to the enemy's ire, and they repeatedly besought their command to lead tkem forward agaiost the Eng- lish. But O'Neill desired them to wait tiH soma aavalry which ke had sent away in tlia mornmg skeuld return, and he continued tke skirmishing, his real objeet being to wait tiU the brilliant bub of that June day went round sufieientlj to be m the backs ef the Irish, and shine full in the faces •f their adversaries, so as to dazzle them. Then, and not til then, would ke order a general ad- vance. As tke time approached he harangued hia treopa in inspiring language, exhorting tkem to fight valiantly for their faith and fatherland, and concluded by orderuig them not to fire until they were within pike's length of the English. At length when the proper mament came O'Neill gave tke order. The Irisk advanced in two divisions, the first or front composed of five columns with spaces between, and tlieseeond (tho reserve) of four similarly spaced; but it waa stated by one of the English officeis (Sir 11 Bel- lings) diat the intervening spaces in both tiiese divisions were too narrow, so that in the event of a reverse or of the reserve being brought forward neither could pass through tho etlier without causing confusion. The English, sti auge to say, had no reserve. They farmed all their troops into one body, and numbered 6,0*9 feet and 80f horse, while tke Irish numbers were 5,000 and 600 respectively. Munroe, seeing the Irish advaneing to attack* sent forward a body of cavalry (mostly Irish, as he says in his despatch), but O'Neill's cavalry met and quickly turned them, drove them back upon tlio English infantry, and even pursued them through their ranks, causing considerable disorder. The Irish coloaelr dismounting from their horses, led their men to the charge— down the hillside to the bottom of the hollow, then up the opposite slope facing tho cannon, and right up against tke English lines till they were within pike's length of them. One murderous volley crashes from the Irish musketeers, and then, obseured by the clouds of circling smoke, the opposing lines meet man t* man and pike te pike. Tke Englisk and Scottish eflieers stood their ground manfully, and would uoi give way till forced by the Irish pikemen, but BENBUflB. 45 the rank and file of the English fought badly, and, falling back, in a few moments their position w«a earried bj tka Irish. The English were in bad condition for receiving a charge; their ranks had already been broken by their own retreating eavalry; they were wearied by their long march, and, as they say themselves, " Thay did not expect to be faced by Ulstermen, much leas to be fought with" {The British Offictr). Besides, the sun, now setting, was glaring level in follewing a« befoie in pursuit. This miehap pre- cipitated the result. O'Neill now gave the order " Redouble your blows and the battle ia won." (AphoritmieaU DitcoverieJ. A total rout fol- lowed, and the English army broke up in tumul- tuous disorder. The cavalry forded the Black- water, and most ef them e8ca]»ed in safety, bat of the infantry great numbers were killed and many others were drowned in attempting to cross tke river where it was not fordable. (Carte's Ormonde THB BAOTIil OF BBNBCBB. their faces, so that between smeke and sunshine they could with difficulty distinguiah their oppo- nents tiU close at hand. The struggle was a brief one, and the fate of battle was decided in a few moments. Munroe, seeing the Irish prevailing, despatched a second squadron ef cavalry against them, but only with the same result as before. They were agaiu met by the Irish cavalry, hurled back in disorder upon tiie infantry, breaking their ranks, the Irish and Munroe's despatch). Only one regiment, that ef Sir J Montgomery, retired in order; all the others broke from their ranks. The English loss wae about 2,000 (The Brit Officer), though many autherities make it Mere thaa that. The loss on the Irish side was re- markably small, not more than 150 at theutmust; this may be partly accounted for by the clumsy handling of tke English artillery. Tke Irish captured nearly all the artillery. 46 IRELAND S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. arras, »nd ataadarda of the EnglUh, b«aid«a a great quantity of tents, baggage, and suppliea. Ifunroe precipitately fled from the battlefield without his cloak or wig (Carte'a Ormonde), and his brother, with the Coleraine eontingent, seeing the fight raging from afar, wisely retired aad aue- ceeded in escaping without the loaa of a aingle man. According to the English aocoumta (The Brit. Officer) the Irish pikea were much better than the English ones, being a foot or two longer, 4- sided, and sharp, while the others were hroad -headed and blunt. The same authority aays that the English and Scottish soldiers, whem they fouad their pikes too heayy for tkeu, were in the habit of ousting ofif a fool or two to lighten them. 8IQN1TTJRK OP OWBN BOB O'NBILL (DON RCOBinO o'nbill). From a facsimile letter in " Contemporary Histery of Events in Ireland." The Irish took many prisoaers, and gare quar- ter to all who submitted, according to The British Officer. The day afUr the battle O'Neill buried tho bodies of several of the English and Scottish officers, and a tablet in Benburb churchyard still records the last restiag-place of Captain James Hamilton, who " was slain in his Majesty's ser- viee against the Irish rebbels, the 6th day of June, 1646." The hill whieh formed the centre of the Irish position has been a large grazing field for a lung time past, and the hillock, or rising ground, occu- pied by the English ia bow oorered by auall field* and meadows, and is partly under tiUag*. A quantity of Stat* correspondence relative to this battle is published in " The Aphorumtoall Diteovery" and " Contemporary History of Affairs in Ireland," edited by J T Gilbert, Esq, M R I A; two letters in particular are very detailed — Muaroe'a despateh, and an extract from " The History of Ui« Warr in Iieland from 1641 to 165S,"by a British Officer of Sir John Clot- worthy's regiment. There is also a very detailed account of the battle in " Transactions of the Ossory Archceelogical Society," by " An Ulster Archseologiat." At midnight I gtxed on the moonless skies ; There glistened, 'mid other star blazonries, A. sword all stars; then Heaven, 1 knew. Had holy work for a sword to do. Be true, ye clansmen of Nial ! Be true 1 At morning I looked, as the sun uprose. On the fair hilU of Antrim, late white with snows VTas it morning enly that dyed them red ? Martyred hosts, methought, had bled On their sanguine ridges for years not few 1 Ye clansmen of Conn this day be true ! There is felt once more on the earth The step of a kingly man : Like a dead man, bidden, he lay from his birth Exiled from his country and clan. This day his standard he flingeth forth ; ■e tramples the bond and ban : Let tham look in his face who usurped his hearth ; Let them vanquish him they who can 1 Owen Roe, our own O'Neill 1 He treads once more our land ! Ths sword in his hand is of Spanish steel t But the hand is an Irish hand I AUBRET Db Vebb. RATHMINES AND CULLENSWOOD. RATHMINES AND CULLENSWOOD. BathKar, upon thy broken wall, Now grows tk* lusmore rank and tall— 'Wild Rraas ap«n thy heartstone springs, And ivy round thy turret clings; The night-owls tbrvugk thy arches sweep. Thy moat dried up, thy towers a heap, Blackened, and charr'd and desolate— The traTeller marTels at thy fate 1 — "Thb Monks of Kilc&ea." IFTY or sixty years ago Rath- mintB eonsietMl of a cluster of houses in the neighbourhood of "Tko Chains," with a few dataehed residences scattered sparsely around through the •pen coontry ; to-day it is a lar|;e and populous sujburb of the metropolis, of which it al- most forms a part, while scarcely » vestige remains of its ence rural character. The place known as " The Chains," situated at the upper end of Rathmines-road, though now in a dilapidated and unsanitary condition, originallyfermed the nucleus of the little hamlat of Rathmiaes, through which the Swan Rirer, now entirely closed in, flowed. In aneient times the whole district lying south of Dulilin was called Cualann, corrupted into CuUen; that portion of it between Rathmines and Donny brook, and extending out to the Dodder, waa known as the Wood of Cullen, or Cullenswood,from a wood which tkon covered a eonsiderable part of it. " CuUen" is, therefore, in this instance, a topographical and not a personal name ; it also occurs is the name Glencullen, a gorge in the Dublin Mountains between Glendoo and Tibrad- den. After the Anglo-Norman invasion numbers of the Irish were driven out of Dublin, and took refuge in the fastnesses of the Dublm and Wick- low mountains, from which, in company with the Wicklow elans, they made warlike incursions upon the plains beneath, ravaging the country and keeping the English settlers in continual terror. About 1200 A D King John founded a colony of Bristol settlers in Dublin, to whom, regardless of the rights of the original inhabitants, ko capri- ciously granted a charter of the city similar t* that of Bristol, ^ese settlers were accusU>med to meet on the plaias of Cullenswood on holidays and festivals to indulge in the games and sports of the period. The fierce sapts of the mountains viewed tkoao new usurpers of their homea with deep feelings of hostility and resentment, and eagerly watched for an opportunity of wreaking ven- geance upon them. On Easter Moaday, 1209, afterwards known as Black Monday, a large num- ber of these settlers went out to tko plain of Cullenswood, according to custom. While they were amusing themselves there a number of the Wicklow clans — the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles — with the dispossessed Irish from the neighbour- ing mountains, who were concealed in an ambus- cade in the wood, fell upon tium with great fury, and slew SCO of thess. Tko following quaint account of this sanguinary affray is given by Stanyhurst, a writer of the 16th century : — " The citizens having over great afiance in tke multitude of the people, and so consequently being somewhat retchlecs (reckless) in heodmg tko mountain enewie that lurched undo* tkoir boms. were wont to roam and royle in alusters, somo- iimes three or four miles from towne. Tke IrL>h enemie, espying tkat the citizens were accustoii;!>d to fetch such odd vagaries on holydaya, and having an inekling withal by tho means of aoioe claterfert ^traitor) or other that a company of thorn would range abroad on Monday in tko Xaater week, towards tho woode of Cullen, they lay in a state very well appointed, and layde in 48 IRELAND S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. sundry places for their coning. The citizens, ratlicr minding the pleasure they should presently enjoy than forecastiBg the hurt that might ensue, flockt unarued from the citie to the woode. Where, being intercepted by their lymg in ambush, ivere, to the number of five hundred, miserably elayne. The citizens, deeming that unluckie tyme to be a cross or dismaU day, gave it the appellation ef Black Monday. The citie being soon after peopled by a fresh supply of Briatol- lians, to dare the Irish enemie, agreed to bancket yearly in that place. For the mayor and the sheriffes, with the citizens, repayre to the TVoodc of Gullen, in which place the mayor bestoweth a costly slinuar withia a meate er rouadsU, and both the sheriffes within another, where tliey are so well guarded by the youth of th* citie, afl the mountain enemie dareth not at- tempt ta snatch so much as a pastye trust from tlience." The rather meagre details ef this iBcident that have beeM handed down to us represent that the settlers were unarmed and unprepared for this at- tack, aad that it wa* tlierefore a mere massacre. It should be reeollected, however, that there is no eestemporary account, and that these details, such as we have them, rest exclusively upen the testimeny ef chroniclers who wrote upon hear- say evidence some hundreds of years after the event occurred. The accounts must tlierefore be received with reserve. Duhlin wail shortly after replenished by a fresh coleny »f settlers from Bristol, who for haadreds of year saft«rwards marched out every Easter Men day to the scene of the disaster, fully armed, and headed by a black flig, aad formally ehal- lenged the Irish septs to combat. This strange ceremeaial was observed up to a comparatively recent period. The same chroaiclers relate that in 1316, David O'Teole, an Iri&h chieftain, laid a similar ambus- cade, but the citizens, sallying out suddenly from the city with tlteir black flag, defeated the am- buscade, and routed their assailants, killing; anum- ber of them, and pursued the reiuainder for miles into the mountains. The distiict of Rathuines and CuDenswood, lying south ef Dublin, and directly between the city and the mountains, was the scene rf contisua] conflicts between the early English settlers and tbe aative Irish. Tradition still points out the sceae of the memorable dis- aster of 1209, and the place is to this day known as "The Bloody Fields." Its exact position is ehowa oa the 6-inch Ordnance Survey Map in Thom's Directory. The name ef " Cul- leaswoed" still remains, though the " wood" has long since disappeared. It is applied to the dis- trict lying immediately south of Raaelagh. I have been unable to discover anything as t« the site of the eriginal " wood," wliich probably consisted more ef brushweod and heather than trees. The Dublia, Wieklow, and Wexford Railway now passes through " The Bloody Fields ;" a considerable portion is occupied by Palonerstea Road and its offshoots, and the remainder is becoming gradually built over. In sinking the foundations fer the houses there considerable quantities of human boaes have beea discovered from time to time, accompanied in some instances by arms and coins. It is a remarkable fact that these fields re- mained till receatly an open country space long after the surrounding suburbs of Rathgar, Clon- skeagh, and Donaybreok were built on. A glance at tlie map will show this, the place appearing hemaied ia on all sides by houses aad private grounds. Whether the evil traditions of old attaching to the Ucality had aay deterrent effect upon building enterprise it is impessible to say, hnt the fact remains that it is only within the paat few years that it has begun to be generally built on. It is now a growing suburb of modern red brick houses and a tram line ruas through it ; in a few years more it will be entirely built over, and ef the "Bleody Fields" wiH survive but the name — a memento ef this tragic episode of the early Eng- lish settlement. During the Civil War between Charles I. and his Parliament, Lord Ormonde, the Viceroy, was entrusted with eemmand of the Reyalist troops in Ireland. In 1649 he determined to besiege Dub- lin, wluch was occupied by the Republioan forces under Colonel Jones, and with this object he en- camped about the middle c^ July south of the RATHMINES AND CULLENSWOOD. 49 city at Rathminea. Another portion of his army took up a position at the nerth side of the city under command «f Lerd Dillon. From Rath- mines OrmoBcle intended to carry works and en- crenchments down towards the LiiFey, wkieh would enable him t* command the Mouth of the rirer and thus cut off the enemy's supplies by sea. In this project, howerer, he waa unsuccessful, and the garrison was strength- ened by successive reinforcements of infantry and cavalry, as well as considerable quantities •f supplies and ammunitioa. would in a short time deprive them of cavalry, and ia a great measure restrict tk«ir operations. But it was fated to be otherwise, as the sequel will show. In the district known as Baggetrath, and (ae- eordmg to Mr. Wakeman), exactly on the site o< 44 Upper Baggot-street, there thea stood the stout old castle of Baggetrath. This castle Ormonde considered the fittest place to be forti- fied and made the headquarters for offmsive operations against the city. After it had been viewed and examined by three of his principal BAGGOTRATH CASTLE, 1791 (From Qrose» Antiquitiet). Site now oecupied by 41 Upper Baggot-street. On 1st August Ormonde held a council ef war, as tlie army appeared too much expesed in camp lit Rathmiues. Ormonde himself was disposed to take up quarters at Drimnaeli, near Crumlin, where he could eommunicate with the rest of his army at the north side ef the Liffey. This waa opposed by most of his ofBeers, who thought sueh a movement would seem too like a retreat, /ind it was oecordingly decided to take up a position so •close to the outworks of Dublin as would prevent the beleaguered forces within from grazing their horses on the pasture lands which then lay between the city w%lls aad the camp. This, it vraa thought, officMv, who eoncurred in his views, Ormonde directed General Purcell to march te tlie castle with 1,500 men and materials and ammunitioe to fortify it. This was on the evening of the Ist of August. At daybreak next merning Ormonde went him- self te the castle to see how the work waa pre- gressing. To his annoyance he found it very little advanced, and on asking for an explanation Purcell stated that he had been mitled by his Irish guide, that he had lost his way, aad that he in eonsequence did not arrive there till an hour before daybreak. This explanation Ormonde G 50 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. naturally enough did aot contider vary satiB- f»ct«ry, as th« total distance ttss enly one mile, and Purcell had therefore spent the wk«le night marching this distance. The castle being, howvTer, in a naturally strong pesi- tion , Orm*nde considered that it would not take long to fertify, and he accordingly deputed the work to Sir William Yaughaa, with directions t« hare it dene as hastily as possible. Observing some bodies of the enemy horering about, he drew his whole army over towards the castle, with the right wing corering the fortifying party, and planted his artillery on an emmence •ailed GaUowB Hill, near where Mouat-street is now, between the castle and tlie city walls. Having then assigned different duties to his several offi- cers, Ormonde retired to kis tent about eight o'clock a.m. to take some rest, as he kad been up all night writing despatches. He does not appear to kavo anticipated any imatediate attack, and was apparently satisfied tkat he had made ample preparation for any eontingeney. About nine o'clock, however, Colonel Jones sallied out from the city with 1,200 horse and 4, 009foot, intending only to make a reconnaissance, but, seeing the occasion, favourable for an attack, and tkat Ormonde's troops were badly disposed, ke made a detour to the castle, and about 10 o'clock suddenly and unezpeetedly attacked the right wmg, which, after some brief fighting, broke up in disorder and fled from the field, bringing tho fortifying party with them. Ormonde, wakened by the shots, rushed from his tent just in time to find his right wing in full retreat. His officers then attempted to rally the main body and left wing, which for a time made some show of fighting, but in vain; the Republican troops gained field after field until they came up to where tho artillery was planted. Here Or- monde, surrounded by his personal staff, made a last attempt at resistance ; but, being attacked front and rere, they had to fly from the field leav- ing thoir artillery, ammunition, and treasure in the hands of tho enemy. la this disastrous engagement Sir William Vaughan and many other officers of distinction were slain. A panic seems to have seized Or- monde's army on tho occasion — whole regi- ments ran away, throwing down their arma and bcggmg for quarter. A body of 2,500 in- fantry.finding themselves deserted by the cavalry, surrendered in a body on being promised quarter, but numbers of them were butchered when brought within the city walls. It was stated by the Republican* tkat in tkis battle there were three thousand killed and as many taken prisoners, and some authorities plact the number even still higher. Tho victory was complete and decisive — it broke up the Royalist army and raised the siege of Dub- lin. Ormonde's undoubtedly bad generalship on the occasion involved him in great discredit at the Court of England, and in reply to the charges brought against hira he furnished a long explana- tion, which, however, seems lame and uniatisfac- tory. His reputation as a military leader ap- pears to have been shattered, and he never after- wards made any effective stand against the Re- publican forces. He deemed it advisable shortly afterwards to retire to the safe seclusion of tho Continent, where he remained till the Restoration. Shortly after tho battle, Baggotraih Castle was again seized by a small body of Royalists, who held out for some days against Cromwell, but he ulti- mately took it by storm, and left it a shattered ruin. In this eoadition is remained till tho be- ginning of ^e prosent century, when it was ruth- lessly demolished to make room for a terrace of dwellinghouses in Upper Bagget-street, which have since risen over its ruins. There is a fine drawing of this old castle, dated 1791, in " Grose's Antiquities of Ireland" in which it is represented as Quite a rural scene in the midst of fields and trees, with the mountains in the background, and would considerably exercise tho imagiaatioii of a modern inhabitant of the neighbourhood. Tko accompanying illustration is copied from Grose. The original Castie of Baggotrath was built about the twelfth centi^y, but the latest struc- ture, a square tower, was erected about the time of Jatues I. or Elizabeth. There are, I believe, some old people still alive who remember its ruins. Some interesting local details concerning it are given in Ifr. VTakeman's fit at series of " Old Dublin." THE SIEQE OF DEBRT. 61 For a long time aft«r the great battle tliere, it waa the resort of freabooters, deBparadoes, and highwaymen, and was coasidered a dangeroua place to paas after dusk. " Lewia'8 Dublin Guide," published in 1787, gives the following notice of chis interestins niia— " The upper part, which threatened immediate de- struction to all whe should approach its base, was in 1785 taken down: and what small fragment of the tower was left was entirely filled up with stones, earth, and other matters.and the wholealosedatthe top; 80 that it is mow almost as solid and compact aaarock, andmaybid defiance to theshocksof time." The office of GoYernor of Baggotrath Castle, though a sinecure froxa the time of tiie battle, was fiUed from time to time, aad a salary paid till the Union, when it, with a number of similar appointments, was aboliskcd, and a ctimmutation of the salary paid te Sir Joha (afterwards Lerd) De Blaquiere. In this battle the fighting extended aU along the south side ef the city, from Rathmines down, to the sea and back as far as the banks of the River Dodder. After the battle a large number of Lord Inchiquin's soldiers from Ormonde's army, took refuge in the grores and thickets of Rathgar with which the place then abounded, and there concealed themselves till after seme parley- ing th«y obtained conditions for their lives. Next day the gi eater number of them took up arms in the Republiean service, which would indicate that th^ir political views were ef an accummodatin^ kind. It may be observed that even to this day Rathgar bears traces of Uie character which then distinguished it, it being one of the most wooded suburbs ef the city. THE SIEGE OF DERRY. N 1688, before affairs in England had taken a very pronounced turn against King James, Ireland was in a most disturbed ocndition. Ulster im particular was greatly disorganised. Mys- terious rumours were afloat SB to risings and murders, and Protestants and Ca- tholies alike lived In constant apprehension of being ssassacred, each by the ether. Early ■t December maay anonymous letters were received by prominent persons in the North warning them of an intended massacre of Protestants at an early date. On the 7th De- cember two eommunicalions were received by the Town Ceuneii of Derry, one intimating that the MMsacre was fixed for the 9th, and the other a letter from one of the old governors ef the city, stating that Lord Antrim's regiment, mostly Catbelics, was only twelve miles off, and calling upon the inhabitants te shut their gates agaiut them. It is scarcely necessary to say that the pro- jected massacre was but a myth like r.he others, and originated in the fevered and excited imK<^ina- tions <>f the people. It is not seriously referred to by any historian. While deliberations were proceeding as to the course to be adopted, news was brought to the assembled multitude that Lerd Antrim's regimen* wa» now within two miles ef the wall«. The people were divided in their councils — some were two terrified to give any opinieo, many discredited the whole stery; but the great majority of the humbler classes clamoured vociferously for the gates to be shut against the forces of the King. The obnexieus regisaent waa by this time in view at the far side of the river and was making pre - , paratiens to cress, but while the town council and the more responsible inhabitants still wavered, the young apprentices of the town took the matter in Uieir own hands. Thirteen ef them sudden^ drew their swords,^ seized the city keys from Ae guard, and then, rushing dewn te the ferry which Antrim's meu were approashing, they raised the drawbridge, 52 IRELAND S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. and, rcturniag, lacked all the gates of th« t«WB. Such wafi the first overt act of rebellioa against KiDg Jam*8 II. The troops, which wers intended aa a garrisoa for the t«wn, haviag formally aLemanded and been refused admission, withdrew with their eommander te Coleraine. From all sides new the English settlers, terrified, thronged te Derry an a refuge, and night and day strenuous efferts were made te strengthen the fortificatiens around the t«wn< On Christmas Day, 1688, King James landed on the French shores, a fugitive from his king- dom and his subjects. In March, 1689, he eaa- barked at Brest for Ireland with a naval and military ferce, aa well as a considershle quantity of supplies and money provided by King Leuis ef France. He landed at Einsale about the middle of March. On 9bh April, after a toilsome march, James and his army appeared before Derry, accompanied by his son, the Duke of Berwick, and Qeneral De Kesen, a French officer. Lundy, the governor of the town, advocated submission, and forbade all preparations for resistance, but on the appearance of King James's army, a tumultous meeting ef the inhabitants was held, and Lnndy was openly ac- cused' of cowardice and treachery, for it was strongly suspected that he had epwied secret ne- gotiations with the Jacobites. The conimEind of the tewB now devolved upon two of the principal •fficers, assisted by Rev George Walker, rector ef Duuough more, who by his exhortations and cease- less energy greatly enceuraged the garrison. Lundy found it necessary to conceal himself irom the fury of the townspeople till tlia ensuing ni^^ht, when he escaped from the town in dis- guise. When James arrived he entered into negotia* tions with the townsjieople touching an honour- able surrender. Shortly afterwards h« ap- proached the walls accompanied by his staff, with the object of conferring with the garrison, but when he was within about one hundred yards, a oannon from the nearest bastion was without warning treacherously fired at him, killing one of his officers by his side. He then, seeing the hope- lessness of a compromise, at once withdrew, and soon after returned to Dublin in company with De Rosen, leaving his army at Derry in command of General Hauiilton. Meanwhile dissensions raged within the walla. The pusiUanimous town council were still advo- cating a surrender, and had even prepared and signed a document to that elect, when Colonel Murray ami the great bulk of the humbler citizens cook armed possesuon of the town and superseded the municipal authorities. All negotiations for a surrender were summarily terminated. The peace party met no more, and Derry by an over- whelming majority resolved on resistance. On 21st April a prolonged roar of cannon pro- claimed that the siege had begun. The Jacobites had completely surrounded the town so far aa land was concerned; but the approach by water was unprotected, because tliey had no ships of war and tkoy had to substitute a boom across the river below tlie town instead. This boom was composed of great cables and pieces of timber bound together, drawn tightly across the river, and securely fastened to massive stakes or pillars on either bank. It was thus impossible for an vessel to pH£S up or down the ri rer without burst- ing through this formidable obstacle. Buring the lirst day the besieged made a sudden sally and attacked an isolated detachment •f Jacobite infantry under Hamilton who were Marching round to the other side of the town. A fierce combat ensued. llie sortie was led by the gallant Murray, who charged at the head of the cavalry, but tliav were met by Berwick and his cavalry with such effect that the Williamite ranks were broken, and tlioy had to fly for refuge to the town. Murray's horse was killed under him, and ho himself escaped with difficulty. But although this sally wsA thus repulsed, tho Jacobites suffered the greater loss, and had two of their principal officers killed. * On the 25tk of April the garrison made another sally on a body of 590 Jacobites, whom tliey fought in a desultory way from 10 o'clock in tho morning till 7 o'clock in the evening, when the Jacobites, nearly overcome by force of numbers, were relievod by reinforcements from the main body, and the Williamites were forced te retire. THE SIEGE OF DEBBT. 58 The loii on both sides in this action was ia- contidaraUe, but th« Jacobites lost De Pusignan, a dislinguiskcd Frenck officer. Early ia May, during a dark sight, the Jac*^itea toak possesBian af an eminenca, called WindniH- hiU, aTarloekine tka town ua the south-wast, in- teadinur ta plaat same artiUerv tUere; but wkaa morning came and the garrison saw their be- siegers iu ua manacing a positioa, they sallied out in force, and after a desperate hand-ta-hand en- gagemeat, completely routed theas , killing tkeir gaUant commander, Ramsey. Tka Wiliiamites then constructed trenches and outworks here, which they held duriag the remainder af the siege. In this encounter, as indeed in all others, the Derry men showed their rast superiarity as marksmen over their apponents, erary shat, both •f musket and cannoa, telling witk deadly affect. Many af the Jacabites who had been captured in the sevwal conflicts were now prisaners within the town, and these the (nrrison, to their credit be it said, treated with the greatest humanity, even allawing surgeons and snpplies of praTiaiuus t* be sent to tkem. On 4th June a desperate attempt was Made te storm and enter the tewn. The attack, which was aaade by three detachments of horse and two af foot, was concentrated «a that part of the outworks adjoining 'WindmiU-hill. The Jacobites advanced with the utmost gallantry, cheering aa they ap- proached and holding boughs before thou. The WiUiamites met tham witk a steady fire in three lines, each line retiring to the rear ta load aa bhey fired. This cheeked the advance ef the storming party, who, after long and hard fightiag, lost seTe- ral hundred by the eool and deadly fire from be- hind the eatrenchmonts, and had many prisoaeTS taken aa well, upon whioh they desisted from the attempt on the town. In this engagement the defenders were ably assisted by the women of Derry, who, regardless of danger, were to be seen in the thick of the fight, serTiag out refreshments and ammunition to the men, and even attacking the besiegers with showers of stones. Now, howerer, the brare garrison were con- fronted by a new and mere deadly foe, against which no valour is preef. Grina famiae stared them in the face, and had already made its mark in their aaxieus features. Their last leaf was gone and they wero forced to stave off the cravings •£ hunger with horseflesh, tallow, and various kinds of refuse. On 13th June the watchmen on the ehurck tower discerned out at sea thirty skips, display- ing friendly signals and ensigns, about to enter Lough Foyle. This news caused great joy, and the garrison anxiously watched the pregrets of the fleet. A messenger at length swam, at duftk, from one of the ships, and announced that Major- General Kirke kad arrived, conveying a great quantity of previaioae a.wd arms for the famished and miBerable ^'arrieon. Their hearts were glad- dened with the hope of relief, but it waa destined to be dashed to the ground, and to prove but a very draught ef Tantalus. Kirke became faint- hearted when he saw the boom and the threaten- ing aspect ef the Jacobite forts guarding the pas- sage of the river. He accordingly lay te, and for forty-six days this great fleet of thirty sail rode securely at anchor in Lough Foyle, while the brave fellows inside she town starved and fought in rags, hopiag against hope, day after d.-ij, that Kirke would make some effort to relieve tham ! Meanwhile the garrison were reduced to dread- iul straits. Meat and corn had entii^ly din- appeared. Dead dogs, horaes, cata, foul grease, and tallow had taken tkeir place, and even of these there was a scant supply. The foUowiag tariff of prices during the siege will give some idea of the privations suffered by the garrisoa aad townspeople — Horeeflesh, Is 8d per lb; quarter of dog fattened by eating dead bodies, 5s 6d; dog's head, 2s 6d; cat, 48 6d; rat fattened by human fleth, Is; mouse, 6d; greaves, Is per lb; tallow, 4s per lb; salted hides. Is per lb; quart of horse- blood, Is; handful of sea- wrack, 2d; handful of chick^i-weed. Id. Several attempts were made to sommunicate with tho sluggish commander of the fleet, but thou^ they failed, through tho messengers being intercepted, he could not but be aware of their Bufferings, for they never ceased to signal to him for relief. It seems strange that he should net have tried the simple expedient of firing on th« boom. A dozea well-directed shots at 40 or 50 I 54 IBELAND'S battles and BATTLEFIELDa yarda could hardly have failed to break it, aad it waa well aboTo the water at low tide. The laat attempt to aterm tke town was mad* on the 30th June, but it was repulsed like the others. Then it was that Marshal de Rosen, the Freach comataader, cemmitted an act ef cruel barbarity for which Miere is no parallel since the Riegeef Calais by Edward III. He oolleeted aU the Williamite inhabitants — men, women, and children — froaa the surrounding country and drove them to the gates of the town, leaving tkem there to starve, in hope that the garrison weuld admit t^em, and thus still faster ceasume their store ef provisions. This piece ef savagery, however, aroused such indignation assong the Irish officers and men ef the Jacobite army that Da Resen, afraid ef taking so extrsMe a step en- tirely on his own responsibility, wrote te King James in Dublin apprising him of it. James at once replied forbidding it, and ordering the other gMxerak not te execute such a command, but be- fore this reply was received numbers ef these un- fortunate people were already congregated at tke gates in tlie utmost misery. The garrison refused to admit them, and now adopted retaliatory measures. On tke bastion facing the hostile camps they erected a huge gallows, and brought forth t^e Jacobite prisoners, whom, up to this, tbey had treated kindly. Osten- tatious preparations were tken made to hang them unless De Resen desisted, and they were permit- ted te write to him te that effect. This st«rn attitude of the garrison, together with James's letter, had «ke desired result, and the wretched crowd were permitted te depart in safety. About the middle of July negotiations were opened for a surrender, but thev came to nothing, for the commissioners disagreed about the date. The active siege now ceased, and wae turned into a blockade. It had nearly sufficed. An ominous silence had settled down upon the ancient town — the shadow ef approaching death. The gaunt and starving garrison still laanned the walls, but tkey now looked like living skelekeni. They had only a dozen horses left and a pint ef nteal to each Meanwhile Eirke had received peremptory orders from England to risk everything aod force the boom. Tke unhappy garrison knew nothing ef this, however, and had almost abandoned aU hep« of relief — but relief was at hand. walkbr's honuhbnt, sirrt. Tke shades ef evening were closing into night on the 28th July, when a flash was seen in the di- rection ot Culuore Fort, and a loud report rever- berated along the placid waters ef the Feyle. There was a rusk te tke battlements, and tkeo, sa a tkoHsand lean and wMted forms wistfully peered tkroug^ the darkening gloom, another flash bade them listen for a second report, which waa feUewed by ,a rapid succession of others, the fitful light of the flashes revealing tke forms ef three ships sailing up the Foyle amid a continuous fire from tke Jacobite forts along the river. Kirke had ati last resolved te attack the boom. Tke spectators were breathless with anxiety and excitement. Onward sailed the ships with every inch of cui- vaa spread to the wuid.ttiruugh a raking fire of shot and shell. At length tke foremost struck witk full force against the boom — there was a loud oraab, the vessel recoiled from the shock and grounded, but tlie boom was broken. The other two ships passed through, and ft broadside from THE BATTLE OP THE BOTNE. 65 th« tkird relcaud it in time to foll«w ; tk* thre* then 8»ilad up t* ih« town and larndsd all their ■iorai and prcTinont. The 8i«g« wm ended, and next morninii; whan the waated defenders looked trom their ranparta they saw an empty camp — the Jacobites kad gone and the gallant sity was free. The accounts as t* the numbers and losses in tills famous siege are rery eoaflicting, but accord- ing to tke best autherities the beiiiegers were about 6,000 or 7,000 strong, while tke besieged wer« betwe^ 10,000 and 12, 000,«xciusiTe ef women and children. Except in occasional figkting out* side the waHs, boweTer, this nunerical superi- ority was of little advantage to tbe besieged on aeceusit of tke limited space in whick they were enclosed and the scarcity of previsions. It i» esti- mated that each side lost about half its number. Ifany of the eaanon and other interesting relics ef this famaus Eiec;e are still to be seen in the town, and in 1828 a lofty pillar surmounted by a statue of Walker wu erected on tlie site •t one of the western baatdona t* the memory ci that remarkable nfuio. THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE. CRIPPLED by the relief ef Derry and the disastrous defeat at New- tewH-Butler, the Jacobites retired aontfaward hrom UlsUr, and King James, having sent his army into winter quarters, returned to Dublin in Nevsmber, where he remained till the following June. William ef Orange landed at Carriekfergus en 14t^ June, 1690, accompanied by a number of distinguished offiews and nkblecaen, and on tke same day he arrived in Belfast. Me took imme- diato measures to coHect and organise his scat- tered army and put a stop to pillaging and otker misconduct of wkick ke bad heard while in England. He also issued orders that bis soldiers should pay for everything they got from the people. On 24th June, everything being in readiness, he marchad southward witk all his troops, and en the 27tk he reached Dundalk, wkick had been occupied by tho Jacobite forces, but waa eva- cuated by thorn on hia approach. James then retired to Ardee, and on tho 28 th ko crossed tho Boyno, and encamped on its soutkcru bank, about three miles above Drogkeda. Hero he resolved to wait for his rival and try the issue of battle. William, quickly following, at early morning on the 30th, he reached the Boyne ; and from tke hill of TuUyeiker, about two miles north of Droghe«la, he surveyed tho picturesque surround- iag country in all tho glory of su muter. In front was tho Jacobite camp, nearer the ancient town of Droghtda, and away to the right lay tho de- vious glittering course of tbo Boyno. Accom- panied by some of his officers, he then rode down to the picturesque gorge now known as King Wil- liam's Olen, from whick ko made careful observa- tion of tho Jacobite position, and determined kia point of attack, while kis army advanced in tho rere close to the river. He was so charmed witk tho beauty of the Bceoe, enhanced by the lovely morning, that ko rode a couple of hundred yards along tho river and sat down upon some rising ground opposite tke Jacobite camp, where he called for hia break- 56 IRELAND S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. fut t« b« ■•TTed him al fretco. Mcanwliile a party mi tha Jaaobita Kane quietly descended from the hill of Donora ob tha far tide and entered a ploughed field opposite tha apok where William and hie suite were breakfaatiag. After reaaiBing there soma time thay ratHmed, apparaatly \nt^- out having accomplished anything; but neTartha- less thay had, unnoticed, unliaibercd two field pieces and concealed tkam uader a hedge, leaving a few axparc guaners in charge. About half an hour afterwards William rasa to remount his herae, when a loud report from one •f tha pieces resaunded along the river banks, the ball killing a man and a eouple of horses a short distance behind him. Before he could recover from his surprise a second was fired, and the ball, ricochetting from the river bank, struck him an the right shoulder, inflicting a harmless lacerated wound. A few inches closer would have abruptly ended the war. William fell forward on his horse's Bcck, a loud shout of cKultatiou wns raised from the Jacobite camp, and messengers were evaa despatched ta Paris aad Dublin with l^e mews that he was killed. In a few moments, however, he was sufficieatly recovered to sit upright again aad asswer the uaay inquiries aa to tha wound, which waa then dressed by the RurgeoBS. The place whare this incident occurred is a littla below the glen and near tha obelisk. The night of tha 30th closed without any fur- ther action, and both sides prepared for a fiaal struggle on the morrow. Authorities differ as to the respective numbers on each side ; but Sir William Wilde, who seems to have investigated tha matter with some care, places tha aumbers at 86,000 Williamites and 23,069 Jacobites (" The Soyne and the BlaehvMter," p. 249.) Stoiay, who waa King William's chaplain, and was present at tha oigagemant. estimates tha respective forces at 36,000 and 2a,000. (See Surrey' » History, page 70.) The Duke of Ber- wick, at page 63 of his memoirs, says, "The enemy had 45,000 aad we were oaly 23,000." " Maeariae Excidium" (■p. 47) makes the Williamites double the number af their adversaries, aad Cane gives the WilliamitcB a majority af 12,001 at least (p. 207). The smallneas •£ King James's army was cvea jocularly referred to by soma af William's foreign officers {Storey, p. 73). The Williamites were all well disciplined •*]. diars, tried ia maay a fereiga battlefield, and drawn from nearfy every aatioaality in central Europe. The Jacobites caasisted of French and Irish, tha Freaeh beiag well equipped aad disciplined ; but of the Irish a large number— five or six thou- sand at least— were raw levias, inezperioBoed, ua- discipliaed, and littla better than tha iasurgeats in '98, armed with pikes aad other imjsrevised weapeas. The Williamites had about 59 pieces ef artillery besides mortars ("ilfacariaefxctdium," p. 343). Tha Jacobites had but 12 field-pieces, of which oaly six were availabl. on tha battlefield, the remain- der having been sent towards Dublin to protect the baggage {Cane, p. 211). When, in addition to this great numerical dis- parity, we consider that so maay of the Irish were practically useless as soldiers, beiair imper- fectly armed, and that the Jacobites were almost totally deficient in artillery, we may fairly say that tkey were outnumbered by their oppoaeats ID the proportion of at least two to one. Day dawned cloudlessly on Tuesday, 1st July, aad the silvery waters of the Boyae glanced bril- liaatly beneath tha merning sua ; but before tka early mists had risen from tiie surroundiag heigjits, the braying of trumpets, neighing of steeds, and other martial sounds disturbed the rural stillness and proclaimed the presence of war. William's plan of battle was to force the pas- sage af the river in foxir places, aa follows : — Goieral Douglas with 10,000 nen vraa to march at daybreak to the bridge and fords at Slano, and theace advance upon, and, if possible, out- flank tha Jacobite left wing— a march of about six miles. This passage having been accomplished, the Dutch Blue Guards, the French Huguenots and tha Irish EnniakiUeaers com* manded by Duke Schonberg were to enter at the ford opposite William's Glea. The Daaes and Qermans under Count Nassau were to cross at th* shallows between the two islands; and the left wiag, almost exclusively composed of Daaish and Dutch eavalry, waa to cross immediately eastwarcl THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNS. 67 of Tvllf alien hill. It mty b« mMtioned thai tm it wa8 8umm«r tk* rirer wm vary low aad ford- abla in almost aay plaaa. It will b* meceasary t« refer to tk« map to aaderstand these seTeral mevea which I have ■umbered thus :— (1). 10,000 under Dosftlaa to cross at Slaae, &c. (2). Dutch, French, and EnniskiUiners vnder Sohomberg to cress at Oldbridge. 19 of cavalry were ef course routed, abovt 70 of < being killed. Tbe Jaaebite left wing whiek extended out towards Slane then came to thoir aasiatance and coTwed tho retreat of the anr- TiTora. About half past tea o'cloek Wiliaaa, haviiif been irn for seed by special messenger of the sueoaoa of this expedition, ordered the other attempts to be made. The Dutch Blue Guards, reputed tho THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE. (8). Daaes and Oermant under Count Nassau. (4). Loft wing under King William. Douglas with his 10,000 men (nearly half tho number of the Jacobites) maroked to Slane; the horsecrossed atRosnaree, and some of the infantry at a ford about a mile higher up. Immediately on crossing tkey were met by Sir Heal O'Neill with some 500 or 600 cavalry, who for a short time by his skilful manoeuvring held them in oheek, but O'Neill w«s ultimately killed, and the small force finest infantry la the world, entered tho river opposite Oldbridge, and tho Danes and Germans at a ford betweea tho two islands. The Irish foot resisted tkair progress, but being principally armed with pikes, their resistance was ef short duration, and they fell back upon the line of cabins and rudo defences on tko southero bank, before the withering and well directed fire of tkoir oppoaonts. Hamilton, leading the Irish horse, now advaaood H 58 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDa te the river*! edge; part waT«r«d uid fled before the terrible ire, but the remainder impetueusly charged into tke watar, hurling back Dutch, Daaes, aud BraudoBburgkera, with the loss ef Calimotte the leader ef the Huguenota. Brave old Schonberg, thcu 82 years of age, atoed on the northers bank at the ent ranee te Williaaa's Olen, watching the struggle with a SDaall body ef reserve, but when he learned of tke death mi hii old friend aud comrade Calimotte, ke rushed iute the river to rally the Uugueaets without waiting to doB hia helmet or cuirass. Just as ke wm abeat to laad at the opposite side Hamilton's cavalry again charged, with disaatreus result te themselve;, for they were met by a treuendeus fire which emptied many a saddle, bet they never- thelesa broke tlie ranks of tke Huguenots and i* the struggle the gallant old Sshonberg feU dead with a musket bullet through kia head. From the acsotiat of the battle givea is the "Histoire de U devolution d' IrUnde," published at Antwerp in 1791, it seems likely that Schonberg feM a victim to a stray Williamite buMeb. Storey also says riiat ke was killed by the eareless firing ef his ewn men. A monument now stands on tke spot to mark where ke fell. A sketch of it ia given on page 55. The Irish cavalry, tke enly really effective Irisk troops, perfernaed prodigies ef valour, consideiing tkeir numbers. On another attempt being made by the Dutch and Danes te establish themselves, tkis famous cavalry ckarged witk such effect that in a few momenu they swept nearly all tke Williamites koa their positions on the southera baak of tke Boyne. TVe Dutch Blues, however, stood unbrekda by cavalry or infantry, and held tkeir ground admirablj though temporarily eut- niunbered. William now led the left wing of 5,000 cavalry dowa to the river, eastward ef Tullyalleu Hill, and thou|^ wounded and acarcely able to use kia right arm, ke plunged into tke water and rode at their kead to the other side, where he efifected a landing, apparently with little oppoaitien. On reaching tke bank, which waa wet and swampy, his kerse got begged and he was fereed to alight, tiU one of his officers •extricated it* He then remomtedt and led kia men along tke laae te Skeepheuae, whither the Jacobites were retiring, whe at ene time turned 8o fiercely at bay that they drove some of William's best troops down the hill, till some reinforcements enabled tke Williamites to rally. By this time both wings of the Jacobite army were closing in upon their centre. Tke left wuig, temporarily successful at Rosnaree, but ordered te retire te support the centre, had fallen back •pen Duleok, and tke right wing and centre re- tired upon Donore Hill, and fnally, towards even- ing, joined the left wing at Duleek. The retreat was effected in good order, with inconsiderable loss, and directed with consummate skiU. The advance of the Williamite right wing by Slaae waa a manterly manoeuvre, but it partly failed in its object. Had Douglas succeeded in oatflanking tke Jacobite left and seizing tke paaa of Duleek, ae as to cut off James's road to Dublin, the result would have been the annihilation ef the Jacobite army and the termination of the war at a blow. But fate decreed otherwise, and tke Vf illiamitea had to be satisfied witk an indeeisivo victory and a successful passage of the Boyne. It will be observed that the victors made little or me attempt to follow up tkeir success. Their cavalry pursued the Jacebitea te Duleek, where tke Iritih rallied and presented a front, but tke WiUiamites declined battle, and tke last stand of tkevanquisked was made at the deep defile of Naul, in the extreme north ef tiie county Dublin, on tlie borders of Meath ; there tke Williamites reined horse and returned to Duleek. So ended the famous Battle of tke Boyne — a battle of dynasties — where WiUiam of Orauge snatched the sceptre fiem the enfeebled grasp ef the ill-starred Stuart line. It has been stated by many writers that James during tke battle remained at Donore Church, which would be almost entirely out of view ef the battlefield ; but this stateMcnt is in conflict with nearly all accounts ef tke battle, and is not con- firmed by any e«ra potent autkerities. It is likely enough that he went there towards the close ef battle, when his troops were being forced back from the river. It should be mendoned that the celebrated fighting ohurckman, Oeorge Walker, whe had w THE FIBST SXEGB OF LDIEBICK. 59 difrt{agulali«d himself at Derry, f«U ia thii battk, and waa immediately stripped and robbed by his •wn «amp foUewers I (" Storey" p. 82.) lb is 6Ten recorded that William, ob hearing of his death, unsympathetically remarked, " Fool! what brought hiat there !" But he was undoubtedly a brave man, and well merited the tardy honour paid to his memory at Derry. It is a strani^ fact that erery Williamite soldier wore a spray of greea in his cap, se that en this occasion, at least, green was the Orange celeur. The Jacobites wore small pieees ef white paper in their caps, white being the Jacobite colour. Notwithstanding many statements to the con- traiy, JaMU had shown eonsiderable bravery on many a foreign battlefield, though his conduct on this occasion looked Tsry like cowatdiee, and earned fer him in Ireland an unsaroury sobri- quet, vrhich does not bear translation. ConsiderLag the numbers engaged in this battle, the mighty issues at stakes, and the enduring im- portance of the result, the number killed — iOO Williaaiites and 1,000 Jacobites — seems surpris- ingly saal. There is no doubt that this victory has been vastly exaggerated ; when we recollect the glaring disparity of numbo^ and equipments, that James concentrated the besc ef his troops into the apex ef a triangle (a singularly bad piece ef Keneralehip), and that the WiUiamites had a kmg worth fighting for, which Uie Jacobites lacked, it is impossible but to conclude that " the glorious Battle nf the Boyne," so long the shib- beleth of party faction, so oft the watchword ef fratricidal strife, is one of those popular delu- sions which only needs a perusal of history to dis- pel, and that suecess under such cireumstaaceft brings little of glory to the victors and stiU less disgrace to the vanquished. THE FIRST SIEGE OF LIMERICK. }HE victory at the Boyne and the surrender of Dublin opened thm province of Leinster to the WiUiamites. The Jacobites now >^/^f^ decided to fall back upon the T-^^^ Shannon as their Hue of defence, and occupy the fortified towns of Limerick and Athlone. The gar- risons of the smaller towns canae in considerable numbers to Limerick, and a large force of French, under General Lauzun, also proceeded there; but when Lauzun had ia ■ spected the fortificatioas of the town he pro- nounced it untenable, declaring that " it eould be taken with roasted apples," and he aecordingly marched off to Galway with his entire force, in- tending to embark for Frzmce. The defence of Limerick, therefore, devolved upon the Irish alone, and to shem belong* the undivided honour of its success. On 9th August, 1690, forty days after the Battle of the Boyne. William appeared before the walls of Limerick with his army, and encamped at Singland, now a south-eastern suburb of the city. According to O'Callaghan's "Grten Book, " where the matter is gon« into with great minuteness, the WiUianaite forces at Limerick numbered 26,«00. "ViUare Zfiiernicum" makes them 38,500, but the former estimate is probably tlie mcro correct, as it is known that Williant detached from his army about 10,090 men to garrison other towas after the Battle of the B«yne. The Duke of Berwick says that the Irish numbered 29,0§0 infantry, of which only half were armed, and 3,500 cavalry; — " toute notre infanterie Irlandoise. qui moatoit a environ vingt mille hommes, dout pour- tant il n'y avoit plus de la moitic qui fut armee. Nous tiames la campagne avec notre eavalerie, qui pouvoit faire trois mille cinq cents chevaux." — (Memoires du Marecktd de Berwick, tome I. p. 76.) William intended to await the arrival ef hie siege train, which was coming from Dublin uuder escort, as tho artillery he had with kiin was oi light ealibre, and rather suited for field purposei 60 Ireland's battles and battlefields. thaa a siege. Tewards eTening he teat a trum- peter te summen the tewa to eurroider, but Beisseleau, the goreraor, returned the anawer that he hoped to gain the good opkiieQ •{ the Prince oi Orange by hia vigerouB defeaee of the towu with wkick King Jamei had entrusted him. . WilHam was rather diaappoiuted at thia reply, for he expected that the town would aurreader at once oa aceouat of ita inadequate defeacea ; ke therefore resolved to at once cemmence offenaivo operations. On the 10th a Frenekman deserted from William's camp and made hia way into the tewn, conveying the important intelligmca that William's siege train was oa its way from Dublin. It consisted ef a number ef heavy caaaon, a quan- tity of ammunition and provisions, also seme tia pontoon boats for crossing tko river. When General Sarsfield heard this news ho determined to intercept the convoy. He collected together about 600 light cavalry — picked men, commanded by an officer who knew every pas-*, wood, and bog in all the countryside, and on the night of Sun- day, 10th Auguat, ho aet out with hia troopers on this daring enterprise. Almost simultaneously with his departure an Irish gentleman came to William's camp and re- ported that Sarsfiold had started oa some myste- rious noctunral expedition. William apparently did not give the matter much consideration, for, although he issued orders for a body of cavalry to pursue him, they did not start till Tuesday morning 1 Sarsfield directed his course towards KiBaloo, about fifteen milea higher up the Shannon, keep- ing tko river on hia right aU along. His imme- diate object now was to cross the Shannon and get into the county Tipperary, through which the convoy was passing, but this was no easy saatter, for the bridges and fords were few, and vigilantly guarded by the Williamitea. About ten milea above Limerick was O'Brien's Bridge, tka ancient paas between Clare and Tipperary, but this he dared not attesapt, for it, too, was held by the eneay. He and hia men, accordmgly, paaaed on through Bridgetown and Ballycorney till they reached Killaloe, which, however, thoy did not eucor, lest they might attract notice, but kept to oao aide and passed beyond it, croasing Bia ShaB« noB kotwoen the town and Ballyvalley. Havmf now entered Tippwary, tkey marched south-east- ward, almost in a direct line, for Keeper moim- tain, where they rested for a krief time. Sarsfield soon ascertained the whereabouts of tho convoy, aad discovered that tkey intended to encamp that night at Ballyneer.y hill, about 18 miles south-east of Limerick and IS miles from where he aad his troopers now stood. Gautioualy following by unfrequented routes, ko at length reached BaUyneety that night, where th* eonvoy was encamped on a grassy slop» near an old ruined eastle. Haviag, ky accident, discovered that the watchword was, by a strange coincidence "Sarsfield" he stealthily approached tho camp shortly after midnight, croasing the in- tervening hill, aad daaoendine on the Williamitos from the summit. It was a calm moonlight aigkt, and tho eamp apprehending no danger was stilled in sleep. The sentinel challeaged. " Sarsfield is tho word, and Sarsfield is tho man," was the reply. The sentiael was cut down, and then upon the amazed and half-awakened Williamites, Sarsfield and his troopers swept with tho suddenness and swiftness of a thunderbolt. Down they caoie with wild huzzas along the green sward, the turf quivering beneath their feet, their sabres flashing in the pale moonlight. Little resistance was offered; tko men were sabred and shot down as tkey rushed from their tents, and these wh» could, escaped and hid themselves in tho heather and bushes till morning. Sarsfield then collected the guns together, and having filled them with powder, ho thruat their muzzlea into the grouad, pat all tihe auppliea aad poatooa boata over them in a heap, aad laying a train blew up all with a tremendous explosion which resouadod through ail tho surrounding country, rudely disturbing the stillness of the aight. Thus was destroyed tho splendid siege train, which William had des- tmed for the reduction of his refract* ^ish subjects. Meanwhile the eouater expedition de^psSehed by William were sluggishly making their way from the camp at Limerick; ihoy started at two o'clock on Tuesday morning, but after about a> hour " they saw a great light in the air, and THE FIRST SIEGE OF LIMERICK. a liaard a strange rumbling aoue, which Mme cob- jectured to be the train blowa up, u it really was. — [Storr/, p, 119.) The deitruetioD ef their artillery caused great anneyance to the WiUiamites, and an equal amount of rejoicing ameng the Irish within tlie city, whe w«re much encouraged by this brilliant achievement of their dashing commander. On 17th August WiUiam epened new trenches before the walls, determined to carry on the siege with the means and materials at his dis- posal, till the new siege traia, for which he had sent to Waterford, should arriTe. A bombard- ment continued till tlie 19th, when the King, ridiag about the treaches, uarrewly escaped being killed, a caanon ball frem the ramparts paasing within a few inches ef him. On the 20th tke Irish made a soriie, infiietiag ceniiderable loss oa the besiegers. After this the WiUiamites used red hot balls, causing much destruction in the town and greatly alarming the inhabitants, who nerer before had serai such missiles, The shells threwB into tke city were of immense size, and would astonish evea modem artilleriats. Linehan, the historian of Lisaeriek, states that one in his possessiea is 18 mehes in diameter and weighs 2001b8 ! The crumbliag walls of the ancient city aew began to show the effects •r tlie bombardment, and the garrisoa adopted tlt« atraage expedient ef hanging woel sacks out- side them to deaden the feree ef the eannon, which Story compares te Jesephus's defence ef tke towns in Galilee when he hung sacks ef chaff orer the walls to protect them from the battering rama of the Romans. Hunger was now beginning to tell upon the in- trepid garrison, their food being limited to beans and oatmeal, and these only in small quantities. The French, iadeed, had promised proTisions and assistaace, but ae tidmgs of them eame, and the oondicion of the iahabitants was bacomiag more and more desperate every day. S.irs6eld, aaticipating a breach in the walla under the continuous cannenadiag, caused masked batteries and mines to he constructed at the weakest points, so that if menaced by a storming party he could instantly effect their destruction. At length, under tlie sustained fire of 36 pieces ef cannon and few: mertars, a breach appeared at the walls near St John's Gate. On Wednesday, the 27th August, William ordered the asaaulk The garrison desired that the women and ehildraa should be removed from tke tewa, but the wotaen refused to forsake their husbands and brothen in the mement of danger. It was half-past three in the afteraeon. A deathlike silence prevailed. The sun shone brilliantly ia the heavens, lighting up with its gladdening rays many a peaceful landscape by the fair waters ef the Shanaoa. Tke Irish stood around the breach, grim aad fierce determiuatien depicted in their emaciated faces. Huated and baited into their last stroagheld, deserted by their allies and forsaken by their king — defiant still and desperate, the old patrician race turaed resolutely at hay. TH£ BRIDGE OF LIMERICK. Far along the surrounding treaches they saw Boried msMes of dark-visaged warriors from ntany a distant sovereignty — from the swamps ^f low-lying Holland, tha sunny plains mi France, the gloeaiy Rhenish foresu, 9mA the bleak shares of Denaiark — heterogeneous eleaienta leagued together iw a commoa bond ef warfare. Both sides waited in aoxious expectancy for the signal of attack. At length it was announced by three successive booms from tke cannon. The grenadiers leaped from the trenches aad rushed furiously upon the counterscarp, throwing in their grenades and discharging their muskets at the defenders. The Irish were well prepared, aad poured a destructive cross fire upon their assail- ants from the sides of tiie breach, the du.st and smoke being so great that the eomkataats were almost eatirely concealed from view. 62 IRELAND S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS. At length their immediat* iuppliea of ammuni- tioD being exhausted, the Irish, weak with priTation and hunger, were gradually ferced back from the breach, and the Williamites emtered in seeming triuMph. But now the towaspeople, seeing the garrison ererpewered, thronged in numbers to their assistaace — the shipwright with his adze, the butchei with his kaife, and the brawny blacksmith with his hammer. The women, too, in this terrible emergency, rushed inte the midst of the combat and fought with amazing fury, usiag sticks, st«>es, bottles, and in fine, every kiad of improTised weapon that desperate neces- sity could suggest. Encouraged by this unex- pected support til* garrison rally. They face about, and again meet their foes. A furious hand-to-hand struggle ensues, and the whole tewa resounds with the din. New the Irish prevail, and now the Williamites. Victory waveis. At last the besiegers, after three hours' desperate fighting, yielding inch by inch, are foiced back to the breach amid triumphaat shouts from the Irish. And now the retreat ba- ceiaing general, they rush back iu headlong con- fusioa — over the waUs, outside tbe eeuaterscarp falling iu mingled heaps of living, dying, and dead. When the fighting was at its very hettest, the Brandenburghers took possession ef the Black Battery, little knowing ef the velcano that slum- bered beneath their feet. As they swarmed thick upon it Sarsfield fired the mine ; — high above the din of battle rose a mighty roar which seemed te rend the very heavens asunder, and a dense mass of smoke and fire shot up into the sky, bringing up with it fort, men, and houses together iu one mingled mass ef ruin. Foiled and defeated at every point WiUiam called off his men. " The King stood nigh Crom- well's Fort all the time, and the business being over, he ^ent te his camp very much cencerned, as indeed was the whole army, for you might have seen a mixture »f anger and sorrow in every- body's countenance." " We lost at least 5G0 upon the spot and had a thousand more wounded, as I understood by the bui jireuus of our hospitals, who are the properest judges." {Story, p, 132.) It was urged by some that WiUiam should order a aether attack, but he would act hazard it —ha had lost too many mea already. "Th» King, therefore, caUed a council of war, wherein it was resolved to quit the tewn aad raise th* siege, which, as the case stood with us, was no doubt the most prudent thing that could be done" {Story, p. 182). It will be remembered that thia candid historian was King William'* diaplaia. SARSFIELD 3 STATUS. Accerdingly, on Sunday, the 31st August, 1690, William drew off his forces and commenced his retreat. He was evidently apprehensive of an attack from the Irish, for he placed some ef his cavalry in the rear {Story, p. 133). To show his extreme anxiety to get his artillery away in safety it may be mentioned that (according to the same authority) the first day he marched it to Cullen, near the scene ef Sarsfield's exploit, a distance of about twenty miles, which was ne light day's mareh for heavy artillery, drawn by exen over such bad roads as they liad in those days. The Williamite losses in this siege were, according to their owa acov^ants, 1,200, but ace er ding to the Jacobites 5,000. The Irish loss was probably about half that of the Williamites. THE TWO SIEQES OF ATHLONE. It WM a brilliant yietcrj ttr the Irish in three weaks' litge to hare npuli*«l bo formidable a foree as that which triumphed at the Bojae. THE BLACKSMITH OF LIMKRICK. He grasped his ponderees hammer, he could not stand it More, Te hear the bombshells bursting and thundering battle's roar; He said, " Kie breach they're mounting, the Dutch- man's murdering crew — ni try my hammer on their heads, and see what that can do I Ihe blacksmith raised his hammer, and rushed into the street, ■is 'prentioe boys behind him, the ruthless foe te meet — High OB the breach of Limerick, with dauntless hearts they stood. Where bombshells burst, and shot fell thick, and redly raa the blood. The first that gained the rampart he was a captain brave — ▲ captain of the Grenadiers, with blood-stained dirk and glalTe; lie pointed and he parried, but it was all in Tain, For fast through skull and helmet the hammer found hiabrainl The next that topped the rampart he waa a colonel held; Bright through the dust ef battle, his helmet flashed with gold. "Gold is no match for iren," the dou|^ty bUeksmith said. And with tiiat ponderous hammer he cracked the foe- man's head. " Hurrah for gallant Limerick I" Black Ned and Moraa cried. As OB the Dutchmen's leaden heads their hammers well they plied. A bombshell burst between them — one fell withomt a groan. One leaped into the lurid air and down the breach was thrown. " BraTe smith 1 braTe smith 1" cried Sarsfldd, " beware the treacherous mine 1 Brare smith 1 brare smith I fall badcward, or ssrely death is thine I" Ihe smith sprang up the rampart, and leaped the blood-stained wall. As high into the shuddering air wont feemea, breach, andalL Up like a red Tolcano ttiey thundered wild and high- Spear, gun, and shattered standard, and foemen through the sky; And dark and bloody waa the shower that roaad the blacksmith fell- He thought upon his 'prentice beys— they were arenfed walL • ••••• BOBUT DWTU JOTO» THE TWO SIEGES OF ATHLONE. )% ^'^^FTER the battle ef the Boyne, aa" M-U Lieuenant-GMieral Douglas, with 12,000 Daen, 12 eannon, and 2 mortars {Maeariae Exeidium, p. 167), was tie- spatched by Williaoa to besiege Athlone. It may be well te re- mark that Athlone k divided into two parts by the ShaBBon, one part being in Leinster hmI tiie other in Cob naught. ) The towB waa commanded by Colonel Grace, a stout old veteran whe had fought in the Cromwellian wars, and waa now nearly 80 years of age. On 17th July Douglaa's army appeared before the walls, and aa ooon ae Ibey came within range were greeted by a Tigorous fire from the Irish cannon. Having established him- self in positioB Douglas sent a drummer to sum- aen the town te surrender, but Grace decliaed to eBtertain say such proposal, and, f ring a piatol ever the messenger's head, told him Aat these wei-e the only terms upon which he would treat with the besiegers. On Douglas's approach Grace had buret the Leinster side of the town, de- stroyed the bridge across the Shannon, and then retired into the great castle, having previously strengthened the walls with immense earthwork! te make them bombproof. Douglas spent four days coutracting entrenoh* 64 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS iQ«Dta undw ft eontinuoui ire from aerou fch« riTw; at tke end •£ that tim* h« had six gun* plantetl in positioa oppAsite tli« ruined bride*, and c*aaB«BC«d firing up*n th« caatl*. But bis firing kad little afTact, for tii* canaon balls sank harmlessly into tke great earthworks, and after three days' firinic the only danaga done was a •light breach in the battlemeats. Oa the other haad the fiiiag from the caatle caused great haroc aaong the basicgers, and killed n'Miy of their best officers. Soaglaa fouad Athloue much •'-.runger tha> he had expected. The commander, Qrace, waa no ordinary adrwsary, having twice pre- viously defended the town; and now ho kad • formidable array of ordnaBco and ample supplies of ammunilioB at his disposal. Apparoatly thero was little hope of reduciug tho castle from tko Leinster side. Douglaa accordingly despatched A strong detachment nortk to Lanes borough, about twenty miles oft, where there waa a bridge across the Shannon. By this move ho hoped to get round to the Cuunaught side of the town; but Oraco had anticipated him there, for Lanes- horough also was found bristling with defeneei, and its bridge swrpt by cannon. Meanwhile tho besie;;eis' supply of bread waa failing, and tkoir ardour slackened considerably under tho steady and d«s!ructive fire from the castle; and, to make matters worse, mews wrived that Sarsfiold was rapidly advancing with a large force to the relief of tlie garrison. Grace, seeing signs of hesit;iiicy among tho besiegers, re- doubled his effort^, and now hung out a blood-red flag, which signifies resistance a outrance. This was the last straw. Douglaa now caUod a council of war with his offi(;«rs, at which it waa decided to abandon the siege, and at tho dead of night oa Friday, tho 25th July, 1690, the Williamites atealt^ily withdrew from their positions, having lost about SOO men a Mie abortive attempt on tho town; »^d so ended tka first siege of Athlone. ■ • • • • On the l^h Juno, 1S91 — nearly a year after- wards — Qeneral Qinckel advanced towards Ath- lone with au army of about 18,000 meu, 50 siege «aii stand against cannon; but now he had repaired t'lem as well as tiieir condition would permit, and restored the fortifications, within, lliese slmder defences, however, seen gave way under yb» English artillery, and on the seeond day (tho 20th) Qmckel hte and frantic energy they proceeded te tear «p tiie planks and hurl them into the river. The English battery reared, the bridge waa swept by grape, and when the smoke cleared the whole eleven lay dead I But the bridge must go down I Undismayed by the fate of their comrades eleven more come forward and take their places upon it. Again the planks are torn up and hurled belew, and again a terrifie fire issues from breastwork and battery, killing nine ef the second batch, but net till they have thrown down the last plank— and saved the town I ■.•■'.■•^ 'T--. The legendary exploit ef Horatius Coeles has thus its cotmterpart in edr ewn history in tiie fight fer the bridge ef Atklene, whose gallant defenders exhibited a devetien and self-sacrifice as noble as ever graced the annals u.ny of their bent -officers. Souglaa fouad Athloiie much s 'wronger than he had expeeted. Tke commander, Grace, waa no ordinary adrwsary, having twice pre- viously defended the town; and bow he had a formidable array of ordnaace and ample supplies of ammunition at his disposal. Apparently thero waa little hope of reducing the castle from tke Leinster side. Douglas accordingly deipatched • atroag detachment nertk to Lanesborougk, about twenty miles oft, where there waa a bridge across the Shannon. By this move he hoped to get round to the Couaaught side of tlie town; but Grace had aaticipated him there, fur Laaes- borough also was found bristling with defeneea, and its bridge awppt by cannon. Meanwhile the besie^eis' supply ef bread was failing, and their ardour slackened considerably under the ateady and dralructlTe fire from the castle; uid, to make niattera worse, aews arrived that Sarafield waa rapidly advancing with a large force to the relief of the garrison. Grace, seeing signs of hesituncy amoag the besiegers, re- doubled his effort"". :vnd uuw hung out a blood-red flag, which aigaifie* lesiHtaace a outrance. This was the last straw. Douglas now called a couacil of war with his officsrs, at which it was decided t<> abandon the siege, and at the dead of night oa Friday, the 25th July, 1600, the Williamites stealthily withdrew from their positions, having lost about 300 men a Mie abortive attempt on the town; ^nd so ended tke first siege of Athlone. • • • • • On the l^h Juno, 1691 — ne^irly a year after- wards — General Ginckol advanced towaids Atk- lone with au army of about 18,000 men, 50 siege •auaoa, and eight mortars. — {Captain Furker't Memoirs, p. 26). In tke previous siege Colonel 6race kad made no attempt to defend the Eng> liah town — the portion at the Leinster aide of the Shannon — as he ooaaidered the walla too weak to staad against cannon; but now he had repaired t'lem as well as Mieir eoadition would permit, and ro:^tored the fortiScatioBS. within. Theso slmder defeaces, however, seen gave way under tfio English artillery, aad en the seeond day (the 20th) Qmckel hsvd effected such a breach that he was able to carry it by assault; aad the Irish, having lost about 60 killed and wouaded, retired acrass the bridge to tke Irish Towa. Tke Eng- liuk attempted to follow, but now a number of the Irish faced tbem oa the bridge, and by diut of extraordiaary efforts, held it till their comrades behind broke down the arches vrith axes aad picks, upon wkiek the brave defenders escaped, aomo by plunging into the river aad otkera by clambering across the totteriag masonry with tke aid of their eomradea at the other sidOi ATHLONE CASTLI. On the 20tb, General St. Ruth, who was at Bal- liuasloe, heard •{ the capture of the English towa, and at once set out with his army to assist tko garrison, eacamping within a short distance of the waDs. By the 23rd, nearly the whole side of the castle was battered down under the constant eonneaading, and on the same day the English sot fire to a mill upoa tke bridge, in which 62 naea wore burnt alive. Next day a party of the besieging force attempted as before to pass tlto river at Lanesborough, but were repulsed by its garrison under Edmund Boy O'Beilly. Oa the 26tk, seven distiact batteries of siege guns were pouring their iroa kail into the town, and every breastwork aad defeace thrown up by the THE TWO SIEGES OF ATHLONE. 65 Irish BMik npfdly before the shot and shell of the w«ll-B«rTed Williamite artillery. The Irish were swept away as fast as they attempted to re- pair them, hut stiU they bravely struggled en. Qinckel now began to seriously consider his posi- tion — his artillery could do na more; the town was a niaes ef cruaibling ruins, and yet its obstinate defenders showed no signs ttt submission or sur- render. Apparentljr there would be no town left to take if they could not soon enter it. It was accordingly reselved to force a passage kite the town by repairing the broken bridge with planks. The besiegers, after ctmsiderable loss, thoegh corered by a tremendous artillery fire, eenstructed a breastwork at the near end of the bridge. The Irish had anotim: cemposed of wattles at their end, but it was set on fire by th« English grenades, and the Irish were ferced to leave it. Dvring the night of Saturday, 27th June, the English worked hard at the bridge, and when day dawned on Sunday, the 28th, the Irkh saw with dismay that a few more planks wouM complete the passage, and then the town would be in the hands of the meay. An English battery was placed to sweep the bridge, so that it would be certain death to appear even for an instant upon it. At this eriti- oal moment ene of tha Irish, named Costume, stepped forward and called upon ten others to follow him and save Athlone. Ten volunteers were easily found, and with Costume at their head, these brave men advanced towards the bridge and faced the battery. The English were aitazed at their intrepidity and recklessness. With desperate and frantic energy they praceeded to tear up the planks and hurl them into the river. Ite English battery roared, tha bridge was swept by grape, and when the smoke cleared the whole eleven lay dead I But the bridge must go down ! Undismayed by the fate of their comrades eleven more come forward and take their plaees upon it. Again the planks are torn up and hurled belew, and again a terriic fire issues from breastwork and battery, killing nine af the second batch, but net till they have thrown dewa the last plank — and saved tho town I The legendary exploit of Horatius Coeles baa thus its counterpart in eur ewn history in the fight fer the bridge af Athlane, whose gallant defenders exhibited a devetion and self-sacrifice as noble as ever graced tha annals oi Rome or immartalised the pass af Thermopylae. Though no stately cenotaph eommemorates their deed, nor pompous crypt surrounds their humble dust, ht the affectionate memories af tha Irish race they have a menument of deathless and im< perishable fame. Failing to pass the bridge, Uia besiegers held », council af war, at whieh it was resolved t* make another attempt while two other partiea were to simultaneously cross the river by the pon> toons and the ford. St. Rutii observing the pre- parations, and guessmg their object, drafted, troops into the town, and during the night made ample arrangements fer the reception of the aa- sailants. The attack upon tho bridge was commwiced by tha grenadiers tiu^wing in their grenades among tha Irish, who returned their volleys. The Irish, however^ succeeded in settmg fire to the Eaglish faaeine or breastworks, and the attacking party wore forced to abandon theaa. " By thia time it w»a past twelve o'clock, and the generals, finding th« attack upen Mie tewn that way was like to eoct many lives, tbcy deferred it till new measures woe consulted on; nor knew they well what ta think at present, seeing themselves defeated in eo great a praject. (Storey, p 104.) On June 30th another eeuncil af war was held, and the advisability af raising the siege was d» bated, but many of the principal officers opposed this course, peinting out the shame of retraattng from a town already in rains. While they were yet in deliberatian, two ofieara, deserters from the Irish, came and informed Ginekel that new was his opportunity for an attack; that tha Irish, having repelled the last assault, believed tha be- siegers were disheartened, and would draw off, and so thinking themselves quite secure, weie un- prepared, and could easily be surprised. The suggestion seemed a good one, and Oinckel at once acted upen it. Imsaadiatc orders wem issued for tha troaps to be ia readiness in tha morning, and the signal for advance was to be ik» tolling of the 6 o'clock chureh beU. It had .^MkifiMkiialM 66 IRELANDS «A11'LES AND BATTLEFIELDS. been diaoorered that the rirer wiu foi dable close to the bridge, owiug to the extremely dry weather; accitrdiugly, when the time htul arrivud, sixty grenadiers iu armour, followed by obh-Ms, rapidly crossed the ford, and gaining the f:ir buni:, rushed around and plankeunt af their disadTantafi^eoua position to postpone the attack till next day. Hut perceiT- ing some c*nf iiaioa on the Jacobite right, this •rder waa rescinded, and it was resolved te per- sist in the attempt un Urackree with a siill stronger force, in the heps mi eenipelling St. Ruth t» draw some troops from his ceatre an<1 left to Meet the attack. This, it wiu expected, would weaken the Jacobite left, and thus facilitate aa attack •■ Aughrim Castle {Utorcy, p. 128.) Accordingly, at five o'clock, the battle was resumed. The WiHiamite foot, consisting of Danes, French, and Gerssaas, marched right up against the ditches on the slope of the hill near Urachree. These ditches were lield by the Irisli infantry, " wk* behaved themselves like men of another nation, defendine their ditcher stoutly ; fur they would maintain one side till our uoen put their pieces over at the other, and tlien, having lines of cemmunicatiun from one ditch to another, they would presently post themselves again, and flank us (Storei/, p. 12'J). This de.s- perate fighting, resembling the struggle at La Haye Saint* at Waterloo, continued for about half aa hour, durint^ which time Uie rest ef the two armies remained inactive, except the artillery, which continuously played on both sides. St. Rutk now, seeing his right pressed hard by a superior force, despatched some cavalry and ^jifantry towards Urachree to their relief. This wax what Ginckel desired. He now sent four regi- ments to cross the morass at the feot of the hill, and attack the Jacolite centre in front, while he simultaneously de.'tpatched a body ef cavalry round by Aughrim Castle to support them. The infantry sank to tliair waists in the bog, and were met by a heavy fire from the Jacebites, but they neverr.keless established tlieinselves on the op- posite side, and drove the Jacebites from eac hedge to auether, till the Williuraites at l>wt approached the encampment at the brow of the hill. St Ruth now saw the plan which be had con- ceived with such marveUeus skill cradually da- yelop itself almost without a hitch or mishapk Retiring up the hill before the advancing English the Irish foot suddenly divided in two, and then, like a wave receding, only to return in greater force, impetuously attacked their assailants in Hank; while through the space thus created in front St Rutk poured his cavalry in overwhelming numbers down t.he hiU through the gaps which he had cut in the hedges for that purpose. Tlie result was inevitable. The English feot held their ground obstinately, aad fought with extra- ordiaary cuolaessand determination: but it waa a hopeless s truj;gle. They were utterly unable to withstand the downhill cavalry charge, and in a few minutes they broke and fled in headlong con- fusion baek again to the morass which they had crosKed, great numbers being killed in the attempt to recross it. {Store;/, p. 130.) The Jacobite troups now pressed the advantage thus gained, and, crossing the morass in places, advanced to attack the Williamites on their own ground and suixeedud in maintaining themselvr. there for a time. While these four regiments were being routed in this manner a larger body attempted the merass over near Aughrim Ctvstle, but fell into an am- buscade and broke up in such complete disorder that " it was believed by all who saw the flight that the English had lost the battle.' — {Mackay as quoted in " Oreen Book," page 415.) A great part ef the William ite foot were now in disorder at the base of the hill, but they rapidly reformed and were reinforced by a large body under Major-General Talmash. They then again faced their foes and once more advanced up the hill, but were aiet by the same tactics aa before and repulsed with great slaughter. Meanwhile the Williamitc right wing, composed •f cavalry and infantry, with their aitillery, were advancing towards the pass at Aughrim to succenr the foot, which seemed in great peril. They dislodged the Irish from the mouth of the defile, but both parties were apparently unable to use their artillery at this point on ac- count of the way in which the ceaabatants were mixed. At this juncture, by amisunderskandiag or mistake oa the part ef one of the Irish officers, HWBie trooDt were detached frwm the Jacobite left. AOdHRIBt 69 *nd drawn off towaris Ur»ehr«a, and fch« English infantry, instantly seizing the advamtage, forced a paaiage aorou the bog over near the caetle. They drove the Irleh infantry keforo them, and ad- ▼amoed till checked by a cavalry charfe. The English eavalry and artillery were now making all possible speed to eoae to their afisistance Colonel Walter Burke, the cfimmander cf th* castle, when h« opened the liarrels of ammuni- tion, found that the bullets with which he k»rvine; tlit prograss lUAd* by fch* WilliAmite right orer uanr tiie ciistlc, and per- oeiviag that Micy wen foieiug thoir way through tlie paaa, resolved t» make a doTwuhill charge upon tliem, and (•r that purpose placed himself at the lioad vf hia guardt. But that charge waa fated never to be made, fer aa St. Kutk waa about to lead it a canaea ball atruck hhu, and he fell forward oa ilia horse a headless and a gory corpse. This event turned the tide of battle. Captaia Parker, wiio WM fightin<:: against that part et tk« Jacobite :\rmj in which St Kuth fell, says in his menoirs (p. 35 au-i 36), '- had it not been that St. Kuth fell it ia hard to say hew matters would have ended ; for to do hirn justice, notwithstaudinghis oversight at Aliilouc, hn was certainly a galant, brave mtui :\nd a good officer, as appealed by the dispossitioa he made of his army that day. His centre and 1 ight wing slill niaititained their ground, and had lie lived to order Sursfiold down to sustain his l«ft wiug it rould iiave given ufTaitis a turn . on ihat side." No officer w:w able to lake St. Ruth's, place for he had not coufu'.ed hi.s plan ef butiln t« any ef his subordinates, with wiiem ii« was on rather b.id terms since ttie mishap at Atlilone. Scoinn their '■ammander fall, the Jacobite guards halted aiul a '-onsiderable delay occurred. 'I'hk're was ue one to give ordeiB. The Irish cavalry deltnding tJie ] ass drew efi* and a retregiade uioreinenl com- snenced. The Williamites now gradually passed across ike morass and extended their wing« riglit aud left, amid a continued fire and hot dispute all along th« line, the Irish still defending their ditches desperately. Driven from these, the Irish retired up the hill, followed by the Williamites, aud now the Jacobite ca- valry, seeing that the day was lost, deserted tlie infantry and thought only ef saving them- selves. 1^ Willianiite troopers pursued the Jacobites across the hill and for miles from the battletield. till the sun set upon that bloody scene tiiiil with it the star of the Stuarts for ever. The slaughter was immense — 4,000 or 5,000 at lea.-t — and would prebaMy have been still greater but for darkness setting in, accompanied by a thick mist, which stopped the pursuit. The Williamitth loss was, according te Captain Parker, 3,#00. Many credible historiann, Dr licalie, Dai- ly mplo, iStc, aa well as most Jacobite acoouuts of the battle, state tliat the conquerors gave ao quarter, and the prnportton between killed and prisoners (7,000 killed and 450 prif>oaerB, aa stated in Storey's History, pp. 136-7) would seen te bear •ut tkeir testimony. Evidently in extenuation of this, Storei/ (p. 123) states tliat the Jaeobitea intended to give no quarter if they were victorious. It WiM a decisive and crowning victory for the Williatnites, and a disastrous overthrow for their opponents, many of whom now retired ta Limerick. Although the victory waa to a certain extent a ehance one, it ."should not in anyway detract from the gallantry shown by the Williamite infantry, who, though beaten re- peatedly down the hill, returned again and again with doggrtd and desperate determination te the attack. Stovcji savs ef (ho battlefield — "The place where this battle w.os fought will make a noise in histeiy fer the future, though there's nothing worth taking notice of near it. For that which they call the Castle of Aughrim is only an old ruinous building, with some walls and ditches about it, aud never has been a place ef any s'^icn^th, only as it's seated upon a pass. There are about half a score little eabbins;en the other side a small brook, with the run:s of a little church, and a priory dedicated to St. Catherine, and founded by the Butlers; the whole being at this day the estate ef the Duke of Ormend." Of course the place is greatly changed since then, aud but a small fragment of the castle now remains. Traditions of the great battle are, hew- ever, quite vivid among the peasantry. In the churcliyaid of Kilceramodan Church, ef wltlch now searcely a trace is left, is " St. Ruth's Flag," which is pepularly believed to mark his grave, but it is supposed that kis reraaius, if they ever rested there, were subsequently removed else- where. A whitethorn bush, called " St. Ruth's Bush," on the north-eastern slope of the hiU, planted there to commemorate the event, marks the spot where he fell. At the base of the hiU, on its northern side, is a place called " Glen-aa-FuUa," or "The Bloody HoUew," where the Inah. surrounded in tka THE SECOND SIEGE OF LIMERICK AND THE TREATY. 71 4nttle, went slain in great numbers. For fifty or Rixty years after wardflkhtir bluachcd bonus Might be Bees strewed around the country— a melan- choly sight aid a diaual menient* e( the Irish Stuart wars. " Night closed around the conqueror's way, And lightning shewed the distant hill, Wlioro those who lost tli.-vt drca'Unl day Stood, few and faint— but fearless still. I''i>rf;et not the field whore they perislie.I — The truest, the last of the bniTo; All (?one -and the bright hopes we rhcrishod Uone with them, and quenched in the gnrp." — MouMC. THE SECOND SIEGE OF LIMERICK AND THE TREATY. FTER the defeat at Augh- rim, Tyrconnell sent a mes- •age te King James announc- ing that all was lost, and that unless immediate succeur arrived it waa useless to continue re.siptance. Mean- while, Gal way having sub- mitted, he made prepara- tions to again put Limerick into • condition of defence, and collected stores of provisions and ammunition, but on 14th August, 1691, he died of apoplexy at the house of the French commander. On the 15th an advanced party of Qinckel's troops approached Limerick,' and on making a recon- naissance, saw the formidable preparations whieh had Ween naade by Sarsfield and Tyreconnell te fortify the city. The walls had been strengthened by great earthworks, new forts had been built and old ones repaired. On the 25th August the remainder ef the Wil- liamite army arrived with sixty pieces of canneu, none less than 12-pounders, and nineteen mortars (Williamite oflScial pamphlet — Diary of the Siege and Surrender ef Limerick, Sec, pp. 6 and 7.) By the 27th they had cap- tured some ef the outworks, and sent de- tached parties of artillery to attack and destroy all the isolated castles in the neighbourhood, for Ginckel waa afraid te allow them te stand, the Irish having acquired auch a reputation for de- fending fortifications. By the end of the mentb the bombardmeat of the city wui in full swing, and ia a few days more parts ef it were set on fire by the shelly On the 8th September a tremendous fire was c<>ra- menced with red-hot balls and sliells, making a breach in the walls and destroying great nuaa- bers of houses. On 12th the town was nearly all ruins, but the besiegers' supplies being nearly ex- hausted, and tlie garrison making no sign of sab- mi.ssion, (treparations were made to raise the siege, and a message to that effect was sent to London. But meanwhile the besiegers appear to have changed cheir counsels. In the evening of 15th September a stroag body of herse and foot set out after dark and marched to a shallow place on the river, two miles above Limerick, and about midnight they commenced to lay a bridge of boats, which tkey eoiupleted by morning. Brigadier Clifford, who had been posted there by Sarsfield to prevent a surprise, shamefully neglected bis duty, and allowed the Williamites to pass over almost without any resistance. The news that the Williamites had crossed the river, and were attackiitg the town from the Clare side, caused great consternation among the Irish, wke flocked into the city from all the outlying wcnrks. On 22nd September Ginckel himself, with aenM of his principal officers an«h a strong detaehaaent of artillery, crossed the river, under a trouble- some fite frotn the Irish, and marched round to Mie works protecting Thomond Bridge, the only approach to the city frr>m the Clai-o side. A desperate conflict ensued, and the loae waa considerable on both sides, but ultimately the Williamites captured th^ works, and drere the Irish out of them and over to Thomond Bridge. The French officer in command of the bridge xee- in^ the Irish approach, pursued by the William- 72 IRELAND'S BATttJES AND BATTLEFIELDS. He*, and fearinp; that besieKsrs and besieged would emter togabher in the confuMoa, to kis shame be it said, raised the drawbridge, and left hia friends at tlie mercy ef their pursuers. j The foremost ef the Irish, pressed forward by these is the rear, fell orer the fall of the draw- bridge into the rirer and were mostly drowned. , ''The rest cried out for quarter, holding up their handkerchiefs and whatever else they could get; but before killing was orer they were laid o» heaps upen the bridge higher than the ledges of it; so that they were all either killed or taken, ex- ' cept about 120 that got into the town before the chope came te the English camp and dined with General Qinckel. Hestages were exchanged as A preliminary to a treaty, and on the 27th tlie Irish made their proposals for a surreader. which wer« rejected by Ginckel as unreasonable. Next day, howcTAr, a number of the principal Irish efiScers preceeded te Ginckel's camp, and after a pro- tracted consultation agreed to certain articles under which net only Limerick, but also all the forts and castles held by the Irish were te be sur- rendered, and the war abandoned. But the Irish commanders were not satisfied tliat a treaty of such vast importuice in its issues iSr^n, THE TREATY STONB, LIMERICK. bridge was drawn up, and many of those cut and slashed to the purpose." {Storey, p 224-5.) This miserable incident greatly accentuated the feelings ef distrust long entertained by the Irish towards the French, who, it wa« now belieyed* were wearied of the war and anxious to terminate it at any cost. Two days after this the Irish beat a parley. Of what use was furtiier resistance ? The most sanguine among them could not hope, by a successful defence of their city, to re-estab- lish upen the British throne the wretched, vacil- lating Stuart. Negotiations were opened, and on the 26th Sarsfield and General Wan- should be signed by General Ginckel on his ewn responsibility, and so the Lords Justices in Dub- lin were sent for, and the whole matter lay in abeyance pending their arriral. Meanwhile the WiUiamite and Jacobite troops became on friendly terms and Tisited each other's camps. About nine o'clock p.m. on 1st October the Lords Justices arrived at the camp, and on the ■ext day Sarsfield, Wauehope, and all the prin- cipal Irish officers and functionaries attended at Qinckel's camp, where there was a long debate, lasting till aftur midnight, and on the follew- hii. _.,,s THE SECOND SIEGE OF ing ixy the treaty was duly signed by the Irish and French and the Lords Justices and Williamite commanders. There were two sets of articles — the Military Articles, pro- Tidiiig for the surrender of th« Irish towns, etc., signed by the French and Irish commanders; and theCiTilArticles, providing principally for the ciril and religious liberties •f the Irish Catholics, signed by the Lords Justices aad WiUiamite officers. These Articles, 29 in the first a«d 13 in the st- coad set, are giren in detail in most complete , histories— Storey, MacGeoghegan, Linehan, etc. — and it would be impossible in the limiti'd space at my disposal to more than briefly autliue them. The Military Articles preTide* that all persona wishing to leave the realm should bar* fuU liberty te jjo beyond the seas te any foreign country ex- cept England or Scotland; that if plundered on the way tlie GoTemment should compensate them; that a fleet should be provided for their eoBveyance; that the garriso« of Limerick should march out with all the honours of war— colours fly insr, drums beating, etc; — also that thwse wli« elected te enter the service ef William shouW re- tain their rank and pay. It is the Civil Artieles, however, that constitute tlie most important part of this famous treaty. These, 13 in number, tk« Irish vainly hopod would {)rove the Magiia Charta ef their religieus liberties. Aiticlel. states *'thal the RomsiH Gatholicks of Ireland shall enjoy such privileges, in the exercise of their religion, aa are consistent with the laws of Ireland, or an they did eujoy in the reign of King Charles II. ; and thoir Majesties (as soon a* their affairs will permit them to sum- mon a Parliament i» this Kuigdem) will eudeav-ur to secure the Roniaii Gatholicks such further security in that particular as way preserve them from any distarbance upon the accwunt of their said religioM." Article II. granted pardon and protection to all who served James on taking the Cath of Allegiance. Articles IlL, IV., and V. ex- tend the provisions of the Treaty to Irish mer- chants, officers, and geatlenten beyond the seas, as well as other persoMS. Article VI. prohibits all private suits-at-law for trespass and othei- par- Bonal ofifences eommitted during the war. Article VII. proTides that ''every nobleman and gentleman LIMERICK AND THE TREATY. 75 comprised in the 2nd and 3rjl Articles shall havA liberty to ride with a sword and a case of pistols if they think fit, and keep a gun in tkeir house for the defence of same or fowling." Article VIII. allows the inhabitants of Linerick and other towns to remove their goods without being searched. Article IX. is — "The oath to he »d- minist«ie(i to such Roman Gatholicks as submit to their Majesty's Government, shall be the oath aforesaid, and no other. " The Irish Catholics were very particular as to this point, lest the Oath of Suprciaacy should he administered to then, which of course they could not accept, as it involved the rccognitioe ef the Sovereiga as th« spiritual and temporal head ef their Church, iv "ppositioii tx) the Pope. Article X. enaets that ao persoB or persons who break any of these articles shall cause any other person to lose the benefit of them. Article XI. deals with arrests and execu- tions for debt. Article XII. undertakes that the tieaty shall be ratified by tlieir Majesties within the spa^-e •{ three months or less, and that they shall have it confirmed in Parliament. Article XIII. deals with the debts of Colonel John Browne. Tlie great majority of the Irish troops elected to go abroad, and served in France and elsewhere ■^thoy formed the famous Irish Brigades re- nowned in song and story. Sad was tiieir part- ing with the old land which they loved so deafly, for whicK they had fought so well, on wliose green fields and swelling hills lay the homes of sc aiajay of their gallant comrade*. Tht principal article of the Treaty provided that the Roman Catholics should have the same privileges as they had in the reign of Charles 11. During that lime there were few repressive actk in force against the Irish Catholics. The Oath of Supremacy was not required except when formally administered to public functionaries ; and both Houses of Parliament were open to them. It is scarcely necessary to tell the rest of thj* sad and miserable story. It will be remembered that the Treaty was signed on 3rd October, 16S1. A few months afterwards Parliament met iu Dublin and entirely repudiatod it. Within five years not a vestige of the privileges which it guar- anteed remained. The whole country seemed ib have become insane en the subject ef Popery, aos •y^-l,^ .^A^^tL ^ i IRELAND'S BAITLBS AND BATTLEFIELDS. tkoi-e wert appai-eatly uo limits to legislation on the subject. It is worthy of mention tkat a day or two aft«r th« Treaty wjia sig»od, a |;reat French fleet of eiifhteou mem-.f-wjir, four firo ships, and twunty sliips mt burdou arrived iu tlie Shannon with re- inforcenieutti, proTiw»ue, and ammunition tor Liuirrick. This Hcet Wiis sutBciently stror.f; to overpower tlie entire ]"]u;;liah uaval force and put euoujjh men ami supplies into the town tti make ;i pmhiUKed dofonce. Ginckel wiw ;,'reatly dis- ••ontertod when he learned of its arrival, and fearing that tlie Irish would now break the Treaty and I'euew the war, lie at once despatched mes- .Ei sengers for assistance. But his fears were ground- less, for the Irish, though they regretted having lost so good an opportunity, coaiidered the Ti-eaty irrovoeablv, and that their honour depended upon its observance— (Storey, lyj. 271-S.) In justice to his raotnory it should be stated that history attaches te William none of the Btignta for ttie atrocities of the«e dark and terrible times. He, and indeed his officers too, acted their paits honourably and witk perfect ^ona fides. He was too brave a soldier tu trample on an unfor- tunate and fallun fee, and lie would undoubtedly have observed the Treaty had he been permitted to do so by his Pariiameul. CONCL USION. RELAND'S military his- tory may be said to have terminated with the Treaty of Limerick. In the two cen- turies which nave elapsed since the Williamite war, there have been uuhappiiy many disturbance:! iu the country, but nothing that could be dignified by the name of war. The year 1715 \v*s memorable for the rebellion of the Pretender in Scotland, but in Ireland there wits no i^ympathetic movement ; all martial spirit bad been crushed out of tlie country by the recent disastrous campaign, the expatriation of the Irish soldiers, and tbo cruel laws that followed. In 1743 there was a rebellion in Scotland in favour of Prince Cliailes Edward, the young Pre- tender, but the possibility of a responsive move- ment in Ireland was averted by an astute tem- porary policy ^f conciliation. In 1759 rumours of a French invasion caused some alarm, aad in the early part of the following year a landing was effected at Carrickfergus, by Thurot, a brave but Quixotic Frenchmiui of Irish descent. He captured the castle and held it for a few days, after which he re embarked, but on his return voyage he Wiis met by three English frigates, and in the «harp action which ensued Thurot was killed and kis three vessels were disabled and taken. About tliis time the Catholics first venturtd to agitate for a repeal of the oppressive laws under which they suffered. The year 1776 is marked by tk« revolt of the American colonies, which iu tlie following year re- sulted in tlioir independence. To meet tke great drain upon the army caused by the American war, nearly all the troops were drafted out of Ireland, which thereupon was left iu such a de- fenceless condition that the Irish Parliament en- rolled and armed a numerous volunteer force. Towards the close of 1779 some friction arose between the Irish and English Parliaments in re- ference to export duties on Irish goods whieh in the following year culminated iu Orattan's meotorable Declaration of Parlia- mentary independence by which it whs sought to free the Irish Parliament from the supremuey of tke English Legislature as embodied iu Poyning's Law. By this law mo measure could be laid before the Irish Parliament till it had been submitted to and approved by the English Government and Council. Grattan's declaration, however, met with little attention from the Eng- lish Ministry. Meanwhile the Volunteer move- ment had attained vast dimensions. There were ^>,vTr^,f^yv>(?w?wviw; •JS"" CONCLUSION. DOW nearly 100,000 of ' all ranks, artillery and infantry, officered by tke flower of fclie Iriah aris- tocracy uader Lord Charlene&t as Commander- in-Chief. The English Ministry at this time commanded a strong utajority in the Irish Parlia- ment, and, after a protracted strugxle, on 11th December, 1781, a motion for a repeal of Poyu- ing's Law was defeated by an OTerwhelming Go- vernment majority. A few days later Lord Charlemoat iavited a confereace of all the Irish Volunteer Corps tu meet at Dunganuon t« consider the action of the Parliament. The ceaference teok place on 15th i<'ebruary, 1782, and there in conclare assembled, the representatires of 106,100 Velunteers paased a series of resoluaons denyins: and repudiating the supremacy which Poyning's Law gave t* the Eugliah over the Irish Parliament. On the 16th of tlie following April Grattan again proposed his famous resolution, which mow passed, and on the 17th May the matter was brought before both the English Houses ef Par- liament, and carried almost unanimously. On 27th May the Irish Parliameat assembled to for- mally receive the news frem the Viceroy, and as au evidence of their gratitude, voted £100,000 supplies for the English navy and £50,000 to Heary Grattaa. Thus waa secured the independ- ence of the Irish Legislature. The Voluuteers aftsr this, keiiig deserted by thair aristocratic leaders, gradually became a de- mocratic institution ; and now a social cataclysm, which shook Europe te its foundations, exercised the popular mind. Goaded to frenzy by tlie ty- ranny of a corrupt and irresponsible oligarchy, the French people — the most refined aation in Europe — rose in iiisurrectioa against their op- pi-assors, and casting asid* the restraints of civili- zation, committe*! excesses which appalled and horrified Christiaaity. The aacient gorernnent, enervated by a long unfettered sway of despetic power, was overthrown by one of the most san- guinary revolutions on record. Inspired hy the aew and specious doctriaes of liberty, equality, and fraternity, the Irish, smart- ing under a sense of cruel injustice, formed the society of " United Irishmen," composed prmci- oally of the democratic classes, but led by some aaembers of tho aristocracy, who had imbibed democratic ideas. Republican opinions grew more aad more prevalent, and in many parts of the couatry there was avowed and maaifest sym- pathy with the French revolutionists. In 1794 Pitt entered on a course of coaciliation. in pursuance of which he sent Lord FitzwiUiam aa Viceroy, but this new departure was of but short duration, and the popular Viceroy vaa re- called in the course of a few laontha. Tho United Irishmen now became a revolutioaary and secret society, having for its object tlio Otttabliah- artent of aa independent gorornmont in Ireland by the assistance and protectioa of Fraace. Thoir schemes were perfected ia 1796, aad un 16th Dec, ia that year a fleet of 43 ships with 15,000 troopo and 45,000 stand of arms, sailed froaa Breat for Ireland. This formidable araiada met with the fate which befel aearly all its predecessora — it waa dispersed and scattered by a storm witlieut eveo eflfecting a landing upon the Irish coaata. Ia tlio following year negotiaUoas were again opKued with France by tlio Irish leaders, but they only resulted in vague promises of aasistanco. By 1798, arrangements were completed for a simul- taneous rising all over the couatry, but the Go- vernment was in tlie secret, and un tho 12th March, Thomas Addis Emmet and a number M other leaders wei'o arrested in Bridge-street and uoinmitted to Newgate. A few weeks later Lord Kd ward Fitzgerald was arrested ia Thomas-street after a desperate struggle in which ho waa so severely wouaded that he died a few days after* wards. Other arresU followed, and before tho ix«< concerted time for action had arrived, nearly all the leaders had been captured by the GovemMeat. The country waa now in arms, but tlie aaoveooent, deprived of its leaders, was irregular aad disor- ganised, and reduced to a series of sporadic out* breaks by an illiterate and semi-armed pea- santry. The fighting comaionced in tho month of May in Eildare aad Carlow, and at the close of the month the insur genta were defeated and routed at tho battle of Tara. At Oulart Hill in Wexford the insursrenbi were successful, and annihilated an. entire detach- ment of the North Cork Militia. They were again successful at Gorey and New Ross, but defeotetl ;s.--v. Wy 76 IRELAND'S BATTLES AND fiATTLBFIELDa. la? -f. »t Arklow. Th«y now fixed th*ir camp fm' Tui«- gar Hill, and •n 21 at Juu« Geaeral Lake, witk a sti-Mig ferce, advanced to attack them, and partly •unrounded the hill. After aWout an heur and a half fightuig the insurgents broke up and fled in Siaotier. This defeat crushed the movement in the south. Meaa while the rising was proceeding in the Nerth, and the Irish were defeated at Antrim after a desperate struggle, and again at Ballina- hinch. After some slight further flickering the Rebellion was practically extinguished by the end of June. It, no doubt, smouldered on for some years after this in remete aad inaccessible parts of the country, aetaWly in tlie fastnesses vf the Dublin aad Wicklow mountains. After the Rebellion caaie the usual trials and executions, \ud most ef the popular leaders who were unable to make good tkeir escape Buffered on the scaflTold. Towards tlie end of August, when the excitemeat kad partly subsided, three French frigates, with 1,000 men and a quantity ef arms, landed in Killala, under comnand of Qeneral Humbert, and t«ok possession ef the town. They were soon reinferced by numbers of the insur- gents. Qeneral Lake, in command of 5.000 troops, adTanced to attack them, but was de- eiaiTely defeated near Castlebar on August 27tl), •nd his whole force breken up aad pursued for miles from the scene of action. Humbert noi rapidly adranced by an irregular route Kmrth- wards, but was fiaally defeated and ferced te sur- render by an overwhelming force in county Long, ford. Shortly afterwards a fleet of tea vessels ym despatched by France in aid ef Humbert, but thej were intercepted by an English squadron neai Lough Swilly, and after a terrific engagement 12th Octeber, 1798, were cempletely defeated, and five ef the vessels captured. On the 2lBt May, 1800, Lord Castlereagh introj duced the Union Bill in the Irish Heuse ef Cemj mens, and on the 7th June it ^na passed, and the House met for the last time. On Ist January, 1801, the new Imperial standard knows as the " Union Jack," composed of the crosses ef St Patrick, St Andrew, and Sf George, was hoisted from the battlements of Bublia Castle, Great Britain and Ireland became one kingdom, and the representation of Ireland waq transferred te the central Parliament ia London. In 1803 an abortive attempt at insurrection was made by the unfortunate Robert Em met, who, with other leaders, was executed shortly after- wards. In 1829 was passed the Catholic Eman- cipation Act, and the Cathelics, after centurieofl of eppresaioa, took their rightful pesition as free! subjects of the Empirei ■■"-;>'-c ■ i . ■V ...t ..■ ^ : i-iitr±i *l«'m|i- ':^aW^¥l_: stliHW,?^.! ^i^iV'iS^aj^