diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54518-8.txt | 9230 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54518-8.zip | bin | 208521 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54518-h.zip | bin | 315550 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54518-h/54518-h.htm | 9897 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54518-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 100008 -> 0 bytes |
8 files changed, 17 insertions, 19127 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0f681ab --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54518 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54518) diff --git a/old/54518-8.txt b/old/54518-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 36cb586..0000000 --- a/old/54518-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9230 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The battle-fields of Ireland, from 1688 to -1691, by John Boyle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The battle-fields of Ireland, from 1688 to 1691 - including Limerick and Athlone, Aughrim and the Boyne - -Author: John Boyle - -Release Date: April 9, 2017 [EBook #54518] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BATTLE-FIELDS *** - - - - -Produced by Kieran Moore and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - ---Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. - ---Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved. - ---Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. - - - - -THE BATTLE-FIELDS OF IRELAND, - -FROM 1688 TO 1691: - -INCLUDING - -LIMERICK AND ATHLONE, - -AUGHRIM - -AND - -THE BOYNE. - -BEING AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE JACOBITE WAR IN IRELAND, AND THE CAUSES -WHICH LED TO IT. - - "And as they tread the ruined Isle, - Where rest, at length, the lord and slave, - They'll wondering ask, how hands so vile - Could conquer hearts so brave?" MOORE - - - NEW YORK: - ROBERT CODDINGTON, PUBLISHER, - 366 BOWERY. - 1867. - - - - -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, - -BY ROBERT CODDINGTON, - -In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for -the Southern District of New York. - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - -Most of the following chapters were written some time since, at the -request of the publisher, whose intention it was to present the readers -of Irish history with a portable volume, which, while removing the -necessity of wading through many tomes, would give an authentic account -of the two leading events of a very important period,--the battles of -the Boyne and Aughrim. - -Having undertaken the task, and performed it to the extent of his -information, it appeared to the writer that, without some allusion to -antecedent causes and intermediate events, the book, though it should -be acceptable to some, would be quite unsatisfactory to others; and it -was concluded to make such interpolation as, without overburdening, -would render the offering more clear and comprehensive. - -After collecting much matter bearing on the subject, and finding it -impossible to compress it methodically within the limits assigned, such -selections were made, from historians of every shade of opinion, as -would suffice, without distorting the parts already arranged, to give a -consecutive view of the Jacobite war in Ireland, from its inception to -its close. - -As it was almost exclusively a war for religious ascendency on the -one side, and for complete civil and religious liberty on the other, -continually presenting a politico-religious aspect, it was chosen -to leave the ethological bearing to other mediums, and confine this -principally to the leading military events of the time. Hence, no -allusion whatever is made to the interior merits of either faith -dependent on the issue; nor to its exterior action, only so far as to -preserve the order of an unbroken narrative. - -Having followed the war down to the battle of Aughrim, inclusive, and -reached the limit prescribed, the writer stops short of the final -event--the last siege of Limerick; and he does so as well from motive -as necessity, for he thinks that event could be more appropriately -connected with a history of "The Brigade." But whether the subject is -ever resumed by him or not, will greatly depend on the reception of -this little volume, which is now submitted to the public. - - THE AUTHOR. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - PAGE - -CHAPTER I. - - A Cursory View of England and Ireland anterior to the Accession of - James II 9 - - -CHAPTER II. - - The Reign of James II. in England--The Invasion of William, Prince - of Orange. From 1685 to 1688 26 - - -CHAPTER III. - - Events preceding Hostilities in Ireland--The preparatory Measures - of Tyrconnel 41 - - -CHAPTER IV. - - From the Commencement of Hostilities to the Landing of King James - in Ireland 58 - - -CHAPTER V. - - The Battle of Cladiford--The Investment of Derry--Proceedings of - Parliament 74 - - -CHAPTER VI. - - The Battle of Newtown Butler, and the Relief of Enniskillen - and Derry 90 - - -CHAPTER VII. - - The Landing of Marshal Schomberg, and his Winter Campaign 108 - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Schomberg's Campaign continued--The Arrival of the Prince - of Orange 112 - - -CHAPTER IX. - - The Battle of the Boyne 125 - - -CHAPTER X. - - Final departure of King James--A Retrospect of his Character 152 - - -CHAPTER XI. - - The Surrender of Drogheda and Dublin--The First Siege of Athlone 160 - - -CHAPTER XII. - - The Siege of Limerick 174 - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - The Arrival of the Duke of Marlborough--The Siege of Cork - and Kinsale 193 - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - The Winter of 1690 206 - - -CHAPTER XV. - - Arrival of St. Ruth--Ginckle takes the field 222 - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - The Siege of Athlone 239 - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - The Interval from July 1st to the 12th 267 - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - - The Battle of Aughrim 292 - - - - -THE BATTLE-FIELDS OF IRELAND. - -CHAPTER I. - -A CURSORY VIEW OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND ANTERIOR TO THE ACCESSION OF -JAMES II. - - -Few monarchs ever ascended the English throne under more unfavorable -auspices than James II. Though he reached it in the order of legitimate -right, it was at a time when the monarchy of England was well-nigh -divested of its most vital prerogatives, and when the voice of the -sovereign had little more weight in the national councils than that -of any ordinarily dissentient member; and to this were superadded -rivalries, jealousies, and hatreds, which having their sources in -remoter times, gathered strength like the rivers, and grew deeper and -darker in their course. - -As a representative of Scottish royalty, he inherited many a bitter -memory from Bannockburn to Flodden, and as a descendant of the -unfortunate Mary, he was an object of hatred to the old reform families -of England, with whom her persecutor, Elizabeth, was still a hallowed -memory; he was a grandson of James I., whom neither the acquisition -of a kingdom, nor the confiscation of Ireland,--so grateful to every -English adventurer,--could redeem from national contempt; a son of -Charles I., whom the revolutionary elements evoked in Church and -State by the pedantry of his father, had brought to the scaffold; and -brother to the second Charles, one of the most indolent and dissolute -monarchs that ever disgraced a throne. Through the last three reigns, -the name of Stuart had been a term of distrust or hatred, both to the -High Church party of England, and the fanatics of Scotland; but through -some unaccountable cause, it had one, and only one, abiding-place,--the -heart of Catholic Ireland,--whose people, through every phase of that -dynasty, had experienced nothing but treachery, confiscation, and -proscription. - -Other circumstances, too, though of a domestic nature, tended to -establish the unpopularity of James, and to raise up difficulties in -his road to royalty. In 1671, his wife, the Duchess of York, though -nominally a Protestant, died in communion with the Catholic Church, and -from that time forward he himself made open profession of Catholicity. -Towards the beginning of 1673 he was married to Mary of Modena, a -Catholic, and the daughter of a royal house then in close alliance -with France. The Parliament, which met shortly after, expressed great -indignation at this event, and gave practical effect to its resentment. -A declaration of indulgence which had been issued by Charles in 1671, -granting to dissenters from the High Church the public observance -of their religion, and to Roman Catholics the right to hear Mass in -private houses, was censured, and repealed in its application to the -Catholics. In this session was also passed the "Test Act," which -continued in full legal force down to the reign of George IV., and -which, with some modifications, is virtually observed at the present -day. By the passage of this act, every Catholic official in the realm -was removed, and the Duke of York lost the command of the British navy, -in which he had won high distinction, and which he had brought to a -greater degree of efficiency than it had hitherto known. These and -similar marks of disapprobation were specially meant for James, who was -then heir-presumptive, and showed him the dangers that beset his way -to the throne. He, however, continued on unwavering in his principles, -while every exercise of conscience on his part was met by a check on -the king's prerogative, or a direct censure on himself. But when it -became known, after the demise of Charles, that he, too, had received -the last sacraments at the hands of a Catholic priest, and that James -had been instrumental in the conversion of his reprobate brother, the -rage of the High Church party knew no bounds, and their denunciations -were echoed through every recusant party in the land. Comfort they knew -none; their forbearance was stretched to the utmost tension; their cup -of hatred was filled to the last drop; and even that drop was pendent, -as from a leaf; the next wind might shake the branch, and then---- - -But still they had one hope. James was a good round age; as yet he had -no issue male by his Catholic queen; his daughters, by his former wife, -were educated in the Protestant faith, and had each been espoused to -a Protestant prince; and in a few years, the throne would apparently -revert to a Protestant sovereign. - -William, Prince of Orange, the husband of the elder, was the ostensible -head of the Protestant Alliance, and a devoted enemy to France. This -was a relief in their present misfortunes, and a little forbearance was -thought better than much blood-letting. The Duke of Monmouth, too, the -natural son of Charles, was a great favorite with a large portion of -the English people, and had even, during the life of his father, struck -for the crown; and though banished the realm for that offence, he was -still a centre to rally round, in case of necessity. These were the -considerations which alleviated the misfortunes of James's enemies, and -made his accession, even for a moment, tolerable. - -The reign of James I., commonly called the "Pedant," from his -affectation of learning, his uncouth appearance, and slovenly habits, -was not marked by any act that elevates a people, or adorns a crown. -It was chiefly employed in religious disquisition, which, giving rise -to innumerable sects, greatly disturbed the interior spirit of the -nation. That part of his time not so devoted, was spent in securing to -the reform party the lands, lay and cleric, which had been confiscated -during the reign of his immediate predecessors. But he was never -popular. Though his low garrulity and set apothegms were hailed by the -vile minions by whom he was constantly surrounded, as the sublimation -of wisdom, they never failed to plant a thorn in the breast of the -nobles, and with them he was an object of unmitigated contempt--deeply -felt, but not openly expressed. Still the courtiers and the king got -along pretty well, and each improved after a mutual acquaintance. He -knew their instincts and their passions, and they secured his favor -by sacrificing to his egotism. In them he discovered an inordinate -appetite for plunder, and in him they saw an obtusity of honor, and an -unscrupulousness of conscience, that could be made sure instruments in -securing the spoils of an incomplete reformation. He resolved to cater -to their appetite, and they determined to obey his rule, though they -did not at all reverence his majesty. - -The death of Elizabeth had left England in a profound peace, which was -scarcely disturbed during his reign; and this fortuitous circumstance, -more than his innate cowardice, won for him the name of "the peaceful -monarch." He has had many satirists and many eulogists, and some who -were both as occasion answered. Among the latter may be reckoned Sir -Walter Scott, by whom we are told that the restless spirits of the -former reign might calmly enjoy "the peace which James the peaceful -gave." But, then, this was only in poetic _romaunt_, and by one who -greatly despised him in romantic prose. Such eulogiums, however, had -only reference to the influence of his reign on England and Scotland; -the tyranny of an English king towards Ireland had been, in all times, -his surest passport to popularity, and there his reign was one of -terror, vengeance, persecution, and spoliation. - -The prince who connived at the murder of his royal mother, could lay -little claim to the respect of the good or high-minded in any age or -nation, and so he lived an object of contempt and loathing to all that -was good or honorable in the land. But though men of honor shunned his -court, the venal there held high jubilee. The king's natural avarice -was keen, and it was still further whetted by Scotch self-seekers, who -thronged lobby and vestibule in all their greedy officiousness. Their -rapacity had to be appeased. The people of England, too, were grown -sullen and discontented; a spiritual madness had lately overspread -the land, and produced a state of society always ominous of evil to -the monarch; hence the public mind should be diverted from its sombre -broodings. To secure himself on the throne, he saw the necessity of -opening a way to the enterprise of the incongruous elements by which -he was surrounded, and many precedents pointed to Ireland as the -never-failing outlet for English discontent. - -The latter half of Elizabeth's reign had been disturbed by a series -of revolutions in Ireland. The first of these was headed by the Earl -of Desmond, in defence of religious liberty; it extended all over -Munster, and ended in his death and the confiscation of that province. -Shortly after it was revived by Hugh O'Neil, Earl of Tyrone, and -assuming national proportions, continued with almost unvaried success -to the battle of Kinsale, in 1602, and terminated in a treaty which -was wantonly violated after the queen's death. These wars extended -through a period of more than twenty years, and left Ireland greatly -prostrated on the accession of James I.; but the country was beginning -to revive, and, under a fostering hand, it would soon have been -content and prosperous. It was hoped, too, that as James, while king -of Scotland, had contributed much to foment the uprising of O'Neil, he -would be as instrumental in allaying the causes that led to it. The -English "Undertakers," however, looked on an Irish war as a prelude to -a general confiscation, and felt bitter disappointment at the terms -accorded to the Irish rebels by the late queen. The apportionment of -one province, which took place after the death of Desmond, did not -satisfy them, while Ulster, a wealthy and populous one, was still left -in the possession of the natives. The Scotch followers of James could -not understand the thing at all, and attributed it to the dotage of -the queen. In this state of affairs, the king saw an opportunity of -rendering himself acceptable alike to his English and Scotch subjects. -It was an age fruitful in plots and expedients, when plunder took -the name of civilization, and avarice stalked forth under the cloak -of religion. "The artful Cecil," the contriver and discoverer of -many plots, was consulted by the king, and a scheme was laid for the -violation of the compact of Mellifont, and the confiscation of Ulster. -Lord Chichester was then deputy for Ireland;--but the words of Dr. -Jones, the king's bishop of Meath, will tell the matter with sufficient -brevity:[1] "Anno 1607, there was a providential discovery of another -rebellion in Ireland, the Lord Chichester being deputy; _the discoverer -not being willing to appear_, a letter from him, _not subscribed_, was -superscribed to Sir William Usher, clerk of the council, and dropt in -the council-chamber, then held in Dublin Castle, in which was mentioned -a design for seizing the Castle and murdering the deputy, with a -general revolt and dependence on Spanish forces; and this also for -religion; for particulars whereof I refer to that letter, dated March -the 19th, 1607."--This letter was read, and O'Neil, the late leader -of the Irish, was singled out as the head and front of the supposed -conspiracy. - -O'Neil, who had been educated at the English court with a view to -the advancement of the English interest in Ireland, was apprised -of the conspiracy designed for his ruin, and at once detected the -master-spirit--"The artful Cecil." From this he knew that his doom was -sealed should he abide the action of the council, before which he had -been summoned. He accordingly notified the chiefs of Ulster of the -impending blow, and advised flight as the only means of safety. Most of -them followed this advice, and he himself, collecting his household, -retired to Rome, where he died in 1616. - -The flight of O'Neil accomplished all that the conspirators wished, and -with far less trouble than they anticipated. Wholesale confiscation, -without resistance, was out of their calculation, even in a country -borne down by the protracted strife of nearly twenty years. There -still remained an element in Ulster, which, though it could not -work the deliverance of the nation, could wreak summary vengeance -on many a hungry Undertaker; but this settled all at once, to the -great "joyousness" of the king: and he lost no time in proclaiming -his satisfaction, in words of which the following is an extract: "Wee -doe professe, that it is both known to us and our council here, and -to our deputie and state there, and so shall it appeare to the world -(as cleare as the sunne) by evident proofes, that the only ground and -motive of this high contempt, in these men's departure, hath been the -private knowledge and inward terrour of their own guiltinesse," etc. -"But," says Mitchell, "no attempt to give these proofs was ever made," -and never will be. The very manner of their departure is a proof of -innocence. Had there been a conspiracy, they would have abided the -result, and sold their lives with their lands at a price dear enough -to the English enemy. But they went in the belief that their lives -and lands alone were what the king sought, and that by quitting the -country, they would save the minor chieftains and their clansmen from -the greed of England. They calculated erroneously, for this did not -accord with the design of the infamous king, and the whole province -soon became the spoil of the "Undertakers." An act of Parliament--the -English Parliament--immediately followed the king's proclamation, -declaring that "Whereas the divine justice hath lately cast out of -the province of Ulster divers wicked and ungratefull traytors, who -practised to interrupt those blessed courses begun and continued by -your majestie for the general good of this whole realm, by whose -defection and attainders great scopes of land in those parts have been -reduced to your majestie's hands and possession," etc.--and of course -awaited but the royal pleasure to be transferred to his loyal subjects -of the realm. Nor was the royal assent long withheld, for the royal -coffers were always open, even to smaller windfalls than the revenues -arising from a confiscated province. - -The work of settlement was soon commenced, under the supervision of the -king, privy council, committees of conference, committees of inquiry, -contractors, undertakers, speculators, and commissioners names of -ominous import in Ireland and so often revived there that her people -can rehearse them like a catechism. "In the six counties of Donegal, -Tyrone, Derry, Farmanagh, Cavan, and Armagh, a tract of country -containing 500,000 acres, was seized upon by the king and parcelled -out in lots to Undertakers."[2] The "domains" of the attainted lords -were assumed to include all the lands inhabited by their clans, and so -far were the king's new arrangements from respecting the rights of the -ancient natives, that "the fundamental ground of this _plantation_ was -the avoiding of natives and planting only with British." - -That this cruel policy was carried out to the letter, would seem -scarcely credible. But let the authority already quoted settle that -matter. "It is true," says Sir Thomas Phillips, in "Harris's Hibernia," -"that after the prescribed number of freeholders and leaseholders were -settled on every townland, and the rents therein set down, _they might -let the remainder to natives, for lives, so as they were conformable in -religion, and for the favor_ to DOUBLE THEIR RENTS!" Even so, -to double their rents, if natives, though conformable in religion. A -_high favor_, and all for the love of God! - -This is but a very imperfect outline of the plantation of Ulster, and -the manner of effecting it; and it is alluded to in these pages, only -in so far as it illustrates the subject-matter of them, on which that -settlement has a direct bearing. Its immediate and subsequent effects -on the Irish race, though the theme of many a commentator, have never -been told, and never will be. Even its remoter consequence at the -present day can scarcely be alluded to without opening up wounds but -imperfectly healed, and memories too bitter for wholesome reflection. -It renewed, by one dash of the royal pen, all the wrongs of the -preceding centuries, and filled the last stronghold of the Irish race -with a people inimical to their interests, and who, with the exception -of one short epoch in the country's history, have remained a cancer -on the body politic, and, as if by a special providence, though meant -to strengthen the dynasty of the Stuarts, were mainly instrumental in -causing its extinction. - -The reign of Charles I. was an eventful and a bloody one. In 1625 he -ascended the throne; in 1649 he ascended the scaffold; and through the -intervening period of twenty-four years, it was a continual struggle -for the preservation of the royal prerogatives. These prerogatives were -yielded, one by one, to the fanatical spirit of the age, and the last -royal prerogative, that of life--for it is held a standing apothegm, -that the king can do no wrong--terminated in a disastrous civil war -which drenched the three kingdoms in blood. - -England had been in a state of transition since the reign of Henry -VIII. The religion of the country had undergone a change which had -left more than one-half of its population--and that the more powerful -one--adherents of the new faith. New manners and new morals had kept -pace with the change of religion. The lands, too, had undergone as -great a change as the people. Most of the old manors were possessed by -new lords; and as for the Church, its glebes had passed to the early -conformists, and its cash to the royal coffers. Hatred on the one hand, -and revenge on the other, the usual concomitants of all violent changes -in civil or ecclesiastical bodies, were the order of the day. Among -those who had become recipients of the spoils, a feeling of insecurity -was predominant. These changes had all been wrought through the will of -the sovereigns--the royal prerogative, and it required no prophetic ken -to know, that while that prerogative remained unimpaired, some future -sovereign might undo all that his predecessors had accomplished; and -this continual apprehension was the parent of each successive reform: -and self-preservation the object. - -The reign of James I. sowed the seed of religious discontent; that -of Charles I. reaped the harvest. The old faith had been too closely -drawn towards the political arena, and had suffered by the contact; -the new one whirled in its vortex, and the result was the worst state -of human society--civil and religious anarchy. A church had been -established by law, and richly endowed by the spoils of the old one, -antecedent to the accession of Charles, and its followers were called -the "High Church" people. But outside its communion, innumerable sects -overspread the land, known by the general name of "Nonconformists." -The highways and by-ways of England and Scotland resounded with their -religious disquisitions; every man had become an interpreter and a -prophet. The most powerful of those sects were the Puritans of England, -and the Covenanters of Scotland, who, though differing in religious -principles, closely assimilated in their hatred of all monarchical -government, and of the outward ceremonies of divine worship. Practising -greater simplicity, they laid claim to greater purity of religion, -until they at length believed themselves invested with a divine mission -to eradicate "popery," "prelacy," and monarchy. The materials of -combustion had been long preparing, and nothing was wanting but some -partisan more daring or fanatical than the rest to apply the match, and -he was at last found in Oliver Cromwell, a great king-hater, and one of -the most daring military spirits of that or of any other age. Putting -on "the armor of the Lord," and the "Shield of Righteousness," they -seized the "besom of destruction," and went forth under his banner to -complete the purgation of the land. - -How this war, between the King and Parliament, progressed and -terminated, forms a bloody chapter in English history, but it can be -noticed in this place no further than its effect on Ireland; there it -helped to swell the tide of oppression; it brought another war, another -defeat, another confiscation, and another wholesale expatriation of the -native race. - -Since the plantation of Ulster, religious persecution had been -aggravated by an established system of confiscation, under the name -of the "Irish Titles Act." In the mean time the "Nonconformists" -of England and Scotland having taken up arms against King Charles, -made a solemn vow to exterminate the Catholics of Ireland, and the -apprehensions of the latter were soon alive to the emergency. Groaning -so long under civil and religious exactions, they looked on the king's -difficulty as a most suitable event to petition for a removal of their -grievances. But their action was anticipated, and while their leaders -were considering a course of procedure, a series of outrages was -perpetrated in the province of Ulster which precipitated them at once -into the vortex of rebellion. A garrison of Scotch soldiers, stationed -at Carrickfergus, in the dead of night, and without premonition, made -a descent on Island Magee, a peninsula in the neighborhood, and drove -all its inhabitants, to the number of 3,000, over the cliffs into the -sea; scarce a soul escaping to tell their cruel fate. The Catholic -inhabitants of the surrounding counties flew to arms, and the flames -of rebellion were soon lit throughout the province. The Protestants -rose to oppose them, and excesses were perpetrated on both sides. This -hastened the action of the Catholic leaders. The Irish chiefs, the -Catholic Lords of the English Pale, and the bishops of the Catholic -Church convened at Kilkenny for mutual protection and right, under the -name of the "Confederation of Kilkenny," and inaugurated one of the -boldest efforts for civil and religious liberty known in the country's -history. - -In the mean time, the war between the king and the Parliamentarians -progressed in England. The king's affairs grew desperate, and overtures -were made to the Irish Confederates by the king's adherents in Ireland, -the principal of whom were the Earls of Clanricarde and Ormond. The -Confederates held out with great tenacity for their stipulated measures -of redress; yet these the king, even in his direst extremity, refused -to concede. But through the intrigues of the two royal agents, the -councils of the Confederation were at last distracted; two parties, one -for the king, and one for Catholic right, were formed; the soldiers -took sides with their respective leaders, and made war against each -other. So they fought for some time, the latter being generally -successful, and the king at last offered concessions, but too late to -redeem his fallen cause. The result is history; the king lost his head; -Cromwell invaded Ireland; O'Neil, the only soldier capable of opposing -him, is said to have been poisoned, and after his death Cromwell met -with but futile opposition. The son of the decapitated king, after a -few abortive attempts to secure the crown, became a refugee until the -death of Cromwell, when he was recalled, through a popular reaction, -and crowned as Charles II.:--and this is called the Restoration. It is -called the Restoration, because it restored the throne to its lawful -successor; because it restored the High Church party its privileges; -and because it restored some of the lands confiscated in England during -the Commonwealth to their former owners. But it was ushered in by an -odious concession. It left the English rebels in full enjoyment of -their lands and immunities, both in England and Ireland. In the latter -country the confiscations of Cromwell were legalized, nor was the -property of those who joined the late king's cause ever restored to -them! But then, in England, it was a Parliament that rebelled against a -sovereign; in Ireland, it was a people that demanded rights older than -sovereign or Parliament,--that made all the difference. - -Under the Protectorate of Cromwell 5,000,000 acres of arable land were -confiscated, and the Restoration continued the robbery, by searches -into titles which produced litigations, generally settled in English -courts, to which all Irish questions were then transferable. It is -needless to say that those suits terminated in establishing defective -titles in the natives: the lands became the prey of the crown or its -cormorants, and expatriation or slavish dependence was the award of the -complainant. Five-sixths of the land passed away from the native race, -and the population became dependents, without law or appeal, on the -soil which had been theirs from time immemorial. - -These confiscations had great effect in satisfying the vulture appetite -of England. But as this business approached completion, the national -mind reverted to the one great question--that of Protestant succession. -The days of Charles drew towards a close. As yet the British -Constitution had not debarred the heir-presumptive, though he should -be a Catholic; and this was a thorn in the national heart. The fears -of "popery" became again the national theme, and nobles and people -alike brooded on this impending calamity. The hostility to James, -always bitter, grew more open and violent as the king declined. In -1680, the Earl of Shaftesbury had him indicted in Westminster Hall, as -a popish recusant; but the Chief-Justice dismissed the suit. In 1681, -during a temporary illness of the king, a rebellion was set on foot by -Shaftesbury, the Duke of Argyle, Lord William Russell, and others. The -avowed object was the restoration of The Protectorate, but the covert -design, to supplant the Duke of York, and place Monmouth, the natural -son of Charles, on the throne. The king recovered; the plot exploded, -Monmouth was banished the court, and retired to the Continent, and -Argyle and Shaftesbury were attainted, but fled to Holland, to concoct -new schemes for barring the succession of James. On the 6th of -February, 1685, Charles died, unhonored and unlamented, save in so far -as his death opened the way to an unwelcome successor, and all looked -in fearful boding to that dreaded event. - -The reign of Charles was a weak and inglorious one. His was a kind of -passive existence, spent in connivance at the treason of a corrupt -court, and the regicides of the last reign, while they connived at -his secret carousals and studied profligacy. His youth was one of -promise, and it is even asserted by some of his biographers that his -indifference to all the great ends that excite the ambition of princes -was an exemplification of practical wisdom. That such a reign was the -only one that could have secured his permanency on the throne is now -a matter of speculation. The received opinion is, that he believed it -was, and acted in accordance with that belief. His well-known repartee -to the Duke of York, who endeavored to rouse him from his apathy, -would more than indicate this--that "he was too old to go again upon -his travels." Yet it scarcely serves as an excuse for a long life -wasted, and the noble ends of government neglected. But this much is -well known in Ireland,--too well to be forgotten,--that he mulcted -his English subjects to carry on his debaucheries; that he despoiled -the Irish Catholics to remunerate his English creditors, and when -both sources failed, he became a stipendiary on the bounty of the -French king, bequeathing to his successor an exhausted exchequer, a -turbulent people, a crown pawned for many a debt, and yet with many an -heir-expectant. It required but a short time for James to establish -facts which were patent to all minds but his: that the nobles by whom -he was surrounded were irreconcilable to his views; that a time-server -might wield and direct them if he pandered to their passions; but a -king could not rule in peace, and retain the faith _he_ had chosen. -Yet, with all the evidence of the three last reigns before him to the -contrary, he had an abiding faith in the justice of the English people. -He knew that he was the choice of the Irish, and believed the native -pride of the Scotch would not admit of the alienation of their crown; -but above all, he trusted in the justice of his views, and he came to -the throne with a fixed resolve to harmonize the conflicting elements -of the State, and to make England, what he believed it ought to have -been--a really free and happy nation. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE REIGN OF JAMES II. IN ENGLAND.--THE INVASION OF WILLIAM, PRINCE OF -ORANGE.--FROM 1685-1688. - - -The accession of James was not met by any overt act of opposition. -On the contrary, it was hailed by the rejoicings of the people, and -the parliamentary leaders of the High Church party, at that moment -plotting his expulsion, received him with the usual congratulations -and addresses of loyalty. The Catholics of England and Scotland, who -were still a respectable minority, felt their long-suppressed hopes -kindle anew, and by their Irish brethren the event was hailed with -undisguised satisfaction. Nothing could shake the loyalty of this -oppressed people to the house of Stuart. The cruel exactions, broken -pledges, and studied persecutions of the last three reigns were at -once forgotten. The advent of each false king after the other, had -been represented as sure to redress the grievances which the former -one had inflicted, and after every outrage they became more steadfast -in their devotion. If, during the rebellion of 1641, their attachment -to this house was sufficient to withdraw a large portion of them from -the standard of their native chiefs, then battling for their lands -and religious liberty, how then must they have felt when the house of -Stuart presented them a Catholic king, and one who gave unmistakable -signs that justice and toleration should at last be extended to them; -that persecution for conscience sake was at an end, and that the exiled -of many years might again return to their native land! - -That James knew the dangers that beset him in England, there can -scarcely be a doubt; but the measures of redress which he contemplated -being just and beneficent, he believed they would in a short time -harmonize all interests. He had faith in his own justice, but -miscalculated in attributing so noble a sense to the dominant and -intolerant nobles by whom he was surrounded, and was still more -mistaken when he expressed an abiding faith in the justice of the -English people. Yet filled with the hope of marking a glorious page -in the annals of England, he assumed the sceptre with a bold and -kingly hand. His speech before the assembled council of the nation was -all that a generous or magnanimous people could desire, and all his -subsequent acts are marked by a strict adherence to the principles -which he then enunciated. "I will endeavor," said he, "to preserve the -government of Church and State in the manner by law established. I know -that the Church of England is favorable to monarchy, and those who are -members of it have made it appear on various occasions that they were -faithful subjects. I will take particular care to defend and support -it. I know likewise that the laws of the kingdom are sufficient to make -the king as great as I could wish. As I am determined to preserve the -prerogative of my crown, so I will never deprive others of what belongs -to them. I have often hazarded my life in defence of the nation; I am -still ready to expose it to preserve its rights." - -He eschewed the tendency to despotic power which his enemies -had circulated, or any design to call in question the titles or -hereditaments of such as acquired lands through the Reformation. His -object was not to disrupt but to harmonize and adjust, and blend -all interests for an onward movement in civilization. He declared -civil liberty to be the right of Catholics and Protestants alike. He -proclaimed liberty of conscience, and took immediate action to secure -it by liberating several thousand Catholics confined in the prisons -of Ireland for non-attendance on Protestant worship, and also twelve -hundred Quakers who had been imprisoned for a like offence. He declared -the abolition of all penal laws, all religious test-oaths, and even -oaths of allegiance on the assumption of civil office. He extended -the same rights to the people of Ireland and Scotland as to those -of England, and enjoined the bishops to announce in their churches -that liberty of conscience was henceforth the law of the land. Here, -'tis said, he made his first royal blunder. Proclaiming liberty of -conscience from a pulpit is hardly in accordance with that right of -denouncing heresy and schism, which every church, whether founded -on human will or divine right, has asserted from the days of Abram. -But, then, on the other hand, the Church of England, which had been -proclaiming that and every thing else the royal reformers of the last -century chose to dictate, might have announced this liberal measure of -a king, the goodness of whose motives were well understood. But they -denounced the innovation as a license to sin, though he intended only -to have it announced that persecution for conscience sake had ceased in -his dominions. The order was obeyed by some of the bishops, but by the -majority it was stubbornly resisted. The king prosecuted for contumacy. -The judges in some cases executed the royal mandate and the bishops -were imprisoned; in others they refused, and bishops and judges joined -issue in a passive resistance. Still the king bated not a tittle of the -principle laid down. The establishment of civil and religious liberty -for all classes and denominations had been the great object of his -life, and he was not to be driven from his purpose. He believed that -the majority of the nobles were tired of persecution for conscience -sake, and wished for a restoration of social harmony. He believed that -the masses yearned for it, and he calculated on their loyalty. He -believed that the Restoration was a proof that legitimacy would never -again be assailed, and he took no precautions against conspiracy; nay, -he scouted the warnings of his friends, that one was ripening among the -members of his council, and that even his own children were spies upon -his actions, and plotting his destruction. But an event soon transpired -that removed his incredulity, and awakened him to a sense of the -difficulties and dangers that beset him. - -The first rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth and its result have already -been noticed. On its suppression, the chief conspirators, Shaftesbury -and Argyle, fled to the continent. The former died shortly after, but -the latter linked his fortune to that of Monmouth, plotted on, and -gave direction to the ambition of this English favorite. Repairing to -Holland, it is said that they received both counsel and a promise of -aid from the Prince of Orange to attempt another invasion. After the -death of Charles, William detached himself from this conspiracy, for -his own pretensions to the British throne had become greater than those -of Monmouth, and indeed it is hard to reconcile the conduct of William -unless we accept a charge, which is not without supporters, and which -is greatly to that Prince's discredit:--that of urging the wayward Duke -to his destruction, and thus removing an obstacle to his own ambition. - -However that be, William disconnected himself from the conspiracy, and -Monmouth soon after retired to Brussels, where he was joined by Argyle -and continued his preparations for an invasion. Getting counsel and -assistance from his partisans in England and Scotland, he prepared -for a descent at the earliest opportunity; and the excitement created -by the troubles between King James and the bishops gave him at once -both a hope and a pretext. With a fleet of three ships and one hundred -followers, he landed at Lyme, in Dorsetshire, and in a few days he had -a following of above two thousand men. He proclaimed the king a traitor -and a popish usurper, and called on the country to rise in opposition -to his rule. At Taunton he was presented with a pair of colors and a -copy of the Bible, by twenty young ladies, and assumed the title of -king. Here his army increased to six thousand. At Sedgemoor he attacked -the royal forces under Feversham and Churchill, and was completely -overthrown; and, flying for shelter through the country, he was taken -and finally executed. His evil genius, Argyle, met with a similar fate; -the greatest rigor was exercised against the scattered refugees of -this ill-advised rebellion, and many of the nobles of the land were -attainted of treason. - -This event opened the eyes of the king to the dangers by which he was -surrounded. The army had shown signs of disaffection. Many of the -leaders of the Protestant party in Ireland and Scotland were known to -be connected with this conspiracy; even the members of his council -were more than suspected of complicity; and he saw that his rule could -only be established by the introduction of a Catholic element into the -army. Since the passage of the "Test Act," nearly all the Catholic -officers of the army and navy had been removed. Many of these were -men of distinguished ability, and he now determined to recall them to -the service. Accordingly, in his speech to Parliament on the 9th of -November, 1685, in allusion to the rebellion of Monmouth, he introduced -the proposition in the following words: "Let no man take exception, -that there are some officers in the army not qualified, according to -the _late Test_, for their employments; the gentlemen, I must tell you, -are most of them well-known to me, and having formerly served me on -several occasions (and always approved the loyalty of their principles -by their practice), I think them now fit to be employed under me; and -will deal plainly with you, that after having the benefit of their -services in such time of need and danger, I will neither expose them to -disgrace, nor myself to the want of them, if there should be another -rebellion to make them necessary to me. I am afraid some men may be -so wicked, to hope and expect that a difference may happen between -you and me upon this occasion. * * * I will not apprehend that such -a misfortune can befall us as a division, or even a coldness between -me and you; nor that any thing can shake you in your steadiness and -loyalty to me, who, by God's blessing, will ever make you all returns -of kindness and protection, with a resolution to venture even my own -life in the defence of the true interests of this kingdom." - -It is scarcely necessary to say that this met the opposition of -Parliament; and so far from being received in the liberal and loyal -spirit which the king seems to have anticipated, it was denounced as a -measure for the abolition of the Protestant religion. The revocation of -the "_Edict of Nantes_," by Louis XIV., occurring about the same time, -had filled England with Protestant refugees, which gave strength to -the arguments of the opposition, and excited a spirit of retaliation -in the English people. The king, however, persevered, and tested the -legality of the "Test," in the person of Sir Edward Hales, who had -held the commission of colonel in the army, and who had lately become -a Catholic. The judges decided in his favor, but the king was accused -of intimidation. This opened the way to reform in the army, and -gratified the Catholics, but it raised the spirit of opposition among -the bishops and leaders of the High Church party in a corresponding -degree. Not deterred by this opposition, the king persevered in his -measures of redress; and called Dissenters and Catholics to office -wherever opportunity occurred; and, says Hume, "Not content with this -violent and dangerous innovation, he appointed certain regulators to -examine the qualifications of electors, and directions were given -them to exclude all such as adhered to the test and penal statutes." -In all of which one fails to see, notwithstanding the exaggeration of -Hume, any attempt at injustice, or proscription. It was in fact, from -beginning to end, an effort to establish equality and right on the one -part, and to preserve and perpetuate an odious ascendency on the other. -That many of the steps taken by the king to reach his object may have -been imprudent, and must, from the surrounding circumstances, have met -with bitter opposition, is not to be wondered at; but that his views -were right, and his object wise and magnanimous, cannot be denied. -The exclusion of Nonconformists, from social and legal equality, in -a former reign, produced a civil war, which most Protestant writers -vindicate as necessary, and it is hard to see why the same writers -advocate the permanent exclusion of the Catholics, who were certainly -entitled to equal consideration. Meanwhile the opposition ran high, -and the High Church party being now united by the death of Monmouth, -took council throughout the three kingdoms, and determined to call in -William Henry, Prince of Orange, as their last hope to preserve their -cherished and glorious ascendency. - -The title--Prince of Orange--is derived from the town of Orange -(ancient Awrasio), in the southeast of France, department of Vaucluse. -In the middle ages this town was the capital of a principality, which -for a considerable period belonged to the house of Nassau; and William -Henry was then the incumbent both of the title and the domain. After -his death the title passed to his heir, the King of Prussia, and is -still retained in the royal family of Holland; but the principality -whence the title is derived, has been since ceded to France. The father -of William, who was Stadtholder of the Dutch provinces, died in 1650, -and the office, which was not inherent, but elective, remained in -abeyance, under the management of the brothers De Witt, until 1672, -when England and France declared war against Holland. William laid -claim to the office of his father, but was opposed by the De Witts. -The emergency pointed out William as the choice of those opposed to -the claims of France, and the De Witts, still opposing, became the -victims of an assassination, said to have been concocted by William. -This placed William at the head both of civil and military affairs, -which, however unscrupulous were the means of attainment, he conducted -with great ability, and saved Holland from subjugation to the French -king. From 1672 to 1677, the war continued with various success. At the -close of that year's campaign, William visited England by invitation, -and Charles, in order to terminate a war which was unpopular with the -majority of his nobles, acceded to the proposal of his counsellors, -to pave the way for an alliance with Holland, by espousing Mary, the -eldest daughter of James, then Duke of York, to the Stadtholder. This -marriage, which took place shortly after, gave William, who was then -both nephew and son-in-law to James, the right of heir-presumptive; -and, the immediate result of it was a peace between England and -Holland, at Nimeguen, in 1678. - -William was a very ill-favored prince, weak of body, ungraceful in -gait and manner, and of a forbidding countenance at once expressive -of cruelty and unscrupulousness. He was not a statesman, nor yet an -able diplomatist, but possessed a keenness of perception, that enabled -him to see through the motives of men, a reticence of habit, which -protected him from importunity, and a will subservient to the call of -ambition. Yet though he was the acknowledged head of the Protestant -league, and conformed to the ceremonies of exterior worship, he was a -most confirmed sceptic, and averse to all religious disquisition. He, -however, possessed those qualities which the enemies of James most -desired. He was ambitious of power, an able soldier, the ostensible -champion of Protestantism, and the irreconcilable enemy of the French -monarch. - -From the time of his marriage with Mary, he was ambitious of the -English throne, chiefly, 'tis said, that he might check the power -of his detested enemy, Louis, and the connection gave him a valid -title, should the king, his father-in-law, die without legitimate -male issue. The Duke of Monmouth, who was an English favorite, being -removed, and the Duke of Berwick, the natural son of James, and nephew -of Lord Churchill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough, cherishing no such -pretensions, William's fears were quieted, and it is even said that he -received the first advances of the High Church party with indifference. -But rumors of the queen's pregnancy excited the fears of William; -he became apprehensive, listened to their appeals, a conspiracy was -set on foot through the agency of Bishop Burnet, Sydney, Peyton, and -Gwynne, and he began to organize a military force for the invasion of -England. The materials were ready to his hand. "The Thirty Years' War" -had overspread Europe with adventurers from every nation, and he soon -gathered to his standard an army of the most daring spirits of the age, -consisting of Dutch, Danes, Swedes, Huguenots, and Germans, always -ready and eager for any enterprise that offered fame or fortune to -their arms. - -On the 10th of June, 1688, while these preparations were carried -stealthily forward, the Queen of England gave birth to a son. This -event removed all hesitation on the part of the Prince of Orange, and -precipitated "the Revolution." From this time forward negotiations -between the Prince and the English conspirators were pressed with -earnestness and vigor; every concession demanded by the Prince was -yielded without question by the agents of the Church party, and he -bound himself to the invasion and the maintenance of Protestant -supremacy. Still the utmost secrecy was observed on both sides, and the -Earl of Sunderland, who was in the king's confidence, and at the same -time in league with William, kept the one impressed with a sense of -security, and apprised the other of all that transpired in the national -councils. - -An incident which occurred at this time may serve to show the animus of -party spirit, and illustrate the intriguing and unscrupulous character -of William. It had been prearranged between the Prince and his English -partisans, that in case the queen gave birth to a son it should be -declared suppositious. Accordingly, William prepared an instrument -to that effect, to be published on his arrival in England; and yet, -with characteristic duplicity, he dispatched Zuylestein, ostensibly -to congratulate the king on the birth of his son,--the Prince of -Wales,--but covertly to complete arrangements with the heads of the -conspiracy in England.[3] By such artifices the king was kept in -complete ignorance of the storm gathering around him, until the summer -had nearly passed, when Talbot, Earl of Tyrconnell,--then deputy for -Ireland,--received information from the captain of a Dutch trading -vessel, of the extensive preparations going on in Holland, and of the -designs of the Prince of Orange on the English throne.[4] Tyrconnell -lost no time in communicating this intelligence to the king; and a -letter which he received shortly after from his minister at the Hague, -informing him that a powerful invasion must be soon expected, followed -by private information from the French king to the same effect, at last -opened his eyes to his real situation. M. Bonrepos, the envoy of Louis, -who brought this intelligence, accompanied it with the offer of 30,000 -French troops, to suppress the invasion before it could make head; -but as the evil counsel of Sunderland still prevailed, on the ground -that such an armament from France would excite the indignation of his -English soldiers, and precipitate the catastrophe which he wished to -avoid, the generous offer of Louis was declined. James continued in a -state of the greatest bewilderment. All the boldness and decision of -his earlier years seemed to have deserted him; and at a time when only -men of approved loyalty should be trusted, he recalled to his service -the contumacious officials of the late reign, and so paved the way for -the success of the impending Revolution. - -Preliminaries being arranged between William and his English adherents, -by the beginning of October, 1688, he collected his forces at -Holvoetsluys, a port in the south of Holland, lying over against the -eastern coast of England, and, under the advice of Bishop Burnet, put -to sea toward the end of the same month. His armament consisted of -fifty ships of war, twenty frigates, four hundred transports, and some -smaller craft, carrying 14,000 men, with arms and equipments for 20,000 -more. The van and rear of this fleet were commanded by Admiral Herbert -and Vice-Admiral Evertzen, respectively, having the Prince of Orange -and his military adherents in the centre. All the ships carried the -English flag, having the arms of the Prince emblazoned at the top, with -the words: - - "RELIGION AND LIBERTY," - -and at the bottom with the device of the house of Nassau, - - "I WILL MAINTAIN." - -In his train were many English, Irish, and Scotch refugees, and -three hundred Huguenot officers, the principal of whom were Marshal -Schomberg; his son, Count Schomberg; Caillemotte and his brother -Ruvigny; Mellioneire, Cambon, Tettau, and others of approved valor and -of great military experience. - -During the voyage a storm arose, the whole fleet was scattered, some of -the ships foundered at sea, and the rest had to put back for several -days. William, however, continued his course, and arrived safe at -Torbay, in the county of Devon, on the 5th of November, 1688, with -about 700 followers. It being the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, -he availed himself of the circumstance, and appealing to the passions -and prejudices of the people, stated the object of his invasion to be -the protection of the Protestant religion from the machinations of -"Popery." But this not having the desired effect, he felt somewhat -disconcerted, and after spending a few days in the exercise of his -marines and being joined by the remainder of his forces, he made the -necessary disposition and took up his march for Exeter. Here, finding -that the country gentlemen and clergy of the Established Church fled at -his approach, and that none of the leading conspirators came to meet -him, he began to think that he had been deceived by false promises; -and with a presence of mind that rarely deserted him, he at once had -recourse to intimidation. Accusing them of their twofold treachery, -he apprised them of his intention of furnishing the king with a list -of their names, and of then returning to Holland and abandoning them -to their fate. This soon aroused them to a sense of their position. -Lords Colchester and Godfrey fled from London in the night and joined -his standard; others came in after these, and with a force continually -increasing as he went, he continued his march towards London. - -Upon receiving information of William's descent upon the English -coast, King James mustered an army of 30,000 men, and marched towards -Salisbury to oppose him. On the way, Lord Cornbury, under pretence of -attacking an outpost of the enemy, took his own regiment and three -others and abandoned the royal cause: further on, the Duke of Grafton, -Colonel Barclay, and Lord Churchill, Lieutenant-General of the Guards, -openly deserted. Seeing the defection continue, the king retired to -Andover, whence Prince George of Denmark, the young Duke of Ormond, -and other distinguished personages, fled in the night, and joined -the standard of the invader. Overwhelmed with shame and confusion he -returned to London, but here he found that his daughter, Anne, under -pretence of fearing his anger on account of her husband's defection, -had left the palace and taken refuge with his enemies. He had always -been a most affectionate and indulgent father. The ingratitude of his -elder daughter, though it pressed heavily on his heart, was borne -with becoming fortitude, but that of the younger, not having the same -extenuating causes, outraged all the dearest sensibilities of the -father; his spirit was broken, and, weeping in his bereavement, he -exclaimed: "God help me, my own children have forsaken me!" His queen -and infant son demanding his first attention, he committed them to the -care of the Count de Lausun, by whom they were conveyed in safety to -France, and dispatching Lord Feversham with a letter of remonstrance to -William, he determined to remain in London himself, and bide the issue -of events. But contrary to honorable usage, Feversham was imprisoned, -the palace was surrounded by Dutch guards, in the night, and the -king was notified that he should quit London by 12 o'clock next day. -Accordingly, he was sent under arrest to Rochester, whence he escaped -to Picardy, and arrived at St. Germains on the 25th of December, -deserted by all his family but the Duke of Berwick, and the Grand Prior -Fitzjames. - -The departure of the king was a signal for the uprising of the London -mob; the Catholic inhabitants were forced to seek refuge in flight; -their property was marked out for destruction; the houses of the -Spanish and Florentine envoys were rifled, and William entered the -city by the blaze of the few religious houses which had been erected -during the short reign of the expatriate king. He lost no time in -arranging his terms of settlement with his new subjects and in opening -negotiations with the leaders of the Church party in Ireland and -Scotland. On the 12th of February, the Princess Mary joined him in -England, and they were proclaimed king and queen; the Prince of Wales -was debarred the right of succession, William was invested in the -administration, and his children by Mary--should he be blessed with -any--were to be endowed with the right of succession. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -EVENTS PRECEDING HOSTILITIES IN IRELAND.--THE PREPARATORY MEASURES OF -TYRCONNELL. - - -Leaving William of Orange in undisputed possession of the English -throne, and King James a suppliant at the French court for the support -which he had so unwisely declined previous to the invasion, it is -necessary to reconsider the condition of Ireland before presenting her -part in this great politico-religious drama. - -Of the three generations which had passed, antecedent to the events -under consideration, each had witnessed a war more protracted and -devastating than any which marked her history since the invasion. -These were the wars of Desmond and Tyrone, and the war of the Irish -Confederates of 1641; each of which was followed by a wholesale -confiscation and plantation of the country with a population -antagonistic to every interest of the native race. Through these -violent changes four-fifths of the ancient chieftainries had changed -proprietors, and those which were undisturbed by each successive -military convulsion, the court of claims and the acts of attainder -and settlement that continued down to the death of Charles II., had -well-nigh sequestrated. The surface of the country is computed at ten -millions and a half of acres; and of these, says Newenham, "Upon the -final execution of the acts of settlement and explanation, it appears -that 7,800,000 acres were set out by the court of claims, principally -if not wholly, in the exclusion of the old Irish proprietors." It -is scarce necessary to remark that if the above estimate of the -island--which is taken from Dr. Petty's survey--includes the waste and -water, the arable land had passed to the undertakers, and the waste and -water were the portion of the old Irish proprietors. - -The loss of liberty, too, had outstripped the loss of lands, for -liberty and law had first to be silenced that these wholesale robberies -might go unquestioned. Education had been proscribed, and ignorance -had increased exceedingly. True, those of the "better sort" might -have received an education at the hands of the Establishment, by -forswearing their religious convictions and pandering to the spirit -of the times, but the Catholic schools and colleges of the land had -been suppressed; expatriation was the consequence of all attempts at -the education of youth in the religious principles of their fathers, -and death the penalty of return after banishment. Nearly all those who -still retained any vestige of their patrimonial estates, had purchased -them at the sacrifice of their religious convictions, and those who -haply retained both, had done so through the friendly interference -of some powerful minions of the English court, who were few and far -between. There were still a few other exceptions to this general rule, -which deserve a casual notice. The descendants of the early settlers -of the Pale, though still adhering to the Catholic faith, had been -held by the English Government as a distinct element from the native -race. On questions pertaining to the English tenure of the island they -had antagonistic interests. Through each successive convulsion they -had been treated with greater leniency, and had received much more -consideration on the adjustment and final settlement. Their condition -was, therefore, less intolerable than that of the _native_ chiefs; they -had privileges without rights, while the latter had neither rights -nor privileges. But then there was a counterbalancing influence; the -native gentry had local popularity; while the Palesmen had Government -consideration;--both felt their religious grievances in common, and -between them there was a mutual forbearance, and an exchange of kindly -offices. - -Such was the condition of the descendants of the Normans, and of the -fast waning septs of the ancient race; but, the people!--they had no -consideration, national nor local; no protection but their poverty and -their native tongue: no right but that of animal existence, and that -only on sufferance! Yet, through all, they had retained the noblest -characteristics of manhood; tenacious memory, stubborn will, unselfish -love of country, unshaken fidelity to their faith; and who could doubt -that they would now--true to their instincts--be the last refuge of a -just king in adversity. - -When James ascended the throne, on the 16th of February, 1685, the Earl -of Ormond was deputy for Ireland. He had taken a leading part in the -most exciting scenes of the last fifty years. Gifted with the highest -graces of mind and person, he had figured, in early life, as one of -the most important personages of the English court, and had won the -highest favors of Charles I., and his queen, Henrietta. His powers of -diplomacy and statesmanship were kept in continual exercise during the -latter years of that reign; but though gifted with talents to excel -in each, in each he was signally unsuccessful; and all the evils that -befell that king and eventuated in the extinction of his house, may -be fairly traced to the one leading passion of Ormond,--an implacable -hatred of the Irish Catholics. It would seem as if all the enmity of -all the reformers, from Elizabeth to Cromwell, had in him found an -exponent, and in directing his deadly malice against them, he was -over-successful: he accomplished their ruin, but virtually consigned -his patron and sovereign to the scaffold. - -His after life was ignoble and inglorious. He became prodigal of honor, -tenacious of power, and served as trimmer and timeserver in turn, to -Royalists and Parliamentarians alike. But whether in the service of -his king or in complicity with his enemies, he held his political -principles subservient to his worldly interest, and was consistent -only in one passion, his religious intolerance. The character of this -statesman had become odious to James long before his accession to the -throne; and believing that no wholesome measures of redress could be -introduced into Ireland, while one so notorious for his duplicity and -hatred of its people remained at the head of affairs, he lost no time -in recalling him. He then deputed the government to two Lords-Justices: -Boyle, the Protestant primate, and Forbes, Earl of Granard, each of -whom had attained a high degree of popularity with the people of -all religious denominations. He had reason to believe that these -appointments would be received in the spirit which dictated them, and -prove a measure of general satisfaction. Upon the Catholic population -it had the desired effect; but with the High Church party and the -Nonconformists it was quite different. The hatred and jealousy that -existed between them was only secondary to their mutual hatred of the -Catholics, and these appointments kindled anew the ire of each party -against the other. The Puritans were dissatisfied with Boyle, alleging -that his Protestantism savored of "Popery;" and the Churchmen averred -that Granard was a favorer of the sectaries, and an enemy to the -"Establishment." - -In order to harmonize all interests and carry out his measures -of redress, James sent over the Earl of Clarendon as deputy, and -with him Colonel Richard Talbot, an Irishman and a Catholic, as -Lieutenant-General of the militia. But whether it was that Clarendon -was opposed to the policy of the king, or that he felt unable to give -effect to his measures of redress in a country so divided in sentiment, -he retired shortly after, and Talbot was created Earl of Tyrconnell and -appointed deputy in his stead. In Tyrconnell were then united the civil -and military power, and of all the king's subjects who at that time -accorded with his religious and political views, there could scarcely -be chosen one better adapted to give practical effect to the reforms -which he had extended to Ireland. - -Richard Talbot, Earl, and afterwards Duke of Tyrconnell, is one of -the noblest characters in Irish history. He was a loyal subject of -the king, whom he served with characteristic loyalty, and though of -Norman descent, he was as national in heart as the most devoted of the -native race. Of noble presence,[5] courtly manners, untarnished honor, -unshrinking courage, indomitable will, and fervid patriotism, he was -old enough to remember the Revolution of 1641, had been a sympathetic -observer of the sufferings that succeeded, and all the energies of -his mind, from his first introduction to royal favor to the end of -his career, were directed to effect the civil and religious liberty -of his country. Had James been a timeserving king, from Tyrconnell -he would have received no adulation; as he was sincere and steadfast -in his pledges to the Catholics, Tyrconnell was his devoted servant. -As deputy and commander-in-chief, his powers for good were more than -ordinary, and he stretched them to the utmost tension that justice -permitted. His task was delicate and dangerous; but he discarded the -delicacy and braved the danger, as though he alone felt the awakened -energy of a whole people. Imprudent they term him; but looking through -his chequered life, and reviewing the scenes he had witnessed in youth, -we cannot acquiesce in the decision. The circumstances by which he -was surrounded brooked no delay, and what is termed imprudence by our -recent annalists, would, if viewed in the light of his time, appear the -wisest statesmanship; and it must be generally conceded, that if the -king was as bold and intrepid as Tyrconnell, the usurpation of William -would have been as abortive as that of Monmouth. - -I have turned aside from the course of direct narrative to dedicate a -page to the memory of this much-maligned statesman. It is deemed a duty -obligatory, because there is a tendency, even among Irish nationalists, -to offer him as a sacrifice on the altar of conciliation. Truth may be -unpalatable, but it is always wholesome, and without due reverence for -it, there will be no incentive to do and suffer for noble ends. The -religious martyr finds his reward above, but the patriot's reward is -the blessing of posterity, and history should never divert a people's -heart from those who labored for their good, albeit their efforts were -unsuccessful. Richard Talbot, Duke of Tyrconnell, is a name to be on -the tongue of every Irish child, and his deeds a memory in the heart of -every Irish patriot. He survived the battle of Aughrim, at which he was -present, but a short time; and he should have died there, and gone to -rest on that mournfully historic field, where rest some of the best and -bravest that Ireland ever nurtured on her bosom. His character would -then be complete. He labored for them through life; they were worthy of -his companionship in death. - -Of the parliament which he assembled in Dublin, after the removal of -religious disabilities, the majority in the lower house were of the -Catholic faith, and as the measures which were introduced during that -session afford ample testimony that they were keenly alive to the -higher duties of legislation, a brief outline of them is here submitted -in the order of their political importance: - -First.--An act removing all political disabilities from the natives of -Ireland. - -Second.--An act against removing writs of error from the Irish to the -English courts. - -Third.--An act of indemnity to Catholics who had been declared innocent -by the Court of Claims. - -Fourth.--An act to encourage strangers to settle and plant in the -kingdom of Ireland. - -Fifth.--An act investing in his majesty the goods of absentees. - -Sixth.--An act for the advancement and improvement of trade, and the -encouragement of ship-building. - -Seventh.--An act declaring that the Parliament of England cannot bind -Ireland. - -The last was a virtual repeal of "Poyning's Law," an act passed during -the reign of Henry VII. in a parliament convoked at Drogheda by Sir -Edward Poyning, in 1494, and which provided "that no parliament could -be held in Ireland until the chief governor and council had first -certified to the king under the great seal of the land, as well the -causes and considerations, as the acts designed to pass, and until the -same should be approved by the king and council of England." - -All these acts were known to be so just and salutary, that it was -hoped they would at once meet the unanimous approval of the English -king and his council. But they were all, or nearly all, negatived by -the council; and the king himself, though he gave his assent to all -the others, rejected that repealing the law of Poyning. It had met -with great opposition in the upper house of the Irish Parliament, for -though it was a law which placed Ireland under the complete legislative -control of England, there was in the "higher estate" then, as to-day, -a spirit of subserviency to the English interest, and the king was -as jealous of his royal prerogatives as any of his predecessors. But -this act was afterwards repealed, when nearly one hundred years more -of bitter experience had proved its ruinous effect on the country, -and eighteen years of unparalleled prosperity was the consequence. -This subject is, however, out of the course of our narrative, and is -only referred to as showing that the repeal of Poyning's law did not -originate with Grattan or the volunteers of 1782, but had been the -principal object of the statesmen of ante-Jacobite times, as the repeal -of the Union has been in our own days. - -No body of legislators ever understood the wants of a country better -than that parliament did the necessities of Ireland. And well might -they understand them, for their impoverished country and broken -fortunes bore striking and melancholy evidence of the evil effects of -foreign legislation aided by a subsidized native oligarchy inimical -to every interest but their own. For three generations the people -had known no respite from robbery and proscription. Over two hundred -thousand of them had passed into exile, or had been consigned to -penal servitude in the colonies within the last fifty years. Then, -as to-day, the population, though small, was deemed "surplus," while -outlawry and banishment suppressed all manifestations of a national -spirit. The chiefs were detached from their clans, and the clans, -in losing their former protectors, had found but deadly enemies in -their new taskmasters. The old feudal system was nearly extinct, -even in the districts least visited by English adventure, and this -Parliament had realized the stern necessity of reconstructing a nation -out of the elements at its disposal. The troubles that surrounded the -king gave it a temporary power, which it wielded for the removal of -grievances becoming chronic in the land, but "no act of a proscriptive -or retaliatory character stains the parliamentary records of that -period."[6] - -Measures of redress now followed in quick succession. Political and -religious disabilities were removed from all denominations, without -distinction; and the people were not slow in availing themselves of -their long-lost privileges. Catholic churches were once more opened -to the service of God, and local schools began to appear throughout -the country. Catholic judges, mayors, and sheriffs took their places -wherever opportunity offered, and the people felt a gratification -corresponding to their altered condition. But, throughout all, they -acted with a forbearance and dignity worthy of a people long tried in -adversity; they expressed no exultation at their sudden emancipation, -and no spirit of retaliation was manifested that might give alarm to -their Protestant countrymen. - -The Protestant officials of that day, who held the liberty of the -country, as it were, in lien, threw many obstructions in the way of -these reforms. Among the foremost of these were Topham and Coghill, -masters-in-chancery, and the Chancellor himself, and they were removed -for open contumacy, and on what then appeared "good and sufficient -reasons,"--throwing the legal technicalities of an odious system in the -way of a people's emancipation from the penal servitude of ages. - -Early in 1686, Tyrconnell issued a proclamation in accordance with -that of the king, that all classes of his majesty's subjects were -allowed to serve in the army, accompanied by an order that the arms -which had hitherto been given out should be returned to the king's -stores, preparatory to a reorganization of the militia. The militia -of the country, which at that time must have numbered about 20,000, -were exclusively Protestant, and were officered by men of the most -proscriptive tendencies, and apart from those regularly enrolled, the -whole Protestant population were under arms, subject to the call of -local leaders at a moment's notice. Being, almost to a man, opposed to -the measures of Catholic redress then being instituted by the king, -would appear sufficient motive for this action on the part of the -deputy. For the last generation they had been the rigorous executors of -the acts of attainder and settlement; the memories they awakened could -scarcely be conducive to good order or a feeling of public security: -not being national, they were regarded with distrust, and were held -as unsafe guardians of the liberty which they openly denounced. Many -of their leaders were known to be implicated in Monmouth's rebellion, -and as a precautionary measure, it became necessary to infuse a spirit -of loyalty among them by the introduction of a Catholic element. To -accomplish this seems to have been the great trouble of the deputy. -Men there were, to any number, ready at his call, but arms were -wanting, and the revenue of the country was scarce sufficient to -defray the expenses of the civil government. There was, therefore, no -other resource but to call in the arms for a redistribution, and to -organize a body of native troops from whom exclusion would be excluded. -This measure created great alarm, among a party who had been so long -dominant; and, if in its accomplishment, any denomination were excluded -who felt a liberal sentiment towards the great body of the people, -there would have been cause for just apprehension, but such does not -appear on the record of the period. All test oaths were abolished -according to the proclamation of the king, and all denominations, -without distinction, were invited to join the new organization. The -Catholic people responded with promptitude and alacrity, and an army -of about 8,000 men, was soon enrolled from the old royalist corps -scattered through the country; a few regiments more sprang up from the -remnants of the native clans, and with these the deputy felt able to -execute the laws, and garrison a few of the most important military -stations in the kingdom. - -On the other hand, the Protestant militia, feeling jealous that men -so long outside the pale of all law, should at once be endowed with -the high privilege of freemen, shunned the organizations, and many of -their prominent officers, retiring to Holland, took service under the -Prince of Orange, then conspiring for the overthrow of their rightful -sovereign. - -In this age and clime, such intolerance may seem greatly exaggerated, -if not altogether incredible. But stepping down through the successive -changes of ninety years, we find that the Volunteers of 1782, with the -light of the American Revolution before them, were quite as exclusive. -Up to the day when, on Essex-Bridge, the regiment of Lord Altamont -held its way through the ranks of his Britannic majesty,[7] and a -revolution appeared imminent, the proposition to allow Catholics to -bear arms in the native militia, even as private soldiers, had been -scouted with contempt. The provisions of Catholic Emancipation are not -yet accepted there, for we have seen the "Test Act" revived as late as -1864, in Dublin, to the exclusion of a Catholic alderman. Before such -evidences, doubt vanishes, and we are able to appreciate the position -of Tyrconnell, and the necessity for intrepid action in the premises. -No man had a greater share of praise and censure from contemporary -historians than he, and he is still a subject of each as the minds -of men incline to either side in the issues that then distracted the -country. His precipitancy in removing the restraints on religion, and -in giving too active an impulse to the popular will, has come in for -its share of condemnation. He is also criticized for a too pompous -display of his dual power, as Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief: but we -should remember that they who censure his hasty measures of redress, -are those who persistently oppose all redress; that his manner of life -as Viceroy was simple and unostentatious as compared with that of his -successors in office, and that his dual power was conferred on him, -when the king's brother-in-law, Clarendon, had deserted him, and there -was no other man capable and at the same time willing to assume that -critical position. - -Tyrconnell, however, was not a man to be diverted from his purpose by -either threat or criticism, and so he pursued his course unshrinking. -His country demanded redress and he hearkened to her call. The -emancipation of his co-religionists was necessary, and he endeavored to -effect it: but in doing so he infringed no civil or religious right of -others: none were denied equality before the law, and none were removed -from office except for open contumacy or covert treason. No doubt he -had to brave obloquy and opposition; but who could serve that country -and that king at that particular crisis, and escape the shafts of -malignity? - -In the summer of 1688, when the conspiracy of the Prince of Orange -became known to Tyrconnell, in the manner already indicated, he lost -no time in communicating his intelligence to the king. It was received -with incredulity, for the evil counsel of Earl Sunderland still held -sway over every other representation. How could he believe that his -affectionate son-in-law, who had made him a prompt tender of military -assistance to suppress the rebellion of Monmouth, could have been -prompted by any but the most honorable and filial motives? Had he not -offered to lead his forces in person, and to protect the capital and -the inmates of the royal palace? - -But the urgency of the occasion emboldened Tyrconnell, and he at last -succeeded in arousing the king's suspicions. He urged the necessity of -an immediate alliance with France, and though in this he was not able -to move the fixed impression left by the wily secretary, he prevailed -so far on the king as to accept the greater part of the forces he had -raised for the protection of Ireland; and so they were immediately sent -over and placed at the royal service. - -Tyrconnell then formed the bold design, without the knowledge of -the king, of placing Ireland under the protection of France. The -proposition was well received by Louis, but events culminated with -such rapidity during the autumn of 1688, that no time was left for -diplomacy, for it required the undivided attention of Tyrconnell to -repress the spirit of disaffection throughout Ulster as the winter -approached. The leaders of the Protestant party in Ireland were alive -to all that was taking place, and premonitory symptoms of open revolt -were apparent to all. In Ulster, Lord Blaney, Rawdon, Skeffington, -Keames, Kelso, and Walker, who had kept a close correspondence with the -Prince of Orange since the death of Monmouth, sounded the alarm, and -called their followers to arms. Every action or word of the deputy was -seized on to excite the passions and fears of their people, and every -counter-effort on his part to allay the growing excitement was futile. -The time was propitious, and they seized on every event to magnify -their danger. The alarm became wide-spread, and the old hatred that so -often left the country a prey to foreign adventure was revived in all -its bitterness. Fanaticism overruled common sense, and the people were -divided. - -A report was industriously circulated that a massacre of the entire -Protestant population of the country was arranged for the 9th of -December, with a minuteness of detail that convinced the most -incredulous. This was about the date that was to usher in the Prince -of Orange. The conspirators knew it, but the people were ignorant. The -utmost consternation prevailed; the Protestant people in considerable -numbers abandoned their homes, flocked to the sea-shore, and stowing -themselves away in the hold of every available craft that presented, -passed over to England, while the boldest of them fled to the North to -join the standard of William's adherents. Those who reached England -awakened the liveliest sympathy for the condition of their Irish -brethren, and the most bitter indignation against "the murdering -Irish." The arrival of William at Whitehall was the signal for a -general onslaught on the English Catholics, and the Irish residents -there had to take refuge in immediate flight. The regiments imprudently -sent there at the suggestion of Tyrconnell, being placed in small -detachments throughout the country, were forced into the usurper's -service, or, trying to make their way home, were set upon in detail, -and slaughtered mercilessly in the streets and by-ways wherever they -passed. Some few fought or forced their way to the seaboard, and -through the kindly offices of the English Jacobites, made their way -back in the most wretched condition.[8] - -The news of William's arrival soon spread throughout Ireland and -Scotland. In the former country this event had been anticipated: the -people had already arrayed themselves into two parties known through -succeeding times as Williamites and Jacobites. In the latter a -convention was called, and after much angry opposition, the covenanters -declared that James's flight was a virtual abdication, and that -he had consequently "forefaulted" his right to the throne and the -allegiance of his subjects of Scotland, which they tendered to William. -A respectable portion, however, headed by the Archbishop of Glasgow, -the Duke of Gordon, the Earl of Balcarras, and Graham of Claverhouse -(Viscount Dundee) supported the Jacobite cause and took up arms in -defence of their lawful king. - -On the 7th of December the gates of Derry were closed against the Earl -of Antrim's regiment of Highlanders sent thither by Tyrconnell on the -invitation of its governor, and the call to arms was sounded through -all the province of Ulster. Blaney, Walker, Keames, Kelso, Skeffington, -and Rawdon called a convention, and assuming their right to dispose -of the country, tendered its allegiance to William. They then entered -into a league "for the maintenance of the Protestant religion and the -dependency of Ireland upon England," and placed themselves at the head -of the military organizations formed throughout the province: and -Enniskillen, Culmore, Sligo, Coleraine--nearly all the important posts -from Down to Donegal, and from Cavan to Antrim--were seized on and -garrisoned in the name of the Prince of Orange. - -It is scarcely necessary to say, that the 9th of December came and -passed without any manifestation of that murderous design attributed -to the Catholics. The conspiracy was on the other side, and manifested -itself in the following manner. Major Poor, who had served in a -dragoon regiment under Cromwell, had got the command of two companies -of cavalry, from "The League." With this force he commenced a series -of raids on the inhabitants of Louth, and levied a tax of £500 on the -tenantry of Lord Bellew. Hearing of this, Bellew sent his son, a youth -of eighteen, with a company of dragoons, to assist the farmers in -resisting the tax. These troops met and fought for some time with the -most determined bravery, until Bellew, closing with the Major, killed -him with a blow of his pistol on the head, when the troops of the Major -took flight, leaving their dead and wounded behind them. This was the -first act of open hostility: it aroused the Catholic people to the -necessity of defensive measures, and quickened that martial spirit, -never extinguished; their hearts responded to the war-note of the -times; but what could the spirit do, but chafe at delay? Their country -was impoverished, and they had neither arms nor organization. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES TO THE LANDING OF KING JAMES IN -IRELAND. - - -Tyrconnell, seeing that a civil war could no longer be averted in -Ireland, bitterly regretted the loss of those troops that he had sent -to England. A few well-equipped regiments: those of Mountcashel, -Clancarty, Lord Antrim, Lord Bellew, and his own, about three -thousand,--were all that remained in the country. Men by thousands -daily presented themselves for enrollment, but they were destitute of -every thing that constitutes the soldier, "excepting courage and good -will," and he had neither money nor arms to equip them. The Williamite -organization grew more powerful and extended, day by day. Along with -the province of Ulster, it soon embraced the counties of Longford, -Meath, and Dublin; its leaders, in the mean time, feigning to treat -with Tyrconnell, while privately soliciting arms and succors from the -Prince of Orange. Tyrconnell at last determined to make a final appeal -to the country, and for this purpose issued colonels' commissions -to the heads of the old Catholic houses and the loyal Palesmen of -Leinster. The effect was electric. With a common impulse they rushed -to his standard, and threw the wrecks of their former fortunes in -the balance. In a short time, the regiments of McMahon, O'Reilley, -MacDonnell, Maguinness, Maguire, O'Donnell, Nugent, Loutrell, -Fitzgerald, Felix O'Neil, Gordon O'Neil, Cormac O'Neil, Bryan O'Neil, -Sir Neale O'Neil, Clare, Galway, O'Moore, O'Dempsey, and others were -in the field, to the number of 20,000, nearly all recruited from their -respective households. - -But the people having been long deprived of the right to bear arms, -were necessarily unprovided with them, and the state to which the -country had been reduced by the misgovernment and oppression of the -last forty years, rendered them unable to provide any other than the -rudest weapons, hastily improvised. They had, therefore, to be armed -and provisioned at the individual expense of their leaders, and it was -found impossible to equip and sustain the multitudes that presented -themselves for service. The murmurs of the people were loud and deep, -but there was no remedy. The organizations of the Council, all well -armed, and supplied with the necessaries of war, were wide-spread -throughout the country, and were levying, in the name of the Prince -of Orange, on the Catholic people of Ulster, and even the eastern and -southern provinces had to yield to their exactions. Notwithstanding -all this, thousands had to be dismissed to their unprotected homes, -with promises that a little time would remove those difficulties. It -was represented, as it was indeed believed by all, that an immense -armament was fitting out in France, to accompany the king, who was -daily expected to arrive; that his presence would rectify every thing, -and afford them the means and opportunity of giving active proof of -their patriotism; and with these promises, though chafing at delay, -they retired to watch the current of events, and bide the arrival of -their king. The new regiments were reduced to a limited standard of -about 250 each, so that 12,000 men, including those already enrolled, -were rendered fit for service, and with this force Tyrconnell opened -the campaign of 1689. - -Carrickfergus and Charlemont in the north, and all the forts on the -Shannon, from Lough Allen to the estuary, were still in the possession -of the Irish, and each had to be reinforced and put in a better state -of defence: the town of Kilkenny, and the cities of Cork and Waterford, -had each to receive its quota of troops; Dundalk, an important -seaport, had to be secured against the excursions of the insurgents -of Monaghan and Armagh; and the metropolis could not dispense with -the few veteran regiments that had been stationed there since the -inauguration of the deputy. After the distribution of his forces among -these posts, Tyrconnell found at his disposal a small army of 6,000 men -available for the field, and, dividing it into three corps, he gave -the command of one to Lieutenant-General Justin McCarthy, to operate -in Munster, where Inchiquin had raised the standard of revolt; one to -Lieutenant-General Richard Hamilton, for the reduction of the rebel -garrisons from Dundalk to Derry; and another, a co-operative force of -about 1,000 men, was placed under Lord Galmoy, to give countenance to -the outlying posts around Cavan and Enniskillen.--The limits prescribed -these pages preclude a detailed account of these expeditions, although -each presents some of the most striking and agreeable events of that -period. McCarthy, at the head of 2,000 regulars and a few hundred -followers, reduced, in a few days, the rebels of Castle-Martyr and -Bandon, and turning his attention to Inchiquin, who was plundering and -laying waste the country, from the Shannon to the Blackwater, he drove -him back on his stronghold in Clare, and marched uncontrolled from the -Fergus to the Barrow. The Williamites of Munster, surprised by these -events and the rapidity of their execution, laid down their arms, -returned to their homes, and all apprehension of future trouble in that -quarter was at an end:--for this important service McCarthy henceforth -received the title of "Pacificator of Munster." - -When the rumor of William's conspiracy first became known to the Earl -of Tyrconnell in the preceding year, he sent General Hamilton, as -already indicated, with about four thousand men, for the service of -James in England. After the invasion of William this force was either -slain, dispersed, or forced into his service, and their general, -contrary to the usages of war, and to the terms accorded to the -other adherents of the king, was detained a prisoner. Being an Irish -gentleman by birth, of great family influence, and one of the best -cavalry officers of his time, William saw in him one who, if weaned -from his allegiance to the king, would be a powerful agent of success -to his designs on Ireland, and accordingly, 'tis said, made overtures -to that effect. History, however, is not clear as to the nature of -these proposals, nor of the manner in which they were met by Hamilton. -This much at least is known, that he was released from captivity, was -sent with proposals of an accommodation to Tyrconnell, but on arriving -in Ireland he urged the most determined opposition to William, and was -appointed to lead the expedition against the rebellion in Ulster. - -Leaving Drogheda on the 8th of March, with a force of about two -thousand men, he marched through Dundalk and Newry, and on the 13th -took up a position between Loughbrickland and the river Bann, and sent -out Colonel Butler to take a reconnoissance of the enemy, said to be -in force between him and the Laggan. The service was one of extreme -peril, and required the utmost courage and address:--he was in the -midst of a mountainous country, surrounded by a wary foe, and the -slightest misconduct on his part, was sure to result in the capture or -destruction of the main body. - -The task was, however, performed to the satisfaction of the general: -the enemy were found strongly intrenched at Dromore-Iveagh, on the -north side of the Laggan, to the number of 8,000 men, under the command -of Hugh Montgomery, Lord Mount Alexander. It was soon decided to attack -them; so breaking camp with the dawn, on the morning of the 14th, -Hamilton crossed the Bann and advanced boldly on their position. The -cavalry regiment of Montgomery advanced to meet him, but after the -first charge of Hamilton's dragoons they fell back in confusion on the -main body, and his infantry having also crossed the river, a general -attack was ordered. The enemy, however, did not wait the assault, for -Montgomery himself running away, his men followed the example, and a -complete rout succeeded. The Irish remained masters of the encampment. -Montgomery continued his flight to Hillsborough, into which he threw -a few companies, and ordering the bulk of his forces to Coleraine, -embarked at Donaghadee, and sailed for England. This was the first time -the forces of "The Council" met the Irish in the field. They had been -organizing and levying on the country for months; they were well armed; -had an intrenched position of their own selection, behind a deep and -rapid river, and the result was the loss of their camp equipage, four -hundred slain, and that disgraceful flight known in the history of the -period as "The Break of Dromore." - -After stopping here for a day to rest his men and secure the advantages -of his victory, Hamilton pushed on to Hillsborough, the headquarters of -the Council, while Sir Arthur Rawdon advanced rapidly from Lisburn to -its relief, at the head of 4,000 men. Rawdon, however, only arrived in -the vicinity to find the place in the possession of Hamilton, and to -see its paroled garrison making their way home across the country. On -learning that Rawdon was in the neighborhood, the Irish troops advanced -to meet him, but he, ordering his men to make the best of their way -towards Coleraine, abandoned them to their fate, and, like Mount -Alexander, embarked for England. - -The capture of Hillsborough was of great service to the Irish cause. -It had been the headquarters of the "Council" since its formation, and -was the repository of its papers, plans, and secret correspondence with -William; but, above all, it contained immense stores of provisions, -wrung from the inhabitants of the surrounding country since the -preceding winter. The evacuation of Dungannon, on the west side of -Lough Neagh, a fine central position of the Williamites, and one -of their chief depots for provisions and military stores, followed -closely on that of Hillsborough; and Hamilton, pursuing the retreating -insurgents through Belfast, Antrim, and Ballymena, drove them in -on Coleraine, and halted to recruit his little army in the town of -Ballymoney, within a few miles of their only remaining stronghold in -Antrim. While here, he was assailed by a strong force sent out to cover -the movements of a foraging party, but he attacked them so vigorously -that he drove them within the gates of the town, inflicting a severe -loss, and capturing all the booty collected in their excursion. - -Thus, in less than a fortnight after his departure from Drogheda, all -the eastern counties of Ulster--Armagh, Down, Antrim, and the greater -part of Tyrone--were reduced to obedience; but, as he was now about -to approach the walled town of Derry, he halted for a few days in his -career, to await artillery and reinforcements from the capital. - -In whatever light this campaign is considered--whether from a -Williamite or a Jacobite point of view--it confers immortal honor on -Hamilton and his little band, for it can scarcely be dignified by the -name of an army. In a season of unusual severity, in the face of a -vigilant foe, four times his number, and established in the strongest -positions that could be selected, he, by vigilance and audacity, -baffled all attempts at surprise, and with an insignificant loss, and -without a single repulse, cleared the greater part of the province -from the grasp of an enemy that a few days before had uttered defiance -before the gates of Dundalk, and bore away their booty undisturbed -within sight of the capital. - -The co-operative force, under Galmoy, was scarce less successful. The -scene of his operations embraced Monaghan, Cavan, and Fermanagh, where -the leading rebels, Lord Blaney and Gustavus Hamilton, carried fire and -sword wherever they went. The first to arouse the infatuated people, -by the cry of religion, they were the persistent violators of all -religious precepts. The total extirpation of the Catholics could alone -appease them, and to this end they kept the minds of their followers -inflamed by every species of misrepresentation and calumny. The people -were driven from their homes, and wholesale murder and rapine, with -crimes too revolting for detail, marked their course among the doomed -fugitives. In the few months that had elapsed since the advent of the -Prince of Orange in England, this section of country had become almost -desolate. Few were to be seen but the destroyers let loose over it, or -the stealthy Rapparees, that tracked their steps, to wreak a deadly -revenge for the crimes that rendered them at once both homeless and -merciless. But the contest was unequal; the unarmed people were forced -to give way before the trained-bands of Hamilton and Blaney, when -Galmoy entered on the scene, to add fresh fuel to the flame. He soon -roused the flagging spirit of the Jacobites. Blaney and Hamilton, now -joined by Wolseley, put forth all their strength to oppose him, but -they were met by measures as arbitrary and effective as their own. -"No quarter" became the cry on both sides; but the military skill of -Galmoy proclaimed him the master-spirit, and after a few reverses, -and a rigorous retaliation, they fell back wherever he advanced; all -opposition in the open country soon ceased, and they were forced to -take refuge within the walls of Enniskillen. - -The poor countenance shown by the rebels in the field, now emboldened -Galmoy to attempt the reduction of Enniskillen, which was their chief -rendezvous in the south-western portion of the province; and for -that purpose he approached the Castle of Crom, one of its principal -defences, and having driven in its outposts, invested it about the -middle of March. This fortress, which stands on a peninsula in the -waters of the Lower Erne, being impregnable to his light-armed -infantry, he now had recourse to stratagem. He got some tin cannon -constructed, and giving out that artillery had reached him from Dublin, -placed them in battery within musket range of the castle. On the 21st -he summoned it to surrender, but the garrison, having been apprised of -the _ruse_ intended for them, provided themselves with the long guns -used in duck-shooting on the lake, and answered his summons with a -well-directed fire that killed about forty of his men, and compelled -him to retire to a safer distance, leaving his mock cannon behind him. -They were soon conveyed into the fort, and were exhibited as trophies -at many a succeeding celebration of "the glorious and pious, etc.," -furnishing the Enniskilleners with a theme of boastful merriment.[9] - -The name "Enniskilleners," has now become nearly obsolete, and is only -applied to a regiment of dragoons in the English army, kept up in -perpetuation of the part they took in the ruin of their country; but -at the time of the Revolution it was applied without distinction to -the partisans of William, who, when driven before the Jacobites, took -refuge within the town of Enniskillen, and held out until the relief -of Derry, to which it was next in importance. It is a place of great -natural strength, and has many historic memories dating farther back -than the unhappy events that have given it such unenviable notoriety. -It was originally the stronghold of the Maguires, who held it for -centuries against each successive invasion, but had passed into the -hands of Sir William Cole, after the civil war of 1641. It stands on a -river connecting the upper and lower waters of Lough-Erne, which, lying -from the north-west to the south-east of the County Fermanagh, and -connecting with Lough-Oughter on the south, extends over a distance of -more than forty miles. These lakes and their tributaries, studded with -islands innumerable, render the country for several miles a labyrinth -almost impassable to all but the natives. There is not, perhaps, in -the world, for the same extent of country, a place so well adapted to -insurgent warfare. In such a country the people of La Vendée would have -exhausted all the resources of the French Directory; and the wonder is, -not why Galmoy could not take it, but how he even approached it, in the -face of such overwhelming odds. - -Meanwhile the exiled king was keenly alive to all that was passing -in his late dominions. Assured of the strenuous support of Louis, on -the first demonstration of popular will in his favor in England, his -agents there were active in their endeavors to effect a change of -public sentiment; nor did their efforts seem barren of good results. -The way of William, since his accession, was not strewn with flowers. -Signs of reaction manifested themselves daily, and it required all the -efforts of his Dutch and German mercenaries, to check the spirit of -disaffection. The people had been taken by surprise. Their subjugation -to the arms of Holland had been effected by a conspiracy between a few -of the nobles and William, in which they had no part, and many of the -moderate nobles had begun to regret an action by which they intended -only a change of the royal policy, but which had terminated in a change -of sovereigns. Nor was the result, in any light, very flattering to -their vanity; nor a comparison between the sovereigns favorable to the -new incumbent. It was, however, from the dignitaries of the Established -Church that William experienced the greatest opposition. The Archbishop -of Canterbury and six others, though active in their opposition to the -reforms introduced by James, would never acknowledge any other king, -and continued to pray publicly for his welfare and protection. Mary -sent to the Archbishop to ask his blessing, but received for answer: -"When she has obtained her father's blessing, I shall be very ready to -give her mine." The Prince of Orange was outraged by such perverseness -of spirit, and as an example of the religious liberty that he had -established in England, deprived them of their bishoprics. Throughout -the country a reaction had really set in. The Dutch guards and the -English soldiers came frequently into collision, and the insolence of -the former, being generally overlooked by William, he became an object -of popular disfavor. To silence this disaffection he determined to send -the malcontent regiments to Holland, and supply their place with Dutch -soldiers. A Scotch regiment mutinied, and marched northward "with drums -beating and colors flying," but were overwhelmed by three regiments -of Dutch dragoons, under Ginkle, and sent off to the continent. This -revolt caused the passage of the famous "Mutiny Bill," which deprives -the British soldier of the right of citizenship, shuts him off from the -benefit of civil law, and makes him an alien in his own country. - -The Jacobite cause in Scotland was still hopeful, for there, Viscount -Dundee kept the field, and refused all terms of compromise, while in -Ireland three provinces remained steadfast in their allegiance, and -the adherents of William in the other province, though still obstinate -in the course they had adopted, were unable to keep the field. The -Earl of Tyrconnell, faithful to his trust, animated the people by -word and example, and "retained," says the Duke of Berwick, "all the -kingdom in obedience;" so James, at last, rousing himself from his -apathy, determined to assume the management of affairs in his Kingdom -of Ireland. The state of the country demanded his presence; the people -clamored for it; and the French king hastened it by his counsel, and -gave promise of adequate military support. Accordingly, James set sail -from France, under an escort of thirty-three war-ships, and arrived at -Kinsale on the 12th of March, 1689. He was accompanied by his son, the -Duke of Berwick, M. de Rosen, M. de Momont, M. de Pusignan, de Lery, -Boïsselau, Lestrade, Guidon, and about one hundred French officers of -different grades, and twelve hundred of his guards, who had joined him -in his exile. - -The people, who expected to see this imposing array of ships pour out -its thousands of armed men on their shores, were greatly disappointed; -but the arrival of the king banished every other consideration. His -adversity awakened all the sympathies of their nature, and he had an -abiding-place in every heart. From Kinsale he proceeded to Cork, which -he entered amid the greatest rejoicings. After the usual formalities, -of which religious ceremonies formed the most solemn and imposing -part, he received from the deputy an account of his stewardship. It -exceeded even what he had been led to expect, and as a mark of his -approval, Tyrconnell was raised to the rank of Duke, and McCarthy, -"_The Pacificater of Munster_," was created Lord Mountcashel, and -honored with a seat in his cabinet. After a short delay here, the -king proceeded to the metropolis. His route through the country was -one continued ovation. Crowds of people lined the wayside, invoking -blessings on his cause, while religious ceremonies, pledges, and -addresses of loyalty, arrested his way at every step of his route. -The city of Dublin, proverbial in all times for taste and elegance, -and which had never witnessed the advent of a king since the days of -Henry II., exhausted every effort that art or fancy could suggest, to -grace the royal pageantry. The corporation, headed by the mayor, in -all the pomp of office, went forth to meet him, and tender him the -keys of the city. Farther on, and near the portals of the castle, the -Primate, crowned with the triple tiara, and holding in his hand the -emblem of redemption, awaited to receive his obeisance, and bestow the -benediction. As he approached the august dignitary, a general halt of -the procession took place, and even the multitude, that surged like -a closing sea behind, hushed their acclamations, and bent in lowly -reverence, until the king, rising from his genuflection before the -cross, and, bareheaded, offered them his parting acknowledgments. Then, -as the national flag, standing out above the castle-gate, revealed to -him the terse and significant motto: - - "NOW OR NEVER; NOW AND FOREVER," - -one wild and prolonged cheer, deep and fervid, burst from the hearts of -the multitude. The die was cast, and their adherence to the discrowned -monarch was sealed and irrevocable. - -Immediately after his arrival in Dublin,[10] James proceeded to the -construction of his cabinet, the leading members of which were -Tyrconnell, Mountcashel, General Nugent, and some of the French -officers that formed his escort. He at once issued a proclamation, -offering pardon and protection to all who would retire peaceably -to their homes, and again announced his unalterable determination -to maintain the civil and religious liberty of all religious -denominations. The army, however, demanded his earliest attention, -for, whatever was its enthusiasm, its real condition was far from -encouraging. The gentlemen who bore the expense of the first levy were -unable to continue the drain on their slender means, and the soldiers -were suffering much privation. It was necessary also to organize a -force sufficient to meet events that might now be daily expected, and -accordingly the king at once appealed to the country. More than one -hundred thousand men, almost simultaneously, offered their services; -"but," says Hume, "not two in every hundred were provided with muskets -fit for service; the rest were armed with clubs and sticks tipped with -iron," and he found himself compelled to decline the service of all but -about twenty thousand.[11] - -These, together with those already in the service, constituted an -army short of thirty thousand men; the whole artillery in the country -was twelve field-pieces and four mortars; and with this force, in the -weakest period it had known since the first invasion, Ireland resolved -to measure strength with England, its army of mercenaries, and the most -powerful of her own provinces now arrayed on the side of the usurper. -The king had unbounded confidence in the timely assistance of France; -but the people had realized the purport of this war; for them it was -to be a struggle for national life or total extinction, and though -many retired to their homes wherever it was practicable, thousands -who had already been rendered homeless, seized on every rude weapon -that presented, and, determined to wring a subsistence from the enemy, -took up the bold and reckless life of the Rapparee. Tyrconnell was now -appointed commander-in-chief of the army; M. de Rosen was raised to -the rank of lieutenant-general, and appointed second in command; M. de -Momont was raised to the same rank; de Pusignan and de Lery to that -of major-general; Boïsselau was appointed adjutant-general, Guidon -master-general of cavalry, and a reinforcement of about three thousand -troops, then the best in the country, was sent to Lieutenant-General, -the Viscount of Dundee, who was making head against Mackey, the -commander of the Williamite forces in Scotland. - -The condition of affairs now brooked of no delay; the English -Parliament was convened for an early day; William had expressed his -intention of sending an expedition into Ireland, and only waited its -assent: the suppression of the Ulster rebellion before such an event -should take place, was a matter of vital importance to the Jacobite -cause, and an active campaign was at once determined on. Accordingly, -Major-General, the Duke of Berwick, was dispatched to the assistance -of Hamilton, now lying before the fortified town of Coleraine, while -de Pusignan, with a select body of horse and foot, and two pieces of -artillery, was to march through Charlemont and Dungannon, and passing -to the west of Lough Neagh, unite with Berwick and Hamilton, and -proceed against Derry, the chief stronghold of the rebellion.[12] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE BATTLE OF CLADIFORD--THE INVESTMENT OF DERRY--PROCEEDINGS OF -PARLIAMENT. - - -Lying impatiently before Coleraine since the affair of Dromore, -Hamilton, on being joined by the Duke of Berwick, determined to renew -hostilities, and immediately proceeded against that important position. -Its garrison consisted of 3,000 effective men, who were expected to -make a determined resistance; but on the approach of the royal troops -they destroyed the bridge on their front, and, abandoning the fort, -retreated in the direction of Derry. Hamilton soon occupied the place, -and, leaving a regiment there under Colonel O'Morra, and being joined -by de Pusignan, who had captured Moneymore, Magherafelt, Dawson's -Bridge, and, in short, all the places on the left of the Bann, marched -to Strabane, which he reached on the 15th of April, without meeting any -opposition. Here he halted to rest his troops, and having ascertained -that the enemy to the number of 12,000 men, from Enniskillen and -Derry, under the command of General Lundy, were drawn up at Cladiford, -behind the river Finn, determined to offer battle. On receipt of -this intelligence, Hamilton and Berwick, leaving their main body at -Strabane, took 600 horse and 350 foot, and advanced to reconnoitre; but -on their appearance the town was evacuated, and the enemy, destroying -the bridge, drew up in a fortified camp on the western side of the -river. - -Neither their force nor the strength of their position had been -exaggerated: the river, which was of considerable volume, was found to -be unfordable, while their right and left, beyond it, were protected -by morasses impassable to cavalry; a strong breastwork had been thrown -up in front of the bridge, behind which, in advance of their main -body, 2,000 men were arrayed in order of battle. Hamilton, however, -determined to attack them, without apprising De Pusignan, and setting -a party to work on the bridge under cover of his infantry, he marched -the cavalry along the river, determined to cross at the opportune -moment. The infantry approached the bridge and opened a fire which -dislodged the enemy from the trenches, and the planks being laid, they -dashed over, and making a lodgment in the abandoned works, drove them -back in confusion to the camp. Taking advantage of this diversion, the -horse swam the river on their right, and forming on the opposite side, -charged the entire body of the rebels, now drawn up on the high grounds -to receive them. But the bold front assumed by Hamilton disconcerted -them, and observing, at the same time, a squadron of dragoons, which -had just arrived under De Rosen, crossing the river to their left, -their whole force became panic-stricken, and fled in confusion. Their -cavalry was followed up and driven furiously through Raphoe, a distance -of five miles; "As for their infantry," says Berwick, "we killed about -four hundred of them on the spot, but the rest, being favored by the -morasses, found means to escape." The loss of the royal troops in this -affair was one officer and two men, drowned in crossing the river. - -Hamilton found abundance of provisions and some war materials at -Raphoe, where, waiting to rest his troops, he was joined by Lord Galmoy -with eight hundred men, and determined to advance on Derry, when his -progress was arrested by the arrival of a deputation that came to treat -for its surrender. The party were well received, and a conference being -arranged to take place within two days, on condition that he should -approach no nearer than St. Johnstown, they departed highly satisfied -with their reception. Hamilton proceeded to the appointed place, and -being impressed with the importance of Derry to the Jacobite cause, -offered them the most liberal terms:--"Life, liberty, property, and -protection, on condition that the town would be surrendered at twelve -o'clock next day. The terms were accepted, and awaited but ratification -on both sides." - -In the mean time, the king had left Dublin on the 8th of April, to -take a view of the country. Hearing of the victory at Cladiford, he -directed his course to that place, and arrived at the camp on the 18th, -on the very hour that Hamilton was in conference with the delegates -from Derry. De Rosen, perhaps, jealous of Hamilton's success, or -wishing to gain credit with the king, represented to him that his -presence before Derry would cause its gates to be at once thrown open, -and prevent unnecessary delay, so he prevailed on him to make the -experiment. Avoiding the place of conference, he took a circuitous -route, and appearing before the town, summoned it to surrender. The -"defenders," taking this sudden appearance of the king at such a time -as an act of treachery on the part of Hamilton, answered the demand -by a cannon-shot, which killed an officer by his side, and caused him -to retire in shame and confusion. The consequence is easily foreseen. -The treaty about to be ratified was broken off; the alarm was sounded -throughout the rebel ranks; the "defenders" determined on more stern -resistance; a siege was ordered by the king, and under escort of De -Rosen, he returned to Dublin to meet his Parliament, which had been -convoked for the 7th of May. - -The consequences of this ill-advised interference on the part of -the king are generally attributed to the Count de Rosen, whose -appointment to the command of the army was one of the many unwise -proceedings attributed to this very weak or very imprudent monarch. -Speaking of the affair just narrated, the Duke of Berwick says: "M. -de Rosen was the more to blame in persuading the king to the step I -have just mentioned with regard to Derry, as he knew and had approved -the agreement of M. Hamilton." But, with due respect for established -authority, there is ground for a deduction different to that drawn by -the Duke and other learned contemporaries. From the beginning of this -revolution the "defenders" had practised the art of duplicity to a very -considerable extent. In the winter of 1688, they sent delegations to -Dublin and London at the same time with very different objects:--that -to Dublin was meant to delay any action on the part of the deputy, -while the other went to expedite an invasion by the Prince of Orange. -Notwithstanding the short time that had elapsed from their defeat at -Cladiford until the conference with Hamilton, they had received a large -supply of arms and ammunition from England, and had gathered their -scattered forces into the town; and there is reason to surmise, that -while the king was outraged before their walls, Hamilton was outwitted -by their delegation. - -But however this may have been, we think that if Hamilton, with his -characteristic promptitude, had marched boldly on Derry from Cladiford, -he could have dictated his terms within its walls. Most of the -"regimented men" spoken of by M. Walker in his history of the siege -that succeeded, were still outlying in the "far north;" the fugitives -from the late defeat would have been cut off from any hope of entering -the place; and the supplies received during the interval would have -been intercepted. There was not then within the town, a force capable -of offering any protracted resistance, and a surrender would be the -probable, nay, the almost certain consequence. Fewer lives, also, would -have been sacrificed on each side, and the whole country would have -been reduced to the arms of the king before the arrival of the Duke of -Schomberg. But, then, the army was under the command of De Rosen, and -whether this delay was occasioned by that general or not, it is now -hard to determine. - -The success of the royal arms in Monaghan, Leitrim, and Fermanagh, kept -pace with the progress of Hamilton and Berwick. The insurgents were -everywhere driven from the open country, and compelled to take refuge -in Crom and Enniskillen. The garrison of Sligo, consisting of 3,000 -foot and 1,000 horse, under Lord Kingston, withdrew to Ballyshannon, -which commands the entrance to Lough-Erne; and towards the beginning of -May, there remained no place of any significance in their possession -but the fortified towns of Enniskillen and Derry. But the defenders -of the latter place had made good use of the temporary cessation of -hostilities after the battle of Cladiford. Their outlying posts were -immediately abandoned, and troops came in daily from all quarters. -Culmore, a strong post which guarded the entrance of the Foyle, and -which they had held through the winter, was evacuated on the approach -of the Jacobite army, and its garrison of 1,500 men, under Captain -Murray, after a hazardous march through the mountainous country to the -west of the river, succeeded in getting safely within its walls. The -accession of these forces gave a new impulse to the flagging spirit of -the defenders. Governor Lundy, being suspected of Jacobite tendencies, -was at once deposed, and a military council was constituted, of which -Murray, the Reverend George Walker, and Colonel Baker, were the ruling -spirits. - -The town of Derry stands on the western bank of the river Foyle, about -five miles above its expansion into a lough of the same name. It is -situated on an oval-shaped hill; the houses, rising tier over tier, -look very picturesque to one approaching it from an eastern direction; -but to the west it is overlooked by an irregular line of hills, -stretching far back into the County of Donegal. Since the time of the -Revolution, it has been greatly extended in all directions, but was -then confined to the hill already mentioned, and was encompassed by a -wall of immense strength, and about a mile in circuit. It was founded -by King James I., in 1607, as a refuge to the settlers, whom he sent -from England and Scotland, to the exclusion of the native race; and, by -a sort of retributive justice, it helped to complete the ruin of his -house, in the person of his grandson, but eighty years later. After -the departure of the king for Dublin, the Irish generals proceeded -to invest this important position, and, by the 20th of April, had -made the following disposition of their forces: The fort of Culmore, -which stands about five miles below the town, was occupied by a small -garrison after its evacuation by Captain Murray, and the river was -obstructed by a boom a little higher up. Hamilton, with about one -thousand horse and foot, established his camp some two miles from the -walls of the garrison; General Ramsay, with four battalions, took up -a position at Hollywell Hill, nearly the same distance to the west; -Brigadier Wauchop, with two battalions, a squadron of horse and two -field-pieces--their only artillery--made a lodgment on the eastern bank -of the river, at a place known as the "Waterside;" while a reserve of -three battalions of infantry and nine squadron of cavalry was stationed -at Johnstown, about six miles farther up the river, in the direction of -Strabane. - -The "defenders," from their walls, saw the gradual approach of the -Jacobite army, and felt the necessity of prompt and determined action. -Every consideration that impels men to deeds of daring was heightened -by the fiery appeals of their leaders. The fall of so many important -posts, in such quick succession, had deprived them of the vast stores -which they had collected through the preceding winter; the population -of the town had increased to twenty thousand within the last month, and -famine, at no distant day, would do the work of war, should William -fail to succor them in the interval. On the other hand, they still -outnumbered the beleaguering army three to one; were better supplied, -and much better armed; they had their city as a last refuge, in case of -defeat, and one successful battle before its walls might save them from -the horrors of a protracted siege. All these considerations awakened -them to a consciousness of their true position, and nerved them to -action, while it was yet possible to dislodge the enemy; and from this -time, until the town was completely invested, they exhibited a courage -and determination worthy of a better cause. - -On the 21st of April, Colonel Hamilton was ordered from General -Ramsay's headquarters to occupy the village of Pennyburn, about a -mile below the town, in the direction of Culmore; and taking with -him a guard of 200 men, he proceeded to the execution of his order. -As he passed within sight of the town, he was assailed by the enemy, -amounting to 1,500 foot and 300 horse; but he gained the village, and -occupying the houses and adjacent cover, he kept up a fire, while he -dispatched a messenger to de Momont's quarters for assistance. It -happened that the Irish cavalry were out on a foraging expedition; -there being only a guard of forty troopers and the same number of horse -dragoons in the camp; and with this force de Momont and Major Taaf rode -at once to the rescue. On reaching the scene of action, they found -Hamilton still disputing the possession of the town with the enemy's -foot, while their horse were drawn up with their right resting on the -river to receive them. A fierce conflict ensued; the enemy broke and -fled into the town, but de Momont, Major Taaf, and seven of their -command, were killed, and "there was not a man left who was not either -wounded or had his horse shot under him."[13] The loss of the enemy is -not stated, but judging from the vast superiority of their force, and -its hasty retreat, it must have been much greater. - -Pennyburn was then occupied by the royalists, and reinforced from the -encampment at Boom Hall[14] to the number of 500 men, and a second -attack, after such a signal defeat, was little apprehended. But as -that position brought them within cannon range of the city, the enemy, -conscious of its importance, determined to risk another effort to -dislodge them before it could be secured by intrenchments. Accordingly, -on the 25th, they sallied out with a force of 8,000 men, and endeavored -to surround this detachment. The Irish disputed every inch of the -ground, but were forced back to the last houses in the village, and -were on the point of retreat, when Ramsay appeared in the rear of -the enemy, and assailed them with great vigor. Other reinforcements -arrived; the action continued from nine o'clock in the morning until -seven o'clock in the evening, when the enemy retreated in confusion. In -this sally de Pusignan was killed, Brigadier Pointy was wounded, and -Berwick received a contusion, which he tells us was the only hurt he -ever had, though his after years were spent in continual warfare. - -As the next attack was the last of that series of "brilliant assaults" -so greatly extolled by the eulogists of the Williamite cause, it is -here transcribed entire from the Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick, -who was himself an actor in the affair which he so simply, yet so -graphically, describes: - -"They sent us word from Dublin that they were dispatching artillery -to us; for which reason we thought it right to possess ourselves -immediately of such posts near the town as might be of use in pressing -the siege. With this view, Ramsay, with his troops, on the 6th of May, -attacked a windmill, which stood on an eminence at half-cannon shot -from the town, and behind it was a bottom in which he meant to encamp. -The enemy defended themselves with great bravery; and, at last, the -whole town sallying out upon him, he was driven from his post and -obliged to retire. Ramsay himself was killed, with about 200 men; -several officers of distinction were made prisoners. Wauchop took the -command of Ramsay's troops, and resolved upon another attempt to make -himself master of the mill; but the enemy, apprised of the importance -of it, had covered it with a great intrenchment, which our troops could -never force, and we sustained a further loss of several officers, and -at least a hundred men." * * * "After this experience, we assembled -all our troops, consisting of twelve battalions and fifteen or sixteen -squadrons (about 2,800 men), and encamped opposite the front of the -place, behind a rising ground, at the distance of a long musket-shot; -and we left on the other side of the river two battalions that had been -stationed there. A few days after, six large pieces of cannon--four -guns and two mortars--arrived: there were thirty in the town. We had, -in all, not more than five or six thousand men; the besieged had ten -thousand, well armed. About the same time arrived M. de Rosen, with -some French engineers and matrosses to begin the attack. As I was not -pleased with the business, any more than with the new general, * * I -asked for the command against Enniskillen, and obtained it, and left -the camp on the 21st of June, with four hundred horse dragoons, and -marched to Cavan Park." - -The Parliament which assembled in Dublin, in obedience to the king's -call, had high and solemn duties to perform, and seems to have been -fully impressed with their importance. The country was impoverished; -its treasury was empty; its banking-system was completely unhinged; -and, as money was the great necessity of the hour, little could be -done towards the support of the army until the financial system of the -country was established on a satisfactory basis. Though the Williamites -of Ulster had fallen away before the national troops, they had still -two very important strongholds, Enniskillen and Derry, in their -possession; and hostilities might be protracted until the arrival of an -invading army, which the king's English agents apprised him might be -soon expected, and to raise and equip an army able to cope with it was -the real business of the session. - -But the Parliament was not constituted for that expeditious legislation -that the king expected. In the Upper House there were no Catholic -prelates, and the Protestant lords, spiritual and temporal, greatly -outnumbered the Catholic peers. - -In the Lower House the Catholic element greatly preponderated, -and conflicting opinions are never slow to arise in the greatest -emergencies. The Protestant representatives very naturally wished to -know whither the king's reforms tended; and the Catholic members, with -a desire quite as reasonable, wanted to have their rights secured by -constitutional guarantees. The discussions arising in consequence of -these different views were long, and not free from religious rancor, -and so, much of the time--short enough for the pressing duty of the -hour--was wasted on questions that might have been better left for -future deliberation. Grattan, in alluding to this Parliament eighty -years later, says: "Though Papists, they were not slaves; they wrung -a constitution from King James before they accompanied him to the -field."[15] This was the view of a great statesman; but yet we think -that the first and only duty of that Parliament should have been to -grant, even to wring, money from the country, to remove their king's -dependence on the bounty of France, and enable him to support an army -equal to the necessity of the time; and this it undoubtedly could have -done, had the Catholic members been as liberal in voting supplies to -James, as their Protestant colleagues were afterwards in casting the -wealth of the country at the feet of William. These rights that Grattan -appreciated so much--the rights he won himself--where are they? The -great duty was to beat the enemy and leave the rest to time. - -The speech of the king to the assembled Parliament was all that could -be desired, and went far to secure that general accord so necessary -to success. His principles were unaltered. Pardon and protection -were again offered to all who, within a certain day, would return -to their homes. He pledged himself to secure social harmony through -the establishment of civil and religious liberty; to elevate the -social condition of the people, and advance the interests of trade -and commerce. The address met the approval of both Houses, and, under -the best auspices, they entered on their important duty.... With the -exception of the following acts, which appear supplementary, the -measures introduced into this Parliament were the same as those already -noticed: - -First: An act declaring that all persons should pay tithes only to the -clergymen of their own communion. - -Second: An act repealing the act of settlement, and indemnifying -Catholics who had been declared innocent by the Court of Claims. - -Third: An act of attainder against all persons bearing arms for -William, declaring their property, real and personal, forfeited, unless -they surrendered before a certain day.[16] - -Fourth: An act increasing the king's subsidy to £20,000 per month. - -These acts all received the royal sanction, though the third met with -considerable opposition; and the fourth was passed over an earnest -protest from the Protestant lords, spiritual and temporal. But the -_great_ act, the one which concerned the future welfare of the country, -far more than all the others, met with the persistent opposition of the -king, though strenuously advocated by the majority; and so the act of -Poyning remained unchanged until the days of Grattan and the volunteers -of '82. - -At last, and towards the end of June, they reached the great, important -business of the session--the ways and means of supporting the army. -The Catholic gentry had maintained the war up to the present time, -and their means were totally exhausted. The Protestant gentry seemed -unwilling to risk fortune or credit on the issue as between the king -and the Prince of Orange. The king's condition was desperate, and -called for extraordinary remedies; there was no alternative between -exaction and abdication, and he overstepped the limitations of -trade for the higher law of preservation. He doubled his subsidy by -proclamation; established a bank restriction act by the same authority; -issued a million and a half of copper coin, and gave it a nominal -value. These measures were declared arbitrary, but they were also -measures of the direst necessity; he pledged himself to revoke them -when the necessity had passed, and also to redeem the coin issued in -sterling money. The traders demurred, raised the price of provisions, -and rendered the coin almost worthless; the king established a scale of -prices, and threatened penalties on those who exacted more. Such was -the offence, and such the demand for this "arbitrary assumption." The -king in his extremity, the country in the throes of a revolution, the -brave men pouring out their life-blood on the battle-field, were as -nothing in comparison to the claims of a self-constituted monopoly. - -In criticising those "arbitrary assumptions" of the king, we should -bear in mind that free trade was then no established principle of -either English or Irish legislation; that the corn laws of England, -which are somewhat of a kindred character, have been repealed after -years of angry agitation, and within a very recent period; that the -people, whose rights were of paramount consideration, gave their -unqualified approval to those measures; and, even allowing them to -have been arbitrary, he could be no patriot who would put the claims -of trade in opposition to the liberty of the nation. In one measure -alone--his interference with the Dublin University--does the king -seem to have acted both unwisely and arbitrarily; and of this, the -following extract from Taylor's history will afford a sufficient -exposition:--"The first step taken by King James in his war on the -Dublin University, proved that he gave that body more credit for common -sense than it merited. He nominated a Roman Catholic to be professor -of the Irish language, and was afterwards astounded to hear that no -such professorship existed in that venerable institution. Doctor Leland -rates James very severely for having committed such a blunder, but, -truly, the blunder belongs not to him alone. He could scarcely have -credited the existence of such a practical jest as an institution whose -professed design was to instruct the Irish in the doctrines of the -reformed religion, which yet left the teachers wholly ignorant of the -language of those whom they had to instruct. Compared with this, the -folly of Goldsmith's attempting to teach English in Holland, without -first having learned Dutch, sinks into insignificance."[17] The point is -well taken, and the oversight of the primary duty of the founders is, -no doubt, of a piece with many others that might be noted; but candor -compels the acknowledgment, that neither the king nor the Catholic -people should be first to rectify a _mistake_ which left the college so -harmless in pressing the object of its establishment. - -The heads of the institution, alarmed at this interference of the king, -endeavored to convert the property of the college into ready money. -Tyrconnell ordered the prosecution of the purchaser, and seized on the -plate so disposed of. Litigation followed, and after some time the -property was restored to the institution, on condition that it should -not again be sold. The king next appointed a Catholic to a fellowship -of the college, and its authorities demurred; but before the matter was -pressed to an issue the candidate's incapacity was discovered, and the -affair terminated for the time. Such were the encroachments of the king -on that venerable institution, antecedent to the invasion; but now that -he had become king regnant in Ireland, he pressed those innovations -with more rigor and less cause. He abolished its original charter, -expelled the provost for contumacy, and is even accused of a design to -convert the college into a Jesuit seminary. This was all inexcusable; -the more so, that it was inconsistent with his avowed principles, -that it awakened the reasonable apprehensions of the loyal Protestant -people, and, above all, that it consumed the time and attention which -should have been devoted to the great and pressing demands of the -country. - -By this unnecessary and ill-timed delay, the military affairs of the -nation were allowed to languish; the army, dependent on tardy and -forced supplies, had partaken of the general apathy; and were it not -for the indefatigable efforts of Tyrconnell, scarcely the semblance -of an army could have been maintained to the end of this memorable -session. But while the king was engaged in angry discussion with his -turbulent Parliament, Tyrconnell was engaged in the organization of -the forces. He had already sent 2,500 troops to the army before Derry, -had in course of training 9,000 more awaiting arms and equipments from -France, and a well-appointed force ready, under Lord Mountcashel, to -undertake the reduction of Enniskillen. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE BATTLE OF NEWTOWNBUTLER, AND THE RELIEF OF ENNISKILLEN AND DERRY. - - -The time elapsed since the withdrawal of Galmoy from Enniskillen, on -the 24th of March, had not been barren of stirring events; but events -of a predatory character, and so differently colored, by the historians -of each side, as to leave the mind in a state of uncertainty from the -constant succession of almost similar events. This, however, appears -distinct enough: that Galmoy, with a small body of troops, continued -to check the excursions of the Enniskilleners, and, as the siege of -Derry progressed, kept the country open for the passage of the king's -trains to and from the metropolis; while, on the other hand, the -Enniskilleners, emboldened by his occasional disappearance from their -vicinity, renewed their raids under Wolseley, Hamilton, and Blaney, -spreading terror wherever they appeared, and supplying their stronghold -with the necessary booty of cattle and provender. As their position -grew stronger, and their numbers increased, those raids became more -frequent and extended, and by the beginning of June were such as to -claim immediate and energetic measures for their suppression. - -It was therefore resolved that Lord Mountcashel should proceed against -Enniskillen from the direction of Dublin, while Berwick and Brigadier -Southerland were to approach it from the north and west, and place -their commands at his disposal. For this purpose, Berwick was ordered -from Derry on the 21st of June. He was to march through Donegal, -chastise the outlying insurgents there, and establish his headquarters -at Trellick; while Brigadier Southerland, who lay towards Sligo, and -under whom Colonel Sarsfield commanded a division of horse, was to -move round to Belturbet, and, in his way, scour the country along the -south-western side of Lough-Erne. Both were then to drive the enemy -within their defences and await the arrival of Mountcashel, who was -to proceed from Dublin, through Monaghan and Cavan, when all were to -co-operate in a simultaneous movement for the reduction of this rebel -stronghold. - -On receipt of these orders, Sarsfield, at the head of three troops of -horse, one of dragoons, and three battalions of foot,--a force of about -five hundred men,--cleared the country along the south-east of the -lake, and arrived at Belturbet on the 10th of June. Here he received -an order from de Rosen to march forthwith to Omagh, about twenty-five -miles north-west of Enniskillen, to protect the Irish besieging army -at Derry against rebel attacks from that quarter, and proceeded at -once to execute his commission. Southerland, with the remainder of -his command--about 1,200 men--advanced through the south of Leitrim, -and doubling Lough Oughter, reached the vicinity of Belturbet on the -16th of June. Here he found that Sarsfield had departed for Omagh, and -that he was left to cope alone with the united commands of Hamilton, -Wolseley, and Lord Blaney. On the 18th, he was informed by one of his -spies that the enemy, 15,000 strong, knowing his condition, were about -to seize a narrow pass, through which he had advanced, and to attack -him in front and rear, with the intention of capturing or annihilating -his force before the arrival of Mountcashel.[18] - -On receipt of this information, Southerland, leaving Lieutenant-Colonel -Scott and two hundred and eighty men in the churchyard of Belturbet to -check the pursuit, withdrew in the night, and, by a skilful movement, -brought his command in safety to Sligo. The Enniskilleners, baffled in -their design, then turned their whole force against Scott, who, after a -stubborn contest of two hours, was compelled to surrender: and all the -supplies of the garrison, eighty dragoon-horses, seven hundred muskets, -and a considerable quantity of gunpowder, fell into the hands of the -enemy. - -Berwick left Derry on the 21st, and, at the head of his four hundred -dragoons, marched rapidly to the town of Donegal, where three hundred -of the enemy from Ballyshannon were forming magazines. He approached -their position in the night; attacked them at daybreak; killed many, -forced the rest to the shelter of the castle; burned the magazines; and -marched off with a booty of 1,500 cattle. Being shortly after joined by -two regiments of horse and four battalions of foot,[19] which swelled -his command to 1,200 men, he advanced, and on the 6th of July formed an -encampment at Trellick, about nine miles north-east of Enniskillen. - -On the 13th, he advanced with a party to reconnoitre the country and -the fortifications of the town, when he was ambushed by a force of two -hundred foot and one hundred horse, and attacked with great vigor. -But notwithstanding the suddenness of the onset, he turned on them; -killed all but six of the infantry; drove the horse within their -intrenchments, and returned with a captain, a lieutenant, two pair of -colors, and the arms of the slain. - -Shortly after this he was raised to the rank of lieutenant-general, -and the king ordered that he should have troops and artillery to press -the object of the expedition. But de Rosen, whose mission to Ireland -seems to have been to disconcert every movement that promised success, -again ordered him to Derry, and he abandoned the expedition against -Enniskillen with that reluctance which he indicated in after years by -the following remark: "It is true, we had few, if any, cannonballs, and -scarce any ammunition; but yet, as the Fort of Enniskillen was only a -mud fort, we might have carried it; besides, the _town_ being entirely -unfortified, we should have got possession of it, and by that means -have obliged the fort to surrender." But then it was de Rosen's to -command, and Berwick's to obey. - -The recall of Berwick left the Enniskilleners again free to renew -their excursions and strengthen their fortifications, and they availed -themselves abundantly of this temporary advantage. Their forces daily -augmented, and they grew more exacting on the country as they increased -in power. The garrison of Sligo kept them in check on the western side -of the lake, but from Ballyshannon round to Belturbet, a circuit of -fifteen miles, all had to quit their homes or yield to their exactions. -Their military power towards the end of July was formidable; and, -taking the forces of Lord Blaney, Captain Francis Hamilton, Wolseley, -and Colonel Creighton (the commandant) into account, must have come up -to Southerland's estimate of 15,000 men. Stationed at strong positions -around the shores of the Lough; having large depots at Ballyshannon, -Enniskillen, and Crom Castle, and acquainted with all the intricacies -of the lake and its confluents, they should have been able to cope with -an army of twice their number. In addition to this, they had lately -received from England ten pieces of cannon, with ball and match to -suit; fifty barrels of gunpowder; a large supply of dragoon firelocks -and muskets; a corps of engineers and gunners; experienced officers, -with commissions to raise new regiments of horse and foot; and eight -hundred veterans of Kirke's command, under Colonel Berry. - -To drive this force from their network of fortifications, and lay siege -to Enniskillen, Mountcashel arrived with about 3,600 men and seven -pieces of artillery at Belturbet on the 27th of July. - -The town had been abandoned, on his approach, and on the 28th he -advanced and invested Crom Castle, on the eastern side. By the 30th -he had carried the outer works, and driven the enemy within the -walls, though not without considerable loss, and at once opened a -cannonade upon the castle. While here, he received word that Colonel -Berry was advancing on him by way of Lisnaskea, with eight hundred -regulars, followed by the united forces of Wolseley and Hamilton. -Without discontinuing the operations against the fort, he withdrew a -part of his command about two miles to the eastward, and took post at -Newtownbutler. Learning that the enemy's forces had all united, and -were too powerful to meet in the open country, he sent Colonel Anthony -Hamilton, with O'Brien's regiment of dragoons, to hold them in check, -while he himself prepared for a retrograde movement to Belturbet. The -troops of Hamilton were drawn into an ambush by Berry, near Lisnaskea; -their commander was wounded, his next in command killed, and in a -retreat which was ordered, two hundred and thirty were slain or taken -prisoners. Mountcashel, on hearing of this disaster, advanced with his -own regiment of horse; arrested the retreat and repulsed Berry; but -seeing Wolseley, with a force of 8,000 men, close in Berry's rear, he -took up his retreat to Belturbet. Berry and Wolseley moved forward -rapidly; Mountcashel closely pressed, and considering resistance safer -than flight, at last drew up his men about a mile to the south of -Newtownbutler, and hastily formed in line of battle. - -The action which ensued was disastrous to the Irish army. Opposed -by more than double their number, and attacked in front and flank, -they fought with great bravery, and the battle might have resulted in -their favor, but an unfortunate blunder, in carrying out the general's -orders, disarranged their lines, created a panic among the soldiers, -and a total rout was the consequence. The lake and its tributaries cut -them off from escape in any direction, and, being completely hemmed in, -they were slaughtered without mercy. Their loss is estimated to be over -2,000 men, of whom 400 only were killed in the battle, the rest being -massacred through the night, to the cry of "No popery!" or drowned in -the lake into which they had thrown themselves in the vain hope of -escaping the general carnage. Mountcashel himself was wounded and taken -prisoner, but was saved from death by a captain named Cooper, to whom -he had previously rendered a similar service. Sir Stephen Martin and -Lord Abercorn, and many officers of distinction, were killed. All that -escaped of this unfortunate command fled towards Belturbet, and, after -the capture of their general, the expedition was abandoned. - -Affairs at Derry were now approaching a crisis. The siege had been -pressed with vigor under every disadvantage: minority of force, -inadequate artillery, and a season almost unprecedented for heavy -rains, which kept the trenches continually filled with water from the -beginning to the end of the siege. The besieged, reduced to the last -extremity, had become almost passive in their resistance, and were -frequently on the point of surrendering, when the appearance of an -English fleet would again raise their spirits for a time, but to cause -a still greater depression when it had to withdraw without being able -to afford relief. Every successive disappointment renewed the murmurs -of the people, and cooled the ardor of the soldiers. Several times -through the summer they had received fresh supplies of powder and ball; -but of provisions, which were as easily smuggled in, they had received -little or none. - -De Rosen, exasperated by delay, collected the fugitive population of -the district, and placing them between the town and his men, gave -orders to drive them in on the besieged. The Irish soldiers, though -suffering great privations, and eager for the surrender, refused -to obey the order, and threatened a mutiny if compelled to enforce -it. De Rosen continued unmoved, but Hamilton and the other leaders -communicated the circumstance to the king, and received a positive -order that the multitude should be allowed to depart unmolested to -their homes. The garrison, taking advantage of this circumstance, sent -away the most helpless of the citizens, and took in a reinforcement -of the young and active in their place, so that de Rosen's cruelty -ultimately tended to their advantage. - -Yet, notwithstanding the advantage thus gained by the besieged, their -suffering had become unendurable, and despair had settled on all, -when, towards the middle of July, Kirke again entered Lough Foyle, and -displayed his fleet to the wistful eyes of the starving inhabitants, -and was again obliged to retire without accomplishing his object. This -was the turning-point of the siege. The long-hoped for relief again -disappeared; the authorities of Derry determined on a surrender, and -demanded a cessation to regulate its provisions. But Kirke managed to -convey a note to the governor, concealed in a twisted rope, which he -tied round the waist of a country lad, and this note--which may be -found in Walker's account of the siege,--apprised him of a plan which -he had set on foot to relieve the garrison. - -Baffled in his efforts to succor the town from the side of Lough Foyle, -Kirke divided his fleet and with one part of it doubled Malin Head, -sailed up Lough Swilly, and established a garrison of 800 men near -Rathmelton, a few miles west of Derry. The place was well selected -for his purpose; which was to attract the attention of the besiegers, -and cause them to withdraw some of their forces from the side of the -Foyle. This movement was observed by de Rosen, who, instead of drawing -his forces from the water-side, ordered Berwick from Enniskillen to -check the movements of Kirke, and dislodge him, if possible, without -weakening the forces stationed at the obstructions in the river; and -Berwick, as already indicated, abandoned Enniskillen, and arrived at -Rathmelton, with a force of 1,200 horse, about the 22d of July. - -The position occupied by Kirke was one of great natural strength. -The inlets of the Lough indented the country in all directions, and -extended up to within three or four miles of Derry, presenting almost -insuperable difficulties to an attacking force; and, on one of its -peninsular mazes, he was found strongly intrenched under the protection -of his frigates. Berwick spent a whole day in trying to dislodge -him, but without effect, when he retired to an adjacent height, and -contented himself with watching his movements, and confining him to his -intrenchments. - -But Kirke succeeded in his object. Notwithstanding the vigilance of -Berwick, he threw both men and munitions into Enniskillen; partially -relieved Derry; and conjuring the governor to hold out yet a little -longer, sailed out of Lough Swilly, and joined the fleet at the Foyle, -while Berwick united his command to the force of the besiegers. - -On the 28th of July, the English fleet again appeared in Lough Foyle, -and bore up steadily towards the obstructions above Culmore Fort, -near the mouth of the river. It consisted of twenty ships of war, -300 transports laden with provisions and military stores, and 6,000 -veteran troops under the command of General Kirke.[20] The result may -be anticipated. The blockading army, not having cannon of sufficient -calibre to sink the approaching vessels, the boom across the river was -broken. Derry was partially relieved on that day, and, on the 30th, -all attempts of the besiegers to thwart their movements had become -futile. The whole fleet rode up the river, and succored the beleaguered -town, and the Irish army, after a few days more, raised the siege, and -retired towards Dublin, on which Marshal Schomberg was reported to be -projecting a descent. On their way they were joined by the remnant of -Mountcashel's command; nor was the news that preceded them in Dublin of -a more cheering character. Since the siege had commenced, the famous -battle of Killicrankie had been fought and won. There, on the 26th of -May, Dundee, at the head of 2,000 Irish, and about the same number -of Highlanders, defeated General Mackay's army of 8,000 veterans. -But with this victory expired the hopes of the Jacobite cause in -Scotland. Dundee received a mortal wound in the moment of victory; the -Highlanders, dispirited by his death, dispersed after a few unimportant -skirmishes, and what was left of the Irish contingent returned to their -own country. - -So ended the siege of Derry, an affair of little military note, but -of great political and religious import. Though its gates were closed -against the king's troops on the 7th of December, free access to it -from the sea was not obstructed until the surrender of Culmore, on -the 21st of April. It had made ample preparation for a siege, and, -notwithstanding the blockade, had received 480 barrels of gunpowder, -and stores of provisions and clothing, from that time until the end of -June. It had not been closely invested until the latter part of May; -and, unless from the two light field-pieces of General Wauchop, on the -water-side, there was no cannonade whatever before the 21st of June, -when Berwick withdrew to Enniskillen. The defenders, during the heat -of the siege, had other advantages not generally accorded to an enemy. -They were allowed to send away ten thousand of the sick and indigent -inhabitants, and, during the armistice that ensued, had managed to -admit an equal number "of the young and active." They had thirty -siege-guns on their walls, 10,000 "regimented men," and a population, -stated at twenty thousand, to supply the casualties of war. - -The investing force was 5,000 men, four siege-guns, two mortars, and -two field-pieces. From this force 400 dragoons marched with the Duke of -Berwick to Enniskillen, and during the siege they received but 2,500 -additional troops, making the entire force 7,500 men. The weather was -continually unfavorable to siege operations, and, excepting in the -amount of rations, the besiegers endured far more suffering than the -besieged. The bombardment continued at intervals from the 21st of June -to the 28th of July; but during the last week there had been an almost -entire cessation of hostilities, to admit of negotiations. On the -estimate of the Reverend George Walker, who has left a journal of the -siege, the ball and mortar, great and small, thrown into the town up to -the 22d of July, was 587. After this there was but an occasional shot -until the siege was raised. This fell short of fifteen shots a day, and -about one every two hours, admitting them to have been fired in regular -succession. During the siege the garrison had been reduced to 3,000 -effective men, while the besiegers retired with 3,500--showing a loss -to the defenders of 7,000, and to the assailants of 3,600. - -The Duke of Berwick, who was present in all the skirmishing that took -place up to the 21st of June, and who afterwards became a prominent -character in the great wars of the continent, had certainly no -inducement to magnify this episode in his life, by underrating the -Jacobite forces; nor is it to be credited that the Reverend George -Walker has given an overestimate of the besieged. Whatever were the -privations of the non-combatants,--and they must have been great--it -does not appear from his journal that the defenders were, for any -considerable time, on an allowance much below that of soldiers in -ordinary warfare. We find that in two or three instances they were -obliged to resort to the boiling of salt hides for a substitute; and to -eating "dogs and cats, etc.," now considered a luxury, though thrown -in by Williamite writers to shadow a picture dark enough from any -perspective. - -But if the defenders did not display as great intrepidity as the -besiegers, they showed qualities which, in their position, would be -considered by many as more important:--wonderful fortitude and great -endurance--and their service to England can scarcely be overestimated. -They forced this war for religious ascendency; they maintained this -stronghold until the landing of Schomberg, which turned the tide of -fortune; but in all that transpired before the walls, the Jacobite army -exhibited greater courage, and far greater valor and intrepidity. If, -then, it should be asked why they were able to withstand, so long, the -greater valor claimed for their enemies, the answer is plain:--Stone -walls, abundant means, and great numerical odds. If it be true,--and it -is so asserted,--that in a moment of desperation they threw open their -gates and invited the enemy to enter, and it should be asked, why they -were not accommodated?--it should be remembered that there is a wide -difference between rashness and valor. But that they were driven from -the open country, by a much inferior force, and twice brought to terms, -unwisely rejected by an over-punctilious king, are also as certain as -the records of the time are reliable. But, when it is asked, why men -and appliances sufficient were not brought to bear on them in time; the -answer is harrowing, but nevertheless true:--an impoverished country, -a ruined exchequer, and the consequent dependence on the bounty of the -French king. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE LANDING OF MARSHAL SCHOMBERG, AND HIS WINTER CAMPAIGN. - - -Hitherto, the success of the Jacobite cause in Ireland and Scotland, -had rendered the tenure of the English throne by the Prince of Orange -a matter of uncertainty both to himself and his English adherents. The -state of public feeling in the capital had rendered the presence of his -foreign mercenaries continually necessary to his person; and he knew -that should James succeed in repressing the rebellion in the other two -kingdoms, his restoration to the third would follow as an inevitable -consequence. He had already, with the English people, lost all that -popularity which immediately succeeded his invasion. By turning the -Convention into a Parliament, in order to avoid a popular election, he -outraged the first principle of the British Charter, and the people -soon learned that his pledges to maintain their liberty and religion -were only affected for the time, to establish his own dominion over -them. The Conventionists, too, so long subservient to his wishes, had, -since erected into a Parliament, inveighed against the Dutch influence -in the kingdom, and he, more than once, had threatened to abdicate -and leave them to the mercy of their outraged king. This threat -never failed of its desired effect on the leaders of the Opposition -in Parliament; but the popular discontent had to be suppressed by -the strong hand; and the British soldiers who showed any sign of -disaffection, were sent to serve as his Dutch contingent to the League, -while the followers of Schomberg and Ginckle lived at will in England. - -But now that the relief of Derry and Enniskillen put a better face on -affairs in Ireland; and the death of Dundee freed him from farther -apprehension for the safety of Scotland, he resolved to relieve the -English people of the presence of his foreign mercenaries, by employing -them in the reduction of the only kingdom that preferred allegiance to -King James. He accordingly apprised the Parliament of his intention. -The proposition was favorably received, and large subsidies being -granted for that purpose, an army consisting of eighteen regiments -of foot, and six regiments of horse--about 20,000 men,--was soon -organized from among the military adventurers that the higher pay -given in England at that time had drawn thither from the Continent. A -fleet was soon ready to transport this army to Ireland, and the whole -was placed under the command of Marshal, the Duke of Schomberg, and -Count Solmes, to make a descent on the eastern coast of Ireland, and, -after establishing communications with the rebels, to proceed to the -reduction of Dublin. On the 12th of August this fleet appeared off the -coast of Down, and, sailing into Belfast Lough, effected a landing at -Bangor Bay, between Belfast and Carrickfergus. The next day Schomberg -took possession of Belfast, and after strengthening its defences, -and giving his troops some rest, he appeared before the Castle of -Carrickfergus and summoned it to surrender. The garrison was under the -command of Colonel McCarthy-More, and consisted of his own regiment -and that of Colonel Cormac O'Neil,--about eight hundred men,--poorly -supplied, and greatly embarrassed by the population of the town, who -had taken refuge within its walls. Schomberg immediately opened upon it -from his ships and land batteries, keeping up a fierce cannonade day -and night during the entire period of the siege. The garrison made a -stubborn resistance, and visited the besiegers with severe loss, which -elicited the praise of Schomberg, and excited a spirit of vengeance -among his followers. The walls being breached after the second day, -the besieged had resort to a singular stratagem. The cattle within the -walls were slaughtered, hauled up and thrown into the breach, and earth -and stones being heaped over them, the place was soon as tenable as -ever; their balls being spent, they tore the lead from the roof of the -castle, and converted it into bullets; and at last, their powder being -exhausted, and no succor arriving from the Irish army; after a siege -of eight days, they surrendered on terms considered highly honorable. -But these conditions were flagrantly violated after the evacuation; -the prisoners, whom the English Annalist calls "brave fellows, but -poorly clad," were subjected to treatment which darkens the history -of the time; crimes too abominable for recital, were perpetrated by -the foreign mercenaries on the defenceless inhabitants of the town: -and Schomberg, who tried to check their excesses, only succeeded in -rendering himself so unpopular as to affect unfavorably the result of -the ensuing campaign.... Judging of this army of mercenaries on the -authority of the historian, Taylor, they must, indeed, have been a -godless host. "They were," says he,[21] "the outcasts of all society, -familiar with every crime, abandoned to every excess. Vices for which -language scarcely ventures to find a name; abominations that may not -be described, and can scarcely be imagined, were constantly practised -by these bandits. ... The traditions of the Irish Protestants and -Catholics contain a horrid catalogue of the enormities practised by -this 'black banditti;' and these accounts are fully confirmed by the -narratives which the contemporary writers have given of their conduct -in other countries. With these were joined some raw English levies, who -found it much easier to imitate the debaucheries than to practise the -discipline of the foreigners. Indeed, no worse scourge could be sent by -an angry Providence than the army which now proceeded against Ireland." - -Having repaired the Castle of Carrickfergus, and left English garrisons -there and in Belfast, Schomberg drew out his army into the open -country, and spent some time in organizing the Enniskilleners, who -now flocked to his standard. Nor does it appear that they who now -joined him were of a character to check the evil propensities of his -foreigners. In allusion to them, the authority just quoted, gives the -following not very flattering picture: - -"The soldiers of Schomberg were perfectly astounded by the appearance -of the men whose fame had been so loudly trumpeted in England.... -Every man was armed and equipped after his own fashion, and each was -attended by a mounted servant bearing his baggage.... Descended from -the Levellers and Covenanters, they preserved all the gloomy fanaticism -of their fathers, and believed the slaughtering of Papists an act of -religious duty. They were robbers and murderers on principle, for they -believed themselves commissioned to remove idolatry from the land.... -Reeking from the field of battle, they assembled round their preachers, -who always accompanied them in their expeditions, and listened with -eager delight to their wild effusions, in which the magnificent -Orientalisms of the Old Testament were strangely combined with their -gross and vulgar sentiments.... William himself despised them most -heartily, and subjected them to military execution by the dozen for -violating the laws of war. From the moment they joined the regular -army, they performed no exploit worthy of their former fame, simply -because they could not learn a new mode of fighting. They were aware of -this themselves, and frequently declared, with truth, that they could -do no good while acting under orders."[22] - -Such was the army; discordant in language, in habit--in fine, in every -thing but its love of plunder and confiscation, with which Schomberg -now undertook the conquest of the country and the eradication of the -Catholic faith; and had he moved directly on the capital without -delay, there is hardly a doubt that he could have established his -winter-quarters in it, for there was then no army on his front capable -of offering any protracted opposition. Behind him, and to his right, -lay the northern province, lately relieved from the presence of the -Jacobite army; with no garrison but Charlemont, on the Blackwater, to -concern his movements, and that, in the presence of the Enniskilleners, -and in the midst of a population friendly to his cause, might have -been safely disregarded. Far off towards its western confines lay a -few detached encampments of the Irish, too remote to offer any timely -opposition, while the garrison of Belturbet was so straitened and -reduced by the late reverse at Newtownbutler, as to be scarcely able -to maintain its position against the outlying insurgents of Fermanagh. -At this moment he might have safely chosen at once, either to march -westward across the whole breadth of the island, or direct upon the -capital, without meeting a force capable of disputing his progress. -But on his front lay Newry, and there, report said that a large army -was encamped under the Count de Rosen and Hamilton, though, in truth, -no body of any consequence had as yet left the capital, and these -generals were then at Drogheda, engaged in the work of mobilizing and -disciplining their raw levies. After spending several days, undecided -whether to advance direct against it, or turn northward and undertake -the siege of Charlemont, he at last adopted a middle course, which was -to detach a force against that stronghold, while with the bulk of his -army he felt his way cautiously towards Dublin. Proceeding slowly along -the coast for several days, within easy communication of his fleet, he -at last turned his steps towards Newry, to try the countenance of the -enemy. The time lost by this indecision enabled the Duke of Berwick -to anticipate him there, and with a force of 1,000 foot and 600 horse -dragoons, hastily mustered, he stood prepared to oppose him. Knowing -the futility of giving battle with such a small body of men to an -army like that led by Schomberg, flushed with its recent success, he -endeavored to effect by stratagem that which he could not by force. -So, raising intrenchments at Newry, and causing a report to be spread -through the enemy's ranks that he was marching forward to give him -battle, the movements of the latter became more slow and cautious as -he advanced. The country between the two armies was studded with hills -favorable for deception, and on these Berwick posted videttes, within -sight of the enemy, and took up a central position himself, making -as bold a front as possible. Schomberg, on observing this, believed -that the whole Irish army was drawn up to dispute his advance, and, -halting his army, he encamped at the distance of two miles, and went -at the head of fourteen squadrons to reconnoitre the position. Berwick -in the centre, with only two troops of horse, caused his videttes to -withdraw gradually, and ordered a flourish of trumpets, as if about to -charge, when Schomberg hesitated, halted, and finally retired to his -camp. He was followed at a safe distance by Berwick, and, the night -soon closing, he spent it in hasty preparation; he strengthened his -position, delivered ammunition to his troops, and resolved to attack -in force the following morning. The morning came, every thing was -in requisition for the great issue of arms, but no army appeared on -his front, for Berwick had retired during the night, and marched to -Drogheda to join the Duke of Tyrconnell, who had assembled an army -there, and where the king had arrived to conduct the campaign in person. - -The army now assembled at Drogheda, under the command of the king, -consisted of about 20,000 men, not more than half of whom were the -veterans of the last year, the rest being raw levies, indifferently -clad, and armed with such weapons as could be hastily improvised -for the occasion; with a park of artillery, generally estimated at -twelve light field-pieces. Here a council of war was held, in which -the king was earnestly besought to abandon the capital and fall back -towards the centre of the island; but, after much deliberation, he -determined to offer battle, and advanced to Dundalk, where Schomberg -lay intrenched with an army greatly augmented by accessions from Derry -and Enniskillen, and vastly superior in every thing that could render -an army effective. - -It is hard to account for the indecision of Schomberg at this period; -for several days the Irish army hovered in his vicinity, but no -challenge could induce him to quit his intrenchments. His well-known -gallantry made this the more remarkable, and his continual persistence -in declining an engagement, daily offered, led de Rosen to believe -that "he wanted something," and to urge the king to assail him in his -encampment. But this proposition was declined by the latter, on the -ground that, as "he wanted something," winter would do the work of war -on his army of foreigners without hazarding a battle, and leave him -completely powerless to continue his campaign in the ensuing season. -Elated with the belief that Schomberg was afraid to meet him in the -field, after issuing a manifesto offering rewards to such as would -desert to his standard, he took leave of his army and returned to -the capital. The army soon retired to winter-quarters at Drogheda, -and Schomberg, after an inglorious campaign of four months, spent in -advancing about thirty miles, withdrew from Dundalk, and encamped in -the low country to the north of it, where he passed the remainder of -the winter. Here a loathsome disease attacked his troops. Thousands of -them fell victims to it, and the whole army became so enfeebled, that -the living were scarcely able to bury the dead. Others, principally -of the French troops, under the inducement held out by King James, -deserted to the Irish army, though many were retaken and executed: -until disease, demoralization, and desertion had actually reduced his -army to four or five thousand men at all capable of service. Cognizant -of this, the Irish generals again appealed to the king, to attack -him while in this condition, and rid the country effectually of his -presence; but with his characteristic dogmatism, he still persevered in -a policy that seemed to work so well, lost an opportunity which seems -to have been offered by Providence for the success of his cause, and -hugged his illusion till too late. De Rosen and d'Avaux were soon after -recalled to France; the Irish generals had become disgusted with their -leadership; the army felt relieved by the event, and higher hopes were -felt for the campaign of 1690. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -SCHOMBERG'S CAMPAIGN CONTINUED--THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE OF ORANGE. - - -The winter, and the advantages it offered to the Irish army, passed -away, and the Duke of Schomberg, who, for several months, could have -offered but an ineffectual opposition, was, through the vacillating -policy of the king, and the factious opposition of the Lords, spiritual -and temporal, in his Parliament, allowed to take the initiative in the -renewal of hostilities. While he pressed the siege of Charlemont with -renewed vigor, he dispatched 3,300 English and Enniskilleners, under -the command of Brigadier Wolseley, to seize on Belturbet and Cavan, -which were occupied through the winter by a small force under General -Wauchop, and to the relief of these positions, which were considered -of much importance, the Duke of Berwick was ordered with a force of -1,500 foot and 200 horse. Belturbet had been the scene of many bitter -conflicts since the commencement of the rebellion, and had been taken -and retaken by the troops of each army in turn, as the tide of war -fluctuated. Situated in the midst of a fertile district, it was of much -advantage in the way of supply. By its possession, through the previous -year, the Irish had been enabled to hold the Enniskilleners in check -even after the disaster of Newtownbutler; and it was still hoped that, -by holding it, they could confine them to the more northern counties, -and prevent their concentration round the Duke of Schomberg, or divert -his attention from the capital. - -Berwick, on receipt of the order, proceeded by rapid marches, and -arrived at Cavan, which is about five miles from Belturbet, late in -the evening, whence he sent orders to General Wauchop to throw out -pickets in the direction of the enemy, and notify him of their earliest -appearance. Owing to the heavy rains that had fallen through the night, -this order was either totally neglected, or but carelessly observed; -and early in the morning, while Berwick took up his march from Cavan, -Wolseley approached as rapidly from the direction of Monaghan; each -with the intention of occupying a mud fort which commanded the town. -Both forces, each unapprised of the design of the other, met in the -intrenchments, and a fierce conflict followed. Wolseley was driven -from the fort and through the adjoining coppice in great confusion, -but Colonel MacGeoghaghen being killed, and General Nugent and several -officers wounded, their troops became panic-stricken, "and, in a -moment," says Berwick, "from being conquerors, we became conquered." -Wolseley lost 300 men, and Berwick 500; the fort was evacuated as a -consequence; the Irish fell back to Cavan, which they shortly after -abandoned; and Schomberg, being relieved of further apprehension from -that direction, and being strengthened by his native auxiliaries, -turned his undivided attention to the siege of Charlemont. - -Believing that the fall of Belturbet, and the isolation of his -position, must have dampened the ardor of Colonel O'Regan, the -commandant of the Castle of Charlemont, Schomberg offered him honorable -conditions in case he agreed to surrender the fort, but he found the -spirit of this indomitable old chieftain as hopeful and defiant as -ever. Since the arrival of Schomberg, he had succeeded in baffling all -efforts to reduce the place; and, though now surrounded, and cut off on -all sides from hope of succor, he thanked the duke for his offer, but -replied that he would never surrender "his castle," and was determined -to hold it for his king, or die in its ruins. He was, however, placed -in a very embarrassing situation. Within the last few days a body -of five hundred soldiers, bearing a scanty supply of ammunition and -provisions, had forced their way into the garrison, and, having thus -partially relieved it, were ordered unceremoniously to fight their way -out again, but, in making the attempt, were driven back under the guns -of the fort. The governor refused them admittance. He said that he -was ordered to defend the place, and would do it, and looked on them -as much his enemies as the troops of Schomberg. They were, therefore, -placed on the counterscarp of the fort, where they were exposed to the -fire of the enemy, and many of them were actually killed during the -bombardment that followed. But, though in appearance, and in many of -his characteristics, he affected the ogre, his heart relented; and, -while he could bear to see them shot from the walls, he could not see -them die of starvation, and so doled out his scanty provisions until -they were consumed, and the garrison was reduced to all the horrors of -a famine-siege. Every means of supporting life was now resorted to, -and every effort for the reduction of the fort was in vain, until on -the 14th of May, when, literally starved out, after a siege of nine, -months from the landing of Schomberg, he capitulated, and marched out -with what remained of his famished garrison. The terms granted him -by Schomberg, who was impatient of delay, were highly honorable: the -garrison was allowed to retire with arms and baggage, and the king, who -neglected to succor him during this protracted siege, raised him to the -order of knighthood, and he was henceforth known as Sir Teague O'Regan, -and intrusted with the defence of Sligo, which he held until the last -tocsin summoned him to Limerick. - -This was the only event worthy of the military fame of Schomberg since -his arrival in the kingdom. From the first to the last, the Castle -of Charlemont and its commandant were as thorns in the side of this -unfortunate soldier of fortune. It would seem as if the old chief had -him under a spell; for once he set eyes on him and his stronghold, they -were in his thoughts day and night, and he would not depart until the -place was rendered to his arms. Yet, 'tis said that he had an immense -liking for that quaint old soldier, and was even sorry when he saw him -depart from his seemingly enchanted castle. A soldier himself, and -an accomplished one, he could appreciate soldierly qualities even in -an enemy; and O'Regan, notwithstanding his grotesque appearance and -eccentric habits, was a rare military genius. Of this siege it may be -said, that, unless in so far as that of Derry affected the final issue -of the war, it loses in comparison with that of Charlemont, both in the -duration of the contest, and in the spirit, hardihood, and valor of the -besieged. Its fall may be said to have put an end to the Jacobite power -in Ulster, and also to the military career of Schomberg. He frittered -away his time in its reduction, when it might have been safely left in -his rear; and the stubborn old chief that commanded it, after having -diverted his purpose so long from the real object of his campaign, -offered him his grateful acknowledgments, and laughed at his folly when -departing. The delay occasioned by this event was a matter of vital -importance to the Jacobite cause; for it had enabled King James to make -more ample preparations for the opening campaign, and saved Dublin, -which, up to that time, could have made but slight resistance, if any, -to the veteran army of Schomberg. - -Knowing, through his English agents, that the earliest possible -attention of the Prince of Orange would be directed to his affairs -in Ireland, King James was now making active preparations. While the -levies lately made were undergoing that hasty discipline which the duty -of the hour made obligatory, he sent Tyrconnell to the French court to -solicit the assistance so long promised, and so unaccountably delayed. -Men there were at his call for any purpose, and to any amount, but he -lacked money, small-arms, artillery--in short, every thing that could -render their service available. Through the exertions of Tyrconnell, a -French contingent was immediately put in readiness, and, towards the -end of April, a force of six thousand men, with a park of artillery, -consisting of ten pieces, under the command of the Duc de Lausun, -arrived in Ireland. But this was the extent of the French king's -bounty, for the money, clothing, provisions and arms, on which James -had calculated so long, and which alone could enable him to put the -requisite number of troops into the field, were still withheld. Had -the troops now sent been of the regular French army, and given in good -faith, they would have been a great acquisition to King James. But the -French king did not allow his generosity to outrun his discretion. He -was then engaged in a war with the allies, which severely taxed the -population of his own kingdom, and so the troops sent to Ireland were -a heterogeneous body consisting of French Huguenots, Germans, and even -English Protestants, taken prisoners on the Continent, and offered -pardon on condition that they would serve under the standard of King -James. It is said that at least one-third of de Lausun's force was so -constituted, and of this, the number of desertions that took place -while they remained in Ireland, and the unwilling service performed by -the rest, would afford ample corroboration. Nor were the discordant -elements of which this force was composed, nor its want of devotion -to the Irish cause, nor the eccentricities of its general, the only -drawbacks consequent on this accession. Ireland had been represented, -as indeed it would seem to be, inexhaustible in men who wanted but -arms and discipline to become excellent soldiers. Louis wanted men -at the time, and, taking advantage of this information, stipulated -for an equivalent to the force which he sent over with de Lausun. On -the other hand, King James thought that he would engage the French -king and nation more earnestly in his cause, by the introduction of -French troops into Ireland, and, as a matter of course, the terms were -accepted. All things considered, it did not seem an unwise act, and -might even be an advantage to his cause, had he not been as poor a -diplomatist as he had lately proved himself a statesman. Any number of -armed men would have been better than the same number without arms; and -'tis said that it was optional with him to send his equivalent either -in disciplined soldiers or in raw recruits. But his pride prevailed -over his judgment; and, perhaps ashamed to make a poor display in the -eyes of the French king and people, he resolved to send over Lord -Mountcashel and his command in exchange. This general, who had escaped -from Enniskillen in December, was now at the head of six thousand -troops, designated by the annalists of the period as "the flower of the -Irish army," and had all seen service in the events of the preceding -years. They were accordingly marched to Cork, where, embarking on -board the fleet of Chateaurenaud, which brought over the brigade of de -Lausun, they bade adieu to their own country, and arrived in France -early in May. - -We therefore hear no more of Mountcashel in the last struggle for -the liberty of his country; but his name was occasionally borne from -another land, in whose service he fought and bled, like the gallant men -so soon to follow. During the remaining year, he received an accession -of four thousand troops to swell this force, which formed the nucleus -of that "brigade," still the theme of the warrior and poet, but who -have left no other memorial to Ireland than their wrongs, and their -reckless valor in foreign lands. The year after his arrival in France, -Mountcashel, while fighting against the allies in Savoy, received a -wound from the effects of which he subsequently died at Barège, in the -Hautes Pyrénées, and the highest military honors were decreed by the -French king to his memory. - -The Convention Parliament of England had been dissolved on the 6th of -February, and a new one, more in the interest of William, had been -convened in March. To this Parliament he signified his intention of -taking the command of the forces in Ireland. The proposition was highly -satisfactory, and a supply of £1,200,000 was granted him for that -purpose; a presentation of £100,000 was also voted to Marshal, the Duke -de Schomberg; and large supplies of provisions, clothing and military -stores were soon got in requisition. - -The report that de Lausun had landed in Ireland with a French army, -tended to hasten these preparations, and to swell the proportions of -the designed armament. Pending the prince's departure, large bodies -of English troops were shipped to the garrisons of Ulster, and as -Schomberg had expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of his English -and Anglo-Irish troops in the field, a new army, consisting of foreign -adventurers--Dutch Danes, Scandinavians, Swiss, and French Huguenots; -some, no doubt, induced by religious fanaticism, but many by the higher -pay in the English army, and the promise of subsequent plunder, flocked -to his standard. On the 6th of June, William's grand park of artillery -and ordnance stores arrived at Carrickfergus, and on the 14th he -himself, accompanied by Prince George of Denmark, the Prince of Hesse -Darmstadt, the Dukes of Ormond and Wortemberg, the Earls of Oxford, -Portland and Scarborough, Generals Mackey and Douglas, and other -notables, arrived and proceeded to Lisburn, where Schomberg had awaited -his arrival since the fall of Charlemont. - -No sooner was the news of William's arrival spread abroad, than the -clergymen of the Established Church, and the Presbyters and dissenting -clergy of all denominations, waited on him, proffering him their -allegiance, and embarrassing him with fulsome addresses, indicative -of all they had done and would do for the advancement of religion -and the eradication of "popery."[23] William, though impatient of -delay, received them with grave respect, if not with cordiality. The -gentlemen of the establishment were simply told that "he would take -care of them," while large sums of money were distributed among the -dissenting teachers of the northern province, indicating that, as -they had already done more for the cause, more was expected under the -government about to be established for their behest. The men of the -establishment retired not over-pleased with their new master, and -the Covenanters, thanking God that they had a country to sell, and a -religion to trade in, also took their departure, and William addressed -himself to the real object of his mission; for, as he expressed it, "he -did not come into Ireland to let the grass grow under his feet." This -was a significant hint to the Duke of Schomberg, that he had fallen -under his displeasure through his tardy movements since he came to the -country. It was so received by that old veteran, and an estrangement, -never after reconciled, was the consequence. The days of Schomberg were -nearly numbered; but, short as they were, they were embittered by the -ingratitude of the prince in whose service he had spent the better part -of an eventful life. - -The available force of William in Ireland now numbered over sixty -thousand effective men. There were none of these who had not seen -active service, and by far the greater portion were veterans long -inured to continental warfare. The "Thirty Years' War," which has left -its impress on the nations of Europe, down to the present day, had sent -afloat a swarm of military adventurers ready for any cause that could -offer fame or reward; and to England they flocked as the best market -for their services. From this force he selected an army of 38,000 or -40,000 men, and, placing the remainder in the garrisons of Ulster, he -struck his tents and turned his steps towards the Irish capital. - -If we except those bands of Rapparees that traversed the country at -large, and levied on it in the name of the king, or for their own -support, the Jacobite force, according to the highest estimate, was -now but 30,000 men. And taking into consideration the long sweep of -coast from Dublin round by the south and west to Galway, and the -defences of the Shannon from Lanesborough to Limerick, there could -not have been then in garrison less than 10,000. This would leave him -an available force for active service of about 20,000, and of these -6,000 were French, the only well-appointed infantry in the service; and -about 9,000 Irish infantry, indifferently armed with muskets and short -pikes; but the cavalry were a superb body, long inured to service under -Hamilton, Berwick, and Sarsfield, and numbered about 5,000 men. When -with these is taken into consideration a train of twelve field-pieces, -lately brought over from France by the Duke de Lausun, the reader will -have a reliable estimate of the force which King James now assembled to -dispute the possession of the country with the Prince of Orange. - -On the 16th of June King James arrived at Castletown-Bellew, near -Dundalk, where part of his army occupied an advanced position under the -command of M. Girardin, a French officer; and thither also the rest -of his forces soon repaired from their winter-quarters at Drogheda. -Here, drawn up on the heights, behind a river, with their right resting -towards Dundalk and the lowlands, where Schomberg had passed the -preceding winter, stretching before them to the north, they awaited the -appearance of the enemy. - -From the 16th to the 22d William was at Newry and James at Dundalk, -each awaiting the arrival of his artillery. While the main armies -stood thus, almost in sight of each other, several skirmishes occurred -between the pickets thrown forward on both sides, in one of which -Colonel Dempsey, with two companies of his own regiment, encountered -200 foot and 60 horse of the enemy, only six of whom escaped; but the -gallant colonel himself received a wound of which he died a few days -after. This incident raised the spirit of the troops to a high pitch, -and made them eager for a battle; and the king himself, much elated -by the event, determined to abide the enemy in his present position. -But the Irish leaders were not so favorably impressed, either with -the condition of the troops, or the position which they occupied, -and endeavored to dissuade the king from risking a battle under such -disadvantages. They again urged him to abandon the capital, and to fall -back on the defences of the Shannon, where, by instituting a desultory -system of warfare, he could keep William in check until the winter set -in, when, by the promised assistance from France, they could render -his campaign as inglorious as that of Schomberg had been in the last. -Every argument that could favor such a course was urged, and all the -circumstances by which he was surrounded seemed to point it out as -the best that could be adopted. A fleet was fitting out in France, of -which his earnest friend, M. de Seignelay, would have command; a few -days more would see it afloat, and on its way to destroy the fleet -and transports of William around the coast of Ireland: it would also -bring arms and ammunition in abundance, and by winter a powerful and -well-disciplined army would be ready to take the field. These and -many other arguments were urged, but all in vain. The king would not -relinquish the capital without striking a blow for it; he became all at -once as bold and intrepid as he had hitherto been weak and temporizing; -rejected their remonstrance, and determined to risk all on a single -battle. - -This he tells in his memoirs, written several years later, and it is -but just that his reasons for disagreeing, which are not wanting in -plausibility, should be placed beside those of the generals. He held -that the loss of the capital would end whatever prestige his name had -with the French king; that it would entirely alienate the Protestants -of Ireland; that it would throw the provinces of Leinster and Munster -completely open to William, while he would be confined to one province, -the smallest and poorest in the kingdom; and that his final defeat, -though it might be protracted for a time, would be eventually certain. -But, whatever were the merits of the different views, is now but -speculation;--the king remained persistent. - -On the 23d, William's artillery having arrived, he moved forward. The -same day King James retired to Ardee, where he was met by his train, -and drew up in a strong position in the direct route between William -and the capital. William, still advancing, crossed the mountains -between Newry and Dundalk, and, observing the situation of the Irish -army, divided his own into two bodies for the purpose of flanking it, -or forcing it into the plain, where his great numerical superiority -would render victory certain. Seeing this, King James continued -gradually to fall back; on the 29th, he crossed the Boyne, at Drogheda, -and, drawing up his army on the heights of Donore, overlooking that -river, he there awaited the enemy. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE. - - -The Boyne, which finds its head-waters near Carbery, in the County of -Kildare, takes a meandering course towards the west and north, until -it enters Meath, through which it flows in a north-easterly direction -through Trim, Navan, Slane, and Drogheda, four miles below which it -falls into the Irish Sea. At tide-water it is navigable to Navan, -a distance of nineteen miles, for barges of fifty tons burden; but -at low-water, from Navan to Slane, it is a shallow stream, brawling -over a rocky bottom of a few yards in width; and from that to Old -Bridge it is fordable by horse and foot at almost every rood of its -length. Below Slane, its course is due east for nearly a mile, when, -dipping abruptly towards the south, it takes a semicircular sweep of -nearly three miles to Old Bridge, and the curve so formed embraces its -memorable battle-ground. The northern bank, for nearly half a mile -back, is high and firm down to the water's edge, while the opposite one -is low and sedgy, and the ground behind it broken, back to the base of -Donore, which is over a mile from its mid-current:--the chord of the -arc indicated is nearly two miles, and the distance from Old Bridge to -Slane, in a direct line, is somewhat under three. - -On the evening of the 29th, when James crossed the river, the distance -between his rear-guard and William's advance, was about eight miles, -and on the morning of the 30th the latter appeared, and halted his army -facing the concave bend of the river, behind a line of hills which -partially concealed it from observation, while awaiting his artillery, -which was still some miles in his rear. - -With that promptitude which characterized all his movements since -his arrival in the country, he immediately ordered an examination -of the river from Old Bridge to Slane, and proceeded himself with a -detachment of cavalry to reconnoitre the position of the royal army. -While so engaged he was struck by a cannon-shot that grazed his -shoulder and drew a little blood. This caused a report of his death -to be spread throughout the camp, and created the greatest alarm -among his followers; but, calling for a napkin, he stopped the blood, -and, putting on another coat, passed through the ranks to restore the -confidence of his soldiers, and then completed his reconnoissance.[24] -Towards noon he moved his army forward to the river, when, his cannon -having arrived, he established his batteries along the heights, ordered -a heavy cannonade to be kept up against the Irish centre, and, retiring -within his lines, summoned his generals to receive his plan of action. - -It was the intention of William at first to cross the river at Slane -during the advanced hours of the night, and falling on James by -surprise, to strike his left, and turn it from the road to Dublin. The -Duke of Schomberg, with characteristic caution, would have opposed this -proposition, on the ground that though James's army appeared small from -the English line of sight, he might have large reserves behind Donore. -But the duke was again rebuked by the prince, and notified to retire, -which he did, deeply mortified, and received his orders afterwards in -his tent, with the querulous remark, that "they were the first that -had ever been sent him!" Bating this, the utmost harmony pervaded the -council of William, and confidence reigned supreme throughout his camp. - -But, notwithstanding the discourtesy shown by William to the Duke -of Schomberg, the advice of that old veteran had its due weight in -his council; the determination to assail the Irish left during the -night was abandoned, and the following plan of action was adopted: -Of the 40,000 men of which the prince's army now consisted, about -13,000, composed of the Dutch Guards, the Enniskillen infantry, and -the Brandenburg and Huguenot regiments, under the command of Duke -Schomberg and Caillemotte,[25] formed his centre, opposite to the same -division of the royal army. His right, 10,000 horse and foot, under -Count Schomberg and General Douglas, respectively, was extended in -the direction of Slane; and his left, about 12,000 strong, comprising -the Dutch, Danish, and Enniskillen horse, and the British and Scotch -infantry, was drawn up towards Old Bridge, and to be commanded by -himself in person. His immense train of artillery, variously estimated -at from fifty to sixty pieces, including several mortars, was portioned -out to each division, the weight of it being placed against the Irish -centre; and his reserves, about 5,000, were stationed in the low ground -to his rear, within easy supporting distance of his right and left, and -not more than a mile from either. The Count of Schomberg was to open -the battle at daybreak by forcing the Pass of Slane, and turning the -Irish left; when this should be accomplished, the duke was to cross at -the centre, and, carrying the intrenchments opposite, press them back -from the river; biding these results, the prince himself would cross -at Old Bridge, and, flanking their right, cut off their retreat to -Dublin. Thus, by a general movement, the royal army would be completely -overthrown, and the war terminated by a single blow:--the chances of -defeat had no place in his calculation. - -As William had the advantage of ground--that is to say, the northern -bank of the river was steep and firm down to its margin, while the -southern side was low and broken--James had thrown his army well back -towards the hill of Donore, and during the interval had made the -following disposition: His centre, about 8,000 men of all arms, was -arranged in two lines; one, comprising the musketeers and pikemen, -under Major-General Dorrington and the Marquis de Hoquincourt, was -placed in the intrenchments along the river, and the other, composed -of the exempts, under General Nugent and Taafe, Earl of Carlingford, -in the broken ground behind it. For the support of these the infantry -regiments of Tyrconnell, Parker, and Gordon O'Neil, and the dragoons of -Lords Clare and Dungan, were held between a small village and the hill -of Donore, as the ground nearer to the river was low, and commanded by -the enemy's artillery. His right wing, about 3,000 men, of whom but -eight battalions were infantry, rested near the town of Old Bridge, -opposed to William's left, under the command of Lieutenant-General -Hamilton and the Duke of Berwick. His left, composed of the French -troops under the Duke de Lausun and M. de la Hoquette, stood about a -mile from his centre, in the direction of Slane; while that important -Pass, which, he tells us in his Memoirs, he expected to be William's -first point of assault, and which lay three miles from his centre, by -the course of the river, was entirely neglected until late at night, -when, at the urgent request of his generals, it was occupied by Sir -Neale O'Neil and his regiment of dragoons. A strip of moor-land, -extending from Old Bridge to the Pass of Slane, ran behind his right -and centre, traversing the base of Donore round to the southeast; and -behind this, but well drawn up against the hill, he held a reserve of -nearly 3,000 infantry and cavalry, the former under Sir Charles Carney, -and the latter under Sarsfield and Brigadier-General Maxwell. - -How little soever conversant in military affairs, one cannot fail to -see the almost insuperable disadvantages of the Jacobite army. Lying -on the convex of the river, with an army scarce half the number of -the opposing force; its supporting distance to the Pass of Slane -treble to that of the enemy; the ground near the river unsuited to the -action of cavalry, which was its main dependence; and its ordnance -miserably inferior in number and calibre, it was barely possible to -repulse the enemy, but almost impossible to turn a repulse into a -victory. To an ordinary observation the chances of battle would thus -present themselves: by intrepidity and superior valor, James might -hold his ground until the return of tide, which would suspend it, or -if the enemy succeeded in crossing without his ordnance, he might draw -up all his force on the heights, and by one of those desperate and -sudden efforts that man is sometimes capable of, hurl him back into -the river. There was no other alternative between him and defeat; the -vast numerical advantage of the Prince of Orange rendered the former -improbable, and the lack of military ardor in the king himself was not -calculated to evoke the latter. - -With a will concentrated on the object of his mission, exultant in -power, and personally brave and enterprising, William's plan was -simple, bold, and aggressive. Weak in numbers, and straitened in -resources, that of James was tortuous, cautious, and weakly defensive. -Fortitude and military capacity he is said to have possessed, and -they would seem not to have entirely deserted him on this occasion; -but in that desperate daring which alone could wring success from the -surrounding disadvantages, he was utterly deficient. His army was -gallant, and even eager for the conflict, and a rival whose persistent -malignity would have roused the meekest spirit, confronted him; but -the blood did not course warmly in his veins at the devotion of the -one, nor did vengeance steel him to action at the sight of the other. -Trepidity was manifest in all his motions, and he had not even the -self-control to hide it from his soldiers. The Pass of Duleek, in his -rear, claimed more of his attention than the enemy on his front; for, -while ordering the battle, he was devising a retreat, and had, in their -sight, dispatched one-half his artillery in the evening for the defence -of the capital. It therefore mattered very little how he disposed of -the remainder--six pieces, on a line of four Irish miles.[26] - -So stood the hosts on the night of June 30th, 1690, prepared to deliver -battle on the dawn of the morrow; and, as darkness settled down and hid -each from the view of the other, the feelings that swayed them may be -easier felt than depicted. One feeling, that in such moments pervades -every bosom alike, from the private to the king, must have been -theirs in common--the hope to survive the carnage;--in all else their -thoughts must have been as different as the causes they represented. -The mercenary can have but one passion and one object--to slay and -to dominate. The patriot has many, and all are sacred. The poetry of -emotion is his, and over none does it exert a more boundless influence -than over the race of which this king's army was mainly composed. The -memories of the past, standing out like the immemorial hills; the -voices of futurity coming up the long vista of time, and all pleading -the reversal of a fate more cruel than Egyptian bondage: while clearer -to the ear and nearer to the heart come the pleadings of kindred, -and the anxious household lifting up their prayers to heaven for the -devoted hearts that shield them from ruin, death--dishonor. All these -speak to them, and a thousand fancies, taking the form of life, pass in -solemn review, till the hardiest soldier, with moistened eye, and heart -full to breaking, grasps his sword, compresses his lip, looks out for -the dawning, and sighs for relief in conflict. - -But did not the Irish of that day deceive themselves? This king, whose -cause they had espoused, was not their king. His restoration would -still leave their country an appanage of the British Crown, and his -house was a name of woe and desolation throughout the land! Would -her future, under it, be much brighter than her past? There was, no -doubt, many a thoughtful mind in that Irish army that had all those -misgivings; but this was not the time to indulge them. Nor should we -of the present day be hypercritical. Royalty was then something more -than a name, and we should not judge the events of the seventeenth -century by the light of the nineteenth, nor the Ireland of untoward -circumstances as the nation of her people's will. To the memory of this -unhappy king this truth should be generously conceded.... He could have -retained his throne had he violated his conscience. He could have ruled -the Irish people as his predecessors had done, and at that time they -had no power to stay him; for the Catholic descendants of the Palesmen -were firm in their allegiance to the English throne, and the native -race was destitute of means to strike for separation. He had forfeited -his crown and jeopardized his power, for right. He had emancipated -them from a bondage servile to mind and body. He was the first royal -champion of civil and religious liberty. He had offered them justice in -his power, and appealed to their loyalty in his adversity. His cause -was their cause. He was banished by his own people, outraged by his own -family; he came to them in his bereavement, and to their honor, be it -recorded, they did not forsake him! His very injuries threw a sacred -influence around him, and as he sacrificed to justice, they paid him -the homage of their blood! - -Yet, in truth, he was not their king;--not the ideal king of the Irish -race. That should be a native king; one infusing nationality through -every hamlet in the land, and defending its liberties against a world -in arms! Six hundred years had failed to eradicate the hope of such a -king from the hearts of every successive generation, and every outrage -of the invader only rendered it the more indelible. The place, too, -was historic. Every hill and valley, from Drogheda to Clonard, in rath -and ruin, bore ample testimony of their aspiration for native rule. -Tara and Skreen, now plainly visible in the soft moonlight of summer, -stood out in relief against the southern sky, and it is no stretch of -the imagination to say: from that same Pass of Slane, the ancestor of -Sir Neale O'Neil, had, nearly 900 years before, reconnoitred the Danish -host and marked it for destruction. Many a chief and many a clan of -his martial house had, since then, crossed the Boyne to do battle with -the invader, but never a braver soldier than he, nor a more devoted -following than that which now counted the moments by the reverberation -of the enemy's cannon along its banks, and looked through the night for -the eventful dawning.[27] - -The night wore slowly away, and as its shadows were blending into the -gray dawn of morning, the cannonade which had been kept up since the -preceding noon from William's batteries ceased for a time, and the -beat to arms was distinctly heard on the heights of Donore. It was -promptly answered by a roll from the Irish camp, and the troops on each -side were immediately in motion, and deploying down towards the river. -An hour of hurried preparation now passed on, when the waters of the -gentle river were again startled from their short repose by a heavy -peal along the whole English line, the smoke of which having cleared -away, William's left, the cavalry in advance, was seen doubling the -curve in the river, and advancing steadily towards the Pass of Slane. -The firing thus resumed, was now kept up incessantly from the English -left and centre, and as the sun appeared above the hills, and both -armies stood out bolder on the foreground, William himself, accompanied -by Prince George of Denmark, the Prince of Nassau, and the Duke of -Wurtemberg, and surrounded by a grand cavalcade, was observed reviewing -his army, and, by word and example, infusing hope and courage through -all its ranks. - -King James saw all that was passing from the heights of Donore, and as -Count Schomberg and Douglas moved in the direction of Slane, he ordered -de Lausun to move his troops in the same direction. Then, after seeing -the remainder of his baggage on its way to Dublin,[28] whither the half -of his artillery had already been sent, he stood to watch the issue of -the day, with much composure of manner and much Christian resignation, -but none of that military ardor by which a gallant general often -imparts a spirit and energy to a small army that render it invincible -in the hour of battle. Not so, however, with the Duke of Tyrconnell. -Though bowed by age, and broken in health, he moved from rank to rank, -exhorting all to bravery; and it is very questionable which felt most -solicitude at that hour--that king for the fate of his crown, or that -patriot for the cause of his country. As for Sarsfield, he had little -to do in the affairs of that day; for both he and General Maxwell were -in continual attendance on the king's person, and his attention, with -the exception of one visit to his right, was entirely divided between -the reserve on Donore and the French troops on his left. Hamilton and -Berwick were at their post on the right, and well had it been for James -and his cause had he tarried in Dublin and committed the marshalling -of his army to those generals, and the issue of the day to the King of -battles. - -Apprised of the design of the enemy on his position, O'Neil had made -such preparations as time allowed for his reception. Around the pass on -both sides of the river he had drawn intrenchments, and as the morning -dawned had thrown forward a small detachment to impede his progress. -The ground over which he approached was favorable to defensive -operations, being much broken and interspersed with hedges: these -natural impediments, and the weight of his artillery, rendered his -movements slow and irregular; the fire of the skirmishers met him at -every step as he neared the pass, so that it was eight o'clock before -he had forced them back within their intrenchments. - -Here the fight was renewed with great stubbornness, and continued -for two hours longer, when Schomberg, with the loss of two hundred -men, forced the position, and the dragoons retired with the loss -of one-fourth their number, bearing away the body of their leader, -mortally wounded, and renewed the contest on the other side of the -river. Schomberg immediately commenced to cross, and the king, apprised -of the state of affairs here, sent Sarsfield, with sixty dragoons and -a piece of artillery, to oppose him; but these succors only arrived -in time to see the defenders driven from their intrenchments, and the -troops of Schomberg drawn out on the southern bank to receive them. - -All further attempts to check the progress of the assailants were now -futile; the dragoons retired on their supports; the gun brought down -by Sarsfield got "bogged," and had to be abandoned, and Schomberg, -his artillery being got over, deployed by his right, on the outer -side of the marsh, to turn the left of the king's army. He had, -however, scarcely got clear of the river, when the troops of de Lausun -appeared on the inner side of the marsh to oppose him. The force of -the latter was 6,000 men, within support of a reserve of 3,000; it was -fresh, finely appointed, and the marsh at this place was narrow and -practicable to horse and foot; but he showed no disposition to engage, -although Schomberg halted and drew up to offer him battle. After some -time the troops on both sides were put in motion, Schomberg still -moving by his right, and de Lausun by his left in the same direction, -the marsh gradually widening round towards the rear of Donore, until -nearly a mile intervened, when an engagement became impracticable, and -the Irish left was flanked. - -In the mean time, King James, seeing that Count Schomberg had crossed -the river, believed that the other division of William's army would -also move in the same direction, and that the entire battle would be -finally transferred to his left. He therefore determined to withdraw -his own right and centre from the river, to the support of de Lausun, -and with this intention he now proceeded to his right. There seeing -that William's left and centre were still drawn up on the opposite -bank, and being opposed in his design by Tyrconnell, he returned to -his left, where Count Schomberg and de Lausun were still confronting -each other. Posting his reserves on the right of the latter, and riding -up to him, he ordered him to charge the enemy across the intervening -ground; but the order was disobeyed, although Schomberg halted -again and formed to invite an action. In this state of perplexity -the king rode back to the reserves, placed the infantry at the edge -of the marsh, supported on each side by his cavalry, with the foot -dragoons filling up the intervals, and approaching M. de la Hoquette, -"_whispered him_" to lead on the French infantry. The latter was about -to comply with this _request_, when he was checked by de Lausun; at -this time, Sarsfield and Maxwell, who had been out inspecting the -ground in front, returned, and pronounced it impracticable to cavalry, -it being traversed by two double ditches with a rivulet flowing between -them. So the king was convinced, and de Lausun was relieved from his -importunity. In this manner the two wings continued to manoeuvre the -situation each moment growing more critical, as Schomberg neared the -end of the marsh, where the road turned towards Duleek, and led on to -the capital. - -Thus, through some motive of de Lausun, never after explained, and -through the absence of control in the unfortunate king, never forgiven, -the French auxiliaries, and with them the Irish reserve,--a body of -3,000 men,--were neutralized; the Irish left was completely turned, and -the remainder of the army, not exceeding 11,000, was left to contend -with 30,000 under William and the Duke of Schomberg. - -In the mean time a considerable change had taken place in William's -left and centre. The Duke of Schomberg had discovered another ford in -the direction of Slane, and when that pass was carried, had moved by -his right to avail himself of the advantages it offered, while William -had moved by his left somewhat nearer to the town of Drogheda. These -changes necessitated corresponding movements in the Irish line. A -greater extension was the consequence, and some regiments of its rear -were extended to oppose the Duke of Schomberg; but still they offered a -good front, and awaited the enemy in confidence. - -It was well on to noon, and the tide was on the return, when the firing -ceased on Duke Schomberg's front, and the Dutch Guards, accompanied -by their band, detached themselves from the main body and moved down -to the river. Here the music of the band ceased; the guards formed in -compacted columns, twenty abreast, and commenced the passage of the -river in the face of a well-directed fire.[29] When they had all got -below the level of their own artillery, its fire was again directed -against the Irish intrenchments, and compelled the men there to lie -close in their works, until the guards got beyond the mid current and -began to ascend on the opposite side, when they quitted their defences, -and advanced into the river to meet them, and, as they closed, Major -Arthur, of the Irish Guards, singling out the leader of the enemy, -passed his pike through his body. This stimulated his men to action; -a desperate conflict ensued; the Dutch Guards were held in check for -a considerable time, and many fell on both sides, and were trampled -beneath the current. - -The Dutch Guards were the household troops of the Prince of Orange; -were fighting under his eye, and formed a compact body of five thousand -men, while the Irish were mostly raw levies, inferior in number, and -indifferently armed with pikes and muskets. The result was doubtful -for some time, until Major Arthur was wounded and conveyed to the -rear; disheartened and borne back by the weight of numbers, his troops -gradually gave ground; and the Dutch troops advanced and effected a -landing. As they reached the firm ground above the river, they were -charged by the dragoons of Clare and Dungan, and wavered; but Lord -Dungan being slain, the dragoons became panic-stricken and retreated, -nor could they again be brought to the charge. In this state of -indecision the Dutch renewed their assault, and established a position -in the broken ground behind the Irish line. The position was a strong -one, and at once laid bare the intrenchments on the river, while it -afforded a protection against the Irish cavalry; and here they remained -during the succeeding events of the day, suffering severely, but -defying every attempt to dislodge them. - -William, who witnessed this, felt deep concern for the fate of his -household troops. They had accompanied him in all his campaigns, and -his care for them, in peace and war, was that of a patriarch for his -household. From his point of view, their condition was now perilous in -the highest degree, they being surrounded by the enemy on all sides, -and in danger of total destruction before relief could reach them. To -him, the movements of Schomberg, always slow and measured, seemed now -painfully so; and, suspending his advance against the Irish right, he -rode down to the centre, to precipitate the troops forming there for -the relief of his famous guards. Two regiments of the Huguenot troops -and one of British infantry were immediately formed, and, under the -leadership of Caillemotte, commenced the passage of the river. - -Hamilton, from the right of the Irish line, had followed these events -with a feeling akin to that of William. He believed, like him, that -the fate of the Dutch troops was sealed, could the reinforcements -of the enemy be held in check or repulsed; but he also saw that the -intrenchments at the centre were partially abandoned from the effects -of the enemy's fire on their rear, and that all now depended on -intrepid action. He therefore detached two regiments of infantry from -the right, to march close by the river, and throw themselves before -Caillemotte, while he hastened himself, by a more circuitous route, -with the cavalry, to sustain them. - -The troops of Caillemotte advanced rapidly to the mid-current, where -they were met as the Dutch Guards had been, and, like them, were -forcing their way against the Irish infantry, when Hamilton reached the -scene of action. As he appeared, the infantry opened to the right and -left to make way, and, with unchecked impulse, he rushed to the onset. -The effect was instantaneous. In a moment, the enemy were helplessly -broken, trampled, and dispersed. Caillemotte, two colonels, and two -lieutenant-colonels were slain, more than half his command were either -killed or wounded, and the remainder fled to the opposite side, pursued -by the victorious cavalry. As they pressed the fugitives up to their -lines, the Danish horse were precipitated against them, but were -instantly broken, hurled back in confusion, and closely pressed on the -columns now forming under the Duke of Schomberg. Rushing on wildly, and -crying out "Horse! horse!" in great alarm, they created a panic, which -was near ending in a total rout; when William again appeared among -them, restored order in the ranks, and the Irish cavalry leisurely -retired. - -William now collected all the infantry of the centre, while Schomberg, -placing himself at the head of the cavalry, entered the river, -and advanced with the same coolness and caution that had hitherto -characterized all his movements. The Irish horse had just returned -from the pursuit, and were drawn up on the river to oppose him. -They did not wait for his whole force to get in motion, but as he -approached the middle of the river, they bore down on him with their -wonted impetuosity. The effect was the same as before. Schomberg and -Walker of Derry were slain; dismay and inextricable confusion was the -consequence, and all retreated to the northern side to reform. Taylor, -in his short but life-like portraiture of this battle, says of the -event just detailed: "Had James chosen this moment to place himself -at the head of his troops, for one general charge, or had the French -auxiliaries attacked the Dutch in flank, the event of the battle would -certainly have restored his crown!" The poor king--he was at that -very moment concerting a retreat on his left, outraged by his French -general; and even his reserves were two miles from the scene of action! - -This was the crisis of the day. The tide was now making fast; the water -was nearly waist high in the river, and half an hour more would render -a crossing impossible for that day. William could no longer delay his -movements on the left, and so, ordering Sir John Hanmer and the Prince -of Nassau to reform his demoralized troops at the centre, and lead them -on for the relief of his guards, he hastened to the left to make a last -effort to restore the battle. - -Had Sarsfield and Maxwell now appeared with the reserves, and left -de Lausun to watch Count Schomberg, the battle had been won, or, at -least, suspended; for at this moment the balance leaned to the Jacobite -arms, and delay would have been tantamount to a victory. During the -approaching night, the division of Count Schomberg, cut off from -support, and lost in the intricacies of the ground behind Donore, could -have been totally destroyed; there were three thousand troops within a -few hours' march of the field, and the morning would have opened with -fairer prospects of success.[30] But all these chances were lost by the -fears of the king for his capital; no support appeared for the centre; -and Hamilton, after performing prodigies of valor, was forced to retire -again to the right, to oppose the passage of the Prince of Orange. - -William, whose design through the day had been to strike the Irish army -in the rear of its right, turn it from the direction of the capital, -and form a junction with Count Schomberg, was now compelled to abandon -that project, and lead his left to the support of his centre. For this -purpose he marshalled a force of about 12,000 infantry and cavalry. The -Danish and Dutch horse, bearing the standard of Nassau, were placed -in the advance; after them came the foot, and the Enniskillen horse -brought up the rear. Placing himself between the cavalry and infantry, -he entered the river, the water rising to the flanks of the horses as -they reached the mid-current. Hamilton, who had just returned from -the Irish centre, watched their approach with great anxiety, until -they began to ascend the southern side and had gained a surer footing; -when, ordering his infantry to retire, he withdrew the cavalry also, -to reform for the charge. William, on seeing this movement, believed -that they were abandoning the field, and urged his cavalry more hastily -forward. He was soon undeceived: the Irish horse had but withdrawn for -greater impulse; in another moment they dashed forward; the Danes were -scattered right and left, bearing back the Prince among them, and the -flanks of his infantry lay completely exposed. The Irish cavalry had, -for the third time that day, asserted their superiority. - -William's situation was now desperate. His Danish and Dutch horse -were scattered and swimming in the river; his infantry were hardly -able to bear up against its current; the Irish cavalry lay on his -front, and their infantry had opened with effect on his flanks. But he -was equal to the emergency, and his gallantry at this trying moment -would go far to erase a very dark record. Making his way to the head -of his Enniskilleners, now about to advance, he asked promptly "What -they would do for him?" They cried out with one impulse that they -would follow where he led, and hastening forward after him, they -threw themselves between their infantry and the Irish cavalry, now -reformed on the bank above them. The sight of these troops, their own -countrymen, protecting the foreign mercenaries of William, roused the -spirit of vengeance in the breasts of the Irish, and, wheeling as -before, they swept forward in one compacted mass. The Enniskilleners -did not await the shock, but turned and fled across the river, -deserting their general at his greatest need; nor could they again be -rallied until the battle was decided.[31] - -William, on being deserted by the Enniskilleners, again rode through -his infantry and reformed their disordered ranks. The Danish and Dutch -rallied, and formed round his person, and, with the desperate resolve -to do or die, he pressed resolutely forward. - -The scene along the whole line was now terribly grand and exciting. The -entire left and centre of the English army were in motion, and, stirred -to the highest daring by the danger of their Prince and the exigency -of the hour, were pressing through the river simultaneously. Hanmer -led the cavalry of the centre, and the Prince of Nassau the infantry, -each vieing with the other for precedence. The latter was crossing at -the ford lately attempted by Caillemotte and the Duke of Schomberg, and -the former at one hitherto neglected, which lay nearer to Old Bridge, -and offered more immediate support to the Prince of Orange. This -disposition nearly connected the English left and centre, and caused -another derangement of the Irish lines opposite. The Dutch Guards, -too, who still held their lodgement on the side of Donore, rallied as -their succor approached, and drew a portion of their fire from the -compacted masses of Nassau on their front. Three regiments of the Irish -Guards--those of Tyrconnell, Parker, and Gordon O'Neil--the exempts -under Nugent, and a few squadrons of cavalry, were thrown against -Hanmer, and, animated by Tyrconnell and Dorrington, were opposing a -most deadly resistance; while Berwick and Hamilton still disputed the -passage of William, and held him in check on the right. - -But the balance of the day was inclining, and the fates were again -propitious to William. Nassau pressed fiercely on. The Dutch Guards -assumed the offensive, and their fire became destructive. The Irish -generals exhausted every effort to animate their troops, but in vain. -Attacked in front and rear by superior numbers, they at last broke, -abandoned the river, and withdrew in good order towards Donore. The -command of Nassau, on ascending from the river, were joined by the -Dutch Blues, and both turned their attention to where the Irish Guards -were still offering a stern resistance to Hanmer.[32] The position of -these troops now became critical in the extreme, and a short time -would see them either all slain or captured by the enemy. There was -scarce an alternative, when Berwick arrived with a portion of the -cavalry of the right, charged vigorously, and held the enemy in check -until the remnant of these famous guards retired. This was the most -destructive conflict of the day to the Irish; "for," says King James in -his Memoirs, "the greater part of the exempts and brigadiers in both -corps were killed, likewise the Earl of Carlingford, M. d'Amande, and -several other volunteers that served with them. Nugent and Casanova -were wounded in Tyrconnell's, Major O'Meara and Sir Charles Tooke were -killed, and Bada wounded. In Parker's, the Colonel was wounded; Green, -the Lieutenant-Colonel, Doddington, the Major, and several officers -were killed; and in both squadrons there remained but thirty men -unhurt." - -Hamilton, with the remaining cavalry, no longer able to offer an -effectual resistance on the river, retired before William, who crossed, -wheeled to his right, and pressed on towards his centre. As the English -forces united, the Irish horse also converged, and formed on their -front for the protection of their infantry, forming in line of battle -on the hill. A series of conflicts now ensued between the Irish cavalry -and the converging forces of the English left and centre, which are -described by the annalist Story, as of the most desperate character: -for more than half an hour, during which all "were completely enveloped -in dust and smoke," neither gained or lost an inch; and when no longer -able to withstand the overwhelming force against them, the Irish -cavalry retired, reformed, charged the enemy again and again, "ten -times in succession," and at last fell back to the flanks of their -infantry, to make another effort to redeem the day. William advanced -boldly on the position now assumed by the Irish army, but, astonished -at the imposing front they still presented, he halted to array his -troops, when the Irish infantry, taking advantage of this hesitation, -bore down on him. The first and second line gave way; but their force -was spent against the Dutch Guards, and they retired; the cavalry now -charged again and broke the guards, but the wings closing on them, they -were completely surrounded. A terrific struggle took place; General -Hamilton was wounded, unhorsed, and captured; Berwick had his horse -killed, but was saved by a trooper; Colonel Sheldon cut his way through -at the head of the cavalry, and again reformed them on the front; and -while the two armies stood thus, neither advancing nor receding, the -order for a general retreat sounded along the Irish line. - -While the events just described were transpiring on the river, Count -Schomberg continued to hold de Lausun inactive, wearing slowly round -by his right; and as the Irish centre retreated on Donore, he had -reached the termination of the lowland, and thrown forward his cavalry -on the road leading to Dublin. King James, on seeing this, got alarmed -for the safety of the capital--should Schomberg get the start of -him,--so directing de Lausun to defend the road, he issued an order -for a general retreat, and, taking the regiments of Brown and Purcell -as an escort, withdrew from the field and pursued his way to Dublin. -On receipt of this order, "the Irish army retreated" from the hill, -bringing off all their standards and artillery;[33]--they crossed the -lowlands to the north of Donore;--and the Boyne was lost. - -It was six o'clock in the evening. The infantry soon reached the town -of Duleek, the French bringing up the rear, and formed in line of -battle behind the river Nanny. The cavalry arrived soon after, and -had just crossed the river as Count Schomberg drew up and formed on -the other side. Both armies then remained facing each other for over -an hour; the Irish, seeing that the enemy did not advance, began to -retire, and Schomberg followed. The Irish halted and reformed again, -in a long ravine, near the village of Neal; the enemy also halted, -but did not attack; and in this posture night settled down on the two -armies. It was now nine o'clock; the Irish resumed their march, and the -enemy following no farther, they continued their way unmolested towards -Dublin. William remained on the field. Some say that sorrow for the -death of Schomberg was the cause of his not pressing the foe. It might -have been caused by a lack of artillery, as his train had not crossed -the river. Perhaps he might have been apprehensive that the garrison of -Drogheda would issue out and capture or destroy it in his absence, as -they might have done during the latter events of the day; but whether -it was one of those causes, or a combination of them, now matters but -little; he had won the Battle of the Boyne, and it was enough for a day. - -The principal personages killed in the Jacobite army were Lord -Dungan, Taaf Earl of Carlingford, Sir Neale O'Neil, and the -Marquis de Hoquincourt; in that of the Prince of Orange, the Duke -of Schomberg,[34] Caillemotte, and Walker of Derry, who commanded -a regiment of Enniskilleners. Besides these, several officers of -distinction fell on both sides; among whom were two colonels, two -lieutenant-colonels, in the division of Caillemotte, and Sir Charles -Tooke, Majors Arthur and O'Meara, and the Chevalier de Vaudry, in -Tyrconnell's. The number of officers of subordinate rank killed and -wounded on each side was very great, considering the loss in private -soldiers, which did not exceed one thousand in either. The number -of the wounded in the army of William is not known, and, excepting -Hamilton, there is no mention of prisoners being taken on either side. - -Such was the Battle of the Boyne. Memorable for the extinction of the -Stuart dynasty, for the politico-religious government it entailed on -England, and for the wrongs innumerable it bequeathed to Ireland; but -for nothing more memorable than as a well-contested and long-doubtful -battle. It was one fought by twenty thousand men,[35] indifferently -armed, with only six pieces of artillery, and under a king whose -conduct would have disconcerted the best army in the world, from six -in the morning until six in the evening, on a river fordable at every -rood of its length, against an army of thirty thousand[36] veteran -mercenaries, with experienced leaders, cannon at will, and a prince -of great military skill and daring. From the beginning their temerity -seemed almost madness, to the bravest and most experienced, and their -king was besought to relinquish it. Yet three times through the day the -battle seemed equally poised, and once victory was assuredly within -their grasp, had their king but displayed one-half the courage and -intrepidity of his rival. Through the loss of this field the future was -foreshadowed. There the Irish army lost prestige abroad--and at home -every thing but their manhood: yet seldom was that better vindicated -than on that "ill-fated river;" and as they turned their last look on -it, and saw the long lines of William winding up to Donore, well might -they exclaim in their anguish, "Change kings, and we'll fight the -battle again!" The kings were changed, but not for them. On that river -their web of destiny was woven, and though they battled on bravely for -a time, patriotic devotion and heroic sacrifice were in vain. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE FINAL DEPARTURE OF KING JAMES--A RETROSPECT OF HIS CHARACTER. - - -The consequences of "the Boyne" are too well known for comment; -what a reversal of that day's events might have done, it is painful -to contemplate. A suspension of the battle for a week--even for a -day--would have changed the whole complexion of the war, and turned the -finger of destiny. The very hour that William drew up at Townly Hall, -on the 30th of June, the combined fleets of England and Holland had -been almost utterly destroyed by Admiral Tourville at Beachy Head: and -as he crossed the Boyne next day, the combined armies of the League, -under Prince Waldeck, had been overthrown at Fleurus by the French army -under the renowned Marshal Luxemburg. While James was hastening to -Dublin to quit his dominions forever, the fleet of Admiral de Seignelay -was unmoored, waiting a favorable wind to sail for Ireland to destroy -William's transports round the coast; the fleet of Tourville was riding -triumphant at the mouth of the Thames, and "there were not," says Hume, -"ten thousand armed men in all England." There, disaffection was on the -increase, the Jacobite cause was gaining strength, and it was not easy -to decide, even with the loss of the Boyne, which was at that moment in -the more critical plight--the victor or the vanquished. - -Had any nominal force been thrown into England at this moment, all -had been at once recovered; for William, if indeed he could, would -have to withdraw his army from Ireland "to save the larger stake," and -that country, relieved of his foreign veterans, would soon rectify -itself; or, if compelled to remain in Ireland, and continue the war for -awhile, he would certainly lose the other two kingdoms, and the third -would follow as a consequence. His affairs in Holland, too, were in an -unpromising condition. The arms of France were everywhere predominant, -and this was a matter of deeper importance to William, than even the -loss of the English throne, which, 'tis said, he ambitioned only so -far as it enabled him to cope with his proud and detested enemy, Louis -XIV. Such a happy combination of events, dashed but by a single defeat, -in which only about one thousand men were lost, would have imparted -courage and hope to any heart, but that of this unfortunate king. But -from the first to the last his course, if not leading to the ruin of a -noble people, might be read as a great "Comedy of Errors." He seemed -continually under the spell of some evil genius that lulled him to a -sense of security, while leading him to destruction:--and from his -refusal of the first generous offer of King Louis, through M. Bonrepas, -while he was yet upon the throne of England, the series of mishaps and -miscalculations through which he stumbled, seems indeed to mark out a -manifest destiny. - -At Salisbury, when deserted by his nobles, he had but to choose -generals from the ranks, and pledging his army the estates forfeited by -this treason, he could have created a revolution within a revolution, -and held his throne at will as the sovereign of the people. If, instead -of going to Ireland, where four-fifths of the people were unalterably -attached to him, he had gone to Scotland, we are told that the whole -country would have risen under Dundee; and William would have had two -countries to conquer instead of one. On his arrival in Ireland, he -weakened the strength of that country by sending 3,000 trained soldiers -to the assistance of Dundee; under the advice of Secretary Melford, a -Scotchman, and against the advice of Tyrconnell, who had seen the fate -of the soldiers sent under Hamilton to England. He next disconcerted -the arrangements for the surrender of Derry, and afterwards, through a -weak punctilio, refused the second offer, and protracted the rebellion -of Ulster until the arrival of Schomberg. Again, deaf to the entreaties -of his generals, he virtually saved the army of invasion from total -destruction, on the plea that winter and desertion would do the work of -war, on the foreigners. As time advanced, and the war assumed greater -proportions, his blunders became more glaring and more fatal. In the -spring of 1690, he sent Lord Mountcashel, the best general then in the -country, and 6,000 men, "the flower of the Irish army," to France, in -lieu of 6,000 nondescripts, under the lead of de Lausun, a man, if -not of dubious courage, of very dubious loyalty, and to sustain this -equivalent in Louis' army, sent 4,000 more the same year. He fought -the Battle of the Boyne against the counsel of his generals, and -when fortune seemed to favor his army, he lost an offered victory by -trepidity and indecision. And, now, to complete a series of blunders by -one more fatal than all: instead of sending Tyrconnell, or some other -statesman of diplomatic ability, to plead his necessities before his -"brother of France," he formed the resolution of appearing in person -at the French court, where the general rejoicing over recent victories -could only render his forlorn condition the more marked, and his suit -the more neglected. And, yet, through all, the people of Ireland loved -him, and followed him with a devotion deepened and intensified by each -successive misfortune. Her young men presented themselves in thousands, -aye, in tens of thousands, at every call for new levies, but to go -away and fold their arms, while their country was sacrificed! Such a -country! and such a king! We read the history of La Vendée in vain, for -an exemplification of the fidelity of the one; and there is no parallel -in the category of royal refugees, save that of the fabled Lear, for -the misfortunes and melo-dramatism of the other! - -When he arrived in Dublin, he summoned his council, and communicated -his intention of quitting the country to solicit aid from France. It -is but justice to state that he says they were unanimous in their -approval; that de Lausun was importunate in his persuasion to that -effect, and that letters, lately received from his queen, were still -more urgent, and that so his resolution was confirmed. Ordering that -the army should rendezvous at Limerick, each colonel leading his -men thither as he might, he committed the government of the kingdom -again to Tyrconnell, and, after giving some salutary advice on the -regulation of affairs in the city until the arrival of the Prince of -Orange, he made an exposition of his principles, and of the hopes -he yet entertained of establishing them; then, in a very simple and -affecting address, he bade farewell to his friends, and left the -city under escort of two regiments of the Guards, those of Brown and -Purcell. From Dublin he proceeded to Bray, where he left those troops -to defend the bridge there in case of pursuit, and continued his route -to Wicklow, where he spent the night at the residence of a gentleman -named Hacket; from Wicklow he journeyed to Duncannon, and thence to -Waterford. The detail of this route in the "Memoirs" forms a chapter, -highly interesting and suggestive to a writer of romance, although of -little import to the general reader. It tells how on the way he was -almost startled from his propriety at every step by Messieurs de la -Hoquette, Famechon, Chamarante, and Merode, colonels in the French -contingent, who had, no doubt, been sent by de Lausun to urge him to -swifter flight; for this general had many intrigues of his own at the -French court, and, as they were spoiling in his absence, he encouraged -the king's departure as the surest way of procuring his own recall -from Ireland. But, as the subject is irrelevant here, the curious are -referred to the notes of Berwick's Memoirs, where they may contemplate -the web woven around this unfortunate king by the general for whom he -had made the powerful Louvois his inveterate enemy. - -At Waterford he heard that the French ship De Lausun, of twenty guns, -was moored at Passage, with a cargo of corn and supplies; and in this -he sailed from Waterford to Kinsale, where, after a short delay, he -embarked, and arrived at Brest on the 9th of July, escorted by the -_fleet of M. de Seignelay, which he met on its way to destroy William's -transports around the Irish coast_! - -So ended the reign of James II.; and with it, virtually, the dynasty -of the Stuarts. He died at St. Germains, in France, on the 16th of -September, 1701, surviving his daughter Mary by seven years; and -on the 8th of March, 1702, his death was followed by that of the -Prince of Orange, who broke his collar-bone by a fall from his horse; -surviving his much injured father-in-law only by six months. The son -and grandson of the expatriate monarch, each in turn, tried to regain -his inheritance, but the Hanoverian line prevailed, and with Prince -Charles, "The young Chevalier," the grandson of the renowned Sobieski, -the noblest and bravest of his race, the royal house of Stuart became -extinct. - -James was an ascetic and religious prince, sincerely devoted to the -Catholic religion, but perfectly tolerant of the religious doctrines -of others. A just man, generous in great things, and yet scrupulously -exacting and punctilious in small ones; a king solicitous for the -welfare of his subjects and the glory of England, but, above all, -unalterably devoted to the principle of civil and religious liberty, -which he endeavored to establish in his realms, but which the -intolerant spirit of the times prevented. He was the generous patron -and consistent friend of William Penn, and the fosterer and protector -of the American colonies, which received his charters with adulation, -and repaid them with ingratitude. He was the first and last sovereign -of England that stretched out the hand of justice towards Ireland; -and her people served him with devotion, and, notwithstanding his -many military blunders, which justify their irony, they appreciated -his motives, and their descendants recall with pity, not unmingled -with reverence, the name of this much maligned king, who, in trying -to ameliorate the condition of their country, became the victim of -intolerance, and died a discrowned exile. - -Two characteristics, seemingly irreconcilable, are attributed to him by -his enemies;--that he was at once an "enthusiast" and a "bigot,"--and -they may be accepted. His enthusiasm was that of a good, rather than of -a great mind; but that he was a "bigot," in the repulsive application -of that term, cannot be accepted from histories which are in themselves -but tissues woven of the darkest intolerance. "_Enthusiasm_" and -"_bigotry_" are terms much at variance; but when applied to his whole -life, they are easily reconcilable, and not unlovely. He was a _bigot_ -so far as to be a firm believer in the doctrines of the Catholic -Church, but not to the extent of prescribing them as the _panacea_ -for the sins of others, nor of making it penal not to believe as he -believed: and he was an _enthusiast_ in so far as he imagined that he -could harmonize the discordant religious elements of the country to -abide in peace and good-will, and establish a name and an era in the -history of England to which all her people henceforth could point with -gratitude and admiration. He was a _bigot_ and an _enthusiast_ just to -the extent that Washington and O'Connell were bigots and enthusiasts, -and no more. The good that he intended for his own kingdom died with -him, but his principles were carried to the Western continent by the -Irish emigrants, and established there.[37] He failed; not because his -object was unjust, or his reforms unnecessary, but because an evil -spirit, not yet cast out, rendered the hearts of his people obdurate -and insensate. Two things, however, that should not be forgotten, are -manifest from the history of that period and the century succeeding it: -that Ireland is the precursor and exemplar of American liberty, and -that James II. was the first, the only English king that had the true -idea of popular government; the first that had the virtue to practise -it, and was at once its apostle and its martyr. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE SURRENDER OF DROGHEDA AND DUBLIN--THE FIRST SIEGE OF ATHLONE. - - -After the departure of King James from Dublin, Colonel Simon Loutrell, -then military governor, in pursuance of the royal order, released all -the prisoners, and, assembling the principal Protestant inhabitants, -surrendered the government of the city into their hands. Those -parties having constituted a provisional governor until the arrival -of the Prince of Orange, Loutrell withdrew the Irish garrison from -the city, and marched to Leixlip, where he was joined by Tyrconnell -and De Lausun, and took up the route for Limerick. In the mean time, -the French troops had been partially disbanded. One half of them, -under De la Hoquette, had marched towards Cork to avail themselves of -transportation to France; and the other, under Brigadier De Surlaube, -brought up the rear of the Irish army, and followed De Lausun to -Limerick. - -Berwick, who had remained for some days with a body of cavalry between -Drogheda and Dublin, to retard the immediate advance of the enemy on -the capital, soon after took up his march for the general rendezvous, -whither he had been preceded by the other division leaders, and in a -short time an army was assembled there exceeding by some thousands the -force that participated in the Battle of the Boyne. This, according to -the estimate of the Duke of Berwick, consisted of 4,000 cavalry, still -in good condition, and 16,000 infantry, of which only one half were -armed with muskets. - -De Lausun, who had become quite disgusted with the condition of affairs -to which he had so largely contributed since his arrival, now lost -no opportunity of effecting his recall, by representing the Jacobite -cause as hopeless. Arriving at Limerick, he at once pronounced the -place untenable; commented on the forlorn condition of the troops; -the dilapidated state of its defences; ridiculed the idea of holding -it against the army of the Prince of Orange; and in the excess of -irony, declared that "his master could take it with roast-apples." -Sarsfield and Berwick thought differently. It was their principal -depot of provisions and military stores; one of the few ports of -entry that now remained in their possession, and being moreover the -key to the defences of the river, its loss would be soon followed -by the total subjugation of the island. They accordingly set their -minds on holding it to the last extremity, and being joined in this -resolution by the governor, De Boïsselau, they at once set about -strengthening its fortifications. De Lausun, finding that his motives -were understood, and that he no longer possessed the confidence or -respect of the Irish leaders, withdrew his men, military chest, and -artillery from the city, and encamped within view of it, on the Clare -side of the river, where he remained an inactive spectator of the -events that succeeded. But whatever were the motives of De Lausun, -the strait to which the city was at this time reduced could hardly be -underrated. The provisions of the garrison were quite inadequate to the -maintenance of such a force for any considerable time; its ammunition -was nearly exhausted, and there were only nine guns, and those of -inferior calibre, on its walls. The late reverse had opened up all the -country to the east of the Shannon to the arms of William, and on the -southern side, round to Cork, there was hardly a fortress capable of -offering a day's resistance. The forts of Kilkenny and Clonmel, in the -interior, which had been dismantled during the war of the Confederacy, -had been neglected during this, and could hardly retard his march from -the seaboard longer than to comply with the forms of capitulation. -Commerce, which had been hitherto carried on briskly between this -city and France, ceased as the risks increased; the shipment of -military stores was suspended; and operations in the field had become -utterly impracticable. The treasury, too, was empty. The sum of 50,000 -pistoles which the king left with Tyrconnell, was soon expended; the -troops had become clamorous for pay, and private contributions were -no longer to be obtained. The king's Catholic subjects throughout the -eastern counties, were beset by the soldiers of William, and the king -once departed, the entire Protestant population transferred their -allegiance. Still every motive of pride and interest impelled the Irish -leaders to more determined resistance, for there was now no alternative -between success and total ruin. They had indicated the Shannon as the -proper base of operations during the earlier stages of the war, and -now that they were driven to it as a necessity, its defence became -doubly imperative. Should they now fail to defend it successfully, -their former importunities would be looked on as the effect of a weak -and vacillating spirit, and the king would be more than justified in -having rejected their counsel. All these considerations stirred them to -renewed action, and the work of preparation was carried on with vigor. -In consequence of their straitened means, one of their first measures -was a reduction of the garrison. All the cavalry, and 8,000 infantry -were retained for the defence; a few regiments were distributed at the -different forts along the river up to Lanesborough, and the rest were -sent to live on the country, subject to immediate service when called -on. - -On the day after the Battle of the Boyne, General Mellioneire, with -8,000 men, and a battering train, approached the town of Drogheda, -still held by a Jacobite garrison of 1,300 men. The place was -immediately summoned to surrender at sight, or expect no quarter. This -was the order of the Prince of Orange, and that he meant to carry it -out to the letter, there could hardly be a doubt. The history of this -old town had furnished more than one instance of similar cruelty in his -predecessors, and there was nothing in the antecedents of William to -leave room for a doubt in favor of his greater humanity. The commandant -of the garrison, however, interpreted the message literally, and so -accepted it. The Irish army had disappeared; there was no hope of -succor; and successful resistance to such a force, supported as it -would be, if necessary, by William's entire army, was impossible. All -these considerations, duly weighed, determined the conduct of the -governor, and the garrison was accordingly surrendered. This removed -the last enemy from William's rear, and at once opened the way to -the capital. But to the great surprise and vexation of its expectant -inhabitants, he drew up his army on the ground he had won, and took a -respite of several days' duration. - -On the withdrawal of the Jacobite authorities from Dublin, a scene -of riot and plunder took place there which threatened the safety of -the city. The Protestant mob, in defiance of all legal restraint, had -commenced to plunder the houses of the Catholic gentry. Among them, -the house of General Sarsfield became an object for special violence, -and was rifled and totally demolished. The infuriated populace fled -to the suburbs, and threatened to burn the city. Fitzgerald, the -governor, did all that he could to protect life and property, but the -riot increased in violence, and the greatest consternation prevailed -among "the better sort." In this emergency, a messenger was dispatched -to William's camp for a force sufficient to suppress these outrages, -but he turned a deaf ear to the entreaty, and continued unmoved in his -present quarters. He is accordingly much censured by the contemporary -writers of his own party, for this neglect of what they considered the -primary duty of a king who had taken them under his special protection. -But, all things considered, the Prince was not so much to blame in this -connection. The troops by whom he was surrounded, when from under his -own eye, were entirely uncontrollable. They had given proof of this -before Carrickfergus. There the presence of Schomberg was insufficient -to check their excesses, and now, had they entered the city of Dublin -during this tumult, they would but add fuel to the flame; and in this -light the conduct of the Prince might be looked on rather as an act of -forbearance than otherwise. But the truth is, that William, at that -moment, was disturbed by graver considerations than the safety of his -good citizens of Dublin. His spies at the French court, and his friends -in England, kept him duly apprised of all that transpired abroad -touching his interests. Immediately after the surrender of Drogheda, -he had received intelligence of the situation of affairs, both on the -continent and in England, since his departure, and that intelligence -was not very assuring. The career of Luxembourg; the defeat of Admiral -Torrington, and the preparations of de Seignelay, had wrought a change -in the sentiment of the English people, and his presence among them had -become a matter of pressing necessity. His fleet of transports, which -accompanied him along the coast, was now moored at Drogheda; his army -was encamped there, and his ordnance and military stores were still -at hand, and he remained there but to watch the current of events, -undecided whether to re-embark at once for England, and leave Ireland -to its fate, or to risk his hold on England, by advancing into the -country to renew a campaign but just inaugurated.--A few days, however, -decided his course. - -King James tells us that his principal object in leaving Ireland -at this juncture, was to obtain a force from the French king to -make a landing in England. He also adds that he had assurances from -his friends in England, that any respectable force thrown into the -country at that time would wrest it from the dominion of William. -But his flight from his only remaining kingdom at such a juncture, -so displeased King Louis, that he utterly denied him his presence -for several days; and when at last he succeeded in obtaining an -interview through the mediation of the queen, he found that de Lausun's -misrepresentations had so completely closed the ear of the king to his -appeals, that he not only denied his request, but that he had resolved -on recalling the force already sent to Ireland. - -William was duly apprised of all this, and it allayed his apprehensions -for the safety of England; so, after a few days' delay, he struck -tents, turned his steps southward, and encamping his army at Finglass, -entered the capital. - -The Parliament which assembled to meet him, presented a marked contrast -to that of the preceding years of this war. The latter was earnestly -intent on securing the liberty of the country and the religious freedom -of all the denominations, and on having them secured by constitutional -enactments; while the total extirpation of the Catholic faith, and the -immediate confiscation of the estates of those still in arms for their -rightful sovereign, alone could satisfy the former. William adopted a -half-way measure, and one which was more likely to subserve his own -interests. The confiscation of course became necessary, not only to -satisfy his new subjects of Ireland, but also to reward his Dutch and -foreign mercenaries; and it accordingly received his sanction. But the -extermination of the people did not suit his views. The population of -the country was already greatly reduced; and besides, 'tis said that -William was opposed to persecution for conscience' sake. However, it -became necessary, if possible, to detach the people from their leaders. -While their interests were identified, the success of his arms was -doubtful, and accordingly, a proclamation was prepared, subjecting the -leaders to all the penalty of rebels in arms, and offering an amnesty -to the artisan and laboring classes. - -The following extract, from an impartial historian of the times, will -give a brief outline of the parliamentary proceedings of that period: -"His first measures after his arrival in the capital were highly -impolitic, if not unjust. He promised, by a declaration, to pardon and -protect such of the lower sort as should in a limited time surrender -their arms; but he excepted the gentry, whom he resolved to abandon to -all the rigors of war and conquest. He issued a commission for seizing -all their estates and effects, though no court of judicature was open -to proceed against them. The commissioners executed their power with -the utmost rigor. They even ruined a country which they endeavored to -appropriate to themselves. Public misery, persecution, and confusion -prevailed everywhere. The king himself was either not sincere in -his offers of mercy to the vulgar, or he possessed no authority to -restrain the license of his army. His declaration was disregarded, his -protections slighted. Revenge, wantonness, and avarice induced men to -break through every form of decency and every tie of faith. Despair -animated the Irish to a renewal of hostilities, as submission produced -nothing but oppression and injustice."[38] - -Those measures were at the same time sagacious and cruel, and such as -would have disunited any other people than those to whom they were -now applied. They exempted the men of no property, but marked out -all others for total ruin; and had there been no other principle at -issue than the individual merits of William and James, it is hard to -tell what their effect on the artisan and laboring classes might have -been. But the clan system was not yet entirely eradicated from the -minds of the people. Most of the private soldiery in the Irish army -were men attached to their leaders by all the memories and ties which -that system engenders, and the wrongs of those leaders were resented -as their own individual wrongs. It is true that this system was dying -out; but this war, which was waged for the maintenance of a common -faith, served also to revive the ties of kindred and of clan, and it -is probable, that had James succeeded in re-establishing his power in -England, the feudal system of Ireland would have been revived in many, -if not all, its forms. Therefore, in leaving the men of estate no -choice between ruin and success, William utterly failed in his object -of detaching the people from their leaders. On the contrary, they clung -to them with greater fidelity than ever; and drawn back behind the -Shannon, as their last line of defence, they submitted their cause to -the arbitrament of the sword, and set the enemy at defiance. - -After a short stay in Dublin, William determined to press the real -object of his mission. He reviewed his army at Finglass, and mapped out -his plan of operations. His own command, and that of Duke Schomberg -at the Boyne, were to proceed along the coast, and after subjecting -the eastern counties to his sway, turn westward for the reduction of -Limerick. In the mean time, General Douglas, who now commanded that -part of the army which had been hitherto led by Count Schomberg,[39] was -to proceed westward from Dublin, capture the fortress of Athlone, and -then join the main army at Limerick. - -The march of Douglas across the country was marked by the most -revolting excesses, and scarce had he lost sight of the capital, when -the people's eyes were opened to the sort of amnesty intended for them. -Depending on the proclamation of William, those to whom it was extended -at first remained in their homes, but found that its provisions were -disregarded both by the general and his soldiers. The Protestant -population fared no better than the Catholics, the houses of all were -indiscriminately plundered and given to the flames, and themselves -mercilessly slain, without regard to sex or condition. His march could -be tracked by the cries of his victims through the day, and at night -by the light of the burnings. In this manner he advanced through the -most fertile and populous districts, spreading death and desolation as -he went. A report of these barbarities spread through the country, and -roused the spirit of revenge. The Rapparees inflicted some losses on -his outposts, but there was no organized force then east of the Shannon -capable of offering effectual resistance. - -Athlone was at this time garrisoned by a Jacobite force of 800 men, -under the command of Colonel Richard Grace, a veteran of the last civil -war. The life of this soldier was a stormy and eventful one. He seems -to have been one of those who, like Bayard, stand out from time to time -among men, as an example of fidelity and heroism. A colonel in 1645, -and a colonel still, he had spent the interval in war--France, Spain, -and Ireland being each in turn the field of his adventures. Twice, -in youth, he had successfully defended Athlone against the arms of -Cromwell, and again he stood there, in his eightieth year, as vigorous -and agile as any of his command, to defend its walls against the -assaults of this sanguinary general. - -Douglas advanced with all the assurance of certain success, and -appeared before the town on the 11th of July. He was, however, -surprised to find that the part of it east of the river had been given -to the flames, its walls demolished, the bridge broken down, and -the castle on the western side in a formidable state of defence. He -halted before the walls, and immediately sent in a herald to demand a -surrender. The governor, roused to indignation by the atrocities of -Douglas, flashed his pistol in the face of the herald, and, pointing to -a red flag which he had hoisted, said: "These are my terms; these only -will I give or take." The herald departed, and the governor retired to -animate his soldiers for the impending contest. - -On receipt of this answer, Douglas lost no time, but, erecting -his batteries over against the castle, opened a heavy cannonade. -The garrison replied with a spirit and vigor that astonished the -besiegers: their guns were dismounted, their works demolished, and -several of their men and their best gunner were killed. Again and -again they trimmed their works and renewed the enfilade, but with a -like result--the castle was impregnable to direct operations. Seeing -this, Douglas ordered a detachment of 3,000, horse and foot, to force -a passage of the river at Lanesborough, about ten or twelve miles to -the north of the town, at the head of Lough Ree. On their arrival -there they found the ford intrenched on the opposite side, and a -strong body of troops drawn up to receive them; and after a vigorous -attempt to force a passage, they were repulsed with considerable -loss, and the project was abandoned. On their return they were beset -at every point by those desultory bands that traversed the country, -and harassed up to the camp, losing many men and horses on their way. -The unsoldierlike conduct of Douglas now began to have its effect. He -had marched as if to certain victory, devastating every thing in his -path, and making no preparation for a sustained siege. Owing to his -sanguinary character, the people, both Catholic and Protestant, now -shunned his camp; his provisions and provender were soon consumed, and -he had to send out foraging parties daily, to levy on the surrounding -country. But these were ambushed at every available point by the -Rapparees, who also burned and destroyed in their turn; so that his -subsistence soon became precarious, and his situation more like one -besieged than one besieging. In this critical condition, he determined -to force a passage across the river at a ford below the town; but in -this he was also foiled; for the governor, apprised of his intention, -had it protected by strong earthworks, and the project was abandoned -as desperate. For seven days the siege continued with unabated vigor -on the part of the besiegers, but with a like result; every succeeding -day rendered success more hopeless. It was now reported that General -Sarsfield was advancing from Limerick with a strong force to raise the -siege. Whether this report was true or false, the narratives of the -times do not affirm; but Douglas accepted it as true, and shaped his -conduct accordingly. Not deeming it prudent to remain any longer before -the town, he decamped on the night of the 26th, abandoning his heavy -baggage, and avoiding the highways, lest he might encounter the enemy -on his way. - -The condition of the Protestant population was now worse than -before. Hitherto they had received ample protection, nothing more -being required of them than to remain peaceable subjects. But on the -appearance of this army they had declared for the Prince of Orange, and -having forfeited their former claim, they believed that retaliatory -measures would be instituted when the army of Douglas was withdrawn. -They had experience enough to convince them of their folly, and to -satisfy them that they were safer at the mercy of the rudest of their -countrymen, than as the camp-followers of a general who had already -violated all the rules of civilized warfare. But their fears outran -their discretion; many of them followed the retreating army, and -received the treatment which characterized the foreign soldiery of -William throughout this war; while others, adopting the wiser course, -remained in the town, and received the accustomed protection. - -Douglas could not have taken a worse route than that which he now -selected. The country through which he passed was studded with woods -and thickets. Innumerable rivers traversed it on all hands, and immense -tracts of bog extended across his line of march, rendering continual -deviations from the direct course imperative. He was beset on all hands -by marauding parties of the Rapparees, who took bloody reprisals, with -that total recklessness of life which had now become characteristic -of these homeless wanderers. He had lost four hundred men at Athlone. -Several skirmishes are related in which he lost from fifty to two -hundred; and though his entire loss cannot now be definitely stated, -it could not have fallen short of 1,000 men. Followed and beset on -all hands, both by day and by night, after a most harassing march of -fourteen days he formed a junction with the Prince of Orange, who had -reached Caherconlish on his way to Limerick. - -The Prince and his general had very different results to compare. -The march of the former had been one of uninterrupted success. -Kilkenny, Waterford, Duncannon, Clonmel, and all the intermediate -places, had surrendered in succession, without even a check to mar -the conquest of the Boyne, while that of Douglas had been one of -continual disaster,--showing the only reverses that the Prince's -arms had sustained since his arrival in the country. But if their -military exploits were dissimilar, their catalogues of crime closely -assimilated; for the same wanton outrages marked the footsteps of the -Prince and his general. As William advanced from Dublin, he threw out -detachments on all sides that plundered and laid waste the country, and -slaughtered the defenceless inhabitants. Roused by the excesses of his -soldiers, the people set upon them wherever they were found in detached -bodies; and, neither giving nor asking quarter, no day went by without -its tale of wanton aggression on the one side, and deadly revenge on -the other.[40] - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE SIEGE OF LIMERICK. - - -The city of Limerick, at the time of William's invasion, consisted, as -it does at the present time, of three distinct divisions, or towns. -One of these was on the right bank of the Shannon, in the County -Clare; one on the left bank, in the County Limerick; and the third on -King's Island, which is formed by the branching of the river about -a mile above the city. The part on King's Island was known as the -Englishtown; that on the Limerick side was designated the Irishtown, -and two bridges connected that on the Island with the other two -sections,--one bridge leading to each.[41] Holding a commanding position -between the most fertile portions of two loyal provinces, and standing -at the head of ship navigation, the military advantages of this city -could scarcely be overrated; but the well-known loyalty of the people, -the great difficulties that beset the king, and the exhausted state -of his exchequer, through every phase of this war, had caused it to -be neglected; and its defences were not at all in keeping with its -strategic importance. It had, according to the Duke of Berwick, on his -arrival there after the Battle of the Boyne, "no other fortification -than a wall without ramparts, and a few miserable towers without -ditches." But the month that had since elapsed had not been wasted; -the old walls had been strengthened, and such new works devised as -were allowed by the means at the disposal of the generals. The troops -worked with a will corresponding to the exigency, the people shared -their means cheerfully with them; and the gallant defence made during -the preceding war against the arms of General Ireton, imparted hope -and courage as the crisis drew near. The cursory view of this period -to which these pages are limited, will not admit of a more minute -detail of the disposition which had been made to meet the impending -contest, than the following imperfect summary: A covered way had been -constructed round the wall, to protect the soldiers in passing from -point to point; St. John's Gate--the principal one of the city--which -opened towards the south-east, had been strengthened on the outer side -by a redoubt and some angular palisades filled with earth, and on the -inner side by a fort called "The Black Battery;" a bastion had been -erected near the bridge connecting the English and Irish town; and an -earthen fort constructed on King's Island, the guns of which flanked -the counterscarp, and raked the eastern front of the wall as far as -the main gate. A tower on the southern angle of the wall mounted three -guns; the redoubt opposite St. John's Gate mounted two; there were two -on the bastion near the bridge, and the fort on King's Island, probably -mounted two more.[42] Eight thousand infantry manned those works; some -regiments of dragoons occupied the island; the rest of the cavalry -were disposed on the Clare side of the river, some below the city, at -Annabeg, and some in the direction of O'Brien's Bridge, above it,--the -branch of the river that separated the towns was easily fordable, and -there were many fords on the main channel between that and Kilaloe. - -When the Prince of Orange reviewed his army at Finglass, before his -departure from Dublin, it was 40,000 strong; and after his junction -with Douglas at Caherconlish, it is estimated, on good authority, as -"38,000 effective men."[43] The disparity in numbers between it and -the Jacobite army was very great; but in resources, appointments, and -artillery, it was still greater, and such as to leave little doubt of -William's success. - -On the 8th of August, this army appeared within view of the city, -on the eastern side, while de Lausun, who had, during the interval, -occupied the position already indicated, on the western side, decamped, -and marched his command to Galway, whence he shortly after sailed for -France. On the 9th, William approached the city slowly and cautiously, -bearing the Irish outposts before him, and took up his position between -St. John's Gate and King's Island, within cannon range of the wall. His -lines were soon extended to the right and left; the latter position -being occupied by the Danes, who are said to have expressed great -satisfaction at the sight of an old Danish fort that had escaped the -changes of seven centuries, and reminded them at once of the sway of -their ancestors over the island--and, mayhap, of the king by whose -valor their power had been eventually overthrown. - -Tyrconnell was still commander-in-chief of the Irish army, but the -military conduct of affairs within the city mainly devolved on -Sarsfield and the Duke of Berwick; and as William sat down before -their walls, the latter requested Tyrconnell to place the cavalry at -his disposal, and that he would cross the Shannon, make a circuit of -the country in William's rear, destroy his magazines and supplies -up to Dublin, and so reduce him to the necessity of decamping. In -referring to this proposition in his Memoirs, the Duke says: "As -all the towns in the country were open, and without defence, I was -morally certain of succeeding in my enterprise; and as to getting -back, which was objected, the knowledge I had of the country had -already suggested to me by what means it might be effected. I had no -doubt of making my way into the North, and returning to our quarters -by Sligo." But Tyrconnell, fearing to part with all his cavalry at -such a critical moment, represented to him that it would leave the -river between Limerick and Kilaloe exposed, and as they were the only -protection against a flank movement of the enemy in that direction, he -discountenanced the adventure. - -When William had made the necessary disposition of his forces, he sent -a regular summons to the governor--de Boïsselau--for the surrender -of the city, but to this a polite answer was returned through his -secretary, to the effect, that he could not comply with the demand; -that he was there to defend the city for King James; and that he was -resolved to do it, in such a manner as to win the respect of his -master, the Prince of Orange. William lost no time in putting this -resolution to the test, and had soon made all the dispositions for a -regular siege. His main body rested nearly opposite to St. John's Gate, -with the Danish troops well extended, encircling the city round on -the south and south-west; and his right towards King's Island, with a -division opposite to the bridge that connected it with the Irish town. -Batteries were soon constructed, bearing on those different points, -and, establishing his headquarters in Ireton's tower, which commanded a -view of the entire front, he opened a fierce and incessant cannonade. -The spirited reply of the besieged soon convinced him that they had set -their minds on defending their city to the last extremity, and that the -siege would be protracted and desperate. The batteries on King's Island -were particularly troublesome; the guns there being so well served, -that they did great execution on his right and centre, and after a -short time, the former was compelled to withdraw from the river, and -the latter to shift ground and heighten its defences. Finding, after -a bombardment of two days, that he had inflicted no serious damage, -William relaxed his fire on the wall, directed his mortars against the -interior of the town, and dispatched orders to Clonmel to hasten up his -battering train and pontoons, which had been conveyed by the fleet to -Waterford, and were now on their way to his camp. - -This intelligence being communicated to the governor by a French -officer who had deserted from William, Sarsfield conceived the bold -design of intercepting the convoy, destroying the train, and compelling -the abandonment of the siege. With this intent, he opened the matter -to the deputy; but the latter, being in continual fear of disasters, -discountenanced the project, as he had that of Berwick. But Sarsfield, -insisting with great earnestness, Tyrconnell at last yielded his -assent, and placed eight hundred horse dragoons at his command. From -those he selected five hundred men, and having secured the service -of some Rapparee guides, to whom all the by-ways of the country were -known, he held them in reserve until night would favor his departure -without the knowledge of the enemy. The exploit was both difficult and -dangerous:--over thirty miles of country, traversed by innumerable -small rivers, lay before him; two branches of the Slieve-Phelim -mountains stretched across his route; and in order to avoid suspicion, -and keep the enemy unapprised of his absence, it was necessary to shun -the highways and traverse the least frequented parts of the country. -The enemy's scouts were thrown out for several miles to the east; his -cavalry were foraging in all directions through the day; and the least -inadvertence would cause the failure of the undertaking, and cut him -off from the city, or perhaps entail the destruction of his entire -command. - -Darkness had settled over camp and city as Sarsfield crossed the -Thomond Bridge, and followed his Rapparee guides into the open country -beyond. For some time he pursued his course northward, in order to -avoid the road by the river, the cavalry of William being extended -as far as O'Brien's Bridge; but when distance removed apprehension, -he wheeled eastward at Fahy, urged his command to greater speed, -and crossed the bridge of Kilaloe towards midnight. He then struck -southward through Newport and Murruo, crossed the Dead River and its -tributaries, and as morning dawned, ambushed in the mountain district, -about two miles north of the route from Clonmel to Limerick. Here he -threw forward his scouts in the direction of Clonmel, to watch the -convoy and give timely notice of its approach; but the day passed on, -and the night was somewhat advanced, when the lumbering train at last -appeared, and halted at a short distance from the place of ambush. The -men were now within seven miles of their own camp; the little chapel -of Ballyneety, which stood near the roadside, offered a pleasant -resting-place; and being in no apprehension of danger, they resolved to -bivouac there for the night, and reach the camp early on the following -morning. Having made their arrangements and lit their fires, they -betook themselves to rest, and were soon wrapped in slumber around -and within the walls of the ruin, when the Rapparees, who had watched -them throughout the day, taking note of their numbers and disposition, -repaired to the general and informed him that the hour had come, and -the word was "Sarsfield." The assault that followed was a complete -surprise to the enemy, who offered but an ineffectual resistance. In a -few minutes over sixty of them were slain, the rest put to flight, and -Sarsfield turned his attention to the main object of the expedition. -The cannon, eight in number, were loaded to the muzzles and buried -deep in the earth: around and over those were pressed the ammunition -and ball: over them were laid the chests, wagons, and carriages: the -tin boats were next destroyed and placed on top: a train was then -laid, and the troop-horses, and all that was portable, were secured -and started in advance: and last of all, Sarsfield, with his own hand, -lit the train and retired. Then followed that terrible explosion, -which is said to have shaken the earth for fifteen miles around, and -startled the Prince of Orange in his camp. But, notwithstanding the -precautions taken by Sarsfield, his movements had not been unobserved. -An Irish Williamite, named Manus O'Brien, had met the detachment on -its way towards Kilaloe, and divining that it was on some expedition -of importance, hastened to the English camp, and requested an audience -of the Prince. He succeeded after considerable delay, and communicated -his intelligence; but the Prince, though suspecting at once the design -of Sarsfield, looked on it as futile, and took no further notice at -the time; yet, as the night waned, he sent out Sir John Lanier, with -five hundred horse, to meet the convoy, and ordered the fords of the -river to be well guarded to intercept the Irish troops on their return. -The delay of O'Brien was providential. Lanier had got within a short -distance of the place when he heard the explosion, and pressed on with -the hope of intercepting the enemy, but only reached the ground as -Sarsfield retired. Warned by the appearance of Lanier that it would be -dangerous to return as he had come, he changed his course, passed to -the east of the Keeper mountains, and holding his way through Upper -and Lower Ormond, he, on the following evening, reached the town of -Banagher,[44] a distance of more than forty miles, where he halted to -recruit his men, and returned through Galway and Clare without the loss -of a man.[45] - -This event roused the spirits of the besieged army, and mainly -contributed to its final success. It also raised the fame of Sarsfield -among the officers of rank, and left him without a rival in the -affection of the soldiers. Known before only as a dashing leader of -dragoons, he was from that day forward the idol of the populace, and -through every change, or good or ill, his name has been a household -word with his countrymen in every clime. Nor were the fame of this -exploit and the successful defence of Athlone long in reaching King -James; they were the first good tidings he had received since his -departure, and they gave him assurance to press his suit at the French -court. In due time Sarsfield was promoted to the rank of Major-General, -and eventually created Earl of Lucan, Viscount of Tully, and Baron of -Rosberry. - -By this feat, which happened towards the morning of the 13th, William's -operations were greatly impeded; but ever provident, he was still -the master, and, not like his rival, the slave of circumstances. At -the end of another week, the loss was supplied by a train still more -formidable than that destroyed, nor did their loss cause the cessation -of hostilities for a single day. - -Two of the guns found among the _débris_ at Ballyneety were still -fit for use, and with these, his mortars, and field-train, he -continued the bombardment, and by the 17th, he had pushed his lines of -circumvallation close to the walls of the city. Nor were the besieged -less active or determined in their resistance; every foot of the ground -was dearly purchased, and no day went by without a sortie of the most -desperate character. One of these, which occurred between the 17th and -20th, was of so novel a character as to demand a passing notice. As -William's lines approached close to the walls, the fire from within was -so fierce as to compel the soldiers to lie close within their trenches -during the night. Those opposite the sally-port, between the bridge -and St. John's Gate, were occupied by two regiments: the Blue Dutch -and the British, between whom no very friendly feelings existed. The -Irish, to whom this was known, taking advantage of the darkness, made -a lodgement in one of the traverses, and threw in a stealthy fire on -the Dutch. The latter seeing no enemy, and observing the British by the -flash of the muskets, believed the fire came from them, and answered -it by a deadly volley. This was immediately returned, and the two -regiments commenced a murderous fire on each other, while the Irish, -as occasion offered, directed a volley at each of them. After several -had fallen victims to their own stupidity, the real cause was detected -by one of the English generals, and troops were brought up to correct -the evil, and chastise the authors of it; but these seeing the place -getting too hot for them, rushed from their ambush and reached the -city with little loss. The affray between the British and Dutch was -not easily reconciled. The confusion of languages baffled, for some -time, all attempts at explanation, and hostilities continued until both -regiments were placed under arrest, and fresh troops stationed in the -trenches. The blunder created great mirth among the Irish soldiers, but -the besiegers redoubled their vigilance, and surprise was thenceforth -a matter of impossibility. The most serious engagement that occurred -after this, took place about the 22d, and was forced by the besieged -for the purpose of destroying William's heavy guns before they could be -got into position. Issuing out in force, at mid-day, they assailed the -enemy's centre with such vigor that they drove it from the trenches; -the Prince, who was present, retreated towards his quarters; but -falling in his hurry, he had scarcely arisen when a cannonball tore up -the very spot on which he had fallen, and after receiving a serious -contusion from a fragment of a rock, splintered by the shot, he was -carried to Ireton's Tower, nor did he appear again until the final -assault. But the sortie ended in the repulse of the besieged, and the -guns were rescued and placed in position. - -This was the last sally from the garrison. The siege was now pressed -with terrible energy by the besiegers, and the besieged, no less -determined, addressed themselves to resist the final assault which now -appeared imminent. By the 24th, William's entire artillery had been -brought to bear on every vulnerable point within range, while his lines -of circumvallation drew closer and closer to the walls. Six batteries -lay along his entire front, disposed, according to his historian, -in the following manner: The first, of eight eighteen-pounders, -bore against the southern angle of the wall, opposite to the Danish -quarters; the second, of eight twenty-fours, against St. John's Gate -and the Black Battery which stood within the city behind it; the third, -of twelve field-pieces, against the sally-port which opened near -the bridge; and the fourth and fifth, of four heavy guns each--the -former against the bridge itself, and the latter against the bastion -which stood near it on the left--while behind them a floor had been -constructed for a battery of four mortars, which poured a stream of -red-hot shot and shell on every prominent object beyond the wall. -Day and night, the fire from all was sustained with unabated vigor, -until the 27th, when the outer works, before St. John's Gate, were -demolished, and a breach, two hundred yards in width, was effected in -the wall, opening up the very heart of the city, when William slackened -his fire and again summoned it to surrender.[46] - -The besieged were now hard pressed;--the trenches of the besiegers -were within two toises[47] of the palisades in front of the breach, and -overlooked them, so that they had but to step over to find themselves -on the level and unobstructed area around the city gate. The Irish fort -on King's Island, which until now had thrown a slanting fire across -the enemy's right, was dismantled and its guns removed to the Black -Battery to defend the breach; the wall, along its whole front, was -rendered untenable to the musketeers; and the cavalry were withdrawn -across the river, for the guns bearing on the bridge threatened the -destruction of their only line of communication. Still, the English -town itself was impregnable, being situated on low ground, which could -be easily inundated by a flood-gate on the main channel of the river; -the English cavalry, too, had been withdrawn from the island, and the -whole fury of their guns concentrated on the Irish town. Such was the -condition of the garrison when de Boïsselau received the second summon -from the Prince of Orange, and, believing that further resistance was -useless, he consulted the Irish generals and advised them to accept an -accommodation. But he was opposed by the general voice. The soldiers -were unanimous for resistance to the last; the citizens appealed -against a surrender; the women declared that they would rather be -torn piecemeal by the artillery than be subject to the barbarities -of William's soldiers. The general voice prevailed, and de Boïsselau -withdrawing from the city, declined further responsibility. - -The herald was accordingly dismissed with an indignant refusal to the -Prince's message, when the bombardment was again renewed, and active -preparations were made for storming the city. For this purpose William -selected 10,000 men from the different regiments, and formed them into -supporting columns, under leaders of approved valor and experience. -Five hundred British grenadiers were to lead the assault; the Dutch -and Danish troops were to follow, and be sustained by the Huguenots in -turn, while the Brandenburgers, English and Enniskilleners, were to -bring up the rear. Biding these preparations, the artillery was to keep -up its fire along the whole line, and when it ceased, three guns, fired -in rapid succession, was to put all in motion, and be the signal of -assault. - -Meanwhile the Irish generals had made the best disposition of their -force to meet the impending event. The bulk of their infantry was -divided into four columns: two drawn back on each side of the breach, -so that each of the opposite columns could meet promptly in front or -rear of the assailing parties; the musketeers were posted in every -available position on the wall, and the guns of the Black Battery were -loaded with grape to rake the breach as they entered. Farther back, -near the square of the city, a body was held in reserve to support -the battery, and to give succor wherever it became necessary, while -Brigadier Talbot, with five hundred of the Guards, was posted on the -right, to guard against any surprise from the enemy in that quarter. -The streets were filled with citizens armed with every available -weapon, and with groups of women, the sad spectators of the approaching -conflict. - -It was three o'clock in the afternoon when the fire of the enemy's -cannon ceased along the whole line, and the assaulting columns, in -their varicolored uniforms of buff, blue, and scarlet, moved down -to the intrenchments as gayly as if on parade, and halted. The fire -within the town also ceased, and an ominous silence settled over the -scene, the combatants on each side, standing with bated breath, and as -motionless as statues. An unusual drought prevailed,--not a drop of -rain had fallen for three weeks;[48] the weather was intensely hot, and -the sun threw a flood of unobstructed light upon dome and spire, while -the river glided away through its autumnal foliage, as placid as if -peace had returned and war should revisit it no more. Some time passed -on, and suspense was becoming painful, when the signal: one! two! -three! pealed forth. The British grenadiers were over the palisades in -a twinkling, hurling their destructive missiles, and followed by the -Dutch Guards, while the cannon rang out again along the whole front, -excepting the point of assault. So quick was the movement, that the -Irish troops, though awaiting it, were actually taken by surprise, -and the grenadiers had reached the breach before they met with any -opposition. Here, they were checked by a shower of grape that did great -execution; still they pressed on with a headlong impulse, mounted the -breach, and passed the first line of guards drawn up to oppose them. -But they were destined to go no farther; another storm of grape tore -through their ranks, the Irish Guards closed in on them, front and -rear, cutting them off from their supports, and assailing them with -such fury that in a short time they were nearly all slain, only four -or five escaping out of this gallant body, which was reckoned the -flower of the English army. The Dutch Guards pressed boldly on, and -under the eye of their Prince, performed prodigies of valor; several -times they bore back the defenders from the breach, and were as often -repulsed through it; but being continually reinforced from the other -divisions outside, the Irish troops were gradually forced back into -the city, where they divided right and left, still disputing every -inch of the way. William now threw forward a Brandenburg regiment to -storm the Black Battery, and, filling up the breach with his remaining -columns, prepared to enter the city. While this conflict raged along -the widening expanse inside, the fire of the enemy's batteries was -unabated; the soldiers were driven from the parapets; the populace -from the house-tops; the city was on fire in several places, and "it -seemed," says an eye-witness, "as if the heavens were rent, and the -smoke that arose from the town reached, in one continued cloud, to the -top of a mountain six miles off." - -The whole storming force was now engaged within the breach, and -the way was literally strewn with its dead and wounded; but the -besieged, despite the most heroic resistance, were gradually borne -back by the heavy masses continually hurled on them, inspiring -redoubled energy with every accession. The Brandenburg regiment had -captured the battery, and, having seized the guns, were turning -them against its defenders, who were retreating from it in apparent -consternation. William, who now stood at Ireton's Tower, looked on in -proud anticipation of success; the city seemed completely within his -grasp, and pushing forward his last reserve, he viewed exultantly the -engagement which was to complete his triumph. - -It was now near seven o'clock; the sun was sinking behind the western -headlands, and still the battle raged with unabated fury. Throughout -the long hours of this sanguinary conflict, the populace, men and -women, stood by in painful suspense, watching the tide of fortune as -it stood or swayed before them, and now it became manifest that every -effort of valor was exhausted, and the doom of their city at last was -sealed. Oppressed by odds, their brave defenders were giving way, and -the battery, the last obstruction to the advancing foe, was in the -possession of the Brandenburgers. A wild cry of despair rung up from -all; their last hope was gone: at this moment a terrific explosion -shook the city to its centre; a dark cloud overspread the combatants, -and clearing away, it was seen that the mine beneath the battery had -been sprung, and the whole Brandenburg regiment had been blown to atoms! - -Consternation seized on the besiegers; even the besieged, though -expecting the event, were for a moment astonished, and each stood -as it were paralyzed and watching each other in amazement. But the -advantage was not lost; the men braced themselves again for the -contest, the women rushed forward, calling on the men to follow, and -with one impulse threw themselves in front of the enemy. The effect was -electric; all caught the inspiration; generals, soldiers, citizens; -all, with one desperate effort, hurled themselves on the masses of -William, and bore them back bodily through the breach. In the mean -time Brigadier Talbot, anticipating the result, led his men round the -outside of the wall, and attacking the rear of the assaulting force -with great spirit, put it into inextricable confusion; panic-stricken, -they fled precipitately from the city, pursued to their camp by the -victorious Irish--and Limerick was saved. - -The loss of William in this day's action was 2,000 men and one hundred -and fifty-eight officers killed, and his casualties through the -preceding eighteen days are estimated at 3,000 more. The loss of the -besieged is nowhere definitely stated; but in the final assault they -lost four hundred killed and wounded,--a small number for so great a -result. But, as if to give a mournful grandeur to the event, many of -the noble daughters of the city lay side by side in death with the men -whose sterner natures they had animated to victory! - -After the battle, William sent an ensign into the town for leave -to bury his dead; this being refused, he dismounted his batteries, -withdrew his army, and prepared to retreat, for he could no longer -continue the siege, as matters of a pressing nature demanded his -presence in England, and should the news of this defeat precede him the -consequences might be serious. His Irish adherents entreated him not -to leave them with the conquest of the country uncompleted, and the -leaders of his foreign army besought him to the same effect: but he -turned a deaf ear to their entreaties. A deputation of the soldiers, -both native and foreign, headed by the ecclesiastics, waited on him, -and promised still greater efforts if he remained among them; but his -resolution was unchanged. Annoyed by their importunities and chagrined -by defeat, he gave vent to that exclamation which English historians -have industriously suppressed: "Yes," said he; "if I had this handful -of men who defend the place against you, and that you were all within -it, I would take it in spite of you!"[49]--A censure so caustic, and a -eulogium so grand, render comment unnecessary. - -Before retreating he set fire to his hospital, in which there were -many invalids; but the Irish soldiers issued from the city, suppressed -the flames, and saved the wretched victims. It is hard to credit, even -on the authority of historians distinguished for wide research and -cautious investigation, an act of such cold-blooded atrocity; and yet -his conduct, during his retreat, was of a character that would seem to -corroborate it.[50] "The curse of Cromwell" was repeated, the peasantry -were murdered, their lands laid waste, and their homes given to the -flames; so that the fertile district between Limerick and Clonmel was -a scene of death and desolation. Committing the command of the army to -the Count de Solmes, with Ginkle as second in command, he proceeded -under escort to Waterford, whence, accompanied by Prince George of -Denmark, and the Dukes of Ormond and Wurtemberg, he sailed for England. - -Though the theme of many a glowing eulogy, William's campaign in -Ireland was not such as to exalt his name, either as a statesman or a -soldier. The victory of the Boyne, had he taken that advantage of it -which a great military mind would not have failed to take, might have -led to the total suppression of the war within a month; and his short -sojourn among the Irish representatives of that day, marked only by -pusillanimity and cruelty, shows him entirely devoid of statesmanship. -If, without dividing his army, after his first success, he had turned -aside from the capital, and pressed the rear of the retiring army, -he could have gained some of the passes of the Shannon, or perhaps -have anticipated the enemy at Limerick, and ended the war without -another blow. The truth is, his career, in this connection, was a very -inglorious one. His doubt and hesitation after the Boyne were scarce -less remarkable than those of Schomberg, which he so severely censured. -Through indecision and delay, he gave his enemy time to recuperate -for that memorable siege which checked his career, jeopardized his -chance of eventual success, and sent him back to his newly acquired -kingdom, to be humiliated before his Parliament; divested of nearly all -popularity, and humbled before his courtiers by an aspiring subject. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH--THE SIEGES OF CORK AND KINSALE. - - -While the events just narrated had been passing in Ireland, King James -remained at the court of France, endeavoring to win King Louis' consent -to his favorite plan of invading England in the absence of the Prince -of Orange. Having failed in this through the persistent opposition of -the French minister, he turned his attention once more to his affairs -in Ireland, and requested an expedition to sustain his arms in that -country. But the misrepresentations of De Lausun had so warped the -mind of this sovereign, that in this he was equally unsuccessful; and -finding himself unable to awaken the interest of Louis, or to change -the mind of his minister, he gave way to despondency, and remained a -passive spectator of surrounding events. In this exigency the Duke of -Tyrconnell determined to present himself at the court of Versailles, -and plead the cause of his country. The successful defence of Athlone -and Limerick furnished him with arguments that her cause was not yet -hopeless; and the favor hitherto shown him by the French monarch, -led him to believe that his suit would not be unfavorably received. -So, having constituted a council of three lords-justices and sixteen -senators, to conduct the civil affairs of the nation, and appointed the -Duke of Berwick as deputy, with Sarsfield as his second in military -command, he left the city in company with De Boïsselau, the late -governor, and joined De Lausun at Galway, where he embarked for France -on an important mission. - -Scarcely had he departed from the city when the spirit of discontent -became manifest in the council and among the leaders of the army. -Believing, or affecting to believe, that the deputy was indifferent -to their wants and grievances, and had abandoned the country to its -fate, they resolved to send a deputation to France to represent their -policy, and urged the Duke of Berwick to sanction their proceedings. He -opposed the design for some time; but the excitement daily increasing, -he was forced to acquiesce in order to restore the general harmony. -"Accordingly," says he, "I summoned all the principal lords, as well -of the clergy as the laity, and all the military officers down to the -colonels, inclusive, to attend me.... I proposed to them the Bishop of -Cork, the two Luttrells, and Colonel Purcell. My choice was unanimously -approved, and a few days after I dispatched my deputies. At the same -time I sent Brigadier Maxwell, a Scotchman, to explain to the king -my reasons for appointing this deputation, and to beg of him not to -suffer either Brigadier Luttrell or Colonel Purcell to return: they -were the two most dangerous incendiaries, and I had chosen them on -purpose to get them out of the way. When these gentlemen were got on -board, they conceived a suspicion that Maxwell might be charged with -some instructions relating to them, for which they proposed to throw -him overboard, but were prevented by the bishop and the elder Luttrell. -The first was a prelate of distinguished piety; the other was of an -obliging disposition, and always appeared to me to be a man of honor. -Notwithstanding Maxwell's representations, the king permitted these -gentlemen to return to Ireland. Tyrconnell consented to it, but he had -reason to repent of it after."[51] Such were the inauspicious signs, too -plainly indicative of a divided interest, and such the difficulties -that beset the deputy in this, perhaps, the greatest emergency of his -country. But undeterred by the party intrigue of the hour, he addressed -himself to the duty of his embassy with such tact and decision that -he soon gained the ear of the French monarch, put the conduct of de -Lausun before him in its proper light, propitiated the minister, -counteracted the designs of the _cabal_, and obtained the promise of -an expedition to Ireland proportionate to the importance of the cause -and the necessities of the crisis. This success being communicated -to the council in Limerick, had the most favourable effect; hope and -confidence were renewed among all classes of the people, and activity -and courage were soon manifest in all ranks of the army. - -On the other hand, the intrigue and party strife that prevailed at the -court, and in the legislative councils of England, were of a nature, -not less serious, than those which menaced the success of the Jacobite -arms. Since the accession of William to the throne, two factions had -been gradually maturing there, and at this time had reached the acme -of party strife and hatred. These, for convenience, may be termed the -Dutch and English interest, which they respectively represented, while -apart from both, and, perhaps, numerically as strong as either, stood -the Jacobite party, watching the course of events, and determined to -take advantage of their mutual animosity. - -William, who looked to the elevation of Holland as a European power, -and the humiliation of France as the primary objects of his life, had -neglected his English partisans, and raised his Dutch and foreign -mercenaries to the highest civil and military offices of the State; and -this lost him much of his prestige among the parliamentary leaders, -while the people, who had begun to look calmly on the condition -of their country, saw it, after all, but a conquered province of -Holland. The invasion had succeeded, but their liberties were more -circumscribed: "Popery" was ignored, but prelacy was enslaved; the -Parliament existed, but the people had no voice in its construction; -the foreign legions revelled in the capital, but the English soldiers -were disfranchised and conscripted for foreign service. The general -discontent had become alarming, and to add to the growing disaffection, -and give it point and purpose, the Princess Anne, the younger daughter -of King James, being treated with studied neglect by both William and -Mary, to whose elevation she had contributed by a plot unworthy of -her station as a princess and her dignity as a wife, had become their -bitterest enemy, and the recognized head of the English interest. To -such a pitch had she carried her resentment, that on William's return -from Ireland, she had raised up an English champion to humble his -pride, by eclipsing his military fame, and the person thus put forward -was Lord Churchill, afterwards the renowned Duke of Marlborough. Owing -to this, the return of William was not hailed by any of those popular -manifestations that mark the return of a conqueror to his country. On -the contrary, the ordinary gratulations, things of everyday occurrence, -were but coldly accorded to him by the people;--his parliamentary -partisans scarcely deigning the formal acknowledgments of success, -while the opposition declared that the victory of the Boyne was -overbalanced by the defeat at Athlone and Limerick, and that the result -of his expedition was degrading to the British arms. He endeavored to -remove this impression by representing to the Parliament, and causing -to be reported on the continent, that the heavy rains which had fallen -during the siege were the cause of its abandonment, although many then -knew, what the Duke of Berwick afterwards affirmed, "that not a single -drop of rain fell for above a month before, or for three weeks after -that event."[52] But the English party were not deceived by the device, -the assertion gave point to their irony, opposition became more bitter -and clamorous, and in order to humiliate him the more, it was proposed -to send Marlborough,--"at his own request,"--to Ireland to redeem the -disgrace by completing the reduction of the country. William, though -knowing this to be a direct insult to himself and his foreign army, -was obliged to acquiesce, for the conquest of Ireland was a matter of -pressing necessity to both parties; each desiring it for the national -safety, and yet each aspiring to that honor, as a means to the -perpetuation of its power. The expedition was accordingly ordered; but, -while Marlborough was making preparations for his departure, William -sent the Duke of Wurtemberg to Ireland with secret orders to claim -the command of the expedition on its arrival, by right of military -precedence, and thus counteract the designs of his political enemies. - -After the departure of the Luttrells and Purcell for France, and the -restoration of harmony in the councils of the Irish Senate, Sarsfield -and Berwick directed their attention to the military affairs of the -nation, which were in a very disheartening condition. The defences -of the city were repaired, the garrisons along the frontier were -strengthened and reinforced, and detachments sent into the counties -bordering on the Shannon, to co-operate with the Rapparees in levying -contributions of corn and cattle for the support of the army. The -sieges of Athlone and Limerick, following in such quick succession, had -nearly exhausted all their military stores, and had the enemy chosen -to make a rapid descent on the river fortresses immediately after the -retreat of William, it is more than probable that the war would have -been terminated by the close of 1690; for there remained but fifty -barrels of powder within the city, "and there was not, in the whole -country which remained under the control of the royal army, enough -to double the quantity."[53] But the indecision of the enemy, after -the withdrawal of the Prince of Orange, enabled the Irish generals -to anticipate events, and to distribute a supply of military stores, -which soon after arrived from France. Early in September, with about -3,000 infantry, seven battalions of cavalry and four field-pieces, they -encamped at Banagher, a good strategic position, on the Shannon, about -fourteen miles south of Athlone, resolved to take the offensive, in -order to check the enemy, now extended from Clonmel to Enniskillen, and -making stealthy approaches towards the frontier garrisons along that -river. The town of Birr, in the King's County, about seven miles from -their encampment, was the most advanced post of the enemy at this time, -and the first to invite an attack. It was a place of much importance, -as it threatened the passes of Banagher, Meelick, and Portumna; and -being the principal depot of military stores and provisions for that -district, its capture would have been of immense advantage to the army. -Accordingly, on the 13th of September, Berwick appeared before the -town, and had soon carried the outer works of the castle by which it -was protected, but met with considerable delay from the inefficiency of -his guns, which gave the enemy time to hasten up their reinforcements. -In a short time General Kirke appeared with a regiment for its relief, -but seeing the Irish cavalry drawn up on a hill overlooking the town, -he retreated back to Roscrea, where he was joined by General Douglas, -and with a force of 8,000 men and ten pieces of artillery, appeared -again on the 16th, as the garrison was on the point of capitulating. -Upon this, Berwick withdrew his guns from the trenches, and taking up -a good position on the hills, about a mile from the town, he spent all -that day and the next offering every inducement to battle, which the -enemy as persistently declined,--each failed to draw the other from its -chosen position. At last, on the third day, Berwick withdrew towards -his camp, followed at a distance by the enemy, who advanced when he -advanced, and halted when he halted, until his cavalry, making a -detour of several miles, assailed their flanks, doing great execution, -and putting their whole force in disorder, when they retreated -precipitately, pursued up to their defences; and so the affair ended. -A series of bitter skirmishes between the pickets of both armies -succeeded this for a few days, when the enemy again moved towards -Clonmel and Kilkenny, where there was a general muster to reinforce -the Duke of Marlborough, who had effected a landing at Cork, and -Berwick retired behind the Shannon to collect troops to oppose him; the -garrisons at Birr and Banagher were withdrawn to their defences, but -the Rapparees moved over the country at will, and harried it without -fear of retaliation. - -On the 21st of September, Marlborough sailed up the harbor of Cork, -effected a landing at Passage, without any serious opposition, and -took up his march for the city, the men hauling the cannon, he being -unprovided with train-horses or cavalry. His force consisted of 8,000 -infantry, six hundred marines, some ships of war, and a few transports; -but being joined by the Duke of Wurtemberg and General Scravenmore -with 4,000 infantry and nine hundred cavalry, his army was augmented -to about 14,000 men, provided with all the essentials of a siege, and -a co-operative fleet to assail the city from the water-side. On the -23d, he appeared before it in form; Wurtemberg, according to the secret -orders of William, claiming precedence in command, and Marlborough -demurring, on the ground that he was specially commissioned for this -campaign. A warm dispute arose, one insisting on the privilege of rank, -and the other on delaying the siege, and referring the question back to -the Parliament. This delay being likely to hazard the success of their -arms, by giving the besieged time to strengthen their defences and -get in supplies, a compromise was agreed upon, by which they were to -assume the command alternately. Marlborough's turn came first, and he -gave the word, "Wurtemberg," and in acknowledgment of this politeness, -the latter, when his turn came, gave the word "Marlborough;" but -notwithstanding this outward exchange of military compliments, their -mutual jealousy continued without affecting the progress of their arms. - -The city of Cork, situated in a valley surrounded by high hills, -was defended by a few dilapidated outworks, all of which, excepting -the Castle of Shandon, which overlooked it on the northern side, -were abandoned as the enemy approached, the troops retiring into the -principal fortress, which stood on a low, marshy plain, between two -branches of the river Lee, accessible only at low-water, but poorly -supplied with artillery, and almost exhausted of provisions and -military stores. The Castle, after repulsing an assault of the Danes, -was also evacuated, and its troops withdrawn into the inner fortress, -against which the entire force of the enemy was now directed. Its -garrison, after this junction, amounted to 4,500 men--a force ample -for a protracted resistance; but already on limited rations, and there -were only five barrels of gunpowder within its walls. By the loss of -Shandon it was exposed on three sides to the fire of the enemy's land -batteries, and on the fourth, to that of his ships, which could come -within short range at tide-water. - -On the approach of the enemy, the governor, Colonel McElligot, had -received orders from the Duke of Berwick to demolish the fort, burn -the city, and retire with his command into Kerry; but having disobeyed -this mandate, at the solicitation of the citizens, until too late, he -determined to redeem his error by the gallantry of his defence, and -hold out long enough to give Berwick time to hasten up succors to raise -the siege. The enemy, having gained possession of the hills, opened -a fierce cannonade on the city itself, and having levelled all the -intervening houses, descended into the valley, opened on the citadel, -and after a most spirited resistance of two days, silenced its guns, -and prepared to carry its works by storm. The assault could only be -made at low-water, and once each day was there assault and repulse, -in one of which the Duke of Grafton[54] was killed while leading his -regiment across the marsh. At length, after a desperate defence of -twelve days, it surrendered on the 5th of October, on terms considered -highly honorable; "but the ink with which the capitulation was signed, -was not yet dry when it was violated in every particular." The Catholic -people were stripped and driven from the city; the city itself was -given to pillage; the Earls of Tyrone and Clancarty were wounded -and grossly outraged by the soldiers and the mob, and the prisoners -subjected to indignities and cruelties, compared with which death would -have been a refuge. They were pent up within a loathsome fen, where, -being denied food, they were necessitated to feed on putrid carrion; -more than half of them died within a fortnight, from the diseases -it engendered; one-half the remainder were murdered by order of one -Captain Lauder, on the way to Clonmel, some time later; and of the -survivors, few ever returned to report the inhuman deed.[55] Marlborough -and his English army were even more barbarous than the Prince of Orange -and his foreign mercenaries. - -On the surrender of Cork, Marlborough turned his attention to Kinsale, -which is about twelve miles distant by land, and sixteen by water, -and which had, in the mean time, been invested by a portion of his -land force and his navy. The town was defended by two forts--Castle Ny -and St. Charles--named respectively the Old and New Forts; the former -having a garrison of 450 men, and the latter one of 1,200; and both -being better provided in guns and material than the fortress just -surrendered. But the Old Fort had been blown up by accident on the 3d, -causing the death of two hundred of its garrison and the capture of -the remainder; so there was now but the New Fort to resist the united -efforts of the army and navy of Marlborough. The defence, however, was -a gallant one, and marked by deeds of great personal daring, both of -the men and commandant; but, being cut off from succor both by land -and sea, they capitulated on the 15th; being allowed to depart with -their baggage and arms, and to join their countrymen at Limerick. As -this fort was impervious to the enemy's cannon, and might have held -out, while its provisions lasted, a suspicion of treachery attached to -its governor, and it is intimated by more than one of our annalists -that he must have been bribed by Marlborough, who was impatient of -delay, as he had pledged himself before his departure from England to -reduce both Cork and Kinsale within a month; but the accusation is not -sufficiently authenticated by any, while it is liable to doubt, on -the consideration, that a soldier base enough to accept a bribe would -not have scrupled to turn over his command to the enemy, which might -have been as easily accomplished. The loss of life, with the exception -of those blown up at Castle Ny, did not exceed four hundred on each -side, but the Irish army lost heavily in prisoners at Cork, few of -whom survived their subsequent sufferings; and the loss of those two -maritime stations to their cause was incalculable. - -The Duke of Berwick tells us that during the interval, he had collected -a force of about 8,000 men, and had got as far as Kilmallock, in the -County Limerick, with the purpose of compelling Marlborough to raise -the siege. But considering his force inadequate, he contented himself -with watching the enemy, and when the expedition was finished returned -to his quarters. The indecision shown by Berwick at this juncture, -in view of his well-known valor and intrepidity, would favor the -impression that he was unwilling to appear in arms against his uncle, -and his explanation would seem rather to fix than to remove it. Eight -thousand men, in a friendly country, under the command of such generals -as himself and Sarsfield, who was also there, against 14,000 investing -two strong fortresses, and extended over a line of seven or eight -miles, seem not inadequate, and might have created such a diversion as -would have at least protracted the siege; and any disarrangement of -Marlborough's plans would have placed him in a very critical position. - -With the fall of Cork and Kinsale, the campaign of Marlborough may -be said to have terminated; he remained but a few days more in the -country, and after planning offensive measures against the counties -of Cork and Kerry, to be conducted by Ginkle, he returned to England -after an absence of five weeks, and received the congratulations of -the people and Parliament, to the great annoyance of the Prince of -Orange and his partisans. He was thenceforth the great popular idol -of the nation, and was soon after started on that military career -that has placed his name among the greatest of England's generals. -After his departure, Ginkle pressed the war in the south with great -vigor. Scravenmore and Tettau, with a heavy force of infantry and -cavalry, penetrated northward to Mallow, and, turning to the west, -began to plunder and lay waste the country. But they were soon beset -by organized bodies of farmers and Rapparees, and, by an assault, as -vigorous as it was unexpected, were driven with great slaughter towards -Bandon, where they were again furiously assailed by Colonel O'Driscoll, -and, panic-stricken, fled back to their quarters. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE WINTER OF 1690. - - -Before his departure from Ireland, the Prince of Orange deputed the -civil government of the country to two lords-justices--Porter and -Coningsby--who lost no time in entering on the duties of their office. -Scarcely were they installed in it, when a flood of proclamations was -issued against the "papists" who lived within their jurisdiction; -and all devised, with the most "diabolical ingenuity," to plunder -and exterminate. One of these assessed the Catholic inhabitants to -make good any losses sustained by their Protestant neighbors, whether -arising from accident or from causes incident to a state of warfare; -another proclaimed that no more than ten Catholics should assemble in a -body, and that the priest of any parish, where a larger assembly should -take place, incurred the penalty of transportation; a third declared -that the families of such as had been killed or taken prisoners in the -service of King James, should forthwith remove behind the Shannon, or -be treated as enemies and spies; and a fourth, that any family having -a member within the lines of the Irish army, should either procure his -recall, or remove thither by a certain day. The Protestant population -were also ordered within the English lines, and a general exodus -from both sides of the river immediately took place. The sufferings -consequent on this disruption, it is painful to contemplate. Thousands -of the young and infirm crossed the river never to return to their -homes, while the men were driven to swell the ranks of the Rapparees -and wring their subsistence from the country. - -In the mean time seizures and confiscations kept pace with the -proclamations, until a million and a quarter of acres, valued at -four millions sterling, were appropriated in advance of all legal -proceedings. "The manner in which the lords-justices and the Castle -party did their work," says Taylor, "is an edifying example of the mode -by which the forms of law have been so often prostituted to sanction -injustice in Ireland. They indicted the Irish gentlemen who possessed -any estates, of high treason in the several counties over which they -had jurisdiction, and then removed them all, by _certiorari_, to the -Court of King's Bench in Dublin. By this ingenious contrivance, those -who were to be robbed lost all opportunity of making their defence; -indeed, in most cases they were ignorant of being accused, and the -Irish government was saved the trouble of showing how the Irish people -could be guilty of high treason for supporting the cause of their -rightful monarch against a foreign invader." - -Commissions were also issued for raising large bodies of militia, to -be equipped and disciplined on the plan of the English army; and the -northern Protestants, who were considered as well adapted to predatory -warfare, were furnished with the arms of Schomberg's soldiers who had -died, or who had been killed in the preceding year, and sent forth, -under the name of Protestant Rapparees, against those of the same class -who followed the fortunes of the Jacobite army. This was all fair -enough in war, but it is worthy of remark that those who exclaimed -most loudly against the moderate taxation of King James, as ruinous -to the country, now voted away sums that would lead one to think they -believed the resources of the country inexhaustible. The militia of the -country in a short time became good soldiers, and did great service to -William by holding the garrisons in the rear of his regular army, and -recruiting it when necessary; but the "Protestant Rapparees" entirely -failed in the object proposed, for, unable to cope with their wily -enemies, they soon turned to plunder indiscriminately on their own -account, and, instead of increasing the forage or supplies of the -English army, they wasted wherever they passed, and caused a dearth -which afterwards greatly embarrassed its movements. - -Still the affairs of William were of a serious and perplexing nature, -both in England and on the continent. Party strife ran high in the -British Parliament, and the Princess Anne, whether touched by remorse -or excited to revenge, was known to hint at the necessity of recalling -her father to the throne, while the continued success of Marshal -Luxemburg, since the battle of Fleurus, had reduced the "Allies" to -great extremities, and threatened the very existence of Holland as -a European power. Several times since his accession, William was -compelled to pass over to the continent to reassure his favorite -subjects, and to take counsel with the members of the coalition against -the increasing power of France. His visits on those occasions were -necessarily hurried and unsatisfactory; the successful termination -of the Irish war, alone, could grant him a respite from his manifold -cares, and accordingly Ginckle, who had succeeded the Count de Solmes -in command of the army, was ordered to continue afield through the -winter, and press it to an issue, either by treaty or by force of arms. -To put the result beyond peradventure, his force was strengthened by -accessions from every available quarter: the militia and northern -reserves were called into service; several regiments reached him from -Scotland; and the Dutch Guards, who had been recalled to England with -the Count of Solmes, were replaced by a body of British infantry, the -dragoons of Colonel Mathews, and the cavalry of the Count of Schomberg, -until a force of over 50,000 men were at his command, while abundance -of stores and ammunition arrived daily at every port from Cork to the -capital. - -Nor did the complete reduction of the country, judging from the -relative numbers, the condition of both armies, and the territories -occupied by them, seem an end either distant or difficult to -accomplish. Three of the four provinces were virtually under the -sway of General Ginckle; the coast from Kinsale, eastward to Derry, -was under the control of his fleet; his army lay extended through -the centre of the island, within a day's march of the Shannon, -the possession of any pass on which would break the Irish line of -communication, and open up the remaining province to the progress of -his arms; and to this was his attention now directed as the speediest -manner of terminating the war, which had become so irksome to his -sovereign. - -Warned by the reverse of the British arms before Athlone and Limerick, -that an assault in force at any one point of the Irish line, would be -attended with hazard and delay, he devised a simultaneous attack along -its whole extent, as the more speedy and efficacious. It would keep -the enemy, who were not half his number, divided among many garrisons, -weaken them at some point, and give him the advantage of selecting -that for his most determined assault, which should be found the least -capable of resistance. For this purpose, he established his bases of -operation at Cork, Roscrea, Mullingar, and Enniskillen; the first -threatening that part of the southern province still in arms for King -James, and each of the other three commanding one or more important -passes into the still unconquered territory. That part of his army at -Enniskillen was commanded by Kirke and Douglas; that at Mullingar, by -Brewer, Lanier, Earle, and others; that at Roscrea and its environs, -by Count Nassau and the Prince of Wurtemberg; and that at Cork, by -Tettau and Scravenmore,--none of them varying far from 10,000 men, with -strong detachments at several intermediate points, while he himself -established his headquarters at Kilkenny, holding a strong reserve in -hand, to be directed north or south as necessity should require. The -campaign was to be first inaugurated by Tettau on the south and Douglas -on the north. The former was to move against the interior of Cork and -Kerry, and, wasting the country on his way, to threaten Limerick, in -order to divert attention from the movements on the river above it. -The latter was to proceed against Sligo, and, having captured it, to -assail Lanesborough from the west, while Brewer, from his quarters at -Mullingar, was to threaten it on the east. The investment of the latter -place was to be the signal for a general movement along the whole line -from Kilaloe, northward, when, if any one point were carried, the whole -army was to concentrate round Athlone, which once reduced, Limerick -should be evacuated, or the whole country westward to Galway left -open to his march. The plan was well designed, the generals able and -experienced, the army in the finest condition; and nothing was wanting -to success but the time opportune for a general movement. - -On the other hand, the fall of Cork and Kinsale were succeeded by a -period of great distress within the Irish lines. The exterminating -policy of the lords-justices had filled the province with a helpless -population, enhancing the price of provisions and lessening the -resources of the army. The brass coin of King James, in which the -soldiers received their pay, was greatly depreciated within their own -boundaries, while throughout the other three provinces it was decried, -and had become utterly worthless.[56] A derangement of trade with -France also intervened, and disasters followed each other in quick -succession. A few days after the fall of Kinsale, a vessel freighted -with salt and other necessaries, anchored under the guns of the fort, -and the captain, believing it still held by the Jacobite troops, -only discovered his mistake when she was actually in possession of -a boarding party from the enemy. Another, laden with ammunition and -clothing for the troops, struck on a rock coming up the Shannon, and -became a total wreck, and all on board perished. Almost coincident -with those events; one Long, an English captain, who had been for some -time a prisoner in Galway, aided by some disaffected inhabitants, made -his escape, and seizing a French frigate of twelve guns, doubled the -northern coast and reached Carrickfergus in safety with his prize. In -the mean time the expedition promised by the French Government was -unaccountably delayed, until hope seemed illusory, and the necessity of -an accommodation with the enemy was intimated in the civic councils of -the nation. - -Through all these troubles Berwick and Sarsfield never faltered in -their duty. The camp and the council alike demanded their attention. -In both they seemed ubiquitous, and their exertions alone saved the -Jacobite cause from utter prostration at this critical period. At -length, after several weeks had elapsed, commerce began to revisit -the coast; the immediate necessities of the army were relieved; the -efforts of Tyrconnell were manifested in something more tangible than -promises; arms and ammunition, as a first instalment of his good faith, -arrived at Galway, coupled with assurances that the French king had at -last accorded that consideration which the importance of their cause -demanded, and appeals to their loyalty and patriotism to hold out until -his arrival. The effect was soon observable: the despondence of the -people gave way to hope; the discontent of the council was for a time -allayed; and the generals turned their undivided attention to military -affairs--Berwick to store the magazines, put the troops in order, and -guard the different posts; and Sarsfield, with a few thousand available -troops, to organize the Rapparees and direct their movements in -frustrating the designs of the enemy. - -Through the preceding events of the war, the Rapparees had played no -insignificant part. The torch of the invader had rendered them homeless -and reckless, and, thrown on their own resources, they took up this -wild life, and wrung their subsistence from the enemy with a daring -hand. From the Shannon to the eastern coast, wherever a tribute could -be levied, or a British detachment ambushed, there were the stealthy -Rapparees wresting a reprisal or wreaking a revenge. Neither toil nor -privation seemed to affect them, nor could danger deter them from their -purpose. Death, swift and certain, was their doom when captured, and -that they dealt as swiftly and surely in their turn. Unable, through -want of regular arms and discipline, to meet large bodies of the enemy -in the field, they divided into small bands, and traversed the country -in all directions. All the by-ways of the land were known to them; -they came and went like shadows; and wherever they passed, there was -a hostage or a victim. No position of the enemy, however guarded, was -safe from them, and frequently in the dead of night, when his camp -seemed most secure, the skies would be suddenly lit up by the blaze -of his tents, and horses and other booty secured in the confusion, -and borne with a noble disinterestedness to the headquarters of the -Jacobite army. In fine, the Irish Rapparee was an Irish patriot, and -a devoted one,--as brave and devoted as the Chouan of La Vendée. He -fought without pay; suffered without murmur, and gave his life for a -country that scarce holds his name in grateful remembrance. - -Such were the men that Sarsfield now called to his aid, and for this -purpose, he "let loose,"--says the English historian of the war,--"a -great part of the army to manage the best for themselves that time -and opportunity would allow them, giving them passes to signify what -regiments they belonged to, so that in case they were taken they might -not be dealt with as Rapparees, but _soldiers_.... Keeping a constant -correspondence with one another and also with the Irish army, who -furnished them with all necessaries, especially ammunition." - -These soldiers now extended along the whole frontier, and in a short -time established communication between the Rapparees and the regular -army, while Sarsfield, with a small force, took the field, to profit by -every diversion they might create in his favor. - -Each army having thus adopted its plan of action, a furious desultory -war soon raged along the whole lines, from north to south. The -Rapparees, under the guidance of the soldiers sent among them, formed -in two lines: one of these moved along between the English army and -the eastern coast, harassing the militia in its rear, and ravaging the -country up to the gates of Dublin; while the other hung around its -encampments, interrupting communication, disconcerting its movements, -destroying its forage, and driving large herds of cattle beyond the -Shannon. Their courage and hardihood were surprising. They now attacked -larger bodies of the enemy, and raids and skirmishes, terminating in -loss of life on both sides, were of daily--almost hourly, occurrence. -If the enemy lost less in men--as we are assured he did, on the -testimony of his own annalist--he paid the balance in booty, for to -this the attention of the Rapparees, even in the heat of battle, was -principally directed. An instance or two of their manner of proceeding -will better illustrate their service at this time than pages of -general detail.--As the English army extended northward, pursuant to -its design against the Irish quarters, the regiment of Lord Drogheda -occupied Kilcormack Castle, in the King's County, as an escort to the -supplies daily arriving and passing on northward. The forage growing -scarce around that station, the commander, Colonel Bristow, billeted -his men on Balliboy, a few miles distant, in a plentiful district, and -scoured the country in all directions. After a few days the town was -well stored with provisions for the winter, and the greatest vigilance -was exercised against a surprise from the Rapparees, who were reported -to be about in the neighborhood. From a steep hill behind the town, -which commanded a view of the country around, a constant lookout was -kept up through the day; and every evening, before retiring to rest, -the hedges and brushwood were searched, and the guards doubled through -the night. Notwithstanding all this vigilance, the Rapparees got within -the lines and concealed themselves in the hedges around the town; where -they remained three days without food, and exposed to the severity of -the weather. At length, on the third night, when the very quiet that -prevailed awakened suspicion, a lieutenant and twenty men were sent -out, who beat up all the hedges, and even those where the Rapparees -lay concealed, without detecting any sign of them; and retired for -the night free from apprehension. In half an hour more the town was -fired at both ends; this was a signal to the Rapparees at a distance, -who flocked in from all directions. The soldiers were driven to the -hill, where a fight raged all night between them and one body of the -Rapparees; while another, in their sight, rifled the town, brought -off a large booty of provisions and horses, and secured them before -morning. The next day they attacked Philipstown, but were repulsed and -driven through the country; when turning on their pursuers, they killed -one hundred and twenty of them, returned and laid the town in ashes, -and killed two hundred more, sent against them. No place was free from -their assaults:--Clonmel, Cashel, Mountmellick, and Mullingar, were -attacked by them in such quick succession, that the British soldiers -were kept marching and countermarching to meet assaults either feigned -or real, until the winter set fairly in, and the grand movement of -Ginckle seemed yet as remote as ever. - -The soldiers sent into the interior of Cork and Kerry also performed -signal service to the Irish cause. Mounted upon the small surefooted -horses of those mountainous districts, they traversed the country -in all directions; organized the farmers and Rapparees; established -lines for running the produce of the country to the general depot -at Limerick; and then attached themselves to the forces of Colonels -McCarthy and O'Driscoll, who still held the country against the -incursions of the enemy. This Colonel O'Driscoll was a brave and -intrepid soldier. He commanded a regiment of his own tenantry at the -siege of Cork; but having no faith in English treaties, he refused to -accede to the terms of Marlborough, and, at the head of his regiment of -four hundred men, fought his way through the English lines, and reached -the open country to the north-west of the city. Here he learned that -his son, or kinsman(?), "young Colonel O'Driscoll," had been slain -in an attempt to retake Castlehaven, which had been captured by the -British; and that the country around was despoiled, and the people -flying in dismay to the mountains. Burning with revenge, he marched -rapidly along the line of the Bandon, passing through Ballineen and -Inniskeen; scattering several English settlements as he passed; and -turning westward, bore directly for Castlehaven, took it by storm, and -put the whole English garrison to the sword. Other places were retaken -in quick succession, his force increasing with each success; and being -joined by Colonel McCarthy, they attacked the forces of Tettau, under -Eppinger, Cox, and Coy, again drove them from the interior, and the -reduction of the country was, for that time, abandoned. - -By these and other movements, too numerous to specify in detail, -the British general was kept in a state of alarm, and his object -frustrated, until the last days of December. The 29th of that month was -at last fixed by Ginckle for a simultaneous advance along his whole -line, every thing being considered in proper train, and the enemy's -apprehension being removed by the lateness of the season. Douglas, -from Enniskillen, directed his march on Sligo. The regiments of Kirke, -Lanier, Lisburn, Lord Geo. Hamilton, Brewer, "and several other -regiments, with tin-boats for crossing the river," marched under Kirke -and Brewer, from the north and east, against Lanesborough. A party of -the militia was also ordered from Dublin, "and those in the country -were ordered to be up on all hands." Drogheda's, Col. John Hamilton's, -and others, under Bristow, were ordered from Birr to Lanesborough; -and a strong force from Kilkenny and Roscrea were to attempt the -river at Portumna and Banagher. Tettau at the same time was to renew -his campaign in the south, by throwing a strong body against each of -the counties:--"And now," says Story, "if they had been all pushed -forward at one time, it had been a great advantage to our affairs -next campaign. All things seemed to favor the attempt, especially the -weather--better had never been seen for the season."[57] - -On the 29th, Tettau was joined by Brigadier Churchill, Sir David -Collier, Colonels Cox, Coy, and Matthews, with their respective forces, -and on the 30th attacked and captured Scronolard. But the country for -several miles around having been burned, and its provisions carried -off, they were unable to penetrate farther, and retraced their steps -after a series of assaults, in which they lost many men, and the -campaign was pronounced impracticable for the winter. - -The expedition against Sligo was not more fortunate. Douglas had -scarcely cleared his quarters at Enniskillen, when he was met by the -enemy, and after a succession of bewildering skirmishes for several -days, he concluded to go no farther:--"as the ground was too difficult, -and had been made more so." Then turning his steps towards Jamestown, -he was forced to retreat after a severe encounter, in which he suffered -greatly in men, and, harassed by the Rapparees, retraced his way to -the north, "_giving out_" that it was no use to take Jamestown, as the -country beyond it was too difficult to advance, even if the town were -in his possession. - -Nor were Brewer and Kirke up to time at Lanesborough. They found the -"bogs" to the east all intersected by canals, which were fiercely -disputed by the enemy, and when they at last reached the town, they -found that the eastern half of it had been burned down, and the fort -on the other side rendered impregnable:--"and after a few ineffectual -attempts to cross the river, they also retired in despair." - -The movements against Banagher and Portumna were also ineffectual; -and the regiments of Bristow, Caulfield, "and others,"--about 2,000 -strong,--which had been ordered to Lanesborough, by way of Mullingar, -were attacked by 1,500 of the Rapparees and soldiers, and after a -fierce fight of over five hours, were routed with great slaughter, and -driven back on Mountmellick, leaving all their baggage and military -stores in the hands of the victors. - -Ginckle now drew in his lines, and retiring to winter-quarters, began -to make extensive preparations for an early campaign in the spring. -But he had scarcely retired when he was apprised of a designed attack -on his whole line, and drew out his army to meet it. Nor were his -precautions unnecessary; for no sooner had he made his disposition, -than the Irish generals made a simultaneous advance against the -principal posts approaching the river. But finding their movements -anticipated on all hands, and some of their garrisons seriously -threatened in their rear, they retired after a series of engagements -that resulted in no advantage to either, and the British army also -retiring, a temporary quiet succeeded. As it was hoped that this -movement, which had been matured in secrecy by the Irish generals, -would have resulted in great advantage to their cause, its failure -filled them with indignation and alarm. They saw that they had been -contending not only against the enemy on their front, but against -treachery in their rear. A close inquiry revealed the fact that -the English general had been in communication with members of the -Irish Senate, and the treason being traced to Judge Daly and Lord -Riverstown, they were arrested and conveyed in irons to Galway. These -events ushered in the month of February: the _rôle_ of the last year -was repeated; active preparations along the English line, and great -expectations along the other: but the Rapparees increasing in numbers -and activity, continued their predatory warfare without cessation, -"watching all opportunities of advantage," says Story, "killing -our men by surprise in a great many places, but especially keeping -correspondence with the protected Irish in all parts of the country. -They stole away our horses, sometimes in the night, and often in the -noonday, when our men least expected it; by which means they recruited -their own horse considerably, and did us no small disservice; nor is it -probable, unless they had made use of some such ways, they could have -brought any body of horse into the field worth taking notice of in the -succeeding campaign." - -So ended this ominous campaign of General Ginckle. He began it with -all the appliances of success:--a powerful army, a most superb -artillery, supplies at will, and those powerful auxiliaries in the road -of conquest--confiscation, extermination, and proscription, keeping -pace with his military movements. It was directed against an enemy -comparatively insignificant in number; wanting in every thing but -courage, hardihood, and "good-will," and a disrupted population without -arms or direct purpose. Yet day followed day, and month followed -month, and still his object seemed farther from accomplishment, while -his enemy grew bolder, more numerous, and more effective; until at -last, driven to the defensive, he abandoned his purpose in despair, -and retired with an army worn down by fatigue, and disheartened by -continual disaster. Had the Irish generals, at this period, one-half -the means at the disposal of Ginckle, there is scarce a doubt that -their cause would have been crowned with complete success. But there is -no use in idle speculation on what might have been; the events of the -past are irrevocable, and the contrary is the record. - -Such was the conduct of Sarsfield during the fall and winter of 1690; -and it is to the admirable disposition of his force, and the capacity -he displayed in conducting both the civil and military affairs of the -nation at this trying period, rather than to the single affair of -blowing up the enemy's train at Ballineety, that we are to look for the -cause of his unbounded popularity, and the undying affection that his -name still holds in every Irish breast. - -No ample and digested record of that trying campaign, conducted by -the Rapparees and soldiers, has ever been written, nor is it likely -that it ever will be. The Irish historians pass it over by a few hasty -allusions, and hurry from the Boyne to Limerick, and from Limerick to -Aughrim, as if unwilling to more than glance at the terrific struggle -for life and liberty that took place between them. What we do know of -it, has to be accepted at the hands of a hired scribe, who, on his own -acknowledgment, was obliged to alter and distort his notes which were -taken at the time, in order to please his royal patrons three years -later. But even from him, enough can be gleaned to show that there was -manhood sufficient in the country, if properly directed, to restore -the king his inheritance, and, that the only military mind capable of -uniting and directing it to that end, was General Sarsfield. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE ARRIVAL OF ST. RUTH--GINCKLE TAKES THE FIELD. - - -Towards the middle of January, 1691, three French ships entered the -harbor of Galway, as an escort to the Duke of Tyrconnell, who, it was -confidently believed, had succeeded in the object of his mission, and -the tidings of his arrival were received with general manifestations -of joy. To the soldiers this news was particularly gratifying. He left -them victors, it is true, but victors over a city in ruins;--exhausted -in military resources, worn out by fatigue, without clothing or pay, -and living on the bounty of a greatly impoverished country. They had -borne their privations with cheerfulness, restored and strengthened -their city, maintained their flag against overwhelming numerical odds -at every post of their frontier; and believing their services about to -be rewarded, their enthusiasm knew no bounds, and they looked to his -arrival in Limerick with the happiest anticipations. They had been led -to expect a full arrear of pay, a complete outfit of clothing, arms -equal to their need, and a powerful French auxiliary, that would enable -them to turn the tide of war, and wrest the conquered provinces from -the grasp of the invader. They were bright hopes;--the brighter for -being so long deferred--but, like those of the previous years, they -were doomed to cruel disappointment. It soon became known that the -only money he brought was about £8,000, to be distributed as a present -donation; that the clothing received was not only insufficient, but -entirely unfit for wear--their old regimentals being preferable;--and -that, instead of the expected auxiliary, he was accompanied but by -Sir Richard Nagle and Sir Stephen Rice,--who had been sojourning in -France,--and a few of those military adventurers that in all ages -appear wherever hostilities in any cause offer a road to ambition. -Furthermore, it was found that the Duke of Berwick, who had performed -signal service to the cause, and who shared the popular favor with -General Sarsfield, was ordered to France, and that the latter was to be -placed in a secondary position to another French general,--the Marquis -de St. Ruth,--who had been appointed to the command of the army. -Serious discontent soon became manifest at this neglect of a general -whose unceasing activity, through the darkest period of the war, had -kept the army from entire dissolution, and saved the Jacobite cause -from irretrievable ruin. Besides, it was believed that the experiment -of placing French generals over native troops had proved too disastrous -to be again repeated, and, notwithstanding the high military reputation -of St. Ruth, the news was received with great disfavor, and in the -army created a spirit of disaffection that it required but a breath -to fan into mutiny. That Sarsfield himself felt deeply humiliated, -we have abundant evidence in the records of the period; nor did the -title of Earl of Lucan, nor the commission of lieutenant-general which -was borne to him by the deputy, entirely reconcile him to his altered -condition. The unbounded confidence reposed in him during the interval -of Tyrconnell's absence, had invested him with almost plenary powers, -which had been exercised with a discretion and ability that pointed -him out as the man for the time; public sentiment was undisguisedly -in favor of continuing those powers; and his own heart responded to -the wish, for he saw there were elements of success around which he, -and only he, could call into action. His humiliation was the greater -on this account: that though irrevocably bound to serve his king and -country in any position, however subordinate, it greatly impaired his -future efficiency; and the new appointment was viewed by all as another -fatal step in the downward tendency of the Catholic cause. - -There was, however, a consideration which, when duly weighed, as no -doubt it was at the time, must have lessened the poignancy of this -neglect, and rendered it less intolerable. The Duke of Berwick had -high claims to this appointment,--perhaps higher even than Sarsfield. -He was the king's son, and had been Lieutenant-General since 1689: he -was brave, and accomplished in the art of war; and there was no cause -but his youth, why he should not have received it. That he ambitioned -it, is plainly inferable from the tone in which he notices his "recall -from a country so full of troubles," and from his disapproval of the -manner in which his successor conducted the ensuing campaign. It would, -in short, seem that King James, being a dependant on the good-will of -the French monarch, had to bow to that will in resignation; that this -new general was selected by Louis; and that Berwick, by his recall, was -saved the indignity of being reduced to a secondary position. - -The result of this last mission to France, becoming known along the -English lines, gave rise to mirth and ridicule among the soldiery, who -might well pride themselves on the timely consideration of their own -provident monarch, who left nothing undone that could contribute to -their comfort or efficiency. Wherever they met the Irish soldiers, as -they did along the river during the month of February, they taunted -them with their repeated disappointments. The effect on the weak and -vacillating was soon visible. Desertions became of not unfrequent -occurrence among the soldiers of English descent, but those of the -native race clung more faithfully to their cause with every reverse; -but the general depression soon passed away, and all murmurs and -despondent thoughts were lost in the notes of preparation. - -So frequently are the names of King James and his ally, Louis XIV. of -France, linked with mismanagement and misadventure through the history -of this period, that it would seem all the attendant misfortunes of -the Catholic cause resulted from the weakness and indecision of the -one, and the absence of timely support arising from the mistaken policy -of the other. But though these were the leading, and perhaps the main -causes of its ultimate defeat, it was also induced by the prejudices -and follies of the Irish leaders themselves, as much as by the errors -of either king, or of both together. We have already seen some of the -evil effects of divided counsels, and of incipient treason in the -senate: we have now to make a cursory allusion to a character hitherto -unnoticed, who played no insignificant part in the closing scenes -of the drama, and added a ludicrous page to a melancholy and tragic -_dénouement_. - -It had long been an accepted prophecy in Ireland,--one much akin to -that of the "sleeping warriors" of Aileach,--that an O'Donnell, a -descendant of the house of Tyrconnell, was one day to return from -Spain, and free the land of his fathers from the English yoke, by -a great victory to be gained by him at, or near Limerick; and this -chief was to be known by the _Ball-dearg_,--or red mark,--on the -shoulder, which, 'tis said, attaches to the true descendants of that -noble house. It happened that at this time there lived in Spain, an -O'Donnell, of the family mentioned, and known also to bear the mark -that distinguished its true representatives, and him fame pointed out -as the destined liberator of the country. Whether this personage ever -entertained an idea of his wonderful virtue or not, until consulted by -an Irish deputation in Spain, does not clearly appear from the records -of the time; but that he _was_ waited on, and awakened to a sense -of his importance, there seems to be abundant testimony to warrant -this allusion.[58] In the nineteenth century this infatuation of men -intrusted with the destiny of a nation would seem almost incredible, -but it was not the less true. It was a glorious destiny to be the -liberator of the land of his ancestors; he heard the call, obeyed -it, and arrived at Limerick during the month of August, 1690. It was -the time of the siege, and he took part in its most stirring events -from the 17th to the 27th, and, it is said, did good service in the -memorable conflict that has immortalized that city. His appearance -at such a time was hailed with acclamations of joy by the populace, -and even the leaders of the army treated him with consideration. -After the retreat of the Prince of Orange, he was furnished with a -Colonel's commission, and empowered to raise troops from among the -Rapparees, to co-operate with the regular army. Those of the north and -north-west, scattered along the frontiers, at once flocked to him and -acknowledged him as their hereditary chief: others sought his standard -under the influence of the prophecy that attached to him, until he -had a following, variously estimated at from eight to ten thousand -men. But here his services ended. With this following, he established -his quarters from Clare-Galway to Sligo, behind the Irish lines, and -assuming the authority of an independent chief, instead of harassing -the movements of the enemy, he levied on the surrounding districts, -wasting the subsistence of the remaining province to support his -infatuated followers.-- - -"In short, he was," says O'Driscoll,[59] "of a class found in Ireland -and elsewhere. He was a great boaster, suspected to be a coward, known -to be a knave; noisy, insolent, presumptuous, and corrupt.... He was -afterwards known to have been in correspondence with both William -and Ginckle, and treating for a title and a command in the English -army." Yet he played his part ably; so ably, that he carried himself -through to the end of the war; nor did he appear in his true colors -to his deluded followers, or indeed to the leaders of the army, until -the final result of the war, revealed at the same time, and in the -same manner, the intrigues of _Ball-dearg_ O'Donnell, and the treason -of Henry Luttrell. Such was one of the many influences that helped -to divert the strength of the country from the direct purpose of the -war, and its evil effect cannot well be over-estimated. It placed a -covert enemy in the rear of the national army; materially lessened the -resources of a province already overburdened with a helpless floating -population; and withdrew from the enemy's country, which the other -provinces then virtually were, the most daring of those hardy Rapparee -bands, that had hitherto wrung their support from it, and materially -embarrassed the movements of the foreign army. - -Though the appointment of the Marquis de St. Ruth was opposed to the -public sentiment of the people and army, still they well understood -that the countenance of the French king was indispensable to their -cause, and resolved to make a virtue of necessity; all now daily -wished for his arrival to remove the general suspense and disquietude -of feeling. The enemy was known to be in an advanced state of -preparation, and it was feared that he would open the campaign before -a corresponding force should be ready to meet him. It was also hoped -that as King Louis had this time made his own selection of a general, -he would support him in all things necessary--arms, ammunition, and -artillery, and perhaps a contingent of troops to sustain the national -honor. The public mind now underwent another of those changes incident -to a condition of war, markedly in contrast with that of the previous -month. From the western headlands a daily watch was kept up, and -expectation was on tiptoe for his arrival. But day after day, and -month after month passed on, and still neither armament nor general -relieved the fever of anxiety. At length, on the 7th of May, when all -hope seemed to fail, a French fleet was signalled off the headlands of -Kerry, and the next day, riding up the Shannon, it came to anchor off -Limerick. It bore the Marquis de St. Ruth, with Generals d'Uson and de -Tessé, and about one hundred French officers of different rank; but -no money, and no military contingent. He came, however, well provided -with the munitions of war, a good supply of arms, and an outfit of -serviceable clothing. His arrival was hailed with general acclamations, -the bells of St. Mary's chimed forth throughout the day, and the most -solemn ceremonies of religion welcomed this devoted soldier of the -Catholic cause. - -Though considerably beyond the middle age, St. Ruth was still a man of -vigor and activity. He was of a commanding presence, pleasing aspect; -was nervous in address, and energetic in command;--the first passports -to the confidence of the Irish soldier. He had but lately returned to -Paris, after a successful campaign in Savoy, and was selected by Louis -to command the Jacobite forces in Ireland. But fame, which preceded him -there, had also told how the finer traits of his character were marred -by a vain ostentation, a hauteur of manner towards his subordinates, -and an overweening conceit in his own importance,--the very worst -traits to win the confidence or esteem of the Irish officers of that -period, on whom the conduct of de Rosen and de Lausun had left a very -unfavorable impression; or that of the generals; who could not see -the necessity for his appointment at all, when he came unsupported by -an army, and without coffers to warrant the raising of one from the -floating population of the country. - -Preparations for the renewal of hostilities were now actively resumed -along the lines, and the minds of the soldiers were diverted from all -other considerations. Their "penny-a-day" went far, for the country -still abounded in the necessaries of life, and the people shared -their means liberally. The proclamation of non-intercourse between -the British Islands and France, announced at once both in London -and Dublin, only served as a spur to greater enterprise both by sea -and land, and every succeeding day witnessed the arrival of trading -vessels, bearing arms and munitions--while the love of adventure -brought daily accessions to the ranks of either army. - -After a hasty inspection of the frontier and the condition of the -troops, St. Ruth directed himself to the work of reconstructing -the army, and his first movement for that purpose tended to raise -him greatly in the estimation of the soldiers. Notwithstanding the -exertions of the Rapparees through the winter and spring, there was -still a deficiency of cavalry horses, and to remedy this defect became -a matter of the first necessity. He at once issued an order to the -gentlemen of the surrounding country to assemble at Limerick to take -counsel on the state of the nation, and for other purposes. They -felt highly pleased at the courtesy extended; and in order to pay -all possible respect to this champion of their cause, came armed and -on horseback; making, notwithstanding the general depression, a most -gallant show. The meeting was held on King's Island, the soldiers being -drawn around it, to render the proceedings more solemn and impressive. -After a spirited address in French, on the duty of allegiance and -patriotism; and the sacrifice that all should be prepared to make for -their country, he ordered them to dismount and surrender their horses -for the use of the army. Remonstrance was useless, and any attempt -at resistance would be less so, for the soldiers, closing in on all -sides, showed them that the _émeute_ was preconcerted. They bowed in -resignation, seemed to relish the joke exceedingly, and were deeply -impressed with his capacity to deal with coming events, while he -extended to them the acknowledgments of his distinguished consideration. - -The disbanded soldiers were next called into service, and on the 15th -of May, the Duke of Tyrconnell issued a proclamation ordering the -Rapparees to retire behind the Shannon and hold themselves subject to -another levy. They obeyed with promptitude, and the required number -being selected, the rest scattered or returned to their former haunts. -But they were no longer able to perform any considerable exploit, and -their after-fate was tragical in the extreme: prices were set on their -heads; the trade became exciting and profitable: they died on the -mountains and by the wayside, prowling like wolves, and fighting like -tigers to the last. - -While preparations went forward day by day within the Irish lines, -it is necessary to revert to the other side, and note the progress -of Ginckle's affairs since the suspension of active hostilities; and -perhaps the fairest exposition that can be given, is the following -extract from Story's Impartial History, about the beginning of -February, 1691: "The king did as much as possible in the time, as any -who have seen the country may know; for if Ireland were as well-peopled -as the soil itself will bear, it may defy all the world besides. You -cannot see a town but where there is either a bog or a river, or -both," &c. Here follows a dissertation on the natural difficulties -the English army had to contend with, and the wiles and wickedness of -the Rapparees, that retarded their movements "the whole winter long," -concluding with the following consolatory reflections: "As to our own -army, our numbers are the same as last year (except two regiments that -were broke); they are also much healthfuller, and better acquainted -with the country and their arms; and to encourage us the more, the -Parliament has granted his Majesty a considerable fund to carry on the -war, and also to equip his fleet. Besides, we have now at least 12,000 -of the militia in good order, either to defend the garrisons behind us -or to assist our army upon occasion ... and more than all, we shall -have a great many Protestant Rapparees from the North and other places, -for the northern people are mostly armed ... so that we shall have no -want of men." - -Such was the numerical status of Ginckle's army at that period, and -from that until the summer; recruits, ordnance stores, and clothing -were poured in daily to every port in his possession. From the 30th -of April until the 6th of June, "all hands" were at work in Mullingar -fitting up every thing for the coming campaign: for instance-- - -April 30th. A large body of recruits sent into the County -Kildare.--_Same day_, all hands at work making cartridges, &c., "though -it was her Majesty's birthday."--_Same day_, several ships arrived at -Kinsale from England, and the Charles galley and Assurance frigate -landed at Waterford with four other ships under convoy, all loaded with -cannonball, bombs, powder, and several other materials.--May 8th, five -ships loaded with arms arrived at Dublin.--May 18th, Dragon and Advice -land four hundred marines at Baltimore.--_Same day_, six English ships -come to Cork with recruits and provisions, under convoy of the Smyrna -frigate; and so on to the 6th of June. - -Towards the end of May the different divisions of the British army -were put in motion towards Mullingar. On the 27th, General Douglas -marched from the North with a force of about 10,000 men, and encamped -at Ardagh. At the same time Wurtemburg put his troops in motion from -Thurles, taking the detached garrisons on his route, and replacing -them with the organized militia. On the 28th, Major-Generals Mackey -and Ruvigney arrived with their divisions and encamped outside the -town. About the same time General Talmash and Sir Martin Beckman, the -Chief Engineer, landed at Dublin with troops and a corps of sappers -and miners, and set the great train of artillery--"such as had never -been seen before in that kingdom"--on its way, and immediately started -for the camp. And "to give them the more comfort," Ginckle received -advice from Opdam, who regulated the cartel at Breda, that the Irish -soldiers released in lieu of the Dutch prisoners, were not to be -returned to Ireland, but sent into the French service, and that the -Irish officers would not be exchanged according to the rank they laid -claim to.[60] Proclamations again became the order of the day, all -tending to the same object--the "comfort" of the English troops, and -inviting desertions from their enemy. On the 31st of May, Ginckle -appeared in person at Mullingar. All his outposts were immediately -called in, notwithstanding strong protests from the Lords-Justices to -the contrary; for he had determined to put forth all his strength, -as the arrival of St. Ruth filled him with apprehension, and he only -yielded to their appeals so far as to give them some officers from the -army to command the private companies which all the country gentlemen -now enrolled for their own protection. - -Ginckle immediately contracted the defences of Mullingar, drew out his -troops, and sent orders to Wurtemburg to encamp opposite to Banagher -and Meelick, being resolved to force the river at one or both of those -places, and afterwards to invest Athlone on the east and west. But -finding a portion of the Irish army well advanced towards Frankfort, he -abandoned that design, the order was countermanded, and Wurtemburg was -directed to take a more circuitous route to the eastward, and join him -on his way to Athlone. - -Ginckle drew out his army from Mullingar on the 6th of June, and halted -at Rathcondrath, where he was joined the same day by General Douglas. -Here he encamped for the night, and sent out a party to reconnoitre the -fort of Ballymore, then held as an outpost of the Irish army. After -a brisk skirmish with the pickets of the fort, this party returned, -bringing in a wounded prisoner, from whom he learned the force and -disposition of the garrison, and appeared before it at noon on the -following day. The town of Ballymore lay on the direct road from -Mullingar to Athlone, and a little to the right of it stood the fort -on a peninsula, isolated from the mainland except at one pass which -led up towards the town, and which was commanded by a ruined castle -that stood at its outer entrance. The place had been in the possession -of the English during the preceding autumn, but the country around -it becoming too poor to subsist a garrison, it was abandoned, when -the Rapparees took possession of it, and held it through the winter, -as a rendezvous in their raids against Mullingar and the surrounding -posts of the enemy. The place was of much strategic importance, being -well adapted for either offensive or defensive warfare; but having -been utterly neglected by the different parties occupying it through -the last year, it was now in a dilapidated condition. The fort was of -mud, mounting two pieces of "Turkish cannon on cart-wheels," with a -garrison consisting of eight hundred soldiers, two hundred and sixty -Rapparees,--four hundred women and children who had fled to it as a -refuge,--and was commanded by Colonel Ulick Burke, who had orders to -hold it to the last extremity, in order to gain time for the Irish army -to anticipate Ginckle before Athlone. - -Ginckle, impatient of delay, and not wishing to lose time in storming -the castle, into which Burke had thrown a sergeant and fifteen men, -deployed to the northward, and, erecting his batteries, directed -a heavy fire against the fort. But as the great body of the lake -intervened, no impression could be made from that direction, and it was -found necessary to reduce the castle, which commanded the narrowest -part of the lake, and also the pass leading into the fort. It was -accordingly stormed, carried after an obstinate defence of two hours, -and the gallant sergeant hanged in sight of the fort, for an "obstinate -defence of an untenable position." This obstacle being removed, -eighteen guns and four mortars were brought to bear against the fort, -until eight o'clock in the morning, when the firing ceased, and Ginckle -demanded a surrender, the summons being accompanied by a threat, that -if it were not vacated within two hours, the garrison would share the -fate of the sergeant, which they had just witnessed. Colonel Burke -denied its authenticity, asserting that Ginckle would not set his -signature to such an atrocious order, and demanded the summons in -writing. The form was soon complied with, the threat was repeated over -Ginckle's signature, but leave was granted for the women and children -to depart or share the fate of the garrison. Burke next stipulated -for permission to withdraw the garrison, as the non-combatants were -determined to share their fate; but this being refused, the firing -was resumed on both sides, and continued without intermission until -noon, when the Irish gunner being killed, and the sand-walls of the -fort completely beaten down, Burke displayed a flag of truce to the -assailants. Ginckle, greatly incensed by the obstinacy of the defence, -refused to notice the signal, and the cannonade was continued until -seven o'clock in the evening, when a storming party and boats being -ready to cross the lake, Burke again displayed his flag, surrendered -unconditionally, and Colonel Earl, at the head of eight hundred troops, -took possession of the fort. The booty of the captors was considerable, -consisting of four hundred and thirty sheep, forty cows, fifty -horses, a quantity of oatmeal, the arms of the garrison, two pieces -of artillery, "_but no powder_." The loss of life was inconsiderable -on either side; the threat of the English general was not put in -execution;--the men of the garrison became prisoners of war, and the -women and children were sent beyond the Irish lines, in conformity with -the usage of the times. - -Ginckle made a pause of several days at Ballymore, awaiting his heavy -artillery, and the reinforcements expected from the south. While here, -he sent Lord Lisburn with 2,000 foot and five hundred horse, to attempt -the river at Lanesborough, and another body to reconnoitre the defences -of Athlone, and report the condition of the enemy. The former suffering -a severe repulse, returned after a few days, and pronounced the place -impracticable, and the latter reported that the Irish army must have -arrived at Athlone, as they saw some troops of horse drawn up on the -hills on the western side of the river. While here, also, General -Douglas departed to join the army of William in Flanders, and part -of his regiment were left under the command of Colonel Toby Purcell, -to occupy Ballymore, which had undergone a thorough reconstruction, -consisting of bastions, hornworks, a platform for a battery of eight -guns, and a floor of mortars. At length, on the 18th, Ginckle's train -having arrived, he moved forward to Ballyburn Pass, where he was joined -by Wurtemburg and Count Nassau, with a force of 8,000 men, and the next -day resumed his march for Athlone. - -Though Ginckle's preparations had extended farther into the season -than he at first intended, he had still taken the field considerably -in advance of his enemy, and Ballymore had been reduced, and his -march resumed, before St. Ruth had moved out of Limerick. Nor did the -knowledge of this disturb the equanimity of the latter, nor disconcert -his arrangements. Hearing that Ginckle's army had left Mullingar, -he dispatched a regiment of horse for the defence of Athlone, with -orders to its governor, Colonel Fitzgerald, to strengthen his defences -and hold both sections of the town until his arrival; then sending a -force under Brigadier Maxwell to move along on the east, and waste -the country as he went along, he drew out his army, turned his -steps towards Athlone, and moved by easy marches along the western -side of the river. Maxwell performed this duty with characteristic -promptitude:--he soon rendered the country, for several miles beyond -the river, destitute of provender; drove immense herds of cattle within -the Irish lines; and then making that skilful display of his force at -Ballyboy and Frankfort, which diverted Ginckle's attention from the -lower fords, he recrossed the river at Banagher, and moved towards -Ballinasloe, where he anticipated the arrival of St. Ruth. - -The two armies now approaching each other were quite as disproportioned -as when they met in the former year upon the banks of the Boyne. That -of Ginckle, exclusive of the garrisons left at Mullingar and Ballymore, -must still have numbered over 30,000 men, while that of St. Ruth, after -all his detachments had been called in, and the garrisons depleted to -the limit of safety, was, according to the most reliable estimate, but -23,000,--horse and foot. In artillery, and all the appliances of war, -the disproportion was still greater; while the arms and appointments -of the English army were incomparably superior to those of its less -numerous adversary. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -THE SIEGE OF ATHLONE.[61] - - -Athlone--_Ford of the Moon_; so called, it is believed, from -its connection with some ceremony of Druidic mythology--stands on both -sides of the Shannon, in the counties of Westmeath and Roscommon; -that part of it on the eastern or Leinster side, being designated -Englishtown; and that on the western or Connaught side, Irishtown. -Its position is as nearly central as the formation of the island will -admit, and the country around it is rich in historic and traditional -reminiscences. It was the scene of many a stirring event during the -sway of the native kings and chieftains, nor has it lost in importance -since the era of the English invasion; for ages it marked the greatest -western limit of the "Pale," and it is still the strongest fortress -and most extensive military depot in the kingdom. At the period under -consideration, the two divisions of the town were of nearly equal -extent, and a portion of each was encompassed by a wall of considerable -strength, beyond which the suburbs extended for some distance into the -country. The portion of the English town within the wall, was little -more than half a mile in length, its greatest width being somewhat -over a furlong, and the Irish town was similar in every respect, but -extended a little farther towards the north and south on the river. In -the middle of the eastern wall stood the Dublin Gate, facing the main -street and market-place, and opposite to it a bridge of nine arches, -connecting the two sections, being the only line of communication -between them. The eastern end of this bridge abutted on the bank of -the river, but at the western end there was a drawbridge of about -thirty feet span, and beyond it, but a little northward, stood the -castle, or chief citadel, built in the reign of King John; enlarged -and strengthened in that of Elizabeth, who wished to make it the seat -of her Lords-Justices; and the town was incorporated in the reign of -James I. This castle commanded the whole extent of the bridge, in a -slanting direction, and, with adequate artillery, could render it -impregnable; but in the approaching siege, as in all others through -this war, the native army was deficient in this arm of the service, and -had for the defence of this castle, and two bastions that protected -the fords on the river, but six pieces of light artillery and two -mortars. The wall of the English town was in a dilapidated condition, -and incapable of any protracted resistance. On the approach of General -Douglas, about ten months before, its suburbs had been given to the -flames by its governor, Colonel Grace, and the houses within the wall -levelled and left in the same condition as when the siege had been -abandoned. The Dublin Gate and its barriers were of great strength, -but another which opened towards the north, had been breached by the -artillery of Douglas, had undergone but slight repairs since that -time, and was incapable of offering a day's resistance to the immense -siege-train of de Ginckle. The present governor, Colonel Fitzgerald, -in pursuance of the plan which had proved so successful in the former -siege, had determined on the destruction of this section of the town, -when, contrary to the general advice, St. Ruth resolved on holding -both sections, and issued his command to that effect, as Ginckle -was about to move from Mullingar; and for this important service, -Fitzgerald had but 400 garrisoned troops, and a regiment of cavalry, -which came to his aid on the same day that he received notice of the -general's resolution. His position was therefore most critical and -embarrassing.--To abandon the English town without a defence, would be -contrary to the orders of his superior, and subject him to the gravest -military punishment; to withdraw his cavalry from the protection of the -river was inadmissible, as it would uncover the town on the north and -south, in case they should be cut off by a flank movement of the enemy, -and compel him to surrender without a blow. His only course was then to -make the best defence at all points: to dispatch a part of his garrison -to retard the enemy's advance, and gain time for the arrival of the -main army, which was known to be approaching, and within a day's march -of the town. - -Fortunately, the country stretching towards the enemy was well adapted -to defensive measures, being such that a small body of resolute men -could throw great impediments in the way of an army like de Ginckle's, -encumbered with baggage and artillery, and arrayed in all the panoply -of war. An extensive sweep of marsh and bog lay to the north, both -difficult and dangerous to infantry; to the south the country was -broken and irregular; and the road along which the enemy approached was -lined on either side with hedges and thickets, affording convenient -shelter at almost every step of the way.--Such was the country through -which the English army had to march, and determined to seize on every -advantage that could, even for a moment, retard it; the governor -dispatched about two hundred foot dragoons and grenadiers of his -garrison on their perilous adventure. - -Ginckle left his encampment at sunrise on the morning of the 19th, -and throwing out detachments towards Ballinahown and Killinure, where -the Rapparees were reported to be troublesome, he took up his line -of march. At Bealin, about a mile from his camp, his advance-guard -received a warm salute from the ambushed Irish pickets, and, falling -back on the main body, caused some confusion; when, throwing out -detachments to clear the brush on his right and left, he approached -slowly and warily towards the town. The Irish Guards now disputed the -ground with the most obstinate valor; every hedge and thicket became -the scene of assault and defence; when they yielded a position to -the overwhelming force of their assailants, it was but to renew the -strife with still greater desperation at another; the nearer the enemy -approached to the town the more deadly the conflict became; many, both -assailants and assailed, lay dead by the wayside, and it was well on -to noon, when, forced from their last intrenchment outside the wall, -the latter retired within their fortifications, and the English army -appeared before Athlone. - -Ginckle, who, finding that St. Ruth's army had not yet arrived, -determined to press his advantage, immediately set to work in the -construction of batteries, and had soon two at work outside the walls -of the English town: one of three guns to the north of it, over against -a bastion, on the western side of the river, and another of five guns -to the south, and both played fiercely all day without cessation. At -six in the evening another of nine eighteen-pounders was opened against -the northern gate, and all worked steadily until noon on the following -day. It was then found that the last one had effected a breach of its -own width, practicable for the passage of infantry, when the fire of -the two first was turned on the interior of the town, a council of war -was held, and it was determined to assault it in force that evening. - -The Governor, anticipating the result, and seeing that section of the -town no longer tenable, resolved on the destruction of the bridge, -as the only means of protracting the siege. For this purpose, after -withdrawing his artillery, he detailed a part of his force, while the -rest were stationed behind the breach to check the assault, and gain -time for the accomplishment of this work, which was now a matter of -vital importance. - -The order of assault was soon arranged by the British generals, and -was to be substantially as follows:--Five hundred grenadiers, with -triple the usual number of officers, and a corps of sappers and miners, -were to be arrayed in two divisions to support each other and lead the -advance. The first, after effecting an entrance into the town, was -to turn to the right, while the other was to follow close upon its -footsteps, and, at the same time, file to the left. That which took -the right was to be supported by 2,000 picked men, under the command -of Brigadier Stuart and Prince Frederick, and the other by an equal -number under Colonel Brewer and the Count of Nassau. The first column -was to make its way to the bridge, and, seizing it, cut off the retreat -of the besieged; or, failing in that, to seek cover in the nearest -walls and await the support of the other division, which was to gain -the Dublin Gate, and throw it open to the army outside. Then all were -to push forward and seize on the bridge and fords, if successful, to -assail the Irish town immediately, and if not, to cover themselves -with intrenchments along the river.--All preliminaries were to be -completed at five o'clock; the moment for assault was to be announced -by the firing of one signal-gun; the grenadiers, in the mean time, were -placed under cover to the northward of the town; and the whole movement -was under the direction of Major-General Mackey and Brigadier-General -Vittenhoff. - -It was now the evening of the second day: the army of St. Ruth had not -yet appeared in view; its delay was unaccountable; for he had received -timely notice of Ginckle's approach. The cannon from without poured -an incessant storm of ball and bomb into the town, and the defenders -behind their torn ramparts calmly bided their time, but knew not the -moment of assault. The fate of the Irish cause was in their hands, and -their determination rose with the importance of their trust. Their -Governor having done all that a brave and intrepid soldier could do, -committed the rest to the bravery of his soldiers, and the gallant old -Colonel Grace, who now served as a volunteer, took his stand beside -them, and in his presence no man dare turn his back on an enemy. - -At five o'clock the fire of the northern battery suddenly ceased, and -the peal of a single gun immediately announced the moment of action. -The report had scarcely died away, when it was echoed by a cheer from -the British grenadiers, as, springing from their ambush, they rushed -headlong towards the breach. A French officer of Cambon's regiment -first mounted it, waved his sword, and pointed onward, when the Irish -soldiers rose from their cover, levelled their muskets on the advancing -foe, and in a moment the gallant Frenchman and many of his immediate -followers were numbered with the dead. Still they pressed on, and -hundreds of them thronged the breach, when a second volley, more deadly -than the first, swept through their ranks, and the defenders stepped -forward and stood to confront the whole force of the assailants. -The conflict now became desperate, but the result could not be long -doubtful; overwhelmed by numbers, they were borne through the breach, -and the enemy gaining the open space inside the wall, commenced filing -to the right and left in pursuance of their purpose. The way to the -right was narrow and tortuous, and, though pressed on by the weight of -2,250 men, their way was disputed foot by foot, and dearly purchased in -that direction. But that to the left being less obstructed, the result -was terribly ruinous to the defenders. At the end of an hour one-half -of them lay dying and trampled among the _débris_, and still the rest -stood and fought as resolutely as ever. At length the gate was gained, -the assailants thronged by thousands into the market-place, and the -strife was transferred to the street leading down from it to the river. -Another hour passed on, and the defenders were borne back towards the -bridge; its destruction was not yet completed; and to win it on the one -side and maintain it on the other, became the work of life and death. -The assailants rushed on in their fury, but were steadily resisted, -and even for awhile repelled, their overwhelming numbers defeating the -very object of their assault. At length the arch was sprung, the word -was given to retire; the defenders rushed along the bridge; some of -them succeeded in crossing it, but their assailants pressing closely on -them, many were borne over the battlements, to rise no more. Further -persistence was now in vain; the work was done; the arch had given way, -and sunk beneath the waters of the river; and the enemy retired under -an effective fire opened on them from the opposite side; the bridge was -rendered impassable. - -History has few parallels for the bravery and devotion of the gallant -men who performed this act of self-immolation. Two hundred of them -strewed the way from the breach to the bridge; but not a prisoner was -taken, nor a color, to grace the enemy's triumph. This happened on the -20th of June. On the 22d a French lieutenant-colonel was found wounded -and dying under the bridge; and, three days after, a pair of colors was -found in the same place, under a heap of the slain, for which Ginckle -gave the finder a reward of five guineas. Nor was it a defence without -a purpose,--for valor is generally estimated by the end attained:--it -saved the Irish town from the immediate grasp of the enemy, and was a -fitting inauguration to a siege which, for heroic daring and unbending -fortitude, has few examples in the history of warfare. They had done -their work at the sacrifice of their lives; the siege was now about -to be renewed between more equally matched forces; for, just as they -had retired across the drawbridge, on the western side, St. Ruth's -army appeared beyond the town, and he took speedy measures to stop -the progress of the enemy.--Wauchop was placed in the command of the -castle; d'Usson and de Tessé were installed as joint commandants of the -town, and Fitzgerald retired to his former position in the army, as -colonel of his few remaining veterans. - -Ginckle having thus gained the English town, removed all his artillery -within the walls, and a train of eleven guns and three mortars having -arrived in the mean time, he spent all the succeeding night in the -erection of batteries. By the next morning he had five of them in full -play against the Irish town and its defences:--two above the bridge, -two below it--and one of five twenty-four pounders and six mortars at -the foot of the bridge over against the eastern wall of the citadel. -He next sent orders to hasten up his pontoons, which were on their way -from Mullingar, and, warned by the desperate resistance he had just -met, he took his precautions accordingly, and sent a requisition to -Dublin for additional reinforcements. - -Nor was St. Ruth now idle on his part. Encamping his army in a good -position about two miles from the town, he garrisoned the castle with -fresh troops, threw up lines of intrenchment along the river, and -at once opened on the works of the enemy. His guns were few and of -inferior calibre, but they were worked with a spirit and vigor that -soon caused Ginckle to shift two of his batteries from the river, while -the fire from the castle swept the bridge and rendered any approach -along it impracticable. - -Ginckle soon saw that to silence the guns of the castle was a work of -the first necessity, and to this end all his heavy guns and mortars -were at once directed. The labor of the gunners on both sides now -became incessant. Night brought no respite to the toils and dangers -of the day. The weather was extremely hot; an unusual drought had -prevailed, rendering the fascines as dry as tinder; and their continual -ignition made the work of the soldiers more harassing. The skies were -clear, and the evening twilight almost ushered in the dawn, while -the glare of the batteries lit up the intrenchments and rendered the -assailants and assailed continually visible to each other, while the -fire of Ginckle's mortars, being directed on the houses beyond the -castle, added perpetual conflagration to the other horrors of the -scene. After a short time, a mill which stood in the middle of the -river, to the north of the bridge, and into which the Irish had thrown -a detachment of sixty-four men to keep up a fire on the broken arch, -attracted the fire of the enemy. The passage which connected it with -the bridge was soon broken down, and the building itself taking fire, -the whole detachment--with two exceptions--perished in the flames. -The wall of the castle crumbled bit by bit, a rent became discernible -in the eastern wall, and gradually widening, the greater part of -the front gave way, strewing the passage to the bridge, choking up -the sally-port, and exposing the interior to the great guns of the -besiegers. - -Such was the condition of the besieged on the morning of the 26th, and -all that day the bombardment continued with increased fury. Towards -evening the bastion opposite the ford was beaten down so as to be -passable to horse and foot, and the battery which protected it was -completely silenced; the castle was deemed no longer tenable, and -Ginckle contemplated an assault in force on the following morning. -Preparatory to this, he resolved to try once more the passage of the -river, in order to create a diversion on the Irish rear while putting -his design in execution; and, having lately received information that -a ford had been discovered to the north of Lanesborough, which might -be easily crossed in the face of the small garrison stationed there, -had dispatched a strong force to that place, with orders to approach -it in the night, and having captured the town, to make a demonstration -on the enemy's left, while he himself, with the main body, would storm -the bridge and fords on their front. But the design was communicated -to General Wauchop, and he immediately sent a regiment of cavalry to -the assistance of Colonel O'Reilly, who commanded there, with orders -to defend the place to the last extremity. The troops of Ginckle had -started on their expedition on the night of the 25th, under direction -of a guide, and, after making a wide detour to the north-east, -approached the ford with great caution on the night of the 26th; but, -arriving there, they found the opposite side strongly intrenched -and the Irish cavalry drawn up to oppose them. They, however, tried -to force their way through, but being routed with severe loss, they -returned, and reported that it would take the whole army to cross -there, so the project was finally abandoned. Nor was this his only -disappointment. The morning of the 27th broke over a scene as startling -as unexpected, for in its light he beheld that the Irish battery above -the bastion had been repaired and strengthened, and that the castle -which he expected to find abandoned had been put in a better state of -defence than before. An opening had been made in the western wall, -through which rocks and beams had been conveyed to the top of the -breach, and firmly imbedded there, while its one solitary tower, the -Connaught Tower, still commanded the broken arch, and displayed its -flag as proud and defiant as ever. He was therefore obliged to forego -his intention for that day, and direct his whole force to the total -destruction of the citadel before risking an assault on the bridge. -To the five batteries already at work two more were now added, and an -incessant storm of shot and shell was directed all day on the castle -and the houses beyond it. Three times during the siege the town had -been set on fire; the population had fled to the suburbs, and nothing -having life remained within the walls but the gunners behind their -crumbling earth-works, and the soldiers laboring to check the flames -extending in all directions. - -St. Ruth, believing that the tower could not long withstand the -terrible fire brought to bear on it, set to work in the erection of -earth-works to answer the same end, and for this purpose he conveyed -some guns outside the town, and erected two batteries--one to the north -and the other to the south--both bearing across the eastern angles -of the bridge. Their fire soon drove the English gunners from their -batteries, and during the cessation of their fire two intrenchments -were thrown up on a high ground to the right and left of the castle. -The fire from these dislodged the English musketeers from the walls -near the river, and from this forward the contest became a duel of -artillery. Ginckle's heavy missiles still bore down all obstructions; -the ingenious traverse and change of position were unavailing; nothing -could withstand the heavy guns of the besiegers but the Connaught -Tower, and that, though crumbling bit by bit, still sent its shot with -the same precision as before. In this manner the conflict raged during -the whole of the 27th. The bombs of the enemy became exhausted, but -this brought no respite to the besieged. Immense blocks of stone, even -more destructive than shell, were hurled into the Irish intrenchments, -crushing their fascines to atoms, and breaking down all barriers. -Towards evening a body of the besiegers, moving behind an improvised -breastwork, stormed the bridge, gained possession of the broken arch, -and secured themselves behind a strong breastwork. The defence was -stubborn, and cost both sides dearly; "for," says the English annalist, -"what we gained here was inch by inch, as it were, the enemy sticking -very close to it, though great numbers of them were slain by our guns, -and the service cost us a great store of ammunition." But ammunition -was of small account with Ginckle. One hundred wagon-loads of shot and -shell reached the camp that evening; thirteen squadron of wagon-horses -were sent to Dublin for more, and two batteries were added to the seven -that had been at work since the morning of the 25th. One of these was -on a hill outside the wall, which commanded the western end of the -bridge, and the other in a meadow to the south of it, which raked the -passage leading from the Irish town to the castle. Under cover of these -nine batteries the English reached the last broken arch, and secured -themselves by a breastwork overlooking that of the Irish on the other -side. Here the grenadiers of both armies now stood firing their muskets -and hurling their grenades across the narrow space that separated them. -At length the fascines of the Irish breastwork took fire, the whole was -soon a sheet of flame, its defenders were forced to retire, and on the -night of the 27th the English remained masters of the last broken arch -of the bridge. - -The situation of the besieged was now most desperate. The town -seemed all but in the possession of the enemy. The bastion opposite -the southern ford, about fifty yards from the bridge, was levelled, -and practicable to infantry and cavalry. The ford itself was easily -passable, for the river was unusually low for the season. The town -was a heap of smouldering ruins, and the castle,--with the single -exception of the Connaught Tower--was beaten down to the level of the -besiegers' guns. Beams had been extended across the last broken arch -of the bridge, the planking was partially set, while the fire of their -forty-seven guns was fierce and active as ever. Still the Irish relaxed -neither in courage nor intrepidity. Though but one gun alone sent an -occasional response to the incessant roar of nine batteries, sweeping -every foot of their intrenchments, "they worked like horses, checking -the fire within the town; carrying fascines to fill their trenches;" -and exhibited a courage and endurance "such as was never excelled by -man." Such was the situation on both sides through the night of the -27th:--the one in the face of inevitable death trying to reconstruct -their shattered defences, and the other in exultation preparing to -force the river at sunrise the next morning. - -The night passed on, and the morning rose bright and clear above the -river. The besieged seemed to have exhausted all the means of defence. -Some lay close in the cover of their trenches, and others drawn up -behind the western wall of the castle, waiting for the approaching -conflict. The enemy alone were at work. The planking was nearly -completed across the last broken arch of the bridge. The fire from -their right and left traversed its western end between their workmen -and the besieged, and their grenadiers were advanced along the bridge -waiting for the expected signal. At this moment a sudden commotion was -observable in the Irish quarters, and a simultaneous shout rent the -air, as eleven men, cased in armor, were seen to clear their trenches, -and bear directly for the bridge. A silence still as death fell over -the besiegers and besieged, and for a moment all seemed spellbound. In -another the noble fellows had reached the bridge, and "with a strength -and courage beyond what men were thought capable of," commenced to tear -away the planks and beams, and cast them into the river. The amazement -of the English soldiers soon gave way to the stern necessity of war. A -discharge of great and small guns swept the bridge, and the devoted men -passed forever from the earth! Undeterred by their fate, eleven more -sprang forward to complete the work! Another peal rang out as before, -a cloud of smoke enveloped them for a moment, and, clearing away, it -was found that their work was completely accomplished, that the bridge -was rendered impassable, and that two of the eleven had escaped within -their intrenchments.[62] - -Ginckle, greatly chagrined by his disappointment, withdrew his -soldiers to their camp, called a council of war, and deliberated on -the alternatives of continuing the siege, or seeking a passage at some -other point of the river. The council continued far into the evening; -the questions were discussed in all their bearings, and another assault -was determined on for the morning of the 29th. - -In the mean time it became necessary to gain possession of the broken -arch which had been lost in the last assault, and to silence the -battery on the Connaught Tower, or, which was the same, to destroy -the tower itself. This tower stood at the north-western angle of the -castle, and though it had cost more ball and ammunition than all the -rest of the defences together, it had never ceased for a moment to -annoy the enemy, even when all the earth-works had been silenced. -Against this tower all Ginckle's heavy guns were now directed. Towards -midnight its abutments gave way, and shortly after it fell forward in -one solid mass, and lay stretched athwart the ruins. While this was -going on, the utmost activity prevailed in the English camp. Pontoons -were put in order, a close gallery was constructed of sufficient length -to span the arch and protect the workmen inside it, while a company -of Danish soldiers had examined the river, and established another -ford practicable for twenty soldiers abreast, about thirty yards to -the south of the other. Three hundred yards to the south of this had -been selected for the bridge of pontoons, and the banks at both places -levelled for a proper distance. The assault was to be made in three -places:--at the bridge: across the newly-discovered ford: and over the -pontoons, outside the town. It was furthermore resolved that every -regiment should have the honor of participating in the movement, and -the selection of the men for this purpose was confided to Major-General -Mackey, who made the following disposition:--From every regiment he -selected forty-three grenadiers, eighty-three private soldiers, three -captains, five lieutenants, two ensigns, and seven sergeants--a force -not less than 8,000 men in all. These he arranged in three divisions, -and stationed them outside the eastern wall, "in great secrecy," until -the proper time to show themselves. The way from the gate to the river -was cleared of all obstructions, and ladders were placed against the -walls, near the river, which were pierced for musketry, in order to -annoy the enemy while the assailants were crossing it. The bridge was -to be the first point of assault, and on its success those at the ford -and over the pontoons were dependent. Three thousand men were to cross -at the bridge, 3,000 more over the pontoons, and 2,000, composed of -horse and foot, were to attempt the ford. The assault was to take place -at sunrise, until which time all should be conducted with the utmost -"secrecy and circumspection." The soldiers were to carry fifteen rounds -to a man, to have each a green bough in his hat, as at the Boyne; they -were rewarded in advance by the distribution of large sums of money, -and the word of the night was--"Kilkenny." - -But, notwithstanding all the precautions of secrecy observed in the -English camp, St. Ruth received timely information of the design, and -had taken active measures to counteract it. When morning broke over -the Irish town, Ginckle was both surprised and mortified to see that -all his movements were anticipated. The drawbridge had been secured by -a heavy breastwork, a new battery had been constructed opposite the -ford, and another in a meadow outside of the town, commanding the point -selected for laying his pontoons, and reinforcements from the Irish -camp had been stationed at convenient positions to dispute the town, in -case he succeeded in forcing the passage of the river. He was further -disconcerted at finding that General Mackey's arrangements were not -all up to time. The men stood to their arms at the appointed hour: the -musketeers lined the walls along the river; the gallery was ready to be -pushed over the bridge; but the pontoons, which should have been laid -overnight, were found insufficient to span the river, and it became -necessary to repair some old ones to supply the deficiency. As this had -now to be done in the face of the enemy's fire, it became necessary to -construct a battery to dislodge them, while the work of repairing and -laying the boats was carried forward, and it was doubtful whether he -should have any timely co-operation from that quarter. Still, as all -the other movements were dependent on the result at the bridge, Ginckle -determined to persevere, and at the appointed time the grenadiers and -soldiers moved forward under the protection of their covered gallery. -After great danger and difficulty it was forced over the English -breastwork, where the grenadiers stood face to face to dispute the -possession of the bridge, and the strife of the 28th was repeated over -again, with greater desperation on both sides. While this was going on -at the bridge, the fire of the English batteries swept the whole Irish -line, and under the diversion Mackey made desperate efforts to complete -the line of pontoons; but, despite of all, he was driven from the work, -and forced to abide the result at the bridge. All now depended upon -this: and the soldiers on both sides looked on with feelings wrought -to the highest pitch of excitement. The Irish grenadiers suffered -dreadfully, for the enemy's breastwork completely overlooked that on -the other side, and their grenades wrought terrible destruction in -their trenches. Four hours passed on, and still this encounter raged -without cessation. The gallery was forced forward, as it were, inch by -inch; the arch was spanned, and the work, as before, had nearly reached -completion, when the fascines on the English side caught fire. The -soldiers made great efforts to extinguish it, but in vain; the whole -was soon a sheet of flame; and being no longer tenable, they abandoned -their position and retreated across the bridge: the Irish grenadiers -advanced and completed the destruction of the gallery and defences; and -the bridge was again impassable. The failure of this assault at the -bridge caused the abandonment of those at the other two points, and the -English soldiers were withdrawn to their camp, none remaining but the -usual guards, and the cannoneers behind their intrenchments. The firing -of the cannon ceased for the first time since the siege had opened, and -silence brooded over the scene of desolation. - -St. Ruth was now elated with success, and enthusiastic in praise of -the soldiers, who had displayed such stubborn valor in the defence -of their old town. It was now, throughout its whole extent, a mass -of smouldering ruins, over which the soldiers made their way with -difficulty and danger, and the intrenchments along the river had been -levelled and reconstructed so often that the earth around them had been -rendered as dry as powder. He therefore issued orders to have a road -opened from end to end behind the batteries next the river, in order to -facilitate the deploying of troops from one point to another; to have -the western wall completely razed, the houses within them levelled, so -that the enemy should have no shelter if they should succeed in passing -the river; and the area behind the castle cleared, so that his raw -levies should be drilled there and trained to perform garrison duty. He -next withdrew most of the trained soldiers from the works, and supplied -their place with three regiments of recruits; and, expressing his -belief that the enemy would retire without risking another engagement, -marched his army back to camp, and gave a banquet, 'tis said, to which -he invited all the ladies and gentlemen of the surrounding district. - -Ginckle was greatly mortified at the failure of this last grand -movement. It was made in force; each of the divisions had fulfilled -its part of the programme. All the resources at his command had -been brought to support it, and yet a signal failure at all points, -and a serious loss of men, had been the consequence; and, as he had -determined beforehand that on its result his advance or retreat -should depend, he immediately called a council of war, to signify -his intention to retire, and try some other point of the river, -or open a defensive campaign on the ground already traversed. All -the propositions submitted at the previous council were taken up -and discussed: the continual failure of his plans; the spirit and -endurance of the enemy; the impossibility of remaining any longer in -a district stripped of forage and provender for several miles around. -The expenditure of ammunition, too, had already outrun his most -extravagant calculations. Bomb and ball had accomplished all that could -be effected, for both town and citadel were now reduced, and still the -enemy, so far from abandoning the place, had recently renewed their -defences, and should the river be crossed, were ready to offer battle -amid the ruins. Should he again attempt the passage, and succeed in -crossing, success was to be purchased, but at a great sacrifice. Should -he cross and not succeed, the total destruction of his army was more -than probable. Should he attempt to cross above or below this place, he -uncovered the capital, and the enemy would not fail to profit by the -advantage. The disadvantages of taking the defensive at the beginning -of the campaign, and the disgrace of retiring in the face of the foe -whom the soldiers had hitherto been taught to despise, would have a -ruinous effect on the spirit of his troops, raise that of the enemy, -and exert a powerful influence on the action of the French monarch. -Having canvassed the subject in all its bearings, he was himself in -favor of trying another ford above or below their present position, -where less difficulties were to be encountered, and submitted the -whole subject to the deliberation of the council. The debate was -long and earnest, and the majority supported the decision of the -General-in-Chief. The minority were against retiring, and they were -the ablest and most prominent of the generals:--Mackey and Wurtemberg, -Ruvigney and Tettau, urged another assault, and offered themselves to -head the soldiers in person, and be the first to cross the river. The -deliberation was long, and the matter remained undecided, when the -opinion of the majority was changed by one of those fortuitous events -which seem throughout this war to arise continually in favor of the -invader. Two officers who had deserted from the Irish army were at -this juncture brought before the council, and proffered most important -information. They represented the feeling of security that prevailed -in the Irish camp; the prevalent belief that the enemy would retire -and abandon the siege; the substitution of untrained soldiers in the -trenches; and the withdrawal of the veterans. They told of the bad -feeling existing between St. Ruth, the deputy, and general officers; -the scarcity of ammunition; and of all things that could give weight -to the views of the minority. The opposing opinions were at once -reconciled, and a plan of action was forthwith adopted. - -It was now determined to take the town by surprise; and the better -to conceal the design, it was concerted to make a feint of retiring -and raising the siege. Guns were to be dismounted; tents struck; -the baggage placed on wagons in sight of the enemy; and the general -appearance to be that of an army about to retire from its encampment. -The soldiers selected for the last assault were to be withdrawn from -view, and held in readiness outside the wall until the appointed -hour. At the usual time of changing guard, which was six o'clock in -the morning, the men who were to cross at the ford were to move down -as if to relieve their comrades, when at an appointed signal, which -was the ringing of the church bell, they were to cross and storm the -opposite intrenchments. These being carried, they were to move to the -right and left, to assist the other divisions which were to follow in -quick succession, and pass over the bridge and pontoons simultaneously. -Every thing seemed opportune for the attempt; every part of the plan -was observed to the letter; and to create the proper ardor among the -soldiers, still larger rewards were distributed than on the former -occasion. - -All through the evening the cannonade along the English lines seemed to -relax its wonted spirit; farther on it ceased altogether, and it was -observed that some of the guns were being limbered and removed from -the river towards the camp. The _ruse_ immediately had the desired -effect. The Irish soldiers, believing that the enemy had actually -commenced to retire, came gradually out of their trenches, and ventured -down towards the river. The English soldiers, too, seemed to relax -in discipline, and came down to meet them. Jest and repartee were -bandied across the stream; the soldiers of Ginckle twitting those of -St. Ruth on their miserable "penny a day," and the latter reminding -the former that they had given "bad penny-worths" for the money which -their general had lately distributed among them. So they beguiled the -time; with the closest secrecy and circumspection on the one side, -and a feeling of security and a total unconsciousness of approaching -danger on the other. As the night wore on both parties retired from the -river, and sought repose in the trenches, and a deep silence settled -over the scene, only broken at intervals by the occasional challenge -of the sentries as they met each other in their measured round. Nor -was it in the unconsciousness of the Irish soldiers alone that fortune -seemed to favor the besiegers. The orders which St. Ruth had lately -given, on withdrawing his army from the town, had not been carried -out. The houses were still the same shapeless ruins he had left them; -the western wall was still entire; but a roadway had been cleared -behind the intrenchments on the river, and all the defensive works to -the rear of it had been defaced and levelled. This neglect was the -consequence of a disagreement between St. Ruth and General d'Usson--the -former wishing to have all obstructions removed, so as to give battle -on the ruins of the town if the batteries on the river were carried; -and the latter wishing to preserve the walls as a line of defence, in -the event of such a conjuncture. It therefore happened that the work -"went by default," or that the bad parts of it were executed and the -more necessary totally neglected. However this be, a want of concord -was manifest among the leaders; and when to these untoward events it -is added, that d'Usson was absent from the camp, that three untrained -regiments manned the defences, and that a scarcity of ammunition -prevailed along the lines, the whole train of circumstances pointed to -a manifest destiny, and--the reader may anticipate an evil one. - -It was yet the gray dawn of morning; the same supineness prevailed -along the Irish lines, and the same cautious preparations went on in -the camp of the enemy, when Colonel Cormac O'Neil entered the quarters -of General Maxwell. He came to demand a supply of bullets for his -men; for, being on duty overnight, he observed certain signs on the -opposite side that led him to believe that another assault might be -soon expected, and wished to take the necessary precautions. Maxwell -was at first incredulous, and answering the demand by one of those -Scotch apothegms, so prevalent at the time,--"If he wanted to shoot -lavrocks," O'Neil retired moody and discontented. As the morning -advanced, however, that general himself saw reasons to convince him -that the colonel's suspicions were well founded;--he observed that -the bridge of pontoons had not been removed, that the batteries there -and at the ford showed signs of having been recently repaired and -strengthened, and that the guards along the whole line had been doubled -through the night. He immediately communicated this intelligence to -St. Ruth, and requested that a division of veteran troops should be -immediately sent into the town; but the herald soon returned with the -insulting reply that "if he was afraid, another general officer would -be sent to take his place." So the morning passed on; the plans of the -enemy were matured, and they awaited but the appointed hour to put them -in execution. - -At six o'clock the tattoo in the English camp announced the hour of -changing guard, and the soldiers marched down leisurely, as if to -their accustomed duty. In six minutes after the church-bell rang out -its signal, the artillery opened along the whole line, and under its -shelter the assailants dashed forward and entered the river. A body of -sixty grenadiers, cased in armor, and moving twenty abreast, led the -advance. They were headed by Captain Sandys, a soldier of great daring -and intrepidity, and were closely followed by a strong supporting -column of cavalry commanded by General Talmash and Colonel Gustavus -Hamilton, and by 2,000 chosen infantry troops under the direction of -Mackey, Tettau, La Mellioneire, and the Prince of Hesse. Simultaneous -with this assault, which took place at the ford, other movements were -directed towards the pontoons and the town-bridge, and the whole scene -was again alive with military ardor and intrepidity. There never was a -more complete surprise. The movement was so sudden and unexpected that -the assailants had nearly gained the opposite bank before the alarm was -sounded in the Irish quarters, or the soldiers who were lying asleep -in the trenches could be aroused to a consciousness of their danger. -As the grenadiers began to ascend they were met by a few hasty and -ill-directed volleys from those on guard, which checked their progress -for a moment, but they were pressed on by the thousands in their rear, -and literally borne over the intrenchments, where they soon silenced -all opposition. Some of the Irish soldiers fled to the shelter of the -ruined houses, where they rallied and kept up an irregular fire on -the enemy thronging into the town; but most of them were taken, and, -being unarmed, were slaughtered where they stood. Having thus carried -the works on their front, the assailants immediately filed to the -right and left; some to aid in laying the pontoons, some in securing -the drawbridge, and still others to mask the castle and cut off the -retreat of its garrison. The road which had been opened by St. Ruth's -orders, was now of the greatest advantage to his enemy, who moved -quickly behind the intrenchments, cutting off the Irish soldiers; who, -having no batteries in the rear to check the pursuit, were surrounded, -overwhelmed, and cut down with little resistance. The bridge and -pontoons being soon made passable, thousands rushed into the town, -swearing as they stumbled over the ruins, and dealing death to their -disarmed prisoners. One battalion of veterans, led by Maxwell and some -Irish officers, made a stubborn resistance, and for a while checked the -pursuit; but, being surrounded and assailed on all sides, they were -slain, with the exception of the general and a few of the superior -officers, who were secured as prisoners. - -On the first alarm, information was sent to St. Ruth that the enemy was -crossing the river; but he scouted the idea, and boasted that Ginckle -would not dare it after his late repulse, while he lay so near with -an army to succor it. Sarsfield, who was present at the time, replied -that the undertaking was not too great for English valor to attempt, -but still St. Ruth, either through real or affected disbelief, scorned -all remonstrance, and remained immovable. In a short time, however, -the fugitives from the town began to reach the camp; he was at last -convinced, and, with a seeming indifference, ordered Major-General -John Hamilton to take two brigades and drive the enemy again beyond -the river. The attempt was made, and the fight was renewed with such -determination that General Maxwell expressed his belief, to his -captors, that the town would be retaken. But after a desperate conflict -of an hour and a half amid the ruins, the enemy gained the western -wall; to dislodge them became impossible to an over-matched force; the -Irish soldiers retreated to their camp; and Athlone was lost. - -The loss of life by which Ginckle gained possession of this town -is variously estimated. Twelve hundred would perhaps cover all the -casualties of the siege, but in addition to this he expended fifty -tons of gunpowder, 12,000 cannonball, 600 bombs, and innumerable tons -of stone, hurled from the mortars whenever the shell became exhausted. -The Irish army, during the same period, accepting the highest estimate, -suffered a diminution of 2,300 men, of whom 500 were slain, and 566 -captured in the last surprise and assault. Its loss in officers was -very great--too great for specification. Among them were the French -adjutant-general, the two Colonels McGuinness, Colonels McMahon and -O'Gara, and the veteran Colonel Richard Grace, whose body was found -amid the slain under the western end of the bridge, where it had lain -since the assault of the previous morning,--and there could be no place -more appropriate for the fall of that patriot warrior. The booty taken -within the town is thus summed up by the English chaplain, Story: "A -good store of plunder among the ruins, and a great many dead men in the -castle, with about twenty barrels of powder, twelve hogsheads of meal, -some wheat, and a great many other things." - -But Athlone was lost to the Irish army, and its last line of defence -was penetrated, not through lack of valor or capacity to maintain it, -but through a want of vigilance, totally inexcusable among the superior -officers, and a singular combination of pride and folly on the part of -the general, strangely comporting with the importance of the cause. Up -to this day, no city had ever been defended with more determined valor, -and never was eventual success more apparent than on the very hour that -it was captured "by the most complete surprise that ever was." The last -sun looked down on the Jacobite army exultant in spirit and confident -of success; the next saw it overreached by the enemy, outraged by its -general, robbed of victory, and humiliated by defeat. The world had -seldom witnessed such heroic sacrifice, such patient endurance, and -enthusiastic devotion as those displayed by the Irish soldiers of that -period; but the loss of this old town, through manifest neglect--a -tampering with fate, as it were, so culpable in a general--roused a -spirit of indignation in every breast, and denunciations loud and -bitter were uttered against St. Ruth, now as deeply penitent and as -lowly obsequious as he had lately been haughty and intolerant. But -little time was left for vain regrets or useless recrimination. The -presence of an enemy flushed with success, within two miles of their -camp, banished every other consideration for the moment, and, yielding -to the appeals of their generals, they prepared for the final contest. -All that day, and far into the night, they remained drawn up on the -site of their encampment, in momentary expectation of the enemy, and -determined to risk a battle. But as the night wore on and Ginckle -made no forward movement, they decamped and marched in good order to -Milton Pass, a small village about six miles to the north-west, on -a river which empties into the southern section of Lough Ree. There -they remained until ten o'clock next day, when the infantry took up -their march towards the south-west, and the cavalry, after remaining -some hours longer to protect their rear, took the same direction, and -disappeared from the sight of the enemy. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE INTERVAL FROM JULY 1ST TO THE 12TH. - - -From its central position on the principal river of the country, -Athlone, at any period of the war, was of the utmost importance to -either belligerent; its loss to the Irish cause was, at this particular -crisis, a misfortune almost irreparable. It was the main link in that -chain of fortresses which the Irish generals had early recommended as -a base of operations, from which they could indefinitely prolong the -war, and eventually roll back the tide of invasion. Their successful -defence of it since the battle of the Boyne had tended to strengthen -that belief, for, notwithstanding the incessant assaults of the enemy, -not a link in the chain had been broken, and every attempt to sever it -had resulted in his repulse or discomfiture. - -Well has the Shannon been termed the "principal feature of the island:" -nay more! in a military sense it is the key to it. Though most of its -principal garrisons are approachable by roads at all seasons; yet, -by reason of its high winter floods, rising towards the beginning -of October, and scarce ever receding until the end of May; with its -islands and adjacent callow lands completely inundated, it appears -throughout its whole length a chain of extensive lakes, completely -hiding its main channel, and greatly limiting the number of assailable -points throughout the intervening period. The possession of Limerick, -too, by the native army, deprived the invader of the advantage of any -craft, save such as could be improvised in the interior, and against -the action of cannon these were almost or totally unserviceable. There -were, therefore, only five or six months of the year during which the -invading army could prosecute a vigorous campaign along its environs, -and with its garrisons in a proper state of defence, with the native -army lying conveniently behind them, and the other three provinces -open to its incursions at will, all the power of England alone were -incompetent to the reduction of the country. - -Deeply impressed with this conviction, the defence of Athlone had been -tenacious, and desperate even to recklessness.[63] Other considerations, -too, tended to heighten the importance of this siege. It was the -opening event of the campaign; it was carried on under the eye of -their new general, of whom fame had spoken so loudly, and above all, -it was hoped that a successful result would remove all misgivings from -the mind of the French monarch as to the wisdom of his advocacy, and -prompt him to immediate and more effective intervention. But the fall -of Athlone at once dashed all these bright anticipations. The mind -of Louis, continually warped by the misrepresentations of de Lausen -and Louvois, had from the beginning wavered on the sustenance of the -war; the ill success of his generals had been hitherto attributed to -the intractability of the native race; deceived by the subterfuge, he -adopted the accusation, and would, it might now be inferred, refuse any -further support to a cause whose fate was already foreshadowed. Nor -could it be doubted that the error of St. Ruth, though too palpable for -evasion, would have its palliation, while the brave men whom his pride -and arrogance had cheated out of assured victory, would again be the -victims of covert calumny. - -It is no wonder, then, that the Irish soldiers felt the loss of Athlone -with a grief bordering on despair, and the Irish officers with a rage -strongly savoring of mutiny. To those it seemed as though they were to -be perpetually the dupes of every adventurer in search of a reputation, -and to these, that their dearest liberties weighed as nothing, and that -their country was but as a diversion from the military chess-board of -Europe, and they deemed the neglect of St. Ruth a crime scarce less -detestable than covert treason. To all it was an overwhelming calamity, -opening at once to the tread of the invader the province which they had -so long and so gallantly defended, and which until this day they could -proudly claim as their country. - -It is extremely painful, after the lapse of nearly two hundred years, -to revive the weaker traits of St. Ruth's most singular character: for -it would be far more congenial, in view of his subsequent career, to -revive in him a bright reputation than a clouded one. He came to the -country in good faith; he gave his life as an earnest of his sincerity -in her behalf; and his ashes lie with those of her best and bravest on -their last great battle-field for civil and religious liberty. That -he planned it skilfully and fought it well, all admit; that it was -lost only by the "special interposition of Providence," is generally -conceded. He was brave, intrepid, and collected, in that moment which -tries true heroism, and his fate still awakens a sympathetic chord in -the breast of every generous Irishman. It should be remembered, too, -that his name was one of hatred to the French Huguenots of the time, -who sold their services to every country at war with their lawful -sovereign, and came to Ireland as the crusaders of _that religious -ascendency_ they failed to establish in their own. From them the -English historians who have treated of this war, have taken their -estimate of St. Ruth's character; and such of the Irish historians, -too, as advocate "Protestant ascendency and the dependency of Ireland -upon England." Deeply imbued with the hatred of French influence in the -island, the dissertations of such chroniclers on individual character -is persistently in accordance with that feeling. With them the -character of Tyrconnell and St. Ruth are alike the subjects of bitter -and unmeasured sarcasm; that of the one, because he is said to have -first advanced the theory of a French protectorate over the country; -and that of the other, simply because he was the servant of their -enemy, and a Frenchman; and so much, if not all of their testimony in -this connection, may be regarded as either studied falsehood or gross -exaggeration. - -On the other hand, this policy of Tyrconnell is that which most endears -his name to the Irish race, and wins it the general approbation of the -native historian. And the wisdom of that policy has grown on them, age -after age, until it has at last settled into a faith, that they are -to be one day freed by the armed intervention of the enemy of their -oppressor. This, too, may account in a great measure for the sympathy -manifested by our native historians for the misfortunes of St. Ruth; -for, in treating of him, the calamities consequent on his errors seem -to be forgotten, and faults that, if committed by a native general, -would call forth execrations, are touched so delicately, that one can -scarce know which to applaud or to condemn. - -Yet, weighing all these, and many other extenuating causes, there still -stands out testimony, abundant and reliable, that his errors were -ruinous to Ireland, and that in him a great soul was clouded by a most -inordinate vanity; that his conduct towards Sarsfield was unwise and -untimely, alienating from him the heart of that devoted soldier, and -destroying that mutual confidence so indispensable to success; that the -position of Tyrconnell as commander-in-chief was a canker in his heart, -and not as regarded military affairs only, but that he persistently -denied him that courtesy and consideration due to his age, his -services, and his position as deputy: but, above all, that through his -folly he lost Athlone, and precipitated the country's fate, at a time -when a strong hope pervaded every breast, when the army had reached -a high standard of efficiency, and after he himself, exultant in its -valor, had pronounced it invincible. - -Resting his character on its antecedents at this particular juncture, -no special pleading could shield it from obloquy. But following it -to the end, and coupling his faults with the heroic efforts he made -to redeem them, the heart, deeply touched by his vicissitude, cannot -restrain its sympathy; and that his memory can thus hold the heart -divided between love and hatred, between disgust and admiration, is -still the great singularity of his character. At one moment it would -seem that he held the cause he championed unworthy of his desert, and -had concluded to let it go by default; while the next, he appears to be -impressed with its importance, and is seen imparting hope and animation -to all around him. Yet over all his arrogance and folly a native -nobility of soul predominated, and well had it been for his fame, -and for the country that holds his ashes, had some reverse of a less -serious nature overtaken him at a period less critical in its history -and in his. - -But whatever were the foibles of St. Ruth, from his advent in the -country to his retreat from Athlone, we have now to look on an entirely -different character. There he had learned, though at a fearful cost, -that his _name_ had no fears for his potent adversary; that deeds alone -were to be the test of high emprise; and that his folly had narrowed -down the campaign, and indeed the whole war, to the last resource of -fallen heroes;--death or victory. With this feeling, all that was -vainglorious in his character at once disappeared; the mist was removed -from his mind, and it shone out to the end of his short career, as -that of a true hero in adversity. Unlike his French predecessors, he -scorned to hide his faults behind the shield of calumny, he candidly -acknowledged his error, and bitterly lamented it. He became courteous -to his officers, affable to his soldiers, changed at once from the -despot to the patriarch, and touched by his sorrows, as much as by -their own calamity, they again rallied round him, and determined on a -final throw for religion and liberty. - -On the evening of the first of July he reached the town of Ballinasloe, -about ten miles south-west of Athlone, crossed the river Suck into -the County Galway, and drawing out his army along its western bank, -determined to await the enemy and stake his cause on the issue of a -pitched battle. Here the ruinous effects of his late reverse became -painfully apparent. The army that a few weeks before had marched from -Limerick twenty-three thousand strong, buoyant in hope and spirit, was -now reduced to less than fifteen thousand men. The cavalry was still -powerful and efficient, having suffered little during the interval, -but out of nearly nineteen thousand infantry he mustered somewhat -less than eleven thousand, and the _morale_ of the men had also -deteriorated.[64] Still, his determination was fixed, and his spirit -rose, even as his difficulties multiplied. In order to remove the -disadvantages of divided command, Tyrconnell now resigned his position -as commander-in-chief, but determined to lend all his influence and -power to recruit the army and follow its fortunes to the end. This -self-sacrifice on the part of the viceroy produced a reconciliation -quite beneficial to the cause, and satisfactory to the general, but the -feeling between himself and Sarsfield, never cordial, now bordered on -mutual hatred, deepening to the last, and at the last was fatal. - -Being now invested with entire military control, St. Ruth caused the -garrisons of the Upper Shannon to be dismantled, drew in his outposts, -and made speedy requisitions for men and munitions. Jamestown and -Lanesborough were at once abandoned; Shannon Bridge, Banagher, and -Portumna were each reduced to a nominal garrison; Galway sent a -regiment, and Limerick all that could be spared from its defences, -which were few, for the enemy had still ten thousand regulars, and a -strong force of militia in Munster, and a desultory warfare, fierce and -incessant, raged throughout the counties of Cork and Kerry, down to the -vicinity of Limerick. A requisition for troops was also made on the -_Pretender_, _Balldearg_, now holding court between Tuam and Athunree, -surrounded by a force variously estimated at between eight and ten -thousand. But this redoubtable chief would neither furnish the required -levy, nor make any movement to discomfort the enemy; preserving at once -his masterly inactivity and his worthless person. - -With his scouts and pickets well advanced towards Athlone, St. Ruth -established his quarters in Ballinasloe, to await his reinforcements, -and to give his troops that rest so necessary after the toils and -privations of the last month.--That Galway was Ginckle's objective -point scarcely admitted of a doubt; but then there were other routes to -it, as practicable, though not so direct, as that on which St. Ruth had -taken up his position, and he determined to hazard no further movement -while the intentions of his adversary remained a matter of conjecture. -Here, then, we will leave him to the duties now imperative: to recruit -and resuscitate his army, and restore that spirit and discipline so -necessary to the coming event, and return to take note of what was -transpiring in the English camp. - -Ginckle betrayed no undue haste in following up his adversary; -although his previous movements were indicative of a persistency -scarce admitting of a moment's cessation. Athlone being once in his -possession, he determined to make it his base of operations against -the remaining province, and to hazard no advance until he saw it in -a proper state of defence.--With his army drawn up on the ruins of -the Irish town, he awaited the disappearance of St. Ruth, and when -no longer apprehensive of renewed hostilities, he withdrew it again -across the river to its encampment. The burial of his dead claimed -his earliest attention, and this day being the anniversary of _The -Boyne_, the evening witnessed its first celebration in all the pomp and -circumstance of war. Bonfires blazed on the adjacent hill-tops; the -names of William and Mary were duly glorified, and peals of musketry -and salvos of artillery continuing far into the night, "proclaimed -their conquest to the vanquished Shannon." His sick and wounded were -next sent to Dublin and placed under the care of the most eminent army -surgeons, while all that could contribute to the comfort of the hale, -became subject of immediate requisition. On the 2nd, Paymaster Robinson -arrived at the camp with several "cart-loads" of specie, and the whole -army received full arrear of pay, and further promises of reward and -booty, while pressing demands were made on the Lords-Justices for -reinforcements to fill up its ranks to the regular standard. After this -day, magazines, stores of ammunition, food, provender, and liquors -began to arrive hourly, and one-half the army, divided into relief -parties, were vigorously at work clearing away the _débris_ of the -siege; repairing breaches, raising ramparts, while reinforcements, now -pouring in from all available posts, were placed in their allotted -regiments and subjected to hasty and rigorous discipline. The garrisons -left in their rear, and those along the Shannon, which had been -abandoned by the Irish, were manned with native militia, and four of -St. Ruth's cannon were mounted on carriages and added to his already -enormous train of artillery. - -On the 4th, as the works approached completion, he sent out a party -under one Higgins, "a converted priest," and a native of that -locality, to reconnoitre the Irish position; but, being attacked by -a picket-guard in the wood of Clonoult, fifteen of them killed, four -taken prisoners, the rest escaping with their worthy leader, who was -himself "sadly wounded." At length, on the evening of the 6th, orders -were issued to the army to be ready at dawn next morning in marching -order, and with fifteen rounds of ammunition to a man; and, on the -morning, the whole army crossed the river and drew out beyond the -town, where they again went into encampment to await Ginckle's final -preparations. - -The Dublin commissioners had not yet taken cognizance of the situation, -and, as usual, after such events, were preparing another of those -parchment manifestoes, which, under a specious verbiage, were meant -to delude the people, and to affect their cause as fatally as bomb or -bullet. It was a proclamation of _amnesty_, and began with:--"Since -it hath pleased Almighty God," &c., &c.--It offered pardon to all -private soldiers;--with pay for their horses and furniture,--who within -three weeks would surrender themselves to the commander-in-chief; and -to colonels who would surrender their regiments, and to governors -who would surrender their garrisons within the same period; and -to such of the inhabitants of Limerick and Galway, in particular, -as would be instrumental in delivering up said places, pardon and -_possession of their estates_,--"_where it could be done_;" and that -all such soldiers, captains, colonels, governors, etc., should be -received into their Majesties' service and pay; and that "_as soon -as their Majesties' affairs would permit_," a Parliament would be -called, when they would endeavor to secure their protection from -"religious persecution," etc.--It praised the mildness of the English -Government,--as the proclamations of to-day do,--denounced the tyranny -of France,--another favorite theme.--It was given at the Castle of -Dublin, July 7th, 1691, signed by Porter and Coningsby, and ended -with--"God save the King and Queen." - -With this was issued, by way of supplement, an address from Ginckle -himself; more brief and more pertinent, offering rewards to deserters -from the royal army, who would renounce their allegiance, and take -service under his standard. To soldiers serving without pay, as those -of the Irish army had been for several months, this twofold inducement -of amnesty and reward was a terrible temptation; but it had little -or no effect. The defection caused by St. Ruth's misconduct before -Athlone had already done its worst, and the desertion rather tended -to O'Donnell behind them, than to Ginckle in their front. Others, -preferring a middle course, had joined the Rapparees, and the rest, -true to their antecedents, resolved to retrieve their cause in the -field, or depart the country forever. - -Of the manifesto of the Lords-Justices, it may be finally said, that -had it been meant in good faith, it would have won for them a very -fair claim to justice and humanity. But when it is known that all -their proffers were illusory, and that their subsequent conduct was -cruel beyond description; that the lands to which they had promised -reinstatement had already been sequestrated beyond redemption; that the -plighted faith of themselves, the general, and their sacred Majesties -were wantonly violated; and that a hundred years of more than barbaric -cruelty elapsed after their "Majesties _had_ found it convenient to -convene a Parliament;"--the character of all--Lords-Justices, general, -and "Sacred Majesties"--is too infamous for a single epithet. - -On the same day that those proclamations were issued, Captain Villers -returned from a reconnoissance, and reported St. Ruth as still holding -the passes of the river Suck, and apparently determined to dispute -them. But it being deemed advisable to give these missives time for the -desired effect, a further postponement of action was the consequence, -and the interval was spent in endeavoring to repress the excesses -of the army. All religious exhortations having failed, a stringent -military code was adopted. This held forth at once the severest -punishment for crime, and the most liberal promises of booty and reward -to the men, and of "lands and livings" to the officers. This comported -so strangely with the "amnesty," etc., of the Lords-Justices, as to -render it entirely nugatory, by exposing their covert hypocrisy in the -same breath in which their manifesto was announced. - -The morning of the 9th dawned bright and sultry, but towards noon the -unusual drought of the last month was broken by a violent tornado. -Trees were uprooted, houses levelled; several men and horses were -struck dead by lightning; and the march of the army was suspended -until the morning of the 10th; when, having left Colonel Lloyd with -his own, and half of the Douglas's regiment in command of the town, -Ginckle advanced as far as Kilcashel, seven miles farther westward, and -encamped for the night. Taking a strong escort of cavalry, he advanced -towards Ballinasloe, and found that St. Ruth had decamped from his -position. Crossing the river and advancing to the hills of Dunloe, he -ascertained that St. Ruth was still in the vicinity, for his outguards -were seen hovering along the hills of Garbally, and retiring slowly -as he advanced without offering any opposition. Continuing still to -advance, he at length beheld the whole Irish army drawn out in line -of battle upon an opposite hill, when, after a close inspection, he -ordered a map of the ground to be prepared, and returned to the camp; -when the Irish pickets again advanced, and occupied the hills along the -western bank of the river. From Kilcashel he advanced to Ballinasloe -the next day, and halted opposite the ground lately occupied by the -royal army, where he summoned a council and submitted the result of his -reconnoissance for the consideration of his generals. - -Deeply impressed with the importance of St. Ruth's position, this -council had serious misgivings as to the wisdom of pressing an -engagement while he occupied it, and the necessity of adopting a more -circuitous route was urged. But the majority considering that they had -advanced so far that they could not recede without danger and disgrace, -a forward movement was adopted, and the plan of battle finally -arranged. It was, however, determined not to disturb their present -encampment, lest the movement should be attended with a reverse, but -to leave two regiments under Colonel Foulke for its protection, and -that none should be allowed to proceed any farther, save such as bore -arms. Ammunition was then distributed, the pioneers and grenadiers -were ordered to the heads of their respective regiments, and it was -arranged that the whole army should cross the river at daybreak, and be -formed in array of battle by six o'clock, on ground already selected -about a mile beyond it. The soldiers revelled, yet rested on their arms -throughout the night, while the generals matured their plan, and the -pass-word was--"Dublin." - -St. Ruth remained several days on the river Suck, in a state of -uncertainty as to whether Ginckle would advance directly on him, or, -by taking a north-westerly route to Galway, induce him from the ground -of his own selection. While there his army was also recruited by -detachments from all the available garrisons still under his control; -and he soon found himself again at the head of an army of 20,000 men. -This force, according to the most reliable estimates, consisted of -16,000 foot of all arms and 4,000 horse; and the artillery, which -had been greatly reduced by the reverse at Athlone, was now but nine -brass field-pieces. Of this army, it may be said that the soldiers and -officers of the subordinate rank were almost exclusively of the old -Celtic race of the island, while the division and regimental commands -were held by men of the same race, and by descendants of the Palesmen -who had remained faithful to their king and country; and that at this -time all, with hardly an exception, were of the Roman Catholic faith. - -Having waited until Ginckle's design was clearly indicated, he decamped -on the evening of the 9th,[65] and retiring still farther westward, -halted at the village of Aughrim, and as if he had already selected his -ground, pointed to the hill of Kilcommodon, and announced that there he -was determined to die or retrieve his fallen fortune. - -From its marked inferiority in numbers and ordnance, the Irish army -here, as at the Boyne, was compelled to act strictly on the defensive, -and few places in that section of country were better adapted to this -purpose than that which St. Ruth had now selected. - -The hill of Kilcommodon, now known as the field of Aughrim, is about -three miles south-west of Ballinasloe, and is the most considerable -of an irregular chain of hills extending from the western bank of the -river Suck for a distance of several miles in the direction of Galway. -Its position is such, that if a straight line be drawn from Drogheda, -on the east of the island, to Galway on the west, none of those -memorable battle-fields in its history--Drogheda, The Boyne, Athlone, -Athunree, or Galway--will deviate more than a mile from it, while most -of them will be directly under it; and Aughrim adds still another link -to that long chain of classic associations. Notwithstanding the many -changes that time has wrought since the period under consideration, -the hill and the country around it look still as sad and gloomy as -the thoughts they impart, and few of the old race ever pass that -way without uncovering the head and offering a fervent prayer--for, -together with being the last battle-field for religion and liberty, -which is sufficient in itself to awaken a melancholy interest, it is -also remembered by them as _the field of their unburied dead_. - -The hill from north to south is about a mile in length, and has -nowhere an elevation of more than four hundred feet. Near its -southern extremity stood the church of Kilcommodon and the house of -Urrachree,[66] the latter the more eastward and the more prominent -feature in the events then pending; and at its northern extremity the -village of Aughrim, and a castle of the same name, which, during the -Cromwellian war, had been dismantled and untenanted. From its ridge -to its base it was considerably less than half a mile of very gradual -descent, and from the house of Urrachree to the Castle of Aughrim, -along the middle of this declivity, nearly a mile and a half. Along -its eastern base it was traversed by intersecting hedgerows, dividing -its lower half into small fields of meadow and tillage; but from these -up to its crest it was bleak, arid, and heath-covered. Outside of the -hedges, and nearly parallel to them, extended a belt of marshy ground, -of irregular width, scarcely exceeding a furlong at any point, through -the middle of which flowed a small stream, irrigating it from end to -end, losing itself in a large bog which lay on the north, and rendering -the marsh difficult to infantry and impractical to cavalry. This marsh -covered about two-thirds of the face of the hill, and lay closer up to -Aughrim than to Urrachree, while outside of it the north-eastern side -of the hill was further protected by a strip of moorland lying close -to a bog, which protected it on the north and north-west. The road -from Ballinasloe ran straight up to this moor, and diverged abruptly; -one branch of it winding round by Urrachree, and on to Loughrea; and -the other, running between the Castle of Aughrim and the northern -base of Kilcommodon, led on to Kilconel, Athunree, and Galway. That -by Urrachree ran all the way through firm upland; and excepting the -confluents of the stream that watered the marsh, the hill on that side -presented no more than ordinary obstacles to an advancing foe; but that -which led to Aughrim offered considerable impediments from the manner -of its formation. It lay through a common between the moor and the bog; -narrow at its eastern side, and gradually expanding into an esplanade, -or field, of four or five acres, and narrowing again, in its immediate -approach to the castle, until it became passable for only three or four -horsemen abreast.[67]--In fine, it may be said that, from the centre to -the extreme right, this hill was no more than ordinarily defensible; -but from that point round to the extreme left, it was well isolated, -and, with little trouble, could have been rendered impregnable; at -least to cavalry. - -On this hill St. Ruth drew up his army, and encamped along its ridge; -selecting as the site of his own tent one of two Danish raths that -stood near its summit, and which commanded a view, not only of the -hill itself, but of the country for several miles around it. On the -morning of the 10th he formed his line of battle; his right resting on -Urrachree, his left towards Aughrim, and his centre on its mid-slope -between his camp and the hedgerows. Each division consisted of two -front and two rear lines; the former of infantry, and the latter of -cavalry; and in this position, with banners displayed and pickets -well advanced to the river, he was observed by Ginckle during his -reconnoissance on the same evening, and this he maintained until the -morning of the 12th, to indicate to his enemy that he accepted and -awaited the battle. - -Such was St. Ruth's disposition, and such the ground which he had -selected to countervail the vast superiority of his enemy in men and -resources; and how far his skill contributed to that result now demands -a passing notice. The hedges which wound along the base of the hill -were in themselves no unimportant feature of defence for his infantry. -But as some regiments of these were hastily raised levies, he had them -also adapted to the offensive action of his cavalry, on which, from its -well-established reputation, he had been led to place most reliance. -They were accordingly opened at proper intervals, so as to admit of -flanking and direct charges, both of infantry and cavalry, against -such bodies of the enemy as should succeed in crossing the marsh and -penetrating beyond any of these successive lines; and this disposition -embraced the whole of his centre, and portions of his right and left. -In the squares formed by these hedges his musketeers were to be -stationed, while above them, in the direction of his camp, squadrons of -his choicest cavalry stood opposite to each direct intersection, while -the remainder of the hill, from these up to the camp, was cleared from -all obstructions to the deploying of succors to either wing of battle. -For the defence of the Castle of Aughrim and the pass which approached -it, which were on his extreme left, he selected two regiments of -musketeers and foot dragoons, and placed a battery of two pieces on -an elevation between the castle and Kilcommodon, so directed as to -rake the pass all the way between the esplanade and the grounds around -the castle. On the side of Urrachree, where the country was open, and -the hedges more broken and diversified, he ran additional connecting -trenches, and placed some companies of musketeers in the house and -its outer walls, which stood considerably in advance of his main line -on that side. The seven pieces of artillery which remained, after -detaching two for the defence of the pass at Aughrim, were disposed -in the following manner: On the north-eastern face of Kilcommodon, -almost over against the castle, was constructed a battery of three -pieces, so directed as to throw a raking fire across the pass itself, -a portion of the marsh, and the esplanade beyond it, to prevent the -enemy's enlarging there; and the remaining four pieces were placed on -his inner right, and directed over a portion of the marsh and the road -leading up to Urrachree. But before his centre there were no cannon -whatever; either because he deemed it less necessary, or that he wished -to invite the enemy's infantry to cross, where he was sure to break -them by repeated cavalry charges, and overwhelm them by his more agile -infantry while recrossing the marsh in disorder. His line being quite -an extended one for the number of troops under his control, he had no -reserve of infantry, but a choice body of cavalry was held behind the -north-western side of Kilcommodon, out of view of the enemy, within -convenient support of his right, and actually but a rear line of his -left, and extreme left at Aughrim. - -As the battle of Aughrim, together with deciding the fate of Ireland -and the dynasty of the House of Stuart, had also an indirect bearing, -of scarcely secondary import, on the military affairs of the continent, -it has been a subject of much more critical comment than that -ordinarily bestowed on military events; and the historians of each -successive period, down to the present, have visited the disposition -of St. Ruth's army with praise or animadversion, each, no doubt, in -accordance with his own peculiar views of what should or should not -have been done by a general. While all approve the selection of the -ground, as manifesting a keen perception of what a defensive position -should be, nearly all censure some one or other of the arrangements -made for its defence. His design of letting the enemy cross at his -centre and beating them afterwards; the placing of his cavalry reserve -so far from his right; and his neglect of the Pass of Aughrim, which -was by nature so defensible; have been the subject of severe criticism, -and the whole plan, or that of allowing the enemy to cross at any -point, has been compared by the Duke of Berwick, to a similar error -of the celebrated Marshal Crequi, which had been attended by a great -disaster. But as the cavalry reserve had not been needed on the right -during the action, and as all the enemy's forces which crossed at the -centre had been successfully repulsed, the testimony of the duke, who -was not on the ground, and of all who sustained that view, may be -dismissed without comment. But what does really seem defective in his -plan of defence, was the neglect of the Pass of Aughrim, which could -have been rendered, with little labor, impregnable to either infantry -or cavalry; and in view of his very inferior artillery, this omission -seems totally irreconcilable, excepting on the ground that he believed -the force left for its defence entirely adequate, as indeed they should -have been, had they looked in time to their appointments. - -Of the ground, also, it may be said that subsequent writers have -attached more importance to it than it really deserved. Whatever -features the hand of time may have defaced, it could never have been -more than ordinarily defensible, excepting on its northern extremity, -where it is still hemmed round by an extensive bog. Its advantages are -thus briefly summed up in one sentence by the English chaplain: "_Here_ -we had a view of their whole army, posted as before described, by which -posture they had the advantage by at least 1,000 men"[68]--no unusual -advantage in the selected site of a battle-field. - -Of the generals who commanded the respective divisions of St. -Ruth's army, or of the regiments that constituted them, little can -be established from contemporary or subsequent historians, beyond -this:--That Colonel Walter Burke and his brother, Colonel David -Burke, held the Castle of Aughrim and its defences; that Lord Bophin, -Brigadier Henry Luttrell, Colonels Simon Luttrell, and Ulick Burke -commanded on the left; that Major-Generals Dorrington, H. M. J. O'Neil, -Brigadier Gordon O'Neil, Colonels Felix O'Neil, and Anthony Hamilton, -held the centre; and that Lords Kilmallock, Galmoy, Galway, Clare, -and Colonel James Talbot commanded on the right. And judging from -the positions held by those leaders respectively, and the regiments -they indicate, it may be inferred that the Munster troops were on the -right, the Leinster and Ulster troops in the centre, and that those of -Connaught held the left and its surroundings. - -In addition to those division and regimental commanders, the -marshalling of the entire infantry was deputed to General William -Mansfield Barker, and that of the cavalry to Major-General John -Hamilton;[69] and the whole was commanded by the Marquis de St. Ruth -and Lieutenant-General Sarsfield,[70] aided by Generals d'Usson and de -Tessé, and other officers of established reputation. - -Having completed his arrangements, and allotted every division its -service, St. Ruth drew up his army and reviewed it in front of its -encampment. Then, in an eloquent and animated address, he set before -all the great issues dependent on the coming battle. He reminded them -that, unlike the mercenary army of the Prince of Orange, they were -about to contend for all that man holds dear, and for all that exalts -and ennobles the profession of arms--their homes and kindred; their -country and its altars. The duty of allegiance to their king who had -staked his crown to free them from an odious religious bondage, and -the certainty of immediate and adequate succor from his own sovereign, -should their arms be crowned with success, were set before them in -language calculated to awaken loyalty and enkindle enthusiasm. His -own services in the cause of religion were alluded to as an earnest -of that sincerity in their cause which tended to awaken sympathy and -establish confidence, and his troubles, and even his errors, since he -came to the country, were reviewed with an earnest ingenuousness that -removed all traces of discontent and restored general harmony. This -address was delivered in the French language, and interpreted to the -soldiers by their officers and chaplains in their native tongue, till -every eye kindled with devotion, and every bosom glowed in the hope of -anticipated victory. Then exhorting them to prepare themselves by those -religious observances that should distinguish the Christian soldier, he -retired to his tent to digest the thoughts that labored in his mind, -and to shape them to purpose and to action. - -The eve of battle had come:--that hour which best attunes the soldier's -heart to sympathy and devotion; and many associations contributed -to render that one more than usually impressive. It was at once the -season of full moon and perpetual twilight, and the sultry glare of -day was succeeded by that chastened yet abundant radiance that at once -soothes and spiritualizes; and, above all, it was the Sabbath eve, -which more than any other awakens the sacred memories of love, home, -and kindred.--The crest of Kilcommodon, studded from end to end with -the white tents of the soldiers, stood out in its isolation like a city -of silver, while the castles of Urrachree and Aughrim on the front, -and the churches of Kilcommodon and Kilconel in the rear, seemed as -sentinels of the place, and carried back the mind to the ages of faith -and chivalry. Nor was the scene passing throughout the encampment less -characteristic of the time and the event.--From sunset until the hours -that precede the dawn, the chaplains of the army knew no repose: the -voice of prayer arose on all hands, and the soldiers approached the -confessional to prepare for the great sacrifice of the Mass, by which -the human ordeal of the morrow was to be inaugurated. Towards morning -heavy clouds obscured the moon, and darkness deepened over hill and -valley, until all became as drear and dismal as it had before been -full of grandeur and celestial loveliness:--nothing was heard but the -challenge of the sentinels on their rounds, and the occasional neigh of -the war-horse; and nothing seen but the distant watch-fires where the -pickets on the eastern hills kept watch above the camp of the enemy. - -How commendable is the spirit of religion on such occasions! History, -sacred and profane, delights to record this manifestation of the -divinity in man. The Israelites never joined battle without offering -sacrifice, and even the pagan nations always propitiated their gods -on the eve of battle. And yet we find this instance of it in the -Irish people made a subject of the lowest ribaldry, even by the -reverend historian of William's army. Without, however, entering on a -disquisition as to the efficacy of prayer, or what providence, or good -or evil directs the destiny of nations, a precedent in point may not be -considered inappropriate. - -The battle of Hastings was to England what that of Aughrim was to -Ireland. Each established a new dynasty, and each accomplished the -subjugation of the native race. That of the Saxon was but the work of a -day; that of the Irish was an incessant warfare of centuries. The one -was the extinction of Thanes and Heptarchs; the other of chieftains and -princes.--And there were still other traces of similarity. - -At Hastings, the Saxons revelled while the Normans prayed. At Aughrim, -the Irish prayed while the English revelled. Yet the same historians -who appreciate the devotion of the Norman, and indicate its efficacy, -make it a subject of ridicule in the Irish, and couple it with defeat. -Providence and faith are often too lightly used to link a defective -argument, or to round a happy period. Few will now deny that the Saxons -were a more virtuous people than their Norman conquerors, or that the -Irish were not much more so than the heterogeneous mass that followed -the Prince of Orange. If the Saxons bent to the yoke of a conquering -race, and prospered under it, let them glory in their wisdom and -servility; but that the Celtic race, through every vicissitude, spurned -it, hated the connection, and have still an undying faith in their -ability to sever it, constitute, it is believed, a truer nobility of -character. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE BATTLE OF AUGHRIM. - - -'Twas five o'clock on the morning of July 12th, 1691. A heavy fog -obscured the rising sun, and passed like a moving curtain along the -hills that separated the adverse armies now preparing for the stern -arbitrament of battle. What a chaos of human feeling surged and swayed -beneath it! On the one side, the love of home, kindred, and country, -and the memories that come of ages of persecution; on the other, that -of power, plunder, and confiscation, and the wantonness that exalts -vice into virtue, and deifies usurpation. The maintenance of legitimate -right, and the establishment of perfect civil and religious liberty, -called forth the royal army, and marked its footsteps from the advent -of this war to its close. An unnatural usurpation, and the ambition -to dominate in matters civil and religious, heralded the other, and -its course was marked by cruelty and proscription. Their causes were -markedly dissimilar, and of the spirit which impelled them to battle, -each army, in its various gradations, was a fair representative. - -At early dawn, Ginckle, who induced the battle, was moving his men -across the river, and forming them, according to prearrangement, on a -level ground about a mile to the west of it, leaving still a span of -two miles between him and his adversary. This was effected by eight -o'clock, but an advance was suspended, owing to the heavy fog that -lay over the hills, and rendered the manoeuvring of his army in the -vicinity of the foe both troublesome and hazardous. - -As the line in which it was now drawn up, was that in which it entered -the field of Aughrim, and which it preserved through the action, -until forced to re-form after a series of futile assaults against the -Irish right, it is here particularly described, in order to avoid -disconnecting repetition hereafter. - -Two parallel lines, somewhat over two miles in length, a considerable -distance apart, arranged in four divisions, each consisting of a -front and rear line under the command of its respective brigade and -regimental commanders, constituted his entire army and array of battle. -Beginning at the northern or right flank, and passing to the left, each -division, front and rear, stood in the order following:[71] - -FIRST DIVISION, front:--Levison, Winn, Oxford, Langster, -Ruvigny, and Villers; rear:--Cunningham, Winn, Lanier, Wolseley, and -Byerly. The front line of this division was under the command of -Lieutenant-General Scravenmore and Brigadier Villers, and its rear -under that of Major-General Ruvigny and Brigadier Levison. - -THE SECOND DIVISION, front, presents the regiments of Kirke, -Gustavus Hamilton, Herbert, Lord George Hamilton, Foulke, Bellasis, and -Brewer; and its rear those of Stuart, Earle, Tiffin, St. John, Lisburn, -and Meath; the former commanded by Major-General Mackay and Brigadier -Bellasis, and the latter by Major-General Talmash and Brigadier -Stuart.[72] - -THE THIRD DIVISION, front:--La Mellioneire, Du Cambon, -Belcastle, Greben, Danish, Danish, Danish; rear:--Nassau, Lloyd, -Prince of Hesse, Lord Cutts, Danish, Danish, Danish.[73] It is scarcely -necessary to remark that the troops of this division were all foreign, -being composed of Danes and Huguenots; the front line under the -direction of Major-General Tettau and Brigadier La Mellioneire, and -the rear under that of Major-General Count Nassau and the Prince of -Hesse--a Brigadier. - -THE FOURTH DIVISION:--Nearly all foreign too, stood in this -order; front:--La Forrest, Schested, Donop, Doncour, Monpouillon, and -Eppinger; rear:--Schack, Nienhouse, Zulistein, Reedefel, Ginckle, and -Eppinger; the former under Major-General La Forrest and Brigadier -Eppinger, and the latter under Major-General Holstaple and Brigadier -Schack.--The whole was under the command of Lieutenant-General Ginckle, -now Earl of Athlone,[74] and the Prince, or Duke, of Wurtemberg. - -Of this long array of names, none represented less than a regiment, -while many of them stood in front of a brigade. For instance: Ruvigny's -place represents two regiments; Cunningham's two; Stuart's three; -Wolseley's four; Brigadier Ginckle's two; Eppinger's two; and so on -to between sixty and seventy regiments. And taking the lower number, -sixty, and averaging the horse and foot at 500 [75] to a regiment, we -deduce a force that cannot, by any legitimate computation, be set down -at less than 30,000 men. - -Of Ginckle's artillery perhaps no accurate estimate can now be -given,--some historians rating it at over thirty pieces, and others -as low as twelve; while Story, who was present at the battle, is -unaccountably silent on the subject. This, however, is well attested -by all:--that at Ballymore, before his battering-train arrived, he -had eighteen field-pieces and three mortars; that at Ballyburn he -was joined by Wurtemberg and Nassau, with a force of seven or eight -thousand men, who, from the important positions held by them through -the winter, must have had a park of artillery not less than eight -pieces. And that the number was further increased after the siege of -Athlone by four of the captured guns, which were mounted on carriages -and taken to Aughrim. From the beginning to the end of the war he had -cannon at will; and this is beyond a doubt:--that while he might have -had over forty pieces, he had certainly not under thirty; and with this -immense train, and an array of 30,000 men, computed at 23,000 foot and -7,000 horse, he stood between Garbally and Liscappel, awaiting but a -favorable moment to advance on his expectant adversary. - -It was really a formidable host, and wholly composed of veterans, both -officers and men: of Dutch, Danes, and Prussians, who had seen service -on many a continental battle-field; of French Huguenots, whose bravery -is generally conceded, and whose undying hatred of their own sovereign, -rendered that service the most acceptable which was found under his -most deadly enemies; of Scotch, whose native hardihood is proverbial; -of English veterans, who, while well fed, are not wanting in many of -the soldierly qualities; and of Irish Protestants, now well inured -to war, and who, if not the most brave, were certainly not the least -zealous, for to them were chiefly to appertain the lands and livings of -the country, which had now, even more than liberty or religion, become -the wager of battle. With perfect harmony in his councils; with an army -which, for numbers, appointments, and appliances combined, was never -equalled in the country since its first invasion; with the prestige of -a recent victory, and excited to the highest enthusiasm that promised -reward or religious frenzy could inspire; Ginckle now approached that -field whereon was to be decided the destiny of three kingdoms, the fate -of one of the oldest dynasties of Europe, and the liberty or thraldom -of a race coeval with European history. - -On the other hand, the scene passing in the Irish camp, while no less -inspiring, was highly characteristic of the people and the cause they -advocated. 'Twas the dawn of the Sabbath morning, and its advent was -solemnized by those religious observances, the preparations for which -had been made through the preceding night. And those ceremonies being -ended, the troops were drawn out in the same order of battle in which -they had, for the last two days, been awaiting the arrival of the -enemy. As they stood in their mingled uniforms of red and green, with -colors advanced, and their old battle-flag, bearing the emblem of an -early civilization, and standing out above the long line of tents that -formed the background, they made a most gallant show, which the import -of the hour and the associations of the day and place rendered deeply -solemn and impressive. In this order they remained through the early -hours, the deep calm of determination settled over all; but as the -morning advanced the silence was at length disturbed by the stirring -notes of preparation. The shrill tones of the trumpet sounded along -the hill, and was followed by a long roll of drums, when St. Ruth, -equipped in a splendid uniform, and bearing "a snow-white plume in his -hat," rode along the lines, and in a few impassioned words impressed -on all the significance of his address on the preceding day, to which -the chaplains added their exhortations and appeals, that touched the -springs of many a harrowing and many a hallowed memory. The effect -was electric. The history of centuries passed before them: the solemn -ceremonies they had witnessed: the attested chivalry of their leaders: -and the gallant bearing of their general, kindled the fire of heroism -in every breast; the silence was broken, acclamations loud and -prolonged rent the air, amid which, St. Ruth retiring, took post on the -crest of the hill, and, surrounded by his staff, looked eagerly for the -enemy through the passing clouds that still intercepted the two armies. - -The signs of approaching conflict now multiplied rapidly, and aids were -arriving in quick succession to announce the slow but steady advance -of the foe. At eight, his right rested on Garbally, and his left on -the river of Clantuskar. At nine, his right was at Cahir, and his left -beyond the river, still preserving an unbroken front, and tending a -little southward. At ten, the Irish pickets, borne back over the last -line of intervening hills, were seen descending into the adjacent -valley, and falling back on their supports at Urrachree and Aughrim; -and at eleven, the clouds rolling away, the midday sun presented the -two armies to each other in all the stern magnificence of war! At this -sight, a shout of fierce defiance rang out from the opposing hosts, and -echoed far over the hills, when a silence more dread and impressive -than the clangor of battle settled over both, the English army still -moving measuredly forward. - -Up to this moment St. Ruth had kept his whole force drawn out along the -hill, presenting an imposing front, as an invitation to the enemy; but -as Ginckle, still preserving the order indicated, commenced to descend -into the plain, the suspense of the Irish army was at last broken, the -word of command passed along the line, and all were at once in motion. -Then succeeded the rolling tramp of squadron after squadron of the -cavalry, hastening to their allotted stations, the matrosses wheeling -their guns into position, and the leaden step of the infantry, moving -down the hill and forming in their advanced trenches along its base. - -The English army continued to move on until within a quarter of a mile -of the morass, when it halted, while Ginckle, who accompanied his -left wing, advanced to a steep hill over against the Irish right at -Urrachree, which enabled him to make a still closer reconnoissance than -he had made on the evening of the 10th. St. Ruth, at the same time, -took his stand on the ridge of Kilcommodon, above his centre, whence -he had a complete view of the entire English army; and thus, for some -time, each general stood scrutinizing the ranks and disposition of the -other. - -'Twas as St. Ruth expected. The weight of Ginckle's army lay towards -Urrachree, and he expressed much satisfaction that he had anticipated -this movement, and had made a corresponding disposition to meet it; for -the heaviest division of his army, also rested on that side, which he -now saw was Ginckle's objective. - -This pause was of short duration. It was now on to twelve o'clock, -and Ginckle seeing the absolute necessity of possessing the Pass of -Urrachree, before he could bring the weight of his left infantry -against the Irish main line in that quarter, directed his first -movement accordingly. - -Two rivulets, coming from different directions on the extreme right of -the Irish army, crossed the road in front of Urrachree, and rendered -the pass at that point more difficult than the ground in front and rear -of it. Between these streams a small cavalry outpost had been stationed -by St. Ruth, rather with a view to invite than repel the enemy, and -against this point Ginckle now directed a company of Danish dragoons, -with orders to gain the pass and hold it until reinforced by the -infantry advancing from the main line for that purpose. Apprehending -no resistance from the few troops stationed there, the Danish horse -soon cleared the distance between them, and quickening their pace to a -gallop, advanced at the charge, until within a few rods, when, seeing -the Irish still maintain their position, they suddenly halted; when the -former, taking advantage of their indecision, sounded the charge, and -advanced on them at a full gallop. The Danes did not await the shock, -but, breaking in disorder, retreated off the field, notwithstanding the -efforts of their captain to rally them, and returned to the rear of -their infantry.[76] - -Ginckle was deeply mortified at the unsoldierlike conduct of his Danish -horse, and in order to remedy the mischief created by it, in the -presence of his troops, Sir Albert Cunningham's dragoons, who entered -on the right of his line, were now called up to his left, and 200 of -them were ordered to advance beyond the stream, and, clearing the -ground of all minor detachments in their way, to take post behind some -hedges beyond it, make a lodgement there, and await the support of the -infantry. Those troops were reckoned the best dragoons of the British -service, and as they rode across the intervening slope of tillage, with -swords drawn, and their steel caps and cuirasses glancing through the -clouds of dust struck from the parched soil over which they passed, the -Irish felt that the battle was about to open in reality, and caught its -inspiration. As the dragoons neared the pass, where the little outpost -stood to receive them, they halted suddenly, wheeled to the left, and -took post behind a line of hedges until the front line of infantry was -seen moving across the plain to their support, when they were again -put in motion towards the pass. But during the interval, it was found -that the Irish outpost had retired to the shelter of a hill in their -rear, where, being reinforced by a company of Lord Galway's horse, they -wheeled to the front and stood to invite the charge of the enemy. But -as the British dragoons advanced across the stream, the Irish again -wheeled round and retired, with the intention of drawing them farther -from their supports. Deceived by the disparity of their force, or -encouraged by this indecisive conduct, the English horse charged on -them with great impetuosity. Passing the hill, they were saluted by a -well-directed musketry fire, under which they wavered, and, at the same -moment, the Irish battery on the right opened on the advancing files -of the English infantry. This was instantly answered by the opposing -batteries, which had now been brought into position along the whole -line, and, to the stirring responses of their artillery, the cavalry -on both sides rushed to the encounter. It was deadly and intense; the -British bore themselves gallantly, but here, as at the Boyne, they were -no match for the Irish horse, and, despite the advantage of numbers, -they were broken, after a brief but deadly struggle, and borne back -over the stream, where many of them were unhorsed and sabred, despite -the steel cap and corselet that protected them. The smoke and dust of -battle soon cleared away, when it was seen that they had relinquished -the fight, and retired as the Danish horse had done, while the Irish -cavalry stood leisurely behind the stream to invite another onset. - -This discomfiture of his favorite cavalry, by less than half their -number, filled Ginckle with deep concern, and had not a less -dispiriting effect on the troops that witnessed it. The possession of -this point, according to the plan adopted, was of imperative necessity; -so, in order to carry out his design, as well as to remove the -depressing effect from the minds of his men, he now resolved to throw -forward an overwhelming force of cavalry, to clear the ground up to the -Irish main line, and make way for the heavy columns of infantry drawn -up and ready for the action. For this purpose, the whole of Sir Albert -Cunningham's dragoons were massed into charging column, and, led by -himself in person, were to be hurled against the Irish squadron at the -pass; while Eppinger, with his regiment of Royal Holland dragoons,--920 -strong--was to make a flank movement, more to the right, and, by -sweeping round the hill, take them in the rear, cut them off from their -supports, and lay bare their whole right for the action of his infantry. - -St. Ruth, from his position, saw with exultation the gallant conduct -of his cavalry, and, anticipating the next movement of Ginckle, now -moved down to his right to counteract it. He caused the advanced troops -to fall farther back, ordered another squadron to their support, and -gave them directions to continue a retiring movement until they should -receive the order to charge. He next ordered Lord Galway to hold his -horse, stationed behind the house of Urrachree, well in hand, until -the enemy, in passing, should receive a volley from the musketeers -within it, which was to be the signal for a simultaneous charge on both -divisions of the assailants. By this arrangement Galway's horse were -held completely out of sight until the appointed moment, while the -other detachment, which alone seemed to invite the enemy, was not such -as to awaken their apprehension. - -Both of the English regiments moved briskly across the open tillage -field that led down to the stream, and crossed it without any -opposition, the Irish horse retiring according to orders, and forming -under the shelter of their main line. After crossing the stream and -entering the field beyond it, the assailants separated, Cunningham -bearing directly for the opposing cavalry, and Eppinger wheeling by -his right, scattering the few infantry pickets in his way up to the -house of Urrachree, where he again moved by his left to flank the Irish -cavalry, as directed. In passing this point he received the fire of the -Irish musketeers, which caused considerable loss, and the smoke from -which had scarcely cleared away, when he received the shock of Galway's -horse on his right flank, and recoiled in confusion. At the same moment -the other detachment closed with Cunningham's dragoons, and the entire -forces on both sides were soon mingled in deadly conflict; the English -burning to wipe out the disgrace of the previous encounters, and the -Irish to maintain the prestige of a name borne unsullied through all -the changes of this wasting war. - -Along the broad plateau in front of Urrachree, hidden by the enveloping -clouds of dust and smoke, excepting at intervals that rendered the -flashing of their arms perceptible, this tumultuous mass of men and -horses rocked and swayed in all the dread clangor of small-arms -and cannon, mingled with the fierce neigh of the war steeds driven -headlong to battle. At length some squadrons of the English horse, -detaching themselves from the main body, were seen to approach the -stream, re-form, and again rush to the conflict, while the whole mass, -assailants and assailed, rolled steadily on towards the scene of the -first encounter. Ginckle beheld this sign with amazement and concern, -for he well knew its import. His troops were giving ground, and he -immediately advanced the Portland horse--480 men--under the command of -General Holstaple, to succor them, while St. Ruth, on his part, threw -in the Tyrconnell Guards, under Brigadier James Talbot, to sustain his -cavalry, and the conflict was continued with unabated fury on both -sides. Other detachments were now successively thrown in from each -side, as chance or necessity directed, until what first began in a -skirmish between outposts, absorbed nearly the entire cavalry of the -adverse wings, and, after a series of rencounters, which lasted for -over two hours, the English horse broke and fled in disorder, the Irish -horse were recalled from the pursuit, and the same little band that -had invited those successive assaults, reined up behind the stream, as -fresh and defiant as ever. - -Ginckle lost heavily in those attacks. The dragoons of Eppinger and -Cunningham were decimated; the Portland Guards suffered "severely in -men and horses," and their leader, General Holstaple, with many of -his officers, was slain. The loss of the Irish, though beset by twice -their number, was insignificant. An infantry picket, stationed behind -the hill, was scattered, and had a few men sabred by the dragoons of -Eppinger; but Brigadier Talbot, one of the heroes of Limerick, in an -encounter with the Portland horse, fell, covered with many wounds.[77] -It was now past two o'clock, and the battle rested as it began, but the -prestige of success, and the spirit it infused, remained with the Irish -army. - -While Ginckle had been pushing forward detachment after detachment of -his cavalry towards the Irish right at Urrachree, his own right wing -and centre had moved into position along the edge of the marsh, and -had brought their artillery to bear on the opposing lines beyond it. -Their guns were disposed in six batteries:--two on the esplanade in -front of Aughrim; two at the centre; and two against the southern slope -of Kilcommodon.[78] Here, in the order already indicated, the troops -stood observing the different changes of the battle raging within their -sight; but, as the excitement increased, their order became gradually -indistinct, until both lines mingled into one, which stood close up -to the marsh, beyond which the Irish stood prepared to receive them. -But, up to this, no movement was made by either, beyond the enfilades -of their batteries; for the Irish plan was strictly defensive, and the -enemy awaited the success of the movement on their left, which was to -be the signal for their assault. In this state of expectation the first -hour passed and the second, and still no order from the left reached -them. The successive repulses of his cavalry had shaken the fortitude -of Ginckle, and, despairing of success from a further persistence in -his present plan of attack, he drew in his troops, ordered a suspension -of hostilities, and called a council of his generals. - -More favored by fortune in this particular than his adversary, the -council was his tower of refuge, and had always been attended with -happy results in the most trying emergencies. And the present was one -of those on which depended, not only the result of this day's battle, -but the success or failure of the campaign now favorably inaugurated. -To this council he represented his fears for the final issue, should -the battle be continued much longer, with the result of the last two -hours. He had directed it according to the plan stamped by their -general approval, and with that impetuosity that best suited the -condition and character of his troops. But, notwithstanding their ardor -and overwhelming odds, they had been repeatedly hurled back, with a -valor and intrepidity that had damped their enthusiasm and restored the -confidence of their opponents. As yet, the battle had been entirely -between the cavalry, in which branch of the service he outnumbered -his adversary two to one; and though all the cavalry of his right -had been drawn into it, the Irish main line had not been approached, -nor any portion of its infantry brought into action. And should he -now, at this late hour, fling the whole weight of his horse and foot -against the quarter in dispute, and even succeed, after a protracted -engagement, in reaching the Irish main right, it was more than probable -that night would close upon a suspended battle; in which case, the -advantages would be in favor of the native army, and it were hard to -divine what morning would bring forth to his own, remote from its -encampment, and in an enemy's country. Impressed with these views, and -before the council had assembled, he dispatched couriers to Ballinasloe -to order up his tents, being resolved to encamp along the valley, -opposite to Kilcommodon, for the night, and renew the battle early on -the following morning. The consultation lasted until four o'clock. -The council was divided: some being in favor of the general's plan, -and some for immediately renewing the battle; but finally, the latter -course was adopted, on the advice of Major-General Mackey. This old -veteran remarked that neither the English right or centre had yet been -engaged, and it occurred to him that by a change of disposition, and by -bringing up additional forces to the left, St. Ruth would be ultimately -compelled to weaken his left or centre, or perhaps both, to sustain -his right, when a simultaneous advance of the whole English line would -change the tenor of the battle. The age and experience of the general, -and the simple plausibility of his argument, prevailed; the order to -bring up the tents was countermanded, and preparations were accordingly -made to renew the engagement. - -The British army accordingly underwent another transformation. The -cavalry, which could not cross at the centre, were posted on the right -and left wings. The left wing of infantry was further strengthened by -some fresh regiments from the right, while 12,000 infantry were massed -against the centre and inner left of the Irish line, to await the -result of Mackey's experiment. - -It was half-past four o'clock, as Ginckle moved forward his left wing -of infantry, flanked on either side by his cavalry, determined to -reach the ground in front of the Irish line. As they approached the -stream which had been the scene of the previous encounters, two Danish -regiments, consisting of infantry and cavalry, deployed to the left, -along its outer margin, as if intent on turning the extreme right of -the Irish position. This, which was a feint on the part of Ginckle, -had the desired effect; for no sooner was it observed by the latter, -than a corresponding force was detached to counteract it; and, as they -continued to wear round in that direction, Ginckle hurled his main body -to the assault, across the grounds of Urrachree. - -This movement on the part of the enemy determined St. Ruth no longer -to defer the battle; but by accepting his offer to confine him to the -Irish main right, and prevent any discursive movements which should -result in weakening it: so, withdrawing his cavalry, he threw forward -his infantry to his first line of defence, and awaited the enemy in -confidence. As the British advanced, their cavalry was also withdrawn, -and thus, as if by mutual agreement, the ground was completely cleared -for the action of the infantry on both sides. - -The front line of the English left, consisting of the Huguenot -regiments of La Mellioneire, Cambon, and Belcastle--about 2,500 -men--marched boldly across the ground, followed by the other regiments -in close succession. As they approached within range, they were met by -a deadly fire, but still they pressed on with characteristic valor, -delivered their fire in return, and were soon at close quarters along -the first line of intrenchments. The disposition made of the ground -here by St. Ruth, greatly tended to equalize the disparity of numbers, -and the Irish troops were quick to seize on every advantage that -offered; so that the enemy soon found they had to contend with men no -less daring and intrepid than themselves. Every hedge-row soon became -the scene of assault and defence. A deadly and protracted struggle now -took place; the soldiers on both sides resting their muskets on the -separating hedges, and literally discharging them into each others' -bosoms. The Irish, after defending one of those lines with the greatest -obstinacy, would suddenly retire on another, when the enemy, thus drawn -on, would find themselves at once taken in front and flank, and borne -back rapidly to the first line, where the conflict would be again -renewed and again repeated with a like result as before. This desperate -conflict raged along the right for over an hour without cessation. -Ginckle's last column had been pushed forward, and the result was still -the same;--every inch of ground won by their successive assaults, was -again disputed, and again recovered. The Huguenots suffered dreadfully. -Every advance into the inclosures thinned their ranks; and less and -less able to penetrate this wing, the battle culminated on the outer -line,--"until," says a Huguenot actor in the scene, "there remained -only one course to adopt,--which was to perish and sell our lives -dearly:" and, in this emergency, Ginckle called up two regiments of -infantry, and the cavalry of Lanier and Ruvigny from his right for the -final test of his experiment. - -St. Ruth witnessed this intense struggle with varied emotions of hope -and fear. Up to this hour he entertained grave doubts of the steadiness -and discipline of his newly raised infantry. But as he saw column after -column of Ginckle's veterans hurled on them and steadily repelled, his -apprehensions were removed, and he felt and expressed a full assurance -of victory. As yet, his whole line was intact, for he had not displaced -a single man from his left or centre. But as this last reinforcement -was called up, it became manifest that Ginckle was absolutely committed -to turning his right at whatever cost, and he was at last compelled to -order some fresh infantry from his extreme left to its support.[79] This -gave Ginckle the desired opportunity, and he hastily availed himself of -it; for while these troops were marching from the left to the right, -across the hill of Kilcommodon, he ordered his centre to cross the -marsh, and assail the main position of the Irish. - -The whole English infantry were now put in motion. The regiments of -Earle, Creighton, Brewer, and Herbert, sustained by those of Foulk, -Stuart, and others, were to cross at the main centre, where the marsh -was narrowest, and where the hedges approached nearest to it, to make -a lodgement in the first line, and await the support of their cavalry. -Those of St. John, Tiffin, Lord George Hamilton, the French, "and other -regiments," were to pursue a similar course against the inner left; -while the cavalry under Talmash on the right, and Lanier and Levison -on the left, were to force a passage at Aughrim and Urrachree, sweep -round the base of the hill to their support, and endeavor to bring on a -general engagement. - -The regiments of Earle, Creighton, Brewer, and Herbert, moved forward, -crossed the marsh without opposition, formed on the other side, and -advanced up the sloping meadows of Kilcommodon without firing a single -shot. As they approached the first row of hedges, the Irish infantry -received them with a destructive fire, and retired on their second line -with a steadiness and precision that might have awakened suspicion of -preconcert. But the feint was taken for an actual retreat; the ardor -of the assailants was excited, and eager to avenge the fall of so -many of their comrades, they rushed forward on the second line, which -was temporarily defended, and yielded in the same manner. Exasperated -beyond endurance, they now lost all caution, and pressed hotly up the -hill until they reached the last line of hedges, where the effect of -their rashness at once became apparent. The infantry that had lured -them on by this feint retreat, now suddenly appeared on either flank, -pouring volley after volley into their devoted ranks, while above them, -on the hill-side, stood the Irish cavalry, reined back and ready for -the onset. The ground over which they had passed was difficult and -dangerous, and files of infantry lined the way down to the marsh to -intercept their retreat; no cavalry support appeared on their right, -for as yet the Pass of Aughrim had not been attempted; and on their -left, towards Urrachree, the sounds of battle seemed to recede, as if -their arms had met with a reverse in that quarter. Colonel Earle, who -took in the situation at a glance, advanced to the front, exhorting -his men that "there was no way to come off but to be brave," ordered -them to re-form, and endeavor to reach the line which they had so -imprudently abandoned. The troops, obedient to the command, halted, -closed ranks, and commenced a retrograde movement; but it was now too -late; for at the same moment the Irish cavalry charged fiercely down -the hill; and, unable to withstand the shock, they were helplessly -broken, hurled by repeated charges into the marsh, across which they -retreated in utter confusion, hotly pressed by the infantry, and borne -back to the level of their batteries.[80] Their loss was very severe. -They had advanced to the assault over 3,000 strong. One-third of that -number in killed and wounded strewed their way back. Colonel Earle, -after being captured and rescued three times, escaped severely wounded; -many officers of note were slain; and 400 soldiers, with Colonel -Herbert, remained prisoners in the hands of the victors. - -While the battle stood as described on the right and centre of the -Irish line, the regiments of St. John, Tiffin, Lord George Hamilton, -some French "and other regiments," were directed against its left. -This division was led by the Prince of Hesse, and he had orders from -General Mackey, who commanded in that quarter, not to pass the first -line of hedges, but after establishing a position there to hold it -until supported by the cavalry, which, under the command of Talmash, -and supported by some regiments of infantry, were moving round towards -the extreme left of the Irish, and forming on the plateau in front of -Aughrim, with the intention of assaulting the pass leading up to it. -The strength of this position, the narrow way which led to it, and -the guns bearing across it from the hill, were such as to render the -movement slow and hazardous; and the attack of the Prince of Hesse -which depended on its result should necessarily be so regulated as -to keep time with it. Talmash drew up his command on the common, and -after directing his batteries, of which there were two, against the -opposing force of the Irish, opened a fierce cannonade, while he formed -his troops, both horse and foot, for the assault. In the mean time the -Prince of Hesse had crossed the marsh, and approached the enemy's left -on Kilcommodon. Meeting with no opposition, and scarcely apprehending -any, so closely did the Irish there lie in their trenches, he advanced -rapidly to possess the seemingly abandoned trenches, until within a -few yards of them, when their sudden appearance, and a succession of -well-directed volleys, warned him of his error. This unexpected salute -checked the onward movement of his troops, and for a time they wavered -as if about to retreat. But the ardor of the impetuous Prince being -excited, he rallied them again, and under his order to charge, they -rushed forward with increased fury and entered the lines of the enemy. -This afforded the latter the opportunity sought, and no sooner had the -assailants advanced to a proper distance, than they were taken front -and flank, turned, as at the centre, and driven back on their supports, -now being pushed eagerly forward by General Mackey, who, after several -attempts to check their retreat, dispatched orders to Talmash to -suspend his assault on the Pass of Aughrim, and lead back the infantry -to the support of his broken division. Under this order fresh succors -were deployed from the English right, but Talmash himself, unwilling -to abandon his design, remained with his cavalry and a portion of the -infantry, to carry out his projected attack. - -The assault against the inner left of the Irish line was now renewed, -that against the extreme left was begun, and the contest raged along -the whole left with the utmost obstinacy, assailants and assailed -being so completely "enveloped in dust and smoke as to be invisible to -the bystanders." At length, after nearly an hour of the most intense -excitement, during which the intermingled mass rolled with varied -success across the fallow-fields between the hedges and the marsh, the -English broke and fled across it to the protection of their guns, one -regiment alone, of all that crossed to the attack, holding a position -in the hedges, near the extreme left, whence the Irish troops had been -withdrawn, and even this was in imminent danger of total destruction. - -It was now near sunset, and the shadows began to deepen over the scene -of conflict, when St. Ruth, from the ridge of Kilcommodon, surveyed the -situation beneath him. On his right, where the battle commenced, the -successive assaults of the enemy had been broken and repelled; from -being assailants they had become the assailed; and driven far back -from his outer line, had thrown up temporary intrenchments, behind -which they continued to return the fire of his infantry, while they -endeavored to withstand the repeated charges of his cavalry, careering -on their flanks. On his centre he was completely victorious. The -terrible repulse of the enemy's infantry there, and their consequent -loss, had filled them with consternation and dismay, and though heavily -reinforced, and urged forward with every threat and suasion of command, -they could not be brought to attempt a second assault, but stood, a -discomfited and disheartened host, under the shelter of their cannon, -which alone disturbed his line in that direction. On his inner left -the sight was no less inspiriting. There, the columns under the Prince -of Hesse, after being, for the third time, bloodily repulsed, were -floundering back through the morass in utter disorder, though Mackey -stood on its outer edge, urging forward still fresh arrivals from the -right, and doing all that a brave and intrepid soldier could do to -retrieve an apparently lost battle. From the first, Ginckle's chances -of success depended on his ability to turn the Irish right, or to -bring on a general engagement along the whole line, when the immense -numerical superiority of his army, with its proud array of field -officers, could scarcely fail of success. To this end, all the energies -of his mind, and all the resources at his disposal had been constantly -directed; but, up to this hour, all had signally failed. Favored by -the happy disposition which he had made of his ground, St. Ruth had so -handled his army as to disconcert every attack, and defeat his enemy -in detail. Everywhere he had cause to fear that the least inadvertence -would be fatal, yet every thing moved with precision, every plan -answered his expectations, and now, at every point, he stood secure -and successful. His cavalry had sustained its wonted reputation, had -borne down every opposition throughout the day, and its reserve stood -fresh and eager, within immediate support of the only point undecided. -His infantry, which had sustained the brunt of the battle, since its -renewal after the early cavalry rencounters, stood now, on all hands, -firm, defiant, and victorious. Two thousand three hundred of the enemy -strewed the valley from Aughrim to Urrachree, while, up to this moment, -his loss was quite insignificant. Victory seemed completely within his -grasp; a grand future opened before him, and, perhaps, wrapt in one of -those bright visions that sweep the mind on the wing of thought:--a -people freed; a kingdom restored to its legitimate sway, and his own -sovereign rendering him the meed of glorious service; he doffed his hat -to those around him, and exclaimed in the ardor of enthusiasm:--"Now, -my children, we will beat them back to the gates of Dublin."[81]--words -which, though not realized, are worthy of grateful commemoration, -indicative at once of a patriarchal spirit, and an exalted heroism. - -Through all, the activity of the opposing generals was incessant. -Ginckle was everywhere, aiding and animating his men, and sharing the -danger and fatigue of the private soldier. On the other hand, St. Ruth -had followed every movement of the battle, and was found at every point -where aid or encouragement demanded his presence. Two horses had broken -down under him during the fatigues of this eventful day; and now, -mounting a third, a powerful gray, which stood ready to his call, he -rode down to the left, to congratulate his infantry on their victory in -that quarter. Here he beheld the last regiment of the enemy's infantry, -abandoned to their fate, afraid to attempt a retreat across the marsh, -and defending their temporary lodgement with the last efforts of -despair. Dismounting from his horse, he approached the gunners, and -with his own hand giving direction to one of the three guns bearing on -the enemy's lines, returned to his staff, and remounted. His attention -was then directed to the movements of Talmash, who, at the head of -the English cavalry, and supported by a compact body of infantry, was -approaching along the defile that opened up to the village and castle -of Aughrim. Inquiring casually what the enemy meant by moving in that -direction, he was answered that they intended to force the Pass and -succor their infantry beneath him. "_Then_," said he, "_we have won -the battle_." Considering the difficulties to be encountered, and -the force stationed there, he deemed their destruction certain; and, -after watching their steady advance for some time, he exclaimed with -mingled feelings of admiration and pity:--"_They are brave, 'tis a -pity they should be so exposed!_" Then forming his guards to charge -down the hill, and dispatching orders to call up his reserve of -cavalry to confront the force of Talmash, he addressed his staff, now -ranged around him, saying:--"_They are beaten, let us beat them to the -purpose!_" They were his last words,--for scarcely were they uttered, -when his head was shattered by a cannonball, and he lay a corpse on -the hill of Kilcommodon, while his horse ran wild and riderless across -the plain! Amazement seized on all around him. The cavalry arrived -and halted on the hill-side. His attendants approached, threw a cloak -over the body, and bore it to the rear, whither it was followed by his -guards and the members of his staff. The charge that was to decide -the battle was suspended. The Irish infantry, unaware of the death -of their general, still held their ground. The cavalry stood waiting -the order to charge, and nothing was wanting to complete the victory -but that expected word; but it never came. Meanwhile, Talmash beheld -the confusion and the hesitancy of the Irish troops on the hill, and -auguring that something was going wrong there, pushed on with greater -rapidity. The fire from the Irish lines and the castle opened on him, -and twice he was repulsed, but still renewed his efforts. It was now -the crisis of the day, and so was it felt by assailants and assailed. -Colonel Burke, who had command in that quarter, pressed the enemy -closely and successfully. The cavalry were held in check, and unable -to advance; but the English infantry, moving along the northern margin -of the marsh, began to break through in battalions and companies. They -too were checked, and for some time held immovable. At this trying -moment Burke found that his supply of musket-balls was exhausted, -and a fresh supply was urgently demanded. It arrived; it was opened; -but by some fatal blunder, or treacherous design, it was found that -cannonball had been sent instead of those demanded.[82] The effect is -easily foreseen. The soldiers still fought as men seldom fight. They -exhausted their last shot, and all means being gone, they cut the -round buttons from their coats, fired them, and discharged even their -ramrods at the enemy, and then in rage and despair stood to offer their -bodies as a last resistance, and died fighting where they stood. The -Pass was carried; the castle grounds were gained and barriers thrown -up there to impede the Irish cavalry, while Talmash, after passing the -defile, moved round by his left, and succored his devoted soldiers. -The English infantry at the centre now crossed the marsh in force and -formed to carry the left and centre. At this sight a wild and piercing -cry of "_treason_" rang along the Irish lines. The infantry was left -to struggle alone, and the cavalry, without a commander, retired to -the crest of the hill and formed for a last effort to redeem the day. -It was useless. The infantry did all that men could do, and disputed -every inch of the ground up to their camp, where, they made a last -desperate stand, until surrounded by horse and foot of the enemy, when -they broke, and, under the protection of their cavalry, retreated off -the field. The left and centre of the Irish army being carried, the -enemy turned their attention to the right, which, ignorant of what -had passed, still pressed the foe beyond their lines, and were still -victorious. But being now surrounded on all sides, and attacked front -and rear, they were overwhelmed and literally cut to pieces; nearly all -the infantry on that side being slaughtered where they stood. - -The castle of Aughrim, which withstood the assailants long after -the Pass was carried, was at length taken, and all within it put -to the sword. Night closed over the scene of carnage. The Irish -cavalry baffled in their design to support the infantry, which became -intermingled with the horse and foot of the enemy, after aiding some -time in the retreat, withdrew to the south-west and pursued their -route to Loughrea, while the infantry crossed the bog to the west, -and moved in the direction of Galway. The retreat of these portions -of the army was regular and unbroken; but the fugitives were cut down -without mercy; their cry for quarter was totally disregarded: and the -slaughter of the straggling bands continued far into the night. In this -butchery the Danish troops were conspicuous. Remarkable through the -day only for pusillanimity, they became the "best pursuers," through -the night, until a fortuitous circumstance put an end to the pursuit. -While despairing and resistless they fled from the field which they -maintained to the last, an Irish drum-major, who was lying wounded by -the wayside, was ordered by the almoner of a regiment, named O'Reilly, -to beat the charge. It was done, and on hearing it the pursuers halted, -and believing the Irish about to rally, retired to the main body, -and the vanquished pursued their retreat unmolested. Thus ended the -disastrous day of Aughrim. Up to the death of St. Ruth, no pending -battle was ever more prophetic of victory. After it none was ever so -unaccountably lost in the presence of numerous officers of experience -and ability. It would seem as if fortune held the balance of the day, -to elicit deeds of unexampled heroism, and inverted it in the hour of -victory to maintain her proverbial fickleness. - -The loss of the British in private soldiers was 2,300; in -addition to this, 200 officers of all grades were wounded, and -seventy-three killed, including among them one major-general and -five colonels--making in all nearly 3,000. The loss of the Irish as -estimated by the victors was 7,000, including their commander-in-chief, -and seventeen generals and officers of the highest distinction. The -number of officers of subaltern rank was great, and far exceeded those -of the enemy.[83] The spoil of the victors included all the guns and -camp equipage of the vanquished; and their trophies, eleven standards -and thirty-two pair of colors, were immediately borne to London by "my -Lord O'Bryan, as a present to her majesty," the Prince of Orange being -then on the Continent. - -The next day Ginckle encamped on the heights of Kilcommodon and buried -his dead. The Irish slain, who strewed the hill and lay scattered over -the country for miles, were stripped and left unburied, to be "devoured -by the wild dogs and birds of prey." The country people fled the -vicinity of the British army, and retired to the woods and mountains -as their only refuge. The body of St. Ruth, according to the English -annalist, was stripped and thrown into a bog. A more recent and better -authority says, that "by tradition well attested, his ashes lie in the -roofless church of Athunree, beside those of Lord Galway, who fell upon -the same field of battle." There is, however, reason to doubt both, and -the writer is aware that the people of the locality where the battle -was fought, directed by tradition, point to a few stunted white thorns, -to the west of the hill, towards Loughrea, beneath which, they say, -rest the ashes of this great but unfortunate general. - -It is painful to speculate on the cause that left the Irish army -without direction after the death of St. Ruth. Many have endeavored to -explain it, but all--as well those who doubt Sarsfield's presence on -the field, as those who maintain the contrary,--are lost in conjecture, -and none who participated in the battle and survived it, has placed -the matter beyond speculation. So leaving that point as time has -left it, what appears most strange in the connection, is the absence -of all command at such a conjuncture. The disposition of the Irish -troops, though dexterous, was simple. The day was all but won. The -foiling of Talmash would have been the completion of victory. A force -sufficient was on his front; a reserve more than ample to overwhelm -him was on its way to the ground--nay, drawn up and even ready for -the word. The few British troops that held a lodgement in the hedges -at the base of the hill, were completely at the mercy of those above -them. It required no omniscient eye to see this, nor a voice from the -clouds to impel them forward, and surely no military etiquette weighed -a feather in opposition to the fate of a nation. Any officer of note -could have directed the movement, and many of experience and approved -courage witnessed the crisis. Yet in this emergency, all the hard-won -laurels of the day were tarnished, and land and liberty were lost by -default! Nor can the rashness of St. Ruth, his reticence as to his -plans, his misunderstanding with Sarsfield, nor the absence of the -latter, justify the want of intrepid action among those present. This -stands unexplained and inexplicable, nor will the flippant appeal to -Providence, whose ways are too frequently offered as an excuse for -human misconduct, answer here. The want of ammunition at such a moment, -was, no doubt, of some import, but the concurrence of events too -plainly indicates that Aughrim was won by the skill of St. Ruth and the -gallantry of his troops, and that it was lost through want of decision -in his general officers, at a moment the most critical in the nation's -history. - -But time passed on. Galway surrendered on honorable terms after an -exchange of hostages. The passes of the Shannon were abandoned one by -one down to Limerick, where the final stand was made, during which -Tyrconnel, after years of faithful service, "died apparently of a -broken heart." The city, though twice betrayed by General Clifford, -made a most gallant defence, and its surrender wrested a treaty from -the enemy, as glorious to its defenders, as its violation was infamous -to the victors.--O retributive justice, how slow is thy finger on the -dial! - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] Mitchell's Life of Hugh O'Neil, pp. 236, 237. - -[2] Mitchell's Hugh O'Neil, p. 241. - -[3] For a further insight to the court intrigue of that period, the -reader is referred to the Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick, vol. i., pp. -20 to 30. - -[4] The Popular History of Ireland, vol. ii., p. 571. - -[5] There is a very fine engraving of him given in the second volume of -Story's Impartial History. - -[6] Dolby's History of Ireland. - -[7] See Barrington's Rise and Fall of the Irish Nation. - -[8] Popular History of Ireland, vol. ii, p. 572. - -[9] It is necessary to remark that Taylor, who relates this incident, -confounds the name of Galmoy with Galway. They were two distinct -characters: the latter, whose family patronymic was Burke, was killed -at Aughrim; the former accompanied the "Brigade" to France. His family -name was Butler. - -[10] March 24th, 1689. - -[11] The Student's Hume, page 550. More than one hundred thousand were -on foot, and he found himself compelled to disband the greater part of -them. - -[12] The Duke of Berwick was then in his nineteenth year, having been -born on the 21st of August, 1670. He had already been raised to the -rank of major-general by the Emperor of Austria, for honorable service -under the great Duke of Lorrain; he was a son of James II., and nephew -of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. - -[13] Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick, page 50, vol. i. - -[14] This is the present name of the position then occupied by -Hamilton, and seems to have been since given it, in consequence of the -"Boom" that was there thrown across the river to prevent the ships of -William from ascending it. - -[15] Popular History of Ireland, vol. ii, p. 557. - -[16] Taylor characterizes this act as _monstrous_; yet, when were such -liberal terms accorded by an English king to Catholic rebels? - -[17] Vol. ii., page 108.--These troubles commenced while James was yet -on the English throne. - -[18] There is reason to think that this force is overestimated by about -3,000 men, but there is no actual authority to deny its accuracy. -The numbers are taken from the Memoirs of King James, who bases his -statement on the report of Southerland. - -[19] This must have been Sarsfield's command, for, though it is not so -stated in the Memoirs, the contiguity of Trellick to Omagh, to which -place Sarsfield had been ordered by de Rosen, would indicate it. - -[20] A name of unenviable notoriety in the history of those times. -Hume, at page 526 of his History of England, alluding to the severity -of Lord Feversham in suppressing the rebellion of Monmouth, says: "He -was outdone by Kirke, a soldier of fortune, who had long served at -Tangiers, and had contracted from his intercourse with the Moors, an -inhumanity less known in European and free countries." His cruelty in -Ireland has become proverbial as that of Cromwell. There he became as -distinguished for torturing the loyal subjects of the king, as he had -previously been in persecuting the followers of Monmouth. - -[21] Vol. II., page 137. - -[22] Taylor adds, that "they never hesitated to encounter any odds, -however unequal." But, in no place throughout the whole course of the -war, did they meet an equal number of the royal troops in the field. -It may be asked, as pertinent to the point, What had become of the -militia--from fifteen to twenty thousand--disbanded by Tyrconnell -in 1686? They were surely not in the Jacobite army, nor is it to be -believed that they were idle spectators. They were in the army of -William; and as to _their_ discipline, it was that of the English army -of that day. - -[23] Addresses of the same import were presented to James on his -arrival, by the established clergy. But Taylor says their addresses to -William were "probably more sincere," and instances this fact:--"James -was regularly prayed for by all the churches within his lines. When -William advanced his name was substituted, and when he retreated, his -rival again became 'our most religious and gracious king.'"--Vol. ii., -p. 145. - -[24] The many conflicting statements of this trifling affair are -set at rest by a letter which may be seen in the Dublin _Nation_ -for May, 1865. It was written by Lord Meath--who was present at the -battle,--is dated July 5, 1690, and is a rare specimen of epistolary -correspondence. Enlarging on the affair, Pinnock, in his Catechism of -Irish History, says: "Burke, an Irish gunner, having grazed the arm of -William with a cannon-shot, and having taken a fresh aim, on which he -might depend, James desired him 'not to make his child a widow.' It -is also asserted, and with apparent truth, that having seen his own -troops overcoming those of William, he cried out repeatedly: 'O spare -my unfortunate subjects!' and having turned the tide of battle against -himself, by gross mismanagement, he fled precipitately to Dublin, -leaving his Irish subjects behind him." Inadequate artillery, and gross -mismanagement on the part of the king, were, no doubt, the causes of -the final result of the battle; but such exclamations, even by this -"most Christian king," would be either too saintly or too infamous, and -on his own authority the statement is here rejected. It was he himself -that ordered the battery down to fire at William. (See Berwick's -Memoirs, vol. ix., p. 396.) - -[25] Caillemotte was a brother of General Ruvigney, and Count Schomberg -was a son of the duke of that name. - -[26] Seeing the superiority of William, in numbers and artillery, he -was now as eager to avoid as he had been before to court a battle. -The French generals also wished to decline an engagement. The Irish -declared themselves ready to fight. Under these circumstances, a kind -of half-measure was adopted. It was determined to hazard a partial -battle, and to retreat without risking a general engagement. To this -strange determination James, in all probability, owed the loss of his -kingdom.--(Taylor, vol. ii., p. 148.) - -[27] Nial-Caille, the last monarch of Ireland, of the house of O'Neil, -after having defeated the Danes and Normans in several engagements, was -drowned in the river Callan in Kilkenny, while engaged in raising the -country for their total expulsion. One of his attendants having fallen -into the river, he was trying to save him, and in the attempt lost his -own life. The crown of sovereignty passed from the house of O'Neil, -and it was not until the reign of Bryan, more than a century after, -that the Danes were finally extirpated.--(See McGeoghagen's History of -Ireland.) - -[28] On seeing this, the king gave orders for his left to move in -the same direction, and sent the remainder of the baggage to Dublin. -(Memoirs of Berwick, p. 397, vol. i.) - -[29] The water at this time was low, not reaching the drums of the -band, which accompanied them.--(Haverty's History.) - -[30] This force actually arrived next day, and narrowly escaped being -captured by the victors. Two of them were taken and hanged as spies, -and the rest retired after the Irish army. Had these been in the -battle, the Irish army would have been twenty-three thousand, according -with the estimate of the Duke of Berwick. - -[31] Taylor, after commenting in indignant terms on this conduct of the -Enniskilleners, adds: "Their apologists say that they misunderstood -their orders, and returned again. However this may be, it is certain -that William, ever after, viewed this part of his force with contempt, -not unmingled with hatred." (Vol. II., page 151.) - -[32] Sir Jno. Hanmer crossed the river nigh a place where, the day -before, the enemy had a battery of six guns, but now they were gone, -as most of their artillery, etc. (Story's Imp. History, Vol. I.--The -Boyne.) - -[33] They brought off five pieces. The other got bogged near the Pass -of Slane, and was abandoned. - -[34] Schomberg was shot by O'Toole, an Irish officer of the exempts, -who took him, from the blue ribbon which he wore, to be the Prince of -Orange. (Memoirs, 398.) - -[35] If the French auxiliaries, six thousand, and the Irish reserves, -three thousand, which performed no service throughout the day, save -watching the movements of Count Schomberg, be deducted, the number -actually participating in the action was only eleven thousand men. - -[36] This force is exclusive of William's right, which consisted of ten -thousand men under Count Schomberg and General Douglas, with ten pieces -of cannon and two mortars. - -[37] "In April, 1783, Mr. Gardiner, afterwards Lord Mountjoy, remarked -in the Irish Parliament, in reference to the Irish Catholics, that -'England had America detached from her by force of Irish emigrants.'" -(Plowden's Hist. Rev., vol. iii., p. 45.) - -[38] Macpherson's History of England, vol. i., p. 664. - -[39] This force at the Battle of the Boyne was 10,000 men. Its -artillery was twelve pieces. It sustained little loss in that action, -and was now supplied with mortars. - -[40] It is worthy of remark, that while Taylor represents the -atrocities perpetrated by the soldiery of the Prince, under his own -eye, as revolting as those of Douglas's troops, he endeavors to -palliate in the Prince what he execrates in the general. This is -to be regretted in a historian otherwise remarkable for candor and -impartiality. - -[41] As the siege of 1690 did not affect that part of the city in the -County Clare, there is no necessity for further allusion to it here, -beyond stating that the bridge leading to it was called Thomond Bridge. -The other was called the City Bridge. King's Island is about two miles -in length. - -[42] Story's map exhibits thirty-six guns and four mortars on the part -of the besiegers, and but seven on that of the besieged. But as the -fort on King's Island is represented to have caused great injury to -William's right, it is certain that there must have been guns on it; -hence the writer, and he thinks not without reason, has hazarded the -assertion in the text. - -[43] See Haverty's History of Ireland, page 643--giving a Williamite -authority for this estimate. This work came to my notice too late to -make some corrections which, to a critical reader, might seem important. - -[44] McGeoghagen's History. - -[45] It is stated by some of the annalists that he lost two soldiers, -who fell behind, but the text is in accordance with the Abbé's account -of this adventure. - -[46] The Duke of Berwick, at page 69 of his Memoirs, gives the width -of the breach at 100 toises, or 600 French feet,--the toise being six -French, or six and a half English feet--and as he was present at the -siege, his estimate is here adopted. Moreover, the breach, as exhibited -on a map in Story's Impartial History, lays bare a great portion of the -city, and shows the disposition of the Irish troops within it, which -a breach of thirty-six feet--the width generally accepted--could not -exhibit. - -[47] See preceding footnote. - -[48] William afterwards declared before Parliament, that the cause of -abandoning the siege was the continual rain that kept his trenches -filled with water, but the Duke of Berwick asserts that not a drop had -fallen during the time specified in the text. - -[49] McGeoghegan's History of Ireland, Preliminary Discourse, p. 24. - -[50] Excesses of a savage barbarity, but upon questionable authority, -have been ascribed to the king himself, on his retreat from Limerick. -Disappointments might certainly have raised his resentment; at least -the outrages committed by his troops contributed to stain the annals of -the times; but whether they proceeded from his orders, or his want of -authority, was hard to decide. (Macpherson's History of England, vol. -i., p. 664.) - -[51] The particular line of policy that brought this deputation to -France, or the cause of Tyrconnell's future regret, is nowhere clearly -indicated by the Duke of Berwick. But the treason of Henry Loutrell, -during the subsequent stages of the war, is an accepted belief in -Ireland and in her history. His secret correspondence with William -and Baron Ginkle, and his attempt to surrender Galway, are well -authenticated. After the war he received his elder brother's estate and -a pension of 2,000 crowns annually from William, and was assassinated -in Dublin in the year 1717--"nor could it ever be discovered by whom." -(See Berwick's Memoirs, vol. i, p. 97.) - -[52] Berwick's Memoirs, vol. i., p. 71. - -[53] Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick. - -[54] He was, says Taylor, the most respectable of the natural sons of -Charles II. - -[55] Lesley's History of the Civil Wars, &c. - -[56] The value of the brass money issued by the king in the early part -of the war will be better understood from the following extract: - - 1 Barrel of Wheat, in Brass Money £10 _s._ _d._ - 1 Barrel of Malt, " " 9 0 0 - 1 Quart of Brandy, " " 3 0 0 - 1 Quart of Ale, " " 0 2 6 - 1 Pair of Men's Shoes, " " 1 10 0 - 1 Quart of Salt, " " 1 0 0 - -[57] Story's Impartial History, 29th, 30th, and 31st of Dec., 1690, and -Jan. 1st, 1691. - -[58] O'Callaghan's remarks on this subject are substantially as -follows:--The import of his name, perhaps, marked him out to -cooler-headed politicians, as a means of effecting much national good, -by exciting the imagination of the people. Ball-dearg O'Donnell was -accordingly sent for, to Spain, and arrived at Limerick, August, 1690. -(See Greenbook, p. 242.) - -[59] O'Driscoll's History of Ireland, vol. ii., pp. 288, 289.--There -is a letter in the Appendix to Haverty's History of Ireland, which -came into the possession of its author, "through the extreme kindness -of the Editor of The Four Masters," after his work had gone to press, -and which he regrets not having seen in time to change or modify the -estimate which he had formed of O'Donnell, and adopted in his text. -But seeing that the name of the writer of the _letter_ is not given, -and that the vindication of Ball-dearg, which it contains, though -plausible, is not at all convincing, the present writer adopts the -generally received opinion. For, admitting many of the assertions of -the letter to be true, there is no cause given for the absence of -O'Donnell from the Battle of Aughrim. He was within seven or eight -miles of the field during the engagement; it was, perhaps, the most -momentous battle ever fought in the country, and whatever were his -private grievances, he should have shared its perils. - -[60] From this we learn that William sent his Irish prisoners to redeem -his Dutch soldiers from France, and that Louis used them to fill his -ranks on the continent; while the Irish officers, who could not be -induced to abandon their own cause, were left to languish in prison. - -[61] Ath luin. _Anglice_, Ford of the Moon. - -[62] Of these twenty-two men, the name of but one is known to history: -that of Sergeant Custume, or Costy, who headed the first ten, and who -was, of course, among the victims. - -[63] The French officers chided their recklessness, and asserted -that they had never seen such bravery displayed by the men of any -nation.--Rawdon Papers, letters C. L. I. and C. L. II. - -[64] "In this retreat the Conough regiments grew very thin, so that -the foot, by desertion and maroding, was reduced from 19,000 to about -11,000 men."--_King James's Memoirs_, Vol. II., pp. 455 and 6. - -[65] As we find him, according to Captain Viller's report, at -Ballinasloe on the 7th, and apparently determined to give battle there, -it is reasonable to infer that he did not retire until after the storm -of the 9th. - -[66] Story calls this building the Castle of Urrachree; but the other -historians style it a house, perhaps to distinguish it from the Castle -of Aughrim, and to avoid repetition. - -[67] Some writers say only two abreast. But if Story's map be any thing -more than a fancy sketch, the narrowest part of this road would have -afforded ample room for six horsemen. - -[68] That is, if all things else were equal, the position would be -worth 1,000 men to the army occupying it, which would still leave an -advantage of 9,000 men, at least, in favor of Ginckle, irrespective of -his vast superiority in artillery. - -[69] Some very reliable historians,--among whom may be instanced -Taylor and O'Driscoll,--lean to the opinion that Sarsfield was not -at the battle of Aughrim, but only adopt it as a probability. This -opinion also gains credence from a tradition still received in that -neighborhood: that, owing to an altercation with St. Ruth, on the -evening preceding the battle, he withdrew his own immediate command to -Redmount Hill, about six miles distant, in a south-easterly direction, -whence he returned to the field next day, but too late to restore the -battle. That the altercation occurred, and that each general threatened -to place the other under arrest, is abundantly corroborated; but by the -same testimony the presence of Sarsfield is also established. Story -names him as second in command on the day of battle, and the weight of -testimony sustains that belief. But, what renders it certain, beyond -peradventure, is this simple fact: that had Sarsfield, through neglect -or petulance, caused the loss of that battle, he would never have -appeared in France. There he would have been held accountable by King -James; and neither from him, nor from the French monarch, would he -have received the consideration that was afterwards accorded him. On -this consideration, if on no other, the former opinion is positively -rejected. - -[70] Richard, John, and Anthony Hamilton were brothers, as were also -Ulick, Walter, and David Burke. - -[71] The above description of Ginckle's line of battle is taken from a -copperplate engraving in Story's Impartial History, second volume, to -which he refers the reader, with the following remarks:--"It is to be -observed that my Lord Portland's horse is not in this order of battle, -because they came not up until after it was ordered; however, they had -their full share in the action; and Colonel Foulke's, which were always -to guard the train, but being then convenient for it, and the General -resolved to make all the force he could, they had also their part both -of honor and service in the action; and though Brigadier Stuart is -there set down, it is only as to his post, for he was then at Dublin, -ill of wounds received at Athlone." He might also have added that -Brewer's remaining force was called up from Mullingar, the safety of -which was committed for the time to the militia, and that towards the -evening, he was further reinforced by a large body of Enniskilleners. - -[72] See the preceding note. - -[73] The six Danish regiments of this division stood as -indicated--three in front and three in rear--but their regimental -leaders are not named on the map. - -[74] Ginckle was honored with this title after the fall of Athlone; but -whether it had been already conferred is a matter of little import. - -[75] Story estimates the foot regiments to be each 705, the horse 286, -and the dragoons 444, irrespective of officers; but many of them were -actually double of those numbers; as an instance Eppinger's Royal -Regiment of Holland Dragoons was 920; Portland's horse 480; several -others exceeded the standard, and all had been fully recruited after -the siege of Athlone. - -[76] "These men," says Story, "ran away from a less number than -themselves, though the officer behaved himself very well."--He might -have said less than half their number. The Irish were but seven men; -there were sixteen of the Danes. - -[77] As none of the histories consulted by the writer alludes to the -death of Holstaple and Talbot, save in recapitulating the loss on -both sides, he deems it necessary to give his authority for placing -it so early in the battle, lest his assertion shall be attributed to -fancy, which should always be held in abeyance to historic truth. The -following lines from Garrick's rambling play, "The Battle of Aughrim," -it is hoped, will satisfy the reader. It is necessary to introduce it -by stating that there was no general named Hostile in the English army, -and that the renowned comedian only adopts it for the sake of euphony: -Holstaple being a rough, and rather unpoetic name:-- - - Lord Portland's horse approached the mortal fight - With sword in hand to put our troops to flight:-- - This Talbot saw, and like a hero bold, - Disdaining life, he scorned to be controlled; - But, as a Mars, amid the throng he run, - And there he stood, like marble to the sun, - Till, being hacked and flanked on every side, - By multitudes oppressed, he bravely died. - -And again, after the retreat of the English, an Irish officer is made -to say: - - Aughrim is ours, brave General Hostile's dead, - Who, even now, Lord Portland's horse did head,-- - Drove all before him, till a lucky ball, - Shot with good aim from off the castle wall, - Clove up his skull, etc., etc. - -Nothing, perhaps, could excuse the introduction of this doggerel, -save the name of the author, who lived at a time which enabled him to -consult many of the real actors in the battle. - -[78] If the dots on the batteries, as represented in Story's map, -indicate the number of guns, there were thirty of them in all; and on -his other maps they do indicate them. - -[79] Those troops who were ordered from the rear of his left, were, -either by design or inadvertence, sent from the front of that position; -and on the concurrence of this and a subsequent blunder, historians -have based their accusations of treason against Brigadier Henry -Luttrell, who, it is said, received the order. - -[80] Some historians allude to the "_sounding_" of this marsh, and -"_wading_" through it; but the fact is: that it was but a rushy bottom, -difficult in no place, save at the stream, where it was impracticable -to cavalry; for we find the Irish charging and recharging the enemy -three times across it. - -[81] "A boast," says Taylor, "which the special interposition of -Providence alone prevented him from accomplishing * * * ten minutes -more would have completed the destruction of the English army."--Vol. -ii., page 180. - -[82] It was found, on examining the ammunition with which they had -been supplied, that while the men were armed with French firelocks, -the balls that had been served to them were cast for English muskets, -of which the calibre was larger, and that they were consequently -useless.--_Haverty's History of Ireland_, page 661. - -This would seem the more probable version, although that in the text is -in accordance with general authority. This book was not seen in time to -alter the text: but the effect was the same. - -[83] Those were nearly all killed after the death of St. Ruth; for -"up to that," says Taylor, "the Irish had lost scarcely a man." No -insignificant number of them was put to death, after their capture, by -order of General Ginckle; and for this brutal and unsoldierly order, -Story offers as a palliation, the conduct of Henry V. of England, at -the battle of Agincourt:--"_who, seeing the king of Cicilies appear -on the field, ordered every man to kill his prisoner, contrary to his -generous nature_,"--and among those so murdered in cold blood, was -Colonel O'Moore, and that most loyal gentleman and chivalrous soldier, -Lord Galway. - -Since writing the above, my attention has been called to Haverty's -"History of Ireland," a work of much careful research and -investigation, in which the loss of the Irish army is estimated -at:--killed, nearly 4,000, and 526 of all ranks taken prisoners. This -would seem the more probable, as Story doubts his own estimate, and -in the end of the year, 1692, says, "time has informed me of some -mistakes, though possibly there may be some as yet remaining." - - THE END. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The battle-fields of Ireland, from -1688 to 1691, by John Boyle - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BATTLE-FIELDS *** - -***** This file should be named 54518-8.txt or 54518-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/5/1/54518/ - -Produced by Kieran Moore and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/54518-8.zip b/old/54518-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 09e0060..0000000 --- a/old/54518-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54518-h.zip b/old/54518-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index a8c56fa..0000000 --- a/old/54518-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54518-h/54518-h.htm b/old/54518-h/54518-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 304bb3c..0000000 --- a/old/54518-h/54518-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9897 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> - <title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Battle-fields of Ireland, by John Boyle</title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - body { margin-left: 8%; margin-right: 8%; } - p { text-indent: 0; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; text-align: justify; } - .c000 { margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c007 { text-align: center;} - .l2section {text-decoration: none;} - .l2title {text-decoration: none; text-align: center;} - .l1title {text-decoration: none; text-align: center;} - .l2titleexcept {text-decoration: none; text-align: center;} - .l3fnsection {text-decoration: none;} - .footnotestext {text-decoration: none;} - .footnotes-group {text-decoration: none;} - .smaller {text-decoration: none;} - .fn-backref {text-decoration: none;} - .label {text-decoration: none;} - .footnotes-group {text-decoration: none;} - .italicsmaller {font-style: italic; } - .line {text-decoration: none;} - .lastpn {text-decoration: none;} - .lineblockouter {text-decoration: none;} - .pfirst {text-decoration: none;} - .fnrefer {text-decoration: none;} - .transcribers-note { background: #D3D3D3;} - .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - .allcaps {font-size: .8em;} - - @media handheld, print - { - p - { - margin: 0; - } - } - .auto-style1 { - text-align: left; - } - -.blockcenter {text-align: center; max-width: 20em; margin: auto;} - @media handheld { - .blockcenter {width: 50%; margin-left: 25%; margin-right: 25%;} - } -.mt3 {margin-top: 3em;} -.mb3 {margin-bottom: 3em;} -.right {text-align: right;} -h2 small {font-size: .6em; font-weight: normal;} -table.contents {margin: 3em auto;} - @media handheld { - table.contents {width: 98%; margin-left: 1%; margin-right: 1%;} - } -.chapter {page-break-before: always;} - </style> - </head> - <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The battle-fields of Ireland, from 1688 to -1691, by John Boyle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The battle-fields of Ireland, from 1688 to 1691 - including Limerick and Athlone, Aughrim and the Boyne - -Author: John Boyle - -Release Date: April 9, 2017 [EBook #54518] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BATTLE-FIELDS *** - - - - -Produced by Kieran Moore and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<div class="transcribers-note"> - -<p class='c000'>Transcriber's Notes:</p> - -<p class='c000'>—Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.</p> - -<p class='c000'>—Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.<br /></p> - -<p class='c000'>—Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="chapter mt3"> -<p class='c007'>THE BATTLE-FIELDS OF IRELAND,</p> -</div> -<p class='c007'><span class="smcap">From</span> 1688 TO 1691:</p> - -<p class='c007'>INCLUDING</p> - -<p class='c007'>LIMERICK AND ATHLONE,</p> - -<p class='c007'>AUGHRIM</p> - -<p class='c007'>AND</p> - -<p class='c007'>THE BOYNE.</p> - -<p class='c007'>BEING AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE JACOBITE WAR IN IRELAND,<br /> AND THE CAUSES -WHICH LED TO IT. <br /></p> - -<div class="blockcenter mt3"> - <p class="c000">"And as they tread the ruined Isle,<br /> - Where rest, at length, the lord and slave,<br /> - They'll wondering ask, how hands so vile<br /> - Could conquer hearts so brave?"<br /></p> - -<p class='right'><span class="smcap">Moore</span><br /><br /></p> -</div> - - -<p class='c007'>NEW YORK:</p> - -<p class='c007'>ROBERT CODDINGTON, PUBLISHER,</p> - -<p class='c007'>366 BOWERY.</p> - -<p class='c007 mb3'>1867.</p> - - -<p class='c007 mt3'>Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867,</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class="smcap">By</span> ROBERT CODDINGTON,</p> - -<p class='c007'>In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for -the Southern<br /> District of New York.<br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="introduction"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>INTRODUCTION.</span></h2></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Most of the following chapters were written some time since, at the -request of the publisher, whose intention it was to present the readers -of Irish history with a portable volume, which, while removing the -necessity of wading through many tomes, would give an authentic account -of the two leading events of a very important period,—the battles of -the Boyne and Aughrim.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having undertaken the task, and performed it to the extent of his -information, it appeared to the writer that, without some allusion to -antecedent causes and intermediate events, the book, though it should -be acceptable to some, would be quite unsatisfactory to others; and it -was concluded to make such interpolation as, without overburdening, -would render the offering more clear and comprehensive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After collecting much matter bearing on the subject, and finding it -impossible to compress it methodically within the limits assigned, such -selections were made, from historians of every shade of opinion, as -would suffice, without distorting the parts already arranged, to give a -consecutive view of the Jacobite war in Ireland, from its inception to -its close.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As it was almost exclusively a war for religious ascendency on the -one side, and for complete civil and religious liberty on the other, -continually presenting a politico-religious aspect, it was chosen -to leave the ethological bearing to other mediums, and confine this -principally to the leading military events of the time. Hence, no -allusion whatever is made to the interior merits of either faith -dependent on the issue; nor to its exterior action, only so far as to -preserve the order of an unbroken narrative.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having followed the war down to the battle of Aughrim, inclusive, and -reached the limit prescribed, the writer stops short of the final -event—the last siege of Limerick; and he does so as well from motive -as necessity, for he thinks that event could be more appropriately -connected with a history of "The Brigade." But whether the subject is -ever resumed by him or not, will greatly depend on the reception of -this little volume, which is now submitted to the public.</p> - -<p class='right mb3'>THE AUTHOR.</p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="contents"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CONTENTS.</span></h2></div> -</div> - -<table summary="contents" class="contents"> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-i-a-cursory-view-of-england-and-ireland-anterior-to-the-accession-of-james-ii">CHAPTER I.</a></td> - <td class="right">PAGE</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>A Cursory View of England and Ireland anterior to the Accession of James II</td> - <td class="right">9</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-ii-the-reign-of-james-ii-in-england-the-invasion-of-william-prince-of-orangefrom-1685-1688">CHAPTER II.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Reign of James II. in England—The Invasion of William, Prince of Orange. From 1685 to 1688</td> - <td class="right">26</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-iii-events-preceding-hostilities-in-ireland-the-preparatory-measures-of-tyrconnell">CHAPTER III.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Events preceding Hostilities in Ireland—The preparatory Measures of Tyrconnel</td> - <td class="right">41</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-iv-from-the-commencement-of-hostilities-to-the-landing-of-king-james-in-ireland">CHAPTER IV.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>From the Commencement of Hostilities to the Landing of King James in Ireland</td> - <td class="right">58</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-v-the-battle-of-cladifordthe-investment-of-derryproceedings-of-parliament">CHAPTER V.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Battle of Cladiford—The Investment of Derry—Proceedings of Parliament</td> - <td class="right">74</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-vi-the-battle-of-newtownbutler-and-the-relief-of-enniskillen-and-derry">CHAPTER VI.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Battle of Newtown Butler, and the Relief of Enniskillen and Derry</td> - <td class="right">90</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-vii-the-landing-of-marshal-schomberg-and-his-winter-campaign">CHAPTER VII.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Landing of Marshal Schomberg, and his Winter Campaign</td> - <td class="right">108</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td> - <a href="#chapter-viii-schomberg-s-campaign-continuedthe-arrival-of-the-prince-of-orange">CHAPTER VIII.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Schomberg's Campaign continued—The Arrival of the Prince of Orange</td> - <td class="right">112</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-ix-the-battle-of-the-boyne">CHAPTER IX.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Battle of the Boyne</td> - <td class="right">125</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td> - <a href="#chapter-x-the-final-departure-of-king-jamesa-retrospect-of-his-character">CHAPTER X.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Final departure of King James—A Retrospect of his Character</td> - <td class="right">152</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-xi-the-surrender-of-drogheda-and-dublinthe-first-siege-of-athlone">CHAPTER XI.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Surrender of Drogheda and Dublin—The First Siege of Athlone</td> - <td class="right">160</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-xii-the-siege-of-limerick">CHAPTER XII.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Siege of Limerick</td> - <td class="right">174</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td> - <a href="#chapter-xiii-arrival-of-the-duke-of-marlboroughthe-sieges-of-cork-and-kinsale">CHAPTER XIII.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Arrival of the Duke of Marlborough—The Siege of Cork and Kinsale</td> - <td class="right">193</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-xiv-the-winter-of-1690">CHAPTER XIV.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Winter of 1690</td> - <td class="right">206</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-xv-the-arrival-of-st-ruthginckle-takes-the-field">CHAPTER XV.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Arrival of St. Ruth—Ginckle takes the field</td> - <td class="right">222</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-xvi-the-siege-of-athlone">CHAPTER XVI.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Siege of Athlone</td> - <td class="right">239</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-xvii-the-interval-from-july-1st-to-the-12th">CHAPTER XVII.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Interval from July 1st to the 12th</td> - <td class="right">267</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#chapter-xviii-the-battle-of-aughrim">CHAPTER XVIII.</a></td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Battle of Aughrim</td> - <td class="right">292</td> - </tr> -</table> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l1title" id="the-battle-fields-of-ireland"></div> -<h1 class="l1title"><span>THE BATTLE-FIELDS OF IRELAND.</span></h1> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-i-a-cursory-view-of-england-and-ireland-anterior-to-the-accession-of-james-ii"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER I.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>A CURSORY VIEW OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND -ANTERIOR TO THE ACCESSION OF -JAMES II.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Few monarchs ever ascended the English throne under more unfavorable -auspices than James II. Though he reached it in the order of legitimate -right, it was at a time when the monarchy of England was well-nigh -divested of its most vital prerogatives, and when the voice of the -sovereign had little more weight in the national councils than that -of any ordinarily dissentient member; and to this were superadded -rivalries, jealousies, and hatreds, which having their sources in -remoter times, gathered strength like the rivers, and grew deeper and -darker in their course.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As a representative of Scottish royalty, he inherited many a bitter -memory from Bannockburn to Flodden, and as a descendant of the -unfortunate Mary, he was an object of hatred to the old reform families -of England, with whom her persecutor, Elizabeth, was still a hallowed -memory; he was a grandson of James I., whom neither the acquisition -of a kingdom, nor the confiscation of Ireland,—so grateful to every -English adventurer,—could redeem from national contempt; a son of -Charles I., whom the revolutionary elements evoked in Church and -State by the pedantry of his father, had brought to the scaffold; and -brother to the second Charles, one of the most indolent and dissolute -monarchs that ever disgraced a throne. Through the last three reigns, -the name of Stuart had been a term of distrust or hatred, both to the -High Church party of England, and the fanatics of Scotland; but through -some unaccountable cause, it had one, and only one, abiding-place,—the -heart of Catholic Ireland,—whose people, through every phase of that -dynasty, had experienced nothing but treachery, confiscation, and -proscription.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Other circumstances, too, though of a domestic nature, tended to -establish the unpopularity of James, and to raise up difficulties in -his road to royalty. In 1671, his wife, the Duchess of York, though -nominally a Protestant, died in communion with the Catholic Church, and -from that time forward he himself made open profession of Catholicity. -Towards the beginning of 1673 he was married to Mary of Modena, a -Catholic, and the daughter of a royal house then in close alliance -with France. The Parliament, which met shortly after, expressed great -indignation at this event, and gave practical effect to its resentment. -A declaration of indulgence which had been issued by Charles in 1671, -granting to dissenters from the High Church the public observance -of their religion, and to Roman Catholics the right to hear Mass in -private houses, was censured, and repealed in its application to the -Catholics. In this session was also passed the "Test Act," which -continued in full legal force down to the reign of George IV., and -which, with some modifications, is virtually observed at the present -day. By the passage of this act, every Catholic official in the realm -was removed, and the Duke of York lost the command of the British navy, -in which he had won high distinction, and which he had brought to a -greater degree of efficiency than it had hitherto known. These and -similar marks of disapprobation were specially meant for James, who was -then heir-presumptive, and showed him the dangers that beset his way -to the throne. He, however, continued on unwavering in his principles, -while every exercise of conscience on his part was met by a check on -the king's prerogative, or a direct censure on himself. But when it -became known, after the demise of Charles, that he, too, had received -the last sacraments at the hands of a Catholic priest, and that James -had been instrumental in the conversion of his reprobate brother, the -rage of the High Church party knew no bounds, and their denunciations -were echoed through every recusant party in the land. Comfort they knew -none; their forbearance was stretched to the utmost tension; their cup -of hatred was filled to the last drop; and even that drop was pendent, -as from a leaf; the next wind might shake the branch, and then——</p> - -<p class='c000'>But still they had one hope. James was a good round age; as yet he had -no issue male by his Catholic queen; his daughters, by his former wife, -were educated in the Protestant faith, and had each been espoused to -a Protestant prince; and in a few years, the throne would apparently -revert to a Protestant sovereign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William, Prince of Orange, the husband of the elder, was the ostensible -head of the Protestant Alliance, and a devoted enemy to France. This -was a relief in their present misfortunes, and a little forbearance was -thought better than much blood-letting. The Duke of Monmouth, too, the -natural son of Charles, was a great favorite with a large portion of -the English people, and had even, during the life of his father, struck -for the crown; and though banished the realm for that offence, he was -still a centre to rally round, in case of necessity. These were the -considerations which alleviated the misfortunes of James's enemies, and -made his accession, even for a moment, tolerable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The reign of James I., commonly called the "Pedant," from his -affectation of learning, his uncouth appearance, and slovenly habits, -was not marked by any act that elevates a people, or adorns a crown. -It was chiefly employed in religious disquisition, which, giving rise -to innumerable sects, greatly disturbed the interior spirit of the -nation. That part of his time not so devoted, was spent in securing to -the reform party the lands, lay and cleric, which had been confiscated -during the reign of his immediate predecessors. But he was never -popular. Though his low garrulity and set apothegms were hailed by the -vile minions by whom he was constantly surrounded, as the sublimation -of wisdom, they never failed to plant a thorn in the breast of the -nobles, and with them he was an object of unmitigated contempt—deeply -felt, but not openly expressed. Still the courtiers and the king got -along pretty well, and each improved after a mutual acquaintance. He -knew their instincts and their passions, and they secured his favor -by sacrificing to his egotism. In them he discovered an inordinate -appetite for plunder, and in him they saw an obtusity of honor, and an -unscrupulousness of conscience, that could be made sure instruments in -securing the spoils of an incomplete reformation. He resolved to cater -to their appetite, and they determined to obey his rule, though they -did not at all reverence his majesty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The death of Elizabeth had left England in a profound peace, which was -scarcely disturbed during his reign; and this fortuitous circumstance, -more than his innate cowardice, won for him the name of "the peaceful -monarch." He has had many satirists and many eulogists, and some who -were both as occasion answered. Among the latter may be reckoned Sir -Walter Scott, by whom we are told that the restless spirits of the -former reign might calmly enjoy "the peace which James the peaceful -gave." But, then, this was only in poetic <em>romaunt</em>, and by one who -greatly despised him in romantic prose. Such eulogiums, however, had -only reference to the influence of his reign on England and Scotland; -the tyranny of an English king towards Ireland had been, in all times, -his surest passport to popularity, and there his reign was one of -terror, vengeance, persecution, and spoliation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The prince who connived at the murder of his royal mother, could lay -little claim to the respect of the good or high-minded in any age or -nation, and so he lived an object of contempt and loathing to all that -was good or honorable in the land. But though men of honor shunned his -court, the venal there held high jubilee. The king's natural avarice -was keen, and it was still further whetted by Scotch self-seekers, who -thronged lobby and vestibule in all their greedy officiousness. Their -rapacity had to be appeased. The people of England, too, were grown -sullen and discontented; a spiritual madness had lately overspread -the land, and produced a state of society always ominous of evil to -the monarch; hence the public mind should be diverted from its sombre -broodings. To secure himself on the throne, he saw the necessity of -opening a way to the enterprise of the incongruous elements by which -he was surrounded, and many precedents pointed to Ireland as the -never-failing outlet for English discontent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The latter half of Elizabeth's reign had been disturbed by a series -of revolutions in Ireland. The first of these was headed by the Earl -of Desmond, in defence of religious liberty; it extended all over -Munster, and ended in his death and the confiscation of that province. -Shortly after it was revived by Hugh O'Neil, Earl of Tyrone, and -assuming national proportions, continued with almost unvaried success -to the battle of Kinsale, in 1602, and terminated in a treaty which -was wantonly violated after the queen's death. These wars extended -through a period of more than twenty years, and left Ireland greatly -prostrated on the accession of James I.; but the country was beginning -to revive, and, under a fostering hand, it would soon have been -content and prosperous. It was hoped, too, that as James, while king -of Scotland, had contributed much to foment the uprising of O'Neil, he -would be as instrumental in allaying the causes that led to it. The -English "Undertakers," however, looked on an Irish war as a prelude to -a general confiscation, and felt bitter disappointment at the terms -accorded to the Irish rebels by the late queen. The apportionment of -one province, which took place after the death of Desmond, did not -satisfy them, while Ulster, a wealthy and populous one, was still left -in the possession of the natives. The Scotch followers of James could -not understand the thing at all, and attributed it to the dotage of -the queen. In this state of affairs, the king saw an opportunity of -rendering himself acceptable alike to his English and Scotch subjects. -It was an age fruitful in plots and expedients, when plunder took -the name of civilization, and avarice stalked forth under the cloak -of religion. "The artful Cecil," the contriver and discoverer of -many plots, was consulted by the king, and a scheme was laid for the -violation of the compact of Mellifont, and the confiscation of Ulster. -Lord Chichester was then deputy for Ireland;—but the words of Dr. -Jones, the king's bishop of Meath, will tell the matter with sufficient -brevity:<a name = "id1" class="fnrefer" href="#idone" id="id1"><sup>1</sup></a> -"Anno 1607, there was a providential discovery of another -rebellion in Ireland, the Lord Chichester being deputy; <em>the discoverer -not being willing to appear</em>, a letter from him, <em>not subscribed</em>, was -superscribed to Sir William Usher, clerk of the council, and dropt in -the council-chamber, then held in Dublin Castle, in which was mentioned -a design for seizing the Castle and murdering the deputy, with a -general revolt and dependence on Spanish forces; and this also for -religion; for particulars whereof I refer to that letter, dated March -the 19th, 1607."—This letter was read, and O'Neil, the late leader -of the Irish, was singled out as the head and front of the supposed -conspiracy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>O'Neil, who had been educated at the English court with a view to -the advancement of the English interest in Ireland, was apprised -of the conspiracy designed for his ruin, and at once detected the -master-spirit—"The artful Cecil." From this he knew that his doom was -sealed should he abide the action of the council, before which he had -been summoned. He accordingly notified the chiefs of Ulster of the -impending blow, and advised flight as the only means of safety. Most of -them followed this advice, and he himself, collecting his household, -retired to Rome, where he died in 1616.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The flight of O'Neil accomplished all that the conspirators wished, and -with far less trouble than they anticipated. Wholesale confiscation, -without resistance, was out of their calculation, even in a country -borne down by the protracted strife of nearly twenty years. There -still remained an element in Ulster, which, though it could not -work the deliverance of the nation, could wreak summary vengeance -on many a hungry Undertaker; but this settled all at once, to the -great "joyousness" of the king: and he lost no time in proclaiming -his satisfaction, in words of which the following is an extract: "Wee -doe professe, that it is both known to us and our council here, and -to our deputie and state there, and so shall it appeare to the world -(as cleare as the sunne) by evident proofes, that the only ground and -motive of this high contempt, in these men's departure, hath been the -private knowledge and inward terrour of their own guiltinesse," etc. -"But," says Mitchell, "no attempt to give these proofs was ever made," -and never will be. The very manner of their departure is a proof of -innocence. Had there been a conspiracy, they would have abided the -result, and sold their lives with their lands at a price dear enough -to the English enemy. But they went in the belief that their lives -and lands alone were what the king sought, and that by quitting the -country, they would save the minor chieftains and their clansmen from -the greed of England. They calculated erroneously, for this did not -accord with the design of the infamous king, and the whole province -soon became the spoil of the "Undertakers." An act of Parliament—the -English Parliament—immediately followed the king's proclamation, -declaring that "Whereas the divine justice hath lately cast out of -the province of Ulster divers wicked and ungratefull traytors, who -practised to interrupt those blessed courses begun and continued by -your majestie for the general good of this whole realm, by whose -defection and attainders great scopes of land in those parts have been -reduced to your majestie's hands and possession," etc.—and of course -awaited but the royal pleasure to be transferred to his loyal subjects -of the realm. Nor was the royal assent long withheld, for the royal -coffers were always open, even to smaller windfalls than the revenues -arising from a confiscated province.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The work of settlement was soon commenced, under the supervision of the -king, privy council, committees of conference, committees of inquiry, -contractors, undertakers, speculators, and commissioners names of -ominous import in Ireland and so often revived there that her people -can rehearse them like a catechism. "In the six counties of Donegal, -Tyrone, Derry, Farmanagh, Cavan, and Armagh, a tract of country -containing 500,000 acres, was seized upon by the king and parcelled -out in lots to Undertakers." <a name="id2" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwo" id="id2"><sup>2</sup></a> The "domains" of the attainted lords -were assumed to include all the lands inhabited by their clans, and so -far were the king's new arrangements from respecting the rights of the -ancient natives, that "the fundamental ground of this <em>plantation</em> was -the avoiding of natives and planting only with British."</p> - -<p class='c000'>That this cruel policy was carried out to the letter, would seem -scarcely credible. But let the authority already quoted settle that -matter. "It is true," says Sir Thomas Phillips, in "Harris's Hibernia," -"that after the prescribed number of freeholders and leaseholders were -settled on every townland, and the rents therein set down, <em>they might -let the remainder to natives, for lives, so as they were conformable in -religion, and for the favor</em> to <span class="allcaps">DOUBLE THEIR RENTS</span>!" Even so, -to double their rents, if natives, though conformable in religion. A -<em>high favor</em>, and all for the love of God!</p> - -<p class='c000'>This is but a very imperfect outline of the plantation of Ulster, and -the manner of effecting it; and it is alluded to in these pages, only -in so far as it illustrates the subject-matter of them, on which that -settlement has a direct bearing. Its immediate and subsequent effects -on the Irish race, though the theme of many a commentator, have never -been told, and never will be. Even its remoter consequence at the -present day can scarcely be alluded to without opening up wounds but -imperfectly healed, and memories too bitter for wholesome reflection. -It renewed, by one dash of the royal pen, all the wrongs of the -preceding centuries, and filled the last stronghold of the Irish race -with a people inimical to their interests, and who, with the exception -of one short epoch in the country's history, have remained a cancer -on the body politic, and, as if by a special providence, though meant -to strengthen the dynasty of the Stuarts, were mainly instrumental in -causing its extinction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The reign of Charles I. was an eventful and a bloody one. In 1625 he -ascended the throne; in 1649 he ascended the scaffold; and through the -intervening period of twenty-four years, it was a continual struggle -for the preservation of the royal prerogatives. These prerogatives were -yielded, one by one, to the fanatical spirit of the age, and the last -royal prerogative, that of life—for it is held a standing apothegm, -that the king can do no wrong—terminated in a disastrous civil war -which drenched the three kingdoms in blood.</p> - -<p class='c000'>England had been in a state of transition since the reign of -Henry VIII. The religion of the country had undergone a change which had -left more than one-half of its population—and that the more powerful -one—adherents of the new faith. New manners and new morals had kept -pace with the change of religion. The lands, too, had undergone as -great a change as the people. Most of the old manors were possessed by -new lords; and as for the Church, its glebes had passed to the early -conformists, and its cash to the royal coffers. Hatred on the one hand, -and revenge on the other, the usual concomitants of all violent changes -in civil or ecclesiastical bodies, were the order of the day. Among -those who had become recipients of the spoils, a feeling of insecurity -was predominant. These changes had all been wrought through the will of -the sovereigns—the royal prerogative, and it required no prophetic ken -to know, that while that prerogative remained unimpaired, some future -sovereign might undo all that his predecessors had accomplished; and -this continual apprehension was the parent of each successive reform: -and self-preservation the object.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The reign of James I. sowed the seed of religious discontent; that -of Charles I. reaped the harvest. The old faith had been too closely -drawn towards the political arena, and had suffered by the contact; -the new one whirled in its vortex, and the result was the worst state -of human society—civil and religious anarchy. A church had been -established by law, and richly endowed by the spoils of the old one, -antecedent to the accession of Charles, and its followers were called -the "High Church" people. But outside its communion, innumerable sects -overspread the land, known by the general name of "Nonconformists." -The highways and by-ways of England and Scotland resounded with their -religious disquisitions; every man had become an interpreter and a -prophet. The most powerful of those sects were the Puritans of England, -and the Covenanters of Scotland, who, though differing in religious -principles, closely assimilated in their hatred of all monarchical -government, and of the outward ceremonies of divine worship. Practising -greater simplicity, they laid claim to greater purity of religion, -until they at length believed themselves invested with a divine mission -to eradicate "popery," "prelacy," and monarchy. The materials of -combustion had been long preparing, and nothing was wanting but some -partisan more daring or fanatical than the rest to apply the match, and -he was at last found in Oliver Cromwell, a great king-hater, and one of -the most daring military spirits of that or of any other age. Putting -on "the armor of the Lord," and the "Shield of Righteousness," they -seized the "besom of destruction," and went forth under his banner to -complete the purgation of the land.</p> - -<p class='c000'>How this war, between the King and Parliament, progressed and -terminated, forms a bloody chapter in English history, but it can be -noticed in this place no further than its effect on Ireland; there it -helped to swell the tide of oppression; it brought another war, another -defeat, another confiscation, and another wholesale expatriation of the -native race.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Since the plantation of Ulster, religious persecution had been -aggravated by an established system of confiscation, under the name -of the "Irish Titles Act." In the mean time the "Nonconformists" -of England and Scotland having taken up arms against King Charles, -made a solemn vow to exterminate the Catholics of Ireland, and the -apprehensions of the latter were soon alive to the emergency. Groaning -so long under civil and religious exactions, they looked on the king's -difficulty as a most suitable event to petition for a removal of their -grievances. But their action was anticipated, and while their leaders -were considering a course of procedure, a series of outrages was -perpetrated in the province of Ulster which precipitated them at once -into the vortex of rebellion. A garrison of Scotch soldiers, stationed -at Carrickfergus, in the dead of night, and without premonition, made -a descent on Island Magee, a peninsula in the neighborhood, and drove -all its inhabitants, to the number of 3,000, over the cliffs into the -sea; scarce a soul escaping to tell their cruel fate. The Catholic -inhabitants of the surrounding counties flew to arms, and the flames -of rebellion were soon lit throughout the province. The Protestants -rose to oppose them, and excesses were perpetrated on both sides. This -hastened the action of the Catholic leaders. The Irish chiefs, the -Catholic Lords of the English Pale, and the bishops of the Catholic -Church convened at Kilkenny for mutual protection and right, under the -name of the "Confederation of Kilkenny," and inaugurated one of the -boldest efforts for civil and religious liberty known in the country's -history.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the mean time, the war between the king and the Parliamentarians -progressed in England. The king's affairs grew desperate, and overtures -were made to the Irish Confederates by the king's adherents in Ireland, -the principal of whom were the Earls of Clanricarde and Ormond. The -Confederates held out with great tenacity for their stipulated measures -of redress; yet these the king, even in his direst extremity, refused -to concede. But through the intrigues of the two royal agents, the -councils of the Confederation were at last distracted; two parties, one -for the king, and one for Catholic right, were formed; the soldiers -took sides with their respective leaders, and made war against each -other. So they fought for some time, the latter being generally -successful, and the king at last offered concessions, but too late to -redeem his fallen cause. The result is history; the king lost his head; -Cromwell invaded Ireland; O'Neil, the only soldier capable of opposing -him, is said to have been poisoned, and after his death Cromwell met -with but futile opposition. The son of the decapitated king, after a -few abortive attempts to secure the crown, became a refugee until the -death of Cromwell, when he was recalled, through a popular reaction, -and crowned as Charles II.:—and this is called the Restoration. It is -called the Restoration, because it restored the throne to its lawful -successor; because it restored the High Church party its privileges; -and because it restored some of the lands confiscated in England during -the Commonwealth to their former owners. But it was ushered in by an -odious concession. It left the English rebels in full enjoyment of -their lands and immunities, both in England and Ireland. In the latter -country the confiscations of Cromwell were legalized, nor was the -property of those who joined the late king's cause ever restored to -them! But then, in England, it was a Parliament that rebelled against a -sovereign; in Ireland, it was a people that demanded rights older than -sovereign or Parliament,—that made all the difference.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Under the Protectorate of Cromwell 5,000,000 acres of arable land were -confiscated, and the Restoration continued the robbery, by searches -into titles which produced litigations, generally settled in English -courts, to which all Irish questions were then transferable. It is -needless to say that those suits terminated in establishing defective -titles in the natives: the lands became the prey of the crown or its -cormorants, and expatriation or slavish dependence was the award of the -complainant. Five-sixths of the land passed away from the native race, -and the population became dependents, without law or appeal, on the -soil which had been theirs from time immemorial.</p> - -<p class='c000'>These confiscations had great effect in satisfying the vulture appetite -of England. But as this business approached completion, the national -mind reverted to the one great question—that of Protestant succession. -The days of Charles drew towards a close. As yet the British -Constitution had not debarred the heir-presumptive, though he should -be a Catholic; and this was a thorn in the national heart. The fears -of "popery" became again the national theme, and nobles and people -alike brooded on this impending calamity. The hostility to James, -always bitter, grew more open and violent as the king declined. In -1680, the Earl of Shaftesbury had him indicted in Westminster Hall, as -a popish recusant; but the Chief-Justice dismissed the suit. In 1681, -during a temporary illness of the king, a rebellion was set on foot by -Shaftesbury, the Duke of Argyle, Lord William Russell, and others. The -avowed object was the restoration of The Protectorate, but the covert -design, to supplant the Duke of York, and place Monmouth, the natural -son of Charles, on the throne. The king recovered; the plot exploded, -Monmouth was banished the court, and retired to the Continent, and -Argyle and Shaftesbury were attainted, but fled to Holland, to concoct -new schemes for barring the succession of James. On the 6th of -February, 1685, Charles died, unhonored and unlamented, save in so far -as his death opened the way to an unwelcome successor, and all looked -in fearful boding to that dreaded event.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The reign of Charles was a weak and inglorious one. His was a kind of -passive existence, spent in connivance at the treason of a corrupt -court, and the regicides of the last reign, while they connived at -his secret carousals and studied profligacy. His youth was one of -promise, and it is even asserted by some of his biographers that his -indifference to all the great ends that excite the ambition of princes -was an exemplification of practical wisdom. That such a reign was the -only one that could have secured his permanency on the throne is now -a matter of speculation. The received opinion is, that he believed it -was, and acted in accordance with that belief. His well-known repartee -to the Duke of York, who endeavored to rouse him from his apathy, -would more than indicate this—that "he was too old to go again upon -his travels." Yet it scarcely serves as an excuse for a long life -wasted, and the noble ends of government neglected. But this much is -well known in Ireland,—too well to be forgotten,—that he mulcted -his English subjects to carry on his debaucheries; that he despoiled -the Irish Catholics to remunerate his English creditors, and when -both sources failed, he became a stipendiary on the bounty of the -French king, bequeathing to his successor an exhausted exchequer, a -turbulent people, a crown pawned for many a debt, and yet with many an -heir-expectant. It required but a short time for James to establish -facts which were patent to all minds but his: that the nobles by whom -he was surrounded were irreconcilable to his views; that a time-server -might wield and direct them if he pandered to their passions; but a -king could not rule in peace, and retain the faith <em>he</em> had chosen. -Yet, with all the evidence of the three last reigns before him to the -contrary, he had an abiding faith in the justice of the English people. -He knew that he was the choice of the Irish, and believed the native -pride of the Scotch would not admit of the alienation of their crown; -but above all, he trusted in the justice of his views, and he came to -the throne with a fixed resolve to harmonize the conflicting elements -of the State, and to make England, what he believed it ought to have -been—a really free and happy nation.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-ii-the-reign-of-james-ii-in-england-the-invasion-of-william-prince-of-orangefrom-1685-1688"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER II.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE REIGN OF JAMES II. IN ENGLAND.—THE INVASION OF WILLIAM, PRINCE OF -ORANGE.—FROM 1685–1688.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The accession of James was not met by any overt act of opposition. -On the contrary, it was hailed by the rejoicings of the people, and -the parliamentary leaders of the High Church party, at that moment -plotting his expulsion, received him with the usual congratulations -and addresses of loyalty. The Catholics of England and Scotland, who -were still a respectable minority, felt their long-suppressed hopes -kindle anew, and by their Irish brethren the event was hailed with -undisguised satisfaction. Nothing could shake the loyalty of this -oppressed people to the house of Stuart. The cruel exactions, broken -pledges, and studied persecutions of the last three reigns were at -once forgotten. The advent of each false king after the other, had -been represented as sure to redress the grievances which the former -one had inflicted, and after every outrage they became more steadfast -in their devotion. If, during the rebellion of 1641, their attachment -to this house was sufficient to withdraw a large portion of them from -the standard of their native chiefs, then battling for their lands -and religious liberty, how then must they have felt when the house of -Stuart presented them a Catholic king, and one who gave unmistakable -signs that justice and toleration should at last be extended to them; -that persecution for conscience sake was at an end, and that the exiled -of many years might again return to their native land!</p> - -<p class='c000'>That James knew the dangers that beset him in England, there can -scarcely be a doubt; but the measures of redress which he contemplated -being just and beneficent, he believed they would in a short time -harmonize all interests. He had faith in his own justice, but -miscalculated in attributing so noble a sense to the dominant and -intolerant nobles by whom he was surrounded, and was still more -mistaken when he expressed an abiding faith in the justice of the -English people. Yet filled with the hope of marking a glorious page -in the annals of England, he assumed the sceptre with a bold and -kingly hand. His speech before the assembled council of the nation was -all that a generous or magnanimous people could desire, and all his -subsequent acts are marked by a strict adherence to the principles -which he then enunciated. "I will endeavor," said he, "to preserve the -government of Church and State in the manner by law established. I know -that the Church of England is favorable to monarchy, and those who are -members of it have made it appear on various occasions that they were -faithful subjects. I will take particular care to defend and support -it. I know likewise that the laws of the kingdom are sufficient to make -the king as great as I could wish. As I am determined to preserve the -prerogative of my crown, so I will never deprive others of what belongs -to them. I have often hazarded my life in defence of the nation; I am -still ready to expose it to preserve its rights."</p> - -<p class='c000'>He eschewed the tendency to despotic power which his enemies -had circulated, or any design to call in question the titles or -hereditaments of such as acquired lands through the Reformation. His -object was not to disrupt but to harmonize and adjust, and blend -all interests for an onward movement in civilization. He declared -civil liberty to be the right of Catholics and Protestants alike. He -proclaimed liberty of conscience, and took immediate action to secure -it by liberating several thousand Catholics confined in the prisons -of Ireland for non-attendance on Protestant worship, and also twelve -hundred Quakers who had been imprisoned for a like offence. He declared -the abolition of all penal laws, all religious test-oaths, and even -oaths of allegiance on the assumption of civil office. He extended -the same rights to the people of Ireland and Scotland as to those -of England, and enjoined the bishops to announce in their churches -that liberty of conscience was henceforth the law of the land. Here, -'tis said, he made his first royal blunder. Proclaiming liberty of -conscience from a pulpit is hardly in accordance with that right of -denouncing heresy and schism, which every church, whether founded -on human will or divine right, has asserted from the days of Abram. -But, then, on the other hand, the Church of England, which had been -proclaiming that and every thing else the royal reformers of the last -century chose to dictate, might have announced this liberal measure of -a king, the goodness of whose motives were well understood. But they -denounced the innovation as a license to sin, though he intended only -to have it announced that persecution for conscience sake had ceased in -his dominions. The order was obeyed by some of the bishops, but by the -majority it was stubbornly resisted. The king prosecuted for contumacy. -The judges in some cases executed the royal mandate and the bishops -were imprisoned; in others they refused, and bishops and judges joined -issue in a passive resistance. Still the king bated not a tittle of the -principle laid down. The establishment of civil and religious liberty -for all classes and denominations had been the great object of his -life, and he was not to be driven from his purpose. He believed that -the majority of the nobles were tired of persecution for conscience -sake, and wished for a restoration of social harmony. He believed that -the masses yearned for it, and he calculated on their loyalty. He -believed that the Restoration was a proof that legitimacy would never -again be assailed, and he took no precautions against conspiracy; nay, -he scouted the warnings of his friends, that one was ripening among the -members of his council, and that even his own children were spies upon -his actions, and plotting his destruction. But an event soon transpired -that removed his incredulity, and awakened him to a sense of the -difficulties and dangers that beset him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth and its result have already -been noticed. On its suppression, the chief conspirators, Shaftesbury -and Argyle, fled to the continent. The former died shortly after, but -the latter linked his fortune to that of Monmouth, plotted on, and -gave direction to the ambition of this English favorite. Repairing to -Holland, it is said that they received both counsel and a promise of -aid from the Prince of Orange to attempt another invasion. After the -death of Charles, William detached himself from this conspiracy, for -his own pretensions to the British throne had become greater than those -of Monmouth, and indeed it is hard to reconcile the conduct of William -unless we accept a charge, which is not without supporters, and which -is greatly to that Prince's discredit:—that of urging the wayward Duke -to his destruction, and thus removing an obstacle to his own ambition. -However that be, William disconnected himself from the conspiracy, and -Monmouth soon after retired to Brussels, where he was joined by Argyle -and continued his preparations for an invasion. Getting counsel and -assistance from his partisans in England and Scotland, he prepared -for a descent at the earliest opportunity; and the excitement created -by the troubles between King James and the bishops gave him at once -both a hope and a pretext. With a fleet of three ships and one hundred -followers, he landed at Lyme, in Dorsetshire, and in a few days he had -a following of above two thousand men. He proclaimed the king a traitor -and a popish usurper, and called on the country to rise in opposition -to his rule. At Taunton he was presented with a pair of colors and a -copy of the Bible, by twenty young ladies, and assumed the title of -king. Here his army increased to six thousand. At Sedgemoor he attacked -the royal forces under Feversham and Churchill, and was completely -overthrown; and, flying for shelter through the country, he was taken -and finally executed. His evil genius, Argyle, met with a similar fate; -the greatest rigor was exercised against the scattered refugees of -this ill-advised rebellion, and many of the nobles of the land were -attainted of treason.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This event opened the eyes of the king to the dangers by which he was -surrounded. The army had shown signs of disaffection. Many of the -leaders of the Protestant party in Ireland and Scotland were known to -be connected with this conspiracy; even the members of his council -were more than suspected of complicity; and he saw that his rule could -only be established by the introduction of a Catholic element into the -army. Since the passage of the "Test Act," nearly all the Catholic -officers of the army and navy had been removed. Many of these were -men of distinguished ability, and he now determined to recall them to -the service. Accordingly, in his speech to Parliament on the 9th of -November, 1685, in allusion to the rebellion of Monmouth, he introduced -the proposition in the following words: "Let no man take exception, -that there are some officers in the army not qualified, according to -the <em>late Test</em>, for their employments; the gentlemen, I must tell you, -are most of them well-known to me, and having formerly served me on -several occasions (and always approved the loyalty of their principles -by their practice), I think them now fit to be employed under me; and -will deal plainly with you, that after having the benefit of their -services in such time of need and danger, I will neither expose them to -disgrace, nor myself to the want of them, if there should be another -rebellion to make them necessary to me. I am afraid some men may be -so wicked, to hope and expect that a difference may happen between -you and me upon this occasion. * * * I will not apprehend that such -a misfortune can befall us as a division, or even a coldness between -me and you; nor that any thing can shake you in your steadiness and -loyalty to me, who, by God's blessing, will ever make you all returns -of kindness and protection, with a resolution to venture even my own -life in the defence of the true interests of this kingdom."</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is scarcely necessary to say that this met the opposition of -Parliament; and so far from being received in the liberal and loyal -spirit which the king seems to have anticipated, it was denounced as a -measure for the abolition of the Protestant religion. The revocation of -the "<em>Edict of Nantes</em>," by Louis XIV., occurring about the same time, -had filled England with Protestant refugees, which gave strength to -the arguments of the opposition, and excited a spirit of retaliation -in the English people. The king, however, persevered, and tested the -legality of the "Test," in the person of Sir Edward Hales, who had -held the commission of colonel in the army, and who had lately become -a Catholic. The judges decided in his favor, but the king was accused -of intimidation. This opened the way to reform in the army, and -gratified the Catholics, but it raised the spirit of opposition among -the bishops and leaders of the High Church party in a corresponding -degree. Not deterred by this opposition, the king persevered in his -measures of redress; and called Dissenters and Catholics to office -wherever opportunity occurred; and, says Hume, "Not content with this -violent and dangerous innovation, he appointed certain regulators to -examine the qualifications of electors, and directions were given -them to exclude all such as adhered to the test and penal statutes." -In all of which one fails to see, notwithstanding the exaggeration of -Hume, any attempt at injustice, or proscription. It was in fact, from -beginning to end, an effort to establish equality and right on the one -part, and to preserve and perpetuate an odious ascendency on the other. -That many of the steps taken by the king to reach his object may have -been imprudent, and must, from the surrounding circumstances, have met -with bitter opposition, is not to be wondered at; but that his views -were right, and his object wise and magnanimous, cannot be denied. -The exclusion of Nonconformists, from social and legal equality, in -a former reign, produced a civil war, which most Protestant writers -vindicate as necessary, and it is hard to see why the same writers -advocate the permanent exclusion of the Catholics, who were certainly -entitled to equal consideration. Meanwhile the opposition ran high, -and the High Church party being now united by the death of Monmouth, -took council throughout the three kingdoms, and determined to call in -William Henry, Prince of Orange, as their last hope to preserve their -cherished and glorious ascendency.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The title—Prince of Orange—is derived from the town of Orange -(ancient Awrasio), in the southeast of France, department of Vaucluse. -In the middle ages this town was the capital of a principality, which -for a considerable period belonged to the house of Nassau; and William -Henry was then the incumbent both of the title and the domain. After -his death the title passed to his heir, the King of Prussia, and is -still retained in the royal family of Holland; but the principality -whence the title is derived, has been since ceded to France. The father -of William, who was Stadtholder of the Dutch provinces, died in 1650, -and the office, which was not inherent, but elective, remained in -abeyance, under the management of the brothers De Witt, until 1672, -when England and France declared war against Holland. William laid -claim to the office of his father, but was opposed by the De Witts. -The emergency pointed out William as the choice of those opposed to -the claims of France, and the De Witts, still opposing, became the -victims of an assassination, said to have been concocted by William. -This placed William at the head both of civil and military affairs, -which, however unscrupulous were the means of attainment, he conducted -with great ability, and saved Holland from subjugation to the French -king. From 1672 to 1677, the war continued with various success. At the -close of that year's campaign, William visited England by invitation, -and Charles, in order to terminate a war which was unpopular with the -majority of his nobles, acceded to the proposal of his counsellors, -to pave the way for an alliance with Holland, by espousing Mary, the -eldest daughter of James, then Duke of York, to the Stadtholder. This -marriage, which took place shortly after, gave William, who was then -both nephew and son-in-law to James, the right of heir-presumptive; -and, the immediate result of it was a peace between England and -Holland, at Nimeguen, in 1678.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William was a very ill-favored prince, weak of body, ungraceful in -gait and manner, and of a forbidding countenance at once expressive -of cruelty and unscrupulousness. He was not a statesman, nor yet an -able diplomatist, but possessed a keenness of perception, that enabled -him to see through the motives of men, a reticence of habit, which -protected him from importunity, and a will subservient to the call of -ambition. Yet though he was the acknowledged head of the Protestant -league, and conformed to the ceremonies of exterior worship, he was a -most confirmed sceptic, and averse to all religious disquisition. He, -however, possessed those qualities which the enemies of James most -desired. He was ambitious of power, an able soldier, the ostensible -champion of Protestantism, and the irreconcilable enemy of the French -monarch.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From the time of his marriage with Mary, he was ambitious of the -English throne, chiefly, 'tis said, that he might check the power -of his detested enemy, Louis, and the connection gave him a valid -title, should the king, his father-in-law, die without legitimate -male issue. The Duke of Monmouth, who was an English favorite, being -removed, and the Duke of Berwick, the natural son of James, and nephew -of Lord Churchill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough, cherishing no such -pretensions, William's fears were quieted, and it is even said that he -received the first advances of the High Church party with indifference. -But rumors of the queen's pregnancy excited the fears of William; -he became apprehensive, listened to their appeals, a conspiracy was -set on foot through the agency of Bishop Burnet, Sydney, Peyton, and -Gwynne, and he began to organize a military force for the invasion of -England. The materials were ready to his hand. "The Thirty Years' War" -had overspread Europe with adventurers from every nation, and he soon -gathered to his standard an army of the most daring spirits of the age, -consisting of Dutch, Danes, Swedes, Huguenots, and Germans, always -ready and eager for any enterprise that offered fame or fortune to -their arms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 10th of June, 1688, while these preparations were carried -stealthily forward, the Queen of England gave birth to a son. This -event removed all hesitation on the part of the Prince of Orange, and -precipitated "the Revolution." From this time forward negotiations -between the Prince and the English conspirators were pressed with -earnestness and vigor; every concession demanded by the Prince was -yielded without question by the agents of the Church party, and he -bound himself to the invasion and the maintenance of Protestant -supremacy. Still the utmost secrecy was observed on both sides, and the -Earl of Sunderland, who was in the king's confidence, and at the same -time in league with William, kept the one impressed with a sense of -security, and apprised the other of all that transpired in the national -councils.</p> - -<p class='c000'>An incident which occurred at this time may serve to show the animus of -party spirit, and illustrate the intriguing and unscrupulous character -of William. It had been prearranged between the Prince and his English -partisans, that in case the queen gave birth to a son it should be -declared suppositious. Accordingly, William prepared an instrument -to that effect, to be published on his arrival in England; and yet, -with characteristic duplicity, he dispatched Zuylestein, ostensibly -to congratulate the king on the birth of his son,—the Prince of -Wales,—but covertly to complete arrangements with the heads of the -conspiracy in England.<a name="id3" class="fnrefer" href="#idthree" id="id3"><sup>3</sup></a> By such artifices the king was kept in -complete ignorance of the storm gathering around him, until the summer -had nearly passed, when Talbot, Earl of Tyrconnell,—then deputy for -Ireland,—received information from the captain of a Dutch trading -vessel, of the extensive preparations going on in Holland, and of the -designs of the Prince of Orange on the English throne.<a name="id4" class="fnrefer" href="#idfour" id="id4"><sup>4</sup></a> Tyrconnell -lost no time in communicating this intelligence to the king; and a -letter which he received shortly after from his minister at the Hague, -informing him that a powerful invasion must be soon expected, followed -by private information from the French king to the same effect, at last -opened his eyes to his real situation. M. Bonrepos, the envoy of Louis, -who brought this intelligence, accompanied it with the offer of 30,000 -French troops, to suppress the invasion before it could make head; -but as the evil counsel of Sunderland still prevailed, on the ground -that such an armament from France would excite the indignation of his -English soldiers, and precipitate the catastrophe which he wished to -avoid, the generous offer of Louis was declined. James continued in a -state of the greatest bewilderment. All the boldness and decision of -his earlier years seemed to have deserted him; and at a time when only -men of approved loyalty should be trusted, he recalled to his service -the contumacious officials of the late reign, and so paved the way for -the success of the impending Revolution.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Preliminaries being arranged between William and his English adherents, -by the beginning of October, 1688, he collected his forces at -Holvoetsluys, a port in the south of Holland, lying over against the -eastern coast of England, and, under the advice of Bishop Burnet, put -to sea toward the end of the same month. His armament consisted of -fifty ships of war, twenty frigates, four hundred transports, and some -smaller craft, carrying 14,000 men, with arms and equipments for 20,000 -more. The van and rear of this fleet were commanded by Admiral Herbert -and Vice-Admiral Evertzen, respectively, having the Prince of Orange -and his military adherents in the centre. All the ships carried the -English flag, having the arms of the Prince emblazoned at the top, with -the words:</p> - -<p class='c000'>"RELIGION AND LIBERTY,"</p> - -<p class='c000'>and at the bottom with the device of the house of Nassau,</p> - -<p class='c000'>"I WILL MAINTAIN."</p> - -<p class='c000'>In his train were many English, Irish, and Scotch refugees, and -three hundred Huguenot officers, the principal of whom were Marshal -Schomberg; his son, Count Schomberg; Caillemotte and his brother -Ruvigny; Mellioneire, Cambon, Tettau, and others of approved valor and -of great military experience.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the voyage a storm arose, the whole fleet was scattered, some of -the ships foundered at sea, and the rest had to put back for several -days. William, however, continued his course, and arrived safe at -Torbay, in the county of Devon, on the 5th of November, 1688, with -about 700 followers. It being the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, -he availed himself of the circumstance, and appealing to the passions -and prejudices of the people, stated the object of his invasion to be -the protection of the Protestant religion from the machinations of -"Popery." But this not having the desired effect, he felt somewhat -disconcerted, and after spending a few days in the exercise of his -marines and being joined by the remainder of his forces, he made the -necessary disposition and took up his march for Exeter. Here, finding -that the country gentlemen and clergy of the Established Church fled at -his approach, and that none of the leading conspirators came to meet -him, he began to think that he had been deceived by false promises; -and with a presence of mind that rarely deserted him, he at once had -recourse to intimidation. Accusing them of their twofold treachery, -he apprised them of his intention of furnishing the king with a list -of their names, and of then returning to Holland and abandoning them -to their fate. This soon aroused them to a sense of their position. -Lords Colchester and Godfrey fled from London in the night and joined -his standard; others came in after these, and with a force continually -increasing as he went, he continued his march towards London.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Upon receiving information of William's descent upon the English -coast, King James mustered an army of 30,000 men, and marched towards -Salisbury to oppose him. On the way, Lord Cornbury, under pretence of -attacking an outpost of the enemy, took his own regiment and three -others and abandoned the royal cause: further on, the Duke of Grafton, -Colonel Barclay, and Lord Churchill, Lieutenant-General of the Guards, -openly deserted. Seeing the defection continue, the king retired to -Andover, whence Prince George of Denmark, the young Duke of Ormond, -and other distinguished personages, fled in the night, and joined -the standard of the invader. Overwhelmed with shame and confusion he -returned to London, but here he found that his daughter, Anne, under -pretence of fearing his anger on account of her husband's defection, -had left the palace and taken refuge with his enemies. He had always -been a most affectionate and indulgent father. The ingratitude of his -elder daughter, though it pressed heavily on his heart, was borne -with becoming fortitude, but that of the younger, not having the same -extenuating causes, outraged all the dearest sensibilities of the -father; his spirit was broken, and, weeping in his bereavement, he -exclaimed: "God help me, my own children have forsaken me!" His queen -and infant son demanding his first attention, he committed them to the -care of the Count de Lausun, by whom they were conveyed in safety to -France, and dispatching Lord Feversham with a letter of remonstrance to -William, he determined to remain in London himself, and bide the issue -of events. But contrary to honorable usage, Feversham was imprisoned, -the palace was surrounded by Dutch guards, in the night, and the -king was notified that he should quit London by 12 o'clock next day. -Accordingly, he was sent under arrest to Rochester, whence he escaped -to Picardy, and arrived at St. Germains on the 25th of December, -deserted by all his family but the Duke of Berwick, and the Grand Prior -Fitzjames.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The departure of the king was a signal for the uprising of the London -mob; the Catholic inhabitants were forced to seek refuge in flight; -their property was marked out for destruction; the houses of the -Spanish and Florentine envoys were rifled, and William entered the -city by the blaze of the few religious houses which had been erected -during the short reign of the expatriate king. He lost no time in -arranging his terms of settlement with his new subjects and in opening -negotiations with the leaders of the Church party in Ireland and -Scotland. On the 12th of February, the Princess Mary joined him in -England, and they were proclaimed king and queen; the Prince of Wales -was debarred the right of succession, William was invested in the -administration, and his children by Mary—should he be blessed with -any—were to be endowed with the right of succession.<br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-iii-events-preceding-hostilities-in-ireland-the-preparatory-measures-of-tyrconnell"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER III.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>EVENTS PRECEDING HOSTILITIES IN IRELAND.—THE PREPARATORY MEASURES OF -TYRCONNELL.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Leaving William of Orange in undisputed possession of the English -throne, and King James a suppliant at the French court for the support -which he had so unwisely declined previous to the invasion, it is -necessary to reconsider the condition of Ireland before presenting her -part in this great politico-religious drama.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Of the three generations which had passed, antecedent to the events -under consideration, each had witnessed a war more protracted and -devastating than any which marked her history since the invasion. -These were the wars of Desmond and Tyrone, and the war of the Irish -Confederates of 1641; each of which was followed by a wholesale -confiscation and plantation of the country with a population -antagonistic to every interest of the native race. Through these -violent changes four-fifths of the ancient chieftainries had changed -proprietors, and those which were undisturbed by each successive -military convulsion, the court of claims and the acts of attainder -and settlement that continued down to the death of Charles II., had -well-nigh sequestrated. The surface of the country is computed at ten -millions and a half of acres; and of these, says Newenham, "Upon the -final execution of the acts of settlement and explanation, it appears -that 7,800,000 acres were set out by the court of claims, principally -if not wholly, in the exclusion of the old Irish proprietors." It -is scarce necessary to remark that if the above estimate of the -island—which is taken from Dr. Petty's survey—includes the waste and -water, the arable land had passed to the undertakers, and the waste and -water were the portion of the old Irish proprietors.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The loss of liberty, too, had outstripped the loss of lands, for -liberty and law had first to be silenced that these wholesale robberies -might go unquestioned. Education had been proscribed, and ignorance -had increased exceedingly. True, those of the "better sort" might -have received an education at the hands of the Establishment, by -forswearing their religious convictions and pandering to the spirit -of the times, but the Catholic schools and colleges of the land had -been suppressed; expatriation was the consequence of all attempts at -the education of youth in the religious principles of their fathers, -and death the penalty of return after banishment. Nearly all those who -still retained any vestige of their patrimonial estates, had purchased -them at the sacrifice of their religious convictions, and those who -haply retained both, had done so through the friendly interference -of some powerful minions of the English court, who were few and far -between. There were still a few other exceptions to this general rule, -which deserve a casual notice. The descendants of the early settlers -of the Pale, though still adhering to the Catholic faith, had been -held by the English Government as a distinct element from the native -race. On questions pertaining to the English tenure of the island they -had antagonistic interests. Through each successive convulsion they -had been treated with greater leniency, and had received much more -consideration on the adjustment and final settlement. Their condition -was, therefore, less intolerable than that of the <em>native</em> chiefs; they -had privileges without rights, while the latter had neither rights -nor privileges. But then there was a counterbalancing influence; the -native gentry had local popularity; while the Palesmen had Government -consideration;—both felt their religious grievances in common, and -between them there was a mutual forbearance, and an exchange of kindly -offices.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the condition of the descendants of the Normans, and of the -fast waning septs of the ancient race; but, the people!—they had no -consideration, national nor local; no protection but their poverty and -their native tongue: no right but that of animal existence, and that -only on sufferance! Yet, through all, they had retained the noblest -characteristics of manhood; tenacious memory, stubborn will, unselfish -love of country, unshaken fidelity to their faith; and who could doubt -that they would now—true to their instincts—be the last refuge of a -just king in adversity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When James ascended the throne, on the 16th of February, 1685, the Earl -of Ormond was deputy for Ireland. He had taken a leading part in the -most exciting scenes of the last fifty years. Gifted with the highest -graces of mind and person, he had figured, in early life, as one of -the most important personages of the English court, and had won the -highest favors of Charles I., and his queen, Henrietta. His powers of -diplomacy and statesmanship were kept in continual exercise during the -latter years of that reign; but though gifted with talents to excel -in each, in each he was signally unsuccessful; and all the evils that -befell that king and eventuated in the extinction of his house, may -be fairly traced to the one leading passion of Ormond,—an implacable -hatred of the Irish Catholics. It would seem as if all the enmity of -all the reformers, from Elizabeth to Cromwell, had in him found an -exponent, and in directing his deadly malice against them, he was -over-successful: he accomplished their ruin, but virtually consigned -his patron and sovereign to the scaffold.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His after life was ignoble and inglorious. He became prodigal of honor, -tenacious of power, and served as trimmer and timeserver in turn, to -Royalists and Parliamentarians alike. But whether in the service of -his king or in complicity with his enemies, he held his political -principles subservient to his worldly interest, and was consistent -only in one passion, his religious intolerance. The character of this -statesman had become odious to James long before his accession to the -throne; and believing that no wholesome measures of redress could be -introduced into Ireland, while one so notorious for his duplicity and -hatred of its people remained at the head of affairs, he lost no time -in recalling him. He then deputed the government to two Lords-Justices: -Boyle, the Protestant primate, and Forbes, Earl of Granard, each of -whom had attained a high degree of popularity with the people of -all religious denominations. He had reason to believe that these -appointments would be received in the spirit which dictated them, and -prove a measure of general satisfaction. Upon the Catholic population -it had the desired effect; but with the High Church party and the -Nonconformists it was quite different. The hatred and jealousy that -existed between them was only secondary to their mutual hatred of the -Catholics, and these appointments kindled anew the ire of each party -against the other. The Puritans were dissatisfied with Boyle, alleging -that his Protestantism savored of "Popery;" and the Churchmen averred -that Granard was a favorer of the sectaries, and an enemy to the -"Establishment."</p> - -<p class='c000'>In order to harmonize all interests and carry out his measures -of redress, James sent over the Earl of Clarendon as deputy, and -with him Colonel Richard Talbot, an Irishman and a Catholic, as -Lieutenant-General of the militia. But whether it was that Clarendon -was opposed to the policy of the king, or that he felt unable to give -effect to his measures of redress in a country so divided in sentiment, -he retired shortly after, and Talbot was created Earl of Tyrconnell and -appointed deputy in his stead. In Tyrconnell were then united the civil -and military power, and of all the king's subjects who at that time -accorded with his religious and political views, there could scarcely -be chosen one better adapted to give practical effect to the reforms -which he had extended to Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Richard Talbot, Earl, and afterwards Duke of Tyrconnell, is one of -the noblest characters in Irish history. He was a loyal subject of -the king, whom he served with characteristic loyalty, and though of -Norman descent, he was as national in heart as the most devoted of the -native race. Of noble presence,<a name="id5" class="fnrefer" href="#idfive" id="id5"><sup>5</sup></a> courtly manners, untarnished honor, -unshrinking courage, indomitable will, and fervid patriotism, he was -old enough to remember the Revolution of 1641, had been a sympathetic -observer of the sufferings that succeeded, and all the energies of -his mind, from his first introduction to royal favor to the end of -his career, were directed to effect the civil and religious liberty -of his country. Had James been a timeserving king, from Tyrconnell -he would have received no adulation; as he was sincere and steadfast -in his pledges to the Catholics, Tyrconnell was his devoted servant. -As deputy and commander-in-chief, his powers for good were more than -ordinary, and he stretched them to the utmost tension that justice -permitted. His task was delicate and dangerous; but he discarded the -delicacy and braved the danger, as though he alone felt the awakened -energy of a whole people. Imprudent they term him; but looking through -his chequered life, and reviewing the scenes he had witnessed in youth, -we cannot acquiesce in the decision. The circumstances by which he -was surrounded brooked no delay, and what is termed imprudence by our -recent annalists, would, if viewed in the light of his time, appear the -wisest statesmanship; and it must be generally conceded, that if the -king was as bold and intrepid as Tyrconnell, the usurpation of William -would have been as abortive as that of Monmouth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have turned aside from the course of direct narrative to dedicate a -page to the memory of this much-maligned statesman. It is deemed a duty -obligatory, because there is a tendency, even among Irish nationalists, -to offer him as a sacrifice on the altar of conciliation. Truth may be -unpalatable, but it is always wholesome, and without due reverence for -it, there will be no incentive to do and suffer for noble ends. The -religious martyr finds his reward above, but the patriot's reward is -the blessing of posterity, and history should never divert a people's -heart from those who labored for their good, albeit their efforts were -unsuccessful. Richard Talbot, Duke of Tyrconnell, is a name to be on -the tongue of every Irish child, and his deeds a memory in the heart of -every Irish patriot. He survived the battle of Aughrim, at which he was -present, but a short time; and he should have died there, and gone to -rest on that mournfully historic field, where rest some of the best and -bravest that Ireland ever nurtured on her bosom. His character would -then be complete. He labored for them through life; they were worthy of -his companionship in death.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Of the parliament which he assembled in Dublin, after the removal of -religious disabilities, the majority in the lower house were of the -Catholic faith, and as the measures which were introduced during that -session afford ample testimony that they were keenly alive to the -higher duties of legislation, a brief outline of them is here submitted -in the order of their political importance:</p> - -<p class='c000'>First.—An act removing all political disabilities from the natives of -Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Second.—An act against removing writs of error from the Irish to the -English courts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Third.—An act of indemnity to Catholics who had been declared innocent -by the Court of Claims.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Fourth.—An act to encourage strangers to settle and plant in the -kingdom of Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Fifth.—An act investing in his majesty the goods of absentees.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sixth.—An act for the advancement and improvement of trade, and the -encouragement of ship-building.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Seventh.—An act declaring that the Parliament of England cannot bind -Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The last was a virtual repeal of "Poyning's Law," an act passed during -the reign of Henry VII. in a parliament convoked at Drogheda by Sir -Edward Poyning, in 1494, and which provided "that no parliament could -be held in Ireland until the chief governor and council had first -certified to the king under the great seal of the land, as well the -causes and considerations, as the acts designed to pass, and until the -same should be approved by the king and council of England."</p> - -<p class='c000'>All these acts were known to be so just and salutary, that it was -hoped they would at once meet the unanimous approval of the English -king and his council. But they were all, or nearly all, negatived by -the council; and the king himself, though he gave his assent to all -the others, rejected that repealing the law of Poyning. It had met -with great opposition in the upper house of the Irish Parliament, for -though it was a law which placed Ireland under the complete legislative -control of England, there was in the "higher estate" then, as to-day, -a spirit of subserviency to the English interest, and the king was -as jealous of his royal prerogatives as any of his predecessors. But -this act was afterwards repealed, when nearly one hundred years more -of bitter experience had proved its ruinous effect on the country, -and eighteen years of unparalleled prosperity was the consequence. -This subject is, however, out of the course of our narrative, and is -only referred to as showing that the repeal of Poyning's law did not -originate with Grattan or the volunteers of 1782, but had been the -principal object of the statesmen of ante-Jacobite times, as the repeal -of the Union has been in our own days.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No body of legislators ever understood the wants of a country better -than that parliament did the necessities of Ireland. And well might -they understand them, for their impoverished country and broken -fortunes bore striking and melancholy evidence of the evil effects of -foreign legislation aided by a subsidized native oligarchy inimical -to every interest but their own. For three generations the people -had known no respite from robbery and proscription. Over two hundred -thousand of them had passed into exile, or had been consigned to -penal servitude in the colonies within the last fifty years. Then, -as to-day, the population, though small, was deemed "surplus," while -outlawry and banishment suppressed all manifestations of a national -spirit. The chiefs were detached from their clans, and the clans, -in losing their former protectors, had found but deadly enemies in -their new taskmasters. The old feudal system was nearly extinct, -even in the districts least visited by English adventure, and this -Parliament had realized the stern necessity of reconstructing a nation -out of the elements at its disposal. The troubles that surrounded the -king gave it a temporary power, which it wielded for the removal of -grievances becoming chronic in the land, but "no act of a proscriptive -or retaliatory character stains the parliamentary records of that -period."<a name="id6" class="fnrefer" href="#idsix" id="id6"><sup>6</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>Measures of redress now followed in quick succession. Political and -religious disabilities were removed from all denominations, without -distinction; and the people were not slow in availing themselves of -their long-lost privileges. Catholic churches were once more opened -to the service of God, and local schools began to appear throughout -the country. Catholic judges, mayors, and sheriffs took their places -wherever opportunity offered, and the people felt a gratification -corresponding to their altered condition. But, throughout all, they -acted with a forbearance and dignity worthy of a people long tried in -adversity; they expressed no exultation at their sudden emancipation, -and no spirit of retaliation was manifested that might give alarm to -their Protestant countrymen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Protestant officials of that day, who held the liberty of the -country, as it were, in lien, threw many obstructions in the way of -these reforms. Among the foremost of these were Topham and Coghill, -masters-in-chancery, and the Chancellor himself, and they were removed -for open contumacy, and on what then appeared "good and sufficient -reasons,"—throwing the legal technicalities of an odious system in the -way of a people's emancipation from the penal servitude of ages.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early in 1686, Tyrconnell issued a proclamation in accordance with -that of the king, that all classes of his majesty's subjects were -allowed to serve in the army, accompanied by an order that the arms -which had hitherto been given out should be returned to the king's -stores, preparatory to a reorganization of the militia. The militia -of the country, which at that time must have numbered about 20,000, -were exclusively Protestant, and were officered by men of the most -proscriptive tendencies, and apart from those regularly enrolled, the -whole Protestant population were under arms, subject to the call of -local leaders at a moment's notice. Being, almost to a man, opposed to -the measures of Catholic redress then being instituted by the king, -would appear sufficient motive for this action on the part of the -deputy. For the last generation they had been the rigorous executors of -the acts of attainder and settlement; the memories they awakened could -scarcely be conducive to good order or a feeling of public security: -not being national, they were regarded with distrust, and were held -as unsafe guardians of the liberty which they openly denounced. Many -of their leaders were known to be implicated in Monmouth's rebellion, -and as a precautionary measure, it became necessary to infuse a spirit -of loyalty among them by the introduction of a Catholic element. To -accomplish this seems to have been the great trouble of the deputy. -Men there were, to any number, ready at his call, but arms were -wanting, and the revenue of the country was scarce sufficient to -defray the expenses of the civil government. There was, therefore, no -other resource but to call in the arms for a redistribution, and to -organize a body of native troops from whom exclusion would be excluded. -This measure created great alarm, among a party who had been so long -dominant; and, if in its accomplishment, any denomination were excluded -who felt a liberal sentiment towards the great body of the people, -there would have been cause for just apprehension, but such does not -appear on the record of the period. All test oaths were abolished -according to the proclamation of the king, and all denominations, -without distinction, were invited to join the new organization. The -Catholic people responded with promptitude and alacrity, and an army -of about 8,000 men, was soon enrolled from the old royalist corps -scattered through the country; a few regiments more sprang up from the -remnants of the native clans, and with these the deputy felt able to -execute the laws, and garrison a few of the most important military -stations in the kingdom.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, the Protestant militia, feeling jealous that men -so long outside the pale of all law, should at once be endowed with -the high privilege of freemen, shunned the organizations, and many of -their prominent officers, retiring to Holland, took service under the -Prince of Orange, then conspiring for the overthrow of their rightful -sovereign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In this age and clime, such intolerance may seem greatly exaggerated, -if not altogether incredible. But stepping down through the successive -changes of ninety years, we find that the Volunteers of 1782, with the -light of the American Revolution before them, were quite as exclusive. -Up to the day when, on Essex-Bridge, the regiment of Lord Altamont -held its way through the ranks of his Britannic majesty,<a name="id7" class="fnrefer" href="#idseven" id="id7"><sup>7</sup></a> and a -revolution appeared imminent, the proposition to allow Catholics to -bear arms in the native militia, even as private soldiers, had been -scouted with contempt. The provisions of Catholic Emancipation are not -yet accepted there, for we have seen the "Test Act" revived as late as -1864, in Dublin, to the exclusion of a Catholic alderman. Before such -evidences, doubt vanishes, and we are able to appreciate the position -of Tyrconnell, and the necessity for intrepid action in the premises. -No man had a greater share of praise and censure from contemporary -historians than he, and he is still a subject of each as the minds -of men incline to either side in the issues that then distracted the -country. His precipitancy in removing the restraints on religion, and -in giving too active an impulse to the popular will, has come in for -its share of condemnation. He is also criticized for a too pompous -display of his dual power, as Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief: but we -should remember that they who censure his hasty measures of redress, -are those who persistently oppose all redress; that his manner of life -as Viceroy was simple and unostentatious as compared with that of his -successors in office, and that his dual power was conferred on him, -when the king's brother-in-law, Clarendon, had deserted him, and there -was no other man capable and at the same time willing to assume that -critical position.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Tyrconnell, however, was not a man to be diverted from his purpose by -either threat or criticism, and so he pursued his course unshrinking. -His country demanded redress and he hearkened to her call. The -emancipation of his co-religionists was necessary, and he endeavored to -effect it: but in doing so he infringed no civil or religious right of -others: none were denied equality before the law, and none were removed -from office except for open contumacy or covert treason. No doubt he -had to brave obloquy and opposition; but who could serve that country -and that king at that particular crisis, and escape the shafts of -malignity?</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the summer of 1688, when the conspiracy of the Prince of Orange -became known to Tyrconnell, in the manner already indicated, he lost -no time in communicating his intelligence to the king. It was received -with incredulity, for the evil counsel of Earl Sunderland still held -sway over every other representation. How could he believe that his -affectionate son-in-law, who had made him a prompt tender of military -assistance to suppress the rebellion of Monmouth, could have been -prompted by any but the most honorable and filial motives? Had he not -offered to lead his forces in person, and to protect the capital and -the inmates of the royal palace?</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the urgency of the occasion emboldened Tyrconnell, and he at last -succeeded in arousing the king's suspicions. He urged the necessity of -an immediate alliance with France, and though in this he was not able -to move the fixed impression left by the wily secretary, he prevailed -so far on the king as to accept the greater part of the forces he had -raised for the protection of Ireland; and so they were immediately sent -over and placed at the royal service.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Tyrconnell then formed the bold design, without the knowledge of -the king, of placing Ireland under the protection of France. The -proposition was well received by Louis, but events culminated with -such rapidity during the autumn of 1688, that no time was left for -diplomacy, for it required the undivided attention of Tyrconnell to -repress the spirit of disaffection throughout Ulster as the winter -approached. The leaders of the Protestant party in Ireland were alive -to all that was taking place, and premonitory symptoms of open revolt -were apparent to all. In Ulster, Lord Blaney, Rawdon, Skeffington, -Keames, Kelso, and Walker, who had kept a close correspondence with the -Prince of Orange since the death of Monmouth, sounded the alarm, and -called their followers to arms. Every action or word of the deputy was -seized on to excite the passions and fears of their people, and every -counter-effort on his part to allay the growing excitement was futile. -The time was propitious, and they seized on every event to magnify -their danger. The alarm became wide-spread, and the old hatred that so -often left the country a prey to foreign adventure was revived in all -its bitterness. Fanaticism overruled common sense, and the people were -divided.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A report was industriously circulated that a massacre of the entire -Protestant population of the country was arranged for the 9th of -December, with a minuteness of detail that convinced the most -incredulous. This was about the date that was to usher in the Prince -of Orange. The conspirators knew it, but the people were ignorant. The -utmost consternation prevailed; the Protestant people in considerable -numbers abandoned their homes, flocked to the sea-shore, and stowing -themselves away in the hold of every available craft that presented, -passed over to England, while the boldest of them fled to the North to -join the standard of William's adherents. Those who reached England -awakened the liveliest sympathy for the condition of their Irish -brethren, and the most bitter indignation against "the murdering -Irish." The arrival of William at Whitehall was the signal for a -general onslaught on the English Catholics, and the Irish residents -there had to take refuge in immediate flight. The regiments imprudently -sent there at the suggestion of Tyrconnell, being placed in small -detachments throughout the country, were forced into the usurper's -service, or, trying to make their way home, were set upon in detail, -and slaughtered mercilessly in the streets and by-ways wherever they -passed. Some few fought or forced their way to the seaboard, and -through the kindly offices of the English Jacobites, made their way -back in the most wretched condition.<a name="id8" class="fnrefer" href="#ideight" id="id8"><sup>8</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>The news of William's arrival soon spread throughout Ireland and -Scotland. In the former country this event had been anticipated: the -people had already arrayed themselves into two parties known through -succeeding times as Williamites and Jacobites. In the latter a -convention was called, and after much angry opposition, the covenanters -declared that James's flight was a virtual abdication, and that -he had consequently "forefaulted" his right to the throne and the -allegiance of his subjects of Scotland, which they tendered to William. -A respectable portion, however, headed by the Archbishop of Glasgow, -the Duke of Gordon, the Earl of Balcarras, and Graham of Claverhouse -(Viscount Dundee) supported the Jacobite cause and took up arms in -defence of their lawful king.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 7th of December the gates of Derry were closed against the Earl -of Antrim's regiment of Highlanders sent thither by Tyrconnell on the -invitation of its governor, and the call to arms was sounded through -all the province of Ulster. Blaney, Walker, Keames, Kelso, Skeffington, -and Rawdon called a convention, and assuming their right to dispose -of the country, tendered its allegiance to William. They then entered -into a league "for the maintenance of the Protestant religion and the -dependency of Ireland upon England," and placed themselves at the head -of the military organizations formed throughout the province: and -Enniskillen, Culmore, Sligo, Coleraine—nearly all the important posts -from Down to Donegal, and from Cavan to Antrim—were seized on and -garrisoned in the name of the Prince of Orange.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is scarcely necessary to say, that the 9th of December came and -passed without any manifestation of that murderous design attributed -to the Catholics. The conspiracy was on the other side, and manifested -itself in the following manner. Major Poor, who had served in a -dragoon regiment under Cromwell, had got the command of two companies -of cavalry, from "The League." With this force he commenced a series -of raids on the inhabitants of Louth, and levied a tax of £500 on the -tenantry of Lord Bellew. Hearing of this, Bellew sent his son, a youth -of eighteen, with a company of dragoons, to assist the farmers in -resisting the tax. These troops met and fought for some time with the -most determined bravery, until Bellew, closing with the Major, killed -him with a blow of his pistol on the head, when the troops of the Major -took flight, leaving their dead and wounded behind them. This was the -first act of open hostility: it aroused the Catholic people to the -necessity of defensive measures, and quickened that martial spirit, -never extinguished; their hearts responded to the war-note of the -times; but what could the spirit do, but chafe at delay? Their country -was impoverished, and they had neither arms nor organization.<br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-iv-from-the-commencement-of-hostilities-to-the-landing-of-king-james-in-ireland"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER IV.</span><br /><br /> -<span>FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES TO THE LANDING OF KING JAMES IN -IRELAND.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Tyrconnell, seeing that a civil war could no longer be averted in -Ireland, bitterly regretted the loss of those troops that he had sent -to England. A few well-equipped regiments: those of Mountcashel, -Clancarty, Lord Antrim, Lord Bellew, and his own, about three -thousand,—were all that remained in the country. Men by thousands -daily presented themselves for enrollment, but they were destitute of -every thing that constitutes the soldier, "excepting courage and good -will," and he had neither money nor arms to equip them. The Williamite -organization grew more powerful and extended, day by day. Along with -the province of Ulster, it soon embraced the counties of Longford, -Meath, and Dublin; its leaders, in the mean time, feigning to treat -with Tyrconnell, while privately soliciting arms and succors from the -Prince of Orange. Tyrconnell at last determined to make a final appeal -to the country, and for this purpose issued colonels' commissions -to the heads of the old Catholic houses and the loyal Palesmen of -Leinster. The effect was electric. With a common impulse they rushed -to his standard, and threw the wrecks of their former fortunes in -the balance. In a short time, the regiments of McMahon, O'Reilley, -MacDonnell, Maguinness, Maguire, O'Donnell, Nugent, Loutrell, -Fitzgerald, Felix O'Neil, Gordon O'Neil, Cormac O'Neil, Bryan O'Neil, -Sir Neale O'Neil, Clare, Galway, O'Moore, O'Dempsey, and others were -in the field, to the number of 20,000, nearly all recruited from their -respective households.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the people having been long deprived of the right to bear arms, -were necessarily unprovided with them, and the state to which the -country had been reduced by the misgovernment and oppression of the -last forty years, rendered them unable to provide any other than the -rudest weapons, hastily improvised. They had, therefore, to be armed -and provisioned at the individual expense of their leaders, and it was -found impossible to equip and sustain the multitudes that presented -themselves for service. The murmurs of the people were loud and deep, -but there was no remedy. The organizations of the Council, all well -armed, and supplied with the necessaries of war, were wide-spread -throughout the country, and were levying, in the name of the Prince -of Orange, on the Catholic people of Ulster, and even the eastern and -southern provinces had to yield to their exactions. Notwithstanding -all this, thousands had to be dismissed to their unprotected homes, -with promises that a little time would remove those difficulties. It -was represented, as it was indeed believed by all, that an immense -armament was fitting out in France, to accompany the king, who was -daily expected to arrive; that his presence would rectify every thing, -and afford them the means and opportunity of giving active proof of -their patriotism; and with these promises, though chafing at delay, -they retired to watch the current of events, and bide the arrival of -their king. The new regiments were reduced to a limited standard of -about 250 each, so that 12,000 men, including those already enrolled, -were rendered fit for service, and with this force Tyrconnell opened -the campaign of 1689.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Carrickfergus and Charlemont in the north, and all the forts on the -Shannon, from Lough Allen to the estuary, were still in the possession -of the Irish, and each had to be reinforced and put in a better state -of defence: the town of Kilkenny, and the cities of Cork and Waterford, -had each to receive its quota of troops; Dundalk, an important -seaport, had to be secured against the excursions of the insurgents -of Monaghan and Armagh; and the metropolis could not dispense with -the few veteran regiments that had been stationed there since the -inauguration of the deputy. After the distribution of his forces among -these posts, Tyrconnell found at his disposal a small army of 6,000 men -available for the field, and, dividing it into three corps, he gave -the command of one to Lieutenant-General Justin McCarthy, to operate -in Munster, where Inchiquin had raised the standard of revolt; one to -Lieutenant-General Richard Hamilton, for the reduction of the rebel -garrisons from Dundalk to Derry; and another, a co-operative force of -about 1,000 men, was placed under Lord Galmoy, to give countenance to -the outlying posts around Cavan and Enniskillen.—The limits prescribed -these pages preclude a detailed account of these expeditions, although -each presents some of the most striking and agreeable events of that -period. McCarthy, at the head of 2,000 regulars and a few hundred -followers, reduced, in a few days, the rebels of Castle-Martyr and -Bandon, and turning his attention to Inchiquin, who was plundering and -laying waste the country, from the Shannon to the Blackwater, he drove -him back on his stronghold in Clare, and marched uncontrolled from the -Fergus to the Barrow. The Williamites of Munster, surprised by these -events and the rapidity of their execution, laid down their arms, -returned to their homes, and all apprehension of future trouble in that -quarter was at an end:—for this important service McCarthy henceforth -received the title of "Pacificator of Munster."</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the rumor of William's conspiracy first became known to the Earl -of Tyrconnell in the preceding year, he sent General Hamilton, as -already indicated, with about four thousand men, for the service of -James in England. After the invasion of William this force was either -slain, dispersed, or forced into his service, and their general, -contrary to the usages of war, and to the terms accorded to the -other adherents of the king, was detained a prisoner. Being an Irish -gentleman by birth, of great family influence, and one of the best -cavalry officers of his time, William saw in him one who, if weaned -from his allegiance to the king, would be a powerful agent of success -to his designs on Ireland, and accordingly, 'tis said, made overtures -to that effect. History, however, is not clear as to the nature of -these proposals, nor of the manner in which they were met by Hamilton. -This much at least is known, that he was released from captivity, was -sent with proposals of an accommodation to Tyrconnell, but on arriving -in Ireland he urged the most determined opposition to William, and was -appointed to lead the expedition against the rebellion in Ulster.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaving Drogheda on the 8th of March, with a force of about two -thousand men, he marched through Dundalk and Newry, and on the 13th -took up a position between Loughbrickland and the river Bann, and sent -out Colonel Butler to take a reconnoissance of the enemy, said to be -in force between him and the Laggan. The service was one of extreme -peril, and required the utmost courage and address:—he was in the -midst of a mountainous country, surrounded by a wary foe, and the -slightest misconduct on his part, was sure to result in the capture or -destruction of the main body.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The task was, however, performed to the satisfaction of the general: -the enemy were found strongly intrenched at Dromore-Iveagh, on the -north side of the Laggan, to the number of 8,000 men, under the command -of Hugh Montgomery, Lord Mount Alexander. It was soon decided to attack -them; so breaking camp with the dawn, on the morning of the 14th, -Hamilton crossed the Bann and advanced boldly on their position. The -cavalry regiment of Montgomery advanced to meet him, but after the -first charge of Hamilton's dragoons they fell back in confusion on the -main body, and his infantry having also crossed the river, a general -attack was ordered. The enemy, however, did not wait the assault, for -Montgomery himself running away, his men followed the example, and a -complete rout succeeded. The Irish remained masters of the encampment. -Montgomery continued his flight to Hillsborough, into which he threw -a few companies, and ordering the bulk of his forces to Coleraine, -embarked at Donaghadee, and sailed for England. This was the first time -the forces of "The Council" met the Irish in the field. They had been -organizing and levying on the country for months; they were well armed; -had an intrenched position of their own selection, behind a deep and -rapid river, and the result was the loss of their camp equipage, four -hundred slain, and that disgraceful flight known in the history of the -period as "The Break of Dromore."</p> - -<p class='c000'>After stopping here for a day to rest his men and secure the advantages -of his victory, Hamilton pushed on to Hillsborough, the headquarters of -the Council, while Sir Arthur Rawdon advanced rapidly from Lisburn to -its relief, at the head of 4,000 men. Rawdon, however, only arrived in -the vicinity to find the place in the possession of Hamilton, and to -see its paroled garrison making their way home across the country. On -learning that Rawdon was in the neighborhood, the Irish troops advanced -to meet him, but he, ordering his men to make the best of their way -towards Coleraine, abandoned them to their fate, and, like Mount -Alexander, embarked for England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The capture of Hillsborough was of great service to the Irish cause. -It had been the headquarters of the "Council" since its formation, and -was the repository of its papers, plans, and secret correspondence with -William; but, above all, it contained immense stores of provisions, -wrung from the inhabitants of the surrounding country since the -preceding winter. The evacuation of Dungannon, on the west side of -Lough Neagh, a fine central position of the Williamites, and one -of their chief depots for provisions and military stores, followed -closely on that of Hillsborough; and Hamilton, pursuing the retreating -insurgents through Belfast, Antrim, and Ballymena, drove them in -on Coleraine, and halted to recruit his little army in the town of -Ballymoney, within a few miles of their only remaining stronghold in -Antrim. While here, he was assailed by a strong force sent out to cover -the movements of a foraging party, but he attacked them so vigorously -that he drove them within the gates of the town, inflicting a severe -loss, and capturing all the booty collected in their excursion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Thus, in less than a fortnight after his departure from Drogheda, all -the eastern counties of Ulster—Armagh, Down, Antrim, and the greater -part of Tyrone—were reduced to obedience; but, as he was now about -to approach the walled town of Derry, he halted for a few days in his -career, to await artillery and reinforcements from the capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In whatever light this campaign is considered—whether from a -Williamite or a Jacobite point of view—it confers immortal honor on -Hamilton and his little band, for it can scarcely be dignified by the -name of an army. In a season of unusual severity, in the face of a -vigilant foe, four times his number, and established in the strongest -positions that could be selected, he, by vigilance and audacity, -baffled all attempts at surprise, and with an insignificant loss, and -without a single repulse, cleared the greater part of the province -from the grasp of an enemy that a few days before had uttered defiance -before the gates of Dundalk, and bore away their booty undisturbed -within sight of the capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The co-operative force, under Galmoy, was scarce less successful. The -scene of his operations embraced Monaghan, Cavan, and Fermanagh, where -the leading rebels, Lord Blaney and Gustavus Hamilton, carried fire and -sword wherever they went. The first to arouse the infatuated people, -by the cry of religion, they were the persistent violators of all -religious precepts. The total extirpation of the Catholics could alone -appease them, and to this end they kept the minds of their followers -inflamed by every species of misrepresentation and calumny. The people -were driven from their homes, and wholesale murder and rapine, with -crimes too revolting for detail, marked their course among the doomed -fugitives. In the few months that had elapsed since the advent of the -Prince of Orange in England, this section of country had become almost -desolate. Few were to be seen but the destroyers let loose over it, or -the stealthy Rapparees, that tracked their steps, to wreak a deadly -revenge for the crimes that rendered them at once both homeless and -merciless. But the contest was unequal; the unarmed people were forced -to give way before the trained-bands of Hamilton and Blaney, when -Galmoy entered on the scene, to add fresh fuel to the flame. He soon -roused the flagging spirit of the Jacobites. Blaney and Hamilton, now -joined by Wolseley, put forth all their strength to oppose him, but -they were met by measures as arbitrary and effective as their own. -"No quarter" became the cry on both sides; but the military skill of -Galmoy proclaimed him the master-spirit, and after a few reverses, -and a rigorous retaliation, they fell back wherever he advanced; all -opposition in the open country soon ceased, and they were forced to -take refuge within the walls of Enniskillen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The poor countenance shown by the rebels in the field, now emboldened -Galmoy to attempt the reduction of Enniskillen, which was their chief -rendezvous in the south-western portion of the province; and for -that purpose he approached the Castle of Crom, one of its principal -defences, and having driven in its outposts, invested it about the -middle of March. This fortress, which stands on a peninsula in the -waters of the Lower Erne, being impregnable to his light-armed -infantry, he now had recourse to stratagem. He got some tin cannon -constructed, and giving out that artillery had reached him from Dublin, -placed them in battery within musket range of the castle. On the 21st -he summoned it to surrender, but the garrison, having been apprised of -the <em>ruse</em> intended for them, provided themselves with the long guns -used in duck-shooting on the lake, and answered his summons with a -well-directed fire that killed about forty of his men, and compelled -him to retire to a safer distance, leaving his mock cannon behind him. -They were soon conveyed into the fort, and were exhibited as trophies -at many a succeeding celebration of "the glorious and pious, etc.," -furnishing the Enniskilleners with a theme of boastful merriment.<a name="id9" class="fnrefer" href="#idnine" id="id9"><sup>9</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>The name "Enniskilleners," has now become nearly obsolete, and is only -applied to a regiment of dragoons in the English army, kept up in -perpetuation of the part they took in the ruin of their country; but -at the time of the Revolution it was applied without distinction to -the partisans of William, who, when driven before the Jacobites, took -refuge within the town of Enniskillen, and held out until the relief -of Derry, to which it was next in importance. It is a place of great -natural strength, and has many historic memories dating farther back -than the unhappy events that have given it such unenviable notoriety. -It was originally the stronghold of the Maguires, who held it for -centuries against each successive invasion, but had passed into the -hands of Sir William Cole, after the civil war of 1641. It stands on a -river connecting the upper and lower waters of Lough-Erne, which, lying -from the north-west to the south-east of the County Fermanagh, and -connecting with Lough-Oughter on the south, extends over a distance of -more than forty miles. These lakes and their tributaries, studded with -islands innumerable, render the country for several miles a labyrinth -almost impassable to all but the natives. There is not, perhaps, in -the world, for the same extent of country, a place so well adapted to -insurgent warfare. In such a country the people of La Vendée would have -exhausted all the resources of the French Directory; and the wonder is, -not why Galmoy could not take it, but how he even approached it, in the -face of such overwhelming odds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Meanwhile the exiled king was keenly alive to all that was passing -in his late dominions. Assured of the strenuous support of Louis, on -the first demonstration of popular will in his favor in England, his -agents there were active in their endeavors to effect a change of -public sentiment; nor did their efforts seem barren of good results. -The way of William, since his accession, was not strewn with flowers. -Signs of reaction manifested themselves daily, and it required all the -efforts of his Dutch and German mercenaries, to check the spirit of -disaffection. The people had been taken by surprise. Their subjugation -to the arms of Holland had been effected by a conspiracy between a few -of the nobles and William, in which they had no part, and many of the -moderate nobles had begun to regret an action by which they intended -only a change of the royal policy, but which had terminated in a change -of sovereigns. Nor was the result, in any light, very flattering to -their vanity; nor a comparison between the sovereigns favorable to the -new incumbent. It was, however, from the dignitaries of the Established -Church that William experienced the greatest opposition. The Archbishop -of Canterbury and six others, though active in their opposition to the -reforms introduced by James, would never acknowledge any other king, -and continued to pray publicly for his welfare and protection. Mary -sent to the Archbishop to ask his blessing, but received for answer: -"When she has obtained her father's blessing, I shall be very ready to -give her mine." The Prince of Orange was outraged by such perverseness -of spirit, and as an example of the religious liberty that he had -established in England, deprived them of their bishoprics. Throughout -the country a reaction had really set in. The Dutch guards and the -English soldiers came frequently into collision, and the insolence of -the former, being generally overlooked by William, he became an object -of popular disfavor. To silence this disaffection he determined to send -the malcontent regiments to Holland, and supply their place with Dutch -soldiers. A Scotch regiment mutinied, and marched northward "with drums -beating and colors flying," but were overwhelmed by three regiments -of Dutch dragoons, under Ginkle, and sent off to the continent. This -revolt caused the passage of the famous "Mutiny Bill," which deprives -the British soldier of the right of citizenship, shuts him off from the -benefit of civil law, and makes him an alien in his own country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Jacobite cause in Scotland was still hopeful, for there, Viscount -Dundee kept the field, and refused all terms of compromise, while in -Ireland three provinces remained steadfast in their allegiance, and -the adherents of William in the other province, though still obstinate -in the course they had adopted, were unable to keep the field. The -Earl of Tyrconnell, faithful to his trust, animated the people by -word and example, and "retained," says the Duke of Berwick, "all the -kingdom in obedience;" so James, at last, rousing himself from his -apathy, determined to assume the management of affairs in his Kingdom -of Ireland. The state of the country demanded his presence; the people -clamored for it; and the French king hastened it by his counsel, and -gave promise of adequate military support. Accordingly, James set sail -from France, under an escort of thirty-three war-ships, and arrived at -Kinsale on the 12th of March, 1689. He was accompanied by his son, the -Duke of Berwick, M. de Rosen, M. de Momont, M. de Pusignan, de Lery, -Boïsselau, Lestrade, Guidon, and about one hundred French officers of -different grades, and twelve hundred of his guards, who had joined him -in his exile.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The people, who expected to see this imposing array of ships pour out -its thousands of armed men on their shores, were greatly disappointed; -but the arrival of the king banished every other consideration. His -adversity awakened all the sympathies of their nature, and he had an -abiding-place in every heart. From Kinsale he proceeded to Cork, which -he entered amid the greatest rejoicings. After the usual formalities, -of which religious ceremonies formed the most solemn and imposing -part, he received from the deputy an account of his stewardship. It -exceeded even what he had been led to expect, and as a mark of his -approval, Tyrconnell was raised to the rank of Duke, and McCarthy, -"<em>The Pacificater of Munster</em>," was created Lord Mountcashel, and -honored with a seat in his cabinet. After a short delay here, the -king proceeded to the metropolis. His route through the country was -one continued ovation. Crowds of people lined the wayside, invoking -blessings on his cause, while religious ceremonies, pledges, and -addresses of loyalty, arrested his way at every step of his route. -The city of Dublin, proverbial in all times for taste and elegance, -and which had never witnessed the advent of a king since the days of -Henry II., exhausted every effort that art or fancy could suggest, to -grace the royal pageantry. The corporation, headed by the mayor, in -all the pomp of office, went forth to meet him, and tender him the -keys of the city. Farther on, and near the portals of the castle, the -Primate, crowned with the triple tiara, and holding in his hand the -emblem of redemption, awaited to receive his obeisance, and bestow the -benediction. As he approached the august dignitary, a general halt of -the procession took place, and even the multitude, that surged like -a closing sea behind, hushed their acclamations, and bent in lowly -reverence, until the king, rising from his genuflection before the -cross, and, bareheaded, offered them his parting acknowledgments. Then, -as the national flag, standing out above the castle-gate, revealed to -him the terse and significant motto:</p> - -<p class='c000'>"<span class="smcap">Now or Never; Now and Forever</span>,"</p> - -<p class='c000'>one wild and prolonged cheer, deep and fervid, burst from the hearts of -the multitude. The die was cast, and their adherence to the discrowned -monarch was sealed and irrevocable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Immediately after his arrival in Dublin,<a name="id10" class="fnrefer" href="#idten" id="id10"><sup>10</sup></a> James proceeded to the -construction of his cabinet, the leading members of which were -Tyrconnell, Mountcashel, General Nugent, and some of the French -officers that formed his escort. He at once issued a proclamation, -offering pardon and protection to all who would retire peaceably -to their homes, and again announced his unalterable determination -to maintain the civil and religious liberty of all religious -denominations. The army, however, demanded his earliest attention, -for, whatever was its enthusiasm, its real condition was far from -encouraging. The gentlemen who bore the expense of the first levy were -unable to continue the drain on their slender means, and the soldiers -were suffering much privation. It was necessary also to organize a -force sufficient to meet events that might now be daily expected, and -accordingly the king at once appealed to the country. More than one -hundred thousand men, almost simultaneously, offered their services; -"but," says Hume, "not two in every hundred were provided with muskets -fit for service; the rest were armed with clubs and sticks tipped with -iron," and he found himself compelled to decline the service of all but -about twenty thousand.<a name="id11" class="fnrefer" href="#ideleven" id="id11"><sup>11</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>These, together with those already in the service, constituted an -army short of thirty thousand men; the whole artillery in the country -was twelve field-pieces and four mortars; and with this force, in the -weakest period it had known since the first invasion, Ireland resolved -to measure strength with England, its army of mercenaries, and the most -powerful of her own provinces now arrayed on the side of the usurper. -The king had unbounded confidence in the timely assistance of France; -but the people had realized the purport of this war; for them it was -to be a struggle for national life or total extinction, and though -many retired to their homes wherever it was practicable, thousands -who had already been rendered homeless, seized on every rude weapon -that presented, and, determined to wring a subsistence from the enemy, -took up the bold and reckless life of the Rapparee. Tyrconnell was now -appointed commander-in-chief of the army; M. de Rosen was raised to -the rank of lieutenant-general, and appointed second in command; M. de -Momont was raised to the same rank; de Pusignan and de Lery to that -of major-general; Boïsselau was appointed adjutant-general, Guidon -master-general of cavalry, and a reinforcement of about three thousand -troops, then the best in the country, was sent to Lieutenant-General, -the Viscount of Dundee, who was making head against Mackey, the -commander of the Williamite forces in Scotland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The condition of affairs now brooked of no delay; the English -Parliament was convened for an early day; William had expressed his -intention of sending an expedition into Ireland, and only waited its -assent: the suppression of the Ulster rebellion before such an event -should take place, was a matter of vital importance to the Jacobite -cause, and an active campaign was at once determined on. Accordingly, -Major-General, the Duke of Berwick, was dispatched to the assistance -of Hamilton, now lying before the fortified town of Coleraine, while -de Pusignan, with a select body of horse and foot, and two pieces of -artillery, was to march through Charlemont and Dungannon, and passing -to the west of Lough Neagh, unite with Berwick and Hamilton, and -proceed against Derry, the chief stronghold of the rebellion.<a name="id12" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwelve" id="id12"><sup>12</sup></a><br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-v-the-battle-of-cladifordthe-investment-of-derryproceedings-of-parliament"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER V.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE BATTLE OF CLADIFORD—THE INVESTMENT OF DERRY—PROCEEDINGS OF -PARLIAMENT.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Lying impatiently before Coleraine since the affair of Dromore, -Hamilton, on being joined by the Duke of Berwick, determined to renew -hostilities, and immediately proceeded against that important position. -Its garrison consisted of 3,000 effective men, who were expected to -make a determined resistance; but on the approach of the royal troops -they destroyed the bridge on their front, and, abandoning the fort, -retreated in the direction of Derry. Hamilton soon occupied the place, -and, leaving a regiment there under Colonel O'Morra, and being joined -by de Pusignan, who had captured Moneymore, Magherafelt, Dawson's -Bridge, and, in short, all the places on the left of the Bann, marched -to Strabane, which he reached on the 15th of April, without meeting any -opposition. Here he halted to rest his troops, and having ascertained -that the enemy to the number of 12,000 men, from Enniskillen and -Derry, under the command of General Lundy, were drawn up at Cladiford, -behind the river Finn, determined to offer battle. On receipt of -this intelligence, Hamilton and Berwick, leaving their main body at -Strabane, took 600 horse and 350 foot, and advanced to reconnoitre; but -on their appearance the town was evacuated, and the enemy, destroying -the bridge, drew up in a fortified camp on the western side of the -river.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Neither their force nor the strength of their position had been -exaggerated: the river, which was of considerable volume, was found to -be unfordable, while their right and left, beyond it, were protected -by morasses impassable to cavalry; a strong breastwork had been thrown -up in front of the bridge, behind which, in advance of their main -body, 2,000 men were arrayed in order of battle. Hamilton, however, -determined to attack them, without apprising De Pusignan, and setting -a party to work on the bridge under cover of his infantry, he marched -the cavalry along the river, determined to cross at the opportune -moment. The infantry approached the bridge and opened a fire which -dislodged the enemy from the trenches, and the planks being laid, they -dashed over, and making a lodgment in the abandoned works, drove them -back in confusion to the camp. Taking advantage of this diversion, the -horse swam the river on their right, and forming on the opposite side, -charged the entire body of the rebels, now drawn up on the high grounds -to receive them. But the bold front assumed by Hamilton disconcerted -them, and observing, at the same time, a squadron of dragoons, which -had just arrived under De Rosen, crossing the river to their left, -their whole force became panic-stricken, and fled in confusion. Their -cavalry was followed up and driven furiously through Raphoe, a distance -of five miles; "As for their infantry," says Berwick, "we killed about -four hundred of them on the spot, but the rest, being favored by the -morasses, found means to escape." The loss of the royal troops in this -affair was one officer and two men, drowned in crossing the river.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hamilton found abundance of provisions and some war materials at -Raphoe, where, waiting to rest his troops, he was joined by Lord Galmoy -with eight hundred men, and determined to advance on Derry, when his -progress was arrested by the arrival of a deputation that came to treat -for its surrender. The party were well received, and a conference being -arranged to take place within two days, on condition that he should -approach no nearer than St. Johnstown, they departed highly satisfied -with their reception. Hamilton proceeded to the appointed place, and -being impressed with the importance of Derry to the Jacobite cause, -offered them the most liberal terms:—"Life, liberty, property, and -protection, on condition that the town would be surrendered at twelve -o'clock next day. The terms were accepted, and awaited but ratification -on both sides."</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the mean time, the king had left Dublin on the 8th of April, to -take a view of the country. Hearing of the victory at Cladiford, he -directed his course to that place, and arrived at the camp on the 18th, -on the very hour that Hamilton was in conference with the delegates -from Derry. De Rosen, perhaps, jealous of Hamilton's success, or -wishing to gain credit with the king, represented to him that his -presence before Derry would cause its gates to be at once thrown open, -and prevent unnecessary delay, so he prevailed on him to make the -experiment. Avoiding the place of conference, he took a circuitous -route, and appearing before the town, summoned it to surrender. The -"defenders," taking this sudden appearance of the king at such a time -as an act of treachery on the part of Hamilton, answered the demand -by a cannon-shot, which killed an officer by his side, and caused him -to retire in shame and confusion. The consequence is easily foreseen. -The treaty about to be ratified was broken off; the alarm was sounded -throughout the rebel ranks; the "defenders" determined on more stern -resistance; a siege was ordered by the king, and under escort of De -Rosen, he returned to Dublin to meet his Parliament, which had been -convoked for the 7th of May.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The consequences of this ill-advised interference on the part of -the king are generally attributed to the Count de Rosen, whose -appointment to the command of the army was one of the many unwise -proceedings attributed to this very weak or very imprudent monarch. -Speaking of the affair just narrated, the Duke of Berwick says: "M. -de Rosen was the more to blame in persuading the king to the step I -have just mentioned with regard to Derry, as he knew and had approved -the agreement of M. Hamilton." But, with due respect for established -authority, there is ground for a deduction different to that drawn by -the Duke and other learned contemporaries. From the beginning of this -revolution the "defenders" had practised the art of duplicity to a very -considerable extent. In the winter of 1688, they sent delegations to -Dublin and London at the same time with very different objects:—that -to Dublin was meant to delay any action on the part of the deputy, -while the other went to expedite an invasion by the Prince of Orange. -Notwithstanding the short time that had elapsed from their defeat at -Cladiford until the conference with Hamilton, they had received a large -supply of arms and ammunition from England, and had gathered their -scattered forces into the town; and there is reason to surmise, that -while the king was outraged before their walls, Hamilton was outwitted -by their delegation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But however this may have been, we think that if Hamilton, with his -characteristic promptitude, had marched boldly on Derry from Cladiford, -he could have dictated his terms within its walls. Most of the -"regimented men" spoken of by M. Walker in his history of the siege -that succeeded, were still outlying in the "far north;" the fugitives -from the late defeat would have been cut off from any hope of entering -the place; and the supplies received during the interval would have -been intercepted. There was not then within the town, a force capable -of offering any protracted resistance, and a surrender would be the -probable, nay, the almost certain consequence. Fewer lives, also, would -have been sacrificed on each side, and the whole country would have -been reduced to the arms of the king before the arrival of the Duke of -Schomberg. But, then, the army was under the command of De Rosen, and -whether this delay was occasioned by that general or not, it is now -hard to determine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The success of the royal arms in Monaghan, Leitrim, and Fermanagh, kept -pace with the progress of Hamilton and Berwick. The insurgents were -everywhere driven from the open country, and compelled to take refuge -in Crom and Enniskillen. The garrison of Sligo, consisting of 3,000 -foot and 1,000 horse, under Lord Kingston, withdrew to Ballyshannon, -which commands the entrance to Lough-Erne; and towards the beginning of -May, there remained no place of any significance in their possession -but the fortified towns of Enniskillen and Derry. But the defenders -of the latter place had made good use of the temporary cessation of -hostilities after the battle of Cladiford. Their outlying posts were -immediately abandoned, and troops came in daily from all quarters. -Culmore, a strong post which guarded the entrance of the Foyle, and -which they had held through the winter, was evacuated on the approach -of the Jacobite army, and its garrison of 1,500 men, under Captain -Murray, after a hazardous march through the mountainous country to the -west of the river, succeeded in getting safely within its walls. The -accession of these forces gave a new impulse to the flagging spirit of -the defenders. Governor Lundy, being suspected of Jacobite tendencies, -was at once deposed, and a military council was constituted, of which -Murray, the Reverend George Walker, and Colonel Baker, were the ruling -spirits.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The town of Derry stands on the western bank of the river Foyle, about -five miles above its expansion into a lough of the same name. It is -situated on an oval-shaped hill; the houses, rising tier over tier, -look very picturesque to one approaching it from an eastern direction; -but to the west it is overlooked by an irregular line of hills, -stretching far back into the County of Donegal. Since the time of the -Revolution, it has been greatly extended in all directions, but was -then confined to the hill already mentioned, and was encompassed by a -wall of immense strength, and about a mile in circuit. It was founded -by King James I., in 1607, as a refuge to the settlers, whom he sent -from England and Scotland, to the exclusion of the native race; and, by -a sort of retributive justice, it helped to complete the ruin of his -house, in the person of his grandson, but eighty years later. After -the departure of the king for Dublin, the Irish generals proceeded -to invest this important position, and, by the 20th of April, had -made the following disposition of their forces: The fort of Culmore, -which stands about five miles below the town, was occupied by a small -garrison after its evacuation by Captain Murray, and the river was -obstructed by a boom a little higher up. Hamilton, with about one -thousand horse and foot, established his camp some two miles from the -walls of the garrison; General Ramsay, with four battalions, took up -a position at Hollywell Hill, nearly the same distance to the west; -Brigadier Wauchop, with two battalions, a squadron of horse and two -field-pieces—their only artillery—made a lodgment on the eastern bank -of the river, at a place known as the "Waterside;" while a reserve of -three battalions of infantry and nine squadron of cavalry was stationed -at Johnstown, about six miles farther up the river, in the direction of -Strabane.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The "defenders," from their walls, saw the gradual approach of the -Jacobite army, and felt the necessity of prompt and determined action. -Every consideration that impels men to deeds of daring was heightened -by the fiery appeals of their leaders. The fall of so many important -posts, in such quick succession, had deprived them of the vast stores -which they had collected through the preceding winter; the population -of the town had increased to twenty thousand within the last month, and -famine, at no distant day, would do the work of war, should William -fail to succor them in the interval. On the other hand, they still -outnumbered the beleaguering army three to one; were better supplied, -and much better armed; they had their city as a last refuge, in case of -defeat, and one successful battle before its walls might save them from -the horrors of a protracted siege. All these considerations awakened -them to a consciousness of their true position, and nerved them to -action, while it was yet possible to dislodge the enemy; and from this -time, until the town was completely invested, they exhibited a courage -and determination worthy of a better cause.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 21st of April, Colonel Hamilton was ordered from General -Ramsay's headquarters to occupy the village of Pennyburn, about a -mile below the town, in the direction of Culmore; and taking with -him a guard of 200 men, he proceeded to the execution of his order. -As he passed within sight of the town, he was assailed by the enemy, -amounting to 1,500 foot and 300 horse; but he gained the village, and -occupying the houses and adjacent cover, he kept up a fire, while he -dispatched a messenger to de Momont's quarters for assistance. It -happened that the Irish cavalry were out on a foraging expedition; -there being only a guard of forty troopers and the same number of horse -dragoons in the camp; and with this force de Momont and Major Taaf rode -at once to the rescue. On reaching the scene of action, they found -Hamilton still disputing the possession of the town with the enemy's -foot, while their horse were drawn up with their right resting on the -river to receive them. A fierce conflict ensued; the enemy broke and -fled into the town, but de Momont, Major Taaf, and seven of their -command, were killed, and "there was not a man left who was not either -wounded or had his horse shot under him."<a name="id13" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirteen" id="id13"><sup>13</sup></a> The loss of the enemy is -not stated, but judging from the vast superiority of their force, and -its hasty retreat, it must have been much greater.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Pennyburn was then occupied by the royalists, and reinforced from the -encampment at Boom Hall<a name="id14" class="fnrefer" href="#idfourteen" id="id14"><sup>14</sup></a> to the number of 500 men, and a second -attack, after such a signal defeat, was little apprehended. But as -that position brought them within cannon range of the city, the enemy, -conscious of its importance, determined to risk another effort to -dislodge them before it could be secured by intrenchments. Accordingly, -on the 25th, they sallied out with a force of 8,000 men, and endeavored -to surround this detachment. The Irish disputed every inch of the -ground, but were forced back to the last houses in the village, and -were on the point of retreat, when Ramsay appeared in the rear of -the enemy, and assailed them with great vigor. Other reinforcements -arrived; the action continued from nine o'clock in the morning until -seven o'clock in the evening, when the enemy retreated in confusion. In -this sally de Pusignan was killed, Brigadier Pointy was wounded, and -Berwick received a contusion, which he tells us was the only hurt he -ever had, though his after years were spent in continual warfare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the next attack was the last of that series of "brilliant assaults" -so greatly extolled by the eulogists of the Williamite cause, it is -here transcribed entire from the Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick, -who was himself an actor in the affair which he so simply, yet so -graphically, describes:</p> - -<p class='c000'>"They sent us word from Dublin that they were dispatching artillery -to us; for which reason we thought it right to possess ourselves -immediately of such posts near the town as might be of use in pressing -the siege. With this view, Ramsay, with his troops, on the 6th of May, -attacked a windmill, which stood on an eminence at half-cannon shot -from the town, and behind it was a bottom in which he meant to encamp. -The enemy defended themselves with great bravery; and, at last, the -whole town sallying out upon him, he was driven from his post and -obliged to retire. Ramsay himself was killed, with about 200 men; -several officers of distinction were made prisoners. Wauchop took the -command of Ramsay's troops, and resolved upon another attempt to make -himself master of the mill; but the enemy, apprised of the importance -of it, had covered it with a great intrenchment, which our troops could -never force, and we sustained a further loss of several officers, and -at least a hundred men." * * * "After this experience, we assembled -all our troops, consisting of twelve battalions and fifteen or sixteen -squadrons (about 2,800 men), and encamped opposite the front of the -place, behind a rising ground, at the distance of a long musket-shot; -and we left on the other side of the river two battalions that had been -stationed there. A few days after, six large pieces of cannon—four -guns and two mortars—arrived: there were thirty in the town. We had, -in all, not more than five or six thousand men; the besieged had ten -thousand, well armed. About the same time arrived M. de Rosen, with -some French engineers and matrosses to begin the attack. As I was not -pleased with the business, any more than with the new general, * * I -asked for the command against Enniskillen, and obtained it, and left -the camp on the 21st of June, with four hundred horse dragoons, and -marched to Cavan Park."</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Parliament which assembled in Dublin, in obedience to the king's -call, had high and solemn duties to perform, and seems to have been -fully impressed with their importance. The country was impoverished; -its treasury was empty; its banking-system was completely unhinged; -and, as money was the great necessity of the hour, little could be -done towards the support of the army until the financial system of the -country was established on a satisfactory basis. Though the Williamites -of Ulster had fallen away before the national troops, they had still -two very important strongholds, Enniskillen and Derry, in their -possession; and hostilities might be protracted until the arrival of an -invading army, which the king's English agents apprised him might be -soon expected, and to raise and equip an army able to cope with it was -the real business of the session.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the Parliament was not constituted for that expeditious legislation -that the king expected. In the Upper House there were no Catholic -prelates, and the Protestant lords, spiritual and temporal, greatly -outnumbered the Catholic peers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the Lower House the Catholic element greatly preponderated, -and conflicting opinions are never slow to arise in the greatest -emergencies. The Protestant representatives very naturally wished to -know whither the king's reforms tended; and the Catholic members, with -a desire quite as reasonable, wanted to have their rights secured by -constitutional guarantees. The discussions arising in consequence of -these different views were long, and not free from religious rancor, -and so, much of the time—short enough for the pressing duty of the -hour—was wasted on questions that might have been better left for -future deliberation. Grattan, in alluding to this Parliament eighty -years later, says: "Though Papists, they were not slaves; they wrung -a constitution from King James before they accompanied him to the -field."<a name="id15" class="fnrefer" href="#idfifteen" id="id15"><sup>15</sup></a> This was the view of a great statesman; but yet we think -that the first and only duty of that Parliament should have been to -grant, even to wring, money from the country, to remove their king's -dependence on the bounty of France, and enable him to support an army -equal to the necessity of the time; and this it undoubtedly could have -done, had the Catholic members been as liberal in voting supplies to -James, as their Protestant colleagues were afterwards in casting the -wealth of the country at the feet of William. These rights that Grattan -appreciated so much—the rights he won himself—where are they? The -great duty was to beat the enemy and leave the rest to time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The speech of the king to the assembled Parliament was all that could -be desired, and went far to secure that general accord so necessary -to success. His principles were unaltered. Pardon and protection -were again offered to all who, within a certain day, would return -to their homes. He pledged himself to secure social harmony through -the establishment of civil and religious liberty; to elevate the -social condition of the people, and advance the interests of trade -and commerce. The address met the approval of both Houses, and, under -the best auspices, they entered on their important duty.... With the -exception of the following acts, which appear supplementary, the -measures introduced into this Parliament were the same as those already -noticed:</p> - -<p class='c000'>First: An act declaring that all persons should pay tithes only to the -clergymen of their own communion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Second: An act repealing the act of settlement, and indemnifying -Catholics who had been declared innocent by the Court of Claims.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Third: An act of attainder against all persons bearing arms for -William, declaring their property, real and personal, forfeited, unless -they surrendered before a certain day.<a name="id16" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixteen" id="id16"><sup>16</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>Fourth: An act increasing the king's subsidy to £20,000 per month.</p> - -<p class='c000'>These acts all received the royal sanction, though the third met with -considerable opposition; and the fourth was passed over an earnest -protest from the Protestant lords, spiritual and temporal. But the -<em>great</em> act, the one which concerned the future welfare of the country, -far more than all the others, met with the persistent opposition of the -king, though strenuously advocated by the majority; and so the act of -Poyning remained unchanged until the days of Grattan and the volunteers -of '82.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At last, and towards the end of June, they reached the great, important -business of the session—the ways and means of supporting the army. -The Catholic gentry had maintained the war up to the present time, -and their means were totally exhausted. The Protestant gentry seemed -unwilling to risk fortune or credit on the issue as between the king -and the Prince of Orange. The king's condition was desperate, and -called for extraordinary remedies; there was no alternative between -exaction and abdication, and he overstepped the limitations of -trade for the higher law of preservation. He doubled his subsidy by -proclamation; established a bank restriction act by the same authority; -issued a million and a half of copper coin, and gave it a nominal -value. These measures were declared arbitrary, but they were also -measures of the direst necessity; he pledged himself to revoke them -when the necessity had passed, and also to redeem the coin issued in -sterling money. The traders demurred, raised the price of provisions, -and rendered the coin almost worthless; the king established a scale of -prices, and threatened penalties on those who exacted more. Such was -the offence, and such the demand for this "arbitrary assumption." The -king in his extremity, the country in the throes of a revolution, the -brave men pouring out their life-blood on the battle-field, were as -nothing in comparison to the claims of a self-constituted monopoly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In criticising those "arbitrary assumptions" of the king, we should -bear in mind that free trade was then no established principle of -either English or Irish legislation; that the corn laws of England, -which are somewhat of a kindred character, have been repealed after -years of angry agitation, and within a very recent period; that the -people, whose rights were of paramount consideration, gave their -unqualified approval to those measures; and, even allowing them to -have been arbitrary, he could be no patriot who would put the claims -of trade in opposition to the liberty of the nation. In one measure -alone—his interference with the Dublin University—does the king -seem to have acted both unwisely and arbitrarily; and of this, the -following extract from Taylor's history will afford a sufficient -exposition:—"The first step taken by King James in his war on the -Dublin University, proved that he gave that body more credit for common -sense than it merited. He nominated a Roman Catholic to be professor -of the Irish language, and was afterwards astounded to hear that no -such professorship existed in that venerable institution. Doctor Leland -rates James very severely for having committed such a blunder, but, -truly, the blunder belongs not to him alone. He could scarcely have -credited the existence of such a practical jest as an institution whose -professed design was to instruct the Irish in the doctrines of the -reformed religion, which yet left the teachers wholly ignorant of the -language of those whom they had to instruct. Compared with this, the -folly of Goldsmith's attempting to teach English in Holland, without -first having learned Dutch, sinks into insignificance."<a name="id17" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventeen" id="id17"><sup>17</sup></a> The point is -well taken, and the oversight of the primary duty of the founders is, -no doubt, of a piece with many others that might be noted; but candor -compels the acknowledgment, that neither the king nor the Catholic -people should be first to rectify a <em>mistake</em> which left the college so -harmless in pressing the object of its establishment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The heads of the institution, alarmed at this interference of the king, -endeavored to convert the property of the college into ready money. -Tyrconnell ordered the prosecution of the purchaser, and seized on the -plate so disposed of. Litigation followed, and after some time the -property was restored to the institution, on condition that it should -not again be sold. The king next appointed a Catholic to a fellowship -of the college, and its authorities demurred; but before the matter was -pressed to an issue the candidate's incapacity was discovered, and the -affair terminated for the time. Such were the encroachments of the king -on that venerable institution, antecedent to the invasion; but now that -he had become king regnant in Ireland, he pressed those innovations -with more rigor and less cause. He abolished its original charter, -expelled the provost for contumacy, and is even accused of a design to -convert the college into a Jesuit seminary. This was all inexcusable; -the more so, that it was inconsistent with his avowed principles, -that it awakened the reasonable apprehensions of the loyal Protestant -people, and, above all, that it consumed the time and attention which -should have been devoted to the great and pressing demands of the -country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By this unnecessary and ill-timed delay, the military affairs of the -nation were allowed to languish; the army, dependent on tardy and -forced supplies, had partaken of the general apathy; and were it not -for the indefatigable efforts of Tyrconnell, scarcely the semblance -of an army could have been maintained to the end of this memorable -session. But while the king was engaged in angry discussion with his -turbulent Parliament, Tyrconnell was engaged in the organization of -the forces. He had already sent 2,500 troops to the army before Derry, -had in course of training 9,000 more awaiting arms and equipments from -France, and a well-appointed force ready, under Lord Mountcashel, to -undertake the reduction of Enniskillen.<br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-vi-the-battle-of-newtownbutler-and-the-relief-of-enniskillen-and-derry"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER VI.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE BATTLE OF NEWTOWNBUTLER, AND THE RELIEF OF ENNISKILLEN AND DERRY.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The time elapsed since the withdrawal of Galmoy from Enniskillen, on -the 24th of March, had not been barren of stirring events; but events -of a predatory character, and so differently colored, by the historians -of each side, as to leave the mind in a state of uncertainty from the -constant succession of almost similar events. This, however, appears -distinct enough: that Galmoy, with a small body of troops, continued -to check the excursions of the Enniskilleners, and, as the siege of -Derry progressed, kept the country open for the passage of the king's -trains to and from the metropolis; while, on the other hand, the -Enniskilleners, emboldened by his occasional disappearance from their -vicinity, renewed their raids under Wolseley, Hamilton, and Blaney, -spreading terror wherever they appeared, and supplying their stronghold -with the necessary booty of cattle and provender. As their position -grew stronger, and their numbers increased, those raids became more -frequent and extended, and by the beginning of June were such as to -claim immediate and energetic measures for their suppression.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was therefore resolved that Lord Mountcashel should proceed against -Enniskillen from the direction of Dublin, while Berwick and Brigadier -Southerland were to approach it from the north and west, and place -their commands at his disposal. For this purpose, Berwick was ordered -from Derry on the 21st of June. He was to march through Donegal, -chastise the outlying insurgents there, and establish his headquarters -at Trellick; while Brigadier Southerland, who lay towards Sligo, and -under whom Colonel Sarsfield commanded a division of horse, was to -move round to Belturbet, and, in his way, scour the country along the -south-western side of Lough-Erne. Both were then to drive the enemy -within their defences and await the arrival of Mountcashel, who was -to proceed from Dublin, through Monaghan and Cavan, when all were to -co-operate in a simultaneous movement for the reduction of this rebel -stronghold.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On receipt of these orders, Sarsfield, at the head of three troops of -horse, one of dragoons, and three battalions of foot,—a force of about -five hundred men,—cleared the country along the south-east of the -lake, and arrived at Belturbet on the 10th of June. Here he received -an order from de Rosen to march forthwith to Omagh, about twenty-five -miles north-west of Enniskillen, to protect the Irish besieging army -at Derry against rebel attacks from that quarter, and proceeded at -once to execute his commission. Southerland, with the remainder of -his command—about 1,200 men—advanced through the south of Leitrim, -and doubling Lough Oughter, reached the vicinity of Belturbet on the -16th of June. Here he found that Sarsfield had departed for Omagh, and -that he was left to cope alone with the united commands of Hamilton, -Wolseley, and Lord Blaney. On the 18th, he was informed by one of his -spies that the enemy, 15,000 strong, knowing his condition, were about -to seize a narrow pass, through which he had advanced, and to attack -him in front and rear, with the intention of capturing or annihilating -his force before the arrival of Mountcashel.<a name="id18" class="fnrefer" href="#ideighteen" id="id18"><sup>18</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>On receipt of this information, Southerland, leaving Lieutenant-Colonel -Scott and two hundred and eighty men in the churchyard of Belturbet to -check the pursuit, withdrew in the night, and, by a skilful movement, -brought his command in safety to Sligo. The Enniskilleners, baffled in -their design, then turned their whole force against Scott, who, after a -stubborn contest of two hours, was compelled to surrender: and all the -supplies of the garrison, eighty dragoon-horses, seven hundred muskets, -and a considerable quantity of gunpowder, fell into the hands of the -enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Berwick left Derry on the 21st, and, at the head of his four hundred -dragoons, marched rapidly to the town of Donegal, where three hundred -of the enemy from Ballyshannon were forming magazines. He approached -their position in the night; attacked them at daybreak; killed many, -forced the rest to the shelter of the castle; burned the magazines; and -marched off with a booty of 1,500 cattle. Being shortly after joined by -two regiments of horse and four battalions of foot,<a name="id19" class="fnrefer" href="#idnineteen" id="id19"><sup>19</sup></a> which swelled -his command to 1,200 men, he advanced, and on the 6th of July formed an -encampment at Trellick, about nine miles north-east of Enniskillen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 13th, he advanced with a party to reconnoitre the country and -the fortifications of the town, when he was ambushed by a force of two -hundred foot and one hundred horse, and attacked with great vigor. -But notwithstanding the suddenness of the onset, he turned on them; -killed all but six of the infantry; drove the horse within their -intrenchments, and returned with a captain, a lieutenant, two pair of -colors, and the arms of the slain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly after this he was raised to the rank of lieutenant-general, -and the king ordered that he should have troops and artillery to press -the object of the expedition. But de Rosen, whose mission to Ireland -seems to have been to disconcert every movement that promised success, -again ordered him to Derry, and he abandoned the expedition against -Enniskillen with that reluctance which he indicated in after years by -the following remark: "It is true, we had few, if any, cannonballs, and -scarce any ammunition; but yet, as the Fort of Enniskillen was only a -mud fort, we might have carried it; besides, the <em>town</em> being entirely -unfortified, we should have got possession of it, and by that means -have obliged the fort to surrender." But then it was de Rosen's to -command, and Berwick's to obey.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The recall of Berwick left the Enniskilleners again free to renew -their excursions and strengthen their fortifications, and they availed -themselves abundantly of this temporary advantage. Their forces daily -augmented, and they grew more exacting on the country as they increased -in power. The garrison of Sligo kept them in check on the western side -of the lake, but from Ballyshannon round to Belturbet, a circuit of -fifteen miles, all had to quit their homes or yield to their exactions. -Their military power towards the end of July was formidable; and, -taking the forces of Lord Blaney, Captain Francis Hamilton, Wolseley, -and Colonel Creighton (the commandant) into account, must have come up -to Southerland's estimate of 15,000 men. Stationed at strong positions -around the shores of the Lough; having large depots at Ballyshannon, -Enniskillen, and Crom Castle, and acquainted with all the intricacies -of the lake and its confluents, they should have been able to cope with -an army of twice their number. In addition to this, they had lately -received from England ten pieces of cannon, with ball and match to -suit; fifty barrels of gunpowder; a large supply of dragoon firelocks -and muskets; a corps of engineers and gunners; experienced officers, -with commissions to raise new regiments of horse and foot; and eight -hundred veterans of Kirke's command, under Colonel Berry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To drive this force from their network of fortifications, and lay siege -to Enniskillen, Mountcashel arrived with about 3,600 men and seven -pieces of artillery at Belturbet on the 27th of July.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The town had been abandoned, on his approach, and on the 28th he -advanced and invested Crom Castle, on the eastern side. By the 30th -he had carried the outer works, and driven the enemy within the -walls, though not without considerable loss, and at once opened a -cannonade upon the castle. While here, he received word that Colonel -Berry was advancing on him by way of Lisnaskea, with eight hundred -regulars, followed by the united forces of Wolseley and Hamilton. -Without discontinuing the operations against the fort, he withdrew a -part of his command about two miles to the eastward, and took post at -Newtownbutler. Learning that the enemy's forces had all united, and -were too powerful to meet in the open country, he sent Colonel Anthony -Hamilton, with O'Brien's regiment of dragoons, to hold them in check, -while he himself prepared for a retrograde movement to Belturbet. The -troops of Hamilton were drawn into an ambush by Berry, near Lisnaskea; -their commander was wounded, his next in command killed, and in a -retreat which was ordered, two hundred and thirty were slain or taken -prisoners. Mountcashel, on hearing of this disaster, advanced with his -own regiment of horse; arrested the retreat and repulsed Berry; but -seeing Wolseley, with a force of 8,000 men, close in Berry's rear, he -took up his retreat to Belturbet. Berry and Wolseley moved forward -rapidly; Mountcashel closely pressed, and considering resistance safer -than flight, at last drew up his men about a mile to the south of -Newtownbutler, and hastily formed in line of battle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The action which ensued was disastrous to the Irish army. Opposed -by more than double their number, and attacked in front and flank, -they fought with great bravery, and the battle might have resulted in -their favor, but an unfortunate blunder, in carrying out the general's -orders, disarranged their lines, created a panic among the soldiers, -and a total rout was the consequence. The lake and its tributaries cut -them off from escape in any direction, and, being completely hemmed in, -they were slaughtered without mercy. Their loss is estimated to be over -2,000 men, of whom 400 only were killed in the battle, the rest being -massacred through the night, to the cry of "No popery!" or drowned in -the lake into which they had thrown themselves in the vain hope of -escaping the general carnage. Mountcashel himself was wounded and taken -prisoner, but was saved from death by a captain named Cooper, to whom -he had previously rendered a similar service. Sir Stephen Martin and -Lord Abercorn, and many officers of distinction, were killed. All that -escaped of this unfortunate command fled towards Belturbet, and, after -the capture of their general, the expedition was abandoned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Affairs at Derry were now approaching a crisis. The siege had been -pressed with vigor under every disadvantage: minority of force, -inadequate artillery, and a season almost unprecedented for heavy -rains, which kept the trenches continually filled with water from the -beginning to the end of the siege. The besieged, reduced to the last -extremity, had become almost passive in their resistance, and were -frequently on the point of surrendering, when the appearance of an -English fleet would again raise their spirits for a time, but to cause -a still greater depression when it had to withdraw without being able -to afford relief. Every successive disappointment renewed the murmurs -of the people, and cooled the ardor of the soldiers. Several times -through the summer they had received fresh supplies of powder and ball; -but of provisions, which were as easily smuggled in, they had received -little or none.</p> - -<p class='c000'>De Rosen, exasperated by delay, collected the fugitive population of -the district, and placing them between the town and his men, gave -orders to drive them in on the besieged. The Irish soldiers, though -suffering great privations, and eager for the surrender, refused -to obey the order, and threatened a mutiny if compelled to enforce -it. De Rosen continued unmoved, but Hamilton and the other leaders -communicated the circumstance to the king, and received a positive -order that the multitude should be allowed to depart unmolested to -their homes. The garrison, taking advantage of this circumstance, sent -away the most helpless of the citizens, and took in a reinforcement -of the young and active in their place, so that de Rosen's cruelty -ultimately tended to their advantage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Yet, notwithstanding the advantage thus gained by the besieged, their -suffering had become unendurable, and despair had settled on all, -when, towards the middle of July, Kirke again entered Lough Foyle, and -displayed his fleet to the wistful eyes of the starving inhabitants, -and was again obliged to retire without accomplishing his object. This -was the turning-point of the siege. The long-hoped for relief again -disappeared; the authorities of Derry determined on a surrender, and -demanded a cessation to regulate its provisions. But Kirke managed to -convey a note to the governor, concealed in a twisted rope, which he -tied round the waist of a country lad, and this note—which may be -found in Walker's account of the siege,—apprised him of a plan which -he had set on foot to relieve the garrison.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Baffled in his efforts to succor the town from the side of Lough Foyle, -Kirke divided his fleet and with one part of it doubled Malin Head, -sailed up Lough Swilly, and established a garrison of 800 men near -Rathmelton, a few miles west of Derry. The place was well selected -for his purpose; which was to attract the attention of the besiegers, -and cause them to withdraw some of their forces from the side of the -Foyle. This movement was observed by de Rosen, who, instead of drawing -his forces from the water-side, ordered Berwick from Enniskillen to -check the movements of Kirke, and dislodge him, if possible, without -weakening the forces stationed at the obstructions in the river; and -Berwick, as already indicated, abandoned Enniskillen, and arrived at -Rathmelton, with a force of 1,200 horse, about the 22d of July.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The position occupied by Kirke was one of great natural strength. -The inlets of the Lough indented the country in all directions, and -extended up to within three or four miles of Derry, presenting almost -insuperable difficulties to an attacking force; and, on one of its -peninsular mazes, he was found strongly intrenched under the protection -of his frigates. Berwick spent a whole day in trying to dislodge -him, but without effect, when he retired to an adjacent height, and -contented himself with watching his movements, and confining him to his -intrenchments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Kirke succeeded in his object. Notwithstanding the vigilance of -Berwick, he threw both men and munitions into Enniskillen; partially -relieved Derry; and conjuring the governor to hold out yet a little -longer, sailed out of Lough Swilly, and joined the fleet at the Foyle, -while Berwick united his command to the force of the besiegers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 28th of July, the English fleet again appeared in Lough Foyle, -and bore up steadily towards the obstructions above Culmore Fort, -near the mouth of the river. It consisted of twenty ships of war, -300 transports laden with provisions and military stores, and 6,000 -veteran troops under the command of General Kirke.<a name="id20" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwenty" id="id20"><sup>20</sup></a> The result may -be anticipated. The blockading army, not having cannon of sufficient -calibre to sink the approaching vessels, the boom across the river was -broken. Derry was partially relieved on that day, and, on the 30th, -all attempts of the besiegers to thwart their movements had become -futile. The whole fleet rode up the river, and succored the beleaguered -town, and the Irish army, after a few days more, raised the siege, and -retired towards Dublin, on which Marshal Schomberg was reported to be -projecting a descent. On their way they were joined by the remnant of -Mountcashel's command; nor was the news that preceded them in Dublin of -a more cheering character. Since the siege had commenced, the famous -battle of Killicrankie had been fought and won. There, on the 26th of -May, Dundee, at the head of 2,000 Irish, and about the same number -of Highlanders, defeated General Mackay's army of 8,000 veterans. -But with this victory expired the hopes of the Jacobite cause in -Scotland. Dundee received a mortal wound in the moment of victory; the -Highlanders, dispirited by his death, dispersed after a few unimportant -skirmishes, and what was left of the Irish contingent returned to their -own country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So ended the siege of Derry, an affair of little military note, but -of great political and religious import. Though its gates were closed -against the king's troops on the 7th of December, free access to it -from the sea was not obstructed until the surrender of Culmore, on -the 21st of April. It had made ample preparation for a siege, and, -notwithstanding the blockade, had received 480 barrels of gunpowder, -and stores of provisions and clothing, from that time until the end of -June. It had not been closely invested until the latter part of May; -and, unless from the two light field-pieces of General Wauchop, on the -water-side, there was no cannonade whatever before the 21st of June, -when Berwick withdrew to Enniskillen. The defenders, during the heat -of the siege, had other advantages not generally accorded to an enemy. -They were allowed to send away ten thousand of the sick and indigent -inhabitants, and, during the armistice that ensued, had managed to -admit an equal number "of the young and active." They had thirty -siege-guns on their walls, 10,000 "regimented men," and a population, -stated at twenty thousand, to supply the casualties of war.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The investing force was 5,000 men, four siege-guns, two mortars, and -two field-pieces. From this force 400 dragoons marched with the Duke of -Berwick to Enniskillen, and during the siege they received but 2,500 -additional troops, making the entire force 7,500 men. The weather was -continually unfavorable to siege operations, and, excepting in the -amount of rations, the besiegers endured far more suffering than the -besieged. The bombardment continued at intervals from the 21st of June -to the 28th of July; but during the last week there had been an almost -entire cessation of hostilities, to admit of negotiations. On the -estimate of the Reverend George Walker, who has left a journal of the -siege, the ball and mortar, great and small, thrown into the town up to -the 22d of July, was 587. After this there was but an occasional shot -until the siege was raised. This fell short of fifteen shots a day, and -about one every two hours, admitting them to have been fired in regular -succession. During the siege the garrison had been reduced to 3,000 -effective men, while the besiegers retired with 3,500—showing a loss -to the defenders of 7,000, and to the assailants of 3,600.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Duke of Berwick, who was present in all the skirmishing that took -place up to the 21st of June, and who afterwards became a prominent -character in the great wars of the continent, had certainly no -inducement to magnify this episode in his life, by underrating the -Jacobite forces; nor is it to be credited that the Reverend George -Walker has given an overestimate of the besieged. Whatever were the -privations of the non-combatants,—and they must have been great—it -does not appear from his journal that the defenders were, for any -considerable time, on an allowance much below that of soldiers in -ordinary warfare. We find that in two or three instances they were -obliged to resort to the boiling of salt hides for a substitute; and to -eating "dogs and cats, etc.," now considered a luxury, though thrown -in by Williamite writers to shadow a picture dark enough from any -perspective.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But if the defenders did not display as great intrepidity as the -besiegers, they showed qualities which, in their position, would be -considered by many as more important:—wonderful fortitude and great -endurance—and their service to England can scarcely be overestimated. -They forced this war for religious ascendency; they maintained this -stronghold until the landing of Schomberg, which turned the tide of -fortune; but in all that transpired before the walls, the Jacobite army -exhibited greater courage, and far greater valor and intrepidity. If, -then, it should be asked why they were able to withstand, so long, the -greater valor claimed for their enemies, the answer is plain:—Stone -walls, abundant means, and great numerical odds. If it be true,—and it -is so asserted,—that in a moment of desperation they threw open their -gates and invited the enemy to enter, and it should be asked, why they -were not accommodated?—it should be remembered that there is a wide -difference between rashness and valor. But that they were driven from -the open country, by a much inferior force, and twice brought to terms, -unwisely rejected by an over-punctilious king, are also as certain as -the records of the time are reliable. But, when it is asked, why men -and appliances sufficient were not brought to bear on them in time; the -answer is harrowing, but nevertheless true:—an impoverished country, -a ruined exchequer, and the consequent dependence on the bounty of the -French king.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-vii-the-landing-of-marshal-schomberg-and-his-winter-campaign"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER VII.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE LANDING OF MARSHAL SCHOMBERG, AND HIS WINTER CAMPAIGN.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Hitherto, the success of the Jacobite cause in Ireland and Scotland, -had rendered the tenure of the English throne by the Prince of Orange -a matter of uncertainty both to himself and his English adherents. The -state of public feeling in the capital had rendered the presence of his -foreign mercenaries continually necessary to his person; and he knew -that should James succeed in repressing the rebellion in the other two -kingdoms, his restoration to the third would follow as an inevitable -consequence. He had already, with the English people, lost all that -popularity which immediately succeeded his invasion. By turning the -Convention into a Parliament, in order to avoid a popular election, he -outraged the first principle of the British Charter, and the people -soon learned that his pledges to maintain their liberty and religion -were only affected for the time, to establish his own dominion over -them. The Conventionists, too, so long subservient to his wishes, had, -since erected into a Parliament, inveighed against the Dutch influence -in the kingdom, and he, more than once, had threatened to abdicate -and leave them to the mercy of their outraged king. This threat -never failed of its desired effect on the leaders of the Opposition -in Parliament; but the popular discontent had to be suppressed by -the strong hand; and the British soldiers who showed any sign of -disaffection, were sent to serve as his Dutch contingent to the League, -while the followers of Schomberg and Ginckle lived at will in England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But now that the relief of Derry and Enniskillen put a better face on -affairs in Ireland; and the death of Dundee freed him from farther -apprehension for the safety of Scotland, he resolved to relieve the -English people of the presence of his foreign mercenaries, by employing -them in the reduction of the only kingdom that preferred allegiance to -King James. He accordingly apprised the Parliament of his intention. -The proposition was favorably received, and large subsidies being -granted for that purpose, an army consisting of eighteen regiments -of foot, and six regiments of horse—about 20,000 men,—was soon -organized from among the military adventurers that the higher pay -given in England at that time had drawn thither from the Continent. A -fleet was soon ready to transport this army to Ireland, and the whole -was placed under the command of Marshal, the Duke of Schomberg, and -Count Solmes, to make a descent on the eastern coast of Ireland, and, -after establishing communications with the rebels, to proceed to the -reduction of Dublin. On the 12th of August this fleet appeared off the -coast of Down, and, sailing into Belfast Lough, effected a landing at -Bangor Bay, between Belfast and Carrickfergus. The next day Schomberg -took possession of Belfast, and after strengthening its defences, -and giving his troops some rest, he appeared before the Castle of -Carrickfergus and summoned it to surrender. The garrison was under the -command of Colonel McCarthy-More, and consisted of his own regiment -and that of Colonel Cormac O'Neil,—about eight hundred men,—poorly -supplied, and greatly embarrassed by the population of the town, who -had taken refuge within its walls. Schomberg immediately opened upon it -from his ships and land batteries, keeping up a fierce cannonade day -and night during the entire period of the siege. The garrison made a -stubborn resistance, and visited the besiegers with severe loss, which -elicited the praise of Schomberg, and excited a spirit of vengeance -among his followers. The walls being breached after the second day, -the besieged had resort to a singular stratagem. The cattle within the -walls were slaughtered, hauled up and thrown into the breach, and earth -and stones being heaped over them, the place was soon as tenable as -ever; their balls being spent, they tore the lead from the roof of the -castle, and converted it into bullets; and at last, their powder being -exhausted, and no succor arriving from the Irish army; after a siege -of eight days, they surrendered on terms considered highly honorable. -But these conditions were flagrantly violated after the evacuation; -the prisoners, whom the English Annalist calls "brave fellows, but -poorly clad," were subjected to treatment which darkens the history -of the time; crimes too abominable for recital, were perpetrated by -the foreign mercenaries on the defenceless inhabitants of the town: -and Schomberg, who tried to check their excesses, only succeeded in -rendering himself so unpopular as to affect unfavorably the result of -the ensuing campaign.... Judging of this army of mercenaries on the -authority of the historian, Taylor, they must, indeed, have been a -godless host. "They were," says he,<a name="id21" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentyone" id="id21"><sup>21</sup></a> "the outcasts of all society, -familiar with every crime, abandoned to every excess. Vices for which -language scarcely ventures to find a name; abominations that may not -be described, and can scarcely be imagined, were constantly practised -by these bandits.... The traditions of the Irish Protestants and -Catholics contain a horrid catalogue of the enormities practised by -this 'black banditti;' and these accounts are fully confirmed by the -narratives which the contemporary writers have given of their conduct -in other countries. With these were joined some raw English levies, who -found it much easier to imitate the debaucheries than to practise the -discipline of the foreigners. Indeed, no worse scourge could be sent by -an angry Providence than the army which now proceeded against Ireland."</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having repaired the Castle of Carrickfergus, and left English garrisons -there and in Belfast, Schomberg drew out his army into the open -country, and spent some time in organizing the Enniskilleners, who -now flocked to his standard. Nor does it appear that they who now -joined him were of a character to check the evil propensities of his -foreigners. In allusion to them, the authority just quoted, gives the -following not very flattering picture:</p> - -<p class='c000'>"The soldiers of Schomberg were perfectly astounded by the appearance -of the men whose fame had been so loudly trumpeted in England.... -Every man was armed and equipped after his own fashion, and each was -attended by a mounted servant bearing his baggage.... Descended from -the Levellers and Covenanters, they preserved all the gloomy fanaticism -of their fathers, and believed the slaughtering of Papists an act of -religious duty. They were robbers and murderers on principle, for they -believed themselves commissioned to remove idolatry from the land.... -Reeking from the field of battle, they assembled round their preachers, -who always accompanied them in their expeditions, and listened with -eager delight to their wild effusions, in which the magnificent -Orientalisms of the Old Testament were strangely combined with their -gross and vulgar sentiments.... William himself despised them most -heartily, and subjected them to military execution by the dozen for -violating the laws of war. From the moment they joined the regular -army, they performed no exploit worthy of their former fame, simply -because they could not learn a new mode of fighting. They were aware of -this themselves, and frequently declared, with truth, that they could -do no good while acting under orders."<a name ="id22" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentytwo" id="id22"><sup>22</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the army; discordant in language, in habit—in fine, in every -thing but its love of plunder and confiscation, with which Schomberg -now undertook the conquest of the country and the eradication of the -Catholic faith; and had he moved directly on the capital without -delay, there is hardly a doubt that he could have established his -winter-quarters in it, for there was then no army on his front capable -of offering any protracted opposition. Behind him, and to his right, -lay the northern province, lately relieved from the presence of the -Jacobite army; with no garrison but Charlemont, on the Blackwater, to -concern his movements, and that, in the presence of the Enniskilleners, -and in the midst of a population friendly to his cause, might have -been safely disregarded. Far off towards its western confines lay a -few detached encampments of the Irish, too remote to offer any timely -opposition, while the garrison of Belturbet was so straitened and -reduced by the late reverse at Newtownbutler, as to be scarcely able -to maintain its position against the outlying insurgents of Fermanagh. -At this moment he might have safely chosen at once, either to march -westward across the whole breadth of the island, or direct upon the -capital, without meeting a force capable of disputing his progress. -But on his front lay Newry, and there, report said that a large army -was encamped under the Count de Rosen and Hamilton, though, in truth, -no body of any consequence had as yet left the capital, and these -generals were then at Drogheda, engaged in the work of mobilizing and -disciplining their raw levies. After spending several days, undecided -whether to advance direct against it, or turn northward and undertake -the siege of Charlemont, he at last adopted a middle course, which was -to detach a force against that stronghold, while with the bulk of his -army he felt his way cautiously towards Dublin. Proceeding slowly along -the coast for several days, within easy communication of his fleet, he -at last turned his steps towards Newry, to try the countenance of the -enemy. The time lost by this indecision enabled the Duke of Berwick -to anticipate him there, and with a force of 1,000 foot and 600 horse -dragoons, hastily mustered, he stood prepared to oppose him. Knowing -the futility of giving battle with such a small body of men to an -army like that led by Schomberg, flushed with its recent success, he -endeavored to effect by stratagem that which he could not by force. -So, raising intrenchments at Newry, and causing a report to be spread -through the enemy's ranks that he was marching forward to give him -battle, the movements of the latter became more slow and cautious as -he advanced. The country between the two armies was studded with hills -favorable for deception, and on these Berwick posted videttes, within -sight of the enemy, and took up a central position himself, making -as bold a front as possible. Schomberg, on observing this, believed -that the whole Irish army was drawn up to dispute his advance, and, -halting his army, he encamped at the distance of two miles, and went -at the head of fourteen squadrons to reconnoitre the position. Berwick -in the centre, with only two troops of horse, caused his videttes to -withdraw gradually, and ordered a flourish of trumpets, as if about to -charge, when Schomberg hesitated, halted, and finally retired to his -camp. He was followed at a safe distance by Berwick, and, the night -soon closing, he spent it in hasty preparation; he strengthened his -position, delivered ammunition to his troops, and resolved to attack -in force the following morning. The morning came, every thing was -in requisition for the great issue of arms, but no army appeared on -his front, for Berwick had retired during the night, and marched to -Drogheda to join the Duke of Tyrconnell, who had assembled an army -there, and where the king had arrived to conduct the campaign in person.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The army now assembled at Drogheda, under the command of the king, -consisted of about 20,000 men, not more than half of whom were the -veterans of the last year, the rest being raw levies, indifferently -clad, and armed with such weapons as could be hastily improvised -for the occasion; with a park of artillery, generally estimated at -twelve light field-pieces. Here a council of war was held, in which -the king was earnestly besought to abandon the capital and fall back -towards the centre of the island; but, after much deliberation, he -determined to offer battle, and advanced to Dundalk, where Schomberg -lay intrenched with an army greatly augmented by accessions from Derry -and Enniskillen, and vastly superior in every thing that could render -an army effective.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is hard to account for the indecision of Schomberg at this period; -for several days the Irish army hovered in his vicinity, but no -challenge could induce him to quit his intrenchments. His well-known -gallantry made this the more remarkable, and his continual persistence -in declining an engagement, daily offered, led de Rosen to believe -that "he wanted something," and to urge the king to assail him in his -encampment. But this proposition was declined by the latter, on the -ground that, as "he wanted something," winter would do the work of war -on his army of foreigners without hazarding a battle, and leave him -completely powerless to continue his campaign in the ensuing season. -Elated with the belief that Schomberg was afraid to meet him in the -field, after issuing a manifesto offering rewards to such as would -desert to his standard, he took leave of his army and returned to -the capital. The army soon retired to winter-quarters at Drogheda, -and Schomberg, after an inglorious campaign of four months, spent in -advancing about thirty miles, withdrew from Dundalk, and encamped in -the low country to the north of it, where he passed the remainder of -the winter. Here a loathsome disease attacked his troops. Thousands of -them fell victims to it, and the whole army became so enfeebled, that -the living were scarcely able to bury the dead. Others, principally -of the French troops, under the inducement held out by King James, -deserted to the Irish army, though many were retaken and executed: -until disease, demoralization, and desertion had actually reduced his -army to four or five thousand men at all capable of service. Cognizant -of this, the Irish generals again appealed to the king, to attack -him while in this condition, and rid the country effectually of his -presence; but with his characteristic dogmatism, he still persevered in -a policy that seemed to work so well, lost an opportunity which seems -to have been offered by Providence for the success of his cause, and -hugged his illusion till too late. De Rosen and d'Avaux were soon after -recalled to France; the Irish generals had become disgusted with their -leadership; the army felt relieved by the event, and higher hopes were -felt for the campaign of 1690.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-viii-schomberg-s-campaign-continuedthe-arrival-of-the-prince-of-orange"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER VIII.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>SCHOMBERG'S CAMPAIGN CONTINUED—THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE OF ORANGE.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The winter, and the advantages it offered to the Irish army, passed -away, and the Duke of Schomberg, who, for several months, could have -offered but an ineffectual opposition, was, through the vacillating -policy of the king, and the factious opposition of the Lords, spiritual -and temporal, in his Parliament, allowed to take the initiative in the -renewal of hostilities. While he pressed the siege of Charlemont with -renewed vigor, he dispatched 3,300 English and Enniskilleners, under -the command of Brigadier Wolseley, to seize on Belturbet and Cavan, -which were occupied through the winter by a small force under General -Wauchop, and to the relief of these positions, which were considered -of much importance, the Duke of Berwick was ordered with a force of -1,500 foot and 200 horse. Belturbet had been the scene of many bitter -conflicts since the commencement of the rebellion, and had been taken -and retaken by the troops of each army in turn, as the tide of war -fluctuated. Situated in the midst of a fertile district, it was of much -advantage in the way of supply. By its possession, through the previous -year, the Irish had been enabled to hold the Enniskilleners in check -even after the disaster of Newtownbutler; and it was still hoped that, -by holding it, they could confine them to the more northern counties, -and prevent their concentration round the Duke of Schomberg, or divert -his attention from the capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Berwick, on receipt of the order, proceeded by rapid marches, and -arrived at Cavan, which is about five miles from Belturbet, late in -the evening, whence he sent orders to General Wauchop to throw out -pickets in the direction of the enemy, and notify him of their earliest -appearance. Owing to the heavy rains that had fallen through the night, -this order was either totally neglected, or but carelessly observed; -and early in the morning, while Berwick took up his march from Cavan, -Wolseley approached as rapidly from the direction of Monaghan; each -with the intention of occupying a mud fort which commanded the town. -Both forces, each unapprised of the design of the other, met in the -intrenchments, and a fierce conflict followed. Wolseley was driven -from the fort and through the adjoining coppice in great confusion, -but Colonel MacGeoghaghen being killed, and General Nugent and several -officers wounded, their troops became panic-stricken, "and, in a -moment," says Berwick, "from being conquerors, we became conquered." -Wolseley lost 300 men, and Berwick 500; the fort was evacuated as a -consequence; the Irish fell back to Cavan, which they shortly after -abandoned; and Schomberg, being relieved of further apprehension from -that direction, and being strengthened by his native auxiliaries, -turned his undivided attention to the siege of Charlemont.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Believing that the fall of Belturbet, and the isolation of his -position, must have dampened the ardor of Colonel O'Regan, the -commandant of the Castle of Charlemont, Schomberg offered him honorable -conditions in case he agreed to surrender the fort, but he found the -spirit of this indomitable old chieftain as hopeful and defiant as -ever. Since the arrival of Schomberg, he had succeeded in baffling all -efforts to reduce the place; and, though now surrounded, and cut off on -all sides from hope of succor, he thanked the duke for his offer, but -replied that he would never surrender "his castle," and was determined -to hold it for his king, or die in its ruins. He was, however, placed -in a very embarrassing situation. Within the last few days a body -of five hundred soldiers, bearing a scanty supply of ammunition and -provisions, had forced their way into the garrison, and, having thus -partially relieved it, were ordered unceremoniously to fight their way -out again, but, in making the attempt, were driven back under the guns -of the fort. The governor refused them admittance. He said that he -was ordered to defend the place, and would do it, and looked on them -as much his enemies as the troops of Schomberg. They were, therefore, -placed on the counterscarp of the fort, where they were exposed to the -fire of the enemy, and many of them were actually killed during the -bombardment that followed. But, though in appearance, and in many of -his characteristics, he affected the ogre, his heart relented; and, -while he could bear to see them shot from the walls, he could not see -them die of starvation, and so doled out his scanty provisions until -they were consumed, and the garrison was reduced to all the horrors of -a famine-siege. Every means of supporting life was now resorted to, -and every effort for the reduction of the fort was in vain, until on -the 14th of May, when, literally starved out, after a siege of nine, -months from the landing of Schomberg, he capitulated, and marched out -with what remained of his famished garrison. The terms granted him -by Schomberg, who was impatient of delay, were highly honorable: the -garrison was allowed to retire with arms and baggage, and the king, who -neglected to succor him during this protracted siege, raised him to the -order of knighthood, and he was henceforth known as Sir Teague O'Regan, -and intrusted with the defence of Sligo, which he held until the last -tocsin summoned him to Limerick.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was the only event worthy of the military fame of Schomberg since -his arrival in the kingdom. From the first to the last, the Castle -of Charlemont and its commandant were as thorns in the side of this -unfortunate soldier of fortune. It would seem as if the old chief had -him under a spell; for once he set eyes on him and his stronghold, they -were in his thoughts day and night, and he would not depart until the -place was rendered to his arms. Yet, 'tis said that he had an immense -liking for that quaint old soldier, and was even sorry when he saw him -depart from his seemingly enchanted castle. A soldier himself, and -an accomplished one, he could appreciate soldierly qualities even in -an enemy; and O'Regan, notwithstanding his grotesque appearance and -eccentric habits, was a rare military genius. Of this siege it may be -said, that, unless in so far as that of Derry affected the final issue -of the war, it loses in comparison with that of Charlemont, both in the -duration of the contest, and in the spirit, hardihood, and valor of the -besieged. Its fall may be said to have put an end to the Jacobite power -in Ulster, and also to the military career of Schomberg. He frittered -away his time in its reduction, when it might have been safely left in -his rear; and the stubborn old chief that commanded it, after having -diverted his purpose so long from the real object of his campaign, -offered him his grateful acknowledgments, and laughed at his folly when -departing. The delay occasioned by this event was a matter of vital -importance to the Jacobite cause; for it had enabled King James to make -more ample preparations for the opening campaign, and saved Dublin, -which, up to that time, could have made but slight resistance, if any, -to the veteran army of Schomberg.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Knowing, through his English agents, that the earliest possible -attention of the Prince of Orange would be directed to his affairs -in Ireland, King James was now making active preparations. While the -levies lately made were undergoing that hasty discipline which the duty -of the hour made obligatory, he sent Tyrconnell to the French court to -solicit the assistance so long promised, and so unaccountably delayed. -Men there were at his call for any purpose, and to any amount, but he -lacked money, small-arms, artillery—in short, every thing that could -render their service available. Through the exertions of Tyrconnell, a -French contingent was immediately put in readiness, and, towards the -end of April, a force of six thousand men, with a park of artillery, -consisting of ten pieces, under the command of the Duc de Lausun, -arrived in Ireland. But this was the extent of the French king's -bounty, for the money, clothing, provisions and arms, on which James -had calculated so long, and which alone could enable him to put the -requisite number of troops into the field, were still withheld. Had -the troops now sent been of the regular French army, and given in good -faith, they would have been a great acquisition to King James. But the -French king did not allow his generosity to outrun his discretion. He -was then engaged in a war with the allies, which severely taxed the -population of his own kingdom, and so the troops sent to Ireland were -a heterogeneous body consisting of French Huguenots, Germans, and even -English Protestants, taken prisoners on the Continent, and offered -pardon on condition that they would serve under the standard of King -James. It is said that at least one-third of de Lausun's force was so -constituted, and of this, the number of desertions that took place -while they remained in Ireland, and the unwilling service performed by -the rest, would afford ample corroboration. Nor were the discordant -elements of which this force was composed, nor its want of devotion -to the Irish cause, nor the eccentricities of its general, the only -drawbacks consequent on this accession. Ireland had been represented, -as indeed it would seem to be, inexhaustible in men who wanted but -arms and discipline to become excellent soldiers. Louis wanted men -at the time, and, taking advantage of this information, stipulated -for an equivalent to the force which he sent over with de Lausun. On -the other hand, King James thought that he would engage the French -king and nation more earnestly in his cause, by the introduction of -French troops into Ireland, and, as a matter of course, the terms were -accepted. All things considered, it did not seem an unwise act, and -might even be an advantage to his cause, had he not been as poor a -diplomatist as he had lately proved himself a statesman. Any number of -armed men would have been better than the same number without arms; and -'tis said that it was optional with him to send his equivalent either -in disciplined soldiers or in raw recruits. But his pride prevailed -over his judgment; and, perhaps ashamed to make a poor display in the -eyes of the French king and people, he resolved to send over Lord -Mountcashel and his command in exchange. This general, who had escaped -from Enniskillen in December, was now at the head of six thousand -troops, designated by the annalists of the period as "the flower of the -Irish army," and had all seen service in the events of the preceding -years. They were accordingly marched to Cork, where, embarking on -board the fleet of Chateaurenaud, which brought over the brigade of de -Lausun, they bade adieu to their own country, and arrived in France -early in May.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We therefore hear no more of Mountcashel in the last struggle for -the liberty of his country; but his name was occasionally borne from -another land, in whose service he fought and bled, like the gallant men -so soon to follow. During the remaining year, he received an accession -of four thousand troops to swell this force, which formed the nucleus -of that "brigade," still the theme of the warrior and poet, but who -have left no other memorial to Ireland than their wrongs, and their -reckless valor in foreign lands. The year after his arrival in France, -Mountcashel, while fighting against the allies in Savoy, received a -wound from the effects of which he subsequently died at Barège, in the -Hautes Pyrénées, and the highest military honors were decreed by the -French king to his memory.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Convention Parliament of England had been dissolved on the 6th of -February, and a new one, more in the interest of William, had been -convened in March. To this Parliament he signified his intention of -taking the command of the forces in Ireland. The proposition was highly -satisfactory, and a supply of £1,200,000 was granted him for that -purpose; a presentation of £100,000 was also voted to Marshal, the Duke -de Schomberg; and large supplies of provisions, clothing and military -stores were soon got in requisition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The report that de Lausun had landed in Ireland with a French army, -tended to hasten these preparations, and to swell the proportions of -the designed armament. Pending the prince's departure, large bodies -of English troops were shipped to the garrisons of Ulster, and as -Schomberg had expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of his English -and Anglo-Irish troops in the field, a new army, consisting of foreign -adventurers—Dutch Danes, Scandinavians, Swiss, and French Huguenots; -some, no doubt, induced by religious fanaticism, but many by the higher -pay in the English army, and the promise of subsequent plunder, flocked -to his standard. On the 6th of June, William's grand park of artillery -and ordnance stores arrived at Carrickfergus, and on the 14th he -himself, accompanied by Prince George of Denmark, the Prince of Hesse -Darmstadt, the Dukes of Ormond and Wortemberg, the Earls of Oxford, -Portland and Scarborough, Generals Mackey and Douglas, and other -notables, arrived and proceeded to Lisburn, where Schomberg had awaited -his arrival since the fall of Charlemont.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No sooner was the news of William's arrival spread abroad, than the -clergymen of the Established Church, and the Presbyters and dissenting -clergy of all denominations, waited on him, proffering him their -allegiance, and embarrassing him with fulsome addresses, indicative -of all they had done and would do for the advancement of religion -and the eradication of "popery."<a name ="id23" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentythree" id="id23"><sup>23</sup></a> William, though impatient of -delay, received them with grave respect, if not with cordiality. The -gentlemen of the establishment were simply told that "he would take -care of them," while large sums of money were distributed among the -dissenting teachers of the northern province, indicating that, as -they had already done more for the cause, more was expected under the -government about to be established for their behest. The men of the -establishment retired not over-pleased with their new master, and -the Covenanters, thanking God that they had a country to sell, and a -religion to trade in, also took their departure, and William addressed -himself to the real object of his mission; for, as he expressed it, "he -did not come into Ireland to let the grass grow under his feet." This -was a significant hint to the Duke of Schomberg, that he had fallen -under his displeasure through his tardy movements since he came to the -country. It was so received by that old veteran, and an estrangement, -never after reconciled, was the consequence. The days of Schomberg were -nearly numbered; but, short as they were, they were embittered by the -ingratitude of the prince in whose service he had spent the better part -of an eventful life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The available force of William in Ireland now numbered over sixty -thousand effective men. There were none of these who had not seen -active service, and by far the greater portion were veterans long -inured to continental warfare. The "Thirty Years' War," which has left -its impress on the nations of Europe, down to the present day, had sent -afloat a swarm of military adventurers ready for any cause that could -offer fame or reward; and to England they flocked as the best market -for their services. From this force he selected an army of 38,000 or -40,000 men, and, placing the remainder in the garrisons of Ulster, he -struck his tents and turned his steps towards the Irish capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If we except those bands of Rapparees that traversed the country at -large, and levied on it in the name of the king, or for their own -support, the Jacobite force, according to the highest estimate, was -now but 30,000 men. And taking into consideration the long sweep of -coast from Dublin round by the south and west to Galway, and the -defences of the Shannon from Lanesborough to Limerick, there could -not have been then in garrison less than 10,000. This would leave him -an available force for active service of about 20,000, and of these -6,000 were French, the only well-appointed infantry in the service; and -about 9,000 Irish infantry, indifferently armed with muskets and short -pikes; but the cavalry were a superb body, long inured to service under -Hamilton, Berwick, and Sarsfield, and numbered about 5,000 men. When -with these is taken into consideration a train of twelve field-pieces, -lately brought over from France by the Duke de Lausun, the reader will -have a reliable estimate of the force which King James now assembled to -dispute the possession of the country with the Prince of Orange.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 16th of June King James arrived at Castletown-Bellew, near -Dundalk, where part of his army occupied an advanced position under the -command of M. Girardin, a French officer; and thither also the rest -of his forces soon repaired from their winter-quarters at Drogheda. -Here, drawn up on the heights, behind a river, with their right resting -towards Dundalk and the lowlands, where Schomberg had passed the -preceding winter, stretching before them to the north, they awaited the -appearance of the enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From the 16th to the 22d William was at Newry and James at Dundalk, -each awaiting the arrival of his artillery. While the main armies -stood thus, almost in sight of each other, several skirmishes occurred -between the pickets thrown forward on both sides, in one of which -Colonel Dempsey, with two companies of his own regiment, encountered -200 foot and 60 horse of the enemy, only six of whom escaped; but the -gallant colonel himself received a wound of which he died a few days -after. This incident raised the spirit of the troops to a high pitch, -and made them eager for a battle; and the king himself, much elated -by the event, determined to abide the enemy in his present position. -But the Irish leaders were not so favorably impressed, either with -the condition of the troops, or the position which they occupied, -and endeavored to dissuade the king from risking a battle under such -disadvantages. They again urged him to abandon the capital, and to fall -back on the defences of the Shannon, where, by instituting a desultory -system of warfare, he could keep William in check until the winter set -in, when, by the promised assistance from France, they could render -his campaign as inglorious as that of Schomberg had been in the last. -Every argument that could favor such a course was urged, and all the -circumstances by which he was surrounded seemed to point it out as -the best that could be adopted. A fleet was fitting out in France, of -which his earnest friend, M. de Seignelay, would have command; a few -days more would see it afloat, and on its way to destroy the fleet -and transports of William around the coast of Ireland: it would also -bring arms and ammunition in abundance, and by winter a powerful and -well-disciplined army would be ready to take the field. These and -many other arguments were urged, but all in vain. The king would not -relinquish the capital without striking a blow for it; he became all at -once as bold and intrepid as he had hitherto been weak and temporizing; -rejected their remonstrance, and determined to risk all on a single -battle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This he tells in his memoirs, written several years later, and it is -but just that his reasons for disagreeing, which are not wanting in -plausibility, should be placed beside those of the generals. He held -that the loss of the capital would end whatever prestige his name had -with the French king; that it would entirely alienate the Protestants -of Ireland; that it would throw the provinces of Leinster and Munster -completely open to William, while he would be confined to one province, -the smallest and poorest in the kingdom; and that his final defeat, -though it might be protracted for a time, would be eventually certain. -But, whatever were the merits of the different views, is now but -speculation;—the king remained persistent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 23d, William's artillery having arrived, he moved forward. The -same day King James retired to Ardee, where he was met by his train, -and drew up in a strong position in the direct route between William -and the capital. William, still advancing, crossed the mountains -between Newry and Dundalk, and, observing the situation of the Irish -army, divided his own into two bodies for the purpose of flanking it, -or forcing it into the plain, where his great numerical superiority -would render victory certain. Seeing this, King James continued -gradually to fall back; on the 29th, he crossed the Boyne, at Drogheda, -and, drawing up his army on the heights of Donore, overlooking that -river, he there awaited the enemy.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-ix-the-battle-of-the-boyne"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER IX.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The Boyne, which finds its head-waters near Carbery, in the County of -Kildare, takes a meandering course towards the west and north, until -it enters Meath, through which it flows in a north-easterly direction -through Trim, Navan, Slane, and Drogheda, four miles below which it -falls into the Irish Sea. At tide-water it is navigable to Navan, -a distance of nineteen miles, for barges of fifty tons burden; but -at low-water, from Navan to Slane, it is a shallow stream, brawling -over a rocky bottom of a few yards in width; and from that to Old -Bridge it is fordable by horse and foot at almost every rood of its -length. Below Slane, its course is due east for nearly a mile, when, -dipping abruptly towards the south, it takes a semicircular sweep of -nearly three miles to Old Bridge, and the curve so formed embraces its -memorable battle-ground. The northern bank, for nearly half a mile -back, is high and firm down to the water's edge, while the opposite one -is low and sedgy, and the ground behind it broken, back to the base of -Donore, which is over a mile from its mid-current:—the chord of the -arc indicated is nearly two miles, and the distance from Old Bridge to -Slane, in a direct line, is somewhat under three.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the evening of the 29th, when James crossed the river, the distance -between his rear-guard and William's advance, was about eight miles, -and on the morning of the 30th the latter appeared, and halted his army -facing the concave bend of the river, behind a line of hills which -partially concealed it from observation, while awaiting his artillery, -which was still some miles in his rear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With that promptitude which characterized all his movements since -his arrival in the country, he immediately ordered an examination -of the river from Old Bridge to Slane, and proceeded himself with a -detachment of cavalry to reconnoitre the position of the royal army. -While so engaged he was struck by a cannon-shot that grazed his -shoulder and drew a little blood. This caused a report of his death -to be spread throughout the camp, and created the greatest alarm -among his followers; but, calling for a napkin, he stopped the blood, -and, putting on another coat, passed through the ranks to restore the -confidence of his soldiers, and then completed his reconnoissance.<a name ="id24" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentyfour" id="id24"><sup>24</sup></a> -Towards noon he moved his army forward to the river, when, his cannon -having arrived, he established his batteries along the heights, ordered -a heavy cannonade to be kept up against the Irish centre, and, retiring -within his lines, summoned his generals to receive his plan of action.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was the intention of William at first to cross the river at Slane -during the advanced hours of the night, and falling on James by -surprise, to strike his left, and turn it from the road to Dublin. The -Duke of Schomberg, with characteristic caution, would have opposed this -proposition, on the ground that though James's army appeared small from -the English line of sight, he might have large reserves behind Donore. -But the duke was again rebuked by the prince, and notified to retire, -which he did, deeply mortified, and received his orders afterwards in -his tent, with the querulous remark, that "they were the first that -had ever been sent him!" Bating this, the utmost harmony pervaded the -council of William, and confidence reigned supreme throughout his camp.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But, notwithstanding the discourtesy shown by William to the Duke -of Schomberg, the advice of that old veteran had its due weight in -his council; the determination to assail the Irish left during the -night was abandoned, and the following plan of action was adopted: -Of the 40,000 men of which the prince's army now consisted, about -13,000, composed of the Dutch Guards, the Enniskillen infantry, and -the Brandenburg and Huguenot regiments, under the command of Duke -Schomberg and Caillemotte,<a name ="id25" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentyfive" id="id25"><sup>25</sup></a> formed his centre, opposite to the same -division of the royal army. His right, 10,000 horse and foot, under -Count Schomberg and General Douglas, respectively, was extended in -the direction of Slane; and his left, about 12,000 strong, comprising -the Dutch, Danish, and Enniskillen horse, and the British and Scotch -infantry, was drawn up towards Old Bridge, and to be commanded by -himself in person. His immense train of artillery, variously estimated -at from fifty to sixty pieces, including several mortars, was portioned -out to each division, the weight of it being placed against the Irish -centre; and his reserves, about 5,000, were stationed in the low ground -to his rear, within easy supporting distance of his right and left, and -not more than a mile from either. The Count of Schomberg was to open -the battle at daybreak by forcing the Pass of Slane, and turning the -Irish left; when this should be accomplished, the duke was to cross at -the centre, and, carrying the intrenchments opposite, press them back -from the river; biding these results, the prince himself would cross -at Old Bridge, and, flanking their right, cut off their retreat to -Dublin. Thus, by a general movement, the royal army would be completely -overthrown, and the war terminated by a single blow:—the chances of -defeat had no place in his calculation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As William had the advantage of ground—that is to say, the northern -bank of the river was steep and firm down to its margin, while the -southern side was low and broken—James had thrown his army well back -towards the hill of Donore, and during the interval had made the -following disposition: His centre, about 8,000 men of all arms, was -arranged in two lines; one, comprising the musketeers and pikemen, -under Major-General Dorrington and the Marquis de Hoquincourt, was -placed in the intrenchments along the river, and the other, composed -of the exempts, under General Nugent and Taafe, Earl of Carlingford, -in the broken ground behind it. For the support of these the infantry -regiments of Tyrconnell, Parker, and Gordon O'Neil, and the dragoons of -Lords Clare and Dungan, were held between a small village and the hill -of Donore, as the ground nearer to the river was low, and commanded by -the enemy's artillery. His right wing, about 3,000 men, of whom but -eight battalions were infantry, rested near the town of Old Bridge, -opposed to William's left, under the command of Lieutenant-General -Hamilton and the Duke of Berwick. His left, composed of the French -troops under the Duke de Lausun and M. de la Hoquette, stood about a -mile from his centre, in the direction of Slane; while that important -Pass, which, he tells us in his Memoirs, he expected to be William's -first point of assault, and which lay three miles from his centre, by -the course of the river, was entirely neglected until late at night, -when, at the urgent request of his generals, it was occupied by Sir -Neale O'Neil and his regiment of dragoons. A strip of moor-land, -extending from Old Bridge to the Pass of Slane, ran behind his right -and centre, traversing the base of Donore round to the southeast; and -behind this, but well drawn up against the hill, he held a reserve of -nearly 3,000 infantry and cavalry, the former under Sir Charles Carney, -and the latter under Sarsfield and Brigadier-General Maxwell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>How little soever conversant in military affairs, one cannot fail to -see the almost insuperable disadvantages of the Jacobite army. Lying -on the convex of the river, with an army scarce half the number of -the opposing force; its supporting distance to the Pass of Slane -treble to that of the enemy; the ground near the river unsuited to the -action of cavalry, which was its main dependence; and its ordnance -miserably inferior in number and calibre, it was barely possible to -repulse the enemy, but almost impossible to turn a repulse into a -victory. To an ordinary observation the chances of battle would thus -present themselves: by intrepidity and superior valor, James might -hold his ground until the return of tide, which would suspend it, or -if the enemy succeeded in crossing without his ordnance, he might draw -up all his force on the heights, and by one of those desperate and -sudden efforts that man is sometimes capable of, hurl him back into -the river. There was no other alternative between him and defeat; the -vast numerical advantage of the Prince of Orange rendered the former -improbable, and the lack of military ardor in the king himself was not -calculated to evoke the latter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With a will concentrated on the object of his mission, exultant in -power, and personally brave and enterprising, William's plan was -simple, bold, and aggressive. Weak in numbers, and straitened in -resources, that of James was tortuous, cautious, and weakly defensive. -Fortitude and military capacity he is said to have possessed, and -they would seem not to have entirely deserted him on this occasion; -but in that desperate daring which alone could wring success from the -surrounding disadvantages, he was utterly deficient. His army was -gallant, and even eager for the conflict, and a rival whose persistent -malignity would have roused the meekest spirit, confronted him; but -the blood did not course warmly in his veins at the devotion of the -one, nor did vengeance steel him to action at the sight of the other. -Trepidity was manifest in all his motions, and he had not even the -self-control to hide it from his soldiers. The Pass of Duleek, in his -rear, claimed more of his attention than the enemy on his front; for, -while ordering the battle, he was devising a retreat, and had, in their -sight, dispatched one-half his artillery in the evening for the defence -of the capital. It therefore mattered very little how he disposed of -the remainder—six pieces, on a line of four Irish miles.<a name ="id26" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentysix" id="id26"><sup>26</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>So stood the hosts on the night of June 30th, 1690, prepared to deliver -battle on the dawn of the morrow; and, as darkness settled down and hid -each from the view of the other, the feelings that swayed them may be -easier felt than depicted. One feeling, that in such moments pervades -every bosom alike, from the private to the king, must have been -theirs in common—the hope to survive the carnage;—in all else their -thoughts must have been as different as the causes they represented. -The mercenary can have but one passion and one object—to slay and -to dominate. The patriot has many, and all are sacred. The poetry of -emotion is his, and over none does it exert a more boundless influence -than over the race of which this king's army was mainly composed. The -memories of the past, standing out like the immemorial hills; the -voices of futurity coming up the long vista of time, and all pleading -the reversal of a fate more cruel than Egyptian bondage: while clearer -to the ear and nearer to the heart come the pleadings of kindred, -and the anxious household lifting up their prayers to heaven for the -devoted hearts that shield them from ruin, death—dishonor. All these -speak to them, and a thousand fancies, taking the form of life, pass in -solemn review, till the hardiest soldier, with moistened eye, and heart -full to breaking, grasps his sword, compresses his lip, looks out for -the dawning, and sighs for relief in conflict.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But did not the Irish of that day deceive themselves? This king, whose -cause they had espoused, was not their king. His restoration would -still leave their country an appanage of the British Crown, and his -house was a name of woe and desolation throughout the land! Would -her future, under it, be much brighter than her past? There was, no -doubt, many a thoughtful mind in that Irish army that had all those -misgivings; but this was not the time to indulge them. Nor should we -of the present day be hypercritical. Royalty was then something more -than a name, and we should not judge the events of the seventeenth -century by the light of the nineteenth, nor the Ireland of untoward -circumstances as the nation of her people's will. To the memory of this -unhappy king this truth should be generously conceded.... He could have -retained his throne had he violated his conscience. He could have ruled -the Irish people as his predecessors had done, and at that time they -had no power to stay him; for the Catholic descendants of the Palesmen -were firm in their allegiance to the English throne, and the native -race was destitute of means to strike for separation. He had forfeited -his crown and jeopardized his power, for right. He had emancipated -them from a bondage servile to mind and body. He was the first royal -champion of civil and religious liberty. He had offered them justice in -his power, and appealed to their loyalty in his adversity. His cause -was their cause. He was banished by his own people, outraged by his own -family; he came to them in his bereavement, and to their honor, be it -recorded, they did not forsake him! His very injuries threw a sacred -influence around him, and as he sacrificed to justice, they paid him -the homage of their blood!</p> - -<p class='c000'>Yet, in truth, he was not their king;—not the ideal king of the Irish -race. That should be a native king; one infusing nationality through -every hamlet in the land, and defending its liberties against a world -in arms! Six hundred years had failed to eradicate the hope of such a -king from the hearts of every successive generation, and every outrage -of the invader only rendered it the more indelible. The place, too, -was historic. Every hill and valley, from Drogheda to Clonard, in rath -and ruin, bore ample testimony of their aspiration for native rule. -Tara and Skreen, now plainly visible in the soft moonlight of summer, -stood out in relief against the southern sky, and it is no stretch of -the imagination to say: from that same Pass of Slane, the ancestor of -Sir Neale O'Neil, had, nearly 900 years before, reconnoitred the Danish -host and marked it for destruction. Many a chief and many a clan of -his martial house had, since then, crossed the Boyne to do battle with -the invader, but never a braver soldier than he, nor a more devoted -following than that which now counted the moments by the reverberation -of the enemy's cannon along its banks, and looked through the night for -the eventful dawning.<a name ="id27" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentyseven" id="id27"><sup>27</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>The night wore slowly away, and as its shadows were blending into the -gray dawn of morning, the cannonade which had been kept up since the -preceding noon from William's batteries ceased for a time, and the -beat to arms was distinctly heard on the heights of Donore. It was -promptly answered by a roll from the Irish camp, and the troops on each -side were immediately in motion, and deploying down towards the river. -An hour of hurried preparation now passed on, when the waters of the -gentle river were again startled from their short repose by a heavy -peal along the whole English line, the smoke of which having cleared -away, William's left, the cavalry in advance, was seen doubling the -curve in the river, and advancing steadily towards the Pass of Slane. -The firing thus resumed, was now kept up incessantly from the English -left and centre, and as the sun appeared above the hills, and both -armies stood out bolder on the foreground, William himself, accompanied -by Prince George of Denmark, the Prince of Nassau, and the Duke of -Wurtemberg, and surrounded by a grand cavalcade, was observed reviewing -his army, and, by word and example, infusing hope and courage through -all its ranks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>King James saw all that was passing from the heights of Donore, and as -Count Schomberg and Douglas moved in the direction of Slane, he ordered -de Lausun to move his troops in the same direction. Then, after seeing -the remainder of his baggage on its way to Dublin,<a name ="id28" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentyeight" id="id28"><sup>28</sup></a> whither the half -of his artillery had already been sent, he stood to watch the issue of -the day, with much composure of manner and much Christian resignation, -but none of that military ardor by which a gallant general often -imparts a spirit and energy to a small army that render it invincible -in the hour of battle. Not so, however, with the Duke of Tyrconnell. -Though bowed by age, and broken in health, he moved from rank to rank, -exhorting all to bravery; and it is very questionable which felt most -solicitude at that hour—that king for the fate of his crown, or that -patriot for the cause of his country. As for Sarsfield, he had little -to do in the affairs of that day; for both he and General Maxwell were -in continual attendance on the king's person, and his attention, with -the exception of one visit to his right, was entirely divided between -the reserve on Donore and the French troops on his left. Hamilton and -Berwick were at their post on the right, and well had it been for James -and his cause had he tarried in Dublin and committed the marshalling -of his army to those generals, and the issue of the day to the King of -battles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Apprised of the design of the enemy on his position, O'Neil had made -such preparations as time allowed for his reception. Around the pass on -both sides of the river he had drawn intrenchments, and as the morning -dawned had thrown forward a small detachment to impede his progress. -The ground over which he approached was favorable to defensive -operations, being much broken and interspersed with hedges: these -natural impediments, and the weight of his artillery, rendered his -movements slow and irregular; the fire of the skirmishers met him at -every step as he neared the pass, so that it was eight o'clock before -he had forced them back within their intrenchments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here the fight was renewed with great stubbornness, and continued -for two hours longer, when Schomberg, with the loss of two hundred -men, forced the position, and the dragoons retired with the loss -of one-fourth their number, bearing away the body of their leader, -mortally wounded, and renewed the contest on the other side of the -river. Schomberg immediately commenced to cross, and the king, apprised -of the state of affairs here, sent Sarsfield, with sixty dragoons and -a piece of artillery, to oppose him; but these succors only arrived -in time to see the defenders driven from their intrenchments, and the -troops of Schomberg drawn out on the southern bank to receive them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All further attempts to check the progress of the assailants were now -futile; the dragoons retired on their supports; the gun brought down -by Sarsfield got "bogged," and had to be abandoned, and Schomberg, -his artillery being got over, deployed by his right, on the outer -side of the marsh, to turn the left of the king's army. He had, -however, scarcely got clear of the river, when the troops of de Lausun -appeared on the inner side of the marsh to oppose him. The force of -the latter was 6,000 men, within support of a reserve of 3,000; it was -fresh, finely appointed, and the marsh at this place was narrow and -practicable to horse and foot; but he showed no disposition to engage, -although Schomberg halted and drew up to offer him battle. After some -time the troops on both sides were put in motion, Schomberg still -moving by his right, and de Lausun by his left in the same direction, -the marsh gradually widening round towards the rear of Donore, until -nearly a mile intervened, when an engagement became impracticable, and -the Irish left was flanked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the mean time, King James, seeing that Count Schomberg had crossed -the river, believed that the other division of William's army would -also move in the same direction, and that the entire battle would be -finally transferred to his left. He therefore determined to withdraw -his own right and centre from the river, to the support of de Lausun, -and with this intention he now proceeded to his right. There seeing -that William's left and centre were still drawn up on the opposite -bank, and being opposed in his design by Tyrconnell, he returned to -his left, where Count Schomberg and de Lausun were still confronting -each other. Posting his reserves on the right of the latter, and riding -up to him, he ordered him to charge the enemy across the intervening -ground; but the order was disobeyed, although Schomberg halted -again and formed to invite an action. In this state of perplexity -the king rode back to the reserves, placed the infantry at the edge -of the marsh, supported on each side by his cavalry, with the foot -dragoons filling up the intervals, and approaching M. de la Hoquette, -"<em>whispered him</em>" to lead on the French infantry. The latter was about -to comply with this <em>request</em>, when he was checked by de Lausun; at -this time, Sarsfield and Maxwell, who had been out inspecting the -ground in front, returned, and pronounced it impracticable to cavalry, -it being traversed by two double ditches with a rivulet flowing between -them. So the king was convinced, and de Lausun was relieved from his -importunity. In this manner the two wings continued to manoeuvre the -situation each moment growing more critical, as Schomberg neared the -end of the marsh, where the road turned towards Duleek, and led on to -the capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Thus, through some motive of de Lausun, never after explained, and -through the absence of control in the unfortunate king, never forgiven, -the French auxiliaries, and with them the Irish reserve,—a body of -3,000 men,—were neutralized; the Irish left was completely turned, and -the remainder of the army, not exceeding 11,000, was left to contend -with 30,000 under William and the Duke of Schomberg.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the mean time a considerable change had taken place in William's -left and centre. The Duke of Schomberg had discovered another ford in -the direction of Slane, and when that pass was carried, had moved by -his right to avail himself of the advantages it offered, while William -had moved by his left somewhat nearer to the town of Drogheda. These -changes necessitated corresponding movements in the Irish line. A -greater extension was the consequence, and some regiments of its rear -were extended to oppose the Duke of Schomberg; but still they offered a -good front, and awaited the enemy in confidence.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was well on to noon, and the tide was on the return, when the firing -ceased on Duke Schomberg's front, and the Dutch Guards, accompanied -by their band, detached themselves from the main body and moved down -to the river. Here the music of the band ceased; the guards formed in -compacted columns, twenty abreast, and commenced the passage of the -river in the face of a well-directed fire.<a name ="id29" class="fnrefer" href="#idtwentynine" id="id29"><sup>29</sup></a> When they had all got -below the level of their own artillery, its fire was again directed -against the Irish intrenchments, and compelled the men there to lie -close in their works, until the guards got beyond the mid current and -began to ascend on the opposite side, when they quitted their defences, -and advanced into the river to meet them, and, as they closed, Major -Arthur, of the Irish Guards, singling out the leader of the enemy, -passed his pike through his body. This stimulated his men to action; -a desperate conflict ensued; the Dutch Guards were held in check for -a considerable time, and many fell on both sides, and were trampled -beneath the current.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Dutch Guards were the household troops of the Prince of Orange; -were fighting under his eye, and formed a compact body of five thousand -men, while the Irish were mostly raw levies, inferior in number, and -indifferently armed with pikes and muskets. The result was doubtful -for some time, until Major Arthur was wounded and conveyed to the -rear; disheartened and borne back by the weight of numbers, his troops -gradually gave ground; and the Dutch troops advanced and effected a -landing. As they reached the firm ground above the river, they were -charged by the dragoons of Clare and Dungan, and wavered; but Lord -Dungan being slain, the dragoons became panic-stricken and retreated, -nor could they again be brought to the charge. In this state of -indecision the Dutch renewed their assault, and established a position -in the broken ground behind the Irish line. The position was a strong -one, and at once laid bare the intrenchments on the river, while it -afforded a protection against the Irish cavalry; and here they remained -during the succeeding events of the day, suffering severely, but -defying every attempt to dislodge them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William, who witnessed this, felt deep concern for the fate of his -household troops. They had accompanied him in all his campaigns, and -his care for them, in peace and war, was that of a patriarch for his -household. From his point of view, their condition was now perilous in -the highest degree, they being surrounded by the enemy on all sides, -and in danger of total destruction before relief could reach them. To -him, the movements of Schomberg, always slow and measured, seemed now -painfully so; and, suspending his advance against the Irish right, he -rode down to the centre, to precipitate the troops forming there for -the relief of his famous guards. Two regiments of the Huguenot troops -and one of British infantry were immediately formed, and, under the -leadership of Caillemotte, commenced the passage of the river.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hamilton, from the right of the Irish line, had followed these events -with a feeling akin to that of William. He believed, like him, that -the fate of the Dutch troops was sealed, could the reinforcements -of the enemy be held in check or repulsed; but he also saw that the -intrenchments at the centre were partially abandoned from the effects -of the enemy's fire on their rear, and that all now depended on -intrepid action. He therefore detached two regiments of infantry from -the right, to march close by the river, and throw themselves before -Caillemotte, while he hastened himself, by a more circuitous route, -with the cavalry, to sustain them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The troops of Caillemotte advanced rapidly to the mid-current, where -they were met as the Dutch Guards had been, and, like them, were -forcing their way against the Irish infantry, when Hamilton reached the -scene of action. As he appeared, the infantry opened to the right and -left to make way, and, with unchecked impulse, he rushed to the onset. -The effect was instantaneous. In a moment, the enemy were helplessly -broken, trampled, and dispersed. Caillemotte, two colonels, and two -lieutenant-colonels were slain, more than half his command were either -killed or wounded, and the remainder fled to the opposite side, pursued -by the victorious cavalry. As they pressed the fugitives up to their -lines, the Danish horse were precipitated against them, but were -instantly broken, hurled back in confusion, and closely pressed on the -columns now forming under the Duke of Schomberg. Rushing on wildly, and -crying out "Horse! horse!" in great alarm, they created a panic, which -was near ending in a total rout; when William again appeared among -them, restored order in the ranks, and the Irish cavalry leisurely -retired.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William now collected all the infantry of the centre, while Schomberg, -placing himself at the head of the cavalry, entered the river, -and advanced with the same coolness and caution that had hitherto -characterized all his movements. The Irish horse had just returned -from the pursuit, and were drawn up on the river to oppose him. -They did not wait for his whole force to get in motion, but as he -approached the middle of the river, they bore down on him with their -wonted impetuosity. The effect was the same as before. Schomberg and -Walker of Derry were slain; dismay and inextricable confusion was the -consequence, and all retreated to the northern side to reform. Taylor, -in his short but life-like portraiture of this battle, says of the -event just detailed: "Had James chosen this moment to place himself -at the head of his troops, for one general charge, or had the French -auxiliaries attacked the Dutch in flank, the event of the battle would -certainly have restored his crown!" The poor king—he was at that -very moment concerting a retreat on his left, outraged by his French -general; and even his reserves were two miles from the scene of action!</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was the crisis of the day. The tide was now making fast; the water -was nearly waist high in the river, and half an hour more would render -a crossing impossible for that day. William could no longer delay his -movements on the left, and so, ordering Sir John Hanmer and the Prince -of Nassau to reform his demoralized troops at the centre, and lead them -on for the relief of his guards, he hastened to the left to make a last -effort to restore the battle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Had Sarsfield and Maxwell now appeared with the reserves, and left -de Lausun to watch Count Schomberg, the battle had been won, or, at -least, suspended; for at this moment the balance leaned to the Jacobite -arms, and delay would have been tantamount to a victory. During the -approaching night, the division of Count Schomberg, cut off from -support, and lost in the intricacies of the ground behind Donore, could -have been totally destroyed; there were three thousand troops within a -few hours' march of the field, and the morning would have opened with -fairer prospects of success.<a name ="id30" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirty" id="id30"><sup>30</sup></a> But all these chances were lost by the -fears of the king for his capital; no support appeared for the centre; -and Hamilton, after performing prodigies of valor, was forced to retire -again to the right, to oppose the passage of the Prince of Orange.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William, whose design through the day had been to strike the Irish army -in the rear of its right, turn it from the direction of the capital, -and form a junction with Count Schomberg, was now compelled to abandon -that project, and lead his left to the support of his centre. For this -purpose he marshalled a force of about 12,000 infantry and cavalry. The -Danish and Dutch horse, bearing the standard of Nassau, were placed -in the advance; after them came the foot, and the Enniskillen horse -brought up the rear. Placing himself between the cavalry and infantry, -he entered the river, the water rising to the flanks of the horses as -they reached the mid-current. Hamilton, who had just returned from -the Irish centre, watched their approach with great anxiety, until -they began to ascend the southern side and had gained a surer footing; -when, ordering his infantry to retire, he withdrew the cavalry also, -to reform for the charge. William, on seeing this movement, believed -that they were abandoning the field, and urged his cavalry more hastily -forward. He was soon undeceived: the Irish horse had but withdrawn for -greater impulse; in another moment they dashed forward; the Danes were -scattered right and left, bearing back the Prince among them, and the -flanks of his infantry lay completely exposed. The Irish cavalry had, -for the third time that day, asserted their superiority.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William's situation was now desperate. His Danish and Dutch horse -were scattered and swimming in the river; his infantry were hardly -able to bear up against its current; the Irish cavalry lay on his -front, and their infantry had opened with effect on his flanks. But he -was equal to the emergency, and his gallantry at this trying moment -would go far to erase a very dark record. Making his way to the head -of his Enniskilleners, now about to advance, he asked promptly "What -they would do for him?" They cried out with one impulse that they -would follow where he led, and hastening forward after him, they -threw themselves between their infantry and the Irish cavalry, now -reformed on the bank above them. The sight of these troops, their own -countrymen, protecting the foreign mercenaries of William, roused the -spirit of vengeance in the breasts of the Irish, and, wheeling as -before, they swept forward in one compacted mass. The Enniskilleners -did not await the shock, but turned and fled across the river, -deserting their general at his greatest need; nor could they again be -rallied until the battle was decided.<a name ="id31" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtyone" id="id31"><sup>31</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>William, on being deserted by the Enniskilleners, again rode through -his infantry and reformed their disordered ranks. The Danish and Dutch -rallied, and formed round his person, and, with the desperate resolve -to do or die, he pressed resolutely forward.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The scene along the whole line was now terribly grand and exciting. The -entire left and centre of the English army were in motion, and, stirred -to the highest daring by the danger of their Prince and the exigency -of the hour, were pressing through the river simultaneously. Hanmer -led the cavalry of the centre, and the Prince of Nassau the infantry, -each vieing with the other for precedence. The latter was crossing at -the ford lately attempted by Caillemotte and the Duke of Schomberg, and -the former at one hitherto neglected, which lay nearer to Old Bridge, -and offered more immediate support to the Prince of Orange. This -disposition nearly connected the English left and centre, and caused -another derangement of the Irish lines opposite. The Dutch Guards, -too, who still held their lodgement on the side of Donore, rallied as -their succor approached, and drew a portion of their fire from the -compacted masses of Nassau on their front. Three regiments of the Irish -Guards—those of Tyrconnell, Parker, and Gordon O'Neil—the exempts -under Nugent, and a few squadrons of cavalry, were thrown against -Hanmer, and, animated by Tyrconnell and Dorrington, were opposing a -most deadly resistance; while Berwick and Hamilton still disputed the -passage of William, and held him in check on the right.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the balance of the day was inclining, and the fates were again -propitious to William. Nassau pressed fiercely on. The Dutch Guards -assumed the offensive, and their fire became destructive. The Irish -generals exhausted every effort to animate their troops, but in vain. -Attacked in front and rear by superior numbers, they at last broke, -abandoned the river, and withdrew in good order towards Donore. The -command of Nassau, on ascending from the river, were joined by the -Dutch Blues, and both turned their attention to where the Irish Guards -were still offering a stern resistance to Hanmer.<a name ="id32" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtytwo" id="id32"><sup>32</sup></a> The position of -these troops now became critical in the extreme, and a short time -would see them either all slain or captured by the enemy. There was -scarce an alternative, when Berwick arrived with a portion of the -cavalry of the right, charged vigorously, and held the enemy in check -until the remnant of these famous guards retired. This was the most -destructive conflict of the day to the Irish; "for," says King James in -his Memoirs, "the greater part of the exempts and brigadiers in both -corps were killed, likewise the Earl of Carlingford, M. d'Amande, and -several other volunteers that served with them. Nugent and Casanova -were wounded in Tyrconnell's, Major O'Meara and Sir Charles Tooke were -killed, and Bada wounded. In Parker's, the Colonel was wounded; Green, -the Lieutenant-Colonel, Doddington, the Major, and several officers -were killed; and in both squadrons there remained but thirty men -unhurt."</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hamilton, with the remaining cavalry, no longer able to offer an -effectual resistance on the river, retired before William, who crossed, -wheeled to his right, and pressed on towards his centre. As the English -forces united, the Irish horse also converged, and formed on their -front for the protection of their infantry, forming in line of battle -on the hill. A series of conflicts now ensued between the Irish cavalry -and the converging forces of the English left and centre, which are -described by the annalist Story, as of the most desperate character: -for more than half an hour, during which all "were completely enveloped -in dust and smoke," neither gained or lost an inch; and when no longer -able to withstand the overwhelming force against them, the Irish -cavalry retired, reformed, charged the enemy again and again, "ten -times in succession," and at last fell back to the flanks of their -infantry, to make another effort to redeem the day. William advanced -boldly on the position now assumed by the Irish army, but, astonished -at the imposing front they still presented, he halted to array his -troops, when the Irish infantry, taking advantage of this hesitation, -bore down on him. The first and second line gave way; but their force -was spent against the Dutch Guards, and they retired; the cavalry now -charged again and broke the guards, but the wings closing on them, they -were completely surrounded. A terrific struggle took place; General -Hamilton was wounded, unhorsed, and captured; Berwick had his horse -killed, but was saved by a trooper; Colonel Sheldon cut his way through -at the head of the cavalry, and again reformed them on the front; and -while the two armies stood thus, neither advancing nor receding, the -order for a general retreat sounded along the Irish line.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While the events just described were transpiring on the river, Count -Schomberg continued to hold de Lausun inactive, wearing slowly round -by his right; and as the Irish centre retreated on Donore, he had -reached the termination of the lowland, and thrown forward his cavalry -on the road leading to Dublin. King James, on seeing this, got alarmed -for the safety of the capital—should Schomberg get the start of -him,—so directing de Lausun to defend the road, he issued an order -for a general retreat, and, taking the regiments of Brown and Purcell -as an escort, withdrew from the field and pursued his way to Dublin. -On receipt of this order, "the Irish army retreated" from the hill, -bringing off all their standards and artillery;<a name ="id33" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtythree" id="id33"><sup>33</sup></a>—they crossed the -lowlands to the north of Donore;—and the Boyne was lost.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was six o'clock in the evening. The infantry soon reached the town -of Duleek, the French bringing up the rear, and formed in line of -battle behind the river Nanny. The cavalry arrived soon after, and -had just crossed the river as Count Schomberg drew up and formed on -the other side. Both armies then remained facing each other for over -an hour; the Irish, seeing that the enemy did not advance, began to -retire, and Schomberg followed. The Irish halted and reformed again, -in a long ravine, near the village of Neal; the enemy also halted, -but did not attack; and in this posture night settled down on the two -armies. It was now nine o'clock; the Irish resumed their march, and the -enemy following no farther, they continued their way unmolested towards -Dublin. William remained on the field. Some say that sorrow for the -death of Schomberg was the cause of his not pressing the foe. It might -have been caused by a lack of artillery, as his train had not crossed -the river. Perhaps he might have been apprehensive that the garrison of -Drogheda would issue out and capture or destroy it in his absence, as -they might have done during the latter events of the day; but whether -it was one of those causes, or a combination of them, now matters but -little; he had won the Battle of the Boyne, and it was enough for a day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The principal personages killed in the Jacobite army were Lord -Dungan, Taaf Earl of Carlingford, Sir Neale O'Neil, and the -Marquis de Hoquincourt; in that of the Prince of Orange, the Duke -of Schomberg,<a name ="id34" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtyfour" id="id34"><sup>34</sup></a> Caillemotte, and Walker of Derry, who commanded -a regiment of Enniskilleners. Besides these, several officers of -distinction fell on both sides; among whom were two colonels, two -lieutenant-colonels, in the division of Caillemotte, and Sir Charles -Tooke, Majors Arthur and O'Meara, and the Chevalier de Vaudry, in -Tyrconnell's. The number of officers of subordinate rank killed and -wounded on each side was very great, considering the loss in private -soldiers, which did not exceed one thousand in either. The number -of the wounded in the army of William is not known, and, excepting -Hamilton, there is no mention of prisoners being taken on either side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the Battle of the Boyne. Memorable for the extinction of the -Stuart dynasty, for the politico-religious government it entailed on -England, and for the wrongs innumerable it bequeathed to Ireland; but -for nothing more memorable than as a well-contested and long-doubtful -battle. It was one fought by twenty thousand men, -<a name ="id35" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtyfive" id="id35"><sup>35</sup></a> indifferently -armed, with only six pieces of artillery, and under a king whose -conduct would have disconcerted the best army in the world, from six -in the morning until six in the evening, on a river fordable at every -rood of its length, against an army of thirty thousand<a name ="id36" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtysix" id="id36"><sup>36</sup></a> veteran -mercenaries, with experienced leaders, cannon at will, and a prince -of great military skill and daring. From the beginning their temerity -seemed almost madness, to the bravest and most experienced, and their -king was besought to relinquish it. Yet three times through the day the -battle seemed equally poised, and once victory was assuredly within -their grasp, had their king but displayed one-half the courage and -intrepidity of his rival. Through the loss of this field the future was -foreshadowed. There the Irish army lost prestige abroad—and at home -every thing but their manhood: yet seldom was that better vindicated -than on that "ill-fated river;" and as they turned their last look on -it, and saw the long lines of William winding up to Donore, well might -they exclaim in their anguish, "Change kings, and we'll fight the -battle again!" The kings were changed, but not for them. On that river -their web of destiny was woven, and though they battled on bravely for -a time, patriotic devotion and heroic sacrifice were in vain.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-x-the-final-departure-of-king-jamesa-retrospect-of-his-character"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER X.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE FINAL DEPARTURE OF KING JAMES—A RETROSPECT OF HIS CHARACTER.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The consequences of "the Boyne" are too well known for comment; -what a reversal of that day's events might have done, it is painful -to contemplate. A suspension of the battle for a week—even for a -day—would have changed the whole complexion of the war, and turned the -finger of destiny. The very hour that William drew up at Townly Hall, -on the 30th of June, the combined fleets of England and Holland had -been almost utterly destroyed by Admiral Tourville at Beachy Head: and -as he crossed the Boyne next day, the combined armies of the League, -under Prince Waldeck, had been overthrown at Fleurus by the French army -under the renowned Marshal Luxemburg. While James was hastening to -Dublin to quit his dominions forever, the fleet of Admiral de Seignelay -was unmoored, waiting a favorable wind to sail for Ireland to destroy -William's transports round the coast; the fleet of Tourville was riding -triumphant at the mouth of the Thames, and "there were not," says Hume, -"ten thousand armed men in all England." There, disaffection was on the -increase, the Jacobite cause was gaining strength, and it was not easy -to decide, even with the loss of the Boyne, which was at that moment in -the more critical plight—the victor or the vanquished.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Had any nominal force been thrown into England at this moment, all -had been at once recovered; for William, if indeed he could, would -have to withdraw his army from Ireland "to save the larger stake," and -that country, relieved of his foreign veterans, would soon rectify -itself; or, if compelled to remain in Ireland, and continue the war for -awhile, he would certainly lose the other two kingdoms, and the third -would follow as a consequence. His affairs in Holland, too, were in an -unpromising condition. The arms of France were everywhere predominant, -and this was a matter of deeper importance to William, than even the -loss of the English throne, which, 'tis said, he ambitioned only so -far as it enabled him to cope with his proud and detested enemy, Louis -XIV. Such a happy combination of events, dashed but by a single defeat, -in which only about one thousand men were lost, would have imparted -courage and hope to any heart, but that of this unfortunate king. But -from the first to the last his course, if not leading to the ruin of a -noble people, might be read as a great "Comedy of Errors." He seemed -continually under the spell of some evil genius that lulled him to a -sense of security, while leading him to destruction:—and from his -refusal of the first generous offer of King Louis, through M. Bonrepas, -while he was yet upon the throne of England, the series of mishaps and -miscalculations through which he stumbled, seems indeed to mark out a -manifest destiny.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At Salisbury, when deserted by his nobles, he had but to choose -generals from the ranks, and pledging his army the estates forfeited by -this treason, he could have created a revolution within a revolution, -and held his throne at will as the sovereign of the people. If, instead -of going to Ireland, where four-fifths of the people were unalterably -attached to him, he had gone to Scotland, we are told that the whole -country would have risen under Dundee; and William would have had two -countries to conquer instead of one. On his arrival in Ireland, he -weakened the strength of that country by sending 3,000 trained soldiers -to the assistance of Dundee; under the advice of Secretary Melford, a -Scotchman, and against the advice of Tyrconnell, who had seen the fate -of the soldiers sent under Hamilton to England. He next disconcerted -the arrangements for the surrender of Derry, and afterwards, through a -weak punctilio, refused the second offer, and protracted the rebellion -of Ulster until the arrival of Schomberg. Again, deaf to the entreaties -of his generals, he virtually saved the army of invasion from total -destruction, on the plea that winter and desertion would do the work of -war, on the foreigners. As time advanced, and the war assumed greater -proportions, his blunders became more glaring and more fatal. In the -spring of 1690, he sent Lord Mountcashel, the best general then in the -country, and 6,000 men, "the flower of the Irish army," to France, in -lieu of 6,000 nondescripts, under the lead of de Lausun, a man, if -not of dubious courage, of very dubious loyalty, and to sustain this -equivalent in Louis' army, sent 4,000 more the same year. He fought -the Battle of the Boyne against the counsel of his generals, and -when fortune seemed to favor his army, he lost an offered victory by -trepidity and indecision. And, now, to complete a series of blunders by -one more fatal than all: instead of sending Tyrconnell, or some other -statesman of diplomatic ability, to plead his necessities before his -"brother of France," he formed the resolution of appearing in person -at the French court, where the general rejoicing over recent victories -could only render his forlorn condition the more marked, and his suit -the more neglected. And, yet, through all, the people of Ireland loved -him, and followed him with a devotion deepened and intensified by each -successive misfortune. Her young men presented themselves in thousands, -aye, in tens of thousands, at every call for new levies, but to go -away and fold their arms, while their country was sacrificed! Such a -country! and such a king! We read the history of La Vendée in vain, for -an exemplification of the fidelity of the one; and there is no parallel -in the category of royal refugees, save that of the fabled Lear, for -the misfortunes and melo-dramatism of the other!</p> - -<p class='c000'>When he arrived in Dublin, he summoned his council, and communicated -his intention of quitting the country to solicit aid from France. It -is but justice to state that he says they were unanimous in their -approval; that de Lausun was importunate in his persuasion to that -effect, and that letters, lately received from his queen, were still -more urgent, and that so his resolution was confirmed. Ordering that -the army should rendezvous at Limerick, each colonel leading his -men thither as he might, he committed the government of the kingdom -again to Tyrconnell, and, after giving some salutary advice on the -regulation of affairs in the city until the arrival of the Prince of -Orange, he made an exposition of his principles, and of the hopes -he yet entertained of establishing them; then, in a very simple and -affecting address, he bade farewell to his friends, and left the -city under escort of two regiments of the Guards, those of Brown and -Purcell. From Dublin he proceeded to Bray, where he left those troops -to defend the bridge there in case of pursuit, and continued his route -to Wicklow, where he spent the night at the residence of a gentleman -named Hacket; from Wicklow he journeyed to Duncannon, and thence to -Waterford. The detail of this route in the "Memoirs" forms a chapter, -highly interesting and suggestive to a writer of romance, although of -little import to the general reader. It tells how on the way he was -almost startled from his propriety at every step by Messieurs de la -Hoquette, Famechon, Chamarante, and Merode, colonels in the French -contingent, who had, no doubt, been sent by de Lausun to urge him to -swifter flight; for this general had many intrigues of his own at the -French court, and, as they were spoiling in his absence, he encouraged -the king's departure as the surest way of procuring his own recall -from Ireland. But, as the subject is irrelevant here, the curious are -referred to the notes of Berwick's Memoirs, where they may contemplate -the web woven around this unfortunate king by the general for whom he -had made the powerful Louvois his inveterate enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At Waterford he heard that the French ship De Lausun, of twenty guns, -was moored at Passage, with a cargo of corn and supplies; and in this -he sailed from Waterford to Kinsale, where, after a short delay, he -embarked, and arrived at Brest on the 9th of July, escorted by the -<em>fleet of M. de Seignelay, which he met on its way to destroy William's -transports around the Irish coast</em>!</p> - -<p class='c000'>So ended the reign of James II.; and with it, virtually, the dynasty -of the Stuarts. He died at St. Germains, in France, on the 16th of -September, 1701, surviving his daughter Mary by seven years; and -on the 8th of March, 1702, his death was followed by that of the -Prince of Orange, who broke his collar-bone by a fall from his horse; -surviving his much injured father-in-law only by six months. The son -and grandson of the expatriate monarch, each in turn, tried to regain -his inheritance, but the Hanoverian line prevailed, and with Prince -Charles, "The young Chevalier," the grandson of the renowned Sobieski, -the noblest and bravest of his race, the royal house of Stuart became -extinct.</p> - -<p class='c000'>James was an ascetic and religious prince, sincerely devoted to the -Catholic religion, but perfectly tolerant of the religious doctrines -of others. A just man, generous in great things, and yet scrupulously -exacting and punctilious in small ones; a king solicitous for the -welfare of his subjects and the glory of England, but, above all, -unalterably devoted to the principle of civil and religious liberty, -which he endeavored to establish in his realms, but which the -intolerant spirit of the times prevented. He was the generous patron -and consistent friend of William Penn, and the fosterer and protector -of the American colonies, which received his charters with adulation, -and repaid them with ingratitude. He was the first and last sovereign -of England that stretched out the hand of justice towards Ireland; -and her people served him with devotion, and, notwithstanding his -many military blunders, which justify their irony, they appreciated -his motives, and their descendants recall with pity, not unmingled -with reverence, the name of this much maligned king, who, in trying -to ameliorate the condition of their country, became the victim of -intolerance, and died a discrowned exile.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two characteristics, seemingly irreconcilable, are attributed to him by -his enemies;—that he was at once an "enthusiast" and a "bigot,"—and -they may be accepted. His enthusiasm was that of a good, rather than of -a great mind; but that he was a "bigot," in the repulsive application -of that term, cannot be accepted from histories which are in themselves -but tissues woven of the darkest intolerance. "<em>Enthusiasm</em>" and -"<em>bigotry</em>" are terms much at variance; but when applied to his whole -life, they are easily reconcilable, and not unlovely. He was a <em>bigot</em> -so far as to be a firm believer in the doctrines of the Catholic -Church, but not to the extent of prescribing them as the <em>panacea</em> -for the sins of others, nor of making it penal not to believe as he -believed: and he was an <em>enthusiast</em> in so far as he imagined that he -could harmonize the discordant religious elements of the country to -abide in peace and good-will, and establish a name and an era in the -history of England to which all her people henceforth could point with -gratitude and admiration. He was a <em>bigot</em> and an <em>enthusiast</em> just to -the extent that Washington and O'Connell were bigots and enthusiasts, -and no more. The good that he intended for his own kingdom died with -him, but his principles were carried to the Western continent by the -Irish emigrants, and established there.<a name ="id37" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtyseven" id="id37"><sup>37</sup></a> He failed; not because his -object was unjust, or his reforms unnecessary, but because an evil -spirit, not yet cast out, rendered the hearts of his people obdurate -and insensate. Two things, however, that should not be forgotten, are -manifest from the history of that period and the century succeeding it: -that Ireland is the precursor and exemplar of American liberty, and -that James II. was the first, the only English king that had the true -idea of popular government; the first that had the virtue to practise -it, and was at once its apostle and its martyr.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xi-the-surrender-of-drogheda-and-dublinthe-first-siege-of-athlone"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER XI.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE SURRENDER OF DROGHEDA AND DUBLIN—THE FIRST SIEGE OF ATHLONE.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>After the departure of King James from Dublin, Colonel Simon Loutrell, -then military governor, in pursuance of the royal order, released all -the prisoners, and, assembling the principal Protestant inhabitants, -surrendered the government of the city into their hands. Those -parties having constituted a provisional governor until the arrival -of the Prince of Orange, Loutrell withdrew the Irish garrison from -the city, and marched to Leixlip, where he was joined by Tyrconnell -and De Lausun, and took up the route for Limerick. In the mean time, -the French troops had been partially disbanded. One half of them, -under De la Hoquette, had marched towards Cork to avail themselves of -transportation to France; and the other, under Brigadier De Surlaube, -brought up the rear of the Irish army, and followed De Lausun to -Limerick.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Berwick, who had remained for some days with a body of cavalry between -Drogheda and Dublin, to retard the immediate advance of the enemy on -the capital, soon after took up his march for the general rendezvous, -whither he had been preceded by the other division leaders, and in a -short time an army was assembled there exceeding by some thousands the -force that participated in the Battle of the Boyne. This, according to -the estimate of the Duke of Berwick, consisted of 4,000 cavalry, still -in good condition, and 16,000 infantry, of which only one half were -armed with muskets.</p> - -<p class='c000'>De Lausun, who had become quite disgusted with the condition of affairs -to which he had so largely contributed since his arrival, now lost -no opportunity of effecting his recall, by representing the Jacobite -cause as hopeless. Arriving at Limerick, he at once pronounced the -place untenable; commented on the forlorn condition of the troops; -the dilapidated state of its defences; ridiculed the idea of holding -it against the army of the Prince of Orange; and in the excess of -irony, declared that "his master could take it with roast-apples." -Sarsfield and Berwick thought differently. It was their principal -depot of provisions and military stores; one of the few ports of -entry that now remained in their possession, and being moreover the -key to the defences of the river, its loss would be soon followed -by the total subjugation of the island. They accordingly set their -minds on holding it to the last extremity, and being joined in this -resolution by the governor, De Boïsselau, they at once set about -strengthening its fortifications. De Lausun, finding that his motives -were understood, and that he no longer possessed the confidence or -respect of the Irish leaders, withdrew his men, military chest, and -artillery from the city, and encamped within view of it, on the Clare -side of the river, where he remained an inactive spectator of the -events that succeeded. But whatever were the motives of De Lausun, -the strait to which the city was at this time reduced could hardly be -underrated. The provisions of the garrison were quite inadequate to the -maintenance of such a force for any considerable time; its ammunition -was nearly exhausted, and there were only nine guns, and those of -inferior calibre, on its walls. The late reverse had opened up all the -country to the east of the Shannon to the arms of William, and on the -southern side, round to Cork, there was hardly a fortress capable of -offering a day's resistance. The forts of Kilkenny and Clonmel, in the -interior, which had been dismantled during the war of the Confederacy, -had been neglected during this, and could hardly retard his march from -the seaboard longer than to comply with the forms of capitulation. -Commerce, which had been hitherto carried on briskly between this -city and France, ceased as the risks increased; the shipment of -military stores was suspended; and operations in the field had become -utterly impracticable. The treasury, too, was empty. The sum of 50,000 -pistoles which the king left with Tyrconnell, was soon expended; the -troops had become clamorous for pay, and private contributions were -no longer to be obtained. The king's Catholic subjects throughout the -eastern counties, were beset by the soldiers of William, and the king -once departed, the entire Protestant population transferred their -allegiance. Still every motive of pride and interest impelled the Irish -leaders to more determined resistance, for there was now no alternative -between success and total ruin. They had indicated the Shannon as the -proper base of operations during the earlier stages of the war, and -now that they were driven to it as a necessity, its defence became -doubly imperative. Should they now fail to defend it successfully, -their former importunities would be looked on as the effect of a weak -and vacillating spirit, and the king would be more than justified in -having rejected their counsel. All these considerations stirred them to -renewed action, and the work of preparation was carried on with vigor. -In consequence of their straitened means, one of their first measures -was a reduction of the garrison. All the cavalry, and 8,000 infantry -were retained for the defence; a few regiments were distributed at the -different forts along the river up to Lanesborough, and the rest were -sent to live on the country, subject to immediate service when called -on.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the day after the Battle of the Boyne, General Mellioneire, with -8,000 men, and a battering train, approached the town of Drogheda, -still held by a Jacobite garrison of 1,300 men. The place was -immediately summoned to surrender at sight, or expect no quarter. This -was the order of the Prince of Orange, and that he meant to carry it -out to the letter, there could hardly be a doubt. The history of this -old town had furnished more than one instance of similar cruelty in his -predecessors, and there was nothing in the antecedents of William to -leave room for a doubt in favor of his greater humanity. The commandant -of the garrison, however, interpreted the message literally, and so -accepted it. The Irish army had disappeared; there was no hope of -succor; and successful resistance to such a force, supported as it -would be, if necessary, by William's entire army, was impossible. All -these considerations, duly weighed, determined the conduct of the -governor, and the garrison was accordingly surrendered. This removed -the last enemy from William's rear, and at once opened the way to -the capital. But to the great surprise and vexation of its expectant -inhabitants, he drew up his army on the ground he had won, and took a -respite of several days' duration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the withdrawal of the Jacobite authorities from Dublin, a scene -of riot and plunder took place there which threatened the safety of -the city. The Protestant mob, in defiance of all legal restraint, had -commenced to plunder the houses of the Catholic gentry. Among them, -the house of General Sarsfield became an object for special violence, -and was rifled and totally demolished. The infuriated populace fled -to the suburbs, and threatened to burn the city. Fitzgerald, the -governor, did all that he could to protect life and property, but the -riot increased in violence, and the greatest consternation prevailed -among "the better sort." In this emergency, a messenger was dispatched -to William's camp for a force sufficient to suppress these outrages, -but he turned a deaf ear to the entreaty, and continued unmoved in his -present quarters. He is accordingly much censured by the contemporary -writers of his own party, for this neglect of what they considered the -primary duty of a king who had taken them under his special protection. -But, all things considered, the Prince was not so much to blame in this -connection. The troops by whom he was surrounded, when from under his -own eye, were entirely uncontrollable. They had given proof of this -before Carrickfergus. There the presence of Schomberg was insufficient -to check their excesses, and now, had they entered the city of Dublin -during this tumult, they would but add fuel to the flame; and in this -light the conduct of the Prince might be looked on rather as an act of -forbearance than otherwise. But the truth is, that William, at that -moment, was disturbed by graver considerations than the safety of his -good citizens of Dublin. His spies at the French court, and his friends -in England, kept him duly apprised of all that transpired abroad -touching his interests. Immediately after the surrender of Drogheda, -he had received intelligence of the situation of affairs, both on the -continent and in England, since his departure, and that intelligence -was not very assuring. The career of Luxembourg; the defeat of Admiral -Torrington, and the preparations of de Seignelay, had wrought a change -in the sentiment of the English people, and his presence among them had -become a matter of pressing necessity. His fleet of transports, which -accompanied him along the coast, was now moored at Drogheda; his army -was encamped there, and his ordnance and military stores were still -at hand, and he remained there but to watch the current of events, -undecided whether to re-embark at once for England, and leave Ireland -to its fate, or to risk his hold on England, by advancing into the -country to renew a campaign but just inaugurated.—A few days, however, -decided his course.</p> - -<p class='c000'>King James tells us that his principal object in leaving Ireland -at this juncture, was to obtain a force from the French king to -make a landing in England. He also adds that he had assurances from -his friends in England, that any respectable force thrown into the -country at that time would wrest it from the dominion of William. -But his flight from his only remaining kingdom at such a juncture, -so displeased King Louis, that he utterly denied him his presence -for several days; and when at last he succeeded in obtaining an -interview through the mediation of the queen, he found that de Lausun's -misrepresentations had so completely closed the ear of the king to his -appeals, that he not only denied his request, but that he had resolved -on recalling the force already sent to Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William was duly apprised of all this, and it allayed his apprehensions -for the safety of England; so, after a few days' delay, he struck -tents, turned his steps southward, and encamping his army at Finglass, -entered the capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Parliament which assembled to meet him, presented a marked contrast -to that of the preceding years of this war. The latter was earnestly -intent on securing the liberty of the country and the religious freedom -of all the denominations, and on having them secured by constitutional -enactments; while the total extirpation of the Catholic faith, and the -immediate confiscation of the estates of those still in arms for their -rightful sovereign, alone could satisfy the former. William adopted a -half-way measure, and one which was more likely to subserve his own -interests. The confiscation of course became necessary, not only to -satisfy his new subjects of Ireland, but also to reward his Dutch and -foreign mercenaries; and it accordingly received his sanction. But the -extermination of the people did not suit his views. The population of -the country was already greatly reduced; and besides, 'tis said that -William was opposed to persecution for conscience' sake. However, it -became necessary, if possible, to detach the people from their leaders. -While their interests were identified, the success of his arms was -doubtful, and accordingly, a proclamation was prepared, subjecting the -leaders to all the penalty of rebels in arms, and offering an amnesty -to the artisan and laboring classes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following extract, from an impartial historian of the times, will -give a brief outline of the parliamentary proceedings of that period: -"His first measures after his arrival in the capital were highly -impolitic, if not unjust. He promised, by a declaration, to pardon and -protect such of the lower sort as should in a limited time surrender -their arms; but he excepted the gentry, whom he resolved to abandon to -all the rigors of war and conquest. He issued a commission for seizing -all their estates and effects, though no court of judicature was open -to proceed against them. The commissioners executed their power with -the utmost rigor. They even ruined a country which they endeavored to -appropriate to themselves. Public misery, persecution, and confusion -prevailed everywhere. The king himself was either not sincere in -his offers of mercy to the vulgar, or he possessed no authority to -restrain the license of his army. His declaration was disregarded, his -protections slighted. Revenge, wantonness, and avarice induced men to -break through every form of decency and every tie of faith. Despair -animated the Irish to a renewal of hostilities, as submission produced -nothing but oppression and injustice."<a name ="id38" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtyeight" id="id38"><sup>38</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>Those measures were at the same time sagacious and cruel, and such as -would have disunited any other people than those to whom they were -now applied. They exempted the men of no property, but marked out -all others for total ruin; and had there been no other principle at -issue than the individual merits of William and James, it is hard to -tell what their effect on the artisan and laboring classes might have -been. But the clan system was not yet entirely eradicated from the -minds of the people. Most of the private soldiery in the Irish army -were men attached to their leaders by all the memories and ties which -that system engenders, and the wrongs of those leaders were resented -as their own individual wrongs. It is true that this system was dying -out; but this war, which was waged for the maintenance of a common -faith, served also to revive the ties of kindred and of clan, and it -is probable, that had James succeeded in re-establishing his power in -England, the feudal system of Ireland would have been revived in many, -if not all, its forms. Therefore, in leaving the men of estate no -choice between ruin and success, William utterly failed in his object -of detaching the people from their leaders. On the contrary, they clung -to them with greater fidelity than ever; and drawn back behind the -Shannon, as their last line of defence, they submitted their cause to -the arbitrament of the sword, and set the enemy at defiance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a short stay in Dublin, William determined to press the real -object of his mission. He reviewed his army at Finglass, and mapped out -his plan of operations. His own command, and that of Duke Schomberg -at the Boyne, were to proceed along the coast, and after subjecting -the eastern counties to his sway, turn westward for the reduction of -Limerick. In the mean time, General Douglas, who now commanded that -part of the army which had been hitherto led by Count Schomberg,<a name ="id39" class="fnrefer" href="#idthirtynine" id="id39"><sup>39</sup></a> was -to proceed westward from Dublin, capture the fortress of Athlone, and -then join the main army at Limerick.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The march of Douglas across the country was marked by the most -revolting excesses, and scarce had he lost sight of the capital, when -the people's eyes were opened to the sort of amnesty intended for them. -Depending on the proclamation of William, those to whom it was extended -at first remained in their homes, but found that its provisions were -disregarded both by the general and his soldiers. The Protestant -population fared no better than the Catholics, the houses of all were -indiscriminately plundered and given to the flames, and themselves -mercilessly slain, without regard to sex or condition. His march could -be tracked by the cries of his victims through the day, and at night -by the light of the burnings. In this manner he advanced through the -most fertile and populous districts, spreading death and desolation as -he went. A report of these barbarities spread through the country, and -roused the spirit of revenge. The Rapparees inflicted some losses on -his outposts, but there was no organized force then east of the Shannon -capable of offering effectual resistance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Athlone was at this time garrisoned by a Jacobite force of 800 men, -under the command of Colonel Richard Grace, a veteran of the last civil -war. The life of this soldier was a stormy and eventful one. He seems -to have been one of those who, like Bayard, stand out from time to time -among men, as an example of fidelity and heroism. A colonel in 1645, -and a colonel still, he had spent the interval in war—France, Spain, -and Ireland being each in turn the field of his adventures. Twice, -in youth, he had successfully defended Athlone against the arms of -Cromwell, and again he stood there, in his eightieth year, as vigorous -and agile as any of his command, to defend its walls against the -assaults of this sanguinary general.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Douglas advanced with all the assurance of certain success, and -appeared before the town on the 11th of July. He was, however, -surprised to find that the part of it east of the river had been given -to the flames, its walls demolished, the bridge broken down, and -the castle on the western side in a formidable state of defence. He -halted before the walls, and immediately sent in a herald to demand a -surrender. The governor, roused to indignation by the atrocities of -Douglas, flashed his pistol in the face of the herald, and, pointing to -a red flag which he had hoisted, said: "These are my terms; these only -will I give or take." The herald departed, and the governor retired to -animate his soldiers for the impending contest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On receipt of this answer, Douglas lost no time, but, erecting -his batteries over against the castle, opened a heavy cannonade. -The garrison replied with a spirit and vigor that astonished the -besiegers: their guns were dismounted, their works demolished, and -several of their men and their best gunner were killed. Again and -again they trimmed their works and renewed the enfilade, but with a -like result—the castle was impregnable to direct operations. Seeing -this, Douglas ordered a detachment of 3,000, horse and foot, to force -a passage of the river at Lanesborough, about ten or twelve miles to -the north of the town, at the head of Lough Ree. On their arrival -there they found the ford intrenched on the opposite side, and a -strong body of troops drawn up to receive them; and after a vigorous -attempt to force a passage, they were repulsed with considerable -loss, and the project was abandoned. On their return they were beset -at every point by those desultory bands that traversed the country, -and harassed up to the camp, losing many men and horses on their way. -The unsoldierlike conduct of Douglas now began to have its effect. He -had marched as if to certain victory, devastating every thing in his -path, and making no preparation for a sustained siege. Owing to his -sanguinary character, the people, both Catholic and Protestant, now -shunned his camp; his provisions and provender were soon consumed, and -he had to send out foraging parties daily, to levy on the surrounding -country. But these were ambushed at every available point by the -Rapparees, who also burned and destroyed in their turn; so that his -subsistence soon became precarious, and his situation more like one -besieged than one besieging. In this critical condition, he determined -to force a passage across the river at a ford below the town; but in -this he was also foiled; for the governor, apprised of his intention, -had it protected by strong earthworks, and the project was abandoned -as desperate. For seven days the siege continued with unabated vigor -on the part of the besiegers, but with a like result; every succeeding -day rendered success more hopeless. It was now reported that General -Sarsfield was advancing from Limerick with a strong force to raise the -siege. Whether this report was true or false, the narratives of the -times do not affirm; but Douglas accepted it as true, and shaped his -conduct accordingly. Not deeming it prudent to remain any longer before -the town, he decamped on the night of the 26th, abandoning his heavy -baggage, and avoiding the highways, lest he might encounter the enemy -on his way.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The condition of the Protestant population was now worse than -before. Hitherto they had received ample protection, nothing more -being required of them than to remain peaceable subjects. But on the -appearance of this army they had declared for the Prince of Orange, and -having forfeited their former claim, they believed that retaliatory -measures would be instituted when the army of Douglas was withdrawn. -They had experience enough to convince them of their folly, and to -satisfy them that they were safer at the mercy of the rudest of their -countrymen, than as the camp-followers of a general who had already -violated all the rules of civilized warfare. But their fears outran -their discretion; many of them followed the retreating army, and -received the treatment which characterized the foreign soldiery of -William throughout this war; while others, adopting the wiser course, -remained in the town, and received the accustomed protection.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Douglas could not have taken a worse route than that which he now -selected. The country through which he passed was studded with woods -and thickets. Innumerable rivers traversed it on all hands, and immense -tracts of bog extended across his line of march, rendering continual -deviations from the direct course imperative. He was beset on all hands -by marauding parties of the Rapparees, who took bloody reprisals, with -that total recklessness of life which had now become characteristic -of these homeless wanderers. He had lost four hundred men at Athlone. -Several skirmishes are related in which he lost from fifty to two -hundred; and though his entire loss cannot now be definitely stated, -it could not have fallen short of 1,000 men. Followed and beset on -all hands, both by day and by night, after a most harassing march of -fourteen days he formed a junction with the Prince of Orange, who had -reached Caherconlish on his way to Limerick.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Prince and his general had very different results to compare. -The march of the former had been one of uninterrupted success. -Kilkenny, Waterford, Duncannon, Clonmel, and all the intermediate -places, had surrendered in succession, without even a check to mar -the conquest of the Boyne, while that of Douglas had been one of -continual disaster,—showing the only reverses that the Prince's -arms had sustained since his arrival in the country. But if their -military exploits were dissimilar, their catalogues of crime closely -assimilated; for the same wanton outrages marked the footsteps of the -Prince and his general. As William advanced from Dublin, he threw out -detachments on all sides that plundered and laid waste the country, and -slaughtered the defenceless inhabitants. Roused by the excesses of his -soldiers, the people set upon them wherever they were found in detached -bodies; and, neither giving nor asking quarter, no day went by without -its tale of wanton aggression on the one side, and deadly revenge on -the other.<a name ="id40" class="fnrefer" href="#idforty" id="id40"><sup>40</sup></a><br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xii-the-siege-of-limerick"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER XII.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE SIEGE OF LIMERICK.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The city of Limerick, at the time of William's invasion, consisted, as -it does at the present time, of three distinct divisions, or towns. -One of these was on the right bank of the Shannon, in the County -Clare; one on the left bank, in the County Limerick; and the third on -King's Island, which is formed by the branching of the river about -a mile above the city. The part on King's Island was known as the -Englishtown; that on the Limerick side was designated the Irishtown, -and two bridges connected that on the Island with the other two -sections,—one bridge leading to each.<a name ="id41" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortyone" id="id41"><sup>41</sup></a> Holding a commanding position -between the most fertile portions of two loyal provinces, and standing -at the head of ship navigation, the military advantages of this city -could scarcely be overrated; but the well-known loyalty of the people, -the great difficulties that beset the king, and the exhausted state -of his exchequer, through every phase of this war, had caused it to -be neglected; and its defences were not at all in keeping with its -strategic importance. It had, according to the Duke of Berwick, on his -arrival there after the Battle of the Boyne, "no other fortification -than a wall without ramparts, and a few miserable towers without -ditches." But the month that had since elapsed had not been wasted; -the old walls had been strengthened, and such new works devised as -were allowed by the means at the disposal of the generals. The troops -worked with a will corresponding to the exigency, the people shared -their means cheerfully with them; and the gallant defence made during -the preceding war against the arms of General Ireton, imparted hope -and courage as the crisis drew near. The cursory view of this period -to which these pages are limited, will not admit of a more minute -detail of the disposition which had been made to meet the impending -contest, than the following imperfect summary: A covered way had been -constructed round the wall, to protect the soldiers in passing from -point to point; St. John's Gate—the principal one of the city—which -opened towards the south-east, had been strengthened on the outer side -by a redoubt and some angular palisades filled with earth, and on the -inner side by a fort called "The Black Battery;" a bastion had been -erected near the bridge connecting the English and Irish town; and an -earthen fort constructed on King's Island, the guns of which flanked -the counterscarp, and raked the eastern front of the wall as far as -the main gate. A tower on the southern angle of the wall mounted three -guns; the redoubt opposite St. John's Gate mounted two; there were two -on the bastion near the bridge, and the fort on King's Island, probably -mounted two more.<a name ="id42" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortytwo" id="id42"><sup>42</sup></a> Eight thousand infantry manned those works; some -regiments of dragoons occupied the island; the rest of the cavalry -were disposed on the Clare side of the river, some below the city, at -Annabeg, and some in the direction of O'Brien's Bridge, above it,—the -branch of the river that separated the towns was easily fordable, and -there were many fords on the main channel between that and Kilaloe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the Prince of Orange reviewed his army at Finglass, before his -departure from Dublin, it was 40,000 strong; and after his junction -with Douglas at Caherconlish, it is estimated, on good authority, as -"38,000 effective men."<a name ="id43" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortythree" id="id43"><sup>43</sup></a> The disparity in numbers between it and -the Jacobite army was very great; but in resources, appointments, and -artillery, it was still greater, and such as to leave little doubt of -William's success.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 8th of August, this army appeared within view of the city, -on the eastern side, while de Lausun, who had, during the interval, -occupied the position already indicated, on the western side, decamped, -and marched his command to Galway, whence he shortly after sailed for -France. On the 9th, William approached the city slowly and cautiously, -bearing the Irish outposts before him, and took up his position between -St. John's Gate and King's Island, within cannon range of the wall. His -lines were soon extended to the right and left; the latter position -being occupied by the Danes, who are said to have expressed great -satisfaction at the sight of an old Danish fort that had escaped the -changes of seven centuries, and reminded them at once of the sway of -their ancestors over the island—and, mayhap, of the king by whose -valor their power had been eventually overthrown.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Tyrconnell was still commander-in-chief of the Irish army, but the -military conduct of affairs within the city mainly devolved on -Sarsfield and the Duke of Berwick; and as William sat down before -their walls, the latter requested Tyrconnell to place the cavalry at -his disposal, and that he would cross the Shannon, make a circuit of -the country in William's rear, destroy his magazines and supplies -up to Dublin, and so reduce him to the necessity of decamping. In -referring to this proposition in his Memoirs, the Duke says: "As -all the towns in the country were open, and without defence, I was -morally certain of succeeding in my enterprise; and as to getting -back, which was objected, the knowledge I had of the country had -already suggested to me by what means it might be effected. I had no -doubt of making my way into the North, and returning to our quarters -by Sligo." But Tyrconnell, fearing to part with all his cavalry at -such a critical moment, represented to him that it would leave the -river between Limerick and Kilaloe exposed, and as they were the only -protection against a flank movement of the enemy in that direction, he -discountenanced the adventure.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When William had made the necessary disposition of his forces, he sent -a regular summons to the governor—de Boïsselau—for the surrender -of the city, but to this a polite answer was returned through his -secretary, to the effect, that he could not comply with the demand; -that he was there to defend the city for King James; and that he was -resolved to do it, in such a manner as to win the respect of his -master, the Prince of Orange. William lost no time in putting this -resolution to the test, and had soon made all the dispositions for a -regular siege. His main body rested nearly opposite to St. John's Gate, -with the Danish troops well extended, encircling the city round on -the south and south-west; and his right towards King's Island, with a -division opposite to the bridge that connected it with the Irish town. -Batteries were soon constructed, bearing on those different points, -and, establishing his headquarters in Ireton's tower, which commanded a -view of the entire front, he opened a fierce and incessant cannonade. -The spirited reply of the besieged soon convinced him that they had set -their minds on defending their city to the last extremity, and that the -siege would be protracted and desperate. The batteries on King's Island -were particularly troublesome; the guns there being so well served, -that they did great execution on his right and centre, and after a -short time, the former was compelled to withdraw from the river, and -the latter to shift ground and heighten its defences. Finding, after -a bombardment of two days, that he had inflicted no serious damage, -William relaxed his fire on the wall, directed his mortars against the -interior of the town, and dispatched orders to Clonmel to hasten up his -battering train and pontoons, which had been conveyed by the fleet to -Waterford, and were now on their way to his camp.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This intelligence being communicated to the governor by a French -officer who had deserted from William, Sarsfield conceived the bold -design of intercepting the convoy, destroying the train, and compelling -the abandonment of the siege. With this intent, he opened the matter -to the deputy; but the latter, being in continual fear of disasters, -discountenanced the project, as he had that of Berwick. But Sarsfield, -insisting with great earnestness, Tyrconnell at last yielded his -assent, and placed eight hundred horse dragoons at his command. From -those he selected five hundred men, and having secured the service -of some Rapparee guides, to whom all the by-ways of the country were -known, he held them in reserve until night would favor his departure -without the knowledge of the enemy. The exploit was both difficult and -dangerous:—over thirty miles of country, traversed by innumerable -small rivers, lay before him; two branches of the Slieve-Phelim -mountains stretched across his route; and in order to avoid suspicion, -and keep the enemy unapprised of his absence, it was necessary to shun -the highways and traverse the least frequented parts of the country. -The enemy's scouts were thrown out for several miles to the east; his -cavalry were foraging in all directions through the day; and the least -inadvertence would cause the failure of the undertaking, and cut him -off from the city, or perhaps entail the destruction of his entire -command.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Darkness had settled over camp and city as Sarsfield crossed the -Thomond Bridge, and followed his Rapparee guides into the open country -beyond. For some time he pursued his course northward, in order to -avoid the road by the river, the cavalry of William being extended -as far as O'Brien's Bridge; but when distance removed apprehension, -he wheeled eastward at Fahy, urged his command to greater speed, -and crossed the bridge of Kilaloe towards midnight. He then struck -southward through Newport and Murruo, crossed the Dead River and its -tributaries, and as morning dawned, ambushed in the mountain district, -about two miles north of the route from Clonmel to Limerick. Here he -threw forward his scouts in the direction of Clonmel, to watch the -convoy and give timely notice of its approach; but the day passed on, -and the night was somewhat advanced, when the lumbering train at last -appeared, and halted at a short distance from the place of ambush. The -men were now within seven miles of their own camp; the little chapel -of Ballyneety, which stood near the roadside, offered a pleasant -resting-place; and being in no apprehension of danger, they resolved to -bivouac there for the night, and reach the camp early on the following -morning. Having made their arrangements and lit their fires, they -betook themselves to rest, and were soon wrapped in slumber around -and within the walls of the ruin, when the Rapparees, who had watched -them throughout the day, taking note of their numbers and disposition, -repaired to the general and informed him that the hour had come, and -the word was "Sarsfield." The assault that followed was a complete -surprise to the enemy, who offered but an ineffectual resistance. In a -few minutes over sixty of them were slain, the rest put to flight, and -Sarsfield turned his attention to the main object of the expedition. -The cannon, eight in number, were loaded to the muzzles and buried -deep in the earth: around and over those were pressed the ammunition -and ball: over them were laid the chests, wagons, and carriages: the -tin boats were next destroyed and placed on top: a train was then -laid, and the troop-horses, and all that was portable, were secured -and started in advance: and last of all, Sarsfield, with his own hand, -lit the train and retired. Then followed that terrible explosion, -which is said to have shaken the earth for fifteen miles around, and -startled the Prince of Orange in his camp. But, notwithstanding the -precautions taken by Sarsfield, his movements had not been unobserved. -An Irish Williamite, named Manus O'Brien, had met the detachment on -its way towards Kilaloe, and divining that it was on some expedition -of importance, hastened to the English camp, and requested an audience -of the Prince. He succeeded after considerable delay, and communicated -his intelligence; but the Prince, though suspecting at once the design -of Sarsfield, looked on it as futile, and took no further notice at -the time; yet, as the night waned, he sent out Sir John Lanier, with -five hundred horse, to meet the convoy, and ordered the fords of the -river to be well guarded to intercept the Irish troops on their return. -The delay of O'Brien was providential. Lanier had got within a short -distance of the place when he heard the explosion, and pressed on with -the hope of intercepting the enemy, but only reached the ground as -Sarsfield retired. Warned by the appearance of Lanier that it would be -dangerous to return as he had come, he changed his course, passed to -the east of the Keeper mountains, and holding his way through Upper -and Lower Ormond, he, on the following evening, reached the town of -Banagher,<a name ="id44" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortyfour" id="id44"><sup>44</sup></a> a distance of more than forty miles, where he halted to -recruit his men, and returned through Galway and Clare without the loss -of a man.<a name ="id45" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortyfive" id="id45"><sup>45</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>This event roused the spirits of the besieged army, and mainly -contributed to its final success. It also raised the fame of Sarsfield -among the officers of rank, and left him without a rival in the -affection of the soldiers. Known before only as a dashing leader of -dragoons, he was from that day forward the idol of the populace, and -through every change, or good or ill, his name has been a household -word with his countrymen in every clime. Nor were the fame of this -exploit and the successful defence of Athlone long in reaching King -James; they were the first good tidings he had received since his -departure, and they gave him assurance to press his suit at the French -court. In due time Sarsfield was promoted to the rank of Major-General, -and eventually created Earl of Lucan, Viscount of Tully, and Baron of -Rosberry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By this feat, which happened towards the morning of the 13th, William's -operations were greatly impeded; but ever provident, he was still -the master, and, not like his rival, the slave of circumstances. At -the end of another week, the loss was supplied by a train still more -formidable than that destroyed, nor did their loss cause the cessation -of hostilities for a single day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two of the guns found among the <em>débris</em> at Ballyneety were still -fit for use, and with these, his mortars, and field-train, he -continued the bombardment, and by the 17th, he had pushed his lines of -circumvallation close to the walls of the city. Nor were the besieged -less active or determined in their resistance; every foot of the ground -was dearly purchased, and no day went by without a sortie of the most -desperate character. One of these, which occurred between the 17th and -20th, was of so novel a character as to demand a passing notice. As -William's lines approached close to the walls, the fire from within was -so fierce as to compel the soldiers to lie close within their trenches -during the night. Those opposite the sally-port, between the bridge -and St. John's Gate, were occupied by two regiments: the Blue Dutch -and the British, between whom no very friendly feelings existed. The -Irish, to whom this was known, taking advantage of the darkness, made -a lodgement in one of the traverses, and threw in a stealthy fire on -the Dutch. The latter seeing no enemy, and observing the British by the -flash of the muskets, believed the fire came from them, and answered -it by a deadly volley. This was immediately returned, and the two -regiments commenced a murderous fire on each other, while the Irish, -as occasion offered, directed a volley at each of them. After several -had fallen victims to their own stupidity, the real cause was detected -by one of the English generals, and troops were brought up to correct -the evil, and chastise the authors of it; but these seeing the place -getting too hot for them, rushed from their ambush and reached the -city with little loss. The affray between the British and Dutch was -not easily reconciled. The confusion of languages baffled, for some -time, all attempts at explanation, and hostilities continued until both -regiments were placed under arrest, and fresh troops stationed in the -trenches. The blunder created great mirth among the Irish soldiers, but -the besiegers redoubled their vigilance, and surprise was thenceforth -a matter of impossibility. The most serious engagement that occurred -after this, took place about the 22d, and was forced by the besieged -for the purpose of destroying William's heavy guns before they could be -got into position. Issuing out in force, at mid-day, they assailed the -enemy's centre with such vigor that they drove it from the trenches; -the Prince, who was present, retreated towards his quarters; but -falling in his hurry, he had scarcely arisen when a cannonball tore up -the very spot on which he had fallen, and after receiving a serious -contusion from a fragment of a rock, splintered by the shot, he was -carried to Ireton's Tower, nor did he appear again until the final -assault. But the sortie ended in the repulse of the besieged, and the -guns were rescued and placed in position.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was the last sally from the garrison. The siege was now pressed -with terrible energy by the besiegers, and the besieged, no less -determined, addressed themselves to resist the final assault which now -appeared imminent. By the 24th, William's entire artillery had been -brought to bear on every vulnerable point within range, while his lines -of circumvallation drew closer and closer to the walls. Six batteries -lay along his entire front, disposed, according to his historian, -in the following manner: The first, of eight eighteen-pounders, -bore against the southern angle of the wall, opposite to the Danish -quarters; the second, of eight twenty-fours, against St. John's Gate -and the Black Battery which stood within the city behind it; the third, -of twelve field-pieces, against the sally-port which opened near -the bridge; and the fourth and fifth, of four heavy guns each—the -former against the bridge itself, and the latter against the bastion -which stood near it on the left—while behind them a floor had been -constructed for a battery of four mortars, which poured a stream of -red-hot shot and shell on every prominent object beyond the wall. -Day and night, the fire from all was sustained with unabated vigor, -until the 27th, when the outer works, before St. John's Gate, were -demolished, and a breach, two hundred yards in width, was effected in -the wall, opening up the very heart of the city, when William slackened -his fire and again summoned it to surrender.<a name ="id46" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortysix" id="id46"><sup>46</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>The besieged were now hard pressed;—the trenches of the besiegers -were within two toises<a name ="id47" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortyseven" id="id47"><sup>47</sup></a> of the palisades in front of the breach, and -overlooked them, so that they had but to step over to find themselves -on the level and unobstructed area around the city gate. The Irish fort -on King's Island, which until now had thrown a slanting fire across -the enemy's right, was dismantled and its guns removed to the Black -Battery to defend the breach; the wall, along its whole front, was -rendered untenable to the musketeers; and the cavalry were withdrawn -across the river, for the guns bearing on the bridge threatened the -destruction of their only line of communication. Still, the English -town itself was impregnable, being situated on low ground, which could -be easily inundated by a flood-gate on the main channel of the river; -the English cavalry, too, had been withdrawn from the island, and the -whole fury of their guns concentrated on the Irish town. Such was the -condition of the garrison when de Boïsselau received the second summon -from the Prince of Orange, and, believing that further resistance was -useless, he consulted the Irish generals and advised them to accept an -accommodation. But he was opposed by the general voice. The soldiers -were unanimous for resistance to the last; the citizens appealed -against a surrender; the women declared that they would rather be -torn piecemeal by the artillery than be subject to the barbarities -of William's soldiers. The general voice prevailed, and de Boïsselau -withdrawing from the city, declined further responsibility.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The herald was accordingly dismissed with an indignant refusal to the -Prince's message, when the bombardment was again renewed, and active -preparations were made for storming the city. For this purpose William -selected 10,000 men from the different regiments, and formed them into -supporting columns, under leaders of approved valor and experience. -Five hundred British grenadiers were to lead the assault; the Dutch -and Danish troops were to follow, and be sustained by the Huguenots in -turn, while the Brandenburgers, English and Enniskilleners, were to -bring up the rear. Biding these preparations, the artillery was to keep -up its fire along the whole line, and when it ceased, three guns, fired -in rapid succession, was to put all in motion, and be the signal of -assault.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Meanwhile the Irish generals had made the best disposition of their -force to meet the impending event. The bulk of their infantry was -divided into four columns: two drawn back on each side of the breach, -so that each of the opposite columns could meet promptly in front or -rear of the assailing parties; the musketeers were posted in every -available position on the wall, and the guns of the Black Battery were -loaded with grape to rake the breach as they entered. Farther back, -near the square of the city, a body was held in reserve to support -the battery, and to give succor wherever it became necessary, while -Brigadier Talbot, with five hundred of the Guards, was posted on the -right, to guard against any surprise from the enemy in that quarter. -The streets were filled with citizens armed with every available -weapon, and with groups of women, the sad spectators of the approaching -conflict.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was three o'clock in the afternoon when the fire of the enemy's -cannon ceased along the whole line, and the assaulting columns, in -their varicolored uniforms of buff, blue, and scarlet, moved down -to the intrenchments as gayly as if on parade, and halted. The fire -within the town also ceased, and an ominous silence settled over the -scene, the combatants on each side, standing with bated breath, and as -motionless as statues. An unusual drought prevailed,—not a drop of -rain had fallen for three weeks;<a name ="id48" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortyeight" id="id48"><sup>48</sup></a> the weather was intensely hot, and -the sun threw a flood of unobstructed light upon dome and spire, while -the river glided away through its autumnal foliage, as placid as if -peace had returned and war should revisit it no more. Some time passed -on, and suspense was becoming painful, when the signal: one! two! -three! pealed forth. The British grenadiers were over the palisades in -a twinkling, hurling their destructive missiles, and followed by the -Dutch Guards, while the cannon rang out again along the whole front, -excepting the point of assault. So quick was the movement, that the -Irish troops, though awaiting it, were actually taken by surprise, -and the grenadiers had reached the breach before they met with any -opposition. Here, they were checked by a shower of grape that did great -execution; still they pressed on with a headlong impulse, mounted the -breach, and passed the first line of guards drawn up to oppose them. -But they were destined to go no farther; another storm of grape tore -through their ranks, the Irish Guards closed in on them, front and -rear, cutting them off from their supports, and assailing them with -such fury that in a short time they were nearly all slain, only four -or five escaping out of this gallant body, which was reckoned the -flower of the English army. The Dutch Guards pressed boldly on, and -under the eye of their Prince, performed prodigies of valor; several -times they bore back the defenders from the breach, and were as often -repulsed through it; but being continually reinforced from the other -divisions outside, the Irish troops were gradually forced back into -the city, where they divided right and left, still disputing every -inch of the way. William now threw forward a Brandenburg regiment to -storm the Black Battery, and, filling up the breach with his remaining -columns, prepared to enter the city. While this conflict raged along -the widening expanse inside, the fire of the enemy's batteries was -unabated; the soldiers were driven from the parapets; the populace -from the house-tops; the city was on fire in several places, and "it -seemed," says an eye-witness, "as if the heavens were rent, and the -smoke that arose from the town reached, in one continued cloud, to the -top of a mountain six miles off."</p> - -<p class='c000'>The whole storming force was now engaged within the breach, and -the way was literally strewn with its dead and wounded; but the -besieged, despite the most heroic resistance, were gradually borne -back by the heavy masses continually hurled on them, inspiring -redoubled energy with every accession. The Brandenburg regiment had -captured the battery, and, having seized the guns, were turning -them against its defenders, who were retreating from it in apparent -consternation. William, who now stood at Ireton's Tower, looked on in -proud anticipation of success; the city seemed completely within his -grasp, and pushing forward his last reserve, he viewed exultantly the -engagement which was to complete his triumph.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was now near seven o'clock; the sun was sinking behind the western -headlands, and still the battle raged with unabated fury. Throughout -the long hours of this sanguinary conflict, the populace, men and -women, stood by in painful suspense, watching the tide of fortune as -it stood or swayed before them, and now it became manifest that every -effort of valor was exhausted, and the doom of their city at last was -sealed. Oppressed by odds, their brave defenders were giving way, and -the battery, the last obstruction to the advancing foe, was in the -possession of the Brandenburgers. A wild cry of despair rung up from -all; their last hope was gone: at this moment a terrific explosion -shook the city to its centre; a dark cloud overspread the combatants, -and clearing away, it was seen that the mine beneath the battery had -been sprung, and the whole Brandenburg regiment had been blown to atoms!</p> - -<p class='c000'>Consternation seized on the besiegers; even the besieged, though -expecting the event, were for a moment astonished, and each stood -as it were paralyzed and watching each other in amazement. But the -advantage was not lost; the men braced themselves again for the -contest, the women rushed forward, calling on the men to follow, and -with one impulse threw themselves in front of the enemy. The effect was -electric; all caught the inspiration; generals, soldiers, citizens; -all, with one desperate effort, hurled themselves on the masses of -William, and bore them back bodily through the breach. In the mean -time Brigadier Talbot, anticipating the result, led his men round the -outside of the wall, and attacking the rear of the assaulting force -with great spirit, put it into inextricable confusion; panic-stricken, -they fled precipitately from the city, pursued to their camp by the -victorious Irish—and Limerick was saved.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The loss of William in this day's action was 2,000 men and one hundred -and fifty-eight officers killed, and his casualties through the -preceding eighteen days are estimated at 3,000 more. The loss of the -besieged is nowhere definitely stated; but in the final assault they -lost four hundred killed and wounded,—a small number for so great a -result. But, as if to give a mournful grandeur to the event, many of -the noble daughters of the city lay side by side in death with the men -whose sterner natures they had animated to victory!</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the battle, William sent an ensign into the town for leave -to bury his dead; this being refused, he dismounted his batteries, -withdrew his army, and prepared to retreat, for he could no longer -continue the siege, as matters of a pressing nature demanded his -presence in England, and should the news of this defeat precede him the -consequences might be serious. His Irish adherents entreated him not -to leave them with the conquest of the country uncompleted, and the -leaders of his foreign army besought him to the same effect: but he -turned a deaf ear to their entreaties. A deputation of the soldiers, -both native and foreign, headed by the ecclesiastics, waited on him, -and promised still greater efforts if he remained among them; but his -resolution was unchanged. Annoyed by their importunities and chagrined -by defeat, he gave vent to that exclamation which English historians -have industriously suppressed: "Yes," said he; "if I had this handful -of men who defend the place against you, and that you were all within -it, I would take it in spite of you!"<a name ="id49" class="fnrefer" href="#idfortynine" id="id49"><sup>49</sup></a>—A censure so caustic, and a -eulogium so grand, render comment unnecessary.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before retreating he set fire to his hospital, in which there were -many invalids; but the Irish soldiers issued from the city, suppressed -the flames, and saved the wretched victims. It is hard to credit, even -on the authority of historians distinguished for wide research and -cautious investigation, an act of such cold-blooded atrocity; and yet -his conduct, during his retreat, was of a character that would seem to -corroborate it.<a name ="id50" class="fnrefer" href="#idfifty" id="id50"><sup>50</sup></a> "The curse of Cromwell" was repeated, the peasantry -were murdered, their lands laid waste, and their homes given to the -flames; so that the fertile district between Limerick and Clonmel was -a scene of death and desolation. Committing the command of the army to -the Count de Solmes, with Ginkle as second in command, he proceeded -under escort to Waterford, whence, accompanied by Prince George of -Denmark, and the Dukes of Ormond and Wurtemberg, he sailed for England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though the theme of many a glowing eulogy, William's campaign in -Ireland was not such as to exalt his name, either as a statesman or a -soldier. The victory of the Boyne, had he taken that advantage of it -which a great military mind would not have failed to take, might have -led to the total suppression of the war within a month; and his short -sojourn among the Irish representatives of that day, marked only by -pusillanimity and cruelty, shows him entirely devoid of statesmanship. -If, without dividing his army, after his first success, he had turned -aside from the capital, and pressed the rear of the retiring army, -he could have gained some of the passes of the Shannon, or perhaps -have anticipated the enemy at Limerick, and ended the war without -another blow. The truth is, his career, in this connection, was a very -inglorious one. His doubt and hesitation after the Boyne were scarce -less remarkable than those of Schomberg, which he so severely censured. -Through indecision and delay, he gave his enemy time to recuperate -for that memorable siege which checked his career, jeopardized his -chance of eventual success, and sent him back to his newly acquired -kingdom, to be humiliated before his Parliament; divested of nearly all -popularity, and humbled before his courtiers by an aspiring subject.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xiii-arrival-of-the-duke-of-marlboroughthe-sieges-of-cork-and-kinsale"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER XIII.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH—THE SIEGES OF CORK AND KINSALE.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>While the events just narrated had been passing in Ireland, King James -remained at the court of France, endeavoring to win King Louis' consent -to his favorite plan of invading England in the absence of the Prince -of Orange. Having failed in this through the persistent opposition of -the French minister, he turned his attention once more to his affairs -in Ireland, and requested an expedition to sustain his arms in that -country. But the misrepresentations of De Lausun had so warped the -mind of this sovereign, that in this he was equally unsuccessful; and -finding himself unable to awaken the interest of Louis, or to change -the mind of his minister, he gave way to despondency, and remained a -passive spectator of surrounding events. In this exigency the Duke of -Tyrconnell determined to present himself at the court of Versailles, -and plead the cause of his country. The successful defence of Athlone -and Limerick furnished him with arguments that her cause was not yet -hopeless; and the favor hitherto shown him by the French monarch, -led him to believe that his suit would not be unfavorably received. -So, having constituted a council of three lords-justices and sixteen -senators, to conduct the civil affairs of the nation, and appointed the -Duke of Berwick as deputy, with Sarsfield as his second in military -command, he left the city in company with De Boïsselau, the late -governor, and joined De Lausun at Galway, where he embarked for France -on an important mission.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Scarcely had he departed from the city when the spirit of discontent -became manifest in the council and among the leaders of the army. -Believing, or affecting to believe, that the deputy was indifferent -to their wants and grievances, and had abandoned the country to its -fate, they resolved to send a deputation to France to represent their -policy, and urged the Duke of Berwick to sanction their proceedings. He -opposed the design for some time; but the excitement daily increasing, -he was forced to acquiesce in order to restore the general harmony. -"Accordingly," says he, "I summoned all the principal lords, as well -of the clergy as the laity, and all the military officers down to the -colonels, inclusive, to attend me.... I proposed to them the Bishop of -Cork, the two Luttrells, and Colonel Purcell. My choice was unanimously -approved, and a few days after I dispatched my deputies. At the same -time I sent Brigadier Maxwell, a Scotchman, to explain to the king -my reasons for appointing this deputation, and to beg of him not to -suffer either Brigadier Luttrell or Colonel Purcell to return: they -were the two most dangerous incendiaries, and I had chosen them on -purpose to get them out of the way. When these gentlemen were got on -board, they conceived a suspicion that Maxwell might be charged with -some instructions relating to them, for which they proposed to throw -him overboard, but were prevented by the bishop and the elder Luttrell. -The first was a prelate of distinguished piety; the other was of an -obliging disposition, and always appeared to me to be a man of honor. -Notwithstanding Maxwell's representations, the king permitted these -gentlemen to return to Ireland. Tyrconnell consented to it, but he had -reason to repent of it after."<a name ="id51" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftyone" id="id51"><sup>51</sup></a> Such were the inauspicious signs, too -plainly indicative of a divided interest, and such the difficulties -that beset the deputy in this, perhaps, the greatest emergency of his -country. But undeterred by the party intrigue of the hour, he addressed -himself to the duty of his embassy with such tact and decision that -he soon gained the ear of the French monarch, put the conduct of de -Lausun before him in its proper light, propitiated the minister, -counteracted the designs of the <em>cabal</em>, and obtained the promise of -an expedition to Ireland proportionate to the importance of the cause -and the necessities of the crisis. This success being communicated -to the council in Limerick, had the most favourable effect; hope and -confidence were renewed among all classes of the people, and activity -and courage were soon manifest in all ranks of the army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, the intrigue and party strife that prevailed at the -court, and in the legislative councils of England, were of a nature, -not less serious, than those which menaced the success of the Jacobite -arms. Since the accession of William to the throne, two factions had -been gradually maturing there, and at this time had reached the acme -of party strife and hatred. These, for convenience, may be termed the -Dutch and English interest, which they respectively represented, while -apart from both, and, perhaps, numerically as strong as either, stood -the Jacobite party, watching the course of events, and determined to -take advantage of their mutual animosity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William, who looked to the elevation of Holland as a European power, -and the humiliation of France as the primary objects of his life, had -neglected his English partisans, and raised his Dutch and foreign -mercenaries to the highest civil and military offices of the State; and -this lost him much of his prestige among the parliamentary leaders, -while the people, who had begun to look calmly on the condition -of their country, saw it, after all, but a conquered province of -Holland. The invasion had succeeded, but their liberties were more -circumscribed: "Popery" was ignored, but prelacy was enslaved; the -Parliament existed, but the people had no voice in its construction; -the foreign legions revelled in the capital, but the English soldiers -were disfranchised and conscripted for foreign service. The general -discontent had become alarming, and to add to the growing disaffection, -and give it point and purpose, the Princess Anne, the younger daughter -of King James, being treated with studied neglect by both William and -Mary, to whose elevation she had contributed by a plot unworthy of -her station as a princess and her dignity as a wife, had become their -bitterest enemy, and the recognized head of the English interest. To -such a pitch had she carried her resentment, that on William's return -from Ireland, she had raised up an English champion to humble his -pride, by eclipsing his military fame, and the person thus put forward -was Lord Churchill, afterwards the renowned Duke of Marlborough. Owing -to this, the return of William was not hailed by any of those popular -manifestations that mark the return of a conqueror to his country. On -the contrary, the ordinary gratulations, things of everyday occurrence, -were but coldly accorded to him by the people;—his parliamentary -partisans scarcely deigning the formal acknowledgments of success, -while the opposition declared that the victory of the Boyne was -overbalanced by the defeat at Athlone and Limerick, and that the result -of his expedition was degrading to the British arms. He endeavored to -remove this impression by representing to the Parliament, and causing -to be reported on the continent, that the heavy rains which had fallen -during the siege were the cause of its abandonment, although many then -knew, what the Duke of Berwick afterwards affirmed, "that not a single -drop of rain fell for above a month before, or for three weeks after -that event."<a name ="id52" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftytwo" id="id52"><sup>52</sup></a> But the English party were not deceived by the device, -the assertion gave point to their irony, opposition became more bitter -and clamorous, and in order to humiliate him the more, it was proposed -to send Marlborough,—"at his own request,"—to Ireland to redeem the -disgrace by completing the reduction of the country. William, though -knowing this to be a direct insult to himself and his foreign army, -was obliged to acquiesce, for the conquest of Ireland was a matter of -pressing necessity to both parties; each desiring it for the national -safety, and yet each aspiring to that honor, as a means to the -perpetuation of its power. The expedition was accordingly ordered; but, -while Marlborough was making preparations for his departure, William -sent the Duke of Wurtemberg to Ireland with secret orders to claim -the command of the expedition on its arrival, by right of military -precedence, and thus counteract the designs of his political enemies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the departure of the Luttrells and Purcell for France, and the -restoration of harmony in the councils of the Irish Senate, Sarsfield -and Berwick directed their attention to the military affairs of the -nation, which were in a very disheartening condition. The defences -of the city were repaired, the garrisons along the frontier were -strengthened and reinforced, and detachments sent into the counties -bordering on the Shannon, to co-operate with the Rapparees in levying -contributions of corn and cattle for the support of the army. The -sieges of Athlone and Limerick, following in such quick succession, had -nearly exhausted all their military stores, and had the enemy chosen -to make a rapid descent on the river fortresses immediately after the -retreat of William, it is more than probable that the war would have -been terminated by the close of 1690; for there remained but fifty -barrels of powder within the city, "and there was not, in the whole -country which remained under the control of the royal army, enough -to double the quantity."<a name ="id53" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftythree" id="id53"><sup>53</sup></a> But the indecision of the enemy, after -the withdrawal of the Prince of Orange, enabled the Irish generals -to anticipate events, and to distribute a supply of military stores, -which soon after arrived from France. Early in September, with about -3,000 infantry, seven battalions of cavalry and four field-pieces, they -encamped at Banagher, a good strategic position, on the Shannon, about -fourteen miles south of Athlone, resolved to take the offensive, in -order to check the enemy, now extended from Clonmel to Enniskillen, and -making stealthy approaches towards the frontier garrisons along that -river. The town of Birr, in the King's County, about seven miles from -their encampment, was the most advanced post of the enemy at this time, -and the first to invite an attack. It was a place of much importance, -as it threatened the passes of Banagher, Meelick, and Portumna; and -being the principal depot of military stores and provisions for that -district, its capture would have been of immense advantage to the army. -Accordingly, on the 13th of September, Berwick appeared before the -town, and had soon carried the outer works of the castle by which it -was protected, but met with considerable delay from the inefficiency of -his guns, which gave the enemy time to hasten up their reinforcements. -In a short time General Kirke appeared with a regiment for its relief, -but seeing the Irish cavalry drawn up on a hill overlooking the town, -he retreated back to Roscrea, where he was joined by General Douglas, -and with a force of 8,000 men and ten pieces of artillery, appeared -again on the 16th, as the garrison was on the point of capitulating. -Upon this, Berwick withdrew his guns from the trenches, and taking up -a good position on the hills, about a mile from the town, he spent all -that day and the next offering every inducement to battle, which the -enemy as persistently declined,—each failed to draw the other from its -chosen position. At last, on the third day, Berwick withdrew towards -his camp, followed at a distance by the enemy, who advanced when he -advanced, and halted when he halted, until his cavalry, making a -detour of several miles, assailed their flanks, doing great execution, -and putting their whole force in disorder, when they retreated -precipitately, pursued up to their defences; and so the affair ended. -A series of bitter skirmishes between the pickets of both armies -succeeded this for a few days, when the enemy again moved towards -Clonmel and Kilkenny, where there was a general muster to reinforce -the Duke of Marlborough, who had effected a landing at Cork, and -Berwick retired behind the Shannon to collect troops to oppose him; the -garrisons at Birr and Banagher were withdrawn to their defences, but -the Rapparees moved over the country at will, and harried it without -fear of retaliation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 21st of September, Marlborough sailed up the harbor of Cork, -effected a landing at Passage, without any serious opposition, and -took up his march for the city, the men hauling the cannon, he being -unprovided with train-horses or cavalry. His force consisted of 8,000 -infantry, six hundred marines, some ships of war, and a few transports; -but being joined by the Duke of Wurtemberg and General Scravenmore -with 4,000 infantry and nine hundred cavalry, his army was augmented -to about 14,000 men, provided with all the essentials of a siege, and -a co-operative fleet to assail the city from the water-side. On the -23d, he appeared before it in form; Wurtemberg, according to the secret -orders of William, claiming precedence in command, and Marlborough -demurring, on the ground that he was specially commissioned for this -campaign. A warm dispute arose, one insisting on the privilege of rank, -and the other on delaying the siege, and referring the question back to -the Parliament. This delay being likely to hazard the success of their -arms, by giving the besieged time to strengthen their defences and -get in supplies, a compromise was agreed upon, by which they were to -assume the command alternately. Marlborough's turn came first, and he -gave the word, "Wurtemberg," and in acknowledgment of this politeness, -the latter, when his turn came, gave the word "Marlborough;" but -notwithstanding this outward exchange of military compliments, their -mutual jealousy continued without affecting the progress of their arms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The city of Cork, situated in a valley surrounded by high hills, -was defended by a few dilapidated outworks, all of which, excepting -the Castle of Shandon, which overlooked it on the northern side, -were abandoned as the enemy approached, the troops retiring into the -principal fortress, which stood on a low, marshy plain, between two -branches of the river Lee, accessible only at low-water, but poorly -supplied with artillery, and almost exhausted of provisions and -military stores. The Castle, after repulsing an assault of the Danes, -was also evacuated, and its troops withdrawn into the inner fortress, -against which the entire force of the enemy was now directed. Its -garrison, after this junction, amounted to 4,500 men—a force ample -for a protracted resistance; but already on limited rations, and there -were only five barrels of gunpowder within its walls. By the loss of -Shandon it was exposed on three sides to the fire of the enemy's land -batteries, and on the fourth, to that of his ships, which could come -within short range at tide-water.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the approach of the enemy, the governor, Colonel McElligot, had -received orders from the Duke of Berwick to demolish the fort, burn -the city, and retire with his command into Kerry; but having disobeyed -this mandate, at the solicitation of the citizens, until too late, he -determined to redeem his error by the gallantry of his defence, and -hold out long enough to give Berwick time to hasten up succors to raise -the siege. The enemy, having gained possession of the hills, opened -a fierce cannonade on the city itself, and having levelled all the -intervening houses, descended into the valley, opened on the citadel, -and after a most spirited resistance of two days, silenced its guns, -and prepared to carry its works by storm. The assault could only be -made at low-water, and once each day was there assault and repulse, -in one of which the Duke of Grafton<a name ="id54" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftyfour" id="id54"><sup>54</sup></a> was killed while leading his -regiment across the marsh. At length, after a desperate defence of -twelve days, it surrendered on the 5th of October, on terms considered -highly honorable; "but the ink with which the capitulation was signed, -was not yet dry when it was violated in every particular." The Catholic -people were stripped and driven from the city; the city itself was -given to pillage; the Earls of Tyrone and Clancarty were wounded -and grossly outraged by the soldiers and the mob, and the prisoners -subjected to indignities and cruelties, compared with which death would -have been a refuge. They were pent up within a loathsome fen, where, -being denied food, they were necessitated to feed on putrid carrion; -more than half of them died within a fortnight, from the diseases -it engendered; one-half the remainder were murdered by order of one -Captain Lauder, on the way to Clonmel, some time later; and of the -survivors, few ever returned to report the inhuman deed.<a name ="id55" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftyfive" id="id55"><sup>55</sup></a> Marlborough -and his English army were even more barbarous than the Prince of Orange -and his foreign mercenaries.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the surrender of Cork, Marlborough turned his attention to Kinsale, -which is about twelve miles distant by land, and sixteen by water, -and which had, in the mean time, been invested by a portion of his -land force and his navy. The town was defended by two forts—Castle Ny -and St. Charles—named respectively the Old and New Forts; the former -having a garrison of 450 men, and the latter one of 1,200; and both -being better provided in guns and material than the fortress just -surrendered. But the Old Fort had been blown up by accident on the 3d, -causing the death of two hundred of its garrison and the capture of -the remainder; so there was now but the New Fort to resist the united -efforts of the army and navy of Marlborough. The defence, however, was -a gallant one, and marked by deeds of great personal daring, both of -the men and commandant; but, being cut off from succor both by land -and sea, they capitulated on the 15th; being allowed to depart with -their baggage and arms, and to join their countrymen at Limerick. As -this fort was impervious to the enemy's cannon, and might have held -out, while its provisions lasted, a suspicion of treachery attached to -its governor, and it is intimated by more than one of our annalists -that he must have been bribed by Marlborough, who was impatient of -delay, as he had pledged himself before his departure from England to -reduce both Cork and Kinsale within a month; but the accusation is not -sufficiently authenticated by any, while it is liable to doubt, on -the consideration, that a soldier base enough to accept a bribe would -not have scrupled to turn over his command to the enemy, which might -have been as easily accomplished. The loss of life, with the exception -of those blown up at Castle Ny, did not exceed four hundred on each -side, but the Irish army lost heavily in prisoners at Cork, few of -whom survived their subsequent sufferings; and the loss of those two -maritime stations to their cause was incalculable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Duke of Berwick tells us that during the interval, he had collected -a force of about 8,000 men, and had got as far as Kilmallock, in the -County Limerick, with the purpose of compelling Marlborough to raise -the siege. But considering his force inadequate, he contented himself -with watching the enemy, and when the expedition was finished returned -to his quarters. The indecision shown by Berwick at this juncture, -in view of his well-known valor and intrepidity, would favor the -impression that he was unwilling to appear in arms against his uncle, -and his explanation would seem rather to fix than to remove it. Eight -thousand men, in a friendly country, under the command of such generals -as himself and Sarsfield, who was also there, against 14,000 investing -two strong fortresses, and extended over a line of seven or eight -miles, seem not inadequate, and might have created such a diversion as -would have at least protracted the siege; and any disarrangement of -Marlborough's plans would have placed him in a very critical position.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With the fall of Cork and Kinsale, the campaign of Marlborough may -be said to have terminated; he remained but a few days more in the -country, and after planning offensive measures against the counties -of Cork and Kerry, to be conducted by Ginkle, he returned to England -after an absence of five weeks, and received the congratulations of -the people and Parliament, to the great annoyance of the Prince of -Orange and his partisans. He was thenceforth the great popular idol -of the nation, and was soon after started on that military career -that has placed his name among the greatest of England's generals. -After his departure, Ginkle pressed the war in the south with great -vigor. Scravenmore and Tettau, with a heavy force of infantry and -cavalry, penetrated northward to Mallow, and, turning to the west, -began to plunder and lay waste the country. But they were soon beset -by organized bodies of farmers and Rapparees, and, by an assault, as -vigorous as it was unexpected, were driven with great slaughter towards -Bandon, where they were again furiously assailed by Colonel O'Driscoll, -and, panic-stricken, fled back to their quarters.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xiv-the-winter-of-1690"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER XIV.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE WINTER OF 1690.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Before his departure from Ireland, the Prince of Orange deputed the -civil government of the country to two lords-justices—Porter and -Coningsby—who lost no time in entering on the duties of their office. -Scarcely were they installed in it, when a flood of proclamations was -issued against the "papists" who lived within their jurisdiction; -and all devised, with the most "diabolical ingenuity," to plunder -and exterminate. One of these assessed the Catholic inhabitants to -make good any losses sustained by their Protestant neighbors, whether -arising from accident or from causes incident to a state of warfare; -another proclaimed that no more than ten Catholics should assemble in a -body, and that the priest of any parish, where a larger assembly should -take place, incurred the penalty of transportation; a third declared -that the families of such as had been killed or taken prisoners in the -service of King James, should forthwith remove behind the Shannon, or -be treated as enemies and spies; and a fourth, that any family having -a member within the lines of the Irish army, should either procure his -recall, or remove thither by a certain day. The Protestant population -were also ordered within the English lines, and a general exodus -from both sides of the river immediately took place. The sufferings -consequent on this disruption, it is painful to contemplate. Thousands -of the young and infirm crossed the river never to return to their -homes, while the men were driven to swell the ranks of the Rapparees -and wring their subsistence from the country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the mean time seizures and confiscations kept pace with the -proclamations, until a million and a quarter of acres, valued at -four millions sterling, were appropriated in advance of all legal -proceedings. "The manner in which the lords-justices and the Castle -party did their work," says Taylor, "is an edifying example of the mode -by which the forms of law have been so often prostituted to sanction -injustice in Ireland. They indicted the Irish gentlemen who possessed -any estates, of high treason in the several counties over which they -had jurisdiction, and then removed them all, by <em>certiorari</em>, to the -Court of King's Bench in Dublin. By this ingenious contrivance, those -who were to be robbed lost all opportunity of making their defence; -indeed, in most cases they were ignorant of being accused, and the -Irish government was saved the trouble of showing how the Irish people -could be guilty of high treason for supporting the cause of their -rightful monarch against a foreign invader."</p> - -<p class='c000'>Commissions were also issued for raising large bodies of militia, to -be equipped and disciplined on the plan of the English army; and the -northern Protestants, who were considered as well adapted to predatory -warfare, were furnished with the arms of Schomberg's soldiers who had -died, or who had been killed in the preceding year, and sent forth, -under the name of Protestant Rapparees, against those of the same class -who followed the fortunes of the Jacobite army. This was all fair -enough in war, but it is worthy of remark that those who exclaimed -most loudly against the moderate taxation of King James, as ruinous -to the country, now voted away sums that would lead one to think they -believed the resources of the country inexhaustible. The militia of the -country in a short time became good soldiers, and did great service to -William by holding the garrisons in the rear of his regular army, and -recruiting it when necessary; but the "Protestant Rapparees" entirely -failed in the object proposed, for, unable to cope with their wily -enemies, they soon turned to plunder indiscriminately on their own -account, and, instead of increasing the forage or supplies of the -English army, they wasted wherever they passed, and caused a dearth -which afterwards greatly embarrassed its movements.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Still the affairs of William were of a serious and perplexing nature, -both in England and on the continent. Party strife ran high in the -British Parliament, and the Princess Anne, whether touched by remorse -or excited to revenge, was known to hint at the necessity of recalling -her father to the throne, while the continued success of Marshal -Luxemburg, since the battle of Fleurus, had reduced the "Allies" to -great extremities, and threatened the very existence of Holland as -a European power. Several times since his accession, William was -compelled to pass over to the continent to reassure his favorite -subjects, and to take counsel with the members of the coalition against -the increasing power of France. His visits on those occasions were -necessarily hurried and unsatisfactory; the successful termination -of the Irish war, alone, could grant him a respite from his manifold -cares, and accordingly Ginckle, who had succeeded the Count de Solmes -in command of the army, was ordered to continue afield through the -winter, and press it to an issue, either by treaty or by force of arms. -To put the result beyond peradventure, his force was strengthened by -accessions from every available quarter: the militia and northern -reserves were called into service; several regiments reached him from -Scotland; and the Dutch Guards, who had been recalled to England with -the Count of Solmes, were replaced by a body of British infantry, the -dragoons of Colonel Mathews, and the cavalry of the Count of Schomberg, -until a force of over 50,000 men were at his command, while abundance -of stores and ammunition arrived daily at every port from Cork to the -capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Nor did the complete reduction of the country, judging from the -relative numbers, the condition of both armies, and the territories -occupied by them, seem an end either distant or difficult to -accomplish. Three of the four provinces were virtually under the -sway of General Ginckle; the coast from Kinsale, eastward to Derry, -was under the control of his fleet; his army lay extended through -the centre of the island, within a day's march of the Shannon, -the possession of any pass on which would break the Irish line of -communication, and open up the remaining province to the progress of -his arms; and to this was his attention now directed as the speediest -manner of terminating the war, which had become so irksome to his -sovereign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Warned by the reverse of the British arms before Athlone and Limerick, -that an assault in force at any one point of the Irish line, would be -attended with hazard and delay, he devised a simultaneous attack along -its whole extent, as the more speedy and efficacious. It would keep -the enemy, who were not half his number, divided among many garrisons, -weaken them at some point, and give him the advantage of selecting -that for his most determined assault, which should be found the least -capable of resistance. For this purpose, he established his bases of -operation at Cork, Roscrea, Mullingar, and Enniskillen; the first -threatening that part of the southern province still in arms for King -James, and each of the other three commanding one or more important -passes into the still unconquered territory. That part of his army at -Enniskillen was commanded by Kirke and Douglas; that at Mullingar, by -Brewer, Lanier, Earle, and others; that at Roscrea and its environs, -by Count Nassau and the Prince of Wurtemberg; and that at Cork, by -Tettau and Scravenmore,—none of them varying far from 10,000 men, with -strong detachments at several intermediate points, while he himself -established his headquarters at Kilkenny, holding a strong reserve in -hand, to be directed north or south as necessity should require. The -campaign was to be first inaugurated by Tettau on the south and Douglas -on the north. The former was to move against the interior of Cork and -Kerry, and, wasting the country on his way, to threaten Limerick, in -order to divert attention from the movements on the river above it. -The latter was to proceed against Sligo, and, having captured it, to -assail Lanesborough from the west, while Brewer, from his quarters at -Mullingar, was to threaten it on the east. The investment of the latter -place was to be the signal for a general movement along the whole line -from Kilaloe, northward, when, if any one point were carried, the whole -army was to concentrate round Athlone, which once reduced, Limerick -should be evacuated, or the whole country westward to Galway left -open to his march. The plan was well designed, the generals able and -experienced, the army in the finest condition; and nothing was wanting -to success but the time opportune for a general movement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, the fall of Cork and Kinsale were succeeded by a -period of great distress within the Irish lines. The exterminating -policy of the lords-justices had filled the province with a helpless -population, enhancing the price of provisions and lessening the -resources of the army. The brass coin of King James, in which the -soldiers received their pay, was greatly depreciated within their own -boundaries, while throughout the other three provinces it was decried, -and had become utterly worthless.<a name ="id56" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftysix" id="id56"><sup>56</sup></a> A derangement of trade with -France also intervened, and disasters followed each other in quick -succession. A few days after the fall of Kinsale, a vessel freighted -with salt and other necessaries, anchored under the guns of the fort, -and the captain, believing it still held by the Jacobite troops, -only discovered his mistake when she was actually in possession of -a boarding party from the enemy. Another, laden with ammunition and -clothing for the troops, struck on a rock coming up the Shannon, and -became a total wreck, and all on board perished. Almost coincident -with those events; one Long, an English captain, who had been for some -time a prisoner in Galway, aided by some disaffected inhabitants, made -his escape, and seizing a French frigate of twelve guns, doubled the -northern coast and reached Carrickfergus in safety with his prize. In -the mean time the expedition promised by the French Government was -unaccountably delayed, until hope seemed illusory, and the necessity of -an accommodation with the enemy was intimated in the civic councils of -the nation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Through all these troubles Berwick and Sarsfield never faltered in -their duty. The camp and the council alike demanded their attention. -In both they seemed ubiquitous, and their exertions alone saved the -Jacobite cause from utter prostration at this critical period. At -length, after several weeks had elapsed, commerce began to revisit -the coast; the immediate necessities of the army were relieved; the -efforts of Tyrconnell were manifested in something more tangible than -promises; arms and ammunition, as a first instalment of his good faith, -arrived at Galway, coupled with assurances that the French king had at -last accorded that consideration which the importance of their cause -demanded, and appeals to their loyalty and patriotism to hold out until -his arrival. The effect was soon observable: the despondence of the -people gave way to hope; the discontent of the council was for a time -allayed; and the generals turned their undivided attention to military -affairs—Berwick to store the magazines, put the troops in order, and -guard the different posts; and Sarsfield, with a few thousand available -troops, to organize the Rapparees and direct their movements in -frustrating the designs of the enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Through the preceding events of the war, the Rapparees had played no -insignificant part. The torch of the invader had rendered them homeless -and reckless, and, thrown on their own resources, they took up this -wild life, and wrung their subsistence from the enemy with a daring -hand. From the Shannon to the eastern coast, wherever a tribute could -be levied, or a British detachment ambushed, there were the stealthy -Rapparees wresting a reprisal or wreaking a revenge. Neither toil nor -privation seemed to affect them, nor could danger deter them from their -purpose. Death, swift and certain, was their doom when captured, and -that they dealt as swiftly and surely in their turn. Unable, through -want of regular arms and discipline, to meet large bodies of the enemy -in the field, they divided into small bands, and traversed the country -in all directions. All the by-ways of the land were known to them; -they came and went like shadows; and wherever they passed, there was -a hostage or a victim. No position of the enemy, however guarded, was -safe from them, and frequently in the dead of night, when his camp -seemed most secure, the skies would be suddenly lit up by the blaze -of his tents, and horses and other booty secured in the confusion, -and borne with a noble disinterestedness to the headquarters of the -Jacobite army. In fine, the Irish Rapparee was an Irish patriot, and -a devoted one,—as brave and devoted as the Chouan of La Vendée. He -fought without pay; suffered without murmur, and gave his life for a -country that scarce holds his name in grateful remembrance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such were the men that Sarsfield now called to his aid, and for this -purpose, he "let loose,"—says the English historian of the war,—"a -great part of the army to manage the best for themselves that time -and opportunity would allow them, giving them passes to signify what -regiments they belonged to, so that in case they were taken they might -not be dealt with as Rapparees, but <em>soldiers</em>.... Keeping a constant -correspondence with one another and also with the Irish army, who -furnished them with all necessaries, especially ammunition."</p> - -<p class='c000'>These soldiers now extended along the whole frontier, and in a short -time established communication between the Rapparees and the regular -army, while Sarsfield, with a small force, took the field, to profit by -every diversion they might create in his favor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Each army having thus adopted its plan of action, a furious desultory -war soon raged along the whole lines, from north to south. The -Rapparees, under the guidance of the soldiers sent among them, formed -in two lines: one of these moved along between the English army and -the eastern coast, harassing the militia in its rear, and ravaging the -country up to the gates of Dublin; while the other hung around its -encampments, interrupting communication, disconcerting its movements, -destroying its forage, and driving large herds of cattle beyond the -Shannon. Their courage and hardihood were surprising. They now attacked -larger bodies of the enemy, and raids and skirmishes, terminating in -loss of life on both sides, were of daily—almost hourly, occurrence. -If the enemy lost less in men—as we are assured he did, on the -testimony of his own annalist—he paid the balance in booty, for to -this the attention of the Rapparees, even in the heat of battle, was -principally directed. An instance or two of their manner of proceeding -will better illustrate their service at this time than pages of -general detail.—As the English army extended northward, pursuant to -its design against the Irish quarters, the regiment of Lord Drogheda -occupied Kilcormack Castle, in the King's County, as an escort to the -supplies daily arriving and passing on northward. The forage growing -scarce around that station, the commander, Colonel Bristow, billeted -his men on Balliboy, a few miles distant, in a plentiful district, and -scoured the country in all directions. After a few days the town was -well stored with provisions for the winter, and the greatest vigilance -was exercised against a surprise from the Rapparees, who were reported -to be about in the neighborhood. From a steep hill behind the town, -which commanded a view of the country around, a constant lookout was -kept up through the day; and every evening, before retiring to rest, -the hedges and brushwood were searched, and the guards doubled through -the night. Notwithstanding all this vigilance, the Rapparees got within -the lines and concealed themselves in the hedges around the town; where -they remained three days without food, and exposed to the severity of -the weather. At length, on the third night, when the very quiet that -prevailed awakened suspicion, a lieutenant and twenty men were sent -out, who beat up all the hedges, and even those where the Rapparees -lay concealed, without detecting any sign of them; and retired for -the night free from apprehension. In half an hour more the town was -fired at both ends; this was a signal to the Rapparees at a distance, -who flocked in from all directions. The soldiers were driven to the -hill, where a fight raged all night between them and one body of the -Rapparees; while another, in their sight, rifled the town, brought -off a large booty of provisions and horses, and secured them before -morning. The next day they attacked Philipstown, but were repulsed and -driven through the country; when turning on their pursuers, they killed -one hundred and twenty of them, returned and laid the town in ashes, -and killed two hundred more, sent against them. No place was free from -their assaults:—Clonmel, Cashel, Mountmellick, and Mullingar, were -attacked by them in such quick succession, that the British soldiers -were kept marching and countermarching to meet assaults either feigned -or real, until the winter set fairly in, and the grand movement of -Ginckle seemed yet as remote as ever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The soldiers sent into the interior of Cork and Kerry also performed -signal service to the Irish cause. Mounted upon the small surefooted -horses of those mountainous districts, they traversed the country -in all directions; organized the farmers and Rapparees; established -lines for running the produce of the country to the general depot -at Limerick; and then attached themselves to the forces of Colonels -McCarthy and O'Driscoll, who still held the country against the -incursions of the enemy. This Colonel O'Driscoll was a brave and -intrepid soldier. He commanded a regiment of his own tenantry at the -siege of Cork; but having no faith in English treaties, he refused to -accede to the terms of Marlborough, and, at the head of his regiment of -four hundred men, fought his way through the English lines, and reached -the open country to the north-west of the city. Here he learned that -his son, or kinsman(?), "young Colonel O'Driscoll," had been slain -in an attempt to retake Castlehaven, which had been captured by the -British; and that the country around was despoiled, and the people -flying in dismay to the mountains. Burning with revenge, he marched -rapidly along the line of the Bandon, passing through Ballineen and -Inniskeen; scattering several English settlements as he passed; and -turning westward, bore directly for Castlehaven, took it by storm, and -put the whole English garrison to the sword. Other places were retaken -in quick succession, his force increasing with each success; and being -joined by Colonel McCarthy, they attacked the forces of Tettau, under -Eppinger, Cox, and Coy, again drove them from the interior, and the -reduction of the country was, for that time, abandoned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By these and other movements, too numerous to specify in detail, -the British general was kept in a state of alarm, and his object -frustrated, until the last days of December. The 29th of that month was -at last fixed by Ginckle for a simultaneous advance along his whole -line, every thing being considered in proper train, and the enemy's -apprehension being removed by the lateness of the season. Douglas, -from Enniskillen, directed his march on Sligo. The regiments of Kirke, -Lanier, Lisburn, Lord Geo. Hamilton, Brewer, "and several other -regiments, with tin-boats for crossing the river," marched under Kirke -and Brewer, from the north and east, against Lanesborough. A party of -the militia was also ordered from Dublin, "and those in the country -were ordered to be up on all hands." Drogheda's, Col. John Hamilton's, -and others, under Bristow, were ordered from Birr to Lanesborough; -and a strong force from Kilkenny and Roscrea were to attempt the -river at Portumna and Banagher. Tettau at the same time was to renew -his campaign in the south, by throwing a strong body against each of -the counties:—"And now," says Story, "if they had been all pushed -forward at one time, it had been a great advantage to our affairs -next campaign. All things seemed to favor the attempt, especially the -weather—better had never been seen for the season."<a name ="id57" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftyseven" id="id57"><sup>57</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 29th, Tettau was joined by Brigadier Churchill, Sir David -Collier, Colonels Cox, Coy, and Matthews, with their respective forces, -and on the 30th attacked and captured Scronolard. But the country for -several miles around having been burned, and its provisions carried -off, they were unable to penetrate farther, and retraced their steps -after a series of assaults, in which they lost many men, and the -campaign was pronounced impracticable for the winter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The expedition against Sligo was not more fortunate. Douglas had -scarcely cleared his quarters at Enniskillen, when he was met by the -enemy, and after a succession of bewildering skirmishes for several -days, he concluded to go no farther:—"as the ground was too difficult, -and had been made more so." Then turning his steps towards Jamestown, -he was forced to retreat after a severe encounter, in which he suffered -greatly in men, and, harassed by the Rapparees, retraced his way to -the north, "<em>giving out</em>" that it was no use to take Jamestown, as the -country beyond it was too difficult to advance, even if the town were -in his possession.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Nor were Brewer and Kirke up to time at Lanesborough. They found the -"bogs" to the east all intersected by canals, which were fiercely -disputed by the enemy, and when they at last reached the town, they -found that the eastern half of it had been burned down, and the fort -on the other side rendered impregnable:—"and after a few ineffectual -attempts to cross the river, they also retired in despair."</p> - -<p class='c000'>The movements against Banagher and Portumna were also ineffectual; -and the regiments of Bristow, Caulfield, "and others,"—about 2,000 -strong,—which had been ordered to Lanesborough, by way of Mullingar, -were attacked by 1,500 of the Rapparees and soldiers, and after a -fierce fight of over five hours, were routed with great slaughter, and -driven back on Mountmellick, leaving all their baggage and military -stores in the hands of the victors.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle now drew in his lines, and retiring to winter-quarters, began -to make extensive preparations for an early campaign in the spring. -But he had scarcely retired when he was apprised of a designed attack -on his whole line, and drew out his army to meet it. Nor were his -precautions unnecessary; for no sooner had he made his disposition, -than the Irish generals made a simultaneous advance against the -principal posts approaching the river. But finding their movements -anticipated on all hands, and some of their garrisons seriously -threatened in their rear, they retired after a series of engagements -that resulted in no advantage to either, and the British army also -retiring, a temporary quiet succeeded. As it was hoped that this -movement, which had been matured in secrecy by the Irish generals, -would have resulted in great advantage to their cause, its failure -filled them with indignation and alarm. They saw that they had been -contending not only against the enemy on their front, but against -treachery in their rear. A close inquiry revealed the fact that -the English general had been in communication with members of the -Irish Senate, and the treason being traced to Judge Daly and Lord -Riverstown, they were arrested and conveyed in irons to Galway. These -events ushered in the month of February: the <em>rôle</em> of the last year -was repeated; active preparations along the English line, and great -expectations along the other: but the Rapparees increasing in numbers -and activity, continued their predatory warfare without cessation, -"watching all opportunities of advantage," says Story, "killing -our men by surprise in a great many places, but especially keeping -correspondence with the protected Irish in all parts of the country. -They stole away our horses, sometimes in the night, and often in the -noonday, when our men least expected it; by which means they recruited -their own horse considerably, and did us no small disservice; nor is it -probable, unless they had made use of some such ways, they could have -brought any body of horse into the field worth taking notice of in the -succeeding campaign."</p> - -<p class='c000'>So ended this ominous campaign of General Ginckle. He began it with -all the appliances of success:—a powerful army, a most superb -artillery, supplies at will, and those powerful auxiliaries in the road -of conquest—confiscation, extermination, and proscription, keeping -pace with his military movements. It was directed against an enemy -comparatively insignificant in number; wanting in every thing but -courage, hardihood, and "good-will," and a disrupted population without -arms or direct purpose. Yet day followed day, and month followed -month, and still his object seemed farther from accomplishment, while -his enemy grew bolder, more numerous, and more effective; until at -last, driven to the defensive, he abandoned his purpose in despair, -and retired with an army worn down by fatigue, and disheartened by -continual disaster. Had the Irish generals, at this period, one-half -the means at the disposal of Ginckle, there is scarce a doubt that -their cause would have been crowned with complete success. But there is -no use in idle speculation on what might have been; the events of the -past are irrevocable, and the contrary is the record.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the conduct of Sarsfield during the fall and winter of 1690; -and it is to the admirable disposition of his force, and the capacity -he displayed in conducting both the civil and military affairs of the -nation at this trying period, rather than to the single affair of -blowing up the enemy's train at Ballineety, that we are to look for the -cause of his unbounded popularity, and the undying affection that his -name still holds in every Irish breast.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No ample and digested record of that trying campaign, conducted by -the Rapparees and soldiers, has ever been written, nor is it likely -that it ever will be. The Irish historians pass it over by a few hasty -allusions, and hurry from the Boyne to Limerick, and from Limerick to -Aughrim, as if unwilling to more than glance at the terrific struggle -for life and liberty that took place between them. What we do know of -it, has to be accepted at the hands of a hired scribe, who, on his own -acknowledgment, was obliged to alter and distort his notes which were -taken at the time, in order to please his royal patrons three years -later. But even from him, enough can be gleaned to show that there was -manhood sufficient in the country, if properly directed, to restore -the king his inheritance, and, that the only military mind capable of -uniting and directing it to that end, was General Sarsfield.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xv-the-arrival-of-st-ruthginckle-takes-the-field"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER XV.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE ARRIVAL OF ST. RUTH—GINCKLE TAKES THE FIELD.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Towards the middle of January, 1691, three French ships entered the -harbor of Galway, as an escort to the Duke of Tyrconnell, who, it was -confidently believed, had succeeded in the object of his mission, and -the tidings of his arrival were received with general manifestations -of joy. To the soldiers this news was particularly gratifying. He left -them victors, it is true, but victors over a city in ruins;—exhausted -in military resources, worn out by fatigue, without clothing or pay, -and living on the bounty of a greatly impoverished country. They had -borne their privations with cheerfulness, restored and strengthened -their city, maintained their flag against overwhelming numerical odds -at every post of their frontier; and believing their services about to -be rewarded, their enthusiasm knew no bounds, and they looked to his -arrival in Limerick with the happiest anticipations. They had been led -to expect a full arrear of pay, a complete outfit of clothing, arms -equal to their need, and a powerful French auxiliary, that would enable -them to turn the tide of war, and wrest the conquered provinces from -the grasp of the invader. They were bright hopes;—the brighter for -being so long deferred—but, like those of the previous years, they -were doomed to cruel disappointment. It soon became known that the -only money he brought was about £8,000, to be distributed as a present -donation; that the clothing received was not only insufficient, but -entirely unfit for wear—their old regimentals being preferable;—and -that, instead of the expected auxiliary, he was accompanied but by -Sir Richard Nagle and Sir Stephen Rice,—who had been sojourning in -France,—and a few of those military adventurers that in all ages -appear wherever hostilities in any cause offer a road to ambition. -Furthermore, it was found that the Duke of Berwick, who had performed -signal service to the cause, and who shared the popular favor with -General Sarsfield, was ordered to France, and that the latter was to be -placed in a secondary position to another French general,—the Marquis -de St. Ruth,—who had been appointed to the command of the army. -Serious discontent soon became manifest at this neglect of a general -whose unceasing activity, through the darkest period of the war, had -kept the army from entire dissolution, and saved the Jacobite cause -from irretrievable ruin. Besides, it was believed that the experiment -of placing French generals over native troops had proved too disastrous -to be again repeated, and, notwithstanding the high military reputation -of St. Ruth, the news was received with great disfavor, and in the -army created a spirit of disaffection that it required but a breath -to fan into mutiny. That Sarsfield himself felt deeply humiliated, -we have abundant evidence in the records of the period; nor did the -title of Earl of Lucan, nor the commission of lieutenant-general which -was borne to him by the deputy, entirely reconcile him to his altered -condition. The unbounded confidence reposed in him during the interval -of Tyrconnell's absence, had invested him with almost plenary powers, -which had been exercised with a discretion and ability that pointed -him out as the man for the time; public sentiment was undisguisedly -in favor of continuing those powers; and his own heart responded to -the wish, for he saw there were elements of success around which he, -and only he, could call into action. His humiliation was the greater -on this account: that though irrevocably bound to serve his king and -country in any position, however subordinate, it greatly impaired his -future efficiency; and the new appointment was viewed by all as another -fatal step in the downward tendency of the Catholic cause.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was, however, a consideration which, when duly weighed, as no -doubt it was at the time, must have lessened the poignancy of this -neglect, and rendered it less intolerable. The Duke of Berwick had -high claims to this appointment,—perhaps higher even than Sarsfield. -He was the king's son, and had been Lieutenant-General since 1689: he -was brave, and accomplished in the art of war; and there was no cause -but his youth, why he should not have received it. That he ambitioned -it, is plainly inferable from the tone in which he notices his "recall -from a country so full of troubles," and from his disapproval of the -manner in which his successor conducted the ensuing campaign. It would, -in short, seem that King James, being a dependant on the good-will of -the French monarch, had to bow to that will in resignation; that this -new general was selected by Louis; and that Berwick, by his recall, was -saved the indignity of being reduced to a secondary position.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The result of this last mission to France, becoming known along the -English lines, gave rise to mirth and ridicule among the soldiery, who -might well pride themselves on the timely consideration of their own -provident monarch, who left nothing undone that could contribute to -their comfort or efficiency. Wherever they met the Irish soldiers, as -they did along the river during the month of February, they taunted -them with their repeated disappointments. The effect on the weak and -vacillating was soon visible. Desertions became of not unfrequent -occurrence among the soldiers of English descent, but those of the -native race clung more faithfully to their cause with every reverse; -but the general depression soon passed away, and all murmurs and -despondent thoughts were lost in the notes of preparation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So frequently are the names of King James and his ally, Louis XIV. of -France, linked with mismanagement and misadventure through the history -of this period, that it would seem all the attendant misfortunes of -the Catholic cause resulted from the weakness and indecision of the -one, and the absence of timely support arising from the mistaken policy -of the other. But though these were the leading, and perhaps the main -causes of its ultimate defeat, it was also induced by the prejudices -and follies of the Irish leaders themselves, as much as by the errors -of either king, or of both together. We have already seen some of the -evil effects of divided counsels, and of incipient treason in the -senate: we have now to make a cursory allusion to a character hitherto -unnoticed, who played no insignificant part in the closing scenes -of the drama, and added a ludicrous page to a melancholy and tragic -<em>dénouement</em>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It had long been an accepted prophecy in Ireland,—one much akin to -that of the "sleeping warriors" of Aileach,—that an O'Donnell, a -descendant of the house of Tyrconnell, was one day to return from -Spain, and free the land of his fathers from the English yoke, by -a great victory to be gained by him at, or near Limerick; and this -chief was to be known by the <em>Ball-dearg</em>,—or red mark,—on the -shoulder, which, 'tis said, attaches to the true descendants of that -noble house. It happened that at this time there lived in Spain, an -O'Donnell, of the family mentioned, and known also to bear the mark -that distinguished its true representatives, and him fame pointed out -as the destined liberator of the country. Whether this personage ever -entertained an idea of his wonderful virtue or not, until consulted by -an Irish deputation in Spain, does not clearly appear from the records -of the time; but that he <em>was</em> waited on, and awakened to a sense -of his importance, there seems to be abundant testimony to warrant -this allusion.<a name ="id58" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftyeight" id="id58"><sup>58</sup></a> In the nineteenth century this infatuation of men -intrusted with the destiny of a nation would seem almost incredible, -but it was not the less true. It was a glorious destiny to be the -liberator of the land of his ancestors; he heard the call, obeyed -it, and arrived at Limerick during the month of August, 1690. It was -the time of the siege, and he took part in its most stirring events -from the 17th to the 27th, and, it is said, did good service in the -memorable conflict that has immortalized that city. His appearance -at such a time was hailed with acclamations of joy by the populace, -and even the leaders of the army treated him with consideration. -After the retreat of the Prince of Orange, he was furnished with a -Colonel's commission, and empowered to raise troops from among the -Rapparees, to co-operate with the regular army. Those of the north and -north-west, scattered along the frontiers, at once flocked to him and -acknowledged him as their hereditary chief: others sought his standard -under the influence of the prophecy that attached to him, until he -had a following, variously estimated at from eight to ten thousand -men. But here his services ended. With this following, he established -his quarters from Clare-Galway to Sligo, behind the Irish lines, and -assuming the authority of an independent chief, instead of harassing -the movements of the enemy, he levied on the surrounding districts, -wasting the subsistence of the remaining province to support his -infatuated followers.—</p> - -<p class='c000'>"In short, he was," says O'Driscoll,<a name ="id59" class="fnrefer" href="#idfiftynine" id="id59"><sup>59</sup></a> "of a class found in Ireland -and elsewhere. He was a great boaster, suspected to be a coward, known -to be a knave; noisy, insolent, presumptuous, and corrupt.... He was -afterwards known to have been in correspondence with both William -and Ginckle, and treating for a title and a command in the English -army." Yet he played his part ably; so ably, that he carried himself -through to the end of the war; nor did he appear in his true colors -to his deluded followers, or indeed to the leaders of the army, until -the final result of the war, revealed at the same time, and in the -same manner, the intrigues of <em>Ball-dearg</em> O'Donnell, and the treason -of Henry Luttrell. Such was one of the many influences that helped -to divert the strength of the country from the direct purpose of the -war, and its evil effect cannot well be over-estimated. It placed a -covert enemy in the rear of the national army; materially lessened the -resources of a province already overburdened with a helpless floating -population; and withdrew from the enemy's country, which the other -provinces then virtually were, the most daring of those hardy Rapparee -bands, that had hitherto wrung their support from it, and materially -embarrassed the movements of the foreign army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though the appointment of the Marquis de St. Ruth was opposed to the -public sentiment of the people and army, still they well understood -that the countenance of the French king was indispensable to their -cause, and resolved to make a virtue of necessity; all now daily -wished for his arrival to remove the general suspense and disquietude -of feeling. The enemy was known to be in an advanced state of -preparation, and it was feared that he would open the campaign before -a corresponding force should be ready to meet him. It was also hoped -that as King Louis had this time made his own selection of a general, -he would support him in all things necessary—arms, ammunition, and -artillery, and perhaps a contingent of troops to sustain the national -honor. The public mind now underwent another of those changes incident -to a condition of war, markedly in contrast with that of the previous -month. From the western headlands a daily watch was kept up, and -expectation was on tiptoe for his arrival. But day after day, and -month after month passed on, and still neither armament nor general -relieved the fever of anxiety. At length, on the 7th of May, when all -hope seemed to fail, a French fleet was signalled off the headlands of -Kerry, and the next day, riding up the Shannon, it came to anchor off -Limerick. It bore the Marquis de St. Ruth, with Generals d'Uson and de -Tessé, and about one hundred French officers of different rank; but -no money, and no military contingent. He came, however, well provided -with the munitions of war, a good supply of arms, and an outfit of -serviceable clothing. His arrival was hailed with general acclamations, -the bells of St. Mary's chimed forth throughout the day, and the most -solemn ceremonies of religion welcomed this devoted soldier of the -Catholic cause.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though considerably beyond the middle age, St. Ruth was still a man of -vigor and activity. He was of a commanding presence, pleasing aspect; -was nervous in address, and energetic in command;—the first passports -to the confidence of the Irish soldier. He had but lately returned to -Paris, after a successful campaign in Savoy, and was selected by Louis -to command the Jacobite forces in Ireland. But fame, which preceded him -there, had also told how the finer traits of his character were marred -by a vain ostentation, a hauteur of manner towards his subordinates, -and an overweening conceit in his own importance,—the very worst -traits to win the confidence or esteem of the Irish officers of that -period, on whom the conduct of de Rosen and de Lausun had left a very -unfavorable impression; or that of the generals; who could not see -the necessity for his appointment at all, when he came unsupported by -an army, and without coffers to warrant the raising of one from the -floating population of the country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Preparations for the renewal of hostilities were now actively resumed -along the lines, and the minds of the soldiers were diverted from all -other considerations. Their "penny-a-day" went far, for the country -still abounded in the necessaries of life, and the people shared -their means liberally. The proclamation of non-intercourse between -the British Islands and France, announced at once both in London -and Dublin, only served as a spur to greater enterprise both by sea -and land, and every succeeding day witnessed the arrival of trading -vessels, bearing arms and munitions—while the love of adventure -brought daily accessions to the ranks of either army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a hasty inspection of the frontier and the condition of the -troops, St. Ruth directed himself to the work of reconstructing -the army, and his first movement for that purpose tended to raise -him greatly in the estimation of the soldiers. Notwithstanding the -exertions of the Rapparees through the winter and spring, there was -still a deficiency of cavalry horses, and to remedy this defect became -a matter of the first necessity. He at once issued an order to the -gentlemen of the surrounding country to assemble at Limerick to take -counsel on the state of the nation, and for other purposes. They -felt highly pleased at the courtesy extended; and in order to pay -all possible respect to this champion of their cause, came armed and -on horseback; making, notwithstanding the general depression, a most -gallant show. The meeting was held on King's Island, the soldiers being -drawn around it, to render the proceedings more solemn and impressive. -After a spirited address in French, on the duty of allegiance and -patriotism; and the sacrifice that all should be prepared to make for -their country, he ordered them to dismount and surrender their horses -for the use of the army. Remonstrance was useless, and any attempt -at resistance would be less so, for the soldiers, closing in on all -sides, showed them that the <em>émeute</em> was preconcerted. They bowed in -resignation, seemed to relish the joke exceedingly, and were deeply -impressed with his capacity to deal with coming events, while he -extended to them the acknowledgments of his distinguished consideration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The disbanded soldiers were next called into service, and on the 15th -of May, the Duke of Tyrconnell issued a proclamation ordering the -Rapparees to retire behind the Shannon and hold themselves subject to -another levy. They obeyed with promptitude, and the required number -being selected, the rest scattered or returned to their former haunts. -But they were no longer able to perform any considerable exploit, and -their after-fate was tragical in the extreme: prices were set on their -heads; the trade became exciting and profitable: they died on the -mountains and by the wayside, prowling like wolves, and fighting like -tigers to the last.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While preparations went forward day by day within the Irish lines, -it is necessary to revert to the other side, and note the progress -of Ginckle's affairs since the suspension of active hostilities; and -perhaps the fairest exposition that can be given, is the following -extract from Story's Impartial History, about the beginning of -February, 1691: "The king did as much as possible in the time, as any -who have seen the country may know; for if Ireland were as well-peopled -as the soil itself will bear, it may defy all the world besides. You -cannot see a town but where there is either a bog or a river, or -both," &c. Here follows a dissertation on the natural difficulties -the English army had to contend with, and the wiles and wickedness of -the Rapparees, that retarded their movements "the whole winter long," -concluding with the following consolatory reflections: "As to our own -army, our numbers are the same as last year (except two regiments that -were broke); they are also much healthfuller, and better acquainted -with the country and their arms; and to encourage us the more, the -Parliament has granted his Majesty a considerable fund to carry on the -war, and also to equip his fleet. Besides, we have now at least 12,000 -of the militia in good order, either to defend the garrisons behind us -or to assist our army upon occasion ... and more than all, we shall -have a great many Protestant Rapparees from the North and other places, -for the northern people are mostly armed ... so that we shall have no -want of men."</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the numerical status of Ginckle's army at that period, and -from that until the summer; recruits, ordnance stores, and clothing -were poured in daily to every port in his possession. From the 30th -of April until the 6th of June, "all hands" were at work in Mullingar -fitting up every thing for the coming campaign: for instance—</p> - -<p class='c000'>April 30th. A large body of recruits sent into the County -Kildare.—<em>Same day</em>, all hands at work making cartridges, &c., "though -it was her Majesty's birthday."—<em>Same day</em>, several ships arrived at -Kinsale from England, and the Charles galley and Assurance frigate -landed at Waterford with four other ships under convoy, all loaded with -cannonball, bombs, powder, and several other materials.—May 8th, five -ships loaded with arms arrived at Dublin.—May 18th, Dragon and Advice -land four hundred marines at Baltimore.—<em>Same day</em>, six English ships -come to Cork with recruits and provisions, under convoy of the Smyrna -frigate; and so on to the 6th of June.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Towards the end of May the different divisions of the British army -were put in motion towards Mullingar. On the 27th, General Douglas -marched from the North with a force of about 10,000 men, and encamped -at Ardagh. At the same time Wurtemburg put his troops in motion from -Thurles, taking the detached garrisons on his route, and replacing -them with the organized militia. On the 28th, Major-Generals Mackey -and Ruvigney arrived with their divisions and encamped outside the -town. About the same time General Talmash and Sir Martin Beckman, the -Chief Engineer, landed at Dublin with troops and a corps of sappers -and miners, and set the great train of artillery—"such as had never -been seen before in that kingdom"—on its way, and immediately started -for the camp. And "to give them the more comfort," Ginckle received -advice from Opdam, who regulated the cartel at Breda, that the Irish -soldiers released in lieu of the Dutch prisoners, were not to be -returned to Ireland, but sent into the French service, and that the -Irish officers would not be exchanged according to the rank they laid -claim to.<a name ="id60" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixty" id="id60"><sup>60</sup></a> Proclamations again became the order of the day, all -tending to the same object—the "comfort" of the English troops, and -inviting desertions from their enemy. On the 31st of May, Ginckle -appeared in person at Mullingar. All his outposts were immediately -called in, notwithstanding strong protests from the Lords-Justices to -the contrary; for he had determined to put forth all his strength, -as the arrival of St. Ruth filled him with apprehension, and he only -yielded to their appeals so far as to give them some officers from the -army to command the private companies which all the country gentlemen -now enrolled for their own protection.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle immediately contracted the defences of Mullingar, drew out his -troops, and sent orders to Wurtemburg to encamp opposite to Banagher -and Meelick, being resolved to force the river at one or both of those -places, and afterwards to invest Athlone on the east and west. But -finding a portion of the Irish army well advanced towards Frankfort, he -abandoned that design, the order was countermanded, and Wurtemburg was -directed to take a more circuitous route to the eastward, and join him -on his way to Athlone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle drew out his army from Mullingar on the 6th of June, and halted -at Rathcondrath, where he was joined the same day by General Douglas. -Here he encamped for the night, and sent out a party to reconnoitre the -fort of Ballymore, then held as an outpost of the Irish army. After -a brisk skirmish with the pickets of the fort, this party returned, -bringing in a wounded prisoner, from whom he learned the force and -disposition of the garrison, and appeared before it at noon on the -following day. The town of Ballymore lay on the direct road from -Mullingar to Athlone, and a little to the right of it stood the fort -on a peninsula, isolated from the mainland except at one pass which -led up towards the town, and which was commanded by a ruined castle -that stood at its outer entrance. The place had been in the possession -of the English during the preceding autumn, but the country around -it becoming too poor to subsist a garrison, it was abandoned, when -the Rapparees took possession of it, and held it through the winter, -as a rendezvous in their raids against Mullingar and the surrounding -posts of the enemy. The place was of much strategic importance, being -well adapted for either offensive or defensive warfare; but having -been utterly neglected by the different parties occupying it through -the last year, it was now in a dilapidated condition. The fort was of -mud, mounting two pieces of "Turkish cannon on cart-wheels," with a -garrison consisting of eight hundred soldiers, two hundred and sixty -Rapparees,—four hundred women and children who had fled to it as a -refuge,—and was commanded by Colonel Ulick Burke, who had orders to -hold it to the last extremity, in order to gain time for the Irish army -to anticipate Ginckle before Athlone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle, impatient of delay, and not wishing to lose time in storming -the castle, into which Burke had thrown a sergeant and fifteen men, -deployed to the northward, and, erecting his batteries, directed -a heavy fire against the fort. But as the great body of the lake -intervened, no impression could be made from that direction, and it was -found necessary to reduce the castle, which commanded the narrowest -part of the lake, and also the pass leading into the fort. It was -accordingly stormed, carried after an obstinate defence of two hours, -and the gallant sergeant hanged in sight of the fort, for an "obstinate -defence of an untenable position." This obstacle being removed, -eighteen guns and four mortars were brought to bear against the fort, -until eight o'clock in the morning, when the firing ceased, and Ginckle -demanded a surrender, the summons being accompanied by a threat, that -if it were not vacated within two hours, the garrison would share the -fate of the sergeant, which they had just witnessed. Colonel Burke -denied its authenticity, asserting that Ginckle would not set his -signature to such an atrocious order, and demanded the summons in -writing. The form was soon complied with, the threat was repeated over -Ginckle's signature, but leave was granted for the women and children -to depart or share the fate of the garrison. Burke next stipulated -for permission to withdraw the garrison, as the non-combatants were -determined to share their fate; but this being refused, the firing -was resumed on both sides, and continued without intermission until -noon, when the Irish gunner being killed, and the sand-walls of the -fort completely beaten down, Burke displayed a flag of truce to the -assailants. Ginckle, greatly incensed by the obstinacy of the defence, -refused to notice the signal, and the cannonade was continued until -seven o'clock in the evening, when a storming party and boats being -ready to cross the lake, Burke again displayed his flag, surrendered -unconditionally, and Colonel Earl, at the head of eight hundred troops, -took possession of the fort. The booty of the captors was considerable, -consisting of four hundred and thirty sheep, forty cows, fifty -horses, a quantity of oatmeal, the arms of the garrison, two pieces -of artillery, "<em>but no powder</em>." The loss of life was inconsiderable -on either side; the threat of the English general was not put in -execution;—the men of the garrison became prisoners of war, and the -women and children were sent beyond the Irish lines, in conformity with -the usage of the times.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle made a pause of several days at Ballymore, awaiting his heavy -artillery, and the reinforcements expected from the south. While here, -he sent Lord Lisburn with 2,000 foot and five hundred horse, to attempt -the river at Lanesborough, and another body to reconnoitre the defences -of Athlone, and report the condition of the enemy. The former suffering -a severe repulse, returned after a few days, and pronounced the place -impracticable, and the latter reported that the Irish army must have -arrived at Athlone, as they saw some troops of horse drawn up on the -hills on the western side of the river. While here, also, General -Douglas departed to join the army of William in Flanders, and part -of his regiment were left under the command of Colonel Toby Purcell, -to occupy Ballymore, which had undergone a thorough reconstruction, -consisting of bastions, hornworks, a platform for a battery of eight -guns, and a floor of mortars. At length, on the 18th, Ginckle's train -having arrived, he moved forward to Ballyburn Pass, where he was joined -by Wurtemburg and Count Nassau, with a force of 8,000 men, and the next -day resumed his march for Athlone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though Ginckle's preparations had extended farther into the season -than he at first intended, he had still taken the field considerably -in advance of his enemy, and Ballymore had been reduced, and his -march resumed, before St. Ruth had moved out of Limerick. Nor did the -knowledge of this disturb the equanimity of the latter, nor disconcert -his arrangements. Hearing that Ginckle's army had left Mullingar, -he dispatched a regiment of horse for the defence of Athlone, with -orders to its governor, Colonel Fitzgerald, to strengthen his defences -and hold both sections of the town until his arrival; then sending a -force under Brigadier Maxwell to move along on the east, and waste -the country as he went along, he drew out his army, turned his -steps towards Athlone, and moved by easy marches along the western -side of the river. Maxwell performed this duty with characteristic -promptitude:—he soon rendered the country, for several miles beyond -the river, destitute of provender; drove immense herds of cattle within -the Irish lines; and then making that skilful display of his force at -Ballyboy and Frankfort, which diverted Ginckle's attention from the -lower fords, he recrossed the river at Banagher, and moved towards -Ballinasloe, where he anticipated the arrival of St. Ruth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The two armies now approaching each other were quite as disproportioned -as when they met in the former year upon the banks of the Boyne. That -of Ginckle, exclusive of the garrisons left at Mullingar and Ballymore, -must still have numbered over 30,000 men, while that of St. Ruth, after -all his detachments had been called in, and the garrisons depleted to -the limit of safety, was, according to the most reliable estimate, but -23,000,—horse and foot. In artillery, and all the appliances of war, -the disproportion was still greater; while the arms and appointments -of the English army were incomparably superior to those of its less -numerous adversary.<br /><br /><br /> </p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xvi-the-siege-of-athlone"> -<h2 class="l2titleexcept"><span>CHAPTER XVI.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE SIEGE OF ATHLONE.</span><span><a name ="id61" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtyone" id="id61"><sup><small>61</small></sup></a></span></h2> -<br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Athlone—<em>Ford of the Moon</em>; so called, it is believed, from -its connection with some ceremony of Druidic mythology—stands on both -sides of the Shannon, in the counties of Westmeath and Roscommon; -that part of it on the eastern or Leinster side, being designated -Englishtown; and that on the western or Connaught side, Irishtown. -Its position is as nearly central as the formation of the island will -admit, and the country around it is rich in historic and traditional -reminiscences. It was the scene of many a stirring event during the -sway of the native kings and chieftains, nor has it lost in importance -since the era of the English invasion; for ages it marked the greatest -western limit of the "Pale," and it is still the strongest fortress -and most extensive military depot in the kingdom. At the period under -consideration, the two divisions of the town were of nearly equal -extent, and a portion of each was encompassed by a wall of considerable -strength, beyond which the suburbs extended for some distance into the -country. The portion of the English town within the wall, was little -more than half a mile in length, its greatest width being somewhat -over a furlong, and the Irish town was similar in every respect, but -extended a little farther towards the north and south on the river. In -the middle of the eastern wall stood the Dublin Gate, facing the main -street and market-place, and opposite to it a bridge of nine arches, -connecting the two sections, being the only line of communication -between them. The eastern end of this bridge abutted on the bank of -the river, but at the western end there was a drawbridge of about -thirty feet span, and beyond it, but a little northward, stood the -castle, or chief citadel, built in the reign of King John; enlarged -and strengthened in that of Elizabeth, who wished to make it the seat -of her Lords-Justices; and the town was incorporated in the reign of -James I. This castle commanded the whole extent of the bridge, in a -slanting direction, and, with adequate artillery, could render it -impregnable; but in the approaching siege, as in all others through -this war, the native army was deficient in this arm of the service, and -had for the defence of this castle, and two bastions that protected -the fords on the river, but six pieces of light artillery and two -mortars. The wall of the English town was in a dilapidated condition, -and incapable of any protracted resistance. On the approach of General -Douglas, about ten months before, its suburbs had been given to the -flames by its governor, Colonel Grace, and the houses within the wall -levelled and left in the same condition as when the siege had been -abandoned. The Dublin Gate and its barriers were of great strength, -but another which opened towards the north, had been breached by the -artillery of Douglas, had undergone but slight repairs since that -time, and was incapable of offering a day's resistance to the immense -siege-train of de Ginckle. The present governor, Colonel Fitzgerald, -in pursuance of the plan which had proved so successful in the former -siege, had determined on the destruction of this section of the town, -when, contrary to the general advice, St. Ruth resolved on holding -both sections, and issued his command to that effect, as Ginckle -was about to move from Mullingar; and for this important service, -Fitzgerald had but 400 garrisoned troops, and a regiment of cavalry, -which came to his aid on the same day that he received notice of the -general's resolution. His position was therefore most critical and -embarrassing.—To abandon the English town without a defence, would be -contrary to the orders of his superior, and subject him to the gravest -military punishment; to withdraw his cavalry from the protection of the -river was inadmissible, as it would uncover the town on the north and -south, in case they should be cut off by a flank movement of the enemy, -and compel him to surrender without a blow. His only course was then to -make the best defence at all points: to dispatch a part of his garrison -to retard the enemy's advance, and gain time for the arrival of the -main army, which was known to be approaching, and within a day's march -of the town.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Fortunately, the country stretching towards the enemy was well adapted -to defensive measures, being such that a small body of resolute men -could throw great impediments in the way of an army like de Ginckle's, -encumbered with baggage and artillery, and arrayed in all the panoply -of war. An extensive sweep of marsh and bog lay to the north, both -difficult and dangerous to infantry; to the south the country was -broken and irregular; and the road along which the enemy approached was -lined on either side with hedges and thickets, affording convenient -shelter at almost every step of the way.—Such was the country through -which the English army had to march, and determined to seize on every -advantage that could, even for a moment, retard it; the governor -dispatched about two hundred foot dragoons and grenadiers of his -garrison on their perilous adventure.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle left his encampment at sunrise on the morning of the 19th, -and throwing out detachments towards Ballinahown and Killinure, where -the Rapparees were reported to be troublesome, he took up his line -of march. At Bealin, about a mile from his camp, his advance-guard -received a warm salute from the ambushed Irish pickets, and, falling -back on the main body, caused some confusion; when, throwing out -detachments to clear the brush on his right and left, he approached -slowly and warily towards the town. The Irish Guards now disputed the -ground with the most obstinate valor; every hedge and thicket became -the scene of assault and defence; when they yielded a position to -the overwhelming force of their assailants, it was but to renew the -strife with still greater desperation at another; the nearer the enemy -approached to the town the more deadly the conflict became; many, both -assailants and assailed, lay dead by the wayside, and it was well on -to noon, when, forced from their last intrenchment outside the wall, -the latter retired within their fortifications, and the English army -appeared before Athlone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle, who, finding that St. Ruth's army had not yet arrived, -determined to press his advantage, immediately set to work in the -construction of batteries, and had soon two at work outside the walls -of the English town: one of three guns to the north of it, over against -a bastion, on the western side of the river, and another of five guns -to the south, and both played fiercely all day without cessation. At -six in the evening another of nine eighteen-pounders was opened against -the northern gate, and all worked steadily until noon on the following -day. It was then found that the last one had effected a breach of its -own width, practicable for the passage of infantry, when the fire of -the two first was turned on the interior of the town, a council of war -was held, and it was determined to assault it in force that evening.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Governor, anticipating the result, and seeing that section of the -town no longer tenable, resolved on the destruction of the bridge, -as the only means of protracting the siege. For this purpose, after -withdrawing his artillery, he detailed a part of his force, while the -rest were stationed behind the breach to check the assault, and gain -time for the accomplishment of this work, which was now a matter of -vital importance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The order of assault was soon arranged by the British generals, and -was to be substantially as follows:—Five hundred grenadiers, with -triple the usual number of officers, and a corps of sappers and miners, -were to be arrayed in two divisions to support each other and lead the -advance. The first, after effecting an entrance into the town, was -to turn to the right, while the other was to follow close upon its -footsteps, and, at the same time, file to the left. That which took -the right was to be supported by 2,000 picked men, under the command -of Brigadier Stuart and Prince Frederick, and the other by an equal -number under Colonel Brewer and the Count of Nassau. The first column -was to make its way to the bridge, and, seizing it, cut off the retreat -of the besieged; or, failing in that, to seek cover in the nearest -walls and await the support of the other division, which was to gain -the Dublin Gate, and throw it open to the army outside. Then all were -to push forward and seize on the bridge and fords, if successful, to -assail the Irish town immediately, and if not, to cover themselves -with intrenchments along the river.—All preliminaries were to be -completed at five o'clock; the moment for assault was to be announced -by the firing of one signal-gun; the grenadiers, in the mean time, were -placed under cover to the northward of the town; and the whole movement -was under the direction of Major-General Mackey and Brigadier-General -Vittenhoff.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was now the evening of the second day: the army of St. Ruth had not -yet appeared in view; its delay was unaccountable; for he had received -timely notice of Ginckle's approach. The cannon from without poured -an incessant storm of ball and bomb into the town, and the defenders -behind their torn ramparts calmly bided their time, but knew not the -moment of assault. The fate of the Irish cause was in their hands, and -their determination rose with the importance of their trust. Their -Governor having done all that a brave and intrepid soldier could do, -committed the rest to the bravery of his soldiers, and the gallant old -Colonel Grace, who now served as a volunteer, took his stand beside -them, and in his presence no man dare turn his back on an enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At five o'clock the fire of the northern battery suddenly ceased, and -the peal of a single gun immediately announced the moment of action. -The report had scarcely died away, when it was echoed by a cheer from -the British grenadiers, as, springing from their ambush, they rushed -headlong towards the breach. A French officer of Cambon's regiment -first mounted it, waved his sword, and pointed onward, when the Irish -soldiers rose from their cover, levelled their muskets on the advancing -foe, and in a moment the gallant Frenchman and many of his immediate -followers were numbered with the dead. Still they pressed on, and -hundreds of them thronged the breach, when a second volley, more deadly -than the first, swept through their ranks, and the defenders stepped -forward and stood to confront the whole force of the assailants. -The conflict now became desperate, but the result could not be long -doubtful; overwhelmed by numbers, they were borne through the breach, -and the enemy gaining the open space inside the wall, commenced filing -to the right and left in pursuance of their purpose. The way to the -right was narrow and tortuous, and, though pressed on by the weight of -2,250 men, their way was disputed foot by foot, and dearly purchased in -that direction. But that to the left being less obstructed, the result -was terribly ruinous to the defenders. At the end of an hour one-half -of them lay dying and trampled among the <em>débris</em>, and still the rest -stood and fought as resolutely as ever. At length the gate was gained, -the assailants thronged by thousands into the market-place, and the -strife was transferred to the street leading down from it to the river. -Another hour passed on, and the defenders were borne back towards the -bridge; its destruction was not yet completed; and to win it on the one -side and maintain it on the other, became the work of life and death. -The assailants rushed on in their fury, but were steadily resisted, -and even for awhile repelled, their overwhelming numbers defeating the -very object of their assault. At length the arch was sprung, the word -was given to retire; the defenders rushed along the bridge; some of -them succeeded in crossing it, but their assailants pressing closely on -them, many were borne over the battlements, to rise no more. Further -persistence was now in vain; the work was done; the arch had given way, -and sunk beneath the waters of the river; and the enemy retired under -an effective fire opened on them from the opposite side; the bridge was -rendered impassable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>History has few parallels for the bravery and devotion of the gallant -men who performed this act of self-immolation. Two hundred of them -strewed the way from the breach to the bridge; but not a prisoner was -taken, nor a color, to grace the enemy's triumph. This happened on the -20th of June. On the 22d a French lieutenant-colonel was found wounded -and dying under the bridge; and, three days after, a pair of colors was -found in the same place, under a heap of the slain, for which Ginckle -gave the finder a reward of five guineas. Nor was it a defence without -a purpose,—for valor is generally estimated by the end attained:—it -saved the Irish town from the immediate grasp of the enemy, and was a -fitting inauguration to a siege which, for heroic daring and unbending -fortitude, has few examples in the history of warfare. They had done -their work at the sacrifice of their lives; the siege was now about -to be renewed between more equally matched forces; for, just as they -had retired across the drawbridge, on the western side, St. Ruth's -army appeared beyond the town, and he took speedy measures to stop -the progress of the enemy.—Wauchop was placed in the command of the -castle; d'Usson and de Tessé were installed as joint commandants of the -town, and Fitzgerald retired to his former position in the army, as -colonel of his few remaining veterans.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle having thus gained the English town, removed all his artillery -within the walls, and a train of eleven guns and three mortars having -arrived in the mean time, he spent all the succeeding night in the -erection of batteries. By the next morning he had five of them in full -play against the Irish town and its defences:—two above the bridge, -two below it—and one of five twenty-four pounders and six mortars at -the foot of the bridge over against the eastern wall of the citadel. -He next sent orders to hasten up his pontoons, which were on their way -from Mullingar, and, warned by the desperate resistance he had just -met, he took his precautions accordingly, and sent a requisition to -Dublin for additional reinforcements.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Nor was St. Ruth now idle on his part. Encamping his army in a good -position about two miles from the town, he garrisoned the castle with -fresh troops, threw up lines of intrenchment along the river, and -at once opened on the works of the enemy. His guns were few and of -inferior calibre, but they were worked with a spirit and vigor that -soon caused Ginckle to shift two of his batteries from the river, while -the fire from the castle swept the bridge and rendered any approach -along it impracticable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle soon saw that to silence the guns of the castle was a work of -the first necessity, and to this end all his heavy guns and mortars -were at once directed. The labor of the gunners on both sides now -became incessant. Night brought no respite to the toils and dangers -of the day. The weather was extremely hot; an unusual drought had -prevailed, rendering the fascines as dry as tinder; and their continual -ignition made the work of the soldiers more harassing. The skies were -clear, and the evening twilight almost ushered in the dawn, while -the glare of the batteries lit up the intrenchments and rendered the -assailants and assailed continually visible to each other, while the -fire of Ginckle's mortars, being directed on the houses beyond the -castle, added perpetual conflagration to the other horrors of the -scene. After a short time, a mill which stood in the middle of the -river, to the north of the bridge, and into which the Irish had thrown -a detachment of sixty-four men to keep up a fire on the broken arch, -attracted the fire of the enemy. The passage which connected it with -the bridge was soon broken down, and the building itself taking fire, -the whole detachment—with two exceptions—perished in the flames. -The wall of the castle crumbled bit by bit, a rent became discernible -in the eastern wall, and gradually widening, the greater part of -the front gave way, strewing the passage to the bridge, choking up -the sally-port, and exposing the interior to the great guns of the -besiegers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the condition of the besieged on the morning of the 26th, and -all that day the bombardment continued with increased fury. Towards -evening the bastion opposite the ford was beaten down so as to be -passable to horse and foot, and the battery which protected it was -completely silenced; the castle was deemed no longer tenable, and -Ginckle contemplated an assault in force on the following morning. -Preparatory to this, he resolved to try once more the passage of the -river, in order to create a diversion on the Irish rear while putting -his design in execution; and, having lately received information that -a ford had been discovered to the north of Lanesborough, which might -be easily crossed in the face of the small garrison stationed there, -had dispatched a strong force to that place, with orders to approach -it in the night, and having captured the town, to make a demonstration -on the enemy's left, while he himself, with the main body, would storm -the bridge and fords on their front. But the design was communicated -to General Wauchop, and he immediately sent a regiment of cavalry to -the assistance of Colonel O'Reilly, who commanded there, with orders -to defend the place to the last extremity. The troops of Ginckle had -started on their expedition on the night of the 25th, under direction -of a guide, and, after making a wide detour to the north-east, -approached the ford with great caution on the night of the 26th; but, -arriving there, they found the opposite side strongly intrenched -and the Irish cavalry drawn up to oppose them. They, however, tried -to force their way through, but being routed with severe loss, they -returned, and reported that it would take the whole army to cross -there, so the project was finally abandoned. Nor was this his only -disappointment. The morning of the 27th broke over a scene as startling -as unexpected, for in its light he beheld that the Irish battery above -the bastion had been repaired and strengthened, and that the castle -which he expected to find abandoned had been put in a better state of -defence than before. An opening had been made in the western wall, -through which rocks and beams had been conveyed to the top of the -breach, and firmly imbedded there, while its one solitary tower, the -Connaught Tower, still commanded the broken arch, and displayed its -flag as proud and defiant as ever. He was therefore obliged to forego -his intention for that day, and direct his whole force to the total -destruction of the citadel before risking an assault on the bridge. -To the five batteries already at work two more were now added, and an -incessant storm of shot and shell was directed all day on the castle -and the houses beyond it. Three times during the siege the town had -been set on fire; the population had fled to the suburbs, and nothing -having life remained within the walls but the gunners behind their -crumbling earth-works, and the soldiers laboring to check the flames -extending in all directions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>St. Ruth, believing that the tower could not long withstand the -terrible fire brought to bear on it, set to work in the erection of -earth-works to answer the same end, and for this purpose he conveyed -some guns outside the town, and erected two batteries—one to the north -and the other to the south—both bearing across the eastern angles -of the bridge. Their fire soon drove the English gunners from their -batteries, and during the cessation of their fire two intrenchments -were thrown up on a high ground to the right and left of the castle. -The fire from these dislodged the English musketeers from the walls -near the river, and from this forward the contest became a duel of -artillery. Ginckle's heavy missiles still bore down all obstructions; -the ingenious traverse and change of position were unavailing; nothing -could withstand the heavy guns of the besiegers but the Connaught -Tower, and that, though crumbling bit by bit, still sent its shot with -the same precision as before. In this manner the conflict raged during -the whole of the 27th. The bombs of the enemy became exhausted, but -this brought no respite to the besieged. Immense blocks of stone, even -more destructive than shell, were hurled into the Irish intrenchments, -crushing their fascines to atoms, and breaking down all barriers. -Towards evening a body of the besiegers, moving behind an improvised -breastwork, stormed the bridge, gained possession of the broken arch, -and secured themselves behind a strong breastwork. The defence was -stubborn, and cost both sides dearly; "for," says the English annalist, -"what we gained here was inch by inch, as it were, the enemy sticking -very close to it, though great numbers of them were slain by our guns, -and the service cost us a great store of ammunition." But ammunition -was of small account with Ginckle. One hundred wagon-loads of shot and -shell reached the camp that evening; thirteen squadron of wagon-horses -were sent to Dublin for more, and two batteries were added to the seven -that had been at work since the morning of the 25th. One of these was -on a hill outside the wall, which commanded the western end of the -bridge, and the other in a meadow to the south of it, which raked the -passage leading from the Irish town to the castle. Under cover of these -nine batteries the English reached the last broken arch, and secured -themselves by a breastwork overlooking that of the Irish on the other -side. Here the grenadiers of both armies now stood firing their muskets -and hurling their grenades across the narrow space that separated them. -At length the fascines of the Irish breastwork took fire, the whole was -soon a sheet of flame, its defenders were forced to retire, and on the -night of the 27th the English remained masters of the last broken arch -of the bridge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The situation of the besieged was now most desperate. The town -seemed all but in the possession of the enemy. The bastion opposite -the southern ford, about fifty yards from the bridge, was levelled, -and practicable to infantry and cavalry. The ford itself was easily -passable, for the river was unusually low for the season. The town -was a heap of smouldering ruins, and the castle,—with the single -exception of the Connaught Tower—was beaten down to the level of the -besiegers' guns. Beams had been extended across the last broken arch -of the bridge, the planking was partially set, while the fire of their -forty-seven guns was fierce and active as ever. Still the Irish relaxed -neither in courage nor intrepidity. Though but one gun alone sent an -occasional response to the incessant roar of nine batteries, sweeping -every foot of their intrenchments, "they worked like horses, checking -the fire within the town; carrying fascines to fill their trenches;" -and exhibited a courage and endurance "such as was never excelled by -man." Such was the situation on both sides through the night of the -27th:—the one in the face of inevitable death trying to reconstruct -their shattered defences, and the other in exultation preparing to -force the river at sunrise the next morning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The night passed on, and the morning rose bright and clear above the -river. The besieged seemed to have exhausted all the means of defence. -Some lay close in the cover of their trenches, and others drawn up -behind the western wall of the castle, waiting for the approaching -conflict. The enemy alone were at work. The planking was nearly -completed across the last broken arch of the bridge. The fire from -their right and left traversed its western end between their workmen -and the besieged, and their grenadiers were advanced along the bridge -waiting for the expected signal. At this moment a sudden commotion was -observable in the Irish quarters, and a simultaneous shout rent the -air, as eleven men, cased in armor, were seen to clear their trenches, -and bear directly for the bridge. A silence still as death fell over -the besiegers and besieged, and for a moment all seemed spellbound. In -another the noble fellows had reached the bridge, and "with a strength -and courage beyond what men were thought capable of," commenced to tear -away the planks and beams, and cast them into the river. The amazement -of the English soldiers soon gave way to the stern necessity of war. A -discharge of great and small guns swept the bridge, and the devoted men -passed forever from the earth! Undeterred by their fate, eleven more -sprang forward to complete the work! Another peal rang out as before, -a cloud of smoke enveloped them for a moment, and, clearing away, it -was found that their work was completely accomplished, that the bridge -was rendered impassable, and that two of the eleven had escaped within -their intrenchments.<a name ="id62" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtytwo" id="id62"><sup>62</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle, greatly chagrined by his disappointment, withdrew his -soldiers to their camp, called a council of war, and deliberated on -the alternatives of continuing the siege, or seeking a passage at some -other point of the river. The council continued far into the evening; -the questions were discussed in all their bearings, and another assault -was determined on for the morning of the 29th.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the mean time it became necessary to gain possession of the broken -arch which had been lost in the last assault, and to silence the -battery on the Connaught Tower, or, which was the same, to destroy -the tower itself. This tower stood at the north-western angle of the -castle, and though it had cost more ball and ammunition than all the -rest of the defences together, it had never ceased for a moment to -annoy the enemy, even when all the earth-works had been silenced. -Against this tower all Ginckle's heavy guns were now directed. Towards -midnight its abutments gave way, and shortly after it fell forward in -one solid mass, and lay stretched athwart the ruins. While this was -going on, the utmost activity prevailed in the English camp. Pontoons -were put in order, a close gallery was constructed of sufficient length -to span the arch and protect the workmen inside it, while a company -of Danish soldiers had examined the river, and established another -ford practicable for twenty soldiers abreast, about thirty yards to -the south of the other. Three hundred yards to the south of this had -been selected for the bridge of pontoons, and the banks at both places -levelled for a proper distance. The assault was to be made in three -places:—at the bridge: across the newly-discovered ford: and over the -pontoons, outside the town. It was furthermore resolved that every -regiment should have the honor of participating in the movement, and -the selection of the men for this purpose was confided to Major-General -Mackey, who made the following disposition:—From every regiment he -selected forty-three grenadiers, eighty-three private soldiers, three -captains, five lieutenants, two ensigns, and seven sergeants—a force -not less than 8,000 men in all. These he arranged in three divisions, -and stationed them outside the eastern wall, "in great secrecy," until -the proper time to show themselves. The way from the gate to the river -was cleared of all obstructions, and ladders were placed against the -walls, near the river, which were pierced for musketry, in order to -annoy the enemy while the assailants were crossing it. The bridge was -to be the first point of assault, and on its success those at the ford -and over the pontoons were dependent. Three thousand men were to cross -at the bridge, 3,000 more over the pontoons, and 2,000, composed of -horse and foot, were to attempt the ford. The assault was to take place -at sunrise, until which time all should be conducted with the utmost -"secrecy and circumspection." The soldiers were to carry fifteen rounds -to a man, to have each a green bough in his hat, as at the Boyne; they -were rewarded in advance by the distribution of large sums of money, -and the word of the night was—"Kilkenny."</p> - -<p class='c000'>But, notwithstanding all the precautions of secrecy observed in the -English camp, St. Ruth received timely information of the design, and -had taken active measures to counteract it. When morning broke over -the Irish town, Ginckle was both surprised and mortified to see that -all his movements were anticipated. The drawbridge had been secured by -a heavy breastwork, a new battery had been constructed opposite the -ford, and another in a meadow outside of the town, commanding the point -selected for laying his pontoons, and reinforcements from the Irish -camp had been stationed at convenient positions to dispute the town, in -case he succeeded in forcing the passage of the river. He was further -disconcerted at finding that General Mackey's arrangements were not -all up to time. The men stood to their arms at the appointed hour: the -musketeers lined the walls along the river; the gallery was ready to be -pushed over the bridge; but the pontoons, which should have been laid -overnight, were found insufficient to span the river, and it became -necessary to repair some old ones to supply the deficiency. As this had -now to be done in the face of the enemy's fire, it became necessary to -construct a battery to dislodge them, while the work of repairing and -laying the boats was carried forward, and it was doubtful whether he -should have any timely co-operation from that quarter. Still, as all -the other movements were dependent on the result at the bridge, Ginckle -determined to persevere, and at the appointed time the grenadiers and -soldiers moved forward under the protection of their covered gallery. -After great danger and difficulty it was forced over the English -breastwork, where the grenadiers stood face to face to dispute the -possession of the bridge, and the strife of the 28th was repeated over -again, with greater desperation on both sides. While this was going on -at the bridge, the fire of the English batteries swept the whole Irish -line, and under the diversion Mackey made desperate efforts to complete -the line of pontoons; but, despite of all, he was driven from the work, -and forced to abide the result at the bridge. All now depended upon -this: and the soldiers on both sides looked on with feelings wrought -to the highest pitch of excitement. The Irish grenadiers suffered -dreadfully, for the enemy's breastwork completely overlooked that on -the other side, and their grenades wrought terrible destruction in -their trenches. Four hours passed on, and still this encounter raged -without cessation. The gallery was forced forward, as it were, inch by -inch; the arch was spanned, and the work, as before, had nearly reached -completion, when the fascines on the English side caught fire. The -soldiers made great efforts to extinguish it, but in vain; the whole -was soon a sheet of flame; and being no longer tenable, they abandoned -their position and retreated across the bridge: the Irish grenadiers -advanced and completed the destruction of the gallery and defences; and -the bridge was again impassable. The failure of this assault at the -bridge caused the abandonment of those at the other two points, and the -English soldiers were withdrawn to their camp, none remaining but the -usual guards, and the cannoneers behind their intrenchments. The firing -of the cannon ceased for the first time since the siege had opened, and -silence brooded over the scene of desolation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>St. Ruth was now elated with success, and enthusiastic in praise of -the soldiers, who had displayed such stubborn valor in the defence -of their old town. It was now, throughout its whole extent, a mass -of smouldering ruins, over which the soldiers made their way with -difficulty and danger, and the intrenchments along the river had been -levelled and reconstructed so often that the earth around them had been -rendered as dry as powder. He therefore issued orders to have a road -opened from end to end behind the batteries next the river, in order to -facilitate the deploying of troops from one point to another; to have -the western wall completely razed, the houses within them levelled, so -that the enemy should have no shelter if they should succeed in passing -the river; and the area behind the castle cleared, so that his raw -levies should be drilled there and trained to perform garrison duty. He -next withdrew most of the trained soldiers from the works, and supplied -their place with three regiments of recruits; and, expressing his -belief that the enemy would retire without risking another engagement, -marched his army back to camp, and gave a banquet, 'tis said, to which -he invited all the ladies and gentlemen of the surrounding district.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle was greatly mortified at the failure of this last grand -movement. It was made in force; each of the divisions had fulfilled -its part of the programme. All the resources at his command had -been brought to support it, and yet a signal failure at all points, -and a serious loss of men, had been the consequence; and, as he had -determined beforehand that on its result his advance or retreat -should depend, he immediately called a council of war, to signify -his intention to retire, and try some other point of the river, -or open a defensive campaign on the ground already traversed. All -the propositions submitted at the previous council were taken up -and discussed: the continual failure of his plans; the spirit and -endurance of the enemy; the impossibility of remaining any longer in -a district stripped of forage and provender for several miles around. -The expenditure of ammunition, too, had already outrun his most -extravagant calculations. Bomb and ball had accomplished all that could -be effected, for both town and citadel were now reduced, and still the -enemy, so far from abandoning the place, had recently renewed their -defences, and should the river be crossed, were ready to offer battle -amid the ruins. Should he again attempt the passage, and succeed in -crossing, success was to be purchased, but at a great sacrifice. Should -he cross and not succeed, the total destruction of his army was more -than probable. Should he attempt to cross above or below this place, he -uncovered the capital, and the enemy would not fail to profit by the -advantage. The disadvantages of taking the defensive at the beginning -of the campaign, and the disgrace of retiring in the face of the foe -whom the soldiers had hitherto been taught to despise, would have a -ruinous effect on the spirit of his troops, raise that of the enemy, -and exert a powerful influence on the action of the French monarch. -Having canvassed the subject in all its bearings, he was himself in -favor of trying another ford above or below their present position, -where less difficulties were to be encountered, and submitted the -whole subject to the deliberation of the council. The debate was -long and earnest, and the majority supported the decision of the -General-in-Chief. The minority were against retiring, and they were -the ablest and most prominent of the generals:—Mackey and Wurtemberg, -Ruvigney and Tettau, urged another assault, and offered themselves to -head the soldiers in person, and be the first to cross the river. The -deliberation was long, and the matter remained undecided, when the -opinion of the majority was changed by one of those fortuitous events -which seem throughout this war to arise continually in favor of the -invader. Two officers who had deserted from the Irish army were at -this juncture brought before the council, and proffered most important -information. They represented the feeling of security that prevailed -in the Irish camp; the prevalent belief that the enemy would retire -and abandon the siege; the substitution of untrained soldiers in the -trenches; and the withdrawal of the veterans. They told of the bad -feeling existing between St. Ruth, the deputy, and general officers; -the scarcity of ammunition; and of all things that could give weight -to the views of the minority. The opposing opinions were at once -reconciled, and a plan of action was forthwith adopted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was now determined to take the town by surprise; and the better -to conceal the design, it was concerted to make a feint of retiring -and raising the siege. Guns were to be dismounted; tents struck; -the baggage placed on wagons in sight of the enemy; and the general -appearance to be that of an army about to retire from its encampment. -The soldiers selected for the last assault were to be withdrawn from -view, and held in readiness outside the wall until the appointed -hour. At the usual time of changing guard, which was six o'clock in -the morning, the men who were to cross at the ford were to move down -as if to relieve their comrades, when at an appointed signal, which -was the ringing of the church bell, they were to cross and storm the -opposite intrenchments. These being carried, they were to move to the -right and left, to assist the other divisions which were to follow in -quick succession, and pass over the bridge and pontoons simultaneously. -Every thing seemed opportune for the attempt; every part of the plan -was observed to the letter; and to create the proper ardor among the -soldiers, still larger rewards were distributed than on the former -occasion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All through the evening the cannonade along the English lines seemed to -relax its wonted spirit; farther on it ceased altogether, and it was -observed that some of the guns were being limbered and removed from -the river towards the camp. The <em>ruse</em> immediately had the desired -effect. The Irish soldiers, believing that the enemy had actually -commenced to retire, came gradually out of their trenches, and ventured -down towards the river. The English soldiers, too, seemed to relax -in discipline, and came down to meet them. Jest and repartee were -bandied across the stream; the soldiers of Ginckle twitting those of -St. Ruth on their miserable "penny a day," and the latter reminding -the former that they had given "bad penny-worths" for the money which -their general had lately distributed among them. So they beguiled the -time; with the closest secrecy and circumspection on the one side, -and a feeling of security and a total unconsciousness of approaching -danger on the other. As the night wore on both parties retired from the -river, and sought repose in the trenches, and a deep silence settled -over the scene, only broken at intervals by the occasional challenge -of the sentries as they met each other in their measured round. Nor -was it in the unconsciousness of the Irish soldiers alone that fortune -seemed to favor the besiegers. The orders which St. Ruth had lately -given, on withdrawing his army from the town, had not been carried -out. The houses were still the same shapeless ruins he had left them; -the western wall was still entire; but a roadway had been cleared -behind the intrenchments on the river, and all the defensive works to -the rear of it had been defaced and levelled. This neglect was the -consequence of a disagreement between St. Ruth and General d'Usson—the -former wishing to have all obstructions removed, so as to give battle -on the ruins of the town if the batteries on the river were carried; -and the latter wishing to preserve the walls as a line of defence, in -the event of such a conjuncture. It therefore happened that the work -"went by default," or that the bad parts of it were executed and the -more necessary totally neglected. However this be, a want of concord -was manifest among the leaders; and when to these untoward events it -is added, that d'Usson was absent from the camp, that three untrained -regiments manned the defences, and that a scarcity of ammunition -prevailed along the lines, the whole train of circumstances pointed to -a manifest destiny, and—the reader may anticipate an evil one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was yet the gray dawn of morning; the same supineness prevailed -along the Irish lines, and the same cautious preparations went on in -the camp of the enemy, when Colonel Cormac O'Neil entered the quarters -of General Maxwell. He came to demand a supply of bullets for his -men; for, being on duty overnight, he observed certain signs on the -opposite side that led him to believe that another assault might be -soon expected, and wished to take the necessary precautions. Maxwell -was at first incredulous, and answering the demand by one of those -Scotch apothegms, so prevalent at the time,—"If he wanted to shoot -lavrocks," O'Neil retired moody and discontented. As the morning -advanced, however, that general himself saw reasons to convince him -that the colonel's suspicions were well founded;—he observed that -the bridge of pontoons had not been removed, that the batteries there -and at the ford showed signs of having been recently repaired and -strengthened, and that the guards along the whole line had been doubled -through the night. He immediately communicated this intelligence to -St. Ruth, and requested that a division of veteran troops should be -immediately sent into the town; but the herald soon returned with the -insulting reply that "if he was afraid, another general officer would -be sent to take his place." So the morning passed on; the plans of the -enemy were matured, and they awaited but the appointed hour to put them -in execution.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At six o'clock the tattoo in the English camp announced the hour of -changing guard, and the soldiers marched down leisurely, as if to -their accustomed duty. In six minutes after the church-bell rang out -its signal, the artillery opened along the whole line, and under its -shelter the assailants dashed forward and entered the river. A body of -sixty grenadiers, cased in armor, and moving twenty abreast, led the -advance. They were headed by Captain Sandys, a soldier of great daring -and intrepidity, and were closely followed by a strong supporting -column of cavalry commanded by General Talmash and Colonel Gustavus -Hamilton, and by 2,000 chosen infantry troops under the direction of -Mackey, Tettau, La Mellioneire, and the Prince of Hesse. Simultaneous -with this assault, which took place at the ford, other movements were -directed towards the pontoons and the town-bridge, and the whole scene -was again alive with military ardor and intrepidity. There never was a -more complete surprise. The movement was so sudden and unexpected that -the assailants had nearly gained the opposite bank before the alarm was -sounded in the Irish quarters, or the soldiers who were lying asleep -in the trenches could be aroused to a consciousness of their danger. -As the grenadiers began to ascend they were met by a few hasty and -ill-directed volleys from those on guard, which checked their progress -for a moment, but they were pressed on by the thousands in their rear, -and literally borne over the intrenchments, where they soon silenced -all opposition. Some of the Irish soldiers fled to the shelter of the -ruined houses, where they rallied and kept up an irregular fire on -the enemy thronging into the town; but most of them were taken, and, -being unarmed, were slaughtered where they stood. Having thus carried -the works on their front, the assailants immediately filed to the -right and left; some to aid in laying the pontoons, some in securing -the drawbridge, and still others to mask the castle and cut off the -retreat of its garrison. The road which had been opened by St. Ruth's -orders, was now of the greatest advantage to his enemy, who moved -quickly behind the intrenchments, cutting off the Irish soldiers; who, -having no batteries in the rear to check the pursuit, were surrounded, -overwhelmed, and cut down with little resistance. The bridge and -pontoons being soon made passable, thousands rushed into the town, -swearing as they stumbled over the ruins, and dealing death to their -disarmed prisoners. One battalion of veterans, led by Maxwell and some -Irish officers, made a stubborn resistance, and for a while checked the -pursuit; but, being surrounded and assailed on all sides, they were -slain, with the exception of the general and a few of the superior -officers, who were secured as prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the first alarm, information was sent to St. Ruth that the enemy was -crossing the river; but he scouted the idea, and boasted that Ginckle -would not dare it after his late repulse, while he lay so near with -an army to succor it. Sarsfield, who was present at the time, replied -that the undertaking was not too great for English valor to attempt, -but still St. Ruth, either through real or affected disbelief, scorned -all remonstrance, and remained immovable. In a short time, however, -the fugitives from the town began to reach the camp; he was at last -convinced, and, with a seeming indifference, ordered Major-General -John Hamilton to take two brigades and drive the enemy again beyond -the river. The attempt was made, and the fight was renewed with such -determination that General Maxwell expressed his belief, to his -captors, that the town would be retaken. But after a desperate conflict -of an hour and a half amid the ruins, the enemy gained the western -wall; to dislodge them became impossible to an over-matched force; the -Irish soldiers retreated to their camp; and Athlone was lost.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The loss of life by which Ginckle gained possession of this town -is variously estimated. Twelve hundred would perhaps cover all the -casualties of the siege, but in addition to this he expended fifty -tons of gunpowder, 12,000 cannonball, 600 bombs, and innumerable tons -of stone, hurled from the mortars whenever the shell became exhausted. -The Irish army, during the same period, accepting the highest estimate, -suffered a diminution of 2,300 men, of whom 500 were slain, and 566 -captured in the last surprise and assault. Its loss in officers was -very great—too great for specification. Among them were the French -adjutant-general, the two Colonels McGuinness, Colonels McMahon and -O'Gara, and the veteran Colonel Richard Grace, whose body was found -amid the slain under the western end of the bridge, where it had lain -since the assault of the previous morning,—and there could be no place -more appropriate for the fall of that patriot warrior. The booty taken -within the town is thus summed up by the English chaplain, Story: "A -good store of plunder among the ruins, and a great many dead men in the -castle, with about twenty barrels of powder, twelve hogsheads of meal, -some wheat, and a great many other things."</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Athlone was lost to the Irish army, and its last line of defence -was penetrated, not through lack of valor or capacity to maintain it, -but through a want of vigilance, totally inexcusable among the superior -officers, and a singular combination of pride and folly on the part of -the general, strangely comporting with the importance of the cause. Up -to this day, no city had ever been defended with more determined valor, -and never was eventual success more apparent than on the very hour that -it was captured "by the most complete surprise that ever was." The last -sun looked down on the Jacobite army exultant in spirit and confident -of success; the next saw it overreached by the enemy, outraged by its -general, robbed of victory, and humiliated by defeat. The world had -seldom witnessed such heroic sacrifice, such patient endurance, and -enthusiastic devotion as those displayed by the Irish soldiers of that -period; but the loss of this old town, through manifest neglect—a -tampering with fate, as it were, so culpable in a general—roused a -spirit of indignation in every breast, and denunciations loud and -bitter were uttered against St. Ruth, now as deeply penitent and as -lowly obsequious as he had lately been haughty and intolerant. But -little time was left for vain regrets or useless recrimination. The -presence of an enemy flushed with success, within two miles of their -camp, banished every other consideration for the moment, and, yielding -to the appeals of their generals, they prepared for the final contest. -All that day, and far into the night, they remained drawn up on the -site of their encampment, in momentary expectation of the enemy, and -determined to risk a battle. But as the night wore on and Ginckle -made no forward movement, they decamped and marched in good order to -Milton Pass, a small village about six miles to the north-west, on -a river which empties into the southern section of Lough Ree. There -they remained until ten o'clock next day, when the infantry took up -their march towards the south-west, and the cavalry, after remaining -some hours longer to protect their rear, took the same direction, and -disappeared from the sight of the enemy.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xvii-the-interval-from-july-1st-to-the-12th"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER XVII.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE INTERVAL FROM JULY 1ST TO THE 12TH.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>From its central position on the principal river of the country, -Athlone, at any period of the war, was of the utmost importance to -either belligerent; its loss to the Irish cause was, at this particular -crisis, a misfortune almost irreparable. It was the main link in that -chain of fortresses which the Irish generals had early recommended as -a base of operations, from which they could indefinitely prolong the -war, and eventually roll back the tide of invasion. Their successful -defence of it since the battle of the Boyne had tended to strengthen -that belief, for, notwithstanding the incessant assaults of the enemy, -not a link in the chain had been broken, and every attempt to sever it -had resulted in his repulse or discomfiture.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Well has the Shannon been termed the "principal feature of the island:" -nay more! in a military sense it is the key to it. Though most of its -principal garrisons are approachable by roads at all seasons; yet, -by reason of its high winter floods, rising towards the beginning -of October, and scarce ever receding until the end of May; with its -islands and adjacent callow lands completely inundated, it appears -throughout its whole length a chain of extensive lakes, completely -hiding its main channel, and greatly limiting the number of assailable -points throughout the intervening period. The possession of Limerick, -too, by the native army, deprived the invader of the advantage of any -craft, save such as could be improvised in the interior, and against -the action of cannon these were almost or totally unserviceable. There -were, therefore, only five or six months of the year during which the -invading army could prosecute a vigorous campaign along its environs, -and with its garrisons in a proper state of defence, with the native -army lying conveniently behind them, and the other three provinces -open to its incursions at will, all the power of England alone were -incompetent to the reduction of the country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Deeply impressed with this conviction, the defence of Athlone had been -tenacious, and desperate even to recklessness.<a name ="id63" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtythree" id="id63"><sup>63</sup></a> Other considerations, -too, tended to heighten the importance of this siege. It was the -opening event of the campaign; it was carried on under the eye of -their new general, of whom fame had spoken so loudly, and above all, -it was hoped that a successful result would remove all misgivings from -the mind of the French monarch as to the wisdom of his advocacy, and -prompt him to immediate and more effective intervention. But the fall -of Athlone at once dashed all these bright anticipations. The mind -of Louis, continually warped by the misrepresentations of de Lausen -and Louvois, had from the beginning wavered on the sustenance of the -war; the ill success of his generals had been hitherto attributed to -the intractability of the native race; deceived by the subterfuge, he -adopted the accusation, and would, it might now be inferred, refuse any -further support to a cause whose fate was already foreshadowed. Nor -could it be doubted that the error of St. Ruth, though too palpable for -evasion, would have its palliation, while the brave men whom his pride -and arrogance had cheated out of assured victory, would again be the -victims of covert calumny.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is no wonder, then, that the Irish soldiers felt the loss of Athlone -with a grief bordering on despair, and the Irish officers with a rage -strongly savoring of mutiny. To those it seemed as though they were to -be perpetually the dupes of every adventurer in search of a reputation, -and to these, that their dearest liberties weighed as nothing, and that -their country was but as a diversion from the military chess-board of -Europe, and they deemed the neglect of St. Ruth a crime scarce less -detestable than covert treason. To all it was an overwhelming calamity, -opening at once to the tread of the invader the province which they had -so long and so gallantly defended, and which until this day they could -proudly claim as their country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is extremely painful, after the lapse of nearly two hundred years, -to revive the weaker traits of St. Ruth's most singular character: for -it would be far more congenial, in view of his subsequent career, to -revive in him a bright reputation than a clouded one. He came to the -country in good faith; he gave his life as an earnest of his sincerity -in her behalf; and his ashes lie with those of her best and bravest on -their last great battle-field for civil and religious liberty. That -he planned it skilfully and fought it well, all admit; that it was -lost only by the "special interposition of Providence," is generally -conceded. He was brave, intrepid, and collected, in that moment which -tries true heroism, and his fate still awakens a sympathetic chord in -the breast of every generous Irishman. It should be remembered, too, -that his name was one of hatred to the French Huguenots of the time, -who sold their services to every country at war with their lawful -sovereign, and came to Ireland as the crusaders of <em>that religious -ascendency</em> they failed to establish in their own. From them the -English historians who have treated of this war, have taken their -estimate of St. Ruth's character; and such of the Irish historians, -too, as advocate "Protestant ascendency and the dependency of Ireland -upon England." Deeply imbued with the hatred of French influence in the -island, the dissertations of such chroniclers on individual character -is persistently in accordance with that feeling. With them the -character of Tyrconnell and St. Ruth are alike the subjects of bitter -and unmeasured sarcasm; that of the one, because he is said to have -first advanced the theory of a French protectorate over the country; -and that of the other, simply because he was the servant of their -enemy, and a Frenchman; and so much, if not all of their testimony in -this connection, may be regarded as either studied falsehood or gross -exaggeration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, this policy of Tyrconnell is that which most endears -his name to the Irish race, and wins it the general approbation of the -native historian. And the wisdom of that policy has grown on them, age -after age, until it has at last settled into a faith, that they are -to be one day freed by the armed intervention of the enemy of their -oppressor. This, too, may account in a great measure for the sympathy -manifested by our native historians for the misfortunes of St. Ruth; -for, in treating of him, the calamities consequent on his errors seem -to be forgotten, and faults that, if committed by a native general, -would call forth execrations, are touched so delicately, that one can -scarce know which to applaud or to condemn.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Yet, weighing all these, and many other extenuating causes, there still -stands out testimony, abundant and reliable, that his errors were -ruinous to Ireland, and that in him a great soul was clouded by a most -inordinate vanity; that his conduct towards Sarsfield was unwise and -untimely, alienating from him the heart of that devoted soldier, and -destroying that mutual confidence so indispensable to success; that the -position of Tyrconnell as commander-in-chief was a canker in his heart, -and not as regarded military affairs only, but that he persistently -denied him that courtesy and consideration due to his age, his -services, and his position as deputy: but, above all, that through his -folly he lost Athlone, and precipitated the country's fate, at a time -when a strong hope pervaded every breast, when the army had reached -a high standard of efficiency, and after he himself, exultant in its -valor, had pronounced it invincible.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Resting his character on its antecedents at this particular juncture, -no special pleading could shield it from obloquy. But following it -to the end, and coupling his faults with the heroic efforts he made -to redeem them, the heart, deeply touched by his vicissitude, cannot -restrain its sympathy; and that his memory can thus hold the heart -divided between love and hatred, between disgust and admiration, is -still the great singularity of his character. At one moment it would -seem that he held the cause he championed unworthy of his desert, and -had concluded to let it go by default; while the next, he appears to be -impressed with its importance, and is seen imparting hope and animation -to all around him. Yet over all his arrogance and folly a native -nobility of soul predominated, and well had it been for his fame, -and for the country that holds his ashes, had some reverse of a less -serious nature overtaken him at a period less critical in its history -and in his.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But whatever were the foibles of St. Ruth, from his advent in the -country to his retreat from Athlone, we have now to look on an entirely -different character. There he had learned, though at a fearful cost, -that his <em>name</em> had no fears for his potent adversary; that deeds alone -were to be the test of high emprise; and that his folly had narrowed -down the campaign, and indeed the whole war, to the last resource of -fallen heroes;—death or victory. With this feeling, all that was -vainglorious in his character at once disappeared; the mist was removed -from his mind, and it shone out to the end of his short career, as -that of a true hero in adversity. Unlike his French predecessors, he -scorned to hide his faults behind the shield of calumny, he candidly -acknowledged his error, and bitterly lamented it. He became courteous -to his officers, affable to his soldiers, changed at once from the -despot to the patriarch, and touched by his sorrows, as much as by -their own calamity, they again rallied round him, and determined on a -final throw for religion and liberty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the evening of the first of July he reached the town of Ballinasloe, -about ten miles south-west of Athlone, crossed the river Suck into -the County Galway, and drawing out his army along its western bank, -determined to await the enemy and stake his cause on the issue of a -pitched battle. Here the ruinous effects of his late reverse became -painfully apparent. The army that a few weeks before had marched from -Limerick twenty-three thousand strong, buoyant in hope and spirit, was -now reduced to less than fifteen thousand men. The cavalry was still -powerful and efficient, having suffered little during the interval, -but out of nearly nineteen thousand infantry he mustered somewhat -less than eleven thousand, and the <em>morale</em> of the men had also -deteriorated.<a name ="id64" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtyfour" id="id64"><sup>64</sup></a> Still, his determination was fixed, and his spirit -rose, even as his difficulties multiplied. In order to remove the -disadvantages of divided command, Tyrconnell now resigned his position -as commander-in-chief, but determined to lend all his influence and -power to recruit the army and follow its fortunes to the end. This -self-sacrifice on the part of the viceroy produced a reconciliation -quite beneficial to the cause, and satisfactory to the general, but the -feeling between himself and Sarsfield, never cordial, now bordered on -mutual hatred, deepening to the last, and at the last was fatal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Being now invested with entire military control, St. Ruth caused the -garrisons of the Upper Shannon to be dismantled, drew in his outposts, -and made speedy requisitions for men and munitions. Jamestown and -Lanesborough were at once abandoned; Shannon Bridge, Banagher, and -Portumna were each reduced to a nominal garrison; Galway sent a -regiment, and Limerick all that could be spared from its defences, -which were few, for the enemy had still ten thousand regulars, and a -strong force of militia in Munster, and a desultory warfare, fierce and -incessant, raged throughout the counties of Cork and Kerry, down to the -vicinity of Limerick. A requisition for troops was also made on the -<em>Pretender</em>, <em>Balldearg</em>, now holding court between Tuam and Athunree, -surrounded by a force variously estimated at between eight and ten -thousand. But this redoubtable chief would neither furnish the required -levy, nor make any movement to discomfort the enemy; preserving at once -his masterly inactivity and his worthless person.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With his scouts and pickets well advanced towards Athlone, St. Ruth -established his quarters in Ballinasloe, to await his reinforcements, -and to give his troops that rest so necessary after the toils and -privations of the last month.—That Galway was Ginckle's objective -point scarcely admitted of a doubt; but then there were other routes to -it, as practicable, though not so direct, as that on which St. Ruth had -taken up his position, and he determined to hazard no further movement -while the intentions of his adversary remained a matter of conjecture. -Here, then, we will leave him to the duties now imperative: to recruit -and resuscitate his army, and restore that spirit and discipline so -necessary to the coming event, and return to take note of what was -transpiring in the English camp.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle betrayed no undue haste in following up his adversary; -although his previous movements were indicative of a persistency -scarce admitting of a moment's cessation. Athlone being once in his -possession, he determined to make it his base of operations against -the remaining province, and to hazard no advance until he saw it in -a proper state of defence.—With his army drawn up on the ruins of -the Irish town, he awaited the disappearance of St. Ruth, and when -no longer apprehensive of renewed hostilities, he withdrew it again -across the river to its encampment. The burial of his dead claimed -his earliest attention, and this day being the anniversary of <em>The -Boyne</em>, the evening witnessed its first celebration in all the pomp and -circumstance of war. Bonfires blazed on the adjacent hill-tops; the -names of William and Mary were duly glorified, and peals of musketry -and salvos of artillery continuing far into the night, "proclaimed -their conquest to the vanquished Shannon." His sick and wounded were -next sent to Dublin and placed under the care of the most eminent army -surgeons, while all that could contribute to the comfort of the hale, -became subject of immediate requisition. On the 2nd, Paymaster Robinson -arrived at the camp with several "cart-loads" of specie, and the whole -army received full arrear of pay, and further promises of reward and -booty, while pressing demands were made on the Lords-Justices for -reinforcements to fill up its ranks to the regular standard. After this -day, magazines, stores of ammunition, food, provender, and liquors -began to arrive hourly, and one-half the army, divided into relief -parties, were vigorously at work clearing away the <em>débris</em> of the -siege; repairing breaches, raising ramparts, while reinforcements, now -pouring in from all available posts, were placed in their allotted -regiments and subjected to hasty and rigorous discipline. The garrisons -left in their rear, and those along the Shannon, which had been -abandoned by the Irish, were manned with native militia, and four of -St. Ruth's cannon were mounted on carriages and added to his already -enormous train of artillery.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 4th, as the works approached completion, he sent out a party -under one Higgins, "a converted priest," and a native of that -locality, to reconnoitre the Irish position; but, being attacked by -a picket-guard in the wood of Clonoult, fifteen of them killed, four -taken prisoners, the rest escaping with their worthy leader, who was -himself "sadly wounded." At length, on the evening of the 6th, orders -were issued to the army to be ready at dawn next morning in marching -order, and with fifteen rounds of ammunition to a man; and, on the -morning, the whole army crossed the river and drew out beyond the -town, where they again went into encampment to await Ginckle's final -preparations.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Dublin commissioners had not yet taken cognizance of the situation, -and, as usual, after such events, were preparing another of those -parchment manifestoes, which, under a specious verbiage, were meant -to delude the people, and to affect their cause as fatally as bomb or -bullet. It was a proclamation of <em>amnesty</em>, and began with:—"Since -it hath pleased Almighty God," &c., &c.—It offered pardon to all -private soldiers;—with pay for their horses and furniture,—who within -three weeks would surrender themselves to the commander-in-chief; and -to colonels who would surrender their regiments, and to governors -who would surrender their garrisons within the same period; and -to such of the inhabitants of Limerick and Galway, in particular, -as would be instrumental in delivering up said places, pardon and -<em>possession of their estates</em>,—"<em>where it could be done</em>;" and that -all such soldiers, captains, colonels, governors, etc., should be -received into their Majesties' service and pay; and that "<em>as soon -as their Majesties' affairs would permit</em>," a Parliament would be -called, when they would endeavor to secure their protection from -"religious persecution," etc.—It praised the mildness of the English -Government,—as the proclamations of to-day do,—denounced the tyranny -of France,—another favorite theme.—It was given at the Castle of -Dublin, July 7th, 1691, signed by Porter and Coningsby, and ended -with—"God save the King and Queen."</p> - -<p class='c000'>With this was issued, by way of supplement, an address from Ginckle -himself; more brief and more pertinent, offering rewards to deserters -from the royal army, who would renounce their allegiance, and take -service under his standard. To soldiers serving without pay, as those -of the Irish army had been for several months, this twofold inducement -of amnesty and reward was a terrible temptation; but it had little -or no effect. The defection caused by St. Ruth's misconduct before -Athlone had already done its worst, and the desertion rather tended -to O'Donnell behind them, than to Ginckle in their front. Others, -preferring a middle course, had joined the Rapparees, and the rest, -true to their antecedents, resolved to retrieve their cause in the -field, or depart the country forever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Of the manifesto of the Lords-Justices, it may be finally said, that -had it been meant in good faith, it would have won for them a very -fair claim to justice and humanity. But when it is known that all -their proffers were illusory, and that their subsequent conduct was -cruel beyond description; that the lands to which they had promised -reinstatement had already been sequestrated beyond redemption; that the -plighted faith of themselves, the general, and their sacred Majesties -were wantonly violated; and that a hundred years of more than barbaric -cruelty elapsed after their "Majesties <em>had</em> found it convenient to -convene a Parliament;"—the character of all—Lords-Justices, general, -and "Sacred Majesties"—is too infamous for a single epithet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the same day that those proclamations were issued, Captain Villers -returned from a reconnoissance, and reported St. Ruth as still holding -the passes of the river Suck, and apparently determined to dispute -them. But it being deemed advisable to give these missives time for the -desired effect, a further postponement of action was the consequence, -and the interval was spent in endeavoring to repress the excesses -of the army. All religious exhortations having failed, a stringent -military code was adopted. This held forth at once the severest -punishment for crime, and the most liberal promises of booty and reward -to the men, and of "lands and livings" to the officers. This comported -so strangely with the "amnesty," etc., of the Lords-Justices, as to -render it entirely nugatory, by exposing their covert hypocrisy in the -same breath in which their manifesto was announced.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The morning of the 9th dawned bright and sultry, but towards noon the -unusual drought of the last month was broken by a violent tornado. -Trees were uprooted, houses levelled; several men and horses were -struck dead by lightning; and the march of the army was suspended -until the morning of the 10th; when, having left Colonel Lloyd with -his own, and half of the Douglas's regiment in command of the town, -Ginckle advanced as far as Kilcashel, seven miles farther westward, and -encamped for the night. Taking a strong escort of cavalry, he advanced -towards Ballinasloe, and found that St. Ruth had decamped from his -position. Crossing the river and advancing to the hills of Dunloe, he -ascertained that St. Ruth was still in the vicinity, for his outguards -were seen hovering along the hills of Garbally, and retiring slowly -as he advanced without offering any opposition. Continuing still to -advance, he at length beheld the whole Irish army drawn out in line -of battle upon an opposite hill, when, after a close inspection, he -ordered a map of the ground to be prepared, and returned to the camp; -when the Irish pickets again advanced, and occupied the hills along the -western bank of the river. From Kilcashel he advanced to Ballinasloe -the next day, and halted opposite the ground lately occupied by the -royal army, where he summoned a council and submitted the result of his -reconnoissance for the consideration of his generals.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Deeply impressed with the importance of St. Ruth's position, this -council had serious misgivings as to the wisdom of pressing an -engagement while he occupied it, and the necessity of adopting a more -circuitous route was urged. But the majority considering that they had -advanced so far that they could not recede without danger and disgrace, -a forward movement was adopted, and the plan of battle finally -arranged. It was, however, determined not to disturb their present -encampment, lest the movement should be attended with a reverse, but -to leave two regiments under Colonel Foulke for its protection, and -that none should be allowed to proceed any farther, save such as bore -arms. Ammunition was then distributed, the pioneers and grenadiers -were ordered to the heads of their respective regiments, and it was -arranged that the whole army should cross the river at daybreak, and be -formed in array of battle by six o'clock, on ground already selected -about a mile beyond it. The soldiers revelled, yet rested on their arms -throughout the night, while the generals matured their plan, and the -pass-word was—"Dublin."</p> - -<p class='c000'>St. Ruth remained several days on the river Suck, in a state of -uncertainty as to whether Ginckle would advance directly on him, or, -by taking a north-westerly route to Galway, induce him from the ground -of his own selection. While there his army was also recruited by -detachments from all the available garrisons still under his control; -and he soon found himself again at the head of an army of 20,000 men. -This force, according to the most reliable estimates, consisted of -16,000 foot of all arms and 4,000 horse; and the artillery, which -had been greatly reduced by the reverse at Athlone, was now but nine -brass field-pieces. Of this army, it may be said that the soldiers and -officers of the subordinate rank were almost exclusively of the old -Celtic race of the island, while the division and regimental commands -were held by men of the same race, and by descendants of the Palesmen -who had remained faithful to their king and country; and that at this -time all, with hardly an exception, were of the Roman Catholic faith.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having waited until Ginckle's design was clearly indicated, he decamped -on the evening of the 9th,<a name ="id65" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtyfive" id="id65"><sup>65</sup></a> and retiring still farther westward, -halted at the village of Aughrim, and as if he had already selected his -ground, pointed to the hill of Kilcommodon, and announced that there he -was determined to die or retrieve his fallen fortune.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From its marked inferiority in numbers and ordnance, the Irish army -here, as at the Boyne, was compelled to act strictly on the defensive, -and few places in that section of country were better adapted to this -purpose than that which St. Ruth had now selected.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The hill of Kilcommodon, now known as the field of Aughrim, is about -three miles south-west of Ballinasloe, and is the most considerable -of an irregular chain of hills extending from the western bank of the -river Suck for a distance of several miles in the direction of Galway. -Its position is such, that if a straight line be drawn from Drogheda, -on the east of the island, to Galway on the west, none of those -memorable battle-fields in its history—Drogheda, The Boyne, Athlone, -Athunree, or Galway—will deviate more than a mile from it, while most -of them will be directly under it; and Aughrim adds still another link -to that long chain of classic associations. Notwithstanding the many -changes that time has wrought since the period under consideration, -the hill and the country around it look still as sad and gloomy as -the thoughts they impart, and few of the old race ever pass that -way without uncovering the head and offering a fervent prayer—for, -together with being the last battle-field for religion and liberty, -which is sufficient in itself to awaken a melancholy interest, it is -also remembered by them as <em>the field of their unburied dead</em>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The hill from north to south is about a mile in length, and has -nowhere an elevation of more than four hundred feet. Near its -southern extremity stood the church of Kilcommodon and the house of -Urrachree,<a name ="id66" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtysix" id="id66"><sup>66</sup></a> the latter the more eastward and the more prominent -feature in the events then pending; and at its northern extremity the -village of Aughrim, and a castle of the same name, which, during the -Cromwellian war, had been dismantled and untenanted. From its ridge -to its base it was considerably less than half a mile of very gradual -descent, and from the house of Urrachree to the Castle of Aughrim, -along the middle of this declivity, nearly a mile and a half. Along -its eastern base it was traversed by intersecting hedgerows, dividing -its lower half into small fields of meadow and tillage; but from these -up to its crest it was bleak, arid, and heath-covered. Outside of the -hedges, and nearly parallel to them, extended a belt of marshy ground, -of irregular width, scarcely exceeding a furlong at any point, through -the middle of which flowed a small stream, irrigating it from end to -end, losing itself in a large bog which lay on the north, and rendering -the marsh difficult to infantry and impractical to cavalry. This marsh -covered about two-thirds of the face of the hill, and lay closer up to -Aughrim than to Urrachree, while outside of it the north-eastern side -of the hill was further protected by a strip of moorland lying close -to a bog, which protected it on the north and north-west. The road -from Ballinasloe ran straight up to this moor, and diverged abruptly; -one branch of it winding round by Urrachree, and on to Loughrea; and -the other, running between the Castle of Aughrim and the northern -base of Kilcommodon, led on to Kilconel, Athunree, and Galway. That -by Urrachree ran all the way through firm upland; and excepting the -confluents of the stream that watered the marsh, the hill on that side -presented no more than ordinary obstacles to an advancing foe; but that -which led to Aughrim offered considerable impediments from the manner -of its formation. It lay through a common between the moor and the bog; -narrow at its eastern side, and gradually expanding into an esplanade, -or field, of four or five acres, and narrowing again, in its immediate -approach to the castle, until it became passable for only three or four -horsemen abreast.<a name ="id67" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtyseven" id="id67"><sup>67</sup></a>—In fine, it may be said that, from the centre to -the extreme right, this hill was no more than ordinarily defensible; -but from that point round to the extreme left, it was well isolated, -and, with little trouble, could have been rendered impregnable; at -least to cavalry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On this hill St. Ruth drew up his army, and encamped along its ridge; -selecting as the site of his own tent one of two Danish raths that -stood near its summit, and which commanded a view, not only of the -hill itself, but of the country for several miles around it. On the -morning of the 10th he formed his line of battle; his right resting on -Urrachree, his left towards Aughrim, and his centre on its mid-slope -between his camp and the hedgerows. Each division consisted of two -front and two rear lines; the former of infantry, and the latter of -cavalry; and in this position, with banners displayed and pickets -well advanced to the river, he was observed by Ginckle during his -reconnoissance on the same evening, and this he maintained until the -morning of the 12th, to indicate to his enemy that he accepted and -awaited the battle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was St. Ruth's disposition, and such the ground which he had -selected to countervail the vast superiority of his enemy in men and -resources; and how far his skill contributed to that result now demands -a passing notice. The hedges which wound along the base of the hill -were in themselves no unimportant feature of defence for his infantry. -But as some regiments of these were hastily raised levies, he had them -also adapted to the offensive action of his cavalry, on which, from its -well-established reputation, he had been led to place most reliance. -They were accordingly opened at proper intervals, so as to admit of -flanking and direct charges, both of infantry and cavalry, against -such bodies of the enemy as should succeed in crossing the marsh and -penetrating beyond any of these successive lines; and this disposition -embraced the whole of his centre, and portions of his right and left. -In the squares formed by these hedges his musketeers were to be -stationed, while above them, in the direction of his camp, squadrons of -his choicest cavalry stood opposite to each direct intersection, while -the remainder of the hill, from these up to the camp, was cleared from -all obstructions to the deploying of succors to either wing of battle. -For the defence of the Castle of Aughrim and the pass which approached -it, which were on his extreme left, he selected two regiments of -musketeers and foot dragoons, and placed a battery of two pieces on -an elevation between the castle and Kilcommodon, so directed as to -rake the pass all the way between the esplanade and the grounds around -the castle. On the side of Urrachree, where the country was open, and -the hedges more broken and diversified, he ran additional connecting -trenches, and placed some companies of musketeers in the house and -its outer walls, which stood considerably in advance of his main line -on that side. The seven pieces of artillery which remained, after -detaching two for the defence of the pass at Aughrim, were disposed -in the following manner: On the north-eastern face of Kilcommodon, -almost over against the castle, was constructed a battery of three -pieces, so directed as to throw a raking fire across the pass itself, -a portion of the marsh, and the esplanade beyond it, to prevent the -enemy's enlarging there; and the remaining four pieces were placed on -his inner right, and directed over a portion of the marsh and the road -leading up to Urrachree. But before his centre there were no cannon -whatever; either because he deemed it less necessary, or that he wished -to invite the enemy's infantry to cross, where he was sure to break -them by repeated cavalry charges, and overwhelm them by his more agile -infantry while recrossing the marsh in disorder. His line being quite -an extended one for the number of troops under his control, he had no -reserve of infantry, but a choice body of cavalry was held behind the -north-western side of Kilcommodon, out of view of the enemy, within -convenient support of his right, and actually but a rear line of his -left, and extreme left at Aughrim.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the battle of Aughrim, together with deciding the fate of Ireland -and the dynasty of the House of Stuart, had also an indirect bearing, -of scarcely secondary import, on the military affairs of the continent, -it has been a subject of much more critical comment than that -ordinarily bestowed on military events; and the historians of each -successive period, down to the present, have visited the disposition -of St. Ruth's army with praise or animadversion, each, no doubt, in -accordance with his own peculiar views of what should or should not -have been done by a general. While all approve the selection of the -ground, as manifesting a keen perception of what a defensive position -should be, nearly all censure some one or other of the arrangements -made for its defence. His design of letting the enemy cross at his -centre and beating them afterwards; the placing of his cavalry reserve -so far from his right; and his neglect of the Pass of Aughrim, which -was by nature so defensible; have been the subject of severe criticism, -and the whole plan, or that of allowing the enemy to cross at any -point, has been compared by the Duke of Berwick, to a similar error -of the celebrated Marshal Crequi, which had been attended by a great -disaster. But as the cavalry reserve had not been needed on the right -during the action, and as all the enemy's forces which crossed at the -centre had been successfully repulsed, the testimony of the duke, who -was not on the ground, and of all who sustained that view, may be -dismissed without comment. But what does really seem defective in his -plan of defence, was the neglect of the Pass of Aughrim, which could -have been rendered, with little labor, impregnable to either infantry -or cavalry; and in view of his very inferior artillery, this omission -seems totally irreconcilable, excepting on the ground that he believed -the force left for its defence entirely adequate, as indeed they should -have been, had they looked in time to their appointments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Of the ground, also, it may be said that subsequent writers have -attached more importance to it than it really deserved. Whatever -features the hand of time may have defaced, it could never have been -more than ordinarily defensible, excepting on its northern extremity, -where it is still hemmed round by an extensive bog. Its advantages are -thus briefly summed up in one sentence by the English chaplain: "<em>Here</em> -we had a view of their whole army, posted as before described, by which -posture they had the advantage by at least 1,000 men"<a name ="id68" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtyeight" id="id68"><sup>68</sup></a>—no unusual -advantage in the selected site of a battle-field.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Of the generals who commanded the respective divisions of St. -Ruth's army, or of the regiments that constituted them, little can -be established from contemporary or subsequent historians, beyond -this:—That Colonel Walter Burke and his brother, Colonel David -Burke, held the Castle of Aughrim and its defences; that Lord Bophin, -Brigadier Henry Luttrell, Colonels Simon Luttrell, and Ulick Burke -commanded on the left; that Major-Generals Dorrington, H. M. J. O'Neil, -Brigadier Gordon O'Neil, Colonels Felix O'Neil, and Anthony Hamilton, -held the centre; and that Lords Kilmallock, Galmoy, Galway, Clare, -and Colonel James Talbot commanded on the right. And judging from -the positions held by those leaders respectively, and the regiments -they indicate, it may be inferred that the Munster troops were on the -right, the Leinster and Ulster troops in the centre, and that those of -Connaught held the left and its surroundings.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In addition to those division and regimental commanders, the -marshalling of the entire infantry was deputed to General William -Mansfield Barker, and that of the cavalry to Major-General John -Hamilton;<a name ="id69" class="fnrefer" href="#idsixtynine" id="id69"><sup>69</sup></a> and the whole was commanded by the Marquis de St. Ruth -and Lieutenant-General Sarsfield,<a name ="id70" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventy" id="id70"><sup>70</sup></a> aided by Generals d'Usson and de -Tessé, and other officers of established reputation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having completed his arrangements, and allotted every division its -service, St. Ruth drew up his army and reviewed it in front of its -encampment. Then, in an eloquent and animated address, he set before -all the great issues dependent on the coming battle. He reminded them -that, unlike the mercenary army of the Prince of Orange, they were -about to contend for all that man holds dear, and for all that exalts -and ennobles the profession of arms—their homes and kindred; their -country and its altars. The duty of allegiance to their king who had -staked his crown to free them from an odious religious bondage, and -the certainty of immediate and adequate succor from his own sovereign, -should their arms be crowned with success, were set before them in -language calculated to awaken loyalty and enkindle enthusiasm. His -own services in the cause of religion were alluded to as an earnest -of that sincerity in their cause which tended to awaken sympathy and -establish confidence, and his troubles, and even his errors, since he -came to the country, were reviewed with an earnest ingenuousness that -removed all traces of discontent and restored general harmony. This -address was delivered in the French language, and interpreted to the -soldiers by their officers and chaplains in their native tongue, till -every eye kindled with devotion, and every bosom glowed in the hope of -anticipated victory. Then exhorting them to prepare themselves by those -religious observances that should distinguish the Christian soldier, he -retired to his tent to digest the thoughts that labored in his mind, -and to shape them to purpose and to action.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The eve of battle had come:—that hour which best attunes the soldier's -heart to sympathy and devotion; and many associations contributed -to render that one more than usually impressive. It was at once the -season of full moon and perpetual twilight, and the sultry glare of -day was succeeded by that chastened yet abundant radiance that at once -soothes and spiritualizes; and, above all, it was the Sabbath eve, -which more than any other awakens the sacred memories of love, home, -and kindred.—The crest of Kilcommodon, studded from end to end with -the white tents of the soldiers, stood out in its isolation like a city -of silver, while the castles of Urrachree and Aughrim on the front, -and the churches of Kilcommodon and Kilconel in the rear, seemed as -sentinels of the place, and carried back the mind to the ages of faith -and chivalry. Nor was the scene passing throughout the encampment less -characteristic of the time and the event.—From sunset until the hours -that precede the dawn, the chaplains of the army knew no repose: the -voice of prayer arose on all hands, and the soldiers approached the -confessional to prepare for the great sacrifice of the Mass, by which -the human ordeal of the morrow was to be inaugurated. Towards morning -heavy clouds obscured the moon, and darkness deepened over hill and -valley, until all became as drear and dismal as it had before been -full of grandeur and celestial loveliness:—nothing was heard but the -challenge of the sentinels on their rounds, and the occasional neigh of -the war-horse; and nothing seen but the distant watch-fires where the -pickets on the eastern hills kept watch above the camp of the enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>How commendable is the spirit of religion on such occasions! History, -sacred and profane, delights to record this manifestation of the -divinity in man. The Israelites never joined battle without offering -sacrifice, and even the pagan nations always propitiated their gods -on the eve of battle. And yet we find this instance of it in the -Irish people made a subject of the lowest ribaldry, even by the -reverend historian of William's army. Without, however, entering on a -disquisition as to the efficacy of prayer, or what providence, or good -or evil directs the destiny of nations, a precedent in point may not be -considered inappropriate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The battle of Hastings was to England what that of Aughrim was to -Ireland. Each established a new dynasty, and each accomplished the -subjugation of the native race. That of the Saxon was but the work of a -day; that of the Irish was an incessant warfare of centuries. The one -was the extinction of Thanes and Heptarchs; the other of chieftains and -princes.—And there were still other traces of similarity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At Hastings, the Saxons revelled while the Normans prayed. At Aughrim, -the Irish prayed while the English revelled. Yet the same historians -who appreciate the devotion of the Norman, and indicate its efficacy, -make it a subject of ridicule in the Irish, and couple it with defeat. -Providence and faith are often too lightly used to link a defective -argument, or to round a happy period. Few will now deny that the Saxons -were a more virtuous people than their Norman conquerors, or that the -Irish were not much more so than the heterogeneous mass that followed -the Prince of Orange. If the Saxons bent to the yoke of a conquering -race, and prospered under it, let them glory in their wisdom and -servility; but that the Celtic race, through every vicissitude, spurned -it, hated the connection, and have still an undying faith in their -ability to sever it, constitute, it is believed, a truer nobility of -character.<br /><br /><br /></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="chapter-xviii-the-battle-of-aughrim"> -<h2 class="l2title"><span>CHAPTER XVIII.</span><br /> -<br /> -<span>THE BATTLE OF AUGHRIM.</span></h2><br /></div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>'Twas five o'clock on the morning of July 12th, 1691. A heavy fog -obscured the rising sun, and passed like a moving curtain along the -hills that separated the adverse armies now preparing for the stern -arbitrament of battle. What a chaos of human feeling surged and swayed -beneath it! On the one side, the love of home, kindred, and country, -and the memories that come of ages of persecution; on the other, that -of power, plunder, and confiscation, and the wantonness that exalts -vice into virtue, and deifies usurpation. The maintenance of legitimate -right, and the establishment of perfect civil and religious liberty, -called forth the royal army, and marked its footsteps from the advent -of this war to its close. An unnatural usurpation, and the ambition -to dominate in matters civil and religious, heralded the other, and -its course was marked by cruelty and proscription. Their causes were -markedly dissimilar, and of the spirit which impelled them to battle, -each army, in its various gradations, was a fair representative.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At early dawn, Ginckle, who induced the battle, was moving his men -across the river, and forming them, according to prearrangement, on a -level ground about a mile to the west of it, leaving still a span of -two miles between him and his adversary. This was effected by eight -o'clock, but an advance was suspended, owing to the heavy fog that -lay over the hills, and rendered the manoeuvring of his army in the -vicinity of the foe both troublesome and hazardous.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the line in which it was now drawn up, was that in which it entered -the field of Aughrim, and which it preserved through the action, -until forced to re-form after a series of futile assaults against the -Irish right, it is here particularly described, in order to avoid -disconnecting repetition hereafter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two parallel lines, somewhat over two miles in length, a considerable -distance apart, arranged in four divisions, each consisting of a -front and rear line under the command of its respective brigade and -regimental commanders, constituted his entire army and array of battle. -Beginning at the northern or right flank, and passing to the left, each -division, front and rear, stood in the order following:<a name ="id71" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventyone" id="id71"><sup>71</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'><span class="smcap">First Division</span>, front:—Levison, Winn, Oxford, Langster, -Ruvigny, and Villers; rear:—Cunningham, Winn, Lanier, Wolseley, and -Byerly. The front line of this division was under the command of -Lieutenant-General Scravenmore and Brigadier Villers, and its rear -under that of Major-General Ruvigny and Brigadier Levison.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class="smcap">The Second Division</span>, front, presents the regiments of Kirke, -Gustavus Hamilton, Herbert, Lord George Hamilton, Foulke, Bellasis, and -Brewer; and its rear those of Stuart, Earle, Tiffin, St. John, Lisburn, -and Meath; the former commanded by Major-General Mackay and Brigadier -Bellasis, and the latter by Major-General Talmash and Brigadier -Stuart.<a name ="id72" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventytwo" id="id72"><sup>72</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'><span class="smcap">The Third Division</span>, front:—La Mellioneire, Du Cambon, -Belcastle, Greben, Danish, Danish, Danish; rear:—Nassau, Lloyd, -Prince of Hesse, Lord Cutts, Danish, Danish, Danish.<a name ="id73" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventythree" id="id73"><sup>73</sup></a> It is scarcely -necessary to remark that the troops of this division were all foreign, -being composed of Danes and Huguenots; the front line under the -direction of Major-General Tettau and Brigadier La Mellioneire, and -the rear under that of Major-General Count Nassau and the Prince of -Hesse—a Brigadier.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class="smcap">The Fourth Division</span>:—Nearly all foreign too, stood in this -order; front:—La Forrest, Schested, Donop, Doncour, Monpouillon, and -Eppinger; rear:—Schack, Nienhouse, Zulistein, Reedefel, Ginckle, and -Eppinger; the former under Major-General La Forrest and Brigadier -Eppinger, and the latter under Major-General Holstaple and Brigadier -Schack.—The whole was under the command of Lieutenant-General Ginckle, -now Earl of Athlone,<a name ="id74" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventyfour" id="id74"><sup>74</sup></a> and the Prince, or Duke, of Wurtemberg.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Of this long array of names, none represented less than a regiment, -while many of them stood in front of a brigade. For instance: Ruvigny's -place represents two regiments; Cunningham's two; Stuart's three; -Wolseley's four; Brigadier Ginckle's two; Eppinger's two; and so on -to between sixty and seventy regiments. And taking the lower number, -sixty, and averaging the horse and foot at 500 <a name ="id75" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventyfive" id="id75"><sup>75</sup></a> to a regiment, we -deduce a force that cannot, by any legitimate computation, be set down -at less than 30,000 men.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Of Ginckle's artillery perhaps no accurate estimate can now be -given,—some historians rating it at over thirty pieces, and others -as low as twelve; while Story, who was present at the battle, is -unaccountably silent on the subject. This, however, is well attested -by all:—that at Ballymore, before his battering-train arrived, he -had eighteen field-pieces and three mortars; that at Ballyburn he -was joined by Wurtemberg and Nassau, with a force of seven or eight -thousand men, who, from the important positions held by them through -the winter, must have had a park of artillery not less than eight -pieces. And that the number was further increased after the siege of -Athlone by four of the captured guns, which were mounted on carriages -and taken to Aughrim. From the beginning to the end of the war he had -cannon at will; and this is beyond a doubt:—that while he might have -had over forty pieces, he had certainly not under thirty; and with this -immense train, and an array of 30,000 men, computed at 23,000 foot and -7,000 horse, he stood between Garbally and Liscappel, awaiting but a -favorable moment to advance on his expectant adversary.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was really a formidable host, and wholly composed of veterans, both -officers and men: of Dutch, Danes, and Prussians, who had seen service -on many a continental battle-field; of French Huguenots, whose bravery -is generally conceded, and whose undying hatred of their own sovereign, -rendered that service the most acceptable which was found under his -most deadly enemies; of Scotch, whose native hardihood is proverbial; -of English veterans, who, while well fed, are not wanting in many of -the soldierly qualities; and of Irish Protestants, now well inured -to war, and who, if not the most brave, were certainly not the least -zealous, for to them were chiefly to appertain the lands and livings of -the country, which had now, even more than liberty or religion, become -the wager of battle. With perfect harmony in his councils; with an army -which, for numbers, appointments, and appliances combined, was never -equalled in the country since its first invasion; with the prestige of -a recent victory, and excited to the highest enthusiasm that promised -reward or religious frenzy could inspire; Ginckle now approached that -field whereon was to be decided the destiny of three kingdoms, the fate -of one of the oldest dynasties of Europe, and the liberty or thraldom -of a race coeval with European history.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, the scene passing in the Irish camp, while no less -inspiring, was highly characteristic of the people and the cause they -advocated. 'Twas the dawn of the Sabbath morning, and its advent was -solemnized by those religious observances, the preparations for which -had been made through the preceding night. And those ceremonies being -ended, the troops were drawn out in the same order of battle in which -they had, for the last two days, been awaiting the arrival of the -enemy. As they stood in their mingled uniforms of red and green, with -colors advanced, and their old battle-flag, bearing the emblem of an -early civilization, and standing out above the long line of tents that -formed the background, they made a most gallant show, which the import -of the hour and the associations of the day and place rendered deeply -solemn and impressive. In this order they remained through the early -hours, the deep calm of determination settled over all; but as the -morning advanced the silence was at length disturbed by the stirring -notes of preparation. The shrill tones of the trumpet sounded along -the hill, and was followed by a long roll of drums, when St. Ruth, -equipped in a splendid uniform, and bearing "a snow-white plume in his -hat," rode along the lines, and in a few impassioned words impressed -on all the significance of his address on the preceding day, to which -the chaplains added their exhortations and appeals, that touched the -springs of many a harrowing and many a hallowed memory. The effect -was electric. The history of centuries passed before them: the solemn -ceremonies they had witnessed: the attested chivalry of their leaders: -and the gallant bearing of their general, kindled the fire of heroism -in every breast; the silence was broken, acclamations loud and -prolonged rent the air, amid which, St. Ruth retiring, took post on the -crest of the hill, and, surrounded by his staff, looked eagerly for the -enemy through the passing clouds that still intercepted the two armies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The signs of approaching conflict now multiplied rapidly, and aids were -arriving in quick succession to announce the slow but steady advance -of the foe. At eight, his right rested on Garbally, and his left on -the river of Clantuskar. At nine, his right was at Cahir, and his left -beyond the river, still preserving an unbroken front, and tending a -little southward. At ten, the Irish pickets, borne back over the last -line of intervening hills, were seen descending into the adjacent -valley, and falling back on their supports at Urrachree and Aughrim; -and at eleven, the clouds rolling away, the midday sun presented the -two armies to each other in all the stern magnificence of war! At this -sight, a shout of fierce defiance rang out from the opposing hosts, and -echoed far over the hills, when a silence more dread and impressive -than the clangor of battle settled over both, the English army still -moving measuredly forward.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Up to this moment St. Ruth had kept his whole force drawn out along the -hill, presenting an imposing front, as an invitation to the enemy; but -as Ginckle, still preserving the order indicated, commenced to descend -into the plain, the suspense of the Irish army was at last broken, the -word of command passed along the line, and all were at once in motion. -Then succeeded the rolling tramp of squadron after squadron of the -cavalry, hastening to their allotted stations, the matrosses wheeling -their guns into position, and the leaden step of the infantry, moving -down the hill and forming in their advanced trenches along its base.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The English army continued to move on until within a quarter of a mile -of the morass, when it halted, while Ginckle, who accompanied his -left wing, advanced to a steep hill over against the Irish right at -Urrachree, which enabled him to make a still closer reconnoissance than -he had made on the evening of the 10th. St. Ruth, at the same time, -took his stand on the ridge of Kilcommodon, above his centre, whence -he had a complete view of the entire English army; and thus, for some -time, each general stood scrutinizing the ranks and disposition of the -other.</p> - -<p class='c000'>'Twas as St. Ruth expected. The weight of Ginckle's army lay towards -Urrachree, and he expressed much satisfaction that he had anticipated -this movement, and had made a corresponding disposition to meet it; for -the heaviest division of his army, also rested on that side, which he -now saw was Ginckle's objective.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This pause was of short duration. It was now on to twelve o'clock, -and Ginckle seeing the absolute necessity of possessing the Pass of -Urrachree, before he could bring the weight of his left infantry -against the Irish main line in that quarter, directed his first -movement accordingly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two rivulets, coming from different directions on the extreme right of -the Irish army, crossed the road in front of Urrachree, and rendered -the pass at that point more difficult than the ground in front and rear -of it. Between these streams a small cavalry outpost had been stationed -by St. Ruth, rather with a view to invite than repel the enemy, and -against this point Ginckle now directed a company of Danish dragoons, -with orders to gain the pass and hold it until reinforced by the -infantry advancing from the main line for that purpose. Apprehending -no resistance from the few troops stationed there, the Danish horse -soon cleared the distance between them, and quickening their pace to a -gallop, advanced at the charge, until within a few rods, when, seeing -the Irish still maintain their position, they suddenly halted; when the -former, taking advantage of their indecision, sounded the charge, and -advanced on them at a full gallop. The Danes did not await the shock, -but, breaking in disorder, retreated off the field, notwithstanding the -efforts of their captain to rally them, and returned to the rear of -their infantry.<a name ="id76" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventysix" id="id76"><sup>76</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle was deeply mortified at the unsoldierlike conduct of his Danish -horse, and in order to remedy the mischief created by it, in the -presence of his troops, Sir Albert Cunningham's dragoons, who entered -on the right of his line, were now called up to his left, and 200 of -them were ordered to advance beyond the stream, and, clearing the -ground of all minor detachments in their way, to take post behind some -hedges beyond it, make a lodgement there, and await the support of the -infantry. Those troops were reckoned the best dragoons of the British -service, and as they rode across the intervening slope of tillage, with -swords drawn, and their steel caps and cuirasses glancing through the -clouds of dust struck from the parched soil over which they passed, the -Irish felt that the battle was about to open in reality, and caught its -inspiration. As the dragoons neared the pass, where the little outpost -stood to receive them, they halted suddenly, wheeled to the left, and -took post behind a line of hedges until the front line of infantry was -seen moving across the plain to their support, when they were again -put in motion towards the pass. But during the interval, it was found -that the Irish outpost had retired to the shelter of a hill in their -rear, where, being reinforced by a company of Lord Galway's horse, they -wheeled to the front and stood to invite the charge of the enemy. But -as the British dragoons advanced across the stream, the Irish again -wheeled round and retired, with the intention of drawing them farther -from their supports. Deceived by the disparity of their force, or -encouraged by this indecisive conduct, the English horse charged on -them with great impetuosity. Passing the hill, they were saluted by a -well-directed musketry fire, under which they wavered, and, at the same -moment, the Irish battery on the right opened on the advancing files -of the English infantry. This was instantly answered by the opposing -batteries, which had now been brought into position along the whole -line, and, to the stirring responses of their artillery, the cavalry -on both sides rushed to the encounter. It was deadly and intense; the -British bore themselves gallantly, but here, as at the Boyne, they were -no match for the Irish horse, and, despite the advantage of numbers, -they were broken, after a brief but deadly struggle, and borne back -over the stream, where many of them were unhorsed and sabred, despite -the steel cap and corselet that protected them. The smoke and dust of -battle soon cleared away, when it was seen that they had relinquished -the fight, and retired as the Danish horse had done, while the Irish -cavalry stood leisurely behind the stream to invite another onset.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This discomfiture of his favorite cavalry, by less than half their -number, filled Ginckle with deep concern, and had not a less -dispiriting effect on the troops that witnessed it. The possession of -this point, according to the plan adopted, was of imperative necessity; -so, in order to carry out his design, as well as to remove the -depressing effect from the minds of his men, he now resolved to throw -forward an overwhelming force of cavalry, to clear the ground up to the -Irish main line, and make way for the heavy columns of infantry drawn -up and ready for the action. For this purpose, the whole of Sir Albert -Cunningham's dragoons were massed into charging column, and, led by -himself in person, were to be hurled against the Irish squadron at the -pass; while Eppinger, with his regiment of Royal Holland dragoons,—920 -strong—was to make a flank movement, more to the right, and, by -sweeping round the hill, take them in the rear, cut them off from their -supports, and lay bare their whole right for the action of his infantry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>St. Ruth, from his position, saw with exultation the gallant conduct -of his cavalry, and, anticipating the next movement of Ginckle, now -moved down to his right to counteract it. He caused the advanced troops -to fall farther back, ordered another squadron to their support, and -gave them directions to continue a retiring movement until they should -receive the order to charge. He next ordered Lord Galway to hold his -horse, stationed behind the house of Urrachree, well in hand, until -the enemy, in passing, should receive a volley from the musketeers -within it, which was to be the signal for a simultaneous charge on both -divisions of the assailants. By this arrangement Galway's horse were -held completely out of sight until the appointed moment, while the -other detachment, which alone seemed to invite the enemy, was not such -as to awaken their apprehension.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Both of the English regiments moved briskly across the open tillage -field that led down to the stream, and crossed it without any -opposition, the Irish horse retiring according to orders, and forming -under the shelter of their main line. After crossing the stream and -entering the field beyond it, the assailants separated, Cunningham -bearing directly for the opposing cavalry, and Eppinger wheeling by -his right, scattering the few infantry pickets in his way up to the -house of Urrachree, where he again moved by his left to flank the Irish -cavalry, as directed. In passing this point he received the fire of the -Irish musketeers, which caused considerable loss, and the smoke from -which had scarcely cleared away, when he received the shock of Galway's -horse on his right flank, and recoiled in confusion. At the same moment -the other detachment closed with Cunningham's dragoons, and the entire -forces on both sides were soon mingled in deadly conflict; the English -burning to wipe out the disgrace of the previous encounters, and the -Irish to maintain the prestige of a name borne unsullied through all -the changes of this wasting war.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Along the broad plateau in front of Urrachree, hidden by the enveloping -clouds of dust and smoke, excepting at intervals that rendered the -flashing of their arms perceptible, this tumultuous mass of men and -horses rocked and swayed in all the dread clangor of small-arms -and cannon, mingled with the fierce neigh of the war steeds driven -headlong to battle. At length some squadrons of the English horse, -detaching themselves from the main body, were seen to approach the -stream, re-form, and again rush to the conflict, while the whole mass, -assailants and assailed, rolled steadily on towards the scene of the -first encounter. Ginckle beheld this sign with amazement and concern, -for he well knew its import. His troops were giving ground, and he -immediately advanced the Portland horse—480 men—under the command of -General Holstaple, to succor them, while St. Ruth, on his part, threw -in the Tyrconnell Guards, under Brigadier James Talbot, to sustain his -cavalry, and the conflict was continued with unabated fury on both -sides. Other detachments were now successively thrown in from each -side, as chance or necessity directed, until what first began in a -skirmish between outposts, absorbed nearly the entire cavalry of the -adverse wings, and, after a series of rencounters, which lasted for -over two hours, the English horse broke and fled in disorder, the Irish -horse were recalled from the pursuit, and the same little band that -had invited those successive assaults, reined up behind the stream, as -fresh and defiant as ever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ginckle lost heavily in those attacks. The dragoons of Eppinger and -Cunningham were decimated; the Portland Guards suffered "severely in -men and horses," and their leader, General Holstaple, with many of -his officers, was slain. The loss of the Irish, though beset by twice -their number, was insignificant. An infantry picket, stationed behind -the hill, was scattered, and had a few men sabred by the dragoons of -Eppinger; but Brigadier Talbot, one of the heroes of Limerick, in an -encounter with the Portland horse, fell, covered with many wounds.<a name ="id77" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventyseven" id="id77"><sup>77</sup></a> -It was now past two o'clock, and the battle rested as it began, but the -prestige of success, and the spirit it infused, remained with the Irish -army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While Ginckle had been pushing forward detachment after detachment of -his cavalry towards the Irish right at Urrachree, his own right wing -and centre had moved into position along the edge of the marsh, and -had brought their artillery to bear on the opposing lines beyond it. -Their guns were disposed in six batteries:—two on the esplanade in -front of Aughrim; two at the centre; and two against the southern slope -of Kilcommodon.<a name ="id78" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventyeight" id="id78"><sup>78</sup></a> Here, in the order already indicated, the troops -stood observing the different changes of the battle raging within their -sight; but, as the excitement increased, their order became gradually -indistinct, until both lines mingled into one, which stood close up -to the marsh, beyond which the Irish stood prepared to receive them. -But, up to this, no movement was made by either, beyond the enfilades -of their batteries; for the Irish plan was strictly defensive, and the -enemy awaited the success of the movement on their left, which was to -be the signal for their assault. In this state of expectation the first -hour passed and the second, and still no order from the left reached -them. The successive repulses of his cavalry had shaken the fortitude -of Ginckle, and, despairing of success from a further persistence in -his present plan of attack, he drew in his troops, ordered a suspension -of hostilities, and called a council of his generals.</p> - -<p class='c000'>More favored by fortune in this particular than his adversary, the -council was his tower of refuge, and had always been attended with -happy results in the most trying emergencies. And the present was one -of those on which depended, not only the result of this day's battle, -but the success or failure of the campaign now favorably inaugurated. -To this council he represented his fears for the final issue, should -the battle be continued much longer, with the result of the last two -hours. He had directed it according to the plan stamped by their -general approval, and with that impetuosity that best suited the -condition and character of his troops. But, notwithstanding their ardor -and overwhelming odds, they had been repeatedly hurled back, with a -valor and intrepidity that had damped their enthusiasm and restored the -confidence of their opponents. As yet, the battle had been entirely -between the cavalry, in which branch of the service he outnumbered -his adversary two to one; and though all the cavalry of his right -had been drawn into it, the Irish main line had not been approached, -nor any portion of its infantry brought into action. And should he -now, at this late hour, fling the whole weight of his horse and foot -against the quarter in dispute, and even succeed, after a protracted -engagement, in reaching the Irish main right, it was more than probable -that night would close upon a suspended battle; in which case, the -advantages would be in favor of the native army, and it were hard to -divine what morning would bring forth to his own, remote from its -encampment, and in an enemy's country. Impressed with these views, and -before the council had assembled, he dispatched couriers to Ballinasloe -to order up his tents, being resolved to encamp along the valley, -opposite to Kilcommodon, for the night, and renew the battle early on -the following morning. The consultation lasted until four o'clock. -The council was divided: some being in favor of the general's plan, -and some for immediately renewing the battle; but finally, the latter -course was adopted, on the advice of Major-General Mackey. This old -veteran remarked that neither the English right or centre had yet been -engaged, and it occurred to him that by a change of disposition, and by -bringing up additional forces to the left, St. Ruth would be ultimately -compelled to weaken his left or centre, or perhaps both, to sustain -his right, when a simultaneous advance of the whole English line would -change the tenor of the battle. The age and experience of the general, -and the simple plausibility of his argument, prevailed; the order to -bring up the tents was countermanded, and preparations were accordingly -made to renew the engagement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The British army accordingly underwent another transformation. The -cavalry, which could not cross at the centre, were posted on the right -and left wings. The left wing of infantry was further strengthened by -some fresh regiments from the right, while 12,000 infantry were massed -against the centre and inner left of the Irish line, to await the -result of Mackey's experiment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was half-past four o'clock, as Ginckle moved forward his left wing -of infantry, flanked on either side by his cavalry, determined to -reach the ground in front of the Irish line. As they approached the -stream which had been the scene of the previous encounters, two Danish -regiments, consisting of infantry and cavalry, deployed to the left, -along its outer margin, as if intent on turning the extreme right of -the Irish position. This, which was a feint on the part of Ginckle, -had the desired effect; for no sooner was it observed by the latter, -than a corresponding force was detached to counteract it; and, as they -continued to wear round in that direction, Ginckle hurled his main body -to the assault, across the grounds of Urrachree.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This movement on the part of the enemy determined St. Ruth no longer -to defer the battle; but by accepting his offer to confine him to the -Irish main right, and prevent any discursive movements which should -result in weakening it: so, withdrawing his cavalry, he threw forward -his infantry to his first line of defence, and awaited the enemy in -confidence. As the British advanced, their cavalry was also withdrawn, -and thus, as if by mutual agreement, the ground was completely cleared -for the action of the infantry on both sides.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The front line of the English left, consisting of the Huguenot -regiments of La Mellioneire, Cambon, and Belcastle—about 2,500 -men—marched boldly across the ground, followed by the other regiments -in close succession. As they approached within range, they were met by -a deadly fire, but still they pressed on with characteristic valor, -delivered their fire in return, and were soon at close quarters along -the first line of intrenchments. The disposition made of the ground -here by St. Ruth, greatly tended to equalize the disparity of numbers, -and the Irish troops were quick to seize on every advantage that -offered; so that the enemy soon found they had to contend with men no -less daring and intrepid than themselves. Every hedge-row soon became -the scene of assault and defence. A deadly and protracted struggle now -took place; the soldiers on both sides resting their muskets on the -separating hedges, and literally discharging them into each others' -bosoms. The Irish, after defending one of those lines with the greatest -obstinacy, would suddenly retire on another, when the enemy, thus drawn -on, would find themselves at once taken in front and flank, and borne -back rapidly to the first line, where the conflict would be again -renewed and again repeated with a like result as before. This desperate -conflict raged along the right for over an hour without cessation. -Ginckle's last column had been pushed forward, and the result was still -the same;—every inch of ground won by their successive assaults, was -again disputed, and again recovered. The Huguenots suffered dreadfully. -Every advance into the inclosures thinned their ranks; and less and -less able to penetrate this wing, the battle culminated on the outer -line,—"until," says a Huguenot actor in the scene, "there remained -only one course to adopt,—which was to perish and sell our lives -dearly:" and, in this emergency, Ginckle called up two regiments of -infantry, and the cavalry of Lanier and Ruvigny from his right for the -final test of his experiment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>St. Ruth witnessed this intense struggle with varied emotions of hope -and fear. Up to this hour he entertained grave doubts of the steadiness -and discipline of his newly raised infantry. But as he saw column after -column of Ginckle's veterans hurled on them and steadily repelled, his -apprehensions were removed, and he felt and expressed a full assurance -of victory. As yet, his whole line was intact, for he had not displaced -a single man from his left or centre. But as this last reinforcement -was called up, it became manifest that Ginckle was absolutely committed -to turning his right at whatever cost, and he was at last compelled to -order some fresh infantry from his extreme left to its support.<a name ="id79" class="fnrefer" href="#idseventynine" id="id79"><sup>79</sup></a> This -gave Ginckle the desired opportunity, and he hastily availed himself of -it; for while these troops were marching from the left to the right, -across the hill of Kilcommodon, he ordered his centre to cross the -marsh, and assail the main position of the Irish.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The whole English infantry were now put in motion. The regiments of -Earle, Creighton, Brewer, and Herbert, sustained by those of Foulk, -Stuart, and others, were to cross at the main centre, where the marsh -was narrowest, and where the hedges approached nearest to it, to make -a lodgement in the first line, and await the support of their cavalry. -Those of St. John, Tiffin, Lord George Hamilton, the French, "and other -regiments," were to pursue a similar course against the inner left; -while the cavalry under Talmash on the right, and Lanier and Levison -on the left, were to force a passage at Aughrim and Urrachree, sweep -round the base of the hill to their support, and endeavor to bring on a -general engagement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The regiments of Earle, Creighton, Brewer, and Herbert, moved forward, -crossed the marsh without opposition, formed on the other side, and -advanced up the sloping meadows of Kilcommodon without firing a single -shot. As they approached the first row of hedges, the Irish infantry -received them with a destructive fire, and retired on their second line -with a steadiness and precision that might have awakened suspicion of -preconcert. But the feint was taken for an actual retreat; the ardor -of the assailants was excited, and eager to avenge the fall of so -many of their comrades, they rushed forward on the second line, which -was temporarily defended, and yielded in the same manner. Exasperated -beyond endurance, they now lost all caution, and pressed hotly up the -hill until they reached the last line of hedges, where the effect of -their rashness at once became apparent. The infantry that had lured -them on by this feint retreat, now suddenly appeared on either flank, -pouring volley after volley into their devoted ranks, while above them, -on the hill-side, stood the Irish cavalry, reined back and ready for -the onset. The ground over which they had passed was difficult and -dangerous, and files of infantry lined the way down to the marsh to -intercept their retreat; no cavalry support appeared on their right, -for as yet the Pass of Aughrim had not been attempted; and on their -left, towards Urrachree, the sounds of battle seemed to recede, as if -their arms had met with a reverse in that quarter. Colonel Earle, who -took in the situation at a glance, advanced to the front, exhorting -his men that "there was no way to come off but to be brave," ordered -them to re-form, and endeavor to reach the line which they had so -imprudently abandoned. The troops, obedient to the command, halted, -closed ranks, and commenced a retrograde movement; but it was now too -late; for at the same moment the Irish cavalry charged fiercely down -the hill; and, unable to withstand the shock, they were helplessly -broken, hurled by repeated charges into the marsh, across which they -retreated in utter confusion, hotly pressed by the infantry, and borne -back to the level of their batteries.<a name ="id80" class="fnrefer" href="#ideighty" id="id80"><sup>80</sup></a> Their loss was very severe. -They had advanced to the assault over 3,000 strong. One-third of that -number in killed and wounded strewed their way back. Colonel Earle, -after being captured and rescued three times, escaped severely wounded; -many officers of note were slain; and 400 soldiers, with Colonel -Herbert, remained prisoners in the hands of the victors.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While the battle stood as described on the right and centre of the -Irish line, the regiments of St. John, Tiffin, Lord George Hamilton, -some French "and other regiments," were directed against its left. -This division was led by the Prince of Hesse, and he had orders from -General Mackey, who commanded in that quarter, not to pass the first -line of hedges, but after establishing a position there to hold it -until supported by the cavalry, which, under the command of Talmash, -and supported by some regiments of infantry, were moving round towards -the extreme left of the Irish, and forming on the plateau in front of -Aughrim, with the intention of assaulting the pass leading up to it. -The strength of this position, the narrow way which led to it, and -the guns bearing across it from the hill, were such as to render the -movement slow and hazardous; and the attack of the Prince of Hesse -which depended on its result should necessarily be so regulated as -to keep time with it. Talmash drew up his command on the common, and -after directing his batteries, of which there were two, against the -opposing force of the Irish, opened a fierce cannonade, while he formed -his troops, both horse and foot, for the assault. In the mean time the -Prince of Hesse had crossed the marsh, and approached the enemy's left -on Kilcommodon. Meeting with no opposition, and scarcely apprehending -any, so closely did the Irish there lie in their trenches, he advanced -rapidly to possess the seemingly abandoned trenches, until within a -few yards of them, when their sudden appearance, and a succession of -well-directed volleys, warned him of his error. This unexpected salute -checked the onward movement of his troops, and for a time they wavered -as if about to retreat. But the ardor of the impetuous Prince being -excited, he rallied them again, and under his order to charge, they -rushed forward with increased fury and entered the lines of the enemy. -This afforded the latter the opportunity sought, and no sooner had the -assailants advanced to a proper distance, than they were taken front -and flank, turned, as at the centre, and driven back on their supports, -now being pushed eagerly forward by General Mackey, who, after several -attempts to check their retreat, dispatched orders to Talmash to -suspend his assault on the Pass of Aughrim, and lead back the infantry -to the support of his broken division. Under this order fresh succors -were deployed from the English right, but Talmash himself, unwilling -to abandon his design, remained with his cavalry and a portion of the -infantry, to carry out his projected attack.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The assault against the inner left of the Irish line was now renewed, -that against the extreme left was begun, and the contest raged along -the whole left with the utmost obstinacy, assailants and assailed -being so completely "enveloped in dust and smoke as to be invisible to -the bystanders." At length, after nearly an hour of the most intense -excitement, during which the intermingled mass rolled with varied -success across the fallow-fields between the hedges and the marsh, the -English broke and fled across it to the protection of their guns, one -regiment alone, of all that crossed to the attack, holding a position -in the hedges, near the extreme left, whence the Irish troops had been -withdrawn, and even this was in imminent danger of total destruction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was now near sunset, and the shadows began to deepen over the scene -of conflict, when St. Ruth, from the ridge of Kilcommodon, surveyed the -situation beneath him. On his right, where the battle commenced, the -successive assaults of the enemy had been broken and repelled; from -being assailants they had become the assailed; and driven far back -from his outer line, had thrown up temporary intrenchments, behind -which they continued to return the fire of his infantry, while they -endeavored to withstand the repeated charges of his cavalry, careering -on their flanks. On his centre he was completely victorious. The -terrible repulse of the enemy's infantry there, and their consequent -loss, had filled them with consternation and dismay, and though heavily -reinforced, and urged forward with every threat and suasion of command, -they could not be brought to attempt a second assault, but stood, a -discomfited and disheartened host, under the shelter of their cannon, -which alone disturbed his line in that direction. On his inner left -the sight was no less inspiriting. There, the columns under the Prince -of Hesse, after being, for the third time, bloodily repulsed, were -floundering back through the morass in utter disorder, though Mackey -stood on its outer edge, urging forward still fresh arrivals from the -right, and doing all that a brave and intrepid soldier could do to -retrieve an apparently lost battle. From the first, Ginckle's chances -of success depended on his ability to turn the Irish right, or to -bring on a general engagement along the whole line, when the immense -numerical superiority of his army, with its proud array of field -officers, could scarcely fail of success. To this end, all the energies -of his mind, and all the resources at his disposal had been constantly -directed; but, up to this hour, all had signally failed. Favored by -the happy disposition which he had made of his ground, St. Ruth had so -handled his army as to disconcert every attack, and defeat his enemy -in detail. Everywhere he had cause to fear that the least inadvertence -would be fatal, yet every thing moved with precision, every plan -answered his expectations, and now, at every point, he stood secure -and successful. His cavalry had sustained its wonted reputation, had -borne down every opposition throughout the day, and its reserve stood -fresh and eager, within immediate support of the only point undecided. -His infantry, which had sustained the brunt of the battle, since its -renewal after the early cavalry rencounters, stood now, on all hands, -firm, defiant, and victorious. Two thousand three hundred of the enemy -strewed the valley from Aughrim to Urrachree, while, up to this moment, -his loss was quite insignificant. Victory seemed completely within his -grasp; a grand future opened before him, and, perhaps, wrapt in one of -those bright visions that sweep the mind on the wing of thought:—a -people freed; a kingdom restored to its legitimate sway, and his own -sovereign rendering him the meed of glorious service; he doffed his hat -to those around him, and exclaimed in the ardor of enthusiasm:—"Now, -my children, we will beat them back to the gates of Dublin."<a name ="id81" class="fnrefer" href="#ideightyone" id="id81"><sup>81</sup></a>—words -which, though not realized, are worthy of grateful commemoration, -indicative at once of a patriarchal spirit, and an exalted heroism.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Through all, the activity of the opposing generals was incessant. -Ginckle was everywhere, aiding and animating his men, and sharing the -danger and fatigue of the private soldier. On the other hand, St. Ruth -had followed every movement of the battle, and was found at every point -where aid or encouragement demanded his presence. Two horses had broken -down under him during the fatigues of this eventful day; and now, -mounting a third, a powerful gray, which stood ready to his call, he -rode down to the left, to congratulate his infantry on their victory in -that quarter. Here he beheld the last regiment of the enemy's infantry, -abandoned to their fate, afraid to attempt a retreat across the marsh, -and defending their temporary lodgement with the last efforts of -despair. Dismounting from his horse, he approached the gunners, and -with his own hand giving direction to one of the three guns bearing on -the enemy's lines, returned to his staff, and remounted. His attention -was then directed to the movements of Talmash, who, at the head of -the English cavalry, and supported by a compact body of infantry, was -approaching along the defile that opened up to the village and castle -of Aughrim. Inquiring casually what the enemy meant by moving in that -direction, he was answered that they intended to force the Pass and -succor their infantry beneath him. "<em>Then</em>," said he, "<em>we have won -the battle</em>." Considering the difficulties to be encountered, and -the force stationed there, he deemed their destruction certain; and, -after watching their steady advance for some time, he exclaimed with -mingled feelings of admiration and pity:—"<em>They are brave, 'tis a -pity they should be so exposed!</em>" Then forming his guards to charge -down the hill, and dispatching orders to call up his reserve of -cavalry to confront the force of Talmash, he addressed his staff, now -ranged around him, saying:—"<em>They are beaten, let us beat them to the -purpose!</em>" They were his last words,—for scarcely were they uttered, -when his head was shattered by a cannonball, and he lay a corpse on -the hill of Kilcommodon, while his horse ran wild and riderless across -the plain! Amazement seized on all around him. The cavalry arrived -and halted on the hill-side. His attendants approached, threw a cloak -over the body, and bore it to the rear, whither it was followed by his -guards and the members of his staff. The charge that was to decide -the battle was suspended. The Irish infantry, unaware of the death -of their general, still held their ground. The cavalry stood waiting -the order to charge, and nothing was wanting to complete the victory -but that expected word; but it never came. Meanwhile, Talmash beheld -the confusion and the hesitancy of the Irish troops on the hill, and -auguring that something was going wrong there, pushed on with greater -rapidity. The fire from the Irish lines and the castle opened on him, -and twice he was repulsed, but still renewed his efforts. It was now -the crisis of the day, and so was it felt by assailants and assailed. -Colonel Burke, who had command in that quarter, pressed the enemy -closely and successfully. The cavalry were held in check, and unable -to advance; but the English infantry, moving along the northern margin -of the marsh, began to break through in battalions and companies. They -too were checked, and for some time held immovable. At this trying -moment Burke found that his supply of musket-balls was exhausted, -and a fresh supply was urgently demanded. It arrived; it was opened; -but by some fatal blunder, or treacherous design, it was found that -cannonball had been sent instead of those demanded.<a name ="id82" class="fnrefer" href="#ideightytwo" id="id82"><sup>82</sup></a> The effect is -easily foreseen. The soldiers still fought as men seldom fight. They -exhausted their last shot, and all means being gone, they cut the -round buttons from their coats, fired them, and discharged even their -ramrods at the enemy, and then in rage and despair stood to offer their -bodies as a last resistance, and died fighting where they stood. The -Pass was carried; the castle grounds were gained and barriers thrown -up there to impede the Irish cavalry, while Talmash, after passing the -defile, moved round by his left, and succored his devoted soldiers. -The English infantry at the centre now crossed the marsh in force and -formed to carry the left and centre. At this sight a wild and piercing -cry of "<em>treason</em>" rang along the Irish lines. The infantry was left -to struggle alone, and the cavalry, without a commander, retired to -the crest of the hill and formed for a last effort to redeem the day. -It was useless. The infantry did all that men could do, and disputed -every inch of the ground up to their camp, where, they made a last -desperate stand, until surrounded by horse and foot of the enemy, when -they broke, and, under the protection of their cavalry, retreated off -the field. The left and centre of the Irish army being carried, the -enemy turned their attention to the right, which, ignorant of what -had passed, still pressed the foe beyond their lines, and were still -victorious. But being now surrounded on all sides, and attacked front -and rear, they were overwhelmed and literally cut to pieces; nearly all -the infantry on that side being slaughtered where they stood.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The castle of Aughrim, which withstood the assailants long after -the Pass was carried, was at length taken, and all within it put -to the sword. Night closed over the scene of carnage. The Irish -cavalry baffled in their design to support the infantry, which became -intermingled with the horse and foot of the enemy, after aiding some -time in the retreat, withdrew to the south-west and pursued their -route to Loughrea, while the infantry crossed the bog to the west, -and moved in the direction of Galway. The retreat of these portions -of the army was regular and unbroken; but the fugitives were cut down -without mercy; their cry for quarter was totally disregarded: and the -slaughter of the straggling bands continued far into the night. In this -butchery the Danish troops were conspicuous. Remarkable through the -day only for pusillanimity, they became the "best pursuers," through -the night, until a fortuitous circumstance put an end to the pursuit. -While despairing and resistless they fled from the field which they -maintained to the last, an Irish drum-major, who was lying wounded by -the wayside, was ordered by the almoner of a regiment, named O'Reilly, -to beat the charge. It was done, and on hearing it the pursuers halted, -and believing the Irish about to rally, retired to the main body, -and the vanquished pursued their retreat unmolested. Thus ended the -disastrous day of Aughrim. Up to the death of St. Ruth, no pending -battle was ever more prophetic of victory. After it none was ever so -unaccountably lost in the presence of numerous officers of experience -and ability. It would seem as if fortune held the balance of the day, -to elicit deeds of unexampled heroism, and inverted it in the hour of -victory to maintain her proverbial fickleness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The loss of the British in private soldiers was 2,300; in -addition to this, 200 officers of all grades were wounded, and -seventy-three killed, including among them one major-general and -five colonels—making in all nearly 3,000. The loss of the Irish as -estimated by the victors was 7,000, including their commander-in-chief, -and seventeen generals and officers of the highest distinction. The -number of officers of subaltern rank was great, and far exceeded those -of the enemy.<a name ="id83" class="fnrefer" href="#ideightythree" id="id83"><sup>83</sup></a> The spoil of the victors included all the guns and -camp equipage of the vanquished; and their trophies, eleven standards -and thirty-two pair of colors, were immediately borne to London by "my -Lord O'Bryan, as a present to her majesty," the Prince of Orange being -then on the Continent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next day Ginckle encamped on the heights of Kilcommodon and buried -his dead. The Irish slain, who strewed the hill and lay scattered over -the country for miles, were stripped and left unburied, to be "devoured -by the wild dogs and birds of prey." The country people fled the -vicinity of the British army, and retired to the woods and mountains -as their only refuge. The body of St. Ruth, according to the English -annalist, was stripped and thrown into a bog. A more recent and better -authority says, that "by tradition well attested, his ashes lie in the -roofless church of Athunree, beside those of Lord Galway, who fell upon -the same field of battle." There is, however, reason to doubt both, and -the writer is aware that the people of the locality where the battle -was fought, directed by tradition, point to a few stunted white thorns, -to the west of the hill, towards Loughrea, beneath which, they say, -rest the ashes of this great but unfortunate general.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is painful to speculate on the cause that left the Irish army -without direction after the death of St. Ruth. Many have endeavored to -explain it, but all—as well those who doubt Sarsfield's presence on -the field, as those who maintain the contrary,—are lost in conjecture, -and none who participated in the battle and survived it, has placed -the matter beyond speculation. So leaving that point as time has -left it, what appears most strange in the connection, is the absence -of all command at such a conjuncture. The disposition of the Irish -troops, though dexterous, was simple. The day was all but won. The -foiling of Talmash would have been the completion of victory. A force -sufficient was on his front; a reserve more than ample to overwhelm -him was on its way to the ground—nay, drawn up and even ready for -the word. The few British troops that held a lodgement in the hedges -at the base of the hill, were completely at the mercy of those above -them. It required no omniscient eye to see this, nor a voice from the -clouds to impel them forward, and surely no military etiquette weighed -a feather in opposition to the fate of a nation. Any officer of note -could have directed the movement, and many of experience and approved -courage witnessed the crisis. Yet in this emergency, all the hard-won -laurels of the day were tarnished, and land and liberty were lost by -default! Nor can the rashness of St. Ruth, his reticence as to his -plans, his misunderstanding with Sarsfield, nor the absence of the -latter, justify the want of intrepid action among those present. This -stands unexplained and inexplicable, nor will the flippant appeal to -Providence, whose ways are too frequently offered as an excuse for -human misconduct, answer here. The want of ammunition at such a moment, -was, no doubt, of some import, but the concurrence of events too -plainly indicates that Aughrim was won by the skill of St. Ruth and the -gallantry of his troops, and that it was lost through want of decision -in his general officers, at a moment the most critical in the nation's -history.</p> - -<p class='c000 mb3'>But time passed on. Galway surrendered on honorable terms after an -exchange of hostages. The passes of the Shannon were abandoned one by -one down to Limerick, where the final stand was made, during which -Tyrconnel, after years of faithful service, "died apparently of a -broken heart." The city, though twice betrayed by General Clifford, -made a most gallant defence, and its surrender wrested a treaty from -the enemy, as glorious to its defenders, as its violation was infamous -to the victors.—O retributive justice, how slow is thy finger on the -dial!</p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="l2section" id="the-end"></div> -</div> -<div class="l3fnsection" id="id85"> - -<h3 class="l2title"><span>FOOTNOTES</span></h3> - -<div class="footnotestext"> -<div class="footnotes-group"> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id1">[<span class="smaller">1</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Mitchell's Life of Hugh O'Neil, pp. 236, 237.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id2">[<span class="smaller">2</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Mitchell's Hugh O'Neil, p. 241.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id3">[<span class="smaller">3</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">For a further insight to the court intrigue of that period, the -reader is referred to the Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick, vol. i., -pp. 20 to 30.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfour" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id4">[<span class="smaller">4</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The Popular History of Ireland, vol. ii., p. 571.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfive" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id5">[<span class="smaller">5</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">There is a very fine engraving of him given in the second -volume of Story's Impartial History.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsix" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id6">[<span class="smaller">6</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Dolby's History of Ireland.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id7">[<span class="smaller">7</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">See Barrington's Rise and Fall of the Irish Nation.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="ideight" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id8">[<span class="smaller">8</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Popular History of Ireland, vol. ii, p. 572.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idnine" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id9">[<span class="smaller">9</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">It is necessary to remark that Taylor, who relates this -incident, confounds the name of Galmoy with Galway. They -were two distinct characters: the latter, whose family -patronymic was Burke, was killed at Aughrim; the former -accompanied the "Brigade" to France. His family name -was Butler.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idten" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id10">[<span class="smaller">10</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">March 24th, 1689.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="ideleven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id11">[<span class="smaller">11</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The Student's Hume, page 550. More than one hundred -thousand were on foot, and he found himself compelled -to disband the greater part of them.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwelve" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id12">[<span class="smaller">12</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The Duke of Berwick was then in his nineteenth year, -having been born on the 21st of August, 1670. He had -already been raised to the rank of major-general by -the Emperor of Austria, for honorable service under the -great Duke of Lorrain; he was a son of James II., and -nephew of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirteen" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id13">[<span class="smaller">13</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick, page 50, vol. i.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfourteen" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id14">[<span class="smaller">14</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">This is the present name of the position then occupied by Hamilton, -and seems to have been since given it, in consequence of the "Boom" -that was there thrown across the river to prevent the ships of -William from ascending it.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfifteen" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id15">[<span class="smaller">15</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Popular History of Ireland, vol. ii, p. 557.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixteen" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id16">[<span class="smaller">16</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Taylor characterizes this act as </span><em class="italicsmaller">monstrous</em><span class="smaller">; yet, when were such -liberal terms accorded by an English king to Catholic rebels?</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventeen" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id17">[<span class="smaller">17</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Vol. ii., page 108.—These troubles commenced while James was -yet on the English throne.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="ideighteen" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id18">[<span class="smaller">18</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">There is reason to think that this force is overestimated -by about 3,000 men, but there is no actual authority to -deny its accuracy. -The numbers are taken from the Memoirs of King James, -who bases his statement on the report of Southerland.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idnineteen" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id19">[<span class="smaller">19</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">This must have been Sarsfield's command, for, though it -is not so stated in the Memoirs, the contiguity of -Trellick to Omagh, to which place Sarsfield had been -ordered by de Rosen, would indicate it.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwenty" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id20">[<span class="smaller">20</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">A name of unenviable notoriety in the history of those times. -Hume, at page 526 of his History of England, alluding to the severity -of Lord Feversham in suppressing the rebellion of Monmouth, -says: "He was outdone by Kirke, a soldier of fortune, who had long -served at Tangiers, and had contracted from his intercourse with the Moors, -an inhumanity less known in European and free countries." -His cruelty in Ireland has become proverbial as that of Cromwell. -There he became as distinguished for torturing the loyal subjects of -the king, as he had previously been in persecuting the followers of -Monmouth.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentyone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id21">[<span class="smaller">21</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Vol. II., page 137.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentytwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id22">[<span class="smaller">22</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Taylor adds, that "they never hesitated to -encounter any odds, however unequal." But, in no -place throughout the whole course of the war, did -they meet an equal number of the royal troops in -the field. It may be asked, as pertinent to the -point, What had become of the militia—from fifteen -to twenty thousand—disbanded by Tyrconnell in 1686? -They were surely not in the Jacobite army, nor is it -to be believed that they were idle spectators. They -were in the army of William; and as to </span><em class="italicsmaller">their</em><span class="smaller"> -discipline, it was that of the English army of that -day.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentythree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id23">[<span class="smaller">23</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Addresses of the same import were presented to James on -his arrival, by the established clergy. But Taylor says -their addresses to William were "probably more sincere," -and instances this fact:—"James was regularly prayed for -by all the churches within his lines. When William -advanced his name was substituted, and when he retreated, -his rival again became 'our most religious and gracious -king.'"—Vol. ii., p. 145.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentyfour" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id24">[<span class="smaller">24</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The many conflicting statements of this trifling affair -are set at rest by a letter which may be seen in the -Dublin </span><em class="italicsmaller">Nation</em><span class="smaller"> for May, 1865. It was written by Lord -Meath—who was present at the battle,—is dated July 5, 1690, -and is a rare specimen of epistolary correspondence. Enlarging -on the affair, Pinnock, in his Catechism of Irish History, -says: "Burke, an Irish gunner, having grazed the arm of -William with a cannon-shot, and having taken a fresh aim, -on which he might depend, James desired him 'not to make his -child a widow.' It is also asserted, and with apparent truth, -that having seen his own troops overcoming those of William, -he cried out repeatedly: 'O spare my unfortunate subjects!' -and having turned the tide of battle against himself, by -gross mismanagement, he fled precipitately to Dublin, leaving -his Irish subjects behind him." Inadequate artillery, and gross -mismanagement on the part of the king, were, no doubt, the causes -of the final result of the battle; but such exclamations, even -by this "most Christian king," would be either too saintly -or too infamous, and on his own authority the statement is here -rejected. It was he himself that ordered the battery down to -fire at William. (See Berwick's Memoirs, vol. ix., p. 396.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentyfive" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id25">[<span class="smaller">25</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Caillemotte was a brother of General Ruvigney, and Count -Schomberg was a son of the duke of that name.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentysix" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id26">[<span class="smaller">26</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Seeing the superiority of William, in numbers and artillery, -he was now as eager to avoid as he had been before to court a -battle. The French generals also wished to decline an engagement. -The Irish declared themselves ready to fight. Under these circumstances, -a kind of half-measure was adopted. It was determined -to hazard a partial battle, and to retreat without risking a general -engagement. To this strange determination James, in all probability, -owed the loss of his kingdom.—(Taylor, vol. ii., p. 148.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentyseven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id27">[<span class="smaller">27</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Nial-Caille, the last monarch of Ireland, of the house of -O'Neil, after having defeated the Danes and Normans in several -engagements, was drowned in the river Callan in Kilkenny, while -engaged in raising the country for their total expulsion. One of -his attendants having fallen into the river, he was trying to save -him, and in the attempt lost his own life. The crown of sovereignty -passed from the house of O'Neil, and it was not until the -reign of Bryan, more than a century after, that the Danes were -finally extirpated.—(See McGeoghagen's History of Ireland.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentyeight" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id28">[<span class="smaller">28</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">On seeing this, the king gave orders for his left to move in the -same direction, and sent the remainder of the baggage to Dublin. -(Memoirs of Berwick, p. 397, vol. i.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idtwentynine" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id29">[<span class="smaller">29</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The water at this time was low, not reaching the drums of the -band, which accompanied them.—(Haverty's History.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirty" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id30">[<span class="smaller">30</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">This force actually arrived next day, and narrowly escaped being -captured by the victors. Two of them were taken and hanged as -spies, and the rest retired after the Irish army. Had these been in -the battle, the Irish army would have been twenty-three thousand, -according with the estimate of the Duke of Berwick.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtyone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id31">[<span class="smaller">31</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Taylor, after commenting in indignant terms on this conduct -of the Enniskilleners, adds: "Their apologists say that they -misunderstood their orders, and returned again. However this may -be, it is certain that William, ever after, viewed this part of his -force with contempt, not unmingled with hatred." (Vol. II., -page 151.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtytwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id32">[<span class="smaller">32</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Sir Jno. Hanmer crossed the river nigh a place where, the -day before, the enemy had a battery of six guns, but now they -were gone, as most of their artillery, etc. (Story's Imp. History, -Vol. I.—The Boyne.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtythree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id33">[<span class="smaller">33</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">They brought off five pieces. The other got bogged near the -Pass of Slane, and was abandoned.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtyfour" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id34">[<span class="smaller">34</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Schomberg was shot by O'Toole, an Irish officer of the exempts, -who took him, from the blue ribbon which he wore, to be the Prince -of Orange. (Memoirs, 398.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtyfive" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id35">[<span class="smaller">35</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">If the French auxiliaries, six thousand, and the Irish reserves, -three thousand, which performed no service throughout the day, -save watching the movements of Count Schomberg, be deducted, -the number actually participating in the action was only eleven -thousand men.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtysix" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id36">[<span class="smaller">36</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">This force is exclusive of William's right, which consisted of -ten thousand men under Count Schomberg and General Douglas, -with ten pieces of cannon and two mortars.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtyseven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id37">[<span class="smaller">37</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">"In April, 1783, Mr. Gardiner, afterwards Lord Mountjoy, -remarked in the Irish Parliament, in reference to the -Irish Catholics, that 'England had America detached from -her by force of Irish emigrants.'" -(Plowden's Hist. Rev., vol. iii., p. 45.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtyeight" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id38">[<span class="smaller">38</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Macpherson's History of England, vol. i., p. 664.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idthirtynine" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id39">[<span class="smaller">39</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">This force at the Battle of the Boyne was 10,000 men. -Its artillery was twelve pieces. It sustained little -loss in that action, and was now supplied with mortars.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idforty" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id40">[<span class="smaller">40</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">It is worthy of remark, that while Taylor represents -the atrocities perpetrated by the soldiery of the Prince, -under his own eye, as revolting as those of Douglas's -troops, he endeavors to palliate in the Prince what he -execrates in the general. This is to be regretted -in a historian otherwise remarkable for candor -and impartiality.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortyone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id41">[<span class="smaller">41</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">As the siege of 1690 did not affect that part of the -city in the County Clare, there is no necessity for -further allusion to it here, beyond stating that the -bridge leading to it was called Thomond Bridge. The -other was called the City Bridge. King's Island is -about two miles in length.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortytwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id42">[<span class="smaller">42</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Story's map exhibits thirty-six guns and four mortars -on the part of the besiegers, and but seven on that of -the besieged. But as the fort on King's Island is -represented to have caused great injury to William's -right, it is certain that there must have been guns on -it; hence the writer, and he thinks not without reason, -has hazarded the assertion in the text.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortythree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id43">[<span class="smaller">43</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">See Haverty's History of Ireland, page 643—giving a -Williamite authority for this estimate. This work came -to my notice too late to make some corrections which, -to a critical reader, might seem important.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortyfour" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id44">[<span class="smaller">44</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">McGeoghagen's History.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortyfive" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id45">[<span class="smaller">45</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">It is stated by some of the annalists that he lost -two soldiers, who fell behind, but the text is in -accordance with the Abbé's account of this adventure.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortysix" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id46">[<span class="smaller">46</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The Duke of Berwick, at page 69 of his Memoirs, gives -the width of the breach at 100 toises, or 600 French -feet,—the toise being six French, or six and a half -English feet—and as he was present at the siege, his -estimate is here adopted. Moreover, the breach, as -exhibited on a map in Story's Impartial History, lays -bare a great portion of the city, and shows the -disposition of the Irish troops within it, which a -breach of thirty-six feet—the width generally -accepted—could not exhibit.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortyseven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id47">[<span class="smaller">47</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">See preceding footnote.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortyeight" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id48">[<span class="smaller">48</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">William afterwards declared before Parliament, that the cause -of abandoning the siege was the continual rain that kept his -trenches filled with water, but the Duke of Berwick asserts that -not a drop had fallen during the time specified in the text.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfortynine" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id49">[<span class="smaller">49</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">McGeoghegan's History of Ireland, Preliminary Discourse, p. 24.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfifty" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id50">[<span class="smaller">50</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Excesses of a savage barbarity, but upon questionable -authority, have been ascribed to the king himself, -on his retreat from Limerick. -Disappointments might certainly have raised his resentment; -at least the outrages committed by his troops contributed -to stain the annals of the times; but whether they proceeded -from his orders, or his want of authority, was hard to decide. -(Macpherson's History of England, vol. i., p. 664.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftyone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id51">[<span class="smaller">51</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The particular line of policy that brought this -deputation to France, or the cause of Tyrconnell's -future regret, is nowhere clearly indicated by the -Duke of Berwick. But the treason of Henry Loutrell, -during the subsequent stages of the war, is an accepted -belief in Ireland and in her history. His secret -correspondence with William and Baron Ginkle, and his -attempt to surrender Galway, are well authenticated. -After the war he received his elder brother's -estate and a pension of 2,000 crowns annually from -William, and was assassinated in Dublin in the year -1717—"nor could it ever be discovered by whom." -(See Berwick's Memoirs, vol. i, p. 97.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftytwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id52">[<span class="smaller">52</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Berwick's Memoirs, vol. i., p. 71.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftythree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id53">[<span class="smaller">53</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Memoirs of the Duke of Berwick.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftyfour" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id54">[<span class="smaller">54</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">He was, says Taylor, the most respectable of the natural sons -of Charles II.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftyfive" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id55">[<span class="smaller">55</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Lesley's History of the Civil Wars, &c.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftysix" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id56">[<span class="smaller">56</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The value of the brass money issued by the king in -the early part of the war will be better understood -from the following extract:</span></p> -<table summary="historical data"> -<tbody> - <tr> - <td>1</td> - <td>Barrel of Wheat, in Brass Money</td> - <td>£10</td> - <td>s.</td> - <td>d.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>1</td> - <td>Barrel of Malt, <span style="padding-left: 4em;"> " "</span></td> - <td class="right">9</td> - <td class="right">0</td> - <td class="right">0</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>1</td> - <td>Quart of Brandy, <span style="padding-left: 3em;"> " "</span></td> - <td class="right">3</td> - <td class="right">0</td> - <td class="right">0</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>1</td> - <td>Quart of Ale, <span style="padding-left: 4.95em;"> " "</span></td> - <td class="right">0</td> - <td class="right">2</td> - <td class="right">6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>1</td> - <td>Pair of Men's Shoes, <span style="padding-left: 1.7em;"> " "</span></td> - <td class="right">1</td> - <td class="right">10</td> - <td class="right">0</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>1</td> - <td>Quart of Salt, <span style="padding-left: 4.7em;"> " "</span></td> - <td class="right">1</td> - <td class="right">0</td> - <td class="right">0</td> - </tr> -</tbody> -</table></td></tr></tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftyseven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id57">[<span class="smaller">57</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Story's Impartial History, 29th, 30th, and 31st of Dec., 1690, -and Jan. 1st, 1691.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftyeight" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id58">[<span class="smaller">58</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">O'Callaghan's remarks on this subject are substantially -as follows:—The import of his name, perhaps, marked him -out to cooler-headed politicians, as a means of effecting -much national good, by exciting the imagination of the -people. Ball-dearg O'Donnell was accordingly sent for, to -Spain, and arrived at Limerick, August, 1690. -(See Greenbook, p. 242.)</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idfiftynine" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id59">[<span class="smaller">59</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">O'Driscoll's History of Ireland, vol. ii., pp. 288, -289.—There is a letter in the Appendix to Haverty's -History of Ireland, which came into the possession -of its author, "through the extreme kindness of the -Editor of The Four Masters," after his work had gone -to press, and which he regrets not having seen in time to -change or modify the estimate which he had formed of -O'Donnell, and adopted in his text. But seeing that the -name of the writer of the </span><em class="italicsmaller">letter</em><span class="smaller"> is not given, and that -the vindication of Ball-dearg, which it contains, -though plausible, is not at all convincing, the present -writer adopts the generally received opinion. For, admitting -many of the assertions of the letter to be true, there is -no cause given for the absence of O'Donnell from the Battle -of Aughrim. He was within seven or eight miles of the field -during the engagement; it was, perhaps, the most momentous -battle ever fought in the country, and whatever were his -private grievances, he should have shared its perils.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixty" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id60">[<span class="smaller">60</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">From this we learn that William sent his Irish prisoners -to redeem his Dutch soldiers from France, and that Louis -used them to fill his ranks on the continent; while the -Irish officers, who could not be induced to abandon their -own cause, were left to languish in prison.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtyone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id61">[<span class="smaller">61</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Ath luin. </span><em class="italicsmaller">Anglice</em><span class="smaller">, Ford of the Moon.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtytwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id62">[<span class="smaller">62</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Of these twenty-two men, the name of but one is known -to history: that of Sergeant Custume, or Costy, who -headed the first ten, and who was, of course, among -the victims.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtythree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id63">[<span class="smaller">63</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The French officers chided their recklessness, and -asserted that they had never seen such bravery -displayed by the men of any nation.—Rawdon Papers, -letters C. L. I. and C. L. II.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtyfour" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id64">[<span class="smaller">64</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">"In this retreat the Conough regiments grew very thin, -so that the foot, by desertion and maroding, was -reduced from 19,000 to about 11,000 men." -—</span><em class="italicsmaller">King James's Memoirs</em><span class="smaller">, Vol. II., pp. 455 and 6.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtyfive" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id65">[<span class="smaller">65</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">As we find him, according to Captain Viller's report, -at Ballinasloe on the 7th, and apparently determined -to give battle there, it is reasonable to infer that -he did not retire until after the storm of the 9th.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtysix" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id66">[<span class="smaller">66</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Story calls this building the Castle of Urrachree; -but the other historians style it a house, perhaps -to distinguish it from the Castle of Aughrim, and to -avoid repetition.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtyseven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id67">[<span class="smaller">67</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Some writers say only two abreast. But if Story's -map be any thing more than a fancy sketch, the -narrowest part of this road would have afforded -ample room for six horsemen.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtyeight" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id68">[<span class="smaller">68</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">That is, if all things else were equal, the position -would be worth 1,000 men to the army occupying it, -which would still leave an advantage of 9,000 men, at -least, in favor of Ginckle, irrespective of -his vast superiority in artillery.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idsixtynine" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id69">[<span class="smaller">69</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Some very reliable historians,—among whom may be -instanced Taylor and O'Driscoll,—lean to the opinion -that Sarsfield was not at the battle of Aughrim, but -only adopt it as a probability. This opinion also gains -credence from a tradition still received in that -neighborhood: that, owing to an altercation with -St. Ruth, on the evening preceding the battle, he -withdrew his own immediate command to Redmount Hill, -about six miles distant, in a south-easterly direction, -whence he returned to the field next day, but too late to -restore the battle. That the altercation occurred, and -that each general threatened to place the other under -arrest, is abundantly corroborated; but by the same -testimony the presence of Sarsfield is also established. -Story names him as second in command on the day of battle, -and the weight of testimony sustains that belief. -But, what renders it certain, beyond peradventure, is this -simple fact: that had Sarsfield, through neglect or -petulance, caused the loss of that battle, he would never -have appeared in France. There he would have been held -accountable by King James; and neither from him, nor -from the French monarch, would he have received the -consideration that was afterwards accorded him. On -this consideration, if on no other, the former opinion -is positively rejected.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventy" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id70">[<span class="smaller">70</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Richard, John, and Anthony Hamilton were brothers, as were -also Ulick, Walter, and David Burke.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventyone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id71">[<span class="smaller">71</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The above description of Ginckle's line of battle -is taken from a copperplate engraving in Story's -Impartial History, second volume, to which he -refers the reader, with the following remarks:—"It -is to be observed that my Lord Portland's horse is -not in this order of battle, because they came not -up until after it was ordered; however, they had -their full share in the action; and Colonel -Foulke's, which were always to guard the train, -but being then convenient for it, and the General -resolved to make all the force he could, they had -also their part both of honor and service in the -action; and though Brigadier Stuart is there set -down, it is only as to his post, for he was then -at Dublin, ill of wounds received at Athlone." -He might also have added that Brewer's remaining -force was called up from Mullingar, the safety of -which was committed for the time to the militia, -and that towards the evening, he was further -reinforced by a large body of Enniskilleners.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventytwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id72">[<span class="smaller">72</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">See the preceding note.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventythree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id73">[<span class="smaller">73</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">The six Danish regiments of this division stood as -indicated—three in front and three in rear—but -their regimental leaders are not named on the map.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventyfour" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id74">[<span class="smaller">74</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Ginckle was honored with this title after the -fall of Athlone; but whether it had been already -conferred is a matter of little import.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventyfive" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id75">[<span class="smaller">75</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Story estimates the foot regiments to be each 705, -the horse 286, and the dragoons 444, irrespective -of officers; but many of them were actually double of -those numbers; as an instance Eppinger's Royal -Regiment of Holland Dragoons was 920; Portland's -horse 480; several others exceeded the standard, -and all had been fully recruited after the siege -of Athlone.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventysix" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id76">[<span class="smaller">76</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">"These men," says Story, "ran away from a less number -than themselves, though the officer behaved himself -very well."—He might have said less than half their -number. The Irish were but seven men; there were -sixteen of the Danes.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventyseven" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id77">[<span class="smaller">77</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">As none of the histories consulted by the writer -alludes to the death of Holstaple and Talbot, save -in recapitulating the loss on both sides, he -deems it necessary to give his authority for -placing it so early in the battle, lest his -assertion shall be attributed to fancy, -which should always be held in abeyance to historic -truth. The following lines from Garrick's rambling -play, "The Battle of Aughrim," -it is hoped, will satisfy the reader. It is necessary -to introduce it by stating that there was no general -named Hostile in the English army, and that the -renowned comedian only adopts it for the sake of -euphony: Holstaple being a rough, and rather unpoetic -name:—</span></p> -<div class="lineblockouter"> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Lord Portland's horse approached the mortal fight</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">With sword in hand to put our troops to flight:—</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">This Talbot saw, and like a hero bold,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Disdaining life, he scorned to be controlled;</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">But, as a Mars, amid the throng he run,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">And there he stood, like marble to the sun,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Till, being hacked and flanked on every side,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">By multitudes oppressed, he bravely died.</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span class="smaller">And again, after the retreat of the English, an -Irish officer is made to say:</span></p> -<div class="lineblockouter"> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Aughrim is ours, brave General Hostile's dead,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Who, even now, Lord Portland's horse did head,—</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Drove all before him, till a lucky ball,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Shot with good aim from off the castle wall,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span class="smaller">Clove up his skull, etc., etc.</span></div> -</div> -<p class="lastpn"><span class="smaller">Nothing, perhaps, could excuse the introduction of -this doggerel, save the name of the author, who lived -at a time which enabled him to consult many of the real -actors in the battle.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventyeight" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id78">[<span class="smaller">78</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">If the dots on the batteries, as represented in Story's -map, indicate the number of guns, there were thirty of -them in all; and on his other maps they do indicate them.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="idseventynine" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id79">[<span class="smaller">79</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Those troops who were ordered from the rear of his left, -were, either by design or inadvertence, sent from the -front of that position; and on the concurrence of this -and a subsequent blunder, historians -have based their accusations of treason against Brigadier -Henry Luttrell, who, it is said, received the order.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="ideighty" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id80">[<span class="smaller">80</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Some historians allude to the "</span><em class="italicsmaller">sounding</em><span class="smaller">" of this marsh, -and "</span><em class="italicsmaller">wading</em><span class="smaller">" through it; but the fact is: that it was -but a rushy bottom, difficult in no place, save at the -stream, where it was impracticable to cavalry; for we -find the Irish charging and recharging -the enemy three times across it.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="ideightyone" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id81">[<span class="smaller">81</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">"A boast," says Taylor, "which the special interposition of -Providence alone prevented him from accomplishing * * * -ten minutes more would have completed the destruction of the -English army."—Vol. ii., page 180.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="ideightytwo" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id82">[<span class="smaller">82</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">It was found, on examining the ammunition with which -they had been supplied, that while the men were armed -with French firelocks, the balls that had been served -to them were cast for English muskets, of which the -calibre was larger, and that they were -consequently useless.—</span><em class="italicsmaller">Haverty's History of Ireland</em><span class="smaller">, -page 661.</span></p> -<p class="lastpn"><span class="smaller">This would seem the more probable version, although -that in the text is in accordance with general -authority. This book was not seen in time to alter -the text: but the effect was the same.</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -<table class="footnotestext" frame="void" id="ideightythree" rules="none" summary="historical data"> -<colgroup><col class="label" /><col /></colgroup> -<tbody valign="top"> -<tr><td class="label"><a class="fn-backref" href="#id83">[<span class="smaller">83</span>]</a></td><td><p class="footnotestext"><span class="smaller">Those were nearly all killed after the death of -St. Ruth; for "up to that," says Taylor, "the -Irish had lost scarcely a man." No -insignificant number of them was put to death, -after their capture, by order of General Ginckle; -and for this brutal and unsoldierly -order, Story offers as a palliation, the conduct of -Henry V. of England, at the battle of Agincourt: -—"</span><em class="italicsmaller">who, seeing the king of Cicilies appear on the -field, ordered every man to kill his prisoner, -contrary to his generous nature</em><span class="smaller">,"—and among those -so murdered in cold blood, was Colonel O'Moore, -and that most loyal gentleman and chivalrous soldier, -Lord Galway.</span></p> -<p class="lastpn"><span class="smaller">Since writing the above, my attention has been called -to Haverty's "History of Ireland," a work of much -careful research and investigation, in which the -loss of the Irish army is estimated at:—killed, -nearly 4,000, and 526 of all ranks taken prisoners. -This would seem the more probable, as Story doubts -his own estimate, and in the end of the year, 1692, -says, "time has informed me of some mistakes, -though possibly there may be some as yet remaining."</span></p> -</td></tr> -</tbody> -</table> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="c007">THE END.<br /><br /><br /></p> - -</div> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The battle-fields of Ireland, from -1688 to 1691, by John Boyle - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BATTLE-FIELDS *** - -***** This file should be named 54518-h.htm or 54518-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/5/1/54518/ - -Produced by Kieran Moore and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - -</pre> - - </body> -</html> diff --git a/old/54518-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/54518-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index fc686af..0000000 --- a/old/54518-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null |
