and should long since unveil the horrid atrocious practices of that town, if my public duties did not interfere.I wish you may succeed in getting redress; and have the honour to remain, SIR, Your obedient humble servant, EDWARD HAY, ESQ.. SIR, From what I saw of your conduct while I was at Wexford a prisoner, I am convinced, that you did all in your power to save the people whom the rebels wished to murder, and myself among that number. And it was through you, &c. that the town of Wexford was given up to me, which circumstance, I believe, saved the lives of many; and by what I have heard from you of your trial, &c. think you have been very unjustly persecuted. Your most obedient humble servant, Colney, Dec. 14, 1799. EDWD. HAY, ESQ. KINGSTON. NUMBER IX. Sir Richard Musgrave, author of Memoirs of all the rebellions in Ireland, (parturiunt montes!) has in a pamphlet professedly written against Doctor Caulfield, Roman catholic bishop of Ferns, given us the following letter, demon strative of military honour in men of liberal education. COPY OF A LETTER FROM MAJOR WILLIAMS, TO MAJOR GENERAL NEEDHAM. SIR, Naas, March 1, 1802.* WE, the undersigned officers of the Durham regiment, who were present at the battle of Arklow, feel it a justice due to you, under whom we served, to declare, that Mr. Gordon was not authorized by any of us to make use of those insinuations, which appear in his history, tending to reflect on your conduct that day; and we are convinced, that no proposal to retreat was made by you to Colonel Skerrett, or any other officer: We lament colonel Skerrett, being at Newfoundland, who could have given the best testimony. We have the honour to be, SIR, Your most obedient humble sercant, G. HANBURY WILLIAMS, major. THOS. HASSEL, surgeon. JOHN WALTON, assistant surgeon. These very officers, particularly Holmes and Beever, so frequently told the story of general Needam's proposal of a retreat, and colonel Skerrett's answer, that I and many others were disgusted with the repetition. Of this the most ample proofs can be produced, since numerous indeed were the witness. Among those, who, most contrary to their inclination, would be bound by a sense of propriety to give this evidence is Mr. John Hunter Gowan of Mountnebo, near Gorey. His family are in the same predicament, and Miss Martha Gowan of Enniscorthy, his niece, has often heard the story from all these officers, and from colonel Bainbridge. Among those in the vicinity of Naas, who could give evidence in my favour, is Mr. James Critchly, the present high sheriff of the county of Wicklow, a man of a very respectable fortune and character, who repeatedly heard the story from Owen Fawcet. I know not what title to give Mr. Fawcet now, as I have not heard what office has been procured him for his signature by General Needham, and the Musgravian, or truth oppossing junto. Holmes told me that the general, being determined to retreat, and wishing to lay the blame thereof on colonel Skerret, sent his aid-du-camp to him for advice concerning the choice of a place to which they should retreat. He afterwards informed me that general Skerrett (he had then become general) had written some observations on the rebellion, for my use, which were then in the hands of colonel' Bainbridge for correction, and that they should be sent to me as soon as the Colonel should 1 have finished this correction. The general and colonel told me the same, and sent them to me corrected here and there, and in some places interlined with a pencil. They have been since the publication of the above letter of the honest officers, deposited with Mr. Porter, of Graftonstreet, Dublin, the publisher of the first edition of this book, who can shew them to any person desirous of seeing them. The reply to the proposal of a retreat is contained in pages 10 and 11 of these observations. Thus the manuscript runs." The noble reply "of colonel Skerrett to it was concise. We can 66 I only hope for victory by preserving our ranks. "If we break, all is lost, and after what I have "seen of the Durham regiment, they shall never "retire." In the interlining here we read, "That day will ever reflect honour on himself.” The rest of the interlining in this place is obliterated; but the following words are legible, though a pen has been drawn over some of them; "to ask ***** opinion as to a situation "in the case of being obliged to retreat." Holmes, I am persuaded, (of the rest I have. a worse opinion) would not dare to deny on oath what I assert. Men of low education have G g been found, who would scruple at no breach of honour for emolument, yet would shudder at perjury. Why was the letter of these officers not procured until almost a year after the publication of my book? Sir R. Musgrave tells you that the honourable general Needham knew nothing of my book till then. Whatever opinion I had before entertained of Sir Richard's intellect and candour, I am really sorry for so flagrant a violation of propriety. He well knew, as is known by many members of his junto, that what related to general Needham, in my book, was shewn to said general immediately after its publication. The evident fact is that no such letter could be procured till after colonel Bainbridge's death, for he was a gentleman, never having been tailor, pedlar, drummer, fifer, nor rank-and-fileman;* besides that his pencil writing was in my hands. At length, after his death it was procured, but it remained unpublished till after the honourable men, who had subscribed it, were gone out of the country, and were consequently freed from the shame which they must suffer in meeting the eyes of any of those persons, who were acquainted with their previous declarations. * Men, who adopt the principles of gentlemen, on being promoted from a mean condition into that rank, cannot be debased by the consideration of their former state. The case is different, when the vilest principles of the meanest class are retained by them when promoted to a higher rank. A |