children throughout the town were so dismal and alarming as to rouse the military from their beds, when they had scarcely time to have fallen asleep, since they had retired from their several posts, to which they were thus summoned back in a hurry, to repel the attack of an enemy which was every moment expected. The insurgents were now encamped on the Three-rocks-the end of the low ridge of the Mountain of Forth, about three miles from Wexford,-and did not seem so willing to advance as was apprehended in the town.

General Fawcett having ordered his forces to fol; low, set out alone from Duncannon Fort, on the evening of the 29th, and stopped at Taghmon, where he lay down to rest until his advanced guard should arrive. Captain Adams, of the Meath militia, with seventy men of his regiment, and Lieutenant Birch, of the artillery,. with two howitzers, arrived from Duncannon Fort in the course of the night, at Taghmon, where not finding, as they expected, the thirteenth regiment, nor Meath militia, and not knowing any thing about the general, after a short halt they marched on towards Wexford, apprehending no kind of interruption. They had already ascended the road along the side of the mountain of Forth, when perceived by the outposts of the insurgents, who poured down upon them with such rapidity, that they were in a few minutes cut off, except Ensign Wade and sixteen privates, who were taken prisoners. The magazine was blown up in the conflict, which circumstance rendered the howitzers not so great a prize as they otherwise would have been to the victors. General Fawcett, on getting out of bed, having learned the fate of his advanced guard, ordered the thirteenth and the rest of the troops, who had by this time come up, to re

treat to Duncannon Fort, whither he also set off in great haste himself.

From Wexford, in the course of the morning, vast crowds of people were observed assembling on the high ground over Ferry-bank, at the country-side of the wooden-bridge, which contributed not a little to heighten the alarm already prevailing in the town. The different posts on the town-wall were guarded with the utmost vigilance, and intrusted to the protection of the yeomen infantry, supplementaries, and armed inhabitants, while the North Cork militia undertook to defend the barracks. It was expected that General Fawcett, now supposed on his march from Taghmon to Wexford, must fall in with the insurgents, and thus keep them so well employed on that side as to afford a favorable opportunity for a sally from the town to attack them on the other. It was, therefore, resolved to try the success of this manœuvre, and accordingly, Colonel Maxwell, with two hundred of the Donegal militia, and Colonel Watson, with the Wexford, Enniscorthy, Taghmon, Healthfield, and Shilmalier yeomen cavalry, marched out to the encounter. They had advanced as far as Belmont, when Colonel Watson, eager to reconnoitre, proceeded up the hill farther than prudence would permit, and was shot from one of the outposts of the insurgents. The Donegal militia then retreated to Wexford, preceded by the cavalry, who pressed upon them very much along the road. Immediately after this, a hasty council of war was held, at which it was determined to evacuate the town.

A general and gloomy consternation now, prevailed; every countenance appeared clouded and distrustful, and every person was cautious and circumspect how he spoke or acted, as all confidence

was entirely done away, and each individual thought only of his own personal safety. Some yeomen and supplementaries, who during the whole of the morning had been stationed in the street, opposite the jail, were heard continually to threaten to put all the prisoners to death, which so roused the attention of the jailer to protect his charge, that he barricaded the door, and on hearing of a surrender, to manifest more strongly the sincerity of his intentions, he delivered up the key to Mr. Harvey. This gentleman was, indeed, so apprehensive of violence, that he had climbed up inside a chimney, where he had lain concealed a considerable time, when some gentlemen called upon him, but could not gain admittance until they gave the strongest assurances of their pacific intentions. Upon being admitted at length, they still found him up the chimney, and while so situated, entreated him to go out to the camp of the insurgents, and announce to them the surrender of the town, on condition that lives and properties should be spared. Mr. Harvey made answer, that as the insurgents on the Three-rocks were not from his neighborhood, and as he was not himself at all known to them, he imagined he could have no kind of influence with them, adding, that they might possibly consider him even as an enemy. He was then requested to write to them, which he declared himself willing to do in any manner that might be judged most advisable. When he had thus consented, it became a task of no little difficulty to bring him out of his lurking-place, as in the descent his clothes were gathered up about his shoulders, so that it required good assistance to pull him out of the chimney by the heels. When he had arranged his apparel, and adjusted himself so as to put off the appearance of a chimney-sweeper, about

two hours before the troops retreated from Wexford, Right Hon. George Ogle, captain of the Shilmalier infantry; Cornelius Grogan; John Grogan, captain of the Healthfield cavalry; James Boyd, captain of the Wexford cavalry; Solomon Richards, captain of the Enniscorthy cavalry; Isaac Cornock, captain of the Scarawalsh infantry, and Edward Turner of the Shilmalier cavalry-all magistrates-along with Lieutenant-colonel Colville of the thirteenth regiment of foot, and Lieutenant-colonel Foote of the North Cork militia, visited Mr. Harvey in the jail, and at their express request, he wrote the following notice to the insurgents on the mountain of Forth:

"I have been treated in prison with all possible humanity, and am now at liberty. I have procured the liberty of all the prisoners. If you pretend to Christian charity, do not commit massacre, or burn the property of the inhabitants, and spare your prisoners' lives.

"Wednesday, 30th May, 1798."

"B. B. HARVEY.

This note was undertaken to be forwarded by Doyle, a yeoman of the Healthfield cavalry, who offered to volunteer on this hazardous service, when the proposal was made to his corps by Captain John Grogan. He had the precaution to put off his uniform, and to dress himself in colored clothes: but when ready to set off he was discovered to be a Roman Catholic, and therefore reflected upon, for so the whisper went about, "How could a papist be trusted?" The yeoman finding his zeal meet with a reception so contrary to his expectation, again put on his uniform and retreated with his captain; thus proving himself to the full as loyal as any of

those who on the occasion displayed their illiberality; which even common policy, it might be well imagined, should repress at so critical a juncture. Dr. Jacob then proposed the enterprise to his corps, and Counsellor Richards with his brother Mr. Loftus Richards, were appointed to go out to the Threerocks on this expedition, to announce the surrender of the town to the insurgents, whose camp they reached in safety, though clad in full uniform. Scarcely had these deputies set out upon their mission, when all the military corps, a part of one only excepted, made the best of their way out of the town. Every individual of them seemed to partake of a general panic, and set off whithersoever they imagined they could find safety, without even acquainting their neighbors on duty of their intentions. The principal inhabitants whose services had been accepted of for the defence of the town were mostly Catholics, and, according to the prevalent system, were subject to the greatest insults and reflections. They were always placed in front of the posts, and cautioned to behave well, or that death should be the consequence. Accordingly, persons were placed behind them to keep them to their duty, and these were so watchful to their charge, that they would not even permit them to turn about their heads; and yet these determined heroes were the very first to run off on the apprehended approach of real danger. Thus were the armed inhabitants left at their posts, abandoned by their officers, and actually ignorant of the flight of the soldiery, until the latter had been miles out of the town, and were therefore left no possible means of retreating. Lieutenant William Hughes of the Wexford infantry, with a few of his corps, was, it seems, the only part of the military left uninformed of the intended retreat, and this was owing to his be