river, and set fire to the town in several places. General Asgil at length arriving, commenced a heavy fire on the town with his artillery, not knowing that many loyalists were still in it making a gallant defence. This firing, however, considerably annoyed the rebels, and determined them to retire from the town about four o'clock in the afternoon. The general, however, considered the town not tenable, and the remaining loyalists were consequently obliged to retreat with him to Kilkenny, leaving their goods a prey to the enemy, who again took possession of the town on the retreat of the army.

The loss of the rebels in this action might be near two hundred in killed and wounded.

The enemy immediately began to plunder the houses of the loyalists who retreated, and committed every excess. The main body afterwards retired to the high grounds, where they remained till the following day. Being disappointed of raising an insurrection in the county of Kilkenny, where few had joined them, they determined to retreat back into the county of Wexford, through Scullagh gap. On the twenty-fifth of June they marched from the ridge with this resolution, proceeded toward Newbridge, and took post near that town on a rising ground at a place called Kilcomney. Here they were attacked on three sides at once, about six o'clock on the following morning, by the army under general Asgil, amounting to near twelve hundred effective men, and that of major Matthews, amounting to five hundred men, composed chiefly of the Downshire militia from Maryborough. The alacrity of the latter army to attack the insurgents, seems to have been the cause why they were not allowed to escape into the county of Wexford without a battle. After about an hour's firing of cannon, the rebels, fearing that they would be surrounded, fled precipitately, and in the greatest confusion, towards Scullagh gap, leaving all their cannon, ammunition, and plunder, in the hands of the army. They were pursued with slaughter by the cavalry near six miles. Their artillery consisted of ten light field pieces and some swivels. Among the booty were one hundred and seventy cattle, one hundred sheep, and seven hundred horses.

The loss of the king's troops has been stated by the general at only seven men: that of the rebels amounted to upwards of two hundred. They, however, forced their way through the gap, in which they were opposed by a small body of troops, and directed their course through the dwarf woods near Ferns to the Wicklow mountains.

Father John Murphy, the commander in chief, was taken soon after and hanged at Tullow. His body was burned and his head fixed on the market-house.

CHAPTER XIII.

MEANTIME Ulster, the quarter in which the principles of the United Irishmen had first appeared, the best acquainted with the use of arms, and the most enlightened province of Ireland-where government had reason to be most of all apprehensive of the consequences of insurrection-continued in a state of almost perfect tranquility. The inhabitants of this province, chiefly presbyterians, though perhaps possessed of greater courage than the people of the southern districts, yet appear to have acted with the greatest caution and circumspection. Though the mail-coaches did not arrive, the signal for their rising, they resolved to wait till they should learn whether their brethren in the south had actually appeared in arms. Lord O'Neil, however, governor of the county of Antrim, in consequence of certain intelligence that an insurrection was shortly to take place in that county, summoned the magistrates to meet on the seventh of June at the town of Antrim, in order to concert measures for its suppression. The leaders of the association, apprised of his lordship's designs, and convinced that something must immediately be done, resolved, in order to counteract those designs, to appear in arms on the same day, and, with their followers, to seize the town, together with his lordship and the magistrates, whom they intended to detain as hostages, in the midst of their deliberations. In the town was a quantity of ammunition, and a great number of arms sur

rendered at different times by the disaffected, which they also hoped to regain possession of.

The attack was accordingly made about two o'clock in the afternoon, with such impetuosity, that the troops were quickly overpowered, and the town nearly completely taken. A reinforcement, however, having been ordered to march to Antrim, by the commander in the district, general Nugent, arrived at the very moment, and attacked the rebels, now within the town. But the vanguard, consisting of cavalry, being repulsed with the loss of twenty men, three of whom were officers, colonel Durham ordered the artillery to batter the town, which soon compelled the insurgents to abandon it. They fled towards Shanes-castle (the residence of Lord O'Neil) and Randalstown, whither they were pursued with the slaughter of about two hundred men. They left behind them a six-pounder, two curricle guns which they had taken from the king's troops, and a considerable quantity of small arms. Amongst the losses of the loyalists were colonel Lumley of the 22d dragoons and lieutenant Murphy wounded; cornet Dunn killed; and lord O'Neil mortally wounded.

About half-past one on the seventh, a body of insurgents attacked Randalstown, where fifty of the Toome yeomanry surrendered to them. At ten o'clock they abandoned the town and marched to Toome, where they remained two days.

An attack was made on the morning of the seventh upon the town of Larne, by a small body which was repulsed by the garrison, consisting of a detachment of the Tay fencibles under a subaltern officer.

Feeble attempts were made on Ballymene and Ballycastle.

Disgusted by so many defeats, the main body retired to Donegor-hill, where the greater part broke or surrendered their arms, and nearly the whole of them dispersed, to which they were incited by the exhortations of Mr. M'Cloverty, a magistrate whom they had taken prisoner.

On the eighth of June a partial insurrection commenced in the county of Down; a numerous body of rebels having made their appearance in the neighbourhood of Saintfield, under the command of a doctor Jackson of Newtownards. Colonel

Stapleton having received information to this effect, immediately marched with a detachment of York fencibles, with some yeomen cavalry and infantry, and two pieces of artillery, towards Saintfield. On the ninth the rebels elected Henry Munro, a shopkeeper of Lisburn, their general; and having been informed of colonel Stapleton's approach, placed themselves in ambush on each side of the road he had to pass, about a quarter of a mile from Saintfield. They suffered the gratest part of the army to pass unmolested, and then opened a heavy fire on their rear, which consisted of cavalry, and so far succeeded that the royal army was for some time in danger of total defeat, hav ing lost about fifty of their number, among whom were captain Chetwynd, lieutenant Unitt, and ensign Sparks, together with the Rev. Mr. Mortimer, who had just joined them.

The infantry, however, on whom the cavalry had been driven in confusion, rallying with a cool intrepidity, at length dislodged the rebels, who fled in the greatest disorder towards Newtownards, with a considerable loss in killed and wounded. The army, after retaining possession of the field of battle for two hours, retreated to Belfast.

The day after the rebels were defeated at Saintfield, they attacked a small body of troops who had taken post in the market-house at Newtownards, to guard a quantity of ammunition, baggage, &c. These finding they could not withstand the superior force of the enemy, at length consented to capitulate, and marched to Belfast.

Having now gained a considerable quantity of ammunition, and little discouraged by the defeat at Saintfield, the rebels reassembled and took post at Ballynahinch, on the Windmill-hill, and at the house and in the demesne of lord Moira.

On the twelfth of June general Nugent marched against them from Belfast, with a detachment of the 22d dragoons, the Monaghan militia, and some yeomen cavalry and infantry; and was joined by colonel Stewart with his party from Downpatrick, making in all near fifteen hundred men. After a few discharges of artillery the rebels were driven from the hill, and obliged to join their friends at lord Moira's, with the loss of a colonel who was taken and hanged. General Nugent then took possese