however, they were forced to a bandon. The command of the town, or the garrifon, as it was termed (for at this unfortunate period the principal towns were converted into garrifons), was entrufted to major Dennis, who, with one troop of horfe, and two companies of militia, affifted by fome corps of volunteers, defeated the rebels with the lofs of 400 men. As the inhabitants were accufed of having fired out of their houses upon the king's troops, the military, in revenge, are faid to have burned a part of the town. The town of Kildare was alfo refcued from the rebels by fir James Buff, on the 29th of May, after an action in which 200 of the infurgents were killed. It was, however, in the counties of Wicklow and Wexford that the rebellion raged with the greatest violence. On the 25th of May they appeared in great force, fuppofed to the amount of 15,000 ftrong, in the neighbourhood of Wexford and Enniscorthy, which is fituated on the river Slaney, a- ́ bout 12 miles diftant from Wexford. A party of the North Cork militia were ordered out from Wexford, under the command of lieutenant-colonel Foot, and major Lombard, to meet the party of rebels, which was advancing towards that place. They marched to a place called Oulard, where they were met by the infurgents in great force. The ground where the king's forces took poft was fo unfavourable, that, after firing three rounds, the whole party was furrounded and cut to pieces, except colonel Foote and two privates, who alone efcaped. Flushed with this fuccefs, the rebels, on the 28th, made an attack they carried fword in hand, with on the town of Enniscorthy, which the lofs however of 500 men. "The loyalifts," it is faid, "would catholic inhabitants treacherously. have repulfed the rebels, had not the fet fire to the town, to fmother the troops who were defending it." The mode in which the infurgents made their attack is faid, on the driving an immenfe number of fame authority, to have been by horfes and cattle before them to diforder the ranks of the loyalists, and throw them into confufion. ment of the Donegal militia arOn the 29th, a fmall reinforce rived in Wexford; but a party of the Meath militia, with three how vice, fell into the hands of the reitzers, advancing on the fame ferbels. On the preceding day, how ever, the Cork and Donegal militia, who were in Wexford, marched out to a place called the Three Rocks, to meet the rebels; but they found them in fuch force, that, after fome firing, they were town. obliged to retreat, and re-enter the confined in the gaol of Wexford, There were, at this period, where they had been committed on charges, Mr. Beauchamp Bagenal the 26th, on treasonable Harvey, Mr. Edward Fitzgerald, and Mr. J. Colclough; the foreducated to the bar; the latter Romer a proteftant, and we believe man-catholics; but all of them men of fortune, and of confiderable intereft in the county. The majority of the proteftant inhabifervice, with numbers of the wotants, who were not on military men and children, had got on order to effect their efcape to fome board the vessels in the harbour, in See a Narrative of the Sufferings and Efcape of Charles Jackfon. part part of England or Wales. Thofe who remained on the 30th of May affembled in council with the principal officers, for the melancholy purpose of deliberating on the beft mode of treating with the rebels; and it was determined that two gentlemen, Mr. Richards, a barrifter; and Dr. Jacob, a phyfician, who was at that time mayor of the town; fhould proceed to the rebel camp, and make the beft conditions they were able with refpect to the lives and properties of the inhabitants. In the mean time the troops and fome of the women effected their escape to Duncannon fort, which was diftant about twenty miles. At about one o'clock that day the white flag was difplayed on the town-house, and the veffels in the barbour were ordered back to the quay, having been unable to fail. A fcene of abominable tumult and diforder enfued on the rebels gaining poffeffion of the town; the houfes of the proteftants were ranfacked, and their inhabitants, or the majority of them, caft into prifon. The gentlemen, whom we juft now mentioned as having been confined on treafonable charges, were liberated, and Mr. B. Harvey was nominated to the chief command of the rebel army. After leaving a large garrifon in the town, the rebel army marched, under the command of Mr. Harvey, to the attack of New Rofs, where major-general Johnfon was pofled with a confiderable force. The town was regularly fummoned by Harvey, who now affumed the character of general; and, on the morning of the 5th of June, it was attacked with great impetuofity; but, after a conteft of feveral hours, the rebels were completely repulfed; and late in the evening they retired to Carrickburne, leav ing behind them several iron fhipguns, which appear to be the only artillery with which they were provided on this occafion. The flaughter of the rebels was prodigious; the kings troops loft about ninety men in killed, among whom was lord Mountjoy, colonel of the county of Dublin militia, and about 130 in wounded and miffing. It is fhocking to relate, that in revenge for this mifcarriage the rebels in Wexford maffacred, in cold blood, ten of the unfortunate proteftants of Ennifcorthy, who were imprifoned in Wexford gaol. Ninety-five of the loyalifts of Wexford were, in a few days after, taken out of the prifon, and wantonly and barbarously murdered on the bridge, by the rebels. In the mean time, another party of the county of Wexford rebels attacked the fmall town of Gorey, but were repulfed; and another party from Vinegar-hill, a ftrong ftation within a mile of Ennif corthy, proceeded on the ift of June to Newtown Barry. They furrounded the town in fuch a manner, that colonel Leftrange of the King's County militia, who commanded there, was obliged at first to retreat, in order to collect his forces. He then attacked the rebels, and drove them through the town with great flaughter, their lofs being computed at 500 killed; while colonel Leftrange's whole force was, at least, 100 men fhort of that number. Thefe fucceffes were, in fome measure, counterbalanced by a check which the royal forces experienced on the 4th of June. Colonel Walpole, on that day, attacked a ftrong poft of the rebels, near the Slievebay mountain. In the beginning of the action, the com commander was unfortunately kill ed by a fhot in the head; and his corps, being in a fituation where it could not act with advantage, was forced to retire to Arklow, with the lofs of 54 men killed, and two fix-pounders. Encouraged by this fuccefs, the rebel army, on the 9th of June, prefented itself before Arklow, where general Needham commanded a confiderable body of the king's forces. They approach ed, in two ftrong columns, from the Coolgrenny-road along the fand hills, while the whole of the intermediate fpace was crowded by a rabble, armed with pikes and firearms, and bearing down without any regular order. The pofition general Needham had chofen was a very strong one, in front of the barrack. As foon as the enemy approached within a fhort diftance, he opened a very heavy fire of grapefhot, which, he obferves, did as much execution as, from the nature of the ground, and the ftrong fences of which the rebels poffeffed themfelves, could have been expected. This continued inceffantly for two hours and a half, when the enemy at length defifted from their attack, and fled in diforder on eve-, ry fide. The rebels, as ufual, loft a great number, while the lofs of his majefty's forces was inconfiderable. Hitherto the king's troops had been able to act only on the defenfive; but general Lake now began to advance towards the feat of the rebellion in the fouth, with large reinforcements. On the 11th of June, major-general fir Charles Afgil attacked a rebel camp at the Boar, near Rofs, which he difperfed. Fifty of the rebels, with their leader, were left dead on the field of battle. The main body of the rebels still retained their ftrong pofition on Vinegar-hill; a pofition from which they could not have. been diflodged, had they been well provifioned, and poffeffed of fuffi cient military skill. General Lake, aware of the difficulties he had to encounter, of the great disadvantage of a repulfe, and defirous of terminating the war in this quarter of Ireland, if poffible, at one decifive blow, made his approaches quietly, and with great caution.-A cordon of troops was gradually collected from different quarters, which almoft furrounded the rebel station. The 21st of June was destined for the grand attack, which the commander in chief, general Lake, ordered to be made, in feveral columns, under generals Dundas, Johnfon, Euftace, Duff, and Loftus. The rebels maintained their ground obftinately for an hour and a half; but at length, fenfible of the danger of being furrounded, they fled with precipitation. The flaughter must have been very great, though general Lake, in his difpatches, faid it could not then be afcertained. The rebels loft thirteen fmall pieces of ordnance, of different callibres. Immediately after this action, a large body of the king's forces advanced to Wexford, which general Moore entered fo opportunely as to prevent the town from being laid in afhes. Previous to evacuating the place, the infurgents endeavoured to treat. Captain Keughe, who had ferved with credit in the American war, and had rifen from the ranks to the station cf, a commiffioned officer, had been appointed by the rebels the governor of Wexford. On the approach of the king's troops, a captain Macmanus, of the Antrim militia, who had been taken prifoner in one of the actions in which the infurgents had. been fuccefsful, and a captain Hay, who who had been taken in a floop with lord Kingborough in endeavouring to join their regiment (the Cork), were difp tched by Keughe, with offers to deliver up the town, provided all concerned in the infurrection fhould have their perfons and properties guarantied by the commanding officer. General Lake, however, only replied, that he could not attend to any terms offered by rebels in arms against their fovereign. To the deluded multitude only he promised pardon, on condition of their delivering up their leaders, and returning with fincerity to their allegiance. On receiving this anfwer, the rebel troops evacuated the town, which was peaceably taken poffeffion of by his majefty's forces on the 22d of June. Mr. Bagenal Harvey and Mr. Colclough quitted the rebel army foon after the battle of Rofs, difgufted, as they declared in their laft moments, with the cruelties and oppreffion which had been exercifed on fuch proteftants and loyalists as fell into the hands of the rebellious mob. They were difcovered, and taken in a cave on one of the Saltee iflands (or rather rocks) which lie in the entrance of Wexford harbour, on the 26th of June* ; and with Keughe, the rebel governor, and Cornelius Grogan, a very opulent and penurious old gentleman, who declared he had been forced to join the rebels, and fome others, were tried by a court-martial, and executed on the bridge of Wexford." The conduct of the rebels, even independent of the maffacre of the prifoners, was extremely cenfurable, while the rebellion raged in the * On their landing, Mr. Harvey appeared to be very much dejected, and fearcely spoke to any one. Mr Colclough, on the contrary, feemed to be in very good spirits. On hearing many perfons inquiring which was Mr. Harvey, and which Mr. Colclough, he pulled off his hat, and, bowing in the most polite manner, faid, "Gentlemen, my name is Colclough." They were then both taken to the gaol. Some of the foldiers, who had been of the party fent to the Saltee-iflands to apprehend Mr. Harvey and Mr. Colclough, informed me, that when they came to the inland, they found but one houfe upon it, in which lived an old man and his family; that, upon their landing, they heard fomebody holla, as if to give warning to others, and they then faw the old man run across a field into his house. The foldiers followed him, and endeavoured, by every entreaty, to prevail upon him to discover to them the place where the fugitives were concealed, but without effect. Finding they could obtain no intelligence by this mode of addrefs, and having certain information that the perfons they fought for were there, they tied him up and gave him two dozen lathes, when he acknowledged that Mr. Colclough and Mr. Harvey were in a cave in a rock clofe to the fea-fide. He then conducted the foldiers to the other fide of the ifland, where they found the cave; but it was fo fituated that it was impoffible to approach the fugitives without a great deal of trouble and danger. It was then thought most prudent to call to Mr. Harvey, who making no anfwer, the commander of the party told those within, that all refinance was vain, that he had a large body of men with him, and should immediately order them to fire into the cave, if those who were concealed there did not come out. On this, Mr. Colclough appeared, and both he and Mr. Har vey furrendered themfelves. The foldiers were of opinion, that if he had defended himself, by firing through the chinks of the rocks, he might have killed several of them before they could poffibly have shot at him with any effect. When he was taken, he had an old mutket, a pocket-pistol, and two cutlaffes. Mrs. Colclough was with them. There was a very neat feather-bed, blanket, and sheets, in the cave, and a keg of whiskey; alfo a jar of wine, a tub of butter, and fome bifcuits; a large pound-cake, that weighed above twenty pounds; a live theep, and a crock of pickled pork; alfo tea, fugar, &c. Two chefts of plate were alfo found near the cave. Thefe were brought in the boat to town, and placed under the care of a inagiftrate. Mrs. Colclough was not brought to Wexford with her husband and Mr. Harvey. Jackfon's Narrative, p. 48. county 1 circumftance, that, though the chiefs of the united Irishmen were evidently hoftile to all religious establishments, the people were di rectly the contrary, and the majority of them engaged in the caufe profeffedly, becaufe they believed county of Wexford. At Scollobogue, about eleven miles from Wexford, a number of proteftant prifoners were maffacred, with many circumstances of barbarity; and at the fame place a barn was after wards fet on fire where the protestants were confined, and upwards" that the heretics, who had reign of 100 were burned or fuffocated; the wretched victims who attempt ed to escape through a fmall window being received on the pikes of the rebels, and thrown back into the flames. An almost indifcriminate fyftem of plunder prevailed; nor were the leaders able to preferve the leaft order or difcipline among their fanatical and licenious followers. It is a remarkable *County of Wexford, to wit. ed upwards of one hundred years, were now to be extirpated, and the true catholic religion established.” Such proteftants as joined the rebel army were obliged to be baptifed in the Romish chapels and even Mr. Harvey, and the other chieftains, were compelled to attend mafs, and, at least outwardly, to con. form to the rites of that religion *. Though the North had been the first Richard Grandy, of Ballyftraco, in the county of Wexford, > farmer, came this day before us his majesty's justices of the peace for the faid county, and maketh oath upon the Holy Evangelifts, that he this examinant was attacked and feifed at the croís roads of Kilbride in faid county, on Sunday the third day of June inftant, between the hours of nine and ten o'clock in the morning, as he was returning from a farm he had on the Iænds of Kilbride, by feveral perfons armed with guns, pikes, and fpears; that amongst the number were Michael Poor, Thomas Poor, Martin White, Richard Shee, Martin Cothoun, Nicholas Browne, Michael White, John Moran, and Laurence Moran, all of Kilbride aforefaid, with many others, whofe names this deponent knows not, though their faces were very familiar to him; that examinant was conducted from thence to the rebel camp at Carrick Byrne, in faid county, and in the afternoon of fame day was brought to Mr. King's houfe at Schollobogue in faid county; that he was introduced into a room where he faw Bagenal Harvey, of Bargy Caftle in faid county, efq.; William Devereux of Taghmon in faid county, farmer; Francis Brien of Taghmon; and Nicholas Sweetman of New Bawne in faid county, with a few inore, whom deponent did not know, but believes that John Colclough of Ballytiegue in faid county, and a fon of faid William Devereux, were of the number; that deponent was clofely examined by faid Bagenal Harvey, as to the ftate of Rofs and Duncannon forts, and whether he was an orange man or an united man; that faid Bagenal Harvey proffered him to take the oath of an united Irishman, and become one of their community; that at last opponent obtained a pafs from faid Bagenal Harvey, with which he came as far as Bryanstown, where he was ftopped by the guard of rebels who were stationed there; that he was conducted back again to Collop's Well, where he met with faid Bagenal Harvey and faid Nicholas Sweetman; that faid Nicholas Sweetinan figned the pafs he had got from faid Harvey; that he had not gone far before the pafs had been taken from him and torn, upon which deponent was taken prisoner to Scollobogue Houfe, where he was confined till the Tuesday morning following, with many other protefiants; that about nine o'clock John Murphy of Loughnageer in faid county, who had the command of the Rofegarland rebel corps, and was the officer of the guard over the prifoners, had ordered them out by fours to be fhot by his company of rebels, till thirty-five were maffacred; that the rebel fpearmen used to take pleasure in piercing the victims through with their fpears, and, in exultation, licking their bloody fpears; that while this horrid frene was acting, the barn at faid Scollobogue, in which were above one hundred proteiants (as deponent heard and believes), was fet on fire and all confumed to athes; that examinant's life was fpared because faid Murphy knew faid Bagenal |