Doctor Caulfield, the titular bifhop, who had juft arrived, began to expoftulate with him; on which lord Kingfborough defired him to refpect his bifhop; but Murphy flourifhed his hand over the bifhop’s head, faying, “I was once your prieft; but I am now a general.” However, when his anger cooled, he knelt down, kiffed his hand, and acknowledged his fuperiority.

Whelan, Murphy’s aid-de-camp, who was prefent, had a large whifkey bottle in his pocket, and a piftol in his hand; and he boafted that he had juft fhot his officer outfide the town, alluding to the murder of enfign Harman. He alfo faid, he would fhoot lord Kingfborough; on which his lordfhip cocked his piftol, prefented it at his breaft, and declared he would fhoot him, if he moved his hand, which prevented the perpetration of his fanguinary defign.

Mrs. Richards, her fifter, and fome officers wives, had fought an afylum at his lordfhip’s lodgings at this critical and alarming moment; and fearing that they fhould all be maffacred if lord Kingfborough fhot Murphy, or his aid-de-camp, one was in hyftericks, another fainted, and another fell on her knees to deprecate his lordfhip’s anger.

While they were in this ftate of perturbation. Perry the rebel general entered his lordfhip’s apartment, and carried Murphy and Whelan off; and foon after he led the band of rebel affaffins out of town, but left his two aid-de-camps, who were wounded, with lord Kingfborough, who had them taken care of.

The fudden flight of the rebels is principally to be imputed to their fear of the king’s troops, who were advancing; and the fudden arrival of a few brave yeomen, which I fhall defcribe, and whom they took for the advanced guard of our army, occafioned their precipitate retreat.

It is certain that doctor Caulfield ufed every means in his power, and fucceeded in preventing the rebels from murdering lord Kingfborough; partly by his fpiritual authority, and partly by telling them that he was a valuable hoftage; and that by preferving his life, and conciliating him, he would probably obtain favourable terms for them and their friends, and prevent the foldiers from defolating the town and the country.

When general Moore’s army was within about two miles of Wexford they perceived the houfe of a proteftant in the fuburbs on fire, from which they concluded, that the rebels were burning the town, Mr. John Boyd,

reprefentative for the town, who commanded the Wexford cavalry, trembling for the fate of his wife and children, afked permiffion of the general for him and as many of the yeomen cavalry as would accompany him, to pufh forward to the town, and to make a defperate effort to fave their families and their property. The following perfons, with great magnanimity, volunteered in that perilous fervice, and ran a risk of devoting their own lives to fave the property and lives of the proteftant inhabitants who remained in the town; they were all members of the corps but one. Captain James Boyd, member of parliament, lieutenant Perceval, high fheriff for the county, corporal John Stetham, corporal William Hughes, A. H. Jacob, of the Ennifcorthy corps; and the following privates, John Tench, Jofeph Sutton, Archer Bayly, Marcus Doyle, Abraham Howlin, John Byrne, and William M’Cabe, Mr. Boyd’s fervant. Chriftopher Irwine, permanent ferjeant of the troop, followed them rapidly on foot, his horfe having been fhot. They dafhed into the town with a degree of valour bordering on defpair, and announced with a loud voice, that the army was at their heels. This gave the rebels fuch an electrick fhock, that, panick ftruck, they fled in all directions, fome over the bridge, others to the barony of Forth. Their confternation was fo great, that very few of them attempted on their flight to injure the inhabitants of the town. One rebel fixed at Meffrs. Jacob and Rudd, but the latter foon difpatched him. A rebel fired at lord Kingiborough in the ftreet, for which another perfon, a loyalift, inftantly fhot him.

During this fcene of confufion which their flight occafioned, the bloody Thomas Dixon, mounted on a very fine horfe which he had taken from Mr. Cadwallader Edwards, rode through the ftreets, with a broad fword drawn, and upbraided the rebels for their timidity and their dilatorinefs; and faid, “If you had followed my advice in putting all the hereticks to death three or four days ago, it would not have come to this pafs[”], Mrs. Dixon, who accompanied him on horfeback, with a fword and a cafe of piftols, clapped the rebels on the back, and encouraged them, by faying, “We muft conquer: I know we muft conquer and fhe exclaimed repeatedly, “My Saviour tells me we muft conquer!”

They repaired to the bridge to ftop the retreat of the rebels, but in vain, though Mrs. Dixon drew a piftol, and fwore vehemently that fhe would fhoot any one of them who would refufe to return with her to put

the remainder of the hereticks to death. They endeavoured to raife the portcullis of the bridge, to prevent their retreat, but were unable to do fo.

Governor Keugh came into the ftreet, and cried aloud, “Gentlemen, fly to the camp at the mountain of Forth; you have nothing elfe for it Go there and defend yourfelves.” Some of them as they were retreating (but particularly young M’Gauley, of Oulart, who was afterwards hanged) cried out, “Let us fet fire to the town!” but they had not time to do fo, for in a few minutes there was not a rebel in it.

A very refpectable lady informed me, that father Roche, the general, “on horfeback, and with a drawn fword, harangued the rebels in the ftreet, and endeavoured to infpire them with courage, before her window. He told them, “That they were of the only true faith, which was the faith of Jefus Chrift; and that if they would fupport him in the extirpation of hereticks, they would foon have but one religion but they were deaf to his exhortations, and fome of them faid, “By my foul, father Roche, we have ftood by you too long; we are forry we ever came to you, for you have deceived and ruined us!” I have already quoted the journal of a refpectable lady, who refided near the bridge. I fhall now give the reader her obfervations on the events which took place the day that the town was evacuated. She mentioned before that the black flag had been carried about in proceffion to announce that the maffacre wss to be renewed.

“About four o’clock Mr. R——, and doctor Jacob came to us. They had been fired at in the ftreet. The doctor was as compofed as I am now; but I really never faw fuch firmnefs of mind as he poffeffes on all occafions. Mr. R  faid, “The general maffacre is going to begin, and that he came to fave us, or rather to fhare our fate, for he feared we could not efcape however he had got a boat, with men on whom he thought he could rely, to the end of our houfe, that we fhould try to get into it, ftand the fire of the rebels from the quay and in paffing under the bridge; and if we got clear, throw ourfelves on the mercy of the gun-boats. This was truly defperate: I walked up ftairs, and went to a window; the rebels were fetting themfelves as before, on the bridge, and fending a boat to the prifon-fhip; when, conceive my aftonifhment, I faw them all begin to run. I flew down ftairs, doubting my fenfes,

to tell doctor Jacob. He came to the window. It was no illufion: Ran they did, in fuch confufion, that I was amazed numbers were not trampled to death. A general cry, “The army are come, they are in the town,” explained their flight. Wretches ran out of the infirmary in their fhirts. In an incredible fhort fpace of time the ftreets were almoft clear. Above fifty armed rebels rufhed into our houfe, tore out their green cockades, threw their arms under the beds; and hoped to efcape by being found under doctor Jacob’s roof. He put on his regimentals, and went into the ftreet. A villain that was going off, turned about, and fired at him, but miffed him.

“Mr. Perceval, the fheriff, galloped down the quay to our door, and faid, “Here are twelve thoufand foldiers with us.” Imagine, if you can, our feelings! I never fhall forget Elizabeth’s countenance as fhe came down ftairs and fhook us by the hand. The boat that was fent to bring them* to torture and to death, brought them to liberty and to rapture. Several came to us. No kind of decorum was obferved. Nothing but kiffing and embracing. Moft of the men cried violently. I faw above five thoufand men fly from one horfeman. It was fuppofed that four thoufand of them fled from one end of the town. My bridge acquaintances are thofe who, under the command of Perry and Fitzgerald, have fince fpread mifery and deftruction over the counties of Wexford and Wicklow. We never learned what became of Dixon. None of us faw him go over the bridge; and as he is a very large man, and rode a tall white horfe, he could hardly efcape the obfervation of twelve of us who were anxious to fee him depart. Mrs. Boyd told me, that fhe and lady Ann Hore were fitting in their lodgings, expecting the entrance of the murderers, when they heard a horfe gallop and ftop at their door.”

The lady whofe journal I quote, and many others who were in Wexford at that time, have declared, that the prefei-vation of the town and proteftant inhabitants can be imputed to nothing but the determination of the rebels to murder lord Kingfborough, to whofe lodgings they repaired with father Murphy, and that that object diverted them from their nefarious defign, till the alarm, which I have mentioned, occafioned their general difperfion and flight.

* The prifoners from the prifon-fhip.

About eight o’clock in the morning of the twenty-firft, the day of their deliverance, father Broe the friar having vifited the prifon-fhip, and recommended to the prifoners to be chriftened, as he faid it might be the means of faving them from the rage of the rabble, about fifteen of them confented. He gave thofe who fubmitted to that ceremony the following certificate:

“I hereby certify that A. of B. in the parifh of C. has done his duty, and proved himfelf a Roman catholick, and has made a voluntary oath that he never was an orangeman, nor took the orange oath.
Dated Wexford, June twenty-firft, 1798.	F. JOHN BROE.”

This unquestionably proves that father Broe knew that a fecond maffacre was intended; and that there was no falvation for any perfon but a Roman catholick.
As the rebels were retreating over the bridge, one of them fired at the gentlemen on the deck of the prifon-fhip, but the ball paffed over their heads.
General Moore having fent the Queen’s regiment into Wexford, between eight and nine o’clock, encamped that night about two miles from it, on the fouth of the Slaney. The army under generals Lake and Dundas encamped on the north fide of the Slaney, between Temple-hill* and Carrickferry.f As they were encamping, they found in the hedges about fifty rebels, with their pikes, who had fled from Vinegar-hill, whom they fhot; which induced them to fearch fome brufhwood which was contiguous, and they found thete many more, whom they alfo put to death.
General Johnfon remained on the fouth fide of the Slaney, and not far from general Moore. General Lake entered Wexford on the morning of the twenty-fecond of June, and eftablifhed his ftaff in Keugh’s houfe, where he, as governor of the town, and a rebel general, had held his ftaff a few hours before.
As many falfe and fcandalous reports were propagated by the difaffected, that feveral wanton and barbarous outrages were committed by the king’s troops on their entering Wexford, that many perfons were immediately and without any criminal procefs put to death, I think it right to say, that fuch

* See Plate III. 4, 5.        † Ibid., 6.

infamous calumnies were perfectly groundlefs; that peace and good order were preferved there, and that none but thofe who took a very active part in the rebellion were punifhed. I give the reader in Appendix, No. XXI. 4. a lift of the delinquents who fuffered there.

To palliate the atrocities committed in Wexford by the rebels, it has been falfely infinuated, that they were provoked to perpetrate them by lord Kingfborough’s having violated the terms which he had made with them, but this is totally without foundation.

Keugh on his trial made a very able and manly defence, during the whole of which he was cool and deliberate, and fo eloquent and pathetick, as to excite the moft tender emotions in the breafts of his auditors. Lord Kingfborough, Mr. Lehunte, and other refpectable witneffes, proved that he acted on all occafions with fingular humanity, and endeavoured to prevent the effufion of blood; and that they owed their lives to his active interference. He faid, “That after the maffacre on the evening of the twentieth of June, he was fitting in his own houfe, when he received the following meffage from the commander in chief, Roche, the prieft, by Thomas Dixon, that as he was leaving town, on particular bufinefs, he ordered him under pain of death, on the next morning before twelve o’clock, to put to death one hundred more of the prifoners* in the fame manner that ninety-feven had fuffered that day.[”] He then ftated that his brother, who had lived many years in his houfe, and had long ferved the king with reputation as an officer,† was as noted for his loyalty, as for every moral virtue: That on hearing the fanguinary mandate of Roche, delivered by Dixon, he ordered himfelf to be put to bed, as, from feeblenefs and decrepitude, he had not been able for many years, to move from one place to another: That next morning he crept, all fours, to the governor’s apartment, in his abfence, where having found a cafe of piftols, he blew out his brains. He was frequently interrupted in the courfe of this doleful narration, by crying and fobbing. He declared that his only object was to reform and improve the conftitution; but that popifh fanaticifm had defeated his defigns, and borne down every thing. He lamented that he had totally neglefted the cultivation of the

* This fhews that the maffacre intended next morning, which was announced by a fecond proceffion with the black flag, was a deliberate act, and planned by the rebel leaders.
† He was regarded as a very amiable old man, and was very loyal.

proteftant religion in which he had been bred; however, he was attended in his laft moments by a proteftant clergyman. After having prayed devoutly on his knees, he rofe and then prayed aloud and fervently for the king and royal family, and that his majefty might long fit upon the throne, and that the conftitution in church and ftate might never be overthrown. His pathetick eloquence and ftrength of argument on his trial moved the audience fo much, that a general officer, who was prefent ran haftily to general Lake, and requefted that he might be refpited; but he affured him, that he found among his papers fufficient indications of his guilt. See in Appendix, No. XXI. 5. a lift of rebel leaders found among them. Roche, the prieft and the commander in chief, one Fenlon a fchoolmafter, and two obfcure perfons were executed at the fame time with Keugh. The former, about forty years old, was tall and corpulent, and had a ferocious countenance. While Keugh and the other prifoners were on their knees he continued motionlefs, and fhewed no appearance of devotion, except that when they were preparing for his execution, he knelt down and kiffed the ground.*
Soon after Roche was fufpended, the rope broke and he fell fenfelefs on the ground; but on recovering, he arofe and exclaimed, “G—d’s blood, what are you about? why do you pull my ftock fo tight?” He then mounted the fatal ftep a fecond time, and was launched into eternity!
Some of our officers who converfed with him, while in prifon, affured me that they thought he was born a general, from the judicious remarks which he made on fome actions, particularly that of Vinegar-hill. He faid, that they were very much deceived in the county of Wexford, as they imagined that the infurrection would have been general all over the kingdom, and then they muft have fucceeded. He allowed that the object of the Irifh union was the fubverfion of the conftitution.
John Hay, the rebel general, was taken at his own place, hiding in a fhrubbery, by general Dundas’s army who encamped near it on the twenty-fecond of June, and was hanged next day. He was of an ancient popifh family, and the fon of Mr. Harvey Hay of Ballankeele,† noted for his hofpitality. He had lived a great while in France, and had ferved in the French army. Though his manners were polifhed, and he appeared generous and liberal, he was a bigot, and difplayed a moft cruel and fanguinary

* A common practice among his favage fectaries.      † Plate III. 3.

difpofition during the rebellion. He was fo befotted with fuperftition, as to wear a fcapular, which was found hanging on his breaft when they were going to execute him.

On the trial of general Edward Roche, Thomas Hatchell proved that he heard Mr. Hay at Vinegar-hill propofe the murder of all the proteftants, and that Roche oppofed it. The cold-blooded murder committed by him of Gray Thomas, at the fame place, was alfo proved on Roche’s trial.* Thomas Smithfon confirmed the evidence of Thomas Hatchell.

The arreft of B. B. Harvey and John Colclough was attended with fome curious circumftances, which I fhall relate. On the flight of the rebels from Wexford the twenty-firft of June, they retreated to the largeft of the Saltee iflands,‡ which Mr. Colclough rented from Mr. Grogan. Doctor Waddy, a phyfician, who ferved in the yeomanry, having got intelligence of their retreat, applied to general Lake for a proper party, and an armed veffel, to go in queft of them, which he readily obtained.

About three o’clock on Sunday evening the twenty-third day of June, he fet fail in the Rutland cutter of ten guns, commanded by captain Willoughby, with lieutenant Turner of the Queen’s, a detachment of his regiment, and a man of war’s boat, with a party of failors well armed* The illand is about fix leagues from Wexford, and four or five miles from’ the fouthern coaft of the county.

The weather was fo tempeftuous, that they were obliged to reef their fails; and the wind being adverfe, they did not defcry the ifland till about four o’clock in the morning, and could not call anchor along fide it till eight. When they were approaching it, they faw a fmall boat pafs from the ifland to the main land.. As it is furrounded with high precipices, and is inacceffible but in one place, and as they expected to be oppofed by a party of armed rebels, who it was believed had accompanied Harvey and Colclough, captain Willoughby prepared to cover their landing with the cutter’s guns, and they were attended for the fame purpofe by the man of war’s boat. On landing, they repaired to the only houfe on the ifland, occupied by one Furlong, who rented it from Mr. Colclough. They found there an excellent feather-bed, with fine fheets, which were warm, a handfome tea equipage, fome genteel wearing apparel, belonging to both fexes; particularly, a pair of pantaloons,

* See Appendix, No. XX, 9.     † Plate III. 12.

which doctor Waddy had feen on Mr. Colclough before the rebellion; and near the houfe fome filk fhoes and other articles, hid in high ferns. They fearched every fufpected fpot in the ifland, particularly a place called the Otters cave, but in vain; though they had not a doubt of their having been there, as they had found, among other things, a cheft of plate in a concealed place belonging to Colclough.

The doctor refolved to make another effort, by going round the ifland in a boat, for the purpofe of reconnoitring the fides of it: In doing fo, he perceived on the edge of a high precipice, one rock lighter-coloured than the adjoining ones; and as the earth near it feemed to have been recently ftirred, he fufpected that they had been making preparations there for their concealment. He therefore again afcended the ifland, and found that the approach to the place which he wifhed to explore was fteep, ferpentine, and through fome crags. The light-coloured ftone covered the mouth of the cave, and above it there was an aperture to let in the light.. The doctor called out to Colclough, and told him, that if he did not furrender immediately, and without refiftance, he fhould receive no quarter. Colclough afked, “Is that doctor Waddy?” and on his faying, “”Yes,” he faid he would furrender; and foon after he, at the doctor’s defire, gave up his arms through the hole in the cave. The doctor threw down the precipice the ftone which covered the mouth of it, which fell with a monftrous crafh; on which Mr. and Mrs. Colclough came forth, dreffed in the meaneft habits of peafants, for the purpofe of difguifing themfelves. Then. B. Harvey came out, faying, “My God! my God!” and fo pale and weak from fatigue and anxiety of mind, that the doctor was obliged to fupport him. He alfo had a cheft of plate concealed, which he gave in charge to the doctor and his party.

They arrived in Wexford harbour about nine at night; but as the tide was out, the prifoners could not be committed till next morning.

Meffrs. Grogan and Harvey, and Patrick Prendergaft, a rich maltfter, were executed at the fame time.

The former was a weak man, who fell a facrifice to the malign influence of bafe and defigning men, who cherifhed in him difaffection to the ftate; which made him a fanguine advocate for reforming our conftitution; the various excellencies of which he was as incapable of difcerning, as an infect was the grandeur and the elegance of a magnificent edifice.

Mr. Grogan, who was executed at the fame time, denied his guilt, and declared on his trial that he had acted by compulfion; but it was proved that he had been frequently feen with a green cockade, marching in and out of Wexford, at the head of a large body of rebels; and that as commiffary to the republick, he had feized the provifions of different people in its vicinity, fo as to leave their families quite deftitute.

Mr. Harvey, in his defence on his trial, laid, “That he became a member of the Irifh union three years before, but that he imagined the only object was to reform the conftitution; and that he did not till recently difcover that the popifh priefts were deeply concerned in it, and that the extermination of proteftants was their main defign:* That having oppofed their fanguinary views, he was depofed, and the command was given to that infamous villain father Roche: That he was then carried to the Three-rock camp as a prifoner, where he remained a few days, and was fo far at liberty as to be allowed fo walk about; but fo clofely watched, that with every wifh to make his efcape, he found it impoffible, till the evening the rebels fled in every direction on the approach of the king’s troops.”

He died in a very decent manner, having been attended by a proteftant clergyman, and prayed moft fervently. A fhort time before his trial, a particular friend of his and mine, having afked him, how he came to confent to the bloody bufinefs of Scullabogue, he, very much fhocked, replied, “That it was brought about by an infamous fanguinary popifh faction.”

Mr. Harvey wrote the following letter to lord Kingfborough, a fhort time before his execution. It was the laft grafp for life, and fhews manifeft figns of perturbation:

“My lord,

“I take the liberty of requefting your lordfhip will let me have an opportunity of feeing your lordfhip before you leave Wexford. You cannot but recolleft how repeatedly I wifhed to fpeak to your lordfhip alone; that I was always prevented by fear; and whenever I met you and was allowed to fpeak to you, I was ever ready to accede to propofals of reftoring order and government.

I am, with fubmiffion. Your lordfhip’s moft obedient, B. B. HARVEY.”

* This was kept a profound fecret from the proteftant leaders.

Mr. Harvey, in a numerous company, and at the houfe of a relation in Dublin, in the year 1796, began to broach fome of his republican opinions, which I endeavoured to refute. At laft, I faid to him, with much emphafis, “Beware that your life and property do not fall a facrifice to your abfurd republican notions!”

The following fact proves that he was a man of humanity: The reverend Mr. Wilfon, minifter of the parifh of Mulranken, in which he lived, and fuch of his proteftant parifhioners as could not make their efcape were taken prifoners, and fent to Wexford gaol, on the firft of June; but Mr. Harvey ordered them home, on their taking the united Irifhman’s oath.
From the following incidents we may infer, that with the beft military talents, and the warmeft zeal in the rebel caufe, his power could not have been of any duration, Mr. Solomon Richards affured me, that a prieft refufed to grant him a protection the day after our troops evacuated Wexford; but on applying to B. Harvey he gave him one, which afforded him liberty and fecurity till Mr. Harvey’s power began to decline, and then no refpect was paid to it, and he was committed to prifon.

Matthew Green, an inhabitant of Wexford, who was hanged there for being a rebel captain, and for having been concerned in the murder of Murphy on the third of June, went on board the prifon-fhip, and faid, with an air of infolence, to Mr. Richards, “So, you would not take my advice in joining us, and in taking a command. See whether B. Harvey’s advice or mine is beft, and whether he or I will be the greateft man in a day or two; but mark my words, that he and all the proteftant generals and prifoners will go, for we will have but one people. I doubt whether you can efcape with your life.”

John Colclough, of Ballyteige,* died with much decency and firmnefs. He was the only perfon of his name who was a papift, and who was publickly accufed of being a rebel. He was defcended from John Colclough, who became a convert to popery about the beginning of this century, and who from his great bigotry was called the Saint. He left only one child, an infant fon, who he defired might be bred a proteftant; confcious, I fuppofe, that the religion which he profeffed, would have a tendency to make him a bad subject of a proteftant ftate. With a loud voice, and much compofure, he exhorted the bye-ftanders to avoid the abfurd prejudices

* Plate III.

and opmions which had brought him to an untimely and ignominious death; and he expatiated on the extreme folly of endeavouring to overturn a regular and well-eftablifhed government and he ended with thefe notable words,”From what I have feen thefe laft three weeks, I am not forry for dying.” Alluding, I fuppofe, to the maffacres.

Fanaticifm had made the lower clafs of people fo blind to their own intereft, and fo infenfible to danger, that fome of them were convicted in Wexford, foon after the king’s troops arrived there, of ufing feditious language, and of endeavouring to feduce them; though fo many of their fellow-traitors had recently fuffered capital punifhment.

Some attempts of this kind were made on the Queen’s regiment, the firft which entered the town on the twenty-firft of June; though it confided of Englishmen. Thomas Graham, an inhabitant of Wexford, was convicted of trying to feduce John Nailor of that regiment, while a fentry on his poft, a few days after the regiment had landed in Ireland.

The failors continued fo difaffected, that they refufed, in the autumn of the year 1798, to convey goods from Dublin to Wexford for a Roman catholick merchant of that town, becaufe he was notorious for his loyalty, though he had offered a very high price for the freight. This fpirit of difaffection and combination was inveftigated, aad fully proved, before a committee of the houfe of commons.

Soon after the maffacres at Wexford, on the twentieth of June, the following fentences were carved on the rails of the portcullis of the bridge, the place where they were perpetrated; and they were legible in the month of June, 1799: “Sacred to the chriftian doctrine of fending orangemen to the meadows of eafe, June 1798: The holy hereticks that were flain.”

The rebel column, which, after the defeat at Vinegar-hill, had retreated to the north of the county of Wexford, and the county of Wicklow, were joined by a large body belonging to the latter, headed by Garret Byrne, of Ballymanus, and his brother William, and continued to fpread defolation there, burning the houfes of proteftants, and murdering fuch of their occupiers as fell into their hands. The firft achievement which they endeavoured to perform in this new fcene of action, was an attempt to deftroy Hacketftown.*

* There was an attack made on this town the twenty-fifth of May, by a numerous body of rebels; but they were repulfed by the yeomen and a fmall party of the Antrim militia.

As numbers of the people of the country were feen on the twenty-fourth of June, affembling on all the adjacent hills, no doubt for the purpofe of joining the column which I have already mentioned, the garrifon, confifting but of forty of the Antrim militia, commanded by lieutenant Gardner, and fifty of the Hacketftown infantry, commanded by captain Hardy, fent intelligence of it to the officers commanding yeomen corps in the neighbourhood.

At fix o’clock on the morning of the twenty-fifth, captain Chamney, with thirty of his infantry, captain Hume, with thirty of the Talbotftown cavalry, and lieutenant Braddell, with twenty-four of the Shillelah cavalry, reinforced the garrifon, and marched with them a fhort diftance from the town, to meet the rebels who were thought to be thirteen thoufand ftrong, and were commanded by generals Garret and William Byrne, Meffrs. Perry, McMahon, Michael Reynolds, and Edward Fitzgerald. The garrifon had got but a fhort diftance from the town, when the rebels began to file off on each fide, for the purpofe of furrounding them. In confequence of this, the Talbot’s-town and Shillelah cavalry were obliged to retreat, for fear of being cut off, by the road to Clonmore, and could not afterwards return to affift in defending the town.

In the retreat, captain Hardy, a brave and intelligent officer and a moft amiable gentleman, and four men were killed. The infantry, about one hundred and twenty in number, took poft in the barrack, part of them having lined a breast-work which the captain had raifed fome days before in the rear of it. The remainder defended the front.

The reverend James McGhee collected nine proteftants, and with them occupied and refolved to defend a houfe which commanded the main ftreet, and one fide of the barrack, which was thatched, and which thofe infide it could not defend. The family of Mr. McGhee, all the proteftant women of the town, and even the wife of general Byrne, (whom, it is faid, he wifhed to get rid of,) took refuge in it. Mr. McGhee barricaded the lower part of the houfe, placed four of his men in its rear to prevent it from being burnt, and the other five in the front, not only for its defence, but to cover the fide of the barrack which was expofed.

The town was foon furrounded by a prodigious number of pikemen, who fet fire to it in different quarters, and one thoufand and fifty mufketeers commenced a heavy fire on it. In about two hours the whole

town, except the barrack and two houfes more, was in flames, which prefented a terrifick fcene, the horrors of which were much heightened by the inceffant fire which the rebels maintained, and the very thick fmoke in which the town was involved, and which entered even into the houfe, fo that its defenders could fcarcely fee each other. About one o’clock the houfes fell in, and a wind having fprung up which difperfed the fmoke, they were able again to fee the rebels; who finding that they could not fet fire to the barrack, which was ably defended by captain Chamney, without having burnt the houfe in which Mr. McGhee kept garrifon, they relinquifhed the former, and approached the latter in great numbers, and with dreadful yells, crying, “Liberty or Death!” having their colours flying, and founding their bugle-horns, they pufhed cars before them with feather-beds in them as breast-works cover their approach. A well-directed fire from the houfe, for about twenty minutes, made them retreat, leaving behind them their cars, and twenty-eight men killed.

During the engagement, which lafted from fix in the morning till half after three in the afternoon, the lofs of the proteftants was but eleven men killed and fifteen wounded. It was univerfally believed, that no lefs than five hundred of the rebels were killed. They carried off upwards of twenty car loads of dead and wounded. When any of their men were fo badly wounded as to be unfit for fervice, they threw them into the flames, in which they alfo burnt many of their killed. It was a common practice with the rebels to put their wounded men to death, left they might turn informers.

Next day great numbers of dead bodies were found in ditches; and immediately behind Mr. McGhee’s garrifon they found fifty dead men with their pikes, and thirty over whom a little clay had been thrown. That gallant party would have been unable to defend themfelves for want of ammunition, had not lieutenant Fenton, of the Talbot’s-town cavalry, been providentially prevented from attending his duty by a contufion, occafioned by a fall from his horfe, as he fat behind a pier between two windows making cartridges; and to the immortal honour of Mrs. Fenton, fhe continued to go about the houfe, and to fupply the befieged with refrefhment during their laborious and perilous fervice; and when their flock of balls was exhaufted, fhe broke up her pewter plates, and caft bullets of them with her own hands, which her hufband made up into cartridges.

The garrifon were obliged to retreat to Tullow the evening of the action, for the following reafons; They were exhaufted with fatigue; their ammunition was expended; and all the houfes in the town, except three, were confumed, and the rebels returned and burned them. Thus circumftanqed, had they waited for a fecond attack in the night, which the enemy meditated, it muft have been fatal to the garrifon.

This body of rebels burnt every proteftant houfe within fix miles of Hacketftown, in every direction, and murdered fuch of their inmates as they could feize.

Wherever they encamped, they, as ufual, fent out parties in queft of proteftants, whom they murdered. Mr. William Byrne, of Ballymanus, frequently was prefent at, and gave orders at the maffacres, for which he was foon after hanged.
Ifaac Langrell, a proteftant, was piked near Gorey; after which, as fome figns of life appeared in him, a ruffian, with a hay knife on the end of a ftick, gave him a ftroke acrofs the neck, which almoft fevered his head from his body; on which William Byrne, who was prefent with a drawn fword, and feemed to command the party, ordered them to march off, faying, “For the heretick will rife no more.”

The following fact was proved on a court-martial at Wexford, the nineteenth of May, 1800: Henry Hinch, a proteftant, was taken from his own houfe, near Gorey, by a band of affaffins, and conveyed to the rebel camp, where Mary Forde faw him on his knees, begging his life; when Mary Redmond, his neighbour, whom he had regarded as a friend, infifted that he fhould be killed; on which he was fhot, and when he fell fhe ftruck his body with a ftone, and called him an orange rogue. Then a rebel of the name of Philips fired another fhot at him. This poor man, who had lived by his induftry, left a wife and nine children.

As that column ftill continued to infeft the country contiguous to Gorey,† general Needham, on the morning of the thirtieth of June, fent Hunter Gowen, captain of the Tinahely cavalry, with a part of his corps, to reconnoitre near Moneyfeed.* From a hill near that town, about three o’clock in the morning, he perceived the rebels in a hollow under him in very great force, having received great reinforcements fince

† Plate II. 4. * Plate II. 3, 4.

their flight from Vinegar-hill. He fent intelligence of it to general Needham, who ordered colonel Puleflon, of the Ancient Britons, to join him immediately with detachments from his own regiment, the 4th and 5th dragoons, the Ballaghkeene, Gorey, and Wingheld yeomen cavalry.’ The latter, before the reinforcement arrived, killed eight or ten fcattered rebels, and among them one Brien, who the day before went to general Needham, pretended to return to his allegiance, furrendered a pike, and in confequence of it obtained a protection; but on that day he was armed with a mufket.

The rebels advanced to Tinahely,* and having turned off to Wingfield,† burned the old manfion there, and then proceeded to Moneyfeed, where our troops firft got fight of them. From thence they purfued them for two miles, to a place called Ballyellis,‡ where the rebels, being clofely preffed, placed their baggage and their cars in the road, and pofted a number of pikemen in their front. As foon as our cavalry came in fight of them, at the turn of a road, they charged them with great impetuofity; but when they were within a fhort diftance of them, the pikemen leaped over the hedges at each fide, on which the horfes in front were entangled in the cars; and thofe in their rear preffing on, them, a fhocking fcene of confufion enfued; both men and horfes were involved, and tumbled oyer each other: The rebels fired on them from behind the hedges and a park wall which was near, and while they were in this ftate of embarraffment, killed numbers of them with their mufkets, and piked fuch of them as happened to be unhorfed.

Colonel Pulefton, whofe horfe they fhot or piked, was with difficulty faved by his men. Captain Giffard, of the Ancient Britons, and Mr. Farfons, adjutant of the Ballaghkeene cavalry, who had ferved with reputation abroad, and about fixty privates of the military and yeomen, were killed.

I have been affured, that this action would have been more fatal to the loyalifts, but that the Wingfield corps who were on the right, went through a lane to a hill which commanded the rebels, whom they put into confufion by a well-directed fire, and of whom they killed from twenty to thirty,

* Plate II. I.       † Ibid. i.       ‡ Ibid. 4.

The defign of the rebels was to furprife the town of Carnew, which was about a mile diftant, to have killed fifty yeomen, who garrifoned it, and to have burnt the few houfes which they had not deftroyed before; but the garrifon having been apprized of their defign by fome of the cavalry in their retreat, took poft in a malt-houfe, and defended the town fo well, that the rebels, unable to pafs through it, retired to Ballyellls,‡ and in their retreat burnt a fine new houfe of Sir John Jervis White.

They then took poft on Kilcavan-hill,* near Money feed, and to the north weft of Gorey, where the Wexford rebels feparated from thofe of the county of Wicklow, who were commanded by Garret Byrne of Ballymanus; for, foon after the battle of Vinegar-hill, they had united and co-operated. This feparation was occafioned by a difpute between their leaders. They repaired from Kilcavan, where they remained but an hour, to Ballyraheene-hill, which lies between Carnew and Tinahely.

In their progrefs they killed twelve proteftants, among others a farmer of the name of Driver, and burned fome houfes. They were purfued by detachments of the Wingfield and Shillela cavalry, the Tinahely infantry commanded by captain Morton, the Coolatin by captain Chamney, and the Coolkenna, by captain Nixon, the whole making about one hundred and twenty. They endeavoured to gain the hill of Ballyraheene, which was high and fteep, before the rebels, but could not fucceed. However, though they were pofted on an eminence, and behind hedges, and notwithftanding their great fuperiority of numbers, the brave and loyal yeomanry, with a degree of valour bordering on rafhnefs, attacked and engaged them for three quarters of an hour; but were at laft obliged to retreat, as the rebels were endeavouring to furround them. Captains Chamney and Nixon, and feventeen privates were killed, and many were wounded. Though Garret Byrne had been the particular friend of captain Chamney, he ordered his houfe, which was within a quarter of a mile of the action, to be burnt; but lieutenant Chimney having taken poft in it with forty yeomen, defended it all night againft the whole hofl of rebels, of whom they killed great numbers. One of them was fhot in endeavouring to fet fire to the hall-door, bearing a feather bed on his back for his defence. This engagement took place the fecond of July, two miles from Tinahely, and four from Carnew.

‡ Plate II. 4.  * Ibid. 3, 4.

Garret and William Byrne of Ballymanus, who headed the banditti, who committed thefe outrages and barbarities, piqued themfelves on the antiquity of their family. Garret, the eldeft brother, had an eftate, and was reputed a gentleman, from his birth, property, and education. Edward Fitzgerald alfo was a man of independent fortune, and received a good education.
On the fourth of July, general Needham, who was ftationed at Gorey with a fmall force, received information that this body of rebels had for two nights been affembled at the White heaps,* a very elevated fpot, which had an extenfive plain on the top. It is about fix miles to the north of Gorey, and near the village of Coolgreney. Thinking it a very favourable opportunity for attacking them, he concerted meafures for that purpofe with general Sir James Duff and the marquis of Huntley; the former commanded at Carnew,‡ the latter at Arklow.||

General Duff’s column was deftined to cut off the retreat of the rebels by the Wicklow gap, that of the marquis of Huntley was to occupy the fummit of Croghan-mountain,§ which lies to the north of Coolgreney, and to intercept their flight by that afcent.
General Needham was to make the attack. At dawn of day he approached within half a mile of the White heaps, when his advanced guard was perceived by fome videttes of the rebels, pofted near a farm-houfe, in which feveral of the rebel leaders had flept the preceding night. Thefe videttes gave the alarm to the main body, and it unfortunately happened that foon after a fog arofe, fo thick, as to retard the movement of our troops, and to afford a cover to the rebels to efcape. When general Needham arrived on the White heaps, he found very vifible marks of the enemy having flept there the night before; however he met but a few ftragglers, who were put to death. About twelve o’clock, the fog clearing off, he obferved the rebels afcending Croghan mountain, where, meeting by furprife, the marquis of Huntley’s corps, they defcended rapidly, and endeavoured to efcape by Wicklow-gap, which lies to the fouth-weft of Croghan; where, approaching in the fog, clofe to Sir James Duff’s column, a few rounds of grape fhot compelled them to change the courfe of their flight towards a hill near Moneyfeed, where they were clofely purfued by Sir James, when, on the difperfion of the fog,

* Plate II. 1, 2.         ‡ Ibid. 4.        || Ibid. i.        § Ibid.

they were perceived by general Needham, who, though at two miles dlf’ tance, joined in the purfuit; and finding that his infantry could not advance with fufficient celerity, he pufhed on his cavalry, which joined that of Sir James Duff. At length the rebels, after having been purfued and haraffed by our cavalry, for above twelve miles, and finding themfelves unable to proceed, refolved to try the iffue of a conteft, and for that purpofe formed behind hedges, and under cover of a coppice wood, at Ballygullen, near Mount Nebo,* and three miles from Gorey.

They waited our attack, which began by grape fhot, from four fix-pound curricle guns, but finding that our guns were protected by cavalry only, and the few gunners who worked them, they made many defperate efforts to take them, having maintained a very heavy fire of mufketry, and advanced a numerous body of pikemen; but they were repulfed by the fingular bravery and fleadinefs of lieutenant Hemmings, who commanded the artillery, and captain Ledwell with a detachment of lord Roden’s fencibles. At length the head of Sir James Duff’s column arriving, the rebels were foon routed, and a vigorous purfuit was made, in which the earl of Roden,† at the head of his regiment, acted with his ufual fpirit and gallantry. About three hundred of the rebels were thought to have fallen. On that day the yeomen cavalry under captain White, cut off great numbers of the rebels.

Some farmers and labourers who were concerned in this affair, declared to their landlords, after an amnefty had been granted by government, that in this purfuit they threw away their clothes to lighten themfelves; and that they were fo much overcome with hunger and fatigue, that they wifhed for death. After this defeat the rebels never appeared in any part of the county of Wexford, in fuch force as to meet the military or the yeomen in a pitched battle; but many bands of affaffins continued to rob and murder. Part of thofe who were difperfed on this occafion, went into the counties of Kildare, Carlow and Meath, under Fitzgerald, Aylmer, Garret Byrne, Perry and Kearns, and fpread defolation in their progrefs. The two former furrendered themfelves at the caftle; the two latter were hanged at Edenderry. Many of their followers died by the fword and the gibbet; others turned robbers; and but few returned to their refpective homes.

* Plate II. 4.
† That gallant nobleman was in the moft perilous fervice during the rebellion, and volunteered whenever his regiment was not on duty.

The mountains of Wicklow continued for many months after the afylum of a defperate banditti, who, under Holt and Hacket as leaders, committed plunder and affaffination in all the adjacent country. That county, from the ftrong pofts and faftneffes which its fteeps, craggy mountains and deep defiles afford, was the laft place in Ireland in which rebellion was fubdued in the reigns of Elizabeth, Charles I. and king William.

Some perfons of acute difcernment in the counties of Wexford and Wicklow have made the following obfervations to me, which proves that the war was a religious one: That no papift ever lamented, or does fo to this hour, the relations they have loft in the rebellion: No wife was ever feen to fhed a tear for the death of her hufband, or a father or mother for the lofs of a fon. In one inftance only, nature prevailed, and a tear ftarted from the eye.

Another circumftance obferved by the fame perfons proves it to have been founded in religious bigotry: That men who bore formerly very excellent moral characters, were guilty of murder, robbery, and perjury without remorfe; and that numbers were perfuaded, contrary to the fentiments of nature, and the obligations of true religion, not only to negleft, but to violate, all the ties of duty, friendfhip, gratitude and humanity, in profecuting the war.

In the courfe of the rebellion, fome parifhes were more cruel and fanguinary than others. Wherever the rebels happened to be encamped and to have the country at their devotion, they maffacred proteftants for fome miles round them which is fully proved by the atrocities perpetrated by them in the vicinity of Carrickbyrne, Ennifcorthy, and Gorey.

In the parifhes of Killan, Roffdroit, Clonmore, Adamftown, and Newbawn, no proteftant was fpared. In the former, which lies near the weft-fide of the Black-ftair* mountains, the rebels were on the point of committing the following barbarous act. A band of affaffins was fent out to collect all the proteftant women and children in it, in order to burn them in the church. They drove the victims into an out-houfe, belonging to a Mrs. Kelly, within gun-fhot of it, where they were to be kept till they could procure a fufficent number of faggots to accomplifh their horrid, defign. The ruffians who were employed in it, frequently called the

* See Plate III. 1.

church the proteftant pie. In this dreadful fituation were thefe helplefs and miferable women, embracing each other, and preffing to their bofoms, for a laft; farewel, their innocent babes, when Providence interfered, and faved them in a moft miraculous manner. The army commanded by general Johnfon, in their way to Ennifcorthy, drove the rebels from Lackenhill. One of them, a native of Killan, fled home in great confternation with the news, and added that the king’s troops were clofe at his heels. The guilty keepers, fearing the juft punifhment of their crimes, forfook their charge and fled. A few, more brutal than the reft, detained twelve of the youngeft girls all night, and forced and dreadfully abufed them. Four of thefe affaffins were afterwards convicted of thefe crimes at Newtown-barry, and, by the orders of general Taylor, were executed in the village of Killan, on the twenty-eighth of November, 1798, oppofite to the houfe where they had committed that brutal act, and not far diftant from the fpot which gave them birth. All thefe circumftances were proved on the trial of thefe monfters by the concurrent teftimony of the fufferers.

Michael M’Grath proved, by affidavit, that a few days before the action at Vinegar-hill, he faw five proteftant girls, viz. Eliza and Hannah Shields, Anne and Hannah James, and Rachael Murphy, all in tears, in cuftody of Chriftopher Drohan and four other men; that he afked Drohan, where he was conducing them? that he anfwered to Killan prifon; and that at the rifk of his life, he refcued them from faid perfons.

Rachael Murphy, Anne and Hannah James fwore on the trial of thefe men, that Drohan, while they were his prifoners, informed them, that their intention was (meaning himfelf and his party) to ravifh them, viz. the faid five girls, that night, and to burn them next morning; and that previous to this, their fathers had been murdered.

The following paper was found in the pocket of a rebel, who was fhot near Coolgreney, by captain Hugh Moore, of the 5th dragoon-guards:

“Jefus I H S Maria  I truft    Thee.

“This is meafured of the wounds of the fide of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which was brought from Conftantinople unto the emperor Charles, within a gold cheft, as a relief moft precious to that effect, that no evil or any thing might take him which reads it, hears it, wears it, cannot be

hurted by any tempeft, fire, water, knife, fword, lance or bullet. Neither the devil fhall hurt him; he fhall be victorious, and never die an unnatural death, and fhall be a fure fafety to women with child.”

Many of the fame purport were found in the county of Wexford during the rebellion. One of them was found on Pat. Prendergalt, a rebel in the county of Mayo, while the rebellion raged there. One of them is to be feen in doctor Bernard’s hiftory of the fiege of Drogheda.

Another piece of fuperftition to which the common people in Ireland of the Romifh religion are much attached, is the fcapular, a religious order, the myfteries of which are various and profound.† Its fectaries wear on their fhoulder or breaft, and next to their fkin, a piece of cloth, about three inches fquare, with I H S. worked on it; meaning Jefus hominum Salvator. It is fuppofed to avert much moral and phyfical evil; and that it will prevent a perfon from dying, though fhot through the heart, till he receives the rites of his church.

I mentioned before a practice of putting red tape on the necks of popifh children: It prevailed much in that part of the county of Carlow bordering on the county of Wexford.

A popifh fchoolmafter at Tuilow infticted a fevere punifhment on a proteftant boy, for having worn it. A magiftrate received information, that John Hannigan, parifh prieft of the parifhes of Coolkenno and Clonmore, ordered pieces of red tape to be put on the necks of popifh children, to diftinguifh them from proteftants; and that he knew that a maffacre of the proteftants was to take place.

Some officers who, when on duty, traverfed many parts of the county of Wexford, affured me, that they faw, in various places, the fign of the crofs on the doors of fome dwelling-houfes; and on others, the following words: “Protection for this houfe.” They were infcribed on the houfe of Mr. Devereux, of Carrigmannon, and even on the gates leading to it; which, it is believed, was done becaufe he was a Roman catholick.

In the neighbourhood of Gorey, the chapels of father Francis Kavenagh and fome other priefts, who had acted very treacheroufly and cruelly towards the proteftants, were burnt by the latter, who compelled them to

† They are to be found in a little book called the Scapular, publifhed by Elfaner Kelly, in Dublin. The form of one of them is to be found in Plate V.

fly to Wexford, where they continued to receive their parochial dues. During their refidence there, the prieft of each parifh announced, by letter, to his parifhioners, that he would fay mafs precifely at a certain hour; and they went regularly at that hour to the walls of their refpective chapels, where they prayed, and went through the ceremony of mafs, at the time appointed, with as much devotion as if the priefts were prefent, on a fuppofition that they were acting in uniform with them.*
The following calculation of the inhabitants of the county of Wexford, will in a great meafure fhew the reader their number, and the proportion of thofe who were in actual rebellion againft the beft of kings, and the only conftitution in Europe that affords its fubjects any degree of rational liberty. It will alfo prove by induction, that the population of Ireland is much lefs than is generally imagined.

A hearthmoney collector, well verfed in calculation, made an exact cenfus of the people in three baronies and a half, fo late as the month of March, 1800; and He included in it the populous town of Wexford. Thefe baronies contain at leaft one-third of the population of the county, and they were lefs depopulated than any other parts of it; befides, this calculation has been made since the rebellion.

I confider the county of Wexford, which is very populous, a good average from which to deduce the number of inhabitants in Irelarid, according to the quantity of fquare acres which it contains, in proportion to thofe in the kingdom at large; and I conceive that it is nearly a thirty-fourth part of it. The following table will in a great meafure eftablifh the pofitions which I have made:

On the trial of Mr. William Byrne, of Ballymanus, at Wicklow, on the twenty-fourth of July, 1799, it was proved, that he, Perry and Redmond, who were leaders, made a regular mufter of the rebel army before they marched from Gorey to attack Arklow, and that they amounted to thirty-one thoufand.

On the fame trial it was proved, that when the rebel army under William Byrne went to burn Tinahely in the night, they ordered fuch of the inhabitants as were Roman catholicks to put up lights in their houfes, which they did; and none of them, in confequence of it, were burnt, but that all thofe of the proteftants were. It was proved alfo, that father Toole, a prieft, faid mafs near the town, while it was in a ftate of conflagration.

It is aflonifhing how fuccefsful the rebels were in their endeavours to feduce the king’s troops, and they never failed to exert themfelves for that purpofe, though they might have been quartered ever fo fhort a time in one place.

Lord Blayney affured me, that there was a dreadful mutiny in the 4th light brigade of militia under his command, at Ferns,† in the month of Auguft, 1798: That he difcovered one morning, that they were to have rifen that night, and to have murdered him and all the proteftant officers and privates in the brigade; but he feafonably defeated their defign, by fuddenly marching them off to another camp at Scarawalfh-bridge.‡ It appeared that they had been plentifully fupplied with money, and had a conftant and unremitting intercourfe with a neighbouring prieft, who lord Blayney had the ftrongeft reafon to think was active in feducing them.

The following proofs appeared of the mutinous ftate in which they were by the examinations of ferjeant McMan, and other foldiers of the Antrim

† Plate II. 6, 7.  ‡ Ibid. 8.

regiment, fworn before Cornelius Wallace and William Moore, efquires, both magiftrates, on the thirteenth of Auguft, 1798; that there was a confpiracy in the 4th light brigade of infantry quartered at Ferns, to murder their officers and all orangemen, and that lord Blayney was to be the firft murdered.

By informations fworn before colonel Hugh Clinton, it appeared, that they were to have attacked and ftormed the camp at Ferns, and then to have proceeded to that of Scarawalfh; and that part of the Clare, Kildare, Queen’s county, Antrim, Kilkenny, and Donegal regiments, were engaged in it; and that one Dogherty, a foldier in the latter, faid he muft go and confult the prieft about it.

Patrick McMahon, of the Clare militia, ftated in his examinations, fworn before William Moore, efquire, the thirteenth of Auguft, 1798; that Murray and Gallagher, privates in the fame regiment, afked him, in the church yard of Ferns, to be fworn to be true to them and their caufe, meaning an infurrection; but added at the fame time, that if he had any underftanding of his religion, there would be no occafion to fwear him.

By a court-martial, held at Waterford, the thirteenth of November, 1798, by order of general Johnfon, the mutiny of the 4th light battalion was proved in the cleareft manner: That it was to have taken place the night they marched from Ferns; and that they were to have murdered their officers, and all the orangemen and proteftants of the regiment.
It is furprifing how fimilar the rebellions in Ireland have been in their origin and progrefs, and how uniformly deftructive in their effects.

The county of Wexford was defolated in the year 1641; and the houfes of the bifhop of Ferns and Mr. Ram of Ramsford, were deftroyed as well in the rebellion of that period as in the late one; which appears by an affidavit, fworn by Mr. Ram the twelfth of January, 1641, and lodged in Birmingham-tower.†

The rebels, who efcaped from our troops after the battle of Whiteheaps, fled into the county of Kildare, under the command of Garret and William Byrne, Edward Fitzgerald, general Perry, and Kearns, a

† See it in Appendix, No. XXI.

popifh prieft, having been induced to join their fellow-traitors there by Michael Reynolds, who being reinforced by them, was encouraged to undertake, what he had long meditated, an attack on the little garrifson of Clonard,§ defended by a few yeomen, commanded by lieutenant Tyrrell, of Kilreny, high fheriff of the county, and of whom I made mention before.

A report having prevailed, that they had this in contemplation, lieutenant Tyrrell acted for fome time on the defenfive. At laft, about eleven, o’clock on the morning of the eleventh of July, his nephew Mr. Richard Allen, who was a member of his corps, galloped into the yard, and announced that he had been clofely purfued by a large party of rebels, that he narrowly efcaped being taken, and that he was fure they were advancing to Clonard.

It unfortunately happened that fome of the guards were abfent, not having the moft remote fufpicion that the garrifon would be attacked, Lieutenant Tyrrell, notwithftanding his utmoft exertions, could mufter but twenty-feven men, three of whom were his own fons, the eldeft not feventeen years old, the youngeft but twelve. He had no fooner clofed the gate of the court-yard, than the firing began.

Though lieutenant Tyrrell had. never acted in any military capacity, the coolnefs, the fkill, the good fenfe, and energy of mind, which he fhewed in this critical and perilous fituation, would have done honour to a veteran. He ftationed, in a turret in the garden, which commanded the road by which the rebels were expected to advance, fix of his corps, including Mr. Allen and his fon, only fifteen years old. After fixing fome other out-pofts, he retired into the barrack with the main body, of whom he felected the beft markfmen, placed them at thofe windows from which they were moft likely to annoy the enemy, and defired them not to fire without taking good aim.

The advanced guard of the rebels, confifting of about three hundred cavalry, approached towards the turret, in a full trot, without apprehending any danger. Their leader, one Farrell, was mortally wounded by the firft fhot fired by young Mr. Tyrrell; and the main body having been thrown into confufion by a general volley, fled out of the reach of

§ Plate I. 6, 7.

their fire. The rebel infantry then coming up, paffed by the turret under cover of a wall, and part of them having taken poft behind a hedge, maintained a conftant fire on it, but without effect. The remainder joined another party, who came by a crofs road from a different quarter, for their object was to have furrounded the town. They then ftationed a guard on the bridge, to prevent any reinforcement from arriving in that direction. The markfmen from the windows foon difperfed and put to flight that guard, after having killed about a dozen of them. This proved afterwards to be of the utmoft confequence to the little garrifon, as it preferved a communication with the weftern road.

The rebels, difappointed in their attack both on the houfe and the turret, refolved to make one defperate effort to ftorm the latter. A party of them having penetrated into the garden, rufhed into the turret. The yeomen ftationed there had the precaution to draw up through a trapdoor the ladder by which they afcended to the loft. The rebels endeavoured to mount to it on each other’s fhoulders, but were conftantly killed in the attempt. Some fired through the floor, others drove their pikes through it, but without effect. The rebels perfevered in the attempt with inflexible obftinacy, though twenty-feven of them lay dead on the ground-floor. At laft they fet fire to a large quantity of ftraw under the turret, which was foon in flames.

Two of the befieged, Mr. George Tyrrell and Mr. Michael Cufack, were fhot in endeavouring to make their efcape, by rufhing through the fmoke. The remainder eluded the vigilance of the rebels, and arrived fafe to the main body, by leaping from a very high window, and paffing under cover of a wall.

Afterwards they fet fire to the toll-houfe, and fome cabbins near the bridge, and threw fome of the dead bodies into the flames, for the purpofe of confuming them, left their numbers fhould be known.

The conflict had now lafted fix hours, and the rebels feemed determined to maintain it; but very fortunately an event happened, which at the fame time that it depreffed their courage, infpired the loyal garrifon with renovated valour. One of the guard, who had been excluded on the fudden fhutting of the gates in the morning, fled to Kinnegad, and informed the garrifon there of the perilous fituation of his friends at Clonard; on which, eleven of the Northumberland fencibles, under a

ferjeant, and fourteen of the Kinnegad infantry, under lieutenant Houghton, marched for Clonard.

Lieutenant Tyrrell, with great gallantry fallied forth from the houfe, and formed a junction with them. After having pofted this reinforcement in the moft advantageous fituation, to gall the enemy, he, with a few picked men, undertook to drive the rebels from the garden, which about four hundred of them ftill continued to occupy. Some of them were on a mount thickly planted with Sir trees, which afforded them a protection, and prevented them from being feen; the remainder were intrenched behind a privet hedge. Lieutenant Tyrrell, with great gallantry, diflodged the latter, who fled to their friends on the mount.

The conflict then became very warm, the rebels appearing determined to maintain this advantageous poft; and the yeomen, but few in number, though fix of them were badly wounded, and the remainder were overcome with fatigue, refolved to die fooner than retreat.

Mr. Richard Allen received a ball which paffed through his arm, and lodged in his fide.* At laft, lieutenant Tyrrell’s party, after having difplayed prodigies of valour, routed the party on the mount, and drove them out of the garden; and the Northumberland and Kinnegad corps killed many of them in their flight. This victory, obtained by a handful of loyalifts over a numerous body of rebels, was one of the moft fplendid achievements performed in the courfe of the rebellion. No lefs than one hundred and fifty of the rebels were killed, and a great many wounded.

During the engagement, the rebels plundered the houfes of lieutenant Tyrrell at Kilreny, and Mr. George Tyrrell at Ballinderry, and deftroyed the whole of the furniture in both.

The joy which lieutenant Tyrrell and his garrifon might have felt, on gaining fo fplendid a victory, was loft in their great folicitude for Mrs. Tyrrell, who had gone in her chaife to her houfe at Kilreny that morning, about fome domeftick concerns; and on hearing that the rebels were approaching, fhe drove back, and endeavoured to arrive at Clonard before them: But fhe had not gone far, before fhe heard the noife of mufketry, which convinced her of the impoffibility of accomplifhing it, and therefore turned back; but was foon overtaken and ftopped by two

* He died of his wounds.

men on horfeback with drawn fwords, who after many oaths and imprecations, compelled the poftillion to turn about, and proceed towards Clonard: They met in their way two hundred men armed with fwords, pikes and mufkets, who fearched the carriage for arms. Then three men, armed with mufkets, mounted the boot of the chaife, and three behind it, attended by the reft, compelled the fervant to drive to the other end of the village of Clonard, where they had a warm altercation about the treatment which Mrs. Tyrrell fhould receive; fome urging that fhe fhould be treated with civility, others with brutality. At laft fhe prevailed on them to permit her to go into a cottage, where two men armed with mufkets were pofted over her as fentinels. She remained there, till the whole body of them, when retreating, stopped at the cottage; and one of their officers approaching her, informed her, that fhe muft go into her carriage, and accompany them. She implored them in the moft pathetick manner to let her remain behind, and as an inducement to do fo, fhe offered her carriage and horfes to general Perry; At firft he feemed obdurate, but on her falling on her knees, he granted her requeft. Soon after he left her, a common fellow feized her by the arm, dragged her to the door, and faid, fhe muft attend them on horfeback, as fome of their wounded men muft go in her chaife. She addreffed herfelf again to the officer, who had been fo kind to her before; but he faid, that fhe muft go and remain with them as a hoftage, till the fate of one of their general officers, a prifoner at Clonard, was determined; but added, that fhe would be permitted to go in her chaife.

When they had proceeded about a mile, general Perry requefted to join her in the carriage: Soon after, a low fellow ftopped it, and got into it, faying, “That he had a right to it, as it was he that firft obtained it and notwithftanding the rank of general Perry, he could not prevent his intrufion, nor check his infolence. At laft, one Kearns, a popifh prieft, rode up to the carriage, and as he had been kindly and hofpitably entertained at different times by Mrs. Tyrrell for a week together, fhe implored him to interfere in obtaining her releafe; but he coldly anfwered, by faying, “Oh! yes madam!” and having retired, fhe faw no more of him. At laft, Mrs. Tyrrell was liberated by a captain Byrne,* and permitted to return to her family at Clonard, but on foot.

* This was Mr. Garret Byrne, of Ballymanus, who afterwards obtained his pardon on furrendering himfelf.

The rebels, after their defeat, retreated to Carbery, where they got poffeffion of lord Harberton’s houfe, which they plundered of various articles, and paffed the night in drinking what liquors they found in his lordfhip’s cellars.

On the twelfth of July, they marched into the county of Meath, by Johnftown and the Nineteen-mile houfe: They were purfued by colonel Gough, who, with but fixty infantry and twenty cavalry, attacked and routed them with confiderable flaughter. They were next purfued by general Myers, with detachments of the Dublin yeomanry and Buckinghamfhire militia, and though he was not fo fortunate as to overtake them, he drove them towards Slane, where general Meyrick encountered and killed many of them. They were afterwards attacked by different detachments of the military, who in the courfe of a few days cut off great numbers of them, and finally difperfed them.

Perry and Kearns made their efcape into the King’s county, where attempting to crofs a bog near Clonballogue, they were apprehended by Meffrs. Robinfon and Ridgeway, of the Edenderry yeomen, who conveyed them to that town, where they were tried and executed by martial law. Perry was chearful and communicative, acknowledged the part he had taken in the rebellion, and feemed to glory in it. Kearns was fullen and filent, except when he upbraided Perry for his candour in frankly confeffing his guilt.

This reverend gentleman was at Paris in the year 1794, when in the adminiftration of Roberfpiere [sic], the French were extirpating the Romifh clergy. He was actually hung up at Paris, but the weight of his body (as he was of a huge ftature) bent the iron of a lamp-poft to which he was fufpended fo much, that his toes touched the ground, and prevented animal life from being extinguifhed. An Irifh phyfician, who perceived this, had him conveyed to his houfe, and recovered him. Having fled to his native country, he was appointed curate of a chapel near Clonard. From the vehemence with which he unremittingly inveighed againft French republican principles, and the warm encomiums which he beftowed on our conftitution, he was regarded as a fteady loyalift, and a good subject; in confequence of which he was well received, and even at times domefticated in the houfes of fome of the moft refpectable gentlemen in the counties of Meath, Kildare, and the King’s county.

As the defenders were at that time formidable in thofe counties, he was not only admitted to the conferences of the magiftrates, but even affifted them in their nightly patroles againft thofe mifcreants.

It having been difcovered that he betrayed the counfels of the magiftrates to the rebels, he was excluded from their conferences; and pofitive information having been received, that he had incited fome perfons to commit a murder, he fled into the county of Wexford, where he became a rebel leader.

On Sunday morning the fecond of June, intelligence having been received, that a number of rebels had appeared in force near the Scalp and Ennifkerry, in the county of Wicklow, the drums beat to arms, and in lefs than three hours, a large body of yeomen, confifting of detachments from the Stephen’s-green and Rotunda divifions, the Lawyers and Attornies cavalry and infantry, with their ufual fpirit and alacrity fet out to meet the infurgents, under the command of general Myers.

On June the ninth, a detachment of captain Beresford’s corps patrolling near Rathfarnham, came up with a party of rebels who were on their way from Dublin to the Wicklow mountains, conveying ammunition to the banditti who infefted them. They were armed, and had a green flag and green cockades in their hats. Three or four of them were killed, and three who had acted with fingular treachery by firing after they had furrendered themfelves, were hanged at Rathfarnham; five more were led into town as prifoners.

A numerous body of rebels who efcaped from Vinegar-hill retreated into the county of Kilkenny, under the command of father John Murphy, of Boulavogue, by the Scullagh-gap,* and thence they proceeded to Caftlecomer, deftroying the houfes and property of proteftants, and murdering fuch of their inhabitants as fell into their hands.

Lieutenant Dixon, of the Wexford regiment, was ftationed at Gore’sbridge,|| a neat village on the river Barrow, and county of Kilkenny, with twenty-five of his own regiment, and a fmall party of the 4th dragoon guards.

On the twenty-fecond of June, they received intelligence that father John Murphy’s column was in motion, and on that night they burned

* Plate n. 6, 7, 8.  ||Ibid.

the village of Kil Edmond. An exprefs was fent to Sir Charles Afgill, to Kilkenny, efcorted by all the dragoons quartered at Gore’s-bridge, to inform him of their movements; but as the hedges at each fide the road were thickly befet with rebels, who kept up a conftant fire on them, they were under the neceffity of returning. This was towards the morning of the twenty-third. Lieutenant Dixon being determined to protect the village of Gore’s-bridge, and to prevent it from fharing the fate of Kil Edmond, ftationed his men on the bridge, which croffes the river, not fufpecting that the main body of the rebels were near him. He had no fooner taken his port, than he faw the adjacent hills covered with them, and at the fame time faw a column, of which he could not difcover the extent, move along the road from Kil Edmond. Not knowing that the river was fordable, which it happened to be in many places, he thought there might be a poffibility to maintain his pofition till a reinforcement fhould arrive; but he foon perceived their intention to furround him, having croffed over the river for that purpofe, and that they meant to break and embarrafs his party, by driving a number of cattle againft them, which they werecollecting in the adjacent fields; a common expedient among the rebels. Wifhing to provide againft this artifice, he procured a number of cars, and made a barricade of them in his front.

But he foon perceived from the greatnefs of their numbers, and the fmart fire the rebels kept up, that they had no other refource but to retreat. Befides, the rebels had brought a fwivel to bear on the bridge, and had alfo planted fome large pieces of cannon in a commanding fituation. When they had retreated to Low Grange, they were furrounded by the rebels, who affured them, they fhould receive no injury if they laid down their arms. At that moment, lieutenant Dixon was fo fortunate as to make his efcape, having mounted behind a quarter-mafter of dragoons, who was retreating; and at the fame time he heard the rebels exclaim, “Have we got the officer?” The rebels then proceeded to Kellymount, where they put nine of their proteftant prifoners to death, with circumftances of favage cruelty.

It appeared by the joint information of the foldiers who efcaped, fworn before lieutenant-colonel Ram, that the following circumftances attended the murder of the foldiers: That Walter Devereux, who faid

he was commander in chief in the abfence of the general, (meaning father John Murphy,) ordered the proteftant prifoners to be felected from the reft; and they were pointed out by one of their own foldiers, of the name of Bruton, of the Romifh perfuafion:

They were furrounded by a circle of about eight thoufand rebels, when Devereux ordered corporal Orange to be dragged out of the circle and fhot, having faid, infultingly to him, “Orange by name, and Orange by nature.”

They proceeded in the fame manner to put to death fix of the Wexford regiment, and two dragoons: That they remained prifoners with them till the twenty-fixth of June, when the rebels were routed with great flaughter at Kilcomney, near Gore’s-bridge, where the Wexford foldiers made their efcape: That while they remained prifoners with the rebels, they had no other food but raw meat and water.

Walter Devereux had been principally concerned in the maffacre at Scullabogue, and yet he remained unnoticed till the month af November, 1798, when being on the point of embarking on board a fhip at the Cove of Cork, to fail for America, he was fortunately recognifed by fome of the Wexford foldiers, who had been his prifoners, was apprehended, and afterwards hanged.

When arrefted, he had the protections of five general officers.

The rebels, in their progrefs to Caftlecomer,* maffacred two more of the Wexford foldiers.

The prifoners declared, that they received the moft favage treatment from this band of traitors. Half famifhed, and overcome with fatigue, they were hurried on precipitately without reft, except when their priefts ftopped for a few minutes to fay mafs; which they frequently did, for the purpofe of kindling fanaticifm in them, as their courage emanated from no other fource, and as it never failed to animate them, even when overcome with the want of food and fleep.

On Saturday morning the twenty-third of June, a man arrived at Kilkenny, and informed Sir Charles Afgill, that he had been taken prifoner by the rebels at Gorey, and had been obliged to repair with them to their camp at Vinegar-hill; that he had been compelled to attend a numerous body of them, thirty thoufand in number, as he believed, who had fled from thence, and who under the command of father John Murphy had marched into the county of Kilkenny, through the Scullagh-gap, and that he was

* Plate I. 8, 9.

detained by them till that morning, when he made his efcape; on which Sir Charles Afgill ordered the garrifon under arms, and marched from Kilkenny in purfuit of the rebels, between eight and nine o’clock; and having proceeded about three miles, in the line where the rebels were fuppofed to be, he halted, and called the honourable vifcount Loftus and the honourable colonel Howard, whofe regiments were on that fervice, and conferred with them and the other field officers on the plan which he intended to adopt.

On deliberation, they concluded it would be imprudent to proceed farther, without knowing the number of the enemy, and the route they had taken, as Sir Charles had left in Kilkenny a large quantity of ammunition, and had well-grounded apprehenfions that its difaffected inhabitants only waited for an opportunity of rifing; befides, fhould he mifs the rebels in purfuing them, they might have ftipped by him and come to Kilkenny, and have plundered and burnt it in his abfence. He had fent, in the mean time, major Lawder, a gallant and inteUigent officer, with a party of dragoons acrofs the country towards Leighlin-bridge, to reconnoitre the rebels, and bring intelligence of their movements. Juft before he returned, the wives of fome of the men who had been taken by the rebels at Gore’s-bridge, and had efcaped, arrived, and informed him of their po(ition, and of their numbers, which appeared to have been much lefs than he imagined; and foon after major Lawder arrived, and confirmed their account. On this he ordered the troops to move forward to Kellymount, but they had quitted it, and proceeded towards Caftlecomer.

As the troops had been facting and under arms all day, he returned to Kilkenny, after he had fent a large detachment of the cavalry to reconnoitre them; and they having approached very near the rebels, would have attacked them, but that a bog happened to intervene.

I fhall now proceed to defcribe the progrefs of the Wexford rebels, who found in the county of Kilkenny the popifh multitude as much difaffected as themfelves. The town of Caftlecomer being contiguous to extenfive collieries, it was to be apprehended that the perfons who worked in them would be very fufceptible of being infected with the doctrines of united Irifhmen, as they are under little or no control of their employers, as they are led, from the nature of their laborious occupations, to ufe ftrong

liquors, and they are more prone to turbulence, difcontent, and combination, than any other fet of men.