and the children of his brother, counsellor Turner, through the interposition of Providence, escaped.

Exulting in their sanguinary success, the rebels now plundered and burned all the Protestant dwellings round the country, and took post on Sleugh-boy hills, where the Carnew yeomanry, under the command of Captain Wainright, and Lieutenant Bookey, brother to the brave officer who was the first victim of the rebellion in this county, attacked and dispersed them ; but re-assembling afterwards, they joined the main body the same night, near Corragrewa-hill.

All the Protestants of the county now fled to those towns in which military were stationed, as Ross, Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey, &c.; anguish and terror being painted on every loyal face. Gorey alone contained two thousand souls, who had left all their property and taken shelter there, besides the inhabitants of the town. The streets were thronged with soldiers and yeomanry, the houses with loyalists; and fire-locks were pointed from the windows, as every moment an attack was expected, while the trumpets were sounding and the drums beating to arms every half hour: they also sent to Arklow for a reinforcement, which arrived in the evening of Whitsunday.

After the yeomanry had retreated to Gorey, the rebels in Ballynamonabeg began their murders; and among their victims was Samuel Maud, a fine old man, who had attained the great age of ninety-six. They piked him in the throat and various parts of the body until he expired.

The devastation committed through the country, and

the near vicinity of the rebels, who were stationed on the hill of Oulard, now filled the town of Wexford with indescribable consternation; it was therefore resolved to send out a detachment of the military to reconnoitre, and disperse them, with the vain hope that as formerly twenty disciplined men would put hundreds to flight; but now they were sworn and headed by their priests, who were determined to fight hard. The detachment consisted of Lieutenant Colonel Foote, with Major Lombard, Captain Decourcy (brother to Lord Kinsale), Lieutenant Barry, Lieutenant D. Williams, Lieutenant Ware, an ensign, and one hundred and thirty men of the North Cork militia, with the yeomen cavalry of Colonel Le Hunte.

When the rebels perceived the approach of the army, they lay in ambush in the ditches. The troops advanced to engage the body on the side of the hill, not suspecting an ambuscade; but after firing a few rounds, they incautiously charged them, when they were instantly surrounded by the whole rebel force, and cut to pieces; the Lieutenant Colonel and two privates only escaping. How shall I attempt to describe the situation of Wexford, when the news arrived of this dreadful event? The town was instantly filled with the lamentations of the soldiers' wives and children, tearing their hair, beating their bosoms, and refusing consolation! In every part there was weeping and wailing! so that a friend of mine went up into her garret to avoid the crying in the street, but still the dismal groans of the widow and fatherless assailed her; nor did she know the moment she would fall a sacrifice to

her own servants, who were Papists. Miss Donovan, feeling for the distress of one of the soldiers wives, ordered her a bottle of wine, and some money, but the poor woman lay down and instantly expired.

The rebels having plundered the soldiers of all their arms and ammunition, now marched to Corragrewa-hill, midway between Gorey and Enniscorthy, where they encamped that night, their numbers continually increasing. Early on the following morning, they proceeded to Camolin, and from thence to Ferns, plundering all the loyalists in their route, of arms; and, become now truly formidable, they resolved to attack Enniscorthy.

Earl Courtown, and the officers at Gorey, on receiving intelligence of the defeat of the army at Oulardhill, were convinced that should the rebels approach in that direction, they would not be able to stand against such a torrent of enemies; they therefore resolved to retreat to Arklow, in order to strengthen that town till reinforcements should arrive from other parts of the kingdom. When the army began to march, they left several prisoners in the gaol and guard-room, among whom was Mr. Perry. Before their departure they brought out three or four prisoners, whom the yeomanry had taken the preceding day, with pikes, proceeding to join the rebels, and shot them in the street: they declared, a little before they died, that some priests had inveigled them into the united business. Mr. Perry upon being liberated, heading the remainder of the prisoners, and some rebels of the town, marched to join the main body.

The inhabitants seeing the army on the retreat, followed them, concluding that the rebels were just at the town. It was a most distressing sight to see so many quiet inoffensive people, desert their dwellings and flying for their lives before these murderers ; numbers of them being without food, or money to prccure it.

When they arrived in Arklow, the soldiers were quartered in the barracks, and the yeomen and their families received into private houses; but the poor country people had not where to lay their heads, for the houses could not contain half the fugitives, therefore many took up their abode in barns and out-offices ; some took refuge in the church-yard, having the silent grave for their pillow, while numbers lay in open fields and ditches, in a perishing condition.

Though deserted by the army, Gorey was still in the possession of the brave and resolute John H. Gowan, Esq. captain of the Wingfield cavalry, and a few of the Tinehely yeomen infantry, who were determined that they would not retreat, unless overpowered by numbers. The yeomanry in Arklow were dissatisfied because they were not permitted to return and assist Captain Gowan; but on Tuesday, the 29th of May, an order arrived for them to march for Gorey, where they arrived that night, with twenty-five North Cork, twenty-five Antrim, and twenty Gorey infantry, under the command of Captain Elliott, of the Antrim militia.

In the mean time the Oulard rebels approached Enniscorthy, and having summoned the town without effect, they marched to Ballyorial-hill, heard mass from

the celebrated priest Murphy of Bolavogue, and from thence proceeded to storm the place; which was defended by fifty of the North Cork militia, under Captain Snowe; the Enniscorthy cavalry, under Captain Richards; Enniscorthy infantry, Captain Pounden; and Scarawalsh infantry, Captain Cornick, the whole force being posted at the upper end of the town. The rebels began their operations by setting fire to the cabins in the suburbs, and then driving before them droves of cattle to annoy the army. They were received by a heavy discharge of musquetry from the military and loyalists, who were formed on the left of the yeomen; and after a few well directed vollies, the rebels feigned to give way, and crossed the Slaney (which runs through the centre of the town to Wexford) above the bridge: this caused Captain Snowe to draw his men to the bridge to stop that pass,—thus the yeomen were forced to retreat from where the action commenced, with the loss of thirty horse and foot killed and wounded, and about ten loyalists.

The rebels, flushed with the preceding day's victory, followed up the attack in an unprecedented and savage manner, surrounding the town, and setting it on fire; many of the rebel inhabitants applying the fuel to their own houses. The place being now in flames in every quarter, the disaffected took advantage of the smoke, and fired on the army and yeomen from the lanes and corners of the streets. The situation of the royal troops now became so perilous that they could make no farther resistance; and after sustaining a loss of ninety men, including Captain Pounden, they fled with many