faithful even to their God according to the dictates of their conscience?

The Rev. Mr. Dixon, a Roman Catholic clergyman, who had been condemned before a magistrate and sentenced to transportation, was sent off to Dun cannon Fort the day preceding the insurrection; and this was on the testimony of a man named Francis Murphy, whose evidence was positively contradicted by three other witnesses. These facts, together with the public odium incurred by the man himself, induced Thomas Dixon, a seafaring captain and master of a vessel, who also kept a porterhouse in Wexford, to take a summary mode of avenging the fate of the clergyman, who was his relation. For this purpose he brought the man out of jail, upon his own sole authority, and conducted him down to the bullring, where he obliged three revenue officers, who were then prisoners, and whom he brought out along with him, to shoot him, and afterwards bear his body to the quay and throw it into the water. This execution took place, with all its shocking circumstances, while most of the townspeople were at prayers, and was utterly unknown to the principal inhabitants; but at all events Dixon could the more readily accomplish his vengeance, without fear of being prevented, on account of the public execration generally prevalent against informers.

The military stationed at Gorey made constant sallies, in the course of which, through the country, they plundered and burned many houses, and shot several stragglers who happened to fall in their way. This provoked the insurgents to vie with their opponents in this mode of warfare, and retaliation has on this, as well as on every other occasion, produced many woful scenes. Enormities, in fact, were committed on both sides, which, among their

many lamentable consequences, tended to exasperate the party animosities, already too powerfully destructive of the peace and happiness of the country. At this time, reinforcements were every day crowding into Gorey. On the 3d of June, General Loftus arrived there, with fifteen hundred men under his command, as did also Colonel Walpole, from Carnew, whence he had several times gone out to reconnoitre the camp at Carrigrew. A determination was formed to attack this on the 4th, with the force then in Gorey, with which the troops from Carnew and Newtownbarry were to co-operate, so as to engage the insurgents on all sides; and from these arrangements, and considering the force that was to act against them, little doubt was entertained of their total and speedy defeat. The army from Gorey marched out at the appointed time, and formed into two divisions; the one under General Loftus took route towards Ballycanew, while the other, commanded by Colonel Walpole, proceeded by the Camolin road directly, to commence the concerted attack on Carrigrew. The insurgents had, however, quitted this post, and were in full march towards Gorey, when they suddenly and unawares fell in with this military body under Colonel Walpole, at a place called Tubberneering. The meeting was equally unexpected on both sides, and this circumstance, no less true than extraordinary, neither party having any scouts, produced an instantaneous and confused action, in which Colonel Walpole was killed, in a few minutes after its commencement, and his troops immediately gave way, and fled in the utmost precipitation and disorder, leaving the victors in possession of three pieces of cannon, two six-pounders, and another of inferior size. The fate of this action was so quickly decided, as to

allow General Loftus not the smallest opportunity of affording the troops under Colonel Walpole any assistance. The loss of the military in killed and wounded was considerable, besides Captain M'Manus, Lieutenant Hogg, and Ensign Barry, of the Antrim militia, with many privates, taken prisoners. The rest, in the greatest possible haste, being pursued by the insurgents, reached Gorey, which they as quickly passed through; but would, in revenge, have put the prisoners in the town to death, had they not feared that the delay it would occasion might cost them too dearly. This account I have from a captain of yeomanry, who opposed with all his might the perpetration of such a cruel and barbarous deed, and who, to his honor, was incapable of countenancing such an atrocity under any circumstances. The retreat was thence very precipitate to Arklow, where a council of war was hastily held, at which it was as hastily determined to abandon that town, and this was accordingly put into execution. Some were so panic-struck, that they did not stop till they reached Dublin; but others stopped at different distances, when their horses or themselves were not able to proceed farther. General Loftus, on hearing the report of the cannon and other fire-arms in the engagement, not being able to go across the country, proceeded round by the road to the scene of action, where he found the bodies of many slain, and did not learn the fate of Colonel Walpole till he saw him stretched on the field of battle. He then moved towards Gorey, but thought it most prudent to alter his line of direction upon being saluted by the insurgents with the cannon they had just taken, and which they had drawn up to the summit of the hill of Gorey, which is immediately over the town, commanding it in every quar

ter. The general then marched to Carnew, and from that to Tullow. The troops that had proceeded from Carnew in the morning, to co-operate in the intended general attack on the insurgents at Carrigrew, did not return thither upon hearing of the defeat, but made Newtownbarry with those who had come out from thence on the same expedition.

The insurgents were now in possession of the whole of the county of Wexford, except the fort of Duncannon, the towns of Ross and Newtownbarry; and were at perfect liberty, if they pursued their advantages, to seize upon Carnew, and also to enter Arklow, situated in the county of Wicklow, and what consequences might have ensued are now incalculable.

On the evening of the 4th of June, the insurgents stationed on the hill of Carrickbyrne, whither the Taghmon encampment, as has been observed, was transferred on the 1st, now proceeded to Corbet Hill, within a mile of the town of Ross, the garrison of which had lately received great reinforcements, by the arrival there of the Donegal, Clare, and Meath regiments of militia, a detachment of English and Irish artillery, the 5th dragoons, the Mid-Lothian fencibles, and on this very evening the county of Dublin regiment of militia considerably added to its force, which, upon the whole, amounted to twelve hundred men, exclusive of the yeomen, all under the command of Major-General Johnson, who expected an attack during the night, and consequently the troops remained under arms, without being allowed to take any repose. The insurgents, led by their commander-in-chief, Mr. Beauchamp Bagnal Harvey, a little after their arrival on Corbet Hill, were saluted with a few cannon-shot and bomb-shells from the town, without producing any

other effect than that of increasing their vigilance. Mr. Harvey and his principal officers took up their quarters in the house of Corbet Hill, where, being regaled with an excellent supper and exquisite wines, they were so well pleased with their cheer, and so far forgot their prudence as commanders, that they had scarcely time to fall asleep since the moment of their retirement, until they were roused, by the orders they had given in their sober moments, to commence the attack at break of day. Mr. Furlong was immediately dispatched with a flag of truce, and the following summons to the commanding officer in Ross:

"SIR-As a friend to humanity, I request you will surrender the town of Ross to the Wexford forces now assembled against that town. Your resistance will but provoke rapine and plunder, to the ruin of the most innocent. Flushed with victory, the Wexford forces, now innumerable and irresistible, will not be controlled if they meet with any resistance to prevent, therefore, the total ruin of all property in the town, I urge you to a speedy surrender, which you will be forced to do in a few hours, with loss and bloodshed, as you are surrounded on all sides. Your answer is required infour hours. Mr. Furlong carries this letter, and will bring the answer.

"I am, sir, &c. &c.

"Camp at Corbet Hill, half-past three o'clock, morning, June 5th, 1798."

"B. B. HARVEY.

Mr. Furlong was shot the moment he approached the outposts, which so exasperated the people, that they could not be restrained from instantly rushing