CHA P. XXXI. Defcription of Derry--Refiftance of this town- -Proceedings at Derry-Siege of Derry-Appearance of Kirk-Character of Kirk-Atrocious cruelty of Rofen-Relief of Derry--Operations of the Enniskilleners--Defeat of lord Galmoy-His treachery-Three armies fent against Enniskillen— Defeat of Sarsfield-Retreat of Fitzjames-Defeat. of Macarthy near Newtown-Butler. CHAP IN the perturbation and flight of the protestants, XXXI. Defcription occafioned by the letters mentioned in the foregoing of Derry. chapter, the principal place of refuge in the northern province was the city of Derry, new named, in the time of James the firft, Londonderry. This city ftands on a fingularly fituate hill, infulated and of an oval form, which rifes from the bottom of a valley, on the western fide of the river Foyle, whose waters wash its foot through more than half its extent, and form with the bafon, called logh Foyle, an excellent harbour. This beautiful town, confpicuous by its fituation and the lofty fpire of its church, XXXI. church, is hardly an English mile in circuit within CHAP. the wall, in which are four gates, whence run the four main streets, meeting near the fummit of the hill, in a square called the Diamond, where ftands the exchange. The highest point of the ground is near Bishop's gate, where in latter times has been erected a triumphal arch with an equeftrian ftatue of king William the third. The wall was firm, and strengthened by baftions, but totally infufficient to refift the attacks of a regular army, particularly fince the town is commanded by hills. The communication of the city with the county of its name, formerly maintained by a ferry, has been rendered more commodious, in the latter part of the eigh teenth century, by a wooden bridge, conftructed by Lemuel Coxe, an American artist, eleven hundred and fixty-eight feet long, forty broad, fupported by upright piers fifty-eight feet in length, and furnished with a draw-bridge, twenty-five feet wide, for the paffage of veffels. 1688. On the firft alarm of an invasion of England by Refiftance the prince of Orange, Tyrconnel had withdrawn the of Derry. garrifon of this town, a garrifon agreeable to the citizens, as confifting of a well disciplined regiment, mostly proteftant, commanded by lord Mountjoy, fon of primate Boyle. Soon fenfible of the oversight of leaving this poft in the hands of the townfinen, the lord-deputy had fent thither the earl of Antrim's regiment, compofed entirely of Romanifts, Irish and Scottish Highlanders, twelve hundred in number. At the moment when the citizens had received intelligence of the intended maffacre, and were deliberating CHAP. liberating on measures for their fafety, they were XXXI. alarmed to the highest pitch by a letter from Lima vady, a village twelve miles diftant, giving them an account of the arrival there of the destined garrison on its march, à body of men of a terrible appearance, tall, ferocious in afpect, turbulent in demeznour, and followed by a diforderly crowd of women and children. In the midst of tumult, perturbation, and difcordant counfels, when fubmiffion feemed to be the general defign, when two officers had entered the city to provide quarters, and an advanced party appeared within three hundred yards of the ferrygate, nine young men of the populace drew their fwords in a paroxyfm of ardour, fnatched the keys of the city, raised the draw-bridge, locked the ferrygate, were foon joined by numbers of their own rank, fecured the other gates, and feized the maga zine. The enthufiafm of the nineyouths, communicated immediately to the populace, foon pervaded all ranks; and the citizens, reinforced by a conflux from the country, refolved on defenfe, choofing Philips for their governor, who had fent them the intelligence from Limavady. While Cairnes, the ́ principal perfon among them, was commiffioned to represent their fituation in London, and to folicit fuccours from the prince of Orange, the magiftrates and graver citizens addreffed the lord-deputy, through the medium of Mountjoy, afcribing the exclufion of the king's troops to the ungovernable fury of the populace, frantic by the fears of maffacre; and declaring their refolution to confine themselves to the defense of their lives against a lawless XXXI. lawless rabble, without violating their allegiance. CHAP. On the arrival of lord Mountjoy, and Lundy, his lieutenant colonel, with orders to reduce them, they agreed, after feveral conferences, to admit him on conditions. Stipulations were made that a free pardon fhould be granted in fifteen days; that, in the mean time, two companies only fhould be quartered in the city; that the troops, afterwards admitted, fhould be compofed of at least one half proteftants; and that all should be left at liberty who might wish to remove. affociations. A spirit of refiftance appeared to be diffused from Proteftant Derry through other parts of Ulfter, where affociations were formed under the direction of Mount-Alexander, Blaney, Rawdon, Skeffington, and other leaders. County councils were nominated, and a general council, which was to meet at Hillsborough in the county of Down, for the appointment of officers, and the general direction of affairs. In their publications they declared, that they had united for felf-defense, and for the preservation of their religion; that they refolved to act in fubordination to the government of England, and to promote the convention of a free parliament. At present they were left to their own refources, as no affiftance could be procured from England. As Ormond, the great patron of the Irish proteftants, was now dead, their applications were made through Clarendon, a man difagreeable to the prince of Orange, and therefore not admitted to his prefence till after various delays, nor otherwife received than with coldnefs. When the prince at length was obliged to receive a formal addrefs from the proteftants of Ireland, XXXI. CHAP. Ireland, unable in the midst of multiplied difficulties to afford them relief, he returned a concife and phlegmatic reply: "I thank you; I will take care of you." Treachery of Hamilton and Tyrconnel. Terrified, and admonished by his counsellors of the defperate state of James, Tyrconnel, through the medium of fome proteftants in Ireland, conveyed intimations to London of his willingness to refign. Richard Hamilton, a catholic general, who had been fent into England to oppofe the prince, and had become his prifoner, propofed to repair to the lorddeputy, and to engage him to abdicate his government; promifing in cafe of failure to return. This general had ferved with reputation in France, whence he had been ordered to retire, on account of fome bold addreffes, in the style of love, to the princess of Conti, the king's daughter, and had been hitherto accounted a man of honour; but, on his arrival in Dublin, he affured the chief governor that affairs in England had affumed a very promifing afpect for the restoration of James, advised him ftrenuously to maintain his poft, and remained to affift him in his military operations. Determined on adherence to James, Tyrconnel yet declared with fuch warmth to the proteftant lords his refolution to fubmit to the prince of Orange, that Mountjoy was perfuaded to accompany Rice, the chief baron, on an embaffy to James in France, to repréfent to him the expediency of furrendering Ireland to the power then ruling in England. On his arrival in Paris, Mountjoy was committed to the prifon of the Baftile, |