In the month of May, the garrifon of Naas confifted of one hundred and fifty of the Armagh militia, commanded by colonel lord Gosford, with two field pieces, thirty-five of the ancient Britons, commanded by major Wardell, twenty-four of the fourth horfe, and fixteen of the North Naas cavalry, commanded by captain Neville.

On the evening of the twenty-third of that month, two anonymous letters were received, one in the morning by the honourable lieutenant colonel Achefon, the other in the evening, by lord Gosford; informing them that the town would be attacked that night by three thoufand men.

In confequence of this information, the guards were doubled, and every meafure neceffary for their defence was adopted. As the garrifon continued unmolefted till two o’clock in the morning of the twentyfourth, many of the officers went to bed, thinking the information they received was groundlefs; but about half paft two o’clock, a dragoon from an out-poft came in, and informed major Wardell, that a very large body of rebels were moving towards the town; on which the drums beat to arms, and the guards repaired to the different pofts which they were deftined to occupy.

Soon after, three thoufand rebels, who had been pofted at the quarries of Tipper, advanced rapidly and quietly to the town, and entered it at four different places, the greater part from the North, by the Johnftown road, and penetrated almoft to the gaol, where they made a moft defperate attack; but were repulfed by a party of the Armagh, with one piece of cannon, and a detachment of the ancient Britons.

Captain Davis having received fome pike wounds in the beginning of the action, of which he died the next day, his men were fo enraged, that they charged too foon, and prevented the cannon from playing on the enemy.

Large parties of the rebels, who dole unnoticed into the town, through the houfes and narrow lanes, fought fometime in the ftreets,

* Plate I. 7.

and ftood three vollies from a party of the Armagh militia, pofted oppofite to the barrack, before they gave way; at laft they fled precipitately in every direction, when the cavalry charged, and killed a great number of them in the purfuit. Thirty of the rebels were killed in the ftreets; and, from the numbers found dead in back houfes and in the adjacent fields, a few days after, it is imagined that not lefs than three hundred could have fallen.

They dropped in their flight a great quantity of pikes, and other arms, of which a great number were found in pits near the town, where they alfo feized three men with green cockades, whom they inflantly hanged in the publick ftreets. Another prifoner, whom they fpared in confequence of very ufeful information which he gave, told them, that the rebel party was above one thoufand ftrong, and that they were commanded by Michael Reynolds, who was well mounted, and dreffed in yeoman uniform. He made his efcape, but his horfe fell into the hands of our troops.

One of the rebels concerned in the attack, who obtained the royal mercy by furrendering himfelf under the proclamation, informed me, that one of the gunners, who directed the cannon at the gaol, having been feduced by the rebels, elevated it fo much as not to injure the affailants.

The rebels were more fuccefsful in this enterprife than in that at Naas, having contrived it with more ingenuity.

On Sunday the twentieth of May, captain Swayne arrived there, with a detachment of the city of Cork regiment, and immediately repaired to the chapel, where he, the reverend Mr. Higgins, parifh prieft, and doctor Efmond, a phyfician, fucceffively exhorted the people to return to their allegiance, and to furrender their arms; but as their exhortations produced no effect, he, agreeably to the order for exercifing free quarter, diftrained the cattle, and did fome injuries to the property of perfons well known to be difaffected, and to have concealed arms in their poffeffion; but it produced no other effecl than the furrender of two or three pikes and firelocks, on the morning of the twenty-third of May.

Father Higgins and doctor Efmond informed captain Swayne, that the people were become repentant, would have brought in their arms, and have

left them in the ftreets during the night, but that they were afraid of the fentinels. The captain therefore, at his defire, ordered the fentinels not to challenge them, which order proved fatal to the garrifon.

Befides the city of Cork detachment in Profperous, there was a party of the antient Britons, confifting of a lieutenant, a quarter-mafter, and twenty privates. Twelve of them were lodged in a houfe oppofite the barrack of the city of Cork company, and the remainder were at fingle billets, except a few who flept over the ftable where their horfes were.

About two o’clock on Thurfday morning the twenty-fourth of May, the two fentinels were furprifed, and killed; and both the barracks were affaulted, while the foldiers were fafl afleep. The barrack of the Cork company confifted of a hall, an apartment on each fide, the fame in the next ftory, and under ground offices. A party of the rebels rufhed into captain Swayne’s apartment, which was on the ground floor, and murdered him. Some foldiers, who flept in the oppofite apartment, alarmed at the noife, came forth with their firelocks, and expelled thofe ruffians from the barrack, after having killed two or three of them.

The houfe was at that time furrounded with a great number of rebels varioufly armed. A fierce conflict enfued between the affailants and the befieged; but it was foon put an end to by the following malignant device of the former: There was a great quantity of ftraw in the underground office, to which the rebels fet fire, and to increafe the flame introduced fome faggots into it. The foldiers were foon in a ftate of fuffocation; and the heat being fo great, that they could not endure it, they retreated to their comrades in the upper ftory; but the flame and the fmoke foon reached them there, as the rebels continued to introduce lighted faggots into the apartments under them. Enveloped with thick fmoke, and overcome with heat, fome of them leaped out of the windows; but were immediately received on the pikes of the affailants, who gave a dreadful yell whenever that happened.

At laft, the barrack being in a ftate of conflagration, the foldiers refolved to rufh forward, and fight their way through their affailants; but they, who were very numerous, formed a half moon round the front of the barrack, and received them on their pikes, fo that but few of them efcaped.

Previous to this, the rebels were fo much galled by the conftant and well-directed fire of the foldiers, that, defpairing of fuccefs by force of arms, they fent two of their men into the hall, who cried out, “We will deal honourably by you; we will fpare fuch of you as defccnd and deliver up your arms:” But thofe who yielded to their delufive promifes, were inftantly perforated with pikes.
Nicholas Eldon, the deplity barrack-mafter, his wife and children, and the families of fome of the Cork foldiers, remained in one of the underground offices, during this fcene of carnage; having retired there for fafety. At laft they, preceded by Mrs. Eldon, endeavoured to efcape from the flames; when a ferocious ruffian, ready to difpatch them with his pike, exclaimed, “Let the heretick remain to be burnt,” They returned and continued to pray, till the flames forced them out again.

She rufhed out, and dropped on her knees, furrounded by three young children, having one of them in her arms. Her tears and entreaties, and her piteous fituation, altogether fufpended their fury for a moment. James McEvoy, a young man of humanity, though a rebel, arrived, and conducted them to the houfe of Hugh McEvoy, his father.

However, nothing could have faved them, if the following event had not taken place: A fhort time before, expreffes arrived from Naas and Clane, which the rebels had attacked the preceding night, to inform the people of Profperous, that their friends had been repulfed at both; and to defire that they would fpare the lives of the proteftants, and the foldiers wives and children, that they might be faved in their turn.

James McEvoy confeffed, that they intended to have burnt all the proteftants in the barrack, but for that fortuitous circumftance; and it was remarkable, that they had placed over their doors fentinels, who were withdrawn as foon as the expreffes had announced the above intelligence.

Mr. Brewer, an Englifhman, noted for his humanity and benevolence, had embarked very extenfively in the cotton manufacture at Profperous, where he maintained numbers of people, who had been fteeped in poverty. Hugh McEvoy was his foreman, and his fon was employed under him. They conducted Eldon and his family to the houfe of Mr. Brewer, who, feeing them almoft naked, inftantly fupplied them with fome of his own cloaths. He had remained alone at his houfe,

vainly thinking that his active benevolence, and his charitable difpofition would be his beft fhield among the inhabitants of Profperous, whom he had fed and cloathed, by employing them in ufeful induftry. Hugh McEvoy informed Mr. Brewer and Eidon, that they had been both condemned, and that he feared he could not fave them; but that he would do his utmoft for that purpofe. He alfo faid, when he was leaving him, “Sir, if they afk you to fwear, by no means refufe them;’ and he promifed to comply.

During McEvoy’s abfence, Mr. Brewer’s houfe was furrounded by a large body of rebels, who broke in fome of the windows, and were proceeding to break open the door, when Mr. Brewer ordered it to be opened, not fufpectling that he could have an enemy in the country, and deriving great fortitude from religious faith. When the mob entered his houfe, James Tobin, an inhabitant of the town, and a tailor by trade, rufhed into his apartment, and made a lunge at him with a pike, fo vehemently, that he perforated his body, and turned the edge of the weapon againft the wall, fo much, that he had fome difficulty in extrafting it. Having then drawn a fcymitar, he cleft his fkull from his ear to his forehead; then aided by one Patrick Farrell, a native of the town, he carried the body to the front door, when Andrew Farrell,* who was leader of the party, cried out aloud, “Behold the body of a heretick tyrant,” which was repeated by the whole party, who gave three cheers.

Barnaby Dougall, a cotton weaver, employed by Mr. Brewer, attended there on the horfe of captain Swayne, fully accoutred, and faid, he was a much better man than the captain.

When Hugh McEvoy returned, he exclaimed, “Oh! you villains, have you murdered the good man who kept us all from ftarving? If I knew the man that did fo, I would fhoot him, though I were to lofe my own life by it.” McEvoy had great difficulty in faving the life of Eldon, as Andrew Farrell fwore he would kill him, and made a ftroke of a fabre at him.

At that inftant an alarm was fpread among the rebels of Profperous, by an exprefs from their friends at Clane, who called for a reinforcement, as they had been defeated there. They therefore marched towards

* He was a defecter from the Clane corps, and had affifted in attacking the town that morning with doctor Efmond.

Clane, and put Eldon, live of the ancient Britons who were their prifoners, and fome other proteftants in their front rank; but when they had advanced a fhort way, they found their friends retreating and difperfed.

The attack on Downings, the houfe of Mrs. Bonynge, about half a mile from Profperous, was attended with circumftances of brutal ferocity. One Dunn, a deferter from the Clane corps, galloped up to it in his uniform, at the head of a large party of rebels. This villain, a traitor to his king and country, called out for Mr. Johnfton, who was hateful to them, on account of his noted loyalty and zeal in the publick fervice. He was a member of the Clane corps, and was then defending that town from three attacks which the rebels made on it. Dunn was foon convinced of his abfence, by figns made by the popifh fervants of the houfe, who were attached to the caufe of the union.

As Mrs. Bonynge had fed fome of the Cork foldiers the preceding night, Dunn, fuppofing them to be in her houfe, infifted on having them delivered up to him; but being difappointed in this, he vowed deftruction againft the houfe, unless Mr. Stamers was furrendered to him. He was proprietor of the principal part of Profperous, and went there occafionally to receive his rents. Mrs. Bonynge, who preferved the moft unfhaken prefence of mind, had previoufly infilted on his concealing himfelf in the back yard; and on her declaring that he was not there, they difmounted, and in a turbulent manner fearched every part of the houfe. On being difappointed, they were on the point of fending for an additional party to demolifh the houfe and furniture, when Mr. Stamers generoufly came forth and furrendered himfelf, to fave the houfe in which he had been fo hofpitably entertained. Falling on his knees, he implored the fanguinar wretches to fhoot him there, as an act of mercy, rather than put hirn to a cruel death, which their menaces and their furious appearance gave him reafon to dread; and he alfo befought them to fpare the houfe, and its inhabitants; all of whom conjured them, in the moft pathetic manner, to fpare the life of that worthy and unoffending gentleman. They promifed compliance, but infifted on conducting him among his towns-people. One fellow, who had captain Swayne’s horfe, required (as a matter of kindnefs) that he fhould ride him; but he fubmitting quietly to his fate, walked through the town, and was fhot at the other end of it.

I fhall refer the reader to Appendix, No. XV.* for a defcription of the horrors of Profperous on that woeful morning. The rebels, on leaving Downings, vowed vengeance againft captain Williams, a half-pay officer, and nephew to Mrs. Bonynge, for no other reafon than that he was a loyal subject.

It is remarkable that lieutenant Power of the Cork regiment, and his wife, both of the popifh perfuafion, remained unmolefted in Profperous, during this dreadful fcene of carnage.

The rebels murdered a man above feventy years old, who had ferved the greateft part of his life in the army as a ferjeant, and had retired on a penfion to Profperous; and merely becaufe he was a proteftant.

Of the city of Cork detachment they killed one captain, two ferjeants, one drummer, twenty-three privates, and wounded eight, of whom two died afterwards: The remainder of the company happened very fortunately to be fent on a party a day or two before, a few miles off.

The lofs of the Ancient Britons was, nine killed, five taken prifoners, and the remaining eight leaped out of the windows, and made their efcape over the bog of Allen.

A circumftance attended the attack on Profperous which evinces the force of fanaticifm even on perfons of enlightened minds, and ot its baneful influence in extinguifhing all religious and moral reftitudc. Doctor Efmond, brother to Sir Thomas Efmond, was of a very antient popifh family in the county of Wexford. He fettled as a p hyfician in the county of Kildare, where he had confiderable practice, till he married a lady with fo large a fortune, that he became indifferent about the emolument arifing from his profeffion. Joined to a handfome countenance, and a very good figure, he had fuch urbanity of manner, and fuch attractive convivial qualities, that he was regarded as a very pleafing companion. In confequence of thefe mental and perfonal qualifications, Mrs. Efmond became enamoured of him. In private life, he was confidered as honourable and humane; but on this occafion, he yielded to the delufions of bigotry, which rendered him a traitor to his king, and infpired him with a malignant defire of fubverting the beft conftitution in the univerfe, and of erecting, on its ruins, the pandemonium of France, with all its concomitant horrors. Affuming the femblance of loyalty, he applauded the exertions of captain Swayne, and even cooperated

operated with him in extinguifhing that fpirit of difaffection, which prevailed among the inhabitants of Profperous and its vicinity. He dined with him at an inn there on the twenty-third of May, and continued to enjoy the glow of focial mirth with him, till a few hours before the perpetration of that bloody fcene, which he had for fometime meditated.

“Talibus infidiis, perjurique arte Sinonis,” “Credita res.”

He was lieutenant of the Clane cavalry, commanded by captain Griffifth, and he perfuaded many privates of the corps to defert their colours, and to join him in the attack on Profperous, which is about three miles from Clane.

ATTACK UPON CLANE BY THE REBELS.

About three o’clock captain Griffith received an exprefs at Milliccnt,fhh feat, by a yeoman, that a large body of rebels had attacked the guard at Clane: The captain arrived there in fifteen minutes, and found that, by the fteady conduct of part of his troop, who were armed with carbines, which they ufed with good effect, the infurgents had received fuch a check, as to afford time to about forty of the Armagh to turn out. The yeomen and militia had not fired more than three rounds, when the rebels difperfed; and the captain, on his arrival, found the troops purfuing them, and burning the houfes on the common, in which they had taken refuge. They killed a good many of them, and took fix prifoners of the popifh perfuafion, four of whom were captain Griffith’s tenants. One of them was condemned and hanged at the drum-head in Clane; the other five were hanged the fame day at Naas.

At his return to Clane, about five in the morning, he heard of the carnage at Profperous. On muftering the guard, he found his fecond lieutenant, a ferjeant and feventeen privates, one of whom was feverely wounded; the other three had deferted with their own arms, and thofe belonging to other yeomen of his troop. He had hardly time to draw up the yeomen and militia in the ftreet, when a party of rebels, mounted on the horfes and furnifhed with the arms and accoutrements of the ancient Britons, made a charge into the town. By one volley they brought down fix or feven of them; the remainder fled precipitately, and took fhelter behind a ftrong party of rebel infantry, which were approaching from Profperous, and which made a formidable appearance, not fo much from their numbers, though confiderable, as from the brightnefs of their arms, and the fcarlet coats and helmets of which they had plundered the foldiers at Profperous.

As they were not ftrong enough to attack fo numerous a party, and thinking it difhonourable to retreat, the captain, in concurrence with the militia officers, refolved to take poft on an elevated fpot near the Commons, where they could not be furrounded or out-flanked; and there they waited for the enemy, who began a fmart fire on them, but without effect, as the elevation was too great. Our troops, having returned the fire, killed and wounded a confiderable number of them, on which they fled in great difmay, and were charged by the captain and his fixteen yeomen, who cut down many of thofe whofe heads were ornamented

with the helmets of the ancient Britons, or the hats of the Cork regiment. In their flight, they dropped a great quantity of pikes, pitchforks, mufkets and fabres.

He returned to Clane, refrefhed his men, and fet out for Naas, whither he had orders to march; but a fhort time before he left Clane, he was joined by one of his yeomen, of the name of Philip Mite, who fecretly delivered him a letter, in which he communicated to him the conduct of Efmond,who, he faid, had commanded at the attack of Profperous; and that he (Mite) had accompanied him to the entrance of that town, and then made his efcape. He had fcarce received this intelligence, when Efmond appeared and joined the troop, with his hair dressed, his boots and breeches quite clean, and fully accoutred. The captain had fortunately fufficient command over himfelf, to reprefs his indignation on feeing him, and to hold his peace till he arrived at Naas, where, having drawn up his troop in front of the gaol, he committed Efmond in five minutes after they halted.

When Mite was awakened, and was compelled to join the rebels, who were proceeding to Profperous, he objected againft attending them; on which Efmond, who headed the party, defired him to banifh his fears, as, he faid, the mafs of the people of Ireland would rife that night.

He was afterwards conveyed to Dublin, was tried by a court martial, and convicted of high treafon, on the cleareft evidence, and was hanged on Carlifte-bridge the fourteenth of June.

On the night of the twenty-third of May, the rebels having broke open the gaol of Ballymore-euftace, one of the prifoners, who made his efcape, arrived at Dunlavin, and informed captain Ryves, who commanded a corps of yeomany there, that the town would be attacked by a numerous body of rebels that night, or early in the morning.

At the dawn he perceived large columns of them moving round the adjacent country, and many proteftant houfes on fire; and knowing, from the cruel and fanguinary fpirit which the rebels had difplayed at Ballymore-euftace, that they meditated the total extermination of all proteftants and loyalifts, he was driven to the neceffity of adopting a meafure, which nothing but motives of felf-prefervation and the emergency

of the occafion could juftify. The only troops in Dunlavin were his corps of yeomen, and the light company of the Wicklow militia, commanded by captain Richardfon; and the number of prifoners confined in the gaol there for treafon far exceeded that of the garrifon.

The captain marched out of the town with a party of yeomen cavalry to encounter the rebels; but they were fo numerous and defperate, that he was obliged to return, after fome of his men had been piked.

The officers, having conferred for fome time, were of opinion, that fome of the yeomen who had been difarmed, and were at that time in prifon for being notorious traitors, fhould be fhot. Nineteen therefore of the Saunders-grove corps, and nine of the Narromore, were immediately led out and fuffered death.

It may be faid, in excufe for this act of fevere and fummary juftice, that they would have joined the numerous bodies of rebels who were moving round, and at that time threatened the town. At the fame time they difcharged fome of the above corps, in confideration of their former good charafters.

As the united Irifhmen in the neighbourhood of Ballymore-euftacc were known to have an immenfe quantity of arms, captain Beevor was fent there on the tenth of May with detachments of the ninth dragoons, the Tyrone, Antrim and Armagh militia, to compel a furrender of them, by living at free quarters. He had every reafon to believe, that he had completely fucceeded in the object of his miffion, as he received three thoufand ftand of arms of different defcriptions; and particularly, as, on the morning of the twenty-third of May, four ferjeants of united Irifhmen marched in their quota of men, eleven each, with their pikes on their fhoulders, and received protections. As feveral committee-men had done the like on that and the preceding day, captain Beevor was fo convinced, that the people were sincere in their profeffions of renouncing their rebellious defigns, and of returning to their habits of peaceful induftry, that he fent off one hundred and twenty men of his garrifon, and kept but about forty, to lighten the diftrefs of the people, who were obliged to maintain them.

About the hour of one o’clock, he was awakened by the cry of a perfon, that the rebels would have his blood; and on rifing, two men rufhed

into his bed-chamber, one armed with a piftol, the other with a pike.* The former, who fired at him, very fortunately miffed him; on which he feized a piftol, which lay at his bed-fide, and fhot him through the body. The other made a longe [sic] at him with his pike, which he ftrove to avoid, and received but a flight wound in the fhoulder. The ruffian, feeing that he was reaching for the fecond piftol, feized him in his arms, and carried him fome way towards the head of the flairs, where he faw a number of pikemen ready to receive him; but, being fuperior to him in ftrength, he got his arms loofe, refcued himfelf, and dragged the rebel into a room, where a yeoman was ftanding with his fword drawn, and whom he folicited to run him through the body, but he never offered to ftir. It appears that he was a papifh, and was afterwards difmiffed from his corps for noted difaffection.

At that moment, lieutenant Patrickson arrived, and ran him through the body. The pikemen, at the foot of the ftairs, finding that their two comrades had been killed, were making off, but were met by fome of the dragoons, who were rallying from all points round the captain’s quarters, and who killed moft of them. Twenty-eight dragoons joined the captain, and took poft in his houfe, which was attacked for near two hours by a large body of rebels, whom they at length repulfed, after having killed a number of them.

In the mean time, the rebels fet fire to feveral houfes in which the foldiers were quartered; and, affifted by the owners, who treacheroufly fecreted their arms, murdered feven dragoons and four of the Tyrone militia, and defperately wounded three of the former, and two of the latter.

At length, captain Beevor fallied out with twelve dragoons, and routed them in every direction. Lieutenant McFarland, of the Tyrone militia, a moft excellent officer, was fhot through the body and died.

They entered the houfe of Mr. Henderfon, a revenue officer and a proteftant, and fhot him in his bed.

Next morning they took a rebel prifoner, who gave the following information, as to their number and their mode of attack: The foldiers were quartered in eight different houfes, each of which was to be attacked at the fame moment, by the fignal of a gun fired in the churchyard. The number of the affailants was eight hundred. They loft

three captains, and near one hundred men. Captain Beevor’s fervant was fhot in his bed. He, lieutenant Patrickfon, cornet Maxwell, and all the privates of the dragoons and the militia, difplayed fingular fpirit and intrepidity againft fo great a fuperiority of numbers.

For fome days previous to the twenty-third of May, the inhabitants of Kildare and the adjacent country continued in great numbers to furrender arms, to take oaths of allegiance, and to obtain protections.

About two o’clock in the afternoon of that day, general Wilford ordered the troops under his command at Kildare to march to Kilcullen, for the purpofe of reinforcing general Dundas, who had had an engagement with the rebels.

John Conftable, a private of captain Neville’s corps of yeomen cavalry, who conveyed the orders to him for that purpofe from general Dundas, was fhot outfide the town; yet he lived to deliver his difpatch, but dropped dead foon after.

On leaving the town, general Wilford ordered Mr. Cooper, innholder, to collect his baggage, and that of the Suffolk fencibles, and to lodge them in the guard-houfe. He alfo fent orders to captain Winter, commanding a detachment of the Suffolk, and a fmall party of the 9th dragoons at Monaftereven, to follow him.

When captain Winter arrived at Kildare, he received written orders from the general, to burn all the camp equipage lodged at Kildare; but Mr. O’Reilly, late major of the Kildare, having reprefented to him the danger of fetting fire to the town, and having informed him that its inhabitants would protect the baggage, which they treacheroufly promifed to do, he defifted from burning it.

In about an hour after the king’s troops had left the town, the inhabitants rung the market bell, as a fignal for a general infurrection, which accordingly took place.

About two thoufand† rebels, headed by one Roger McGarry, marched into the town, and feized all the officers’ baggage and the camp equipage, which had been lodged in the guard houfe, and a confiderable

* Plate I. 7.      † Their pikes had croffes painted on them.

quantity of pikes and fire arms, which they had furrendered a few days before, as a proof of their fincerity to renounce their treafonable defigns, which they promifed by oath to do. The proteftant inhabitants, fearing that they fhould be maffacred, immediately fled to Naas or Monaftereven, for protection, and on their departure, their houfes and their property were plundered and deftroyed. Mr. Cooper loft to the amount of £2,000 in Kildare and the Curragh.

The following horrid circumftances attended the murder of George Crawford, and his grandchild of the age of fourteen years. He had formerly ferved fo long in the fifth dragoons, as to be entitled to a penfion, and was at that time a permanent ferjeant in captain Taylor’s corps of yeomen cavalry. He, his wife, and granddaughter, were stopped by a party of the rebels as they were endeavouring to make their efcape, and were reproached with the appellation of hereticks, becaufe they were of the proteftant religion. One of them ftruck his wife with a mufket, and another gave her a ftab of a pike in the back, with an intent of murdering her. Her hufband, having endeavoured to fave her, was knocked down, and received feveral blows of a firelock, which difabled him from making his efcape. While they were difputing whether they fhould kill them, she ftole behind a hedge, and concealed herfelf. They then maffacred her hufband with pikes; and her granddaughter having thrown herfelf on his body to protect him, received fo many wounds in the breafts, the head, and thighs, that she foon after expired. Thefe circumftances of atrocity have been verified by affidavit fworn by Crawford’s widow the twentieth day of Auguft, 1798, before alderman Jenkin.

The fidelity of a large dog, belonging to this poor man, deferves to be recorded, as he attacked thefe fanguinary monfters, and fought bravely in defence of his mafter, till he fell by his fide, perforated with pikes.

Mr. James Williams, a revenue officer, of the proteftant religion, having made his efcape, they plundered his houfe, and deftroyed his property; and having hung up his favourite dog, they fired many fhots at it, lamenting at the fame time, that they had not an opportunity of treating his heretick mafter in the fame manner.

About eleven o’clock that night, they ftopped and plundered the Limerick mail coach, and maffacred one of the paffengers, lieutenant

William Giffard of the 82d regiment, and fon to captain John Giffard of the royal Dublin regiment. The favages having fhot one of the horfes fo as effectually to prevent the coach from effect without hefitation, that he was an officer, proceeding on his way to Chatham, in obedience to orders he had received. They demanded, whether he was a proteftant? and being anfwered in the affirmative, they held a moment’s confultation, and then told him, that they wanted officers; that if he would take an oath to be true to them, and join them in an attack to be made next morning on Monaftereven, they would give him a command, but otherwife he muft die. To this the gallant youth replied, that he had already fworn allegiance to his king; that he would never offend God Almighty by a breach of that oath; nor would he difgrace himfelf by turning deferter, and joining the king’s enemies; that he could not fuppofe an army of men would be fo cruel as to murder an individual who had never injured them, and who was merely paffing through them to a country from whence poffibly he never would return; but if they infifted on this propofal he muft die, for he never eould confent to it. This brave and yet pathetic anfwer, which would have kindled fentiments of generous humanity in any breafts but thofe of Irifh rebels, had directly the contrary effect upon them: With the utmoft fury they affaulted him; he had a cafe of pocket piftols, which his natural courage, and the love of life, though hopelefs, prompted him to ufe with effect. Being uncommonly active, he burft from them, and vaulting over a fix-feet wall, he made towards an houfe where he faw light, and heard people talking. Alas! it afforded no refuge! it was the houfe of poor Crawford, whom, with his granddaughter, as before mentioned, they had juft piked for being proteftants. A band of the barbarians, returning from this exploit, met lieutenant Giffard; there he fell, covered with wounds and with glory; and his mangled body was thrown into the fame ditch with honeft Crawford and his innocent grandchild. Thus expired, at the age of feventeen, a martyr to religion and honour, whofe memory will ever be refpected by the virtuous and the brave!

While thefe blood-hounds continued their fanguinary orgies in the sight, they conftantly exclaimed againft hereticks and orangemen.

About one o’clock in the mornings they marched for Monaftereven, from thirteen hundred to fifteen hundred in number, and commanded by captain McGarry.

As by far the greater part of the popish members of the yeomen corps in the county of Kildare joined the rebels, or were known to be difaffected, I think it right to mention that fourteen of that perfuafion in the Monaftereven corps, much to their honour, fhewed on all occafions the utmoft fidelity to their king and country.*

In their march to Monaftereven, they killed fuch proteftants as they could lay their hands on, and plundered their houfes. They gave many wounds with a pike to Thomas Birch, parifh clerk of Kildangan, a man above eighty years old; and then drove him into his houfe, which they fet fire to, with an intent to burn him; but he efcaped out of the back door, and recovered afterwards.

They murdered dean Keatinge’s parifh clerk, a very old man; and they took a proteftant boy of the name of Higginbotham to their camp at Knockallin, and fhot him there. They piked one Miley, a carpenter, near Dunlavin, and major Ponfonby’s fervant, one of the fifth dragoon guards, as he was croffing the Curragh.

In this town there was a corps of yeomen cavalry, another of infantry. Having received intelligence on the twenty-fourth of May, that one of their members was barbaroufly murdered, and that another was a prifoner with the rebels, they made circuits of feveral miles round the country, to give the loyal inhabitants an opportunity of retreating to the town. They met great numbers of rebels repairing to their refpective leaders, with whom they had fome fkirmifhes, and in one of which they were fo fortunate as to refcue three foldiers of the Ancient Britons, part of a detachment from Kildare, confifting of a warrant officer and four privates, one of whom they had barbaroufly murdered. One of the troop, who rafhly purfued fome rebels too far into a bog, received many defperate pike wounds. In their circuit they repaired to the houfe

* Mr. John Caffidy, a brewer of that town, and a Romanift, fhewed fingular zeal on all occafions, as a loyalift, in that corps.          † See plate I. 7.

of Mr. Darragh, for the purpofe of efcorting him and his family to Monaftereven; but he was in fuch imminent danger, and fuch excruciating pain, that he could not be removed.*

Between four and five o’clock in the morning, one of the videts galloped into the town, with intelligence that the rebels were advancing; one column approached by the canal, covering the road to a great extent, and was oppofed by the infantry, commanded by lieutenant Eagot, who ordered his men to prefent; and the rebels having fuddenly halted, the infantry recovered their arms and advanced, on which the rebels retreated, with an intention of attacking the town in another quarter.

The cavalry, commanded by captain Hayftead, then came forward, turned down the road towards the turnpike, and fell in with another body, whom they routed, after killing many of them.

The third column advanced into the main ftreet, where the action became very ferious.

The infantry maintained a warm and well directed fire on the rebels, and at laft broke them.

The cavalry, taking advantage of their confufion, charged them, and purfuing the fugitives, killed and wounded a great number of them; no lefs than fixty rebels lay dead in the ftreets. On the part of the loyal yeomen, John Nicholfon, Chriftopher Cox, John Pilfworth, Edward Simpfon, and Richard Hetherington, and nine horfes, were killed.

I think it is a tribute due to the memory of thefe brave men, that their names fhould be recorded in the page of hiftory. It redounds much to the honour of the Monaftereven yeomanry, that they defended their town againft thirteen hundred rebels, well appointed with arms, without the affiftance of the militia or regular troops.

A prieft of the name of Prendergaft was hanged at Monaftereven, having been convicted on the cleareft evidence of being deeply concerned in the rebellion.

A day or two before it broke out, he called on a proteftant gentleman in its vicinity, for whom he had a particular regard, and informed him, that he was very defirous of faving him and his wife; but that he feared it would be impoffible to do fo, unlefs they would confent to be chriftened, to confefs to him, and to embrace the Roman catholick religion;

* See the attempt on his life, page 197.

that on fuch terms he would fave alfo his brother; but that he could not fave his wife, as fhe was an orangewoman.*
When the rebels were entering the town of Monaftereven, they attacked, and were on the point of breaking into the houfe of

Mr. John Chriftian, with a defign of murdering him, his family, Charles Browne, efquire, and his lady, Mr. and Mrs. Chriftian and their child, all proteftants; but were driven from it by the fire of the yeomen.

On the twenty-fourth of May, while Mr. Darragh of Eagle-hill was lying on the bed of pain and ficknefs, his houfe at Eagle-hill was attacked by a numerous body of rebels, who came from their camp at Knockalin-hill, about three miles off. It was defended by Mr. Dalton, his brother-in-law, two other gentlemen, two foldiers, and two fervants; the whole under the direction of Mr. Bolton, his furgeon, who fought with great bravery, the reft of his domefticks having joined the rebels. They had juft time to place the barricadoes to the windows, which Mr. Darragh had been obliged to make ufe of to defend his houfe for twelve months before, and to diftribute the ammunition. As the rebels approached the houfe, they fent forth a terrifick yell, like favages, and fwore they would carry off, on their pikes, all the heads of the inmates. They had but two guns, three piftols, and two fwords, befides the foldiers mufkets, for their defence. A furious affault was made immediately on the houfe, and many vollies were fired into the windows of the ground floor, and middle ftory; and fome balls found their way through the port holes, into the drawing-room, where Mr. Darragh lay, accompanied by Mrs. Darragh, her mother, fifter, the maid fervant, two men fervants, and two foldiers. They were fo fortunate as to rout the whole party, after killing and wounding a great number of them. The rebels carried off all the killed, except one ruffian, who fell when he was endeavouring to break open, with his pike,” a window near the hall. He had in his pocket captain Swayne’s protection, in confequence of having taken the oath of allegiance, and furrendered a pike, a few days before; and the following prayer:

“My God, I offer unto thee my fleep, fubmitting it with a pure intention to thy holy will; and that I may recover new vigour to ferve

* By this, he alluded to her being fifter to a gentleman of noted loyalty, who was very active in checking the progrefs of the confpiracy.

thee.* I wifh that every breath I am to take this night, may be an act of praife and love of the divine Majefty, like the happy breathings of the faints and angels who never fleep; and fo I compofe myfelf to fleep in the arms of my Saviour.”

This wretch lived about a mile and a half from Eagle-hill, and had a fhort time before been brought through a malignant fever, and his life faved, by the benevolent affiftance of Mrs. Darragh, who fupplied him with medicines, wine, and other neceffaries and comforts.

He kept a fchool, and a nightly rofary, which was fome fuperftitous infttution like the fcapular, that ferved as a vehicle for treafon.

On Thurfday morning the twenty-fourth day of May, the inhabitants of the country for fome miles round Rathangan were in a ftate of infurrection; and as they approached the town, towards evening, in great bodies, and with much vociferation, captain Langton, who was quartered there with a company of the South Cork militia, fearing that he fhould be furprifed and cut off, kept patroles all that night on the different avenues leading to it, which was very fortunate, as they had fkirmifhes with, and repulfed different parties of the rebels who were advancing towards the town. Purfuant to orders which he had received from general Wilford, he would have marched that day to Sallins; but he was perfuaded to remain there by Mr. Spenfer, who promifed to excufe him to the general, and who fent a Mr. Gatchell to Kilcullen for that purpofe.

On his arrival there, he found that it had been evacuated by the king’s troops, and was in poffeffion of the rebels, who attacked and endeavoured to feize him; but he narrowly efcaped, after having been feverely wounded. He received intelligence on the road, that the mail coach had been deftroyed near Naas by the rebels; who, in large bodies, had been defolating the preceding night all the country contiguous to thofe towns with fire and fword.

The loyal inhabitants of Rathangan were in the utmoft confternation all that night, as they could difcern, from the tops of their houfes, a great number of habitations on fire in the adjacent country; and their owners,

* Every popifh rebel imagined that he ferved his God in oppofing a proteftant, or injuring his proteftant fellow-fubjects.

who were all proteftants, came flocking into the town, after having narrowly efcaped with their lives. They could alfo perceive multitudes of the rebels moving round the fires; and could hear them uttering the moft dreadful fhouts and yells.

Captain Langton, having received a peremptory order from general Dundas, marched from Rathangan on Friday, about three o’clock in the afternoon, and endeavoured to perfuade Mr. Spenfer to accompany him, as he was very obnoxious, from his noted loyalty; but he refifted his earneft entreaties.

The inhabitants remained under arms on Friday night, expecting to be attacked every moment. It was not until Saturday the twenty-fixth, about three o’clock, that the rebels in great numbers, and varioufly armed, entered the town; of whom the principal part approached and furrounded Mr. Spenfer’s houfe, which he had barricadoed, and introduced into it fome of his labourers, in whom he thought he could confide, and three proteftant farmers, two of them yeomen. They broke in the window-fhutters with the butt ends of their mufkets, and thruft into the rooms large quantities of burning ftraw, on the end of their pikes. They alfo fet fire to the back-door, and to the windows of the under-ground offices. Mr. Spenfer perceiving that refiftance would be fruitlefs, affured them, from a window in the firft floor, that he would quietly furrender his arms. Having defired him to defcend, he complied with their wifhes, and approached them in a moft refpectful conciliating manner; on which a fellow, of the name of Doorley, to whofe family Mr. Spenfer had always been very kind, and whofe brother was a yeoman in his corps, approached him with a menacing afpect, and flourifhed a fcymitar over his head, ufing at the fame time fome infolent and opprobrious language. Mr. Spenfer afked him, “What he had ever done to offend him?” Doorley replied, “You would not give me a protection againft the foldiers, when they came into this country upon free quarters.” Mr. Spenfer affured him, “That he would have done fo, if he had applied to him for that purpofe.”

Mr. Spenfer, perceiving that they began to grow turbulent and furious, retired into his houfe, and was purfued by a party of them, who murdered him on his ftair-cafe, having shot him through the head, and mangled his body with pikes in a moft favage manner. They then carried it out, and laid it on the ground, in the front of the houfe, as if to fatisfy the rebel

multitude, that their wifhes had been accomplifhed. Next day the fervants obtained permiffion to bury it; but \uithout a coffin.
Thus this worthy gentleman, who was an active and intelligent magiftrate, and as remarkable for the amiablenefs and afi’ability of his manners, as the benevolence of his heart, fell a facrifice to the fanaticifm of thofe favages, to whom he had been unremittingly a kind and generous benefactor.

As his houfe was a fhort diftance from the town, Mrs. Spenfer, who was led to it in the midft of thefe monfters, had the anguifh to fee the mangled corpfe of her hufband lying at his door.
When they killed him, they proceeded to maffacre George Moore, James his fon, and John Heastip his fon-in-law, the three proteftants who were in the houfe: The labourers joined the mob, and were not injured, for their religion preferred them.

Mr. Spenfer was captain of a yeoman corps, which made him hateful to the rebels, who were joined by almoft the whole of the popifh members of his troop. Of thefe, Martin Hinds, to whom he had been Angularly kind and generous, and Molloy, an opulent farmer, who was his fecond lieutenant, became leaders among the infurgents.

Mr. Moore, his firft lieutenant, was an Englifh gentleman, who had long ferved with reputation in the king’s fervice, and had retired to Rathangan, a very pretty village, in which a few refspectable families formed a pleafant fociety. On the approach of the rebels, he and about fifteea of the yeomen infantry, together with a few loyal inhabitants, retreated inte the houfe of Mr. Neal, a quaker, as it was more defenfible than his own. They afked him to furrender his arms, having affured him that his perfon fhould not be injured.

For fome time having refufed to comply, Mrs. Spenfer, and fome more refpectable females, went to the front of the houfe, and on their knees befought him to accept of the terms offered by the rebels; from a conviction that refiftance would be vain, and that it would terminate in the deftruction of the befieged. They at laft acceded to the terms which had been delufively offered; but thefe amiable females found, alas! that they had been deceived by thefe blood-hounds, whofe cruelty could be equalled by nothing but their treachery; for they murdered every proteftant in the houfe, by leading them into the ftreet, and butchering them with favage

exultation: But it is remarkable, that they did not injure a fingle papift whom they found there.

They led Mr. Moore about the ftreets, mocking and infulting him. His wife, who lay-in three days before, had been removed to the houfe of captain Grattan five or fix hours previous to the maffacre; and, having conducted him oppofite to it, they refolved to affaffinate him there, to encreafe the bitternefs of death, and to wound the feelings of his innocent wife, whofe fenfibility was heightened by the delicacy of her fituation; but fome of the favages, more humane than the reft, objected to that refinement in cruelty. They then led him to another part of the town, and fhot him; and foon after they maffacred fix proteftants who had been in Mr. Ncal’s houfe with him; of whom the youngeft, of the name of Fofter, was but fourteen years old.

One of the Fofters efcaped in the following manner: While they were torturing his brother, he refcued himfelf by main force, darted from them into an adjoining houfe, clofed the door, and got into a little clofet under the flairs, where he remained above forty hours, almoft double; and when the favage pikemen purfued him, the maid fervant humanely faid, that he paffed through the houfe, and made his efcape; but I am forry to fay, that her fubfequent conduct: abated her merit very much; for afterwards, in a moment of cool deliberation, fhe expreffed concern at having faved a heretick.

On the whole, they murdered nineteen proteftants in that little village, and fome of them with fuch circumftances of cruelty, as nothing but fanaticifm, operating on the moft barbarous ignorance, could dictate.

They cut off the arm of Robinfon, a carpenter of the proteftant perfuafion, before they put a period to his exiftence.

On firing at one Whelan, a proteftant, he fell to the ground, and then received many pike wounds; and yet he recovered and is ftill alive. The ruffian who fired at him exclaimed, “There goes a proteftant!”

They killed one Coyle a fhoemaker, far advanced in years, becaufe he could not crofs himfelf; but on finding him to be a heretick, they compelled him to crofs himfelf as well as he could with his left hand, fuperftitioufly believing, that the doing fo would inevitably doom him to eternal damnation.

They were inclined to kill Mr. Dawfon, a proteftant gentleman, who lived at Rathangan; but fome of them objected to it, and faid, “He is married to one of us,” meaning a papift.

A woman urged them to kill doctor Bagot, an aged and infirm gentleman, who never denied medical affiftance to the poor. One of the rebels objected to it, and faid, he is a good man: She replied, “You fhould get rid of him; for his children fing “Croppies, lie down.”’ However, they led him out to execution, and compelled him to wear a green wreath in his hat; but his wife faved him, by faying, he would be ufeful in dreffing their wounds. There is not a doubt but that he would have fhared the fate of the other proteftant inhabitants of Rathangan, if they had not hoped to avail themfelves of his fkill as a furgeon; for, through the courfe of the rebellion, they were careful of the lives of fuch perfons as were verfed in the medical art.

Thefe favages continued all night to exprefs the joy which they felt at their fuccefs, by fhouts and yells, uttered with barbarous diftbnance, and to boaft of their achievements in the prefence of thofe perfons whofe relations they had maffacred.

The following expreffions were related to me by fome ladies of undoubted veracity, who heard them uttered by thefe cannibals:

“We have got rid of our friends, and have fent their fouls jumping to hell.” “We have at laft got what we had a right to, our own county to ourfelves,”* meaning the county of Kildare.

One of them, foon after the murder of Mr. Spenfer, afked one of his fervants, whether they were all Roman catholicks? and on her faying they were, the houfekeeper excepted, he replied, “The bitch muft be put an end to.*

Lieutenant-colonel Mahon of the 7th dragoon guards, marched to the relief of the town, on Monday the twenty-eighth of May, with a detachment of his regiment, and fome yeomen cavalry from Tullamore, which is feventeen miles from Rathangan. Sometime before he arrived there, he divided the fquadron into two parts, with a view of approaching the town by two different roads, in order to furround the rebels. One party arriving firft, paffed through it without any moleftation, and having joined

* The popifh multitude are taught to believe, that the proteftant* have no right to refide ia Ireland, or to any property in it.

the other, they returned to fee that every thing was right; but in pafEng through if, they received a moft tremendous fire of musketry from the windows, by which three men were killed, and eleven were wounded; and fix horfes were killed, and twelve were wounded. It is furprifing that they efcaped fo well, as the fquadron, confifting of eighty, were clofe together; but the great duft which they raifed prevented them in fome meafure from being feen. Lieutenant Malone, whofe horfe was fhot under him in the ftreet, became their prifoner, and had a narrow efcape, as he was fhot through his cloaths, and received many fhots in his faddle and holfters. One of the favages was feen to give many ftabs of a bayonet to One of the dragoon horfes which lay dead in the ftreets; and every time he repeated it, exclaimed, “Take that, proteftant!”

On Monday morning one James Curry, a leader of them, and fuppofed to be mufter-mafter, cried out in the ftreets, ““What is become of the boys of Coolelan and Ballinure?* damn them, ftick them to the heart, for not joining us.” The favages fwore vehemently that they would do fo; and faid we are the boys that will do their bufinefs. That villain was between fixty and feventy; he was hanged in two hours after.

They fired up into the fteeple of the church, fuppofing that Wilfon the fexton was there; but he lay concealed in a hay loft, and eluded their favage fury.

On Sunday, one of their leaders, mounted on Mr. Spenfer’s horfe with all his accoutrements, arrived at Rathangan; and after haranguing them fometime, faid, “Let there be no more bloodfhed, as we have got poffeffion of the caftle and the barrack of Dublin.”

They frequently boafted of the murders they had committed. A young man having declared vauntingly, in the prefence of Mrs. Watfon, that he killed captain Moore, and committed other barbarities; fhe, who is a quaker, and has much religious fortitude, exclaimed: “Oh! thou wretch! If thou art fo great a monfter at thy age, what muft thy father be?”

On Monday afternoon, the city of Cork militia under colonel Longford, with a detachment of dragoons, and two field pieces, approached Rathangan. The rebels shewed the utmoft terror and confternation; fome were for giving battle, others for abandoning the town; one was heard

* Two town-lands in the county of Kildare. The inhabitants of every town-land were regularly enrolled and regiftered.

to fay, “I thank God I heard three maffes yefterday!” A large party of them called out for holy water; and having obtained it, retired to Mrs. Pym’s yard, went on their knees, and were fprinkled with it.

Lieutenant-colonel Longfield having appeared at fome diftance from the town, the rebels fent a man on horfeback, with a flag of truce, towards him; and major Millar having advanced to meet him, received a letter from, him for the commanding officer; importing, that they would inflantly put Mr. Malone, their prifoner, to death, if the king’s troops did not retire; but the colonel, difregarding their menace, advanced precipitately ,« after having fired fome rounds of cannon fhot at the town, which diflodged the rebels, and put them to flight; and fuch was their confufiony that they fled without injuring Mr. Malone.

Colonel Longfield obtained ample vengeance for the death of the loyalifts, having killed in the attack and the purfuit between fifty and fixty rebels, and hung fome of their leaders, who fell into his hands; among whom was Molloy, Mr. Spenfer’s renegado lieutenant.

They were on the point of hanging one Keogh, a glazier, who had been active among the rebels at Mr. Spenfer’s houfe. Having pleaded that he was compelled by force to join them, they fpared his life; but obliged him to execute thofe whom they fentenced to death.

When the military appeared, the rebels had begun to firip the lead from the roof of the church, for the purpofe of making bullets; and then they intended to have burned it.

Doorley owned afterwards, that in one day more they would have put all the proteftant women and children to death, if the king’s troops had not arrived; and there is every reafon to think fo, as their fanatical fury, inflamed by conftant ebriety, had fermented to a very high pitch.

The barbarous treatment of Michael Shenfi:one, a proteftant, deferves to be circumftantially related. He was led into the ftreet, with the other unfortunate proteftants, and received eighteen ftabs of pikes.
A woman of the name of Farrel, who was infamoufly active in this fanguinary bufinefs, informed them, that they did not know how to kill Orangemen; on which a ruffian ftepped forward, and trampled on the dead and dying. He then put a piftol clofe to Shenftone’s head, and the ball entering near the ear, came out under the eye, having fraftured the cheek-bone in a moft fhocking manner. In fome hours after he was put

into a cart with the bodies of feventeen proteftants who had been murdered, and was conveyed to the church-yard to be interred; but fome alarm preventing it, he remained among the dead that night. Next morning, at the interceffion of fome of the rebels, his body was delivered to his wife, by whofe care and proper medicinal affiftance he recovered, and regained the ufe of his limbs. Thefe facts were related to me by a gentleman who faw Shenftone foon after; and they have been verified by his affidavit, fworn before Oliver Nelfon, a magiftrate, and by Mr. Bayly, curate of Rathangan, and Mr. Pym, his landlord.

I fhall mention here an incident, which throws great light on the fpirit;of the confpiracy and rebellion, and the fecret defigns of the great body of the rebels. One Dennis, an apothecary and a proteftant, was the county delegate, and the chief conductor of the plot in the King’s county,* which was to have exploded in a few days; but the wanton maffacre of proteftants at Profperous and Rathangan having convinced him that their extirpation was the main object of the Romanifts, though they had with fingular difhmulation concealed it from him, who was their leader, he repaired to Tullamore to general Dunn, who commanded in that diftrict, threw himfelf on the mercy of government, expofed the whole plot, and the names of the captains, who were immediately arrefted. He faid to the general, “I fee, fir, that it will foon be my own fate.”

For a fortnight or three weeks previous to the twenty-third of May, the rebels continued to take oaths of allegiance, and to obtain protections, in confequence of having furrendered pikes and mufkets, which they did to the number of between ten and fifteen thoufand, to general Dundas, who refided at Caftlemartin, within half a mile of Kilcullenbridge. In confequence of this, the civil magiftrates, and the officers, were thoroughly convinced that the difaffected had completely renounced their rebellious defigns.

A perfon affured me, that he rode alone on the morning of the twentythird of May, from Tallagh-hill to Kilcullen-bridge, without feeing any perfons on the roads or in the fields; and yet at four o’clock in the afternoon, Mr. Robert Douglafs of Gormanftown, came into Kilcullen, and informed the garrifon, that about three hundred rebels had affembled

* See plate I. 7.     † Ibid,

at the Rath of Gilltown the preceding night; and that he was very well informed, that they meant in a large body to attack the town, and to take general Dundas prifoner by furprife. In confequence of this intelligence, patroles were fent to all the avenues leading to the town, and the army and the yeomanry were ordered to be in readinefs.

At half paft eight, two of captain Latouche’s corps, John Farange and Hugh Gribbin, were fent exprefs to Ballymore-euftaee, to apprife the garrifon there of the rifing. About midway, they fell in with five hundred pikemen, at a fudden turn of the road. They knocked Gribbin oft” his horfe, and gave him feveral flabs of pikes; however he is since recovered. Farange returned, and entered the town, crying out aloud, “To arms!”

About twelve o’clock, a prifoner was brought in, who, on being whipped, confeffed, that the rebels were at that time on the point of attacking Naas.

The town remained quiet till feven next morning, when general Dundas ordered forty cavalry of the 9th dragoons, and the Romneys, and twentytwo of the Suffolk fencibles, commanded by captain Beale, whofe conduct merited the higheft praife, to proceed to Old Kilcullen, where the rebels were affembled. Three hundred of them were ftrongly entrenched in the church-yard, which was defended on one fide by a high wall; on the other, by a quickfet hedge, with a dyke before it.
General Dundas ordered the Romneys and the 9th dragoons to charge the rebels, though it was up-hill, though the ground was broken, and many of the rebels were in a road clofe to the church-yard, in which not more than fix of the cavalry could advance in front.

They however charged with great fpirit, though their deftruction was confidered by all the fpeftators to be the certain and inevitable confequence of it; for what could cavalry do, thus broken and divided, againft a firm phalanx of rebels, armed with very long pikes; neverthelefs, they made three charges, but were repulfed in each; and at every repulfe the general urged them to renew the attack.

It was with the utmoft difiiculty that captain Cooks and captain Erfkine could prevail upon their men to renew the charge, after the firft defeat. In the laft charge, captain Cooks, to infpire his men with courage by his example, advanced fome yards before them; when his horfe having

received many wounds, fell upon his knees; and while in that fituation, the body of that brave officer was perforated with pikes; and he, captain Erfkine, and twenty-two privates, were killed on the fpot, and ten fo badly wounded, that moft of them died foon after.

Had general Dundas waited for the arrival of twenty-two of the Suffolk fencibles, who were advancing, and joined them in a very fhort time, that affair would have had a more fortunate iffue.

Captain Beale, who commanded the Suffolk fencibles, with great coolnefs advanced within thirty yards of the rebels, broke and difperfed them with one well-directed volley, every fhot having taken place.

General Dundas, defeated at Old Kilcullen, retired with his little force to the village of Kilcullen-bridge, where he halted for fome time; but the rebels, elated with their fuccefs, determined to follow up their victory with vigour, and knowing that they could not hope to force the ftrong and narrow pafs of Kilcullen-bridge, defended by regular troops, they took a route fomewhat more circuitous; and fording the Liffey a little below Caftle-martin, marched up to the Turnpike-hill, and took a pofition between Kilcullen and Naas,* with intent to cut off general Dundas and his forces from the poffibility of retreating.

The general upon this occafion put himfelf at the head of twenty-feven Suffolk fencible infantry, his cavalry In the rear, and marched boldly up to the rebels, whofe fuccefs had encreafed their numbers to many thoufands.

The rebels were -drawn up in a regular line, three deep, with three ftands of green colours. They began the attack by firing four rounds, accompanied with loud fhouts. They were broken and difperfed by the fecond or. third difcharge of the Suffolk fencibles; on which the cavalry charged, routed them, and killed great numbers in the purfuit.

Mr. Latouche’s corps made a diftinguifhed figure in this affair, in which three hundred rebels were killed.

After the engagement, general Dundas abandoned Kilcullen, and marched to Naas, for the purpofe of concentering the forces under his command, as near the metropolis as poffible; having well-grounded apprehenfions, that it would be attacked by the enemy in great force.

Soon after the general marched from Kilcullen, the rebels plundered all the houfes of the proteftants in it and its vicinity, and murdered fuch

* Fourteen miles to the South of Dublin, Plate I. 7.

of the inhabitants as coald not make their efcape. They killed quarter-mafter King of the 9th dragoons, a man feventy years old, who remained behind in the town; and two dragoons of the fame regiment, who guarded the reverend doctor Cramer’s houfe, were treacheroufly murdered by fome wretches who were drinking with them. They piked out one eye of a Mrs. Burchell, aged ninety; they alfo affaffinated fome wounded foldiers who had been left in the town, and a Mr. John Cheney at Donard. All the proteftants near Kilcullen, who were fo fortunate as to efcape from the favage rebels, fled to Naas, where they remained fome days in the utmoft diftrefs.

On the twenty-fifth of May, the houfe of the reverend Henry Annefley of Newpark, was furrounded by a party of rebels, headed by one Hetherington of Kildare, who, after taking a plentiful repaft, and plundering it of provifions and various articles, fet fire to it, and eight out-offices, which were foon confumed.

One of the leaders of this party was Laurence Byrne, a blackfmithj who lived under and was kindly protected by Mr. Annefley’s family, at Ballyfax. This ruffian made feveral attempts to ftab him with a pike, but was prevented. He repaired the fame evening to Ballyfax, with a cocked piftol, and compelled Mr. Annefley and his nephew to go to Knockallin camp.

All the proteftant clergy in the county of Kildare, except one,* were obliged to fly from their houfes.

On Saturday the twenty-fixth of May, the houfes of Mr. Eyre Lindfay, Mr. David Burchell, and Mr. John Jones, all proteftants, were burnt near Ballyfax.

There were fix rebel encampments in the county of Kildare,† one nt Knockallin near Old Kilcullen, one at Barnhill near Kildare, one at Hodgeftown, one at Hortland, one at Redgap, and one at Timahoe.

On Saturday the twenty-fixth of May, a rebel army, above three thoufand in number, who compofed for the greater part of thofe that had been ftationed at Knockallin and Barnhill, fent a deputation to general Dundas, to fignify that they would furrender their arms, and return to their refpective houfes, provided their prifoners that were taken were liberated; but he refufed tkefe terms. They then offered an unconditional

* The peculiarity of his connections protected him.         † Plate I. 7.

furrender; but he hefitated to negotiate with them without the fanction of government.

General Lake having been fent to him by lord Camden, the two generals received their arms and their fubmiffion, and granted them pardon; yet the greater part of them joined their friends in their different camps in the county of Kildare, with the protections of thofe generals in their pockets; and others repaired to the county of Wexford, to join their fellow traitors there.
It is univerfally allowed, that this negotiation of general Dundas with the rebels, though well intended, produced the worft effects; for it made them elate and infolent, by fhewing them that treafon might be committed with impunity; and it encouraged them in the commiffion of murder and rapine for many months after, which will appear in the fequel.

General Sir James Duff, quartered in Limerick, having heard that the infurrection was very general and terrifick, infomuch as to threaten the metropolis, and to obftruft all the roads leading to it, marched from Limerick with two light fix-pounders, feventy of lord Roden’s fencible cavalry, and two hundred and fifty of the city of Dublin regiment of militia. They were joined on their route by about two hundred of the South Cork regiment of militia, and their two battalion guns; and by about fifty of the 4th dragoon guards, and a party of gallant yeomen. They arrived at Kildare by forced marches in forty-eight hours, and then repaired to a place called the Gibit Rath, where the rebels were pofted in a Danifh fort.

General Wilford had been deputed by general Dundas to receive their fubmiffion; but, unfortunately for that body of rebels, Sir James Duff arrived there half an hour before him.

The general, on his arrival there, after having difpofed his army in order of battle, fent a ferjeant and twelve of the cavalry to the rebels, to defire they would quietly furrender their arms; but they wantonly and without provocation fired on the king’s troops, of whom they killed one, and wounded three; but ample vengeance was foon obtained; for above three hundred and fifty of the rebels were killed, and feveral wounded by lord Jocelyn’s fencible cavalry, who fell in with them pell mell; fo that the artillery and infantry were unable to act without the rifque of deftroying their friends.

The reverend Mr. Williamfon, a proteftant clergyman of Kildare,:and the prieft of the parifh, repaired to general Duff on the part of the inhabitants of Kildare, to obtain the royal mercy for them, on condition of furrendering their arms, and returning to their allegiance; but the king’s troops, fufpefting their sincerity, and not knowing them, were on the point of hanging them, which probably they would have effected, but that colonel Sankey, of the city of Dublin regiment, and brother-in-law of Mr. Williamfon, arrived and undeceived them.

Next day, Sir James Duff, having received information that a large body of rebels were encamped at Blackmore-hill, whither great numbers of thofe pardoned by general Dundas had repaired with their protections in their pockets, he marched to attack them; and by a few difcharges of artillery they were routed, and a good many of them were killed.

No praife can equal the merit of Sir James Duff, and his gallant little army; for in forty-eight hours they marched feventy miles without halting. At Kildare, they found the murdered bodies of honeft Crawford, of his innocent grand-daughter, and of the gallant young Giffard, who preferred death to difhonour, and whom they interred with military honours.

It is to be lamented that the difaffection of the popifh yeomanry of the county of Kildare was highly difgraceful.

Of a corps of fifty yeomen cavalry at Caftledermot,* there were but five who were not implicated in the rebellion; and their lieutenant, Mr. Daniel Caulfield, was committed by government,

A neighbouring corps of yeomanry, called the Sleumarigue, under the command of Mr. Bambrick, with great modefty gave up their arms, confcious of the improper engagements they had made with the united Irifhmen.
A proteftant corps of the fame name, formed under the command of Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald, have rendered the moft effectual fervice to their country.

A well-mounted corps of fifty yeomen, called the Athy cavalry, were raifed under the command of Thomas Fitzgerald, efquire, of Geraldine, whofe commander was committed to the caftle of Dublin, where he remained a clofe prifoner for fome months; and foon after his arreft,

* Plate 1. 8.

the corps were difarmed publickly, in the market fquare of Athy, for difaffection.

An attempt was made to admit fuch as were without cenfure, into the loyal corps of Ballylinan, commanded by Steward Weldon, efquire; but very few were found eligible.

All the Roman catholicks in the Rathangan corps joined the rebels. Molloy their lieutenant, and feveral more were hanged; many were pardoned under the proclamation, and others of them abfconded.

In the North Naas corps, there were fo many implicated in the rebellion, that but fixteen could be depended on to do duty.

Though the Clane corps were fixty-fix ftrong, fuch difaifection prevailed among the Roman catholick yeomen, that but twenty-four muftered on the twenty-fourth of May.