Page images
PDF
EPUB

tice prevailed of applying to the head of any person wearing short hair, caps of coarse linen or strong brown paper, smeared with pitch on the inside, which in some instances adhered so firmly as not to be disengaged without laceration of the skin. The rebels retaliated, however, by forcibly seizing persons of loyal demeanour, cropping their leads, and thus exposing them, in return, to the application of the pitched cap.

As the time for insurrection fixed by the conspirators, of which the government was fully in. formed, approached, the arresting of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, became an object of vast importance; because of his military skill, capacity, and courage. He had escaped the arrest at Bond's, on the 12th of the preceeding March, and a reward of a thousand pounds had been offered for his apprehension. On the 19th of May, it was discovered that be lodged at the house of one Murphy, a featherman, in Thomas Street. Thither Major Siry, attended by Justice Swan, captain in the Revenue corps, and Captain Ryan of the St. Sepulchre's, accompanied by eight soldiers disguised, repaired in coaches. "While they

Plowden," in

were posting the soldiers," says such a manner as to prevent the possibility of an escape, Captain Swan, perceiving a woman run. ning hastily up stairs, for the purpose as he supposed of alarming Lord Edward, followed her with the utmost speed; and, on entering an apartnent found Lord Edward lying on a bed in his

dressing jacket. He approached the bed and informed his lordship that he had a warrant against him, and that resistance would be vain; assuring him at the same time that he would treat him with the utmost respect. Lord Edward sprung from the bed and snapped a pistol which missed fire, at Captain Swan; he then closed with him, drew a dagger, gave him a wound in the hand, and different wounds in the body; one of them, under the ribs, was deep and dangerous, and bled most copiously. At that moment Captain Ryan entered, and missed fire at Lord Edward, with a pocket pistol; on which he made a lunge at him with a sword cane which bent on his ribs; but affected him so much that he threw himself on the bed, and Captain Ryan closing with him, a violent scuffle ensued, during which Lord Edward plunged the dagger into his side. They then fell on the ground where Captain Ryan received many desperate wounds; one of which, in the lower part of his belly was so large that his bowels fell out on the floor. Major Sirr, having entered the room, saw Captain Swan bleeding, and Lord Edward advancing toward the door, while Captain Ryan, weltering in blood on the floor, was holding him by one leg and Captain Swan by the other; he therefore fired at Lord Edward with a pistol, and wounded him in the shoulder, on which he cried out for mercy and surrendered himself, His lordship was then conveyed to the castle. Some

attempts to rescue him, were defeated by the arrival of the guards."

On the nineteenth and twenty first of the same month, other arrests of conspirators were made, particularly of Henry and John Sheares, brothers, both barristers, and much beloved and respected in the profession. In the house of Henry, in Baggot Street, in the hand writing of John, was found a proclamation, intended to be published after the capital should have been in the possession of the insurgents. In this manifesto very sanguinary sentiments were expressed, said to be provoked from the rebel directory, by the severe measures of government. The former members of the directory, (according to the examinations of Emmet, before a committee of the lords) had intended to avoid blood shed as much as possible; to seize as hostages, men of property; and, on the accomplishment of a revolution to banish those who should prove disaffected to the new government, allowing to their wives and children a maintenance out of their properties.

[ocr errors]

On the 21st of May, Lord Castlereagh wrote to the Lord Mayor, to acquaint him, "that his excellency had discovered that the disaffected in the city and neighbourhood of Dublin had formed a plan of possessing themselves in the course of the present week of the metropolis, and of seizing the executive government, and those of authority in the city." On the 22d a similar communication was made to the house of commons.

The night of the 23rd of May had been fixed for the time of insurrection. The plan was to commence with an attack on the camp of Lehaunstown, or Laughlinstown seven miles to the South of Dublin. Another party was to seize the artillery stationed at Chapelizod, two miles to the west of the same, in an hour after. Later, by an hour and a half was to be the simultaneous entrance of the two parties into the metropolis, to co-operate with a third by whom the Castle was to be surprised, the stoppage of the mail coaches, on the northern, western, and southern roads, was to be the signal to the members of the Union in other parts of the kingdom to rise in arms. Notwithstanding the late discoveries and arrests, it was impossible to prevent the explosion which had been so long maturing. The metropolis however, was so guarded at every post as to prevent a possibility of surprise: the guards at the Castle were trebled, and the whole city converted into a besieged garrison. Troops were also stationed throughout the country, and the companies of yeomen strengthened by the addition of new levies without uniform, called supplementaries.

In spite of all these precautions, however, the expected insurrection took place. The peasants in the districts around the city of Dublin, with.out leaders, with scarcely any ammunition, or other arms than clumsy pikes and a few guns in bad order, rose at the time appointed, the night

of the 23rd of May, and so far acted on the original scheme, as to attempt, by simultaneous onsets, the surprisal of the military posts, and the preclusion of the capital from external sucCour. The mail coaches were destroyed in their progress from Dublin, at a few miles distance, to give notice to their confederates of hostilities being commenced; and in that night and the following day several skirmishes took place with small parties of the royal troops, and several towns were attacked near the seat of government. In all these skirmishes the insurgents were defeated, except at Dunboyne, and Barretstown where small escorts were surprised, of the Reay fencibles at the former, and of the Suffolk fencibles at the latter. They were also repulsed in their attempts on the several towns except Prosperous a lately improved village in the county of Kildare, intended for the seat of a cotton manufactory, seventeen miles from Dublin. Here the garrison was surprised, the barrack fired, thirty-seven soldiers perished in the flames or by the pikes of the assailants, together with their commander, Captain Swayne, of the North Cork Militia. On the samne morning (the 24th) engagements took place at Naas and Kilcullen. Lord Gosford commanded in the former place, and being apprised of the intended attack, was enabled by timely arrangements to repulse them with great loss. Many were taken prisoners and immediately hanged. The attack on the latter

« PreviousContinue »