CHAPTER VII.

VINEGAR-Hill, the scene of so much slaughter, had been in the possession of the rebels above three weeks, during which time the loyalists of Enniscorthy and the surrounding country had been in a state of almost indescribable horror. They were every where seized; a few were butchered on the spot where they happened to fall into the hands of the rebels; but the greater number were carried to the camp on the hill; where upwards of four hundred received sentence by court-martial, and were either shot or destroyed by pikes. Some, after having been apparently killed, recovered strength sufficient to endeavour to escape; but these for the most part fell again into the hands of the rebels, and received the completion of their sufferings. The wonderful preservation of one man, however, Charles Davis, of Enniscorthy, glazier, appears to be particularly worthy of notice. This man, when the town was taken by the insurgents, justly apprehensive that no mercy would be shewn him as a loyalist, had concealed himself in a privy, where he remained some days without any other food than the body of a cock, which had accidentally perched on the seat. Impelled by the cravings of nature, however, when his provisions were exhausted, and disgusted with his loathsome abode, he at length ventured from his place of concealment, and endeavoured to escape. He was seized near the town, conveyed to Vinegar-hill, and received the sentence of a court-martial. Being led out to suffer death pursuant to his sentence, he was

shot through the body and also through one of the arms. As these wounds were not deemed sufficient to extinguish life, he received several severe thrusts from a pike on the head, without injuring the brain; and was then thrown into a hole upon his back, and covered over with earth and stones. Thus consigned to an untimely grave, the unfortunate man remained twelve hours in a state of insensibility, during which period his dog, a faithful animal that never left him, had scraped the covering off his face, and licked it clean from the filth and blood. Superstition-baleful superstition, which, maddened by fanaticism, conjointly with political animosity, had caused so many ruthless scenes of bloodshed and desolation in this unhappy country, was the means of saving this man's existence. He returned to life, his mind disordered by his sufferings, and dreaming that he was about to be murdered by pikemen, pronouncing emphatically the name of father Roche, by whose means he hoped to obtain a protection. Accidentally overheard by some catholics to pronounce that sacred name, they believed him to have been revivified by the particular favour of heaven, that by being made a catholic by Roche, his soul might be saved from those eternal pains which they believed he would otherwise be condemned to endure. Thus impressed, they had him conveyed to a house and treated with such kindness and humanity, that he rapidly recovered, and at length apparently regained his perfect health. This instance of astonishing strength of constitution was by no means singular during the course of the rebellion. The surprising recoveries of many of the Irish peasantry, and the difficulty that was almost invariably found of putting an end to the being even of very old men, may be worthy of an inquiry no less curious than interesting.

At length, however, lieutenant-general Lake, commander in chief of the royal forces, made dispositions to expel the rebels from this hill (as we have already mentioned) which was so strongly fortified that the insurgents considered it impregnable. The troops destined to attack it amcunted in all to upwards of thirteen thousand effective men, together with a formidable train of artillery, and were arranged in columns under several generals, with orders to attack the hill on all points at once, so as to prevent the escape of the rebels: a plan of attack which,

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

* See p. 229.

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.