Rofs is a corporate, a port, and a borough town, which returned two members to parliament. It is fituated on a large river, formed by the junction of the Nore and Barrow,J which unite about one mile above it, and meeting the river Suir at Dunbrody, runs in a fouth-ead direction by Paflage, and difcharges itfelf into the fea at Hook-tower, from which it is about twenty-five miles diftant. The navigation to it is very good, and veffels of near four hundred tons burden can lie clofe to the quay; for which reafon it was a place of confiderable trade, fo early as the reign of Henry V. and large quantities of corn and provifions are now annually exported from it. It obtained charters from Henry IV. Richard 11. Henry V. and VI. James I. and IL

It was formerly a place of great ftrength, being furrounded with high walls, with towers and baftions, of which there are confiderable remains: However, it made but little refiftance to Cromwell; though it was defended by lord Taalfe, an able general, who had a numerous garrifon in it. It had many religious houfes, of which there are fome remains. The whole of the town, except Friary-ftreet, South-ftreet, North-ftreet, the quays, and the fpace between there and the river, is on a very fleep defcent. It is ten miles from Waterford, nineteen from Wexford, and fixteen from Ennifcorthy.

In confequence of the encampment at Carrickbyrne, the Donegal, Clare, and Meath regiments of militia, detachments of the Englifh artillery, the 5th dragoons, and Mid Lothian fencibles, marched into Rofs.; and on the fourth of June, the county of Dublin regiment afforded a

* See Plate III. 5.  † Ibid.   ‡ Plate II. 5.

very feafonable reinforcement to the garrifon, as the rebels on that evening, with dreadful yells, moved from Carrickbyrne to Corbethill, an eminence about a mile and a half from the town, and from which there is a gradual and uninterrupted defcent, after having driven in our out-poft, which had been ftationed on Lacken-hill.

A perfon, who was forced to attend them in their march, informed me, that they moved by parifhes and baronies, each having a particular ftandard; and that in their way they ftopped at a chapel, where mafs was faid at the head of each column, by priefts who fprinkled an abundance of holy water on them.

The garrifon, confifting of about twelve hundred effective men, and about one hundred and fifty yeomen, under the command of general Johnfon, continued on their arms all night. The infantry and artillery were moftly in a line outfide the walls of the town, to the eaft and fouth fide of it; the cavalry on the quay, the yeomen infantry on the bridge.
About four o’clock, one of the centinels at an out-poft fhot a man who was galloping towards him with a white handkerchief, which he waved in the air as a flag of truce. On examining him, it appeared that his name was Furlong, and that he was fent by

Bagenal Harvey, the rebel general, to propofe to general Johnfon to furrender the town to him, as the following fummons was found in his pocket;

“Sir,
“As a friend to humanity, I requeft you will furrender the town of Rofs to the Wexford forces, now affembled againft that town; your refiftance will but provoke rapine and plunder, to the ruin of the moft innocent. Flufhed with victory, the Wexford forces, now innumerable and irrefiftible, will not be controled, if they meet with refiftance; To prevent, therefore, the total ruin of all property in the town, I urge you to a fpeedy furrender, which you will be forced to in a few hours, with lofs and bloodfhed, as you are furrounded on all fides. Your anlwer is required in four hours. Mr. Furlong carries this letter, and will bring the anfwer.
Camp at Corbethill,	half paft three o’clock morning,
I am, Sir,
B. B. HARVEY, June 5th, 1798. General commanding, kc. &c. &c.”

I give the reader a copy of Bagenal Harvey’s appointment as commander in chief) which fortunately fell into my hands:

About five o’clock in the morning, not lefs than thirty thoufand of the rebels approached the town, fome in columns, others in intermediate lines, with terrifick yells, having four pieces of cannon, befides fwivels.

A great number of priests, with their veftments on, and crucifixes in their hands, by moving through the ranks, and animating them by their harangues, kindled a. degree of enthufiaftick ardour in them, which nothing but fanaticifm could infpire.
They moved with flow but irrefiftible progrefs, like an immenfe body of lava, which iffuing from the bowels of Vefuvius, fpreads defolation over the plains of Calabria, and from which man alone can efcape, and that by flight only.

It is fuppofed that one-fourth of them had mufkets, the remainder were armed with pikes. Their fuperior force foon made our advanced guard retire to the main body, and they took poffeffion of our alarm pofts. The ftruggle there became ferious, and matters wore a very unfavourable afpedt, particularly at the Three-bullet gate, which poft was at laft forced by an immenfe column of rebels, who, regardlefs of danger from fanaticifm and ebriety, made a moft formidable attack, and carried one of our guns, which they immediately turned againft us.

In the firft onfet which they made at the Three-bullet* gate, they were repulfed; on which general Johnfon ordered captain Irwine to advance and charge them with a detachment of the 5th dragoons, in a field

* See Plate VII. 5.

where they feemed doubtful whether to advance or make good their retreat. Seeing the cavah-y advance brifkly on them, they fled precipitately, leaped over fome very high ditches, and fired from behind them on the dragoons, who had approached very clofe to them, and attempted to leap over them, but in vain. The very fame circumftances happened in two other fields where they charged. They loft in the courfe of thefe charges cornet Dodwell, one ferjeant, one corporal, twenty-four privates, and twenty-fix horfes. The gallant general Johnfon was in each field where thefe charges were made.

When captain Irwine was approaching the Three-bullet gate from the eaft field, a twelve-pounder pofted there was fired, and killed his horfe, which fell on his leg, and prevented him from moving, at the fame time that our troops in that quarter had retired within the gate, and were retreating towards the bridge, and the rebels had advanced within a few yards of him, and would have killed him, but that they were engaged in taking poffeffion of the gun. In that critical moment an artillery horfe happened to pafs by, and fo near him, that he laid hold of one of the traces, and was dragged into the town, by which his life was faved.

The rebels, in great numbers, having entered the town in that point, part of them were engaged in fetting fire to the houfes, in which fome of the popifh inhabitants affifted them, whilft others pufhed for the bridge.

General Johnfon perceiving this, planted guns at the feveral crofs lanes, leading from Church-lane* and Nevill-ftreet, and one at the old market place,§ to which for fome time he attached himfelf. By thefe the rebels were repulfed with great llaughter. Such was their enthufiafm, that though whole ranks of them were feen to fall, they were fucceeded by others, who feemed to court the fate of their companions, by rufhing on our troops with renovated ardour.

One rebel, emboldened by fanaticifm and drunkennefs, advanced before his comrades, feized a gun, crammed his hat and wig into it, and cried out, “Come on, boys! her mouth is ftopped.” At that inftant the gunner laid the match to the gun, and blew the unfortunate favage to atoms. This fact has been verified by the affidavit of a perfon who faw it from a window.

* Plate VII. 5.  § Ibid.

The main body of our troops, overpowered and terrified by the immenfe body of rebels who entered the town at the Three-bullet gate, fled over the bridge to the Kilkenny or Rofbergen fide of the river, and the enemy being in poffeffion of the greater part of it,* (except where they were checked by one gun at the old market-place, and two more fupported by ferjeant Hamilton, at the main guard, which flood at the crofs formed by the junction of Mary-ftreet, Quay-ilreet, North and Southftreets) proceeded to plunder and burn. The gallant general Johnfon (whofe ardour and activity could be equalled by nothing but his cool prefence of mind,) feeing them in that fituation, followed our troops to the Kilkenny fide of the river, rallied and brought them back to their refpective ports, by which the rebels within the town were completely fubdued. He often exclaimed to the fugitives whom he rallied, Will you defert your general?” without any effect; but when he added, “And your countryman?” they gave three cheers, and followed him. Having fucceeded in rallying the fugitives, he rode before them to a part of our troops^ who, much to their honour, had kept their port near the Three-bullet gate, and informed them that a reinforcement of frefh troops had arrived from Waterford, which delufion produced a very good effect in animating them; however, he reinforced them with fome of thofe whom he had rallied, as there was a rebel column oppofite to them, which feemed, by its advancing towards them, determined to make one defperate effort. At this moment the fortune of the day hung in a balance; but it was foon turned by the fteady fire of our troops, who repulfed the rebels with great flaughter.

Then, by turning the rear of the rebels who had entered the town at the Three-bullet gate end of it, not one of them efcaped; and by manning the ditches outfide, he prevented them from receiving a reinforcement.

From the arts of feduction practifed on the Clare regiment, while at Waterford, where it had been quartered fome months, the rebels being fure of their affiftance, frequently exclaimed during the action, “Clare regiment, don’t fire on your religion!” Prudence would not admit, that a handful of men, almoft exhaufled by hunger and fatigue, fhould purfue an enemy fo fuperior in number to a confiderable diftance. The utmoft extent of the purfuit, and that only by a fmall part of the army, was to a ravin under Corbet-hill, and Roffiter’s ftores; from whence general Johnfon perceived

*It was ably ferved and defended by captain Bloomfield.

them retiring, every man making the beft of his way to Carrickbyrne.* The enemy left dead two thoufand fix hundred, befides numbers whom they carried off on cars. The lofs of the king’s troops was one colonel, one enfign, four ferjeants, three drummers, eighty-one rank and file, and fiftyfour horfes killed one captain, one drummer, fifty-four rank and file, and five horfes wounded; one captain, three lieutenants, one enfign, two ferjeants, two corporals, feventy-two rank and file, and four horfes miffing. Lord Mountjoy, colonel of the Dublin regiment, who fell in the firft onfet, at the Three-bullet gate, was univerfally lamented, as his publick and private virtues made him an object of general efteem. He was poffeffed of high mental endowments, being an elegant fcholar and a good publick fpeaker. He had the gentleft manners, and the mildeft aftections, warm and fincere in friendfhip, and fo benevolent and humane, that he never harboured revenge.

Great great part of the rebels after the action encamped on Slievehilta,‡ a deep and high mountain, about four miles from Rofs, where they remained, regularly anfwering our morning gun; and thence they went to Lacken-hill,† where they continued, till they were diflodged by general Johnfon, when he marched to Vinegar-hill.

It is probable that the whole province of Munfter would have been defolated as much as the county of Wexford, if the valour and activity of general Johnfon had not preferved Rofs; for it has been difcovered, that the inhabitants of moft parts of that province were to have rifen by a preconcerted plan, if that town had fallen into the hands of the rebels; and it was proved, that meifengers were on the point of being fent from Waterford by the treafurers of the united Irifhmen, to fummon the people of the South to rife. General Johnfon was feen in every part of the battle, giving orders and animating the troops. It is aftonifhing how he efcapedi, as he was often in the moft perilous fituations, and had two horfes fhot under him. He received very material affiftance from general Euftace, whofe valour and activity were very confpicuous during the action.||

* Plate VIII. 6.   † Plate VII. 7.   || Ibid. 5.

I cannot pafs unnoticed the valour and loyalty of Michael M’Cormick, on that day. He had been formerly a quarter-mafter of dragoons, and having retired, was in the mercantile line at Rofs. Confpicuous by his huge ftature and a brafs helmet, he was conftantly feen in the warmeft part of the action, animating the troops, and rendered the moft effential fervict to general Johnfon.

About ten o’clock in the morning of the fifth of June, the Rofcommon regiment, in two divifions, one led by the honourable colonel King, marched from Waterford, to reinforce the garvifon of Rofs, which is ten miles diftant from it. When the firft had advanced about two miles on their march, they were met by fome of the fugitive foldiers from that town, who informed the colonel, that our troops, overpowered by numbers, and exhaufhed by fatigue, had been beaten with great flaughter, that they had fled to Thomaftown, and that the town of Rofs had been burnt. However the colonel, determined to do his duty, marched to a high hill over a deep defile called Glynmore,* in a ftraight line about two miles and a half from Rofs; whence, with the affiftance of a good glafs, he faw a fmoke iffuingfrom the town, but could not difcern any troops in it; from which he concluded that his intelligence had been well founded. He, therefore, thought it prudent to retreat, and the many important confequences which flowed from his determination, (though cenfured at the time,) ftrongly prove the vanity of human wifhes, and how great and infcrutable are the mercy and wifdom of Providence!

The enemy, when repulfed, retired at firft to Corbet-hill, whence they faw the Rofcommon regiment; and as they were ignorant of their retreat, and as the diftance, obfcuring the difcernment of the rebels, had magnified their number, they imagined that our troops had received a large reinforcement, which deterred them from renewing the attack that evening as intended; and it is to be feared, that it would have been fatal to the garrifon, who were overcome with hunger and fatigue, and many of them had funk into a ftate of ebriety and fomnolency.

It was alfo very fortunate that the Rofcommon regiment returned to Waterford that night, as the rebels, who were numerous, and well organized there, meditated an infurrection, imagining that Rofs had been taken.
Next day, colonel King marched with his regiment to Rofs, with two battalion guns and a piece of flying artillery. He found the people of the county of Kilkenny in a ftate of general infurrection.

See Plate VIi. 6.

When he approached Glynmore,* a deep valley, with a river which Is croffed by a bridge, he perceived great numbers of people on all the adjacent hills who fired fignal guns. The rebels had made the bridge impaffable, by breaking down one of the arches; but the colonel foon made it pastable, by laying beams and planks on it. He fent before him his grenadier company, with a piece of artillery, who, with a few difcharges of it, difperfed a body of rebels pofted on the oppofite hill, who meant to difpute his pastage.

That body had taken the preceding day twenty-five foldiers, and captain Dillon of the Dublin regiment, who had fled from Rofs; and on the firft difcharge of the artillery, they maffacred fifteen of the foldiers, and captain Dillon, whofe head they converted into a foot-ball.

One Gaffney, the leader of thefe affaffins, was taken and hanged next day at Rofs.
It has been difcovered that the Kilkenny rebels were to have co-operated with thofe who attacked Rofs; but that they miftook the day, which was very fortunate; for they would have cut off a great part of the garrifon of that town, when they fled over the bridge, overcome with hunger and fatigue.

The following barbarous murder was committed at the Roar,§ in the county of Kilkenny, about four miles from Rofs, the day before the battle. Mr. Bartholomew Clifte, Mr. Richard Annefley, and Mr. Richard Elliott, being unable from bad health, and the delicacy of their conftitution, to affift in the defence of that town, retired to the Roar on a car, which was fent for them by a tenant of Mr. Elliott, who was his fofter brother, and to whom he had been singularly kind.

When they had arrived at the church of that village, three ruffians attacked them with pikes, and continued for fome time to torture them, until they were dead, in the midft of a number of fpeftators, who unmoved, and with indifference, beheld this barbarous fpectacle.

Mr. Cliffe, who was univerfally loved and efteemed for the mildnefs of his manners and the benevolence of his difpofition, was thrown into the gripe of a ditch, mangled and covered with wounds, where they meant to bury him. He had ftrength enough to raife himfelf a little,

* Plate VII. 6.  5 Ibid. 3, 4.

and to cry out for mercy; when favage woman, a difgrace to her own fex and to human nature, gave him a violent blow of a large ftone in the breaft, and put a period to his exiftence.

Mr. Elliott called out to his tenant, who had ever experienced the moft ftriking inftances of his regard, and faid, “Sure, Ned, you won’t fee me murdered?” but the unfeeling favage replied, “No;” and turned his back to him, while the ruffians continued to torture him. Mr. Elliott’s tenant was a man of fuch influence there, that he could have eafily prevented thefe barbarous murders.
The man who led the car to the Roar, and was eye-witnefs of thefe fhocking enormities, fubftantiated them by affidavit. It muft give the reader pleafure to learn, that Mr. Elliott’s tenant, and two moie of the affaffins were foon after fhot; and that the third has fallen a vidim to the vengeance of the law. The inhabitants of the Roar and its vicinity were remarkable for their difaffection and rebellious fpirit, for which they were feverely punifhed.

I fhall now relate fome of the incidents which occurred in the courfe of this very extraordinary action, which lafted from five in the morning till three in the evening. The main body of the rebels entered the town by the Three-bullet gate, and many alfo by the priory or fouth-gate, where one of the field pieces, that the rebels had taken fome days before near the mountain of Forth, was retaken by the king’s troops; but this took place after they were driven out of the town. They burnt all the thatched houfes, and many of the ftated ones in Neville-ftreet, which runs in a direct hne from the Three-bullet gate; every thatched and fome ftated houfes in Michael-ftreet and Mill-lane, which are at right angles with Neville-ftreet; all the houfes in the upper part of Mary-ftreet, which crofles the end of Neville-ftreet; all the houfes in Church-lane and the Chapel-lane, both which communicated with Mary-ftreet. On the whole, the number of houfes fuppofed to be burnt amounted to two hundred and eighty-fix.

There was very great deftruction of the favages in Chapel-lane, where they lay in heaps. They had poffeffion of it, and of the upper part of Mary-ftreet, for a confiderable time.

A numerous body of them, fuppofed to amount to five hundred, went down a great part of Mary-ftreet, which is on a declivity, to attack the

main guard, ably defended by ferjeant Hamilton of the Donegal, and fixteen men only, with two fhip guns, which were very badly mounted, and yet they were ferved with fuch eifett as to occafion a prodigious flaiighter. He had a large quantity of ammunition under his protection, and as he remained almoft entirely unfupported, when the troops were driven over the bridge, an officer, from an idea that he muft be overpowered, recommended to him to remove it to the Rofsbergen fide of the water; but he rephed, “That he never would quit the fpot while he had life.” He made lanes through the body of five or fix hundred with difcharges of grape fhot, and completely repulfed them. This was the laft great effort which they made to overpower him.

Parties of from twenty to thirty made different attacks on him, but they were always knocked down by the Dowfeley family. William Dowfeley, his brother Samuel, both very old, two of his fons, and three other men, took poft in the houfe of the former, which is in Maryjlreet, oppofite to a lane called Bakehoufe-lane, and near the main guard, at the lower end of Mary-ftreet. As the favages were perfectly fecure in that lane from the guns of ferjeant Hamilton, they made many attempts to collect there in great numbers, for the purpofe of furprifing and ftorming his poft; but Dowfeley’s party plyed them fo well with conftant vollies, and were fo near them, that every fhot took place, and they killed no lefs than fixty in one fpot. They had an old foldier with them, who charged for them with great celerity, and put in each cartridge one large and four fmall balls. The lane was filled up with the dead.

A party of rebels got into a very good ftated houfe at the upper end of Mary-ftreet, which the foldiers having fet fire to, the favages were roafted alive; and when their bodies were brought forth, prefented a moft hideous and difgufting fpedtacle.

Half the houfes in the Crofs-lane, and almoft every one in the Friaryftreet were confumed. Three of them were recently built and were very commodious.

Great numbers of the favages were killed outfide the town, between the Three-bullet gate and the Bunnion gate, which lies at the upper end of it.

Mr. Tottenham, the proprietor of Rofs, employed fix carts and a great many men for two entire days, in collecting the bodies of the flain. Mod of thofe found in the town were thrown into the river, and were carried off with the tide. The remainder were thrown into a foffe outfide the town wall, and were buried there.

The main body that entered at the Three-bullet gate, and contiguous to it, having divided, fome went down the Crofs-lane, others down Michael-ftreet, and others down Neville-ftreet and Mary-ftreet, fetting fire to the houfes in their progrefs. Another body burned half of Irifhtown,* which was near half a mile long; both fides having been burnt as far as they went. But there were not many employed in that fervice, as a party of foldiers that were ftationed at the end of a lane called Boreenaflane, that communicates directly with Irifhtown from Corbethill, killed a great number in the lane, and prevented them from getting into

Irifhtown in any confiderable force. Major Vandeleur, of the Clare, was of very great fervice there.
The rebels brought one of the fieldpieces, which they had taken at the mountain of Forth, as far into South-ftreet as major Cliffe’s houfe, and one of the artillery men, taken at the fame time, was tied to it for the purpofe of ferving it. A fellow of the name of Forreftal, made him difcharge it, once with grape, and twice with round-fhot, at the main guard. The poor artillery man, whofe loyalty was unabated, elevated the gun in fuch a manner as not to do execution; for with the laft fhot he knocked off the quoin of a houfe, (but almoft clofe to the eves,) oppofite to the court-houfe, where the main guard was ftationed. The poor fellow boafted of what a fine fhot he had made; but Forreftal drew out a piftol, and fhot him through the head, faying, “That is a much better fhot.”

This was related by two perfons who were in a window over where the tranfaction happened. Forreftal was convicted of having committed fourteen murders, for which he was hanged. The two loyalifts, who were witneffes of this tranfaction, had but one piftol, and but one charge for it, which one of them would have fired at Forreftal, but that the other prevented him; for if he had not fucceeded in killing him, he

* Plate VII. 3.

would have demolifhed his houfe with the cannon in a few feconds. It is very fingular that the rebels never ventured to fend a force round to penetrate at the North gate* end of the town, where they muft have fucceeded, as the main body of our troops were employed in defending it in the oppofite direction.

The following curious incident occurred in the town of Rofs: When the rebels entered the town, they dragged a man of the name of Dowfely, a proteftant, from his houfe, and his next door neighbour, a Roman catholick, denouaced him as fuch, for the purpofe of having him affaffinated; on which the rebels gave him three ftabs of a pike. A woman of the name of Catherine Whelan, a Romanift, his neighbour, and as, he thought, his friend, clapped her hands with joy on feeing the rebels enter the town, and welcomed the boys (as fhe called them) to Rofs, and faid, “They fhould kill Dowfely, as he was a proteftant.” They had at that time left him, as he had faid that he was a Romanift; but on her faying the contrary, they returned to him while lying on the ground on his fide, and having turned him on his back, defired him to blefs himfelf, and on not doing it right, they ftabbed him again, which was occafioned by her malevolent obfervation; on the whole, he received fixteen pike wounds. A woman of the name of Mary Foley, faw the rebels approach him again, take him up by the hair of the head, and afk him to fay fome popifh prayers; fhe then humanely whifpered fome of them into his ear, which he repeated, on which the rebels pardoned and left him.

A young man of the name of Richards, who faw this barbarous tranfaction, carried Dowfely into his houfe, and he afterwards recovered by medical affiftance. All thefe circumftances were proved by the concurrent teftimony of Dowfely, Mary Foley and Richards, before a courtmartial, held at Rofs the eleventh of Auguft, 1798, by order of lieutenant-general Hulfe, for the trial of Catherine Whelan, who was caft for tranfportation.

A gang of affaffins, armed with pikes, and headed by Richard Long, was fent in queft of proteftants the firft of June, 1798, from Carrickbyrne camp; and they feized Francis Plunket and his fifter, both proteftants, between Robinftown and Palace, and conveyed them to the camp.

* See plate VII. 6.

Long ftationed a great number of male and female rebels on the road leading to Rofs, with orders to intercept any proteftants that they might find going there, as numbers of that perfuafion fought an afylum in it from rebel vengeance. Plunket’s fifler befought the rebels in the camp to permit her to go home to her children; but they refufed, having faid fhe was taken there to fuffer death. Long affigned as a reafon, why he was fo active againft him and his fifter, that he was an orangeman’s fervant, and his fifter was an orangewoman. Long’s brother defired Francis Plunket to deny that he was related to his fifter, who was to fuffer death for being a proteftant, and that probably he might efcape; the poor unfortunate woman died of fear.

Thefe circumftances were proved before a court-martial, held at Rofs the feventeenth of Auguft, 1798, by order of lieutenant-general Hulfe, when Richard Long was caft for tranfportation.

When the rebels got poffeffion of the town, one of them who entered the houfe of a proteftant woman, gave her twenty-four wounds of a pike, notwithftanding which fhe leaped out of a window, and in doing fo broke lier leg; and yet fhe recovered, and is now living.

Notwithftanding the complete overthrow of the rebek at Rofs, and the flaughter of them which took place on the fifth of June, they, envcouraged by the thinnefs of the garrifon, which confifted of but one hundred and fifty of the Dublin militia, formed a fecond confpiracy for attacking and burning the town, and murdering all its loyal inhabitants, and then marching to Waterford, for the purpofe of taking it. The leaders of the confpiracy ufed to affemble at the houfe of one Malone, a publican, where they made different attempts to feduce the foldiers of the Dublin militia. One of them, who was very loyal, pretended to accede to and promote their defigns, and informed them that many of his comrades would co-operate with them; but he communicated the whole of what had paffed between them to captain Latouche, who, the better to develope their fchemes, affumed the habit of a common foldier, and was introduced by the loyal one to the band of traitors at Malone’s, as one of the fraternity, and pretended to be warmly attached to it.

In the courfe of converfation he difcovered, that they were quite fure of the co-operation of many of his foldiers, who were to deliver up the

ammunition to them; and that the mafs of the people from all the adjacent country, aided by a numerous band of well-armed traitors who frequented the woods of Killoughrin, were to attack the town on the Friday following. They then attempted to adminifter an oath to him. on which he had them arrefted and committed.

Malone, at the head of the confpiracy, had lived twenty-five years with the father of Mr. Tottenham, had become rich, and fet up a publick houfe. Major Cliffe’s fervant, another of the confpirators, had long enjoyed his efteem and confidence; and two of Mr. Deane’s fervants, deeply implicated in the plot, had been reputed men of good character. fuch was the return which government received for their mild and conciliatory conduct which the rebels fo recently experienced!

The rebels having fecured the navigation of the Slaney, by getting the towns of Wexford and Ennifcorthy into their hands, their next object, for the purpofe of gaining the town of Rofs which they reckoned certain, was to fecure the navigation of the river on which it ftands, by which they would have opened a complete communication between the rebels of the counties of Wexford, Waterford, and Kilkenny, have procured a conftant and copious fupply of provifions, and have had the moft opulent and populous part of the county of Wexford completely in their power; and they would have prevented any fupply of ammunition from being brought up from Duncannon fort, the chief depot of the king’s army in that quarter: They would alfo have cut off all communication between Rofs and Waterford, which was the chief place where general Johnfon could expect to procure provifions for his army.

As all the inhabitants of the county of Wexford were in a ftate of infurrection, and confequently the general could not fend any intelligence to, or receive any orders from government, he would have been completely infulated with his fmall army, if the rebels commanded the navigation of the Rofs river. He would alfo have been prevented from fending the fick foldiers to Waterford, as the inhabitants of the country between Waterford and Rofs, ten miles afunder, were for many days on the point of rifing.

To obviate this, general Johnfon, who fhewed as much fagacity as courage during the rebellion, ordered captain Hill of the navy, with fome gun-boats, which he commanded, to deftroy all the boats on that

river, which he accordingly did, to the number of one hundred and feventeen. Though the gun-boats employed in that fcrvice were well baricadoed, and had on board each of them a party of foldiers, who were commanded by the brave ferjeant Hamilton, the rebels never fuffered one of them to pafs without keeping up a conftant and fevere fire upon them; for which purpofe, they kept ftrong piquet guards along the banks of the river; and they ufually began this practice at Camolin wood, only a mile from the town. As it happened that one of the gun-boats ran a-ground, an immenfe body of rebels rufhed down from Slieve Kilta,* where they were encamped, and made feveral daring attempts to take poffeffion of her; and it was not without the greateft difficulty, that the other gun-boats, who feafonably came to her affiftance, refcued her from them. In this conftict, four men belonging to the gun-boats were killed, and feveral of them were wounded.

Another great object of the rebels, after they had got poffeffion of Wexford, was, to eftablifh a naval force upon the coaft.
They had already manned and armed two or three veffels in that port, one of them a Liverpool letter of marque, which mounted ten guns. By thefe means they fecured lord Kingfborough, and feized fome veffels freighted with provifions, which might otherwife have efcaped.

When our frigates arrived on the coaft, they completely put an end to that praftice.

The rebel leaders, for the purpofe of making their efcape, had affembled a number of fmall craft on that part of the coaft near Fethard; of which general Johnfon being aware, fent a revenue cutter, and fome gun-boats, under the command of captain Hill, for the purpofe of deftroying every veffel that might be found in that harbour; which was done as effectually as the nature of the fervice would admit; for thirteen veffels were either burned or rendered ufelefs. The rebels maintained a very heavy fire upon the gun-boats, during the performance of this fervice, and there appeared a very large force ready to refift any further attempts, which, however, were not intended. They were faid to be under the command of father Edward Murphy.

Very few, if any proteftants, were murdered in the parifhes of Old or New Rofs. Captain Tottenham, of the town of Rofs, having informed them of the taking of Ennifcorthy by the rebels, and defired them to make their efcape into the garrifon, and they providentially followed his

* Plate VII. 7.

advice. Two perfons only, that I could hear of, of the parifh of Old Rofs, fell into their hands, when they were endeavouring to make their efcape: into that town, and were murdered by them. They were of the name of James, a father and fon, the former near eighty years old.

The reverend William Olafcott, rector of the parifh of St. James or Ballyhack,* which lies on the Rofs river, above Duncannon-fort, and oppofite to Paffage, having received the earlieft intelligence of the rebel encampment formed on the mountain of Forth, and the defeat of the Meath militia there, critically alarmed his parifhioners; fame of whom fought an afylum in the fort of Duncannon,† and others croffed the river at Ballyhack, and were treated with very great humanity by captain Forbes of the Ravenfworth tranfport, who received as many of them as he could accommodate in his veffel; and provided them with neceffaries. Two only fell into the hands of the rebels, who pofted piquets on all the roads leading to Rofs, Ballyhack and Duncannon, to intercept fuch proteftants as might attempt to efcape.

William Hore, of Harperftown,‡ efquire, nephew of the earl of Courtown, had appointed a day for the prieft and the congregation of the parifh of foncormuck,|| to affemble and take oaths of allegiance; but the rebellion broke out the day preceding it. He endeavoured to make his efcape to Duncannon-fort, on foot, by the moft fecret and by-ways; but he was feized by a body of pikemen, who were pofted to prevent orangemen from retreating to that garrifon. Mr. Hore requefted to be carried before father Edward Murphy, parifh, prieft of Bannow;|| with which they complied. But that reverend gentleman, though his will was a law, would not liberate him. He was therefore taken to Wexford, and fuffered on the bridge in that fcene of carnage fo difgraceful to human nature. William Allen Cox, efquire, captain of the Taghmon§ yeoman cavalry, lived at Coolcliff, in the fame parifh, and on a navigable river called the Bannow; but which is extremely narrow until it reaches Clonmines. He endeavoured to make his efcape in a fmall boat, in hopes of .getting to fea; but he was fo befet by pikemen, that he was under the neceffity of landing in the midft of a horde of thofe favages; however, he derived great confolation from the fight of father Edward Murphy, whofe

* See Plate I. 10.  † Ibid. III, 9.   ‡ Ibid. III. 7.  || Ibid. III. 9, 9.  § See Plate III. 6.    ¶ Ibid. 7.

protection he implored; but he briefly replied, “That his ftay there would be but fhort and he left him in the hands of thofe mercilefs wretches. He then took to his boat, and was foon after feized by the pikemen at the Scar pafs of Barrietftown,* and conveyed to Wexford, where he fuffered on the bridge.

The parifh of Bannow, of which Edward Murphy was prieft, is fo populous and extenfive, as to require two chapels: one called the chapel of Garrig, about two miles from Bannow, where he generally officiates; the other at Ballymitty, is not far from Taghmon. This reverend father was the perfon who preached the fermon at Vinegar-hill, which Richard Grandy was prefent at, and made affidavit of before George Ogle, efquire, and three magiftrates more.‡

A proteftant of the firft authority declares, that fhe heard him preach, at Carrig, a fermon, in which he faid, “That God Almighty befriended them in all their operations, for the attainment of liberty; and that the whole of the bufinefs was as vifibly his work, as that of dividing the red fea by Mofes.” He affured fome female proteftants† in his neighbourhood, whom he occafionally vifited, that he had forefeen and foretold to numbers, this ftruggle for liberty, as he termed it, fourteen years before it took place; and he afferted very frequently, that the whole force of England, even if fhe were twice as powerful as fhe is, would not be able to re-conquer Ireland, as Providence fought their battles.

During the fhort exiftence of the Irifh republick, he regularly inftrufted the proteftants in his neighbourhood in his catechifm, telling them that there were four hells, and a great deal more of fuperftitious nonfenfe. A proteftant lady, whofe fon was confined in Wexford gaol, on account of his religion, applied to his reverence to interfere for his liberation; but he gave her a fhove from him, faying, “He would, never fave a heretick; and that he had other bufinefs to mind.”

While this falfe prophet was celebrating mafs at Carrig, on a Sunday during the rebellion, he heard the report of a cannon; on which his congregation, known by the name of the Bannow corps, were immediately, under arms, and by has order proceeded in great force to Bannow

* Plate III. 8.  ‡ Appendix, No, XX, 7.  † The male fled, or were taken prisoners by the pikemen.

to oppofe fome gun-boats, and a revenue cutter, fent into the bay of Fcthard, to deftroy fome boats and the ftores of a Mr. Lynn there, containing a great quantity of malt, which the rebels were taking away to brew for their camps. This reverend gentleman foon followed his troops, and drew them up with fome fkill on the beach of that place, at a fhort diftance from Fethard, on which the gun-boats were then firing; and it is faid, by perfons of veracity, who were forced into the rebel ranks that day, that Murphy ordered a number of women to march from his chapel, and join the rebel troops with hats on, that they might affume the femblance of men, in order to intimidate the failors by their numbers. The gun-boats fucceeded in deftroying fome fifhing fmacks; but as the fire which had been communicated to the ftores was extinguifhed, this facerdotal hero returned in triumph to Carrig, at the head of the Bannow corps, with colours flying, and mufick playing. He diftributed a great quantity of fcapulars in his parifh; and he frequently told fuch female proteftants as happened to remain there, that doctor Caulfield would be primate of Ireland, and that he would be archbifhop of Dublin.

Agreeable to the proclamation iffued by government, offering pardon to fuch repentant rebels as fhould take oaths of allegiance, and furrender their arms, Mr. Tottenham, the proprietor of Rofs, and other magiftrates, continued in the months of July and Auguft to extend the benefit of it to great numbers of that defcription, who carried in a few bad pikes and mufkets, merely for the purpofe of obtaining protections; from which, and from fubfequent events, it was unquestionable that they harboured .. their rebellious defigns as ftrongly as ever. And what fignified oaths to “fuch wretches, when the multitude had been guilty of the moft flagrant violation of them? None of them would confefs the names of their officers, except fuch of them as had been killed or hanged. One fanguinary ruffian was very candid in his confeffion; he faid, that general Harvey ordered him to attack and burn the town of Rofs; he faid, that he fired a great many fhots, and never without effect; that he entered Rofs by Neville-ftreet and Mary-ftreet, but could not proceed farther than the main guard. That poft had been bravely defended by ferjeant Hamilton of the Donegal regiment, with two fhip-guns, and fixteen men, who never abandoned his port. Mr. Tottenham afked this intrepid rebel,

Whether he would have fired at him, if he had feen him? and he anfwered, that he would have been very proud to have had him under his eye. He afked him alfo how many he had killed? to which he replied, that he could not tell, as he had taken his ammunition out of a pouch; but that he was fure he never fired without killing or wounding a foldier.