of the ground; as were often large portions of the carcases, after a few pieces had been cut away. From this practice, the decay of anima. matter was rapid-and the stench of the encampment in a few days became intolerable."*

In the desultory and disunited order in which the overt acts of the rebellion occurred, it would be impossible to detail them with any thing like historic regularity. In different districts, affairs were simultaneously enacted—and it would be only to carry the reader wandering from county to county, were they narrated precisely as they occurred. We shall therefore endeavour to keep a passing picture of the insurrectionary events before the reader's eye, taking a discursive liberty not generally allowed to the historian.

Before entering deeper into the particular occurrences attendant on the Wexford outbreak, one relation connected with this epoch of the insurrection, as it took place at Enniscorthy, may be found explanatory of subsequent transactions.

On the 27th of May, B. B. Harvey, J. H. Colclough, of Ballyteigl, and Fitzgerald, of Newpark-all gentlemen of property and consideration-had been arrested and committed to Wexford jail. On learning the occurrences at Oulart and Enniscorthy, a loyalist officer, Captain Boyd, waited on the prisoners on the 29th, and proposed that they should communicate with the rebel head-quarters, and endeavour to persuade the deluded peasantry to disband, resume their former occupations, and again return to their homes.

As the mission was highly honourable to one of the misguided gentlemen-unfortunately afterwards a sufferer-in impartial justice, we will give it in Gordon's words:

Colclough, at the request of Harvey, stipulated to go, on condition of being permitted to bring Fitzgerald with him. On the arrival of these two gentlemen at Enniscorthy, about four in the afternoon of the same day, they found the rebels in a state of confusion, distracted in their councils, and undetermined in any plan of operations. Some proposed an attack on Newtown Barry, others on Ross, others upon Wexford. Some were anxious to remain in their present post-but the greatest number wished to march home for the defence of their houses against Orangemen. But when shouts, repeated from group to group, announced the arrival of the gentlemen prisoners, as they were called, from Wexford, the straggling multitude collected into one body. The message being delivered without effect, Colclough, a man of honour, retired with the intention of re-entering his prison, according to his promise; but Fitzgerald remained with the rebels, and marched with them that evening to a post called the Three Rocks, two miles and a half from Wexford, which town they had, immediately after the arrival of the messengers, determined to attack."

The most exaggerated accounts of the rebel success spread with astonishing rapidity, and a general rising of the peasantry resulted. Immediately after the evacuation of Wexford, the insurgent army-if

* Gordon.

the term may be applied to an enormous mob of unmanageable menwere divided into three corps, each having a separate camp, a different object, and particular leaders. As is generally the case with tumultuary movements, the rebel armies were always under a divided command-an error pregnant with danger to troops, regular or irregular-and one which in those days was committed equally by rebels and royalists, as the slaughter at Tubberneering, a few days afterwards, fatally established.

The first rebel corps, under B. B. Harvey and Father Philip Roche, encamped on the hill of Carrickbyrne, and its object was to attack New Ross. Another, under the leadership of Father Kearnes, with Doyle and Redmond, occupied Vinegar-hill. This corps was directed to seize Newtown Barry. A third, under Perry of Inch, with the two Murphys-the priests of Boulavogue and Ballycanoe-were, in the first place, desired to gain possession of Gorey, and then march direct upon the capital. The movements of the two latter corps we will describe first, giving the third of the rebel divisions a precedency.

The intended operations of this last corps were ably conceived,and there was every reason to expect, that the issue would have been successful. Gorey, Arklow, and Wicklow were slightly garrisoned, and of course, promised an easy conquest. These towns once in their possession, the insurgent route to the capital was laid open. The Wexford rebels had been in close communication with those of the metropolis-and they were assured, that the latter were ready to rise on the first demonstration that should be made upon the city-while the country through which the insurgent column must have moved, was already up in arms-and therefore, every mile it marched, the rebel army would have increased in numbers and in confidence. But with ample means to have effected this grand object, the insurgent leaders, from their incompetency in employing them, failed signally even in their first essay; and a movement from which important results might have arisen had the direction been in abler hands-failed at the very moment that its operations were commenced.

Gorey being the primary object, the rebel army moved in that direction, and took post on a hill called Corrigrua, seven miles southwest of the place; and on the 1st of June, after occupying the village of Ballycannoe, pushed a heavy column forward to the hill of Ballymanane, four miles in advance, whence, after uniting with another body posted on the hill of Ballymore, they intended to attack the town.

But with excellent discretion, and certainly unbounded gallantry, the commandant of the little garrison determined to anticipate the rebels, and himself become assailant. United, he properly concluded that their attack could not be repelled,-while divided, a bold attempt might prove successful, and daring make up for an enormous disparity in number. Captain White, a yeomanry officer, commanded; but he was ably supported by a subaltern of the Antrim Militia, named Elliot.

The royalists consisted of twenty-five Antrim, and the same number of North Cork Militia men, twenty volunteer infantry, and part of three troops of yeomanry cavalry, the whole not exceeding 130 men

while the rebels, in position on Ballymanane, were said at a low estimate to have exceeded 2,000 men.

The bold advance of the little garrison was favoured by accidental circumstances. Troops, detached from Dublin, had been some days expected, and "the cloud of dust, raised by the detachment from Gorey, caused the rebels to imagine that a formidable force was coming against them. Under this persuasion, they did not dispose themselves to the best advantage-for they might have easily surrounded and destroyed the little band opposed to them. They attempted it, however, in a disorderly manner; but a regular and steady fire was maintained by the militia, particularly the Antrim-and the half-disciplined supplementaries, encouraged thereby, behaved with equal steadiness; and such was the effect, that the rebels were totally routed, and fled in the utmost confusion. The cavalry, notwithstanding repeated orders from Lieutenant Elliot, through the mistake of their officer, delayed to charge too long, otherwise a greater slaughter must have been made. The victorious party advancing, fired some houses in Ballycannoe, and spread such a general terror, that no attempt was made against them from the post of Corrigrua; and the garrison returned safely to Gorey, with above 100 horses and much valuable spoil.

"In this engagement, and indeed in all others in the beginning of the rebellion, the rebels fired too high to do execution, and only three royalists were wounded, and none killed. The number of slain on the opposite side was probably nearly a hundred. Many fine horses, which the routed party was obliged to leave behind, were killed or maimed, that they should be rendered valueless to the captors."

We have already mentioned that the capture of Newtown Barry was the object of the second of the rebel divisions, under the command of Father Kearns, then encamped upon Vinegar-hill-and therefore, a brief description of the town will be necessary.

Newtown Barry stands upon the river Slaney, at the entrance of a deep defile, surrounded on every side by steep and lofty mountains. Placed on the principal road which leads to Carlow and Kildare, it would have opened a communication between these counties, and permitted the rebel columns to co-operate; while it would also enable them to prevent the arrival of reinforcements, and the conveyance of ammunition to the king's troops. The acquisition of old Ross would have given them the command of a navigable river, and secured their communications with the Kilkenny rebels; besides, it was well known, that the disaffected inhabitants of Munster would have risen en masse, so soon as Newtown Barry fell.

On the 30th of May, Colonel L'Estrange, with a detachment of his regiment (the King's County Militia), two battalion guns, and a few dragoons, marched in, and reinforced the garrison, which then consisted of 250 yeomanry, mounted and dismounted. On the 31st, a groundless alarm was given by a beautiful young woman, who galloped into the

* Gordon.

town, and announced that the rebels were advancing. Frenzied by the horror she had undergone, in seeing two brothers put to death on Vinegar-hill under circumstances of indescribable barbarity, she had desperately jumped upon a horse, and though closely pursued, escaped from those savage hands which had massacred her kindred.

On the 2nd, the rebels actually made their attack by both sides of the Slaney, advancing under the fire of a six-pounder, and one of the howitzers they had taken at the Three Rocks. The outposts being driven in, Colonel L'Estrange fearful, from the number of approaches by which the rebels could enter the town, that his garrison would be unequal to defend it, evacuated the place, as some say, to retire altogether, but according to others, to take a position on a high ground which commanded the town.

Whether for concentration or retreat the movement was made, it equally deceived the rebels and dissatisfied the royalists. "The rebels, imagining the king's troops, intimidated by their numbers, had fled, rushed into the town, and proceeded to plunder and burn it. The yeomen, enraged at seeing their families and their property in such imminent danger, applied to Captain Kerr, who commanded the yeomanry cavalry, to lead them on; declaring, that they would conquer or die. He asked permission to do so, and obtained it."*

Nothing could surpass the desperate gallantry of these daring horsemen-while a heavy fire of grape from the guns and a well-sustained musketry drove the rebels from the town, and enabled the cavalry to act. For three miles, the pursuit was continued by the Enniscorthy roadand although the rebels disbanded, and the country was favourable for retreat,† 400 were killed or wounded, including in the former list two leaders.

After this double defeat, the rebels remained inactive in their camp at Corrigrua, while the arrival of General Loftus at Gorey, with 1,500 men and five pieces of cannon, encouraged the royalists to take the offensive at once, and deforce the enemy from the position they still retained. A combined attack on the hill of Corrigrua was consequently determined on-and from the means in hand, nothing could have been wanting to secure positive success, but the imbecility of one leader, and the gross ignorance of a subordinate. Before the unfortunate result shall be related, a connecting narrative of the previous movements of the royalists will be found necessary.

* Musgrave.

"The hardiness and agility of the labouring classes of the Irish were on this, and other occasions in the course of the rebellion, very remarkable. Their swiftness of foot, and activity in passing over brooks and ditches, were such that they could not always, in crossing the fields, be overtaken by horsemen-and with so much strength of constitution were they found to be endued, that to kill them was difficult, many, after a multitude of stabs, not expiring until their necks were cut across. In fact, the number of persons who in the various battles, massacres, and skirmishes of this war, were shot through the body, and recovered afterwards from their wounds, has greatly surprised me."-Gordon.

CHAPTER X.

TOWN OF WEXFORD-DETACHMENT OF THE MEATH REGIMENT CUT TO PIECESWEXFORD EVACUATED-WALPOLE'S DEFEAT AT TUBBERNEERING - LOFTUS RETREATS ON CARNEW.

WE have already given a topographical sketch of the county of Wexford, and as the town of the same name acquired a melancholy celebrity, a hurried notice may be acceptable. We give the description of the place as it was-regardless of the changes and improvements which nearly half a century have since effected. With a very fine wooden bridge, erected by the celebrated Cox, a new church, and the ruins of several monastic buildings, in '98, the capital of that troubled county was thus described ::

Wexford, a sea-port, and corporate town, was rather populous for its size. It was the chief in the county, and the third largest in the province of Leinster-governed by a mayor, recorder, and bailiffs-a shire and assize town-and giving the title of earl to the noble family of Talbot, Earls of Shrewsbury in England. It also then returned two members to Parliament. Wexford is seated on a bay in the Irish channel, at the mouth of the river Slaney-the harbour, though capacious, shallow-and formed by two necks of land, with an entrance half a mile broad, formerly defended by two forts-one at the extremity of either isthmus, and called fort Margeret, and fort Rosslare. As its entrance is obstructed by sand-banks, ships drawing more than ten feet water seldom enter-but those of greater magnitude load and unload three miles from the town, near the south side of the haven, where there is sufficient depth of water, but no shelter from the south winds. Wexford was originally fortified by the Danes-but improved and enlarged by the first English settlers in the twelfth century, who took it from the Easterlings, after a siege of four days, on the 4th of May, 1170. It was besieged by Cromwell, the 1st of October, 1649, and taken by storm, when Sir Edward Butler, the governor, and 2,000 soldiers, were put to the sword.

Large vestiges of the town-walls were, at the period of the insurrection, still visible, and the four gates were almost perfect. The consequence of the place-its dangerous proximity to the rebel encampments-the taking of Enniscorthy-and the defeat at Oulart of Colonel Foote, suggested the necessity of reinforcing the garrison of Wexford, then consisting of some 300 of the North Cork Militia, and about the same number of yeomanry, horse and foot. For this purpose LieutenantColonel Maxwell was detached from Duncannon Fort, with 200 of the Donegal Militia, and a six-pounder. The colonel reached Wexford the same evening, and finding the insurrection had extensively broken out, apprized General Fawcett of the fact. Maxwell's reinforcement not being deemed sufficient, "a gentleman named Joshua Sutton