The mail coach from Dublin always reached Carlow in the morning, about eight o’clock; and, as its not arriving on the morning of Thurfday the twenty -fourth of May was to be the fignal for rifing there and ia its vicinity, the rebels could not make their intended attack on that town till the morning of the twenty-fifth.

About two o’clock on that morning they affembled in great force, moftly from Grange, Hacketftown, Tullow,† LeighHn,‡; and that part of the country between Rathvilly and Borris,§ headed by one Roach a farmer. They gave a moft dreadful yell as foon as they entered the town, where they were joined by moft of the lower clafs of the popifh inhabitants, and numbers of people who had been fecretly coming into it the whole of the preceding day and night. They marched, in number about two thoufand, through Tullow-ftreet, till they arrived at the potatoe market, where their progrefs was interrupted by two fentinels pofted at the collector’s door, and a loyal proteftant who joined them; and they, by a conftant and well-directed fire, defeated their defign of uniting with the Queen’s county rebels, (who were to have met them at Graigue-bridge) and drove them acrofs the potatoe market towards the gaol, where two fentinels, with equal fpirit, checked them in their career, and forced them to retreat through Bridewell-lane, towards the court-houfe; where

* Plate I. 8, and II. i.            † Plate II. i.          ‡  4 Ibid. 3, 4.          § Ibid. 7.

having received a few fhots from the houfe of a loyal proteftant, they cried out that they were furrounded by the foldiers, threw down their arms, and, in the greateft confternation, endeavoured to retreat by the road through which they had at firft advanced; but, fearing to meet the army in that direction, numbers of them retired into the houfes in Tullow-ftreet, which it is believed were inhabited by their affociates; for when the foldiers fet fire to them, to make the rebels bolt, there was not a woman or child in any of them. Some rufhed out through the flames, and were fhot or bayoneted; others remained in the houfes till they were confumed. The other mifcreants who had taken different routes, were fhot by the loyal inhabitants from their windows; and fuck of them as efcaped, were purfued and killed by the foldiers and yeomanry; fo that the ftreets, the roads, and fields contiguous to the town, were ftrewed with carcaffes. That evening, and all next day, nineteen carts were conftantly employed in conveying the dead bodies to the other fide of Graigue-bridge, where four hundred and feventeen bodies were buried in three gravel-pits, and covered with quick lime. On the whole, it was believed, that no lefs than fix hundred of the unfortunate wretches perifhed, including thofe who were confumed in the houfes, and thofe who fell in the roads and fields, and were fecretly interred by their friends.

The Queen’s county rebels were to have met, and joined thofe of the county of Carlow, at Graigue-bridge; but having heard that there were two pieces of cannon pofted there, they changed their route; and, headed by one Redmond, and one Brennan, who had been a yeoman, they burned fome proteftant houfes in the village of Ballyckmoiler, and attacked the houfe of the reverend John Whitty, a proteftant clergyman, near Aries, about five miles from Carlow; but it was bravely defended, by himfelf and eleven proteftants, who kept up a conftant fire, killed twenty-one rebels, and baffled all their attempts to ftorm or burn it. The conflict continued from three till fix o’clock in the morning; when Mr. Whitty’s ammunition being nearly expended, he fent two of his party to a neighbour to borrow more; but they were furrounded and overpowered after a gallant defence. The corpfe of one of them, whom they killed, was mangled in a barbarous manner. They left the other, whofe name was Impey, fuppofing him to be dead; but he afterwards

recovered: He afked for a draught of water from fome perfons who were prefent, but they would not relieve him, till he afked for a prieft, and then they fupplied him with it. This party was firft informed, by emiffaries from Carlow, that their friends were fuccefsful, and had got poffeffion of the barrack; on which they felt a degree of joy equal to madnefs, but it was only the delufion of a moment; for the difmay which they felt, on hearing the fate of their friends was fuch, as to check their fanguinary defign of immolating an unfortunate proteftant, whom they were on the point of fhooting.

Richard Waters, a member of Mr. Rochfort’s corps of yeomanry, fell into their hands; and they had him for fome time on his knees, ready for execution, when an account of the fad cataftrophe at Carlow arrived. He, taking advantage of the panick which it produced, reprefented to them the folly of continuing in their rebellious career; recommended to them to furrender their arms, and throw themfelves on the mercy of government; and his exhortation not only produced the defired effect, but faved his life.
The barony of Carbery in the county of Kildare, part of the adjacent country, including confiderable portions of the counties of Meath, and the King’s county, were dreadfully agitated, fo early as the beginning of the year 1795, by the defenders, who continued almoft without intermiffion, till the rebellion broke out, to levy money, to plunder of arms the houfes of proteftants, and often to murder their inhabitants; and this in fome inftances at noon day.

About the hour of twelve o’clock at night, on the fixth of May, 1797, they attacked the Charter-fchool at Caftlecarbery, in great numbers, broke all the windows, fired many hundred fhots into it, and attempted to force open the door; but were repulfed with the lofs, it is faid, of twenty men killed. The number who fell could not be well afcertained, as they carried off the dead bodies.

They affumed the title of united Irifhmen fome time in the year 1796.

On the thirtieth of May, 1798, about two thoufand of them, headed by one Cafey, attacked and burned the fame charter-fchool, after having plundered all the property of Mr. Sparks, the mafter, which was confiderable. This man, remarkable for his humanity and tendernefs to the children under his care, was peculiarly the object of their vengeance, on

account of the vigorous defence which he had made the preceding year. The fchool had been defended by a party of fencibles, till the twenty-fourth of May, 1798; and when they were withdrawn, Mr. Sparks and his family were obliged to abandon it; and the children took refuge in the bog of Allen, and in fome neighbouring cabins.

The day before the charter-fchool was burnt, the parifh prieft told fome of the children, and an old woman who attended them, that they need not be under apprehenfions that night; and that, at all events, they (meaning the children) would not be molefted. The charter-fchool, as proteftant inftitution, was peculiarly the object of hatred to the infurgents, who were exclufively of the popifh religion.

In confequence of the increafing outrages of the country, and the well-grounded belief, that a general infurrection would foon take place, lieutenant Tyrrell, commanding the Clonard cavalry, in the abfence of Mr. John Tyrrell, its captain, then in England, received an official letter on the tenth of May, ordering his corps on permanent duty at Clonard,* four miles from Carbery.
Mr. Thomas Tyrrell, at that time high fheriff of the county, finding his houfe at Kilreny, a mile and a half from Clonard, indefenfible; and as his noted loyalty and activity had made him obnoxious, he removed his family to the houfe of his kinfman, Mr. John Tyrrell, at Clonard; which he fortified, and where he kept a guard of one ferjeant and eighteen men, who were relieved every week.

About the fame time, captain O’Ferrall, of the Ballina cavalry, mounted a permanent guard at Johnftown; but as there were ftrong apprehenfions of a general infurrection, he was permitted to join the guard at Clonard every night for protection, and returned every morning at four o’clock to Johnftown.

At laft, the outrages and atrocities increafed to fuch an alarming degree, that lieutenant Tyrrell repaired to Dublin, and applied to lord Caftlereagh for a reinforcement of regular troops. His lordfhip affured him, that, from the peculiar ftate of the country, government could not comply with his requeft; but recommended to him to raife fome fupplementaries among the proteftants of the country, and told him that they fhould be fupplied with arms and ammunition.

* See Plate I. 6 and 7.

During this reprefentation to adminiftration, the rebels burned the proteftant charter-fchool at Carbery, and feveral houfes of proteftants in it and its vicinity. They then proceeded towards Johnftown, burning all the proteftant houfes they met with in their progrefs, which terminated at Gurteen, where they plundered and burned the houfe of Mr. Metcalf.

Mr. Barlow, fecond lieutenant of the Clonard corps, marched out with part of his guard, and being joined by captain O’Ferrall, purfued the rebels to Gurteen; but finding that they were pofted behind hedges, at each fide of the road, which was fo deep and fo narrow, that the cavalry, though expofed to the enemy’s fire, could not deploy, or make any offenfive or defenfive operations, they were under the neceffity of retiring.

On the thirtieth of May, Mr. Tyrrell arrived from Dublin, and next day enrolled and armed nineteen well-affected proteftants, to act as infantry. By this time the rebels had collected in very great numbers, and encamped on an ifland in the bog of Timahoe,* and at Mucklin and Drihid; and for fome time they continued to plunder the houfes of all the proteftants in the neighbourhood, and carried off” all the horfes and cattle they could find; and even intercepted the fupplies of oxen and fheep which were going from remote counties to the capital.

Government, having received intelligence of thefe enormities, fent general Champagne, on the fifth of June, to confult with lieutenant Tyrrell, who was well acquainted with the country, on the beft and moft feafible mode of attacking the enemy’s camp. General Champagne was efcorted to Edenderry by lieutenant Tyrrell; but finding no troops there, he fent an exprefs to Philipftown, to order troops from thence to attack the enemy; and they arrived at Edenderry on the evening of the feventh of May; and on the next day, the general, having arranged his plan of operation, proceeded to attack the enemy with the following forces: A detachment of the Limerick militia, commanded by lieutenant-colonel Gough; the Cooleftown yeomanry cavalry, by captain Wakely; the Canal Legion, by lieutenant Adam Williams; the Clonard cavalry, by lieutenant Tyrrell; and the Ballina cavalry, by captain O’Ferrall.

* A gentleman who was a prifoner with them, informed me, that he faw a prieft there, who encouraged the rebels to perfift in the rebellion, by affuring them that all the people in Connaught were in a ftate of infurrection.

The general difpofed the cavalry fo as to furround the bog, while the infantry attacked the camp, which was on an ifland in it. The conteft lafted for fome time, as the number of infantry was but fmall; however, their valour amply compenfated the paucity of their numbers; for the Limerick, led on by the gallant colonel Gough, and ably fupported by the Canal Legion, commanded by lieutenant Williams, at laft forced the camp, and difperfed the rebels; of whom great numbers were cut off, in their flight, by the cavalry.
Lieutenant Tyrrell having received information that a numerous body of rebels had taken poft on a hill near his houfe of Kilreny, where they were committing depredations and various enormities, went to Kinnegad himfelf for the troops quartered there, and fent an exprefs for thofe who were ftationed at Edenderry, to co-operate with them.
The following troops affembled on the thirtieth of June, and attacked the rebels, who, to the number of fix hundred, were pofted on Foxeshill: A detachment of the Limerick, the Cooleftown, the Canal Legion, and a fmall party of the Northumberland fencibles. They were foon routed with confiderable flaughter; and one Cafey, their commander, his brother, and another leader, were killed, and their bodies were expofed for fome days at Edenderry.
Cafey had been principally concerned in the atrocities committed at Rathangan; the uniform great coat of Mr. Spenfer, and the boots of Mr. Semple, a yeoman, murdered there, having been found upon him.
Lieutenant Tyrrell entertained the moft fanguine expectations that fuch decifive advantages againft the rebels would have reftored peace and tranquillity; but the arrival of four thoufand Wexford rebels in the county of Kildare, commanded by general Perry, and one Kearns, a popifh prieft, blafted all his hopes, and fpread defolation in the country which he was appointed to defend. I fhall poftpone a defcription of their progrefs and operations, till I have mentioned their defeat in the county of Wexford.
The following aneedote will fhew the reader to what a ftate of debafement the popifh multitude were reduced by the fanguinary and fanatical principles which were conftantly infufed into their minds, to prepare them for the approaching infurrection and rebellion; John North, of Nurney in the county of Kildare, a fellow of mean parentage, and plebeian

manners, married a handfome young woman of the name of Carrol, of the proteftant religion, and refpectably connected; but whofe diftreffes compelled her to make fo difagreeable and unequal a connection. Being a bigotted papift, and of a ferocious difpofition, he became an enthufiaft in the caufe of the united Irifhmen, and gradually contradted an envenomed hatred againft his wife, on account of her religion; infomuch, that he ufed conftantly to beat her with great cruelty, and to reproach her with the appellation of heretick; and his relations, harbouring an inveterate averfion towards her for the fame reafon, would not fuffer her to fuckle her only child, a new-born infant. At laft, impelled by fanaticifm, he attempted to murder her with a knife, and would have effected it, but that his mother, on her knees, deprecated his anger.

He kept an inferior kind of publick houfe, which was the rendezvous of all the rebels of the adjacent country; particularly of one Prendergaft, a prieft, who was hanged at Monaftereven, on the breaking-out of the rebellion. As fhe heard them at their nightly meetings forming treafonable plots, and expreffing their determination to deftroy all hereticks, fhe was kept in a conftant ftate of terror.

At laft fhe found, among his papers, a letter from a rebel captain, advifing him to kill her, and to bury her in an adjacent fallow field; on which fhe fled, and repaired to her relations in the county of Wicklow.
Soon after, this ruffian having a quarrel with a proteftant yeoman of the name of Crofs, a challenge took place, and the combatants agreed to decide it with piftols. North fired firft, and miffed his antagonift, on which Crofs defired him to beg his life; but he fwore he never would do fo of an Orangeman; on which Crofs fired and killed him.

The day after the rebels furrendered their arms at Knockallin to general Dundas, a party of them, encamped at Timahoe, fent as their delegate the reverend father Murphy, a prieft, to Sir Fenton Aylmer, pofted at that time at Kilcock, with the Donadea cavalry which he commanded, confifting of one captain, one lieutenant, three ferjeants, and thirty privates; for the purpofe of affuring him of their penitence, and their determination of furrendering their arms; and to request that he would go to their camp, which he might do with the utmoft fafety, as they had

the greateft refpect and regard for him: He, agreeable to their defire, having gone there, accompanied by one friend, and efcorted by two dragoons, had a long conference with their leaders; and in confequence of the ftrong affurance of their pacific difpofition, and of an ardent defire to return to their allegiance, he repaired firft to general Dundas, and afterwards to lord Camden, to obtain an amnefty for them.

While Sir Fenton Aylmer was conferring with the rebel chiefs in their camp, his friend perceived two of the inferior rebels fteal behind a hedge, and prefent their mufkets at him; on which he told the leaders, that he and his friend would inftantly fhoot them, if the affaffins did not immediately defift: On which the chieftains made an apology, and faid it was done without their knowledge. They then, at their inftance, accompanied them to a place about a mile from the camp; and as a proof of their sincerity, they obferved, that they had no arms; but they no fooner arrived there, than they faw fix rebels with their mufkets, going behind a hedge, to fhoot at them.

Notwithftanding his exertions to ferve them, they treacheroufly made an attack on him at Kilcock, with their whole force ftationed at Timahoe, which is feven miles diftant, on the Monday following; faying, “That all they wanted was the bloody Sir Fenton Aylmer, and Michael Aylmer his lieutenant, and their bloody Orange crew.”

One of his videts having informed him of their approach, he advanced with his corps, with an intention of charging them; but perceiving their great fuperiority of numbers, he founded a retreat, after having narrowly efcaped being furrounded by them.
The rebels, after entering the town, fearched every recefs, and every chimney in the inn, for him and his officers.

Sir Fenton Aylmer then fell back, and joined a fmall corps of yeomen infantry, commanded by captain Jones, about a mile at the other fide of the town, determined to give them battle.

On taking his ground, which was in Sir Percy Gethin’s lawn, he found, to his mortification, that the infantry had retreated, and that all his corps, except fourteen who were proteftants, had deferted him; the remainder, who were Romanifts, not being able, as they faid, to mount their horfes in the hurry, remained behind; and the rebels were fo friendly to them, that they only deprived them of their arms, without offering them any injury.

The papifts in captain Jones’s corps retired to their refpective houfes, in the fame manner, without being molefted by the enemy. The rebels then burned the houfe of Jofeph Robinfon, a proteftant, an active conftable, and clerk of the parifh church of Donadea, then the barrack; and afterwards Courtown, the feat of lieutenant Aylmer; fwearing at the fame time, that they would burn the houfe of every bloody proteftant. They afterwards proceeded to Donadea, to burn the houfe of Sir Fenton Aylmer, but were diverted from doing fo, by being informed that their own friends had lodged many valuable articles in it for fafe cuftody; but they gave orders to have them removed, that they might execute, their malignant purpofe. But having been engaged in fome other enterprife, they fortunately forgot it.

Nicholas Newenham, one of Sir Fenton’s videts at Kilcock, having, from exceffivc zeal, advanced too far, was taken prifoner by the rebels, and was a witnefs of the deftruction of his father^s houfe, clofe to Donadea, which they burnt, becaufe he was a proteftant; for they publickly announced their determination to deftroy the property of every perfon of that perfuafion.

Having led young Newenham to their camp, they compelled him to dig his own grave; and during five or fix days they carried him often to the brink of it, and threatened to throw him in and bury him alive; and whenever they did fo, they compelled him to fay his prayers at the edge of it; and while performing his devotion, they mocked his religion, and curfed him, as a heretick; at laft one of them, more humane thaa the reft, fhot him, threw his body into the grave, and covered it lightly with earth.

Thefe facts have been fubftantiated by the affidavits of different rebels, who afterwards obtained their pardon.

About a month after, as Sir Fenton Aylmer was coming to Kilcock with fourteen dragoons, he was way-laid near Clane, and had a narrow efcape, as the hedges were thickly lined with rebels. Very fortunately for him, he had an advanced guard, confifting of four men, of whom they killed three, which alarmed them, and enabled them to make their retreat to Sallins. One of the advanced guard was Archibald Noble, a proteftant, and late of the Fermanagh militia, noted for his courage and loyalty; and fuch was their hatred towards him, that they fired

the inftant they faw him, by which the remainder of the party were faved.

William Aylmer, a rebel general, declared afterwards, that he wou’d have cut off the whole of them by the ambufh which he had laid, but that he could not reftrain the impetuofity of his men.

Next day they lay in wait a fecond time for him and his party.

Of eighteen papifts in Sir Fenton Aylmer’s corps, eleven deferted on Sunday the eleventh of June, 1798, with their full arms and accoutrements. The other feven that remained faithful, were officers fervants, or perfons who immediately depended on proteftant gentlemen for their fubfiftence.

On the feventeenth of March, 1798, John Glennan, a proteftant, was murdered near the Moat of Ardfcull; and a few days after, John Lucas, parifh clerk at Narraghmore, a man far advanced in years, was decoyed out of his houfe by his brother-in-law, and affaffinated.

Thefe atrocities, and the conftant robbery of proteftant houfes of arms, alarmed the loyalifts fo much, that they invited Mr. Rawfon, of Glaffealy near Athy, to command them; and he was foon at the head of one hundred and forty men, fteady in fupport of their king and country. By their active exertions and the difcoveries that were made under the direction of that excellent officer general Campbell, the leaders of infurrection were fpeedily apprehended in the vicinity of Athy. Many hardened rebels fought for chieftains in more diftant parts, and feveral hundreds acknowledged their crimes and furrendered their pikes.
Colonel Keating, a moft active magiftrate and intelligent officer, perceiving that the ftorm was gathering, raifed fixty yeomen cavalry and twenty infantry for the prefervation of the peace; and it is to be lamented, that the Roman catholick members of thofe corps, with few exceptions, proved afterwards to be difaffected; and that many of them, in violation of their oaths of allegiance, turned their arms againft their king and country.

This amiable gentleman went to the different popifh chapels, and frequently exhorted the multitude to renounce their treafonable defigns, and

to return to their allegiance; but finding all his efforts fruitless, he left the country in defpair; an ill-fated event for the neighbourhood where he refided! for, had he remained, his good fenfe would have contributed much to avert the ftorm which hung over the county of Kildare.

In the month of January, 1798, captain Rawfon, to undeceive and conciliate the people, publifhed addreffes at all the chapels in his neighbourhood, of which fee a copy in Appendix, No. XV. and for this, his noted loyalty, and his active exertions as a magiftrate, he was condemned by a committee of affaffination, which fat in his vicinity; and the ruffian who made an attempt on the life of Mr. Darragh, having been employed to murder him, he lay in wait for him at different times, in a fhrubbery near his houfe, and would have affaffinated him, but that he was fortunately attended by his fon, who was armed.

On the memorable twenty-fourth of May, an exprefs arrived from Dunlavin to general Campbell, and intelligence was brought to captain Rawfon, that the popifh multitude were in a ftate of infurrection on every fide, and the proteftant inhabitants of Narraghmore requested to know what meafures they were to take for their protection. The general fent an exprefs to Dunlavin, with directions how to proceed; and captain Rawfon fent another to Narraghmore, with orders to the loyalifts to fall back on Glaftealy, with an affurance that a party would foon go to their affiftance; but both the expreffes were murdered by the way; and fuch of the unfortunate proteftants of Narraghmore as could not effect their efcape, remained in the village, without any affiftance.

General Campbell fent a detachment of the Suffolk fencibles, under the command of major Montrefor, by Glaffealy, to the affiftance of the Narraghmore loyalifts, while he went with another towards Mulloghmafthill.
Early in the day, James Murphy of the water-works, as principal in command, with a number of rebel captains, collected the whole country, men, women, and children; in fhort, every one capable of bearing a pike; and they, with their united force, proceeded to attack the yllage of Narraghmore. Nine loyalifts, who retired into the court-houfe, fuccefsfully refifted them for two hours, and at laft beat them off.

John Jefferies, the permanent yeoman ferjeant of the Narraghmore corps, having a houfe with much property, which he wifhed to defend,

imprudently led his little party into it» The routed rebels were met by Daniel Walfh, a traitorous yeoman of that corps, who has been since defervedly hanged; and he rallied, and brought them back to the attack. Jefferies’s houfe being foon fet on fire, the loyalifts parleyed, and the rebels promifed that their lives fhould be fpared, provided they furrendered their arms; but the inftant they came forth, the pikemen fell to butcher them. No lefs than fix traitors were ftabbing together at Thomas Young; but the claftiing of their pikes, and the confufion which arofe from their eagernefs to fhed his blood, having fufpended his fate for a moment, Fitzpatrick, one of the traitors of the Narraghmore corps, cried out to the pikemen to clear his way; and he inftantly blew out the brains of his fellow foldier, with the mufket which he had received to; ferve his king and country he then feized a pike, and transfixed the body to the ground, crying out, “That’s the way to kill a heretick.”

Thomas Alcock, and Mofes Borroughs, an old man of eighty years, (whofe venerable locks fhould have protected him,) were next inhumanly butchered. The other fix were reierved to be hanged in the adjoining wood of Narraghmore. The rebels then fet fire to every proteftant houfe in the town, in which the women were particularly active. On their retiring, the mangled body of poor old Borroughs was feen by Fitzpatrick, who thruft a pike into it, and pitched it into a dyke of water, exclaiming, “Fogh! I fraoll a proteftant carrion.”

This barbarian was apprehended by the Athy loyalifts, tried by a courtmartial, executed on the fpot where he had committed fome of his enormities, and his head is now on the gaol of Athy. In his laft moments he declared that he died innocent.
Lieutenant Eadie of the Tyrone militia, who had been ftationed for fome months at Ballytore, was ordered, on the morning of the twentyfourth of May, to join his company at Calverftown. Having proceeded with, twenty-three privates, by Narraghmore, he received a preffing invitation there to breakfaft, which was very unfortunate, as by that delay he was prevented from arriving in time to fave the lives of the loyalifts.

He had not proceeded far with his party, when he heard the fhouts of the favages, exulting over their victims, as they conveyed them for execution.

Lieutenant Eadie placed his men behind a low wall, and when the favages came within thirty yards, gave them a volley, which killed many of them.

The favages fled, leaving all their prifoners, fave Jefferies and William Afhe, behind them. They were rallied and brought back to the fight, by a heroine, whofe fpirit and animation would have immortalized her name in a good caufe.

In their turn, the rebels attacked lieutenant Eadie’s little party, for many hours; he kept on the defenfive, until at length he completely routed his foes, taking the heroine prifoner. She was ftripped of her riding-coat and cap; and, lieutenant Eadie, either admiring her bravery or beauty, gave her her liberty.

The rebels, after their defeat by lieutenant Eadie, retreated to Ballytore, where they gained a reinforcement of many thoufands; and, attributing their want of fuccefs to irreligion, they formed in the ftreet, knelt down, and compelled Mr. Cullen, the parifh prieft, to give them his bleffing. Then, headed by Redmond Murphy, and Malachy Delany, two rebel leaders, they broke into a houfe where lieutenant Yeates, the fon of a refpectable magiftrate of the neighbourhood, was prifoner, butchered his body in a moft cruel manner, and threw it into the ftreets to be devoured by pigs. They then murdered a poor travelling foldier, who had fought protection in the houfe of Mr. Robert Hudfon.

They attacked and put to death feveral fick foldiers of the Suffolk fencibles, hanging fome of them, who were in fevers, out of their windows: they took prifoners two ladies, the wives of the Suffolk officers, and lodged them in the houfe of Abraham Shackleton,* of Ballytore, under a guard of rebels. They then proceeded to murder Jefferies and Afhe; but Mr. Cullen faved and concealed them, till they made their efcape to Athy.

By this time the rebel force had encreafed to the number of three thoufand, and learning from their fcouts, that lieutenant Eadie had miffed the road to Calverftown, they purfued him. Major Montrefor having proceeded with his detachment to Glaffealy, a party of rebels from Fonftown, under the command of captain Paddy Cowling and

* His father was fchoolmafter to Edmund Burke.

Terry Toole, who were on their way to burn the manfion-houfe there, fled at his approach. The major then proceeded to the village of Narraghmore, but too late to do any effential fervice there; as no human being was to be feen, but the wretched victims of favage fury, and every proteftant houfe in it was deftroyed, or confumed by fire.* The major then marched to the place of his deftination, Redgap-hill, while captain Rudd with thirty men, flanked him through the woods of Narraghmore; and having been joined by lieutenant Eadie, they followed the route which major Montrefor had taken.

At the end of the bog road near the, turnpike, they were attacked and furrounded by the three thoufand rebels from Narraghmore, on whom they kept up a brifk fire, for near half an hour, which brought the major and his party to their affiftance.

The rebels having perceived his approach, placed a number of wool packs on cars, which happened accidentally to be paffing by; and fome of their markfmen concealed behind them, fired and killed feven of the Suffolk fencibles, and then retreated to their main body. But the major purfued, and obtained ample revenge; for in a fhort time, two hundred rebels lay dead, and as many more were wounded. In thefe different conflicts, and in the fcenes of carnage, conflagration and plunder, which occurred in the courfe of that day, fixty of the Narraghmore corps in their uniforms, fought with the rebels; for which, eighteen of them were fhot, feveral were hanged, fome fled the country, and others came in under the proclamation, offering pardon to repentant rebels, and received protections.

The main object of the rebels in that part of the county of Kildare, was, to join thofe of the Queen’s county, and the county of Carlow; and to have affifted them in taking poffeffion of the town of Carlow.

* The houfes of the following proteftants were burnt at Narraghmore, on the morning of the twenty-fourth of May, by their Roman catholick neighbours, with whom, till that day, they had lived on the moft friendly terms; and their inmates, narrowly efcaping with their lives, fled for protecton to Athy.
 Mary Jefferies, widow, Jofeph Whiteacre, Thomas Corry, Robert Cooke, Richard Holmes, Matthew James, Darby Kehoe, William Cope, Sarah Lucas, Catherine Young, William Little and James Little. Thefe facts have been verified by the affidavit of the faid perfons, and captain Thomas J. Rawfon, fworn before A. Weldon, Efq. a magiftrate, the twenty-fixth of July, 1798. Befides the above, the houfes of the proteftants whom they maffacred in that town were burnt.

Notwithftanding their different defeats, they collected a party of one thoufand two hundred, and were proceeding to accomplifh their original plan; but, in paffing through Caftledermot to Carlow, they were attacked by captain Mince, who commanded there a fmall party of the fixth regiment of foot. After the fecond difcharge they were routed, and feveral of them were killed; and Sir Richard Butler, who went with his troop of yeomen cavalry to the affiftance of captain Mince, purfued them and took many prifoners, of whom two were hanged; and the remainder, through the clemency of government, were fet at liberty.

General Campbell, having received intelligence that the rebels were in great force in Ballytore, that they had taken many paffengers prifoners, and that they obstructed the approaches not only to that town, but even the great Munfter road to the metropolis, by felling large trees acrofs them, he laid a plan for diflodging them, and ordered the troops from Carlow and Baltinglafs to march to one fide of the town; and he intended to arrive at the oppofite fide at the fame moment.

At twelve o’clock on the night of the 27th, he marched from Athy, with his whole force, except a few yeomen under the command of captain Rawfon, who were left in charge of the town; the perfon who undertook to guide his party miftook the road, and led him by the woods of Narraghmore, through which he fent a flanking party.

As they paffed by the manfion-houfe of Narraghmore, fome difaffected perfons fired at the troops from it; on which general Campbell ordered it to be attacked with cannon. After fome dilcharge of artillery it was fet on fire; and the fellows who had fired at the troops were killed in the woods, as they were endeavouring to make their efcape.

When the general entered Ballytore, he found it deferted by every male, except Mr. Francis Johnfon, a furgeon; and as fome of the Tyrone regiment had repeatedly feen him commanding the rebels, the fight of him kindled fuch indignation in them, that one of them bayoneted him through the breaft, on which he fell. He rofe again, laid his hand on his wound, and ftrongly, and with many oaths afferted his innocence. Several of the foldiers cried out, that they had frequently feen him at the head of the rebels — an open was made — five of the Suffolk fencibles prefented their mufkets at him; when he found that all fubterfuge was vain, he exclaimed, “Since I muft die,

guilty as I am, the Lord have mercy on me!” and he was inftantly fent into eternity.

The general, on entering the town, liberated colonel Wolfeley and his lady, two wives of the Suffolk officers, and fome others, who had beem prifoners with the rebels.

The rebels, finding that they were every where unfuccefsful, fent a deputation to general Campbell, offering him a furrender of their arms; and he having affented, about three hundred gave up pikes and other arms at Ballindrum, near the Moat of Ardfcull; and great numbers befides went to Athy, and obtained protections.

In about ten days, general Dundas thought it neceffary to order the garrifon at Athy to march to Kilcullen, to reinforce him there; and the town was evacuated by the military, the yeomen, and all the proteftants; the latter well knowing that they would be maffacred without the protection of the former.

When they had marched about ten miles, they received an order that the yeomanry fhould return to defend the town, which gave the greateft joy to the loyalift;s, as all their property would have been deftroyed in their abfence. They arrived there about twelve o’clock at night, and concluded that the rebels were in poffeffion of it; but though they had been waiting to attack it fome nights before, they were afraid to enter, fufpecting that the evacuation of it was but a feint; and that the general meant to have attacked them, as foon as they had got poffeffion of it.

The next evening they approached it in great force; but finding the yeomen ready to receive them, they fled from a fmall patrole who had been fent to reconnoitre.

From this period, the country round Athy appeared tolerably tranquil, and no bodies of rebels appeared in force; but ftill it was not fafe for a proteftant to appear, or travel ever fo fhort a diftance alone.

John Jefferies of Narraghmore, who efcaped on the day they burned his houfe, having gone to that village from Athy, to look after fuch part of his property as might have remained, was murdered at two o’clock in the day.
Such was the malignity of the rebels in the county of Kildare, that a party of them, in order to diftrefs the metropolis, endeavoured to obftruct the navigation of the Grand canal, by cutting its banks, and emptying

its water into the adjacent country; but they were furprifed and prevented by captain Griffith of Millicent, who killed fome of them.

The vicinity of Athy remained peaceable, and it was believed that the difaffected had given up their deftructive fchemes; but on the night of the twenty-fourth of December, 1798, a party of rebels, moft of them from the Wicklow mountains, and under the command of Matthew Kenna and Redmond Murphy, two Kildare ruffians, fet fire to the houfe of Mrs.Hannah Manders, clofe to Glafrealy, and murdered her, her two fifters,* and Mr. John Anderfon her nephew, all proteftants, and a fervant woman of the Romifh perfuafion, and threw their bodies into the flames, in which they were reduced to afhes.

They then burned the dwelling-houfe of captain Rawfon, and all his furniture; and in one hour deftroyed the production of twenty-five years of active induftry.

A Roman catholick fervant, who was in Mrs. Manders’s houfe, was fuffered to pafs unmolefted; but Anderfon, attempting to follow him, was fhot.

The Roman catholick maid fhewed her attachment to the rebels, by. putting her head out of a door, and calling to them to take care of Keane, the brother of one of them, who was in the ftable. He was accordingly led out, and refcued from the flames; but fhe met with that fate which fhe deferved; for refembling Mrs. Manders in perfon, they miftook her, and piked her to death.
In a fhort time after, captain Rawfon had one Whelan, an affaffin, better known by the nick-name of Black Top, apprehended, for the murder of the Manders family; and he was tried before a court-martial at Carlow.

It appeared on the evidence of Mrs. Margaret McIvers, the niece, who efcaped through a back window, that, when the houfes were fet on fire. Black Top flood at the door with a musket and bayonet, to prevent any of the proteftant part of the family from efcaping: That fhe applied to him to take the young infant fhe held in her arms out of the flames, and fhe would take her chance; but he replied, “No, you damned heretick bitch! you may burn together; nits will become lice.”

Immediately Howard, a traitorous yeoman, who had been often hofpitably entertained in the houfe, entered it with a mufket and bayonet; on which

* They were unoffending religious women, far advanced in years.

Mrs. Manders was overjoyed at feeing him, fuppofing that he came as her deliverer; and fhe expreffed a hope that he would not murder her; but the obdurate ruffian replied, by knocking her down with the but-end of his mufket, and transfixing her aged body to the floor.

An old fuperannuated fifter, who had not left her bed for many months, crawled into the garden, and endeavoured to conceal herfelf in a fquare of cabbages; but fhe was purfued and piked, and her body was thrown into the flames.
Black Top and Fitzpatrick (the murderer of Thomas Young at Narraghmore,) were convicted, and executed where they had committed thefe horrid crimes.

In the fpring of 1800, one of the villains became an approver, and gave captain Rawfon full information. Shortly after, Howard was taken in the county of Carlow, by a fon of the captain’s; and Keane and Bryan, two more of the affaffins, were alfo apprehended. Thefe three were brought to trial at the affizes, and fully convicted, to the fatisfaction of a crowded court, and of the very humane judge Kelly, who in paffing fentence, declared, “That it was the firft cafe that ever came before him in which he did not feel diftrefted; but that he felt great fatisfaction at being the inftrument, under Providence, of ridding the world of fuch monfters.”

On the trial it was proved, that captain Rawfon’s houfe and out-offices were burned in revenge for his loyal exertions; and that the Manders family were affaffinated merely becaufe they were hereticks.*

On this trial Mrs. Margaret McIvers, Mrs. Manders’s niece, corroborated the teftimony of the approver againft Howard, in what has been before ftated; and he, Keane and Bryan, were hanged and beheaded at Glaftealy.

All the cottagers contiguous to that place, to whom captain Rawfon had acted with fingular humanity for above twenty years, were among the foremoft in plundering his houfe.

Though the efforts of rebellion were crufhed at Rathcoole on the general rising, yet the rebels, indignant at the difappointment, endeavoured to accomplifh their nefarious defigns on the twenty-fecond of June, by poifoning the garrifon there. On that day, captain Jofeph Hewan of the

* This was acknowledged by the approvers on the trial.

Angusshire regiment, was ordered to march from Tallagh to Hazel Hatch, with twenty of his men, to reinforce the party there; and having halted his men at Rathcoole, the head quarters of his regiment, to refrefh them, fome of them, after having been there about an hour, were reported to be very ill. On enquiry, it appeared, that after having eaten fome bread and milk, they were feized with a great ficknefs in their ftomachs, accompanied with a head-ach, and a violent vomiting and griping; and they faid, that they thought they had a ball of fire in their breafts.

Mr. Irwine, furgeon of the regiment, communicated thefe fymptoms to colonel Hunter, who commanded there, and his fufpicion, that the bread which they ate, had been poifoned. On which the colonel ordered the baker and his man into cuftody.

The men of both parties began now to be taken ill with the fame fymptoms, by five or fix at a time; the commanding officer then ordered the baker and his boy, and one Doyle, who was ftrongly fufpected, to eat fome of the bread; but more of the men becoming fick, and the malignity of their diforder increafing, he ordered the two former to be fhot. The latter grew as fick as any of the foldiers; but no body doubted of his innocence, as his wife and children were affected in the fame manner, as they had ate of the bread. Doyle kept a low publick houfe, in which fome of the foldiers had been entertained. Many of them would have died, but that they were relieved by medical affiftance. The fymptoms were fometimes abated by an emetick, but they often returned with redoubled violence; and then oil or melted butter, as a fubftitute, afforded them relief. Some of them were feized with fuch ftrong convulfions, that two or three men could not hold them, but with difficulty.

Mr. Robinfon, a proteftant clergyman, his wife, and feven children, who were paffing through Rathcoole, were affefted exaftly in the fame manner, in confequence of having eaten fome of the bread.

Next day the officers of the Angusfhire regiment were well informed, that the roads, fields, and ditches near Rathcoole, were crowded on the preceding night with men well armed, and that they difperfed when the bakers were fhot, and reinforcements came from Dublin, Tallagh, and Hazel-hatch. They intended to have furprifed the garrifon, when debilitated by poifon.

Some of the bread which had produced fuch dreadful effects in thofe who had eaten of it, was given to’a cat and a dog, and they died of it. Some hours after the baker and his boy were fhot, his houfe was fearched, and a paper, containing about two ounces of yellow arfenicky was found in his bake-houfe; which, being fent to Dublin to a furgeon, proved, on the analyzation of it, to be that kind of poifon.

From the fuppofed sanctity of this town, as a college had been recently erected there, and endowed at a very great expence by the proteftant ftate, for the education of popifh priefts, it was hoped that it would not have been molefted by the rebels; however, the proteftant inhabitants of it and its vicinity were as much the object of the fanguinary rage of the rebels, as in any other part of the county of Kildare.
About twenty of the Carton cavalry, of which his grace the duke of Leinfter was captain, and Thomas Long and Richard Cane, efquires, were lieutenants, did permanent duty there, for fome time, previous and fubfequent to the twenty-fourth of May; and ten of them were conftantly ftationed on the different avenues leading into the town: the duke was abfent at that time in England.
About one o’clock in the morning of the tenth of June, 1798, two men approached the town and addreffed one of the corps, who was at an outpoft; and pretending to be travellers, and that they loft their way, begged admittance into the town, to get a lodging; but on being refufed, they drew back a few paces, and both fired at the fentinel at the fame time; on which, he galloped with the utmoft fpeed to the guard room, and alarmed his fellow-foldiers; and was purfued by about five hundred rebels, headed by William Aylmer their commander.
Such was the difaffection of the corps, that, though they were alarmed in due time, only feven mounted their horfes to face the rebels; and of thofe feven, but four fired at them; and they were under a neceffity of retreating, left they fhould be overpowered by the great fuperiority of numbers.
Lieutenant Cane made his efcape, but a young gentleman of the name of Nugent, who had been on a vifit with the lieutenant, and whofe youth and innocence fhould have preferved him from their fanguinary

difpofition, fell into their hands, and was led to their camp and fhot there next day. They took eleven yeomen prifoners, fome of whom returned next day, and the remainder continued with the rebels. Three days after, a party of the fame rebels entered the town of Maynooth, and plundered fome houfes; and at the fame time, they feized Mr. Wilkinfon, a proteftant, and a mafter carpenter, much eftcemed for his probity; and conveyed him to their camp, where they next day piked him to death. As they conveyed him out of the town, he implored them to put an end to him immediately, that his body might fall into the hands of his friends, for the purpofe of being interred; but they refufed his requeft.

Afterwards lieutenant Cane, and about thirteen of the corps, joined the yeomanry at Leixlip, and continued to do duty with them, moft of the remainder having joined the rebels.

Mr. John Brown, a gentleman farmer, much efteemed for his probity, lived at Barropftown, near Maynooth; and had three fons who ferved in the Carton yeomanry. He and his family, being natives of England, and proteftants, were fo much the object of rebel vengeance, that they were obliged to leave their houfe, and retire to Leixlip for fafety.

In the beginning of September, Mr. Brown, his wife, daughter and fon, went to pafs the day at Barropftown. In the evening Mr. Brown, having rode out to fee fome hay-makers whom he employed, perceived, about forty perches from his houfe, twelve ruffians, armed and mounted, galloping furioufly towards him; and on feeing him, they fhouted and encreafed their fpeed. Mr. Brown galloped to his houfe, alarmed his family, and proceeded towards Leixlip. Part of the ruffians purfued him; the others his fon, who fled from them on foot, and whom they murdered with favage barbarity; but his father was fo fortunate as to efcape.
The following aneedote will fhew the reader how much the influence of the Romifh priefts tends to defeat diftributive juftice: A rebel, of the name of Cullen, was to be tried at the fummer affizes of Naas, on the following charges: For having fired three fhots at a yeoman, as he was travelling along the high road, and wounding him in two places; and, for being concerned in the attack upon Profperous, and in the murder of captain Swayne. One Kennedy, the profecutor, was kept in gaol, to fecure his appearance, and to prevent him from being affaffinated. When the trial was coming on, Mr. Kemmis, the crown

folicitor, went to the gaol for Kennedy, the profecutor; but on appreaching it, he perceived a prieft whifpering in his ear, through one of the grates; and who, on perceiving Mr. Kemmis, fled precipitately. On entering the gaol, he told Kennedy that he muft repair to the court with him, as the trial would come on immediately; but to his great aftonifhment, he difcovered, that the fuggestions of his ghoftly advifer, but for a few minutes, had induced him to contradict the moft material facts which he had fworn in his information; for he pretended to be ignorant of them.

It was much to be lamented, that the rebels of the county of Kildare, inftead of feeling gratitude for the royal mercy which had been extenfively granted to them by the generals who commanded there, and of returning to their allegiance, perfevered, for a long time, not only in committing individual robbery and aflaffination, but continued their encampments, and to commit depredations in large bodies. Lieutenant-colonel Irwine, who commanded the garrifon of Trim, having received intelligence that a numerous body of rebels were affembling near Kilcock on the eighteenth of June, marched on that night, with part of his garrifon, confifting of the fourth dragoons, a troop of the duke of York’s fencible cavalry, four companies of foot, and two battalion guns, and the following yeomanry corps: The Trim cavalry, one troop; the Navan and Murgallion cavalry, one troop; the Demifore, one troop. Soon after he paffed through Kilcock, his advanced guard was fired on by a large body of the rebels; of whom the main body, fuppofed to confift of three thoufand, was drawn up in a line at the bottom of Oviotftown hill, near Hortland houfe. As it was fome time before the colonel could form, owing to the unevennefs of the ground, and the number of inclofures on it, the rebels kept up a fmart fire, and made a defperate effort to feize the cannon; but the well-directed fire of the infantry, made them abandon that enterprife. Soon after the troops formed, they routed the rebels, who precipitately fled to a neighbouring bog, where they effected their efcape, after two hundred of them had been flain. The king’s troops fuftained the following lofs: Fourth dragoon guards, one ferjeant killed; captain Sir Richard Steele, one ferjeant,

two rank and file wounded; Murgallion cavalry, one rank and file wounded; Trim cavalry, one rank and file wounded; Duke of York’s Highlanders, enfign John Sutler, one ferjeant, and five rank and file killed; lieutenant-colonel Irwine, one ferjeant, and feven rank and file wounded; the firft flightly.

William Aylmer, who had been a lieutenant in the Kildare militia, was the leader of the rebels in this action.

For many months after, the ferocious fpirit of the popifh multitude continued to break forth in acts of rapine and murder, of which the reader will find fome fpecimens in Appendix, No. XV.

The chapel of Athy was burnt in the month of April; and an offer was made, by fome papifts of confideration, of a fum of money to a foldier of the Cork regiment, to fwear that it was perpetrated by the yeomen of that town, who are proteftants. I fhall refer the reader to the fame Appendix, for the particulars of this infamous tranfaction.

This chapel was wantonly burnt, with a malignant defign of throwing an imputation on the proteftants of having done it.