if it had been completely executed, would in all probability have been attended either with the complete surrendry of the enemy, or with such a slaughter as to have effectually disabled them from again taking the field. But this well-concerted attack was unfortunately frustrated by the delay of general Needham, who arrived not at his post till after the engagement, a circumstance which, together with several others of a like nature, and his late arrival to the breakfast devoured by the Durham officers,* procured him the appellation of the late general Needham. Except that commanded by this general, the different columns were at their respective posts when the attack commenced, at seven in the morning of the twenty-first of June, with a brisk discharge of cannon and mortars, which was kept up, together with that of the small arms for an hour and a half. When the firing commenced, the position of the right column was on a rising ground at the west end of Enniscorthy, having Vinegar-hill on the east. This column, covered by the fire of its own six-pounder, penetrated into the town, and vigorously attacked the insurgents posted there, who had advantageously placed themselves in the streets and houses. A party of the troops having advanced with one field-piece opposite to the court-house, were there overpowered by a numerous body of pikemen, who rushed from the building, and took possession of the gun. This gun, however, was shortly after re-taken by another division of the king's troops, with considerable slaughter of the enemy. The rebels at length abandoned the town, retreating to Vinegar-hill, the summit of which, however, had been cleared by the central column, which had formed on a rising ground on the north side, where the rebels had reared a breast work, before they could reach it, and their friends finding they could no longer keep possession, had retreated to another position on the east side, called the Lower hill. Having displayed the royal banners on the top of the wind-mill, in place of the standard of rebellion, the kings troops turned thirteen pieces of cannon, which had been abondoned, against the enemy. By the fire of these, and the resolution of the light brigade, they were thrown into confusion, when the cavalry

charged and put them completely to the rout. The slaughter must have been dreadful, had not general Needham's post been left open for their escape, through which, ludicrously termed Needham's Gap, most of them fled towards Wexford. The rebels lost about four hundred men, among whom was father Clinch of Enniscorthy, all their cannon, some ammunition, and an immense quantity of rich plunder. The loss on the royal side was very trifling, perhaps about one hundred killed, among whom was lieutenant Sandys of the Longford militia. Colonel King of the Sligo regiment, colonel Vesey of that of the county of Dublin, lord Blaney, and lieutenant-colonel Cole were among the wounded. A great many loyalists, who had been compelled to accompany the rebels, were indiscriminately slain in the pursuit. Amongst the excesses committed by the king's troops on the recovery of Enniscorthy, the burning of a house which had been used as an hospital, in which were sixteen of the insurgents who, by wounds or sickness were incapable of making their escape, is hardly inferior in atrocity to the massacre at Scullabogue.

"The town of Wexford was re-taken on the same day as Enniscorthy. The rebel army, which had been some time encamped on Lacken-hill, had been driven from it by the troops under general Johnson, on the nineteenth of June, and obliged to take post on the Three Rocks.

"The brigade under major-general Moore, which consisted of the second flank battalion, two companies of the sixtieth regiment, one troop of Hompesch's hussars, and a small train of artillery, took a direction to the right towards Fooke's mill, and encamped that night on the lawn of Mr. Henry Sutton, of Long Grague. The encampment was in front of the house, which was protected on both flanks and in the rear by a thick wood, out-buildings, &c.

"The following morning the rebels collected all their force, and marched from the Three Rocks to attack general Moore's brigade at long Grague. He ordered a strong detachment, under the command of lieutenant-colonel Wilkinson, to patrole towards Tintern and Clonmines, with a view to scour the country, and to communicate with the troops which general Johnson had ordered to join him from Duncannon-fort. Colonel Wil

kinson returning without any intelligence of them, and despairing of their arrival, general Moore began his march to Taghmon, about three o'clock in the afternoon. The rebels were greatly reinforced in their march from the Three Rocks, so that their number exceeded six thousand. They marched on, boasting of their strength, and expressing a desire to be up with the king's troops. When general Moore had proceeded about half a mile on his road to Taghmon, he perceived the rebels advancing towards him. The general knowing their great superiority of numbers, immediately made preparations to receive them. Having disposed his force in the most judicious manner, he sent out an advanced guard, consisting of two companies of the sixtieth regiment to skirmish with them, whilst a six-pounder and a howitzer were drawn across the road to Goff's-bridge, where a few light infantry formed on each side of them under colonel Wilkinson. When the rebels came up they made an attack on these; but were served with such a tremendous fire of grape-shot and musketry, that they were obliged to retreat over the bridge in the greatest confusion. During this time, a great body of them moved towards the left wing; but majors Aylmer and Daniel, with five companies of light infantry and a six-pounder, were detached against them. The sixtieth regiment finding no opposition in front, immediately proceeded to the left, and attacked the body of rebels that was attempting to turn that wing. Here the engagement was very bloody. The rebels confiding in their numbers, and being so well armed with muskets and pikes, they made a most obstinate resistance. General Moore now began to be very doubtful who would keep the field, as a great part of his army could not come into the action, being obliged to guard the ammunition and baggage. A party of rebels observing the Hompesch's hussars coming down, with their green uniform, they thought that the hussars had been a party of their friends coming to assist them; but were soon convinced of their mistake, for they immediately made a great slaughter amongst them. The engagement began before four o'clock and continued till eight, when the rebels began to disperse, and soon after the greatest party of them retreated precipitately towards Enniscorthy and Wexford.

"The loss of the rebels could not be exactly ascertained, as the killed lay scattered over the fields for a considerable extent; but it must have been very great. Had the situation of the country admitted the cavalry to make a charge on them in their retreat, a great number more would have been killed.

"When the action was over, general Moore considered it too late to proceed to Taghmon, and therefore took post for the night upon the field of battle, where he was soon after reinforced by the second and twenty-ninth regiments, under the command of Lord Dalhousie. Here we shall leave them, and relate that dreadful event, the massacre on the bridge of Wexford.

"A general massacre of all the loyalist prisoners in Wexford was twice attempted by a bloody-minded fanatic called Thomas Dixon; who was first opposed by one Hore, and next by one Scallion, both of whom defied him to single combat, and insisted that he should shew himself a man before a single prisoner should be put to death. He however would not relinquish his bloody design, and on the nineteenth of June, the protestants were informed that all the prisoners would be put to death the following day. Accordingly, in the morning, Dixon, mounted on a tall white horse, rode up to the prison door, and swore that not a prisoner should be alive at sun-set. He then rode through several streets repeating the same. The town bell was soon after rung, and the drums beat to arms, for the purpose of assembling the rebels to join those at Three Rocks, and to march against the army under general Moore. About two o'clock in the afternoon, Dixon assembled the murdering band, and immediately displayed that woeful harbinger of death, the black flag; having upon one side a bloody cross, and on the other the latters M. W. S. inscribed upon it, which were supposed to mean"murder without sin." After having made a long procession through the town, they fixed the flag on the customhouse quay, near the bridge. About four o'clock the butchery began: the prisoners were brought from the gaol and the prisonship by a strong guard of these sanguinary miscreants, in parties of from ten to twenty, preceded by the black flag, to the bridge, where they were piked to death with circumstances of the most savage cruelty, and afterwards thrown into the river, to make

room for others. While they were thus infamously employed, a rebel officer, possessed of some humanity, went to Dr. Caulfield, the popish bishop, who was then drinking wine after dinner, and believing that he could stop the massacre sooner than any other person, earnestly intreated him to come and save the prisoners. The bishop, in an unconcerned manner replied, "It was not in his power to save them,” and requested the captain to sit down and take a glass of wine with him, adding at the same time, that "the people must be gratified!" The officer refused the bishop's invitation, and walked away 'filled with abhorrence. All this time the inhuman pikemen were busily employed butchering the poor protestants on the bridge; some they would perforate in places not mortal, to increase their torture, others they thrust their pikes into the body, and raising it up, held it suspended, writhing in the extreme agony of pain, while any signs of life remained, and exulted in the deed. In the midst of this diabolical work, general Edward Roche, came galloping to the bridge, and ordered them to beat to arms, saying, "that Vine"gar-hill was nearly surrounded by the king's troops, and that "all should repair to the camp, as reinforcements were wanting." There was immediately a cry of "To camp! to camp!" and the rebels ran off in every direction. The bloody scene was instantly closed, and three of the prisoners were left on their knees on the bridge, who were so much stupified with terror that they did not make the least effort to escape. Soon after some of the rebel guard returned to the bridge, and conducted the prisoners back to the gaol; shortly after, the bloody monster, Thomas Dixon, returned and ordered out the remainder of the prisoners for execution, and the greater part of them were tortured and put to death in the same manner as the former. He then pro

ceeded to the market-house, and ordered a party from thence to the bridge, and after butchering them, they returned and brought out ten more, whom they also most barbarously murdered. They then brought out eighteen, and while they were murdering them, Richard Monk, a rebel officer, came galloping into the town from Vinegar-hill, shouting, "D-n your souls, "you vagabonds, why dont you go out and meet the enemy that "are coming in, and not be murdering the prisoners in cold H h