Page images
PDF
EPUB

ers, surrendering their arms, and returning with sincerity to their alleigance.

(Signed)

" G. LAKE."

"Soon after captain M'Manus had departed with the proposals, the rebel leaders desired lord Kingsborough to dispatch a second messenger, lest the king's troops should arrive before the terms had been accepted. He accordingly sent ensign Harman, to request the general to encamp at Carrick-bridge, beAs the ensign was fore he advanced into the town. proceeding on the road, he was met by father Murphy, who exclaimed " he would have no peace," and ordered his aid-de-camp to shoot him; on which he drew a pistol and shot Harman through the head.

"After these proposals were forwarded, the rebel general Roche endeavoured to persuade them to go out and meet the army; but all his intreaties were in vain; for when captain Boyd of the Wexford cavalry, and a few of his troop, appeared, the rebels fled over the bridge in the greatest confusion, and in the course of a few minutes the streets were almost clear. On the cry of" The army is come!" a number of wretches, sick and wounded, ran out of the infirmary, some of them without clothes, and followed their associates; the greater part of whom made the best of their way to Kilmuckridge, and the rest into the barony of Forth.

"When captain Boyd arrived, and found that the

rebels had evacuated the town, he immediately proceeded to the gaol to see the surviving prisoners, who had been miserably fed for some time. He instantly set them at liberty; but recommended them to remain in prison, until after the king's troops arrived, lest they should be mistaken for rebels and put to death. Shortly after the Queen's Royals arrived in the most regular order, not a word being heard in all the ranks, and took possession of the garrison. The joy of the inhabitants, particularly the protestants who were doomed to death, was inexpressible. Had they arrived a day sooner, the massacre upon the bridge would have been prevented.

"General Lake entered the town of Wexford in the morning of the twenty-second of June, and estab-lished his staff in Keugh's house. He then issued a proclamation for apprehending all the rebel leaders; assuring the deluded multitude, that such as would surrender and deliver up their arms, should receive mercy and protection: he also issued general orders that no person should be put to death, unless he had been tried and condemned by a court-martial. He forbid any inhabitant or other person being molested, and charged the soldiers not to take any article away from any person, without having paid for it.

"The victories which the king's troops had gained at Vinegar-hill, and other places, and the evacuation of Wexford, so dispirited the rebels, that numbers of them repaired to the different commanders of garriVOL. II.

I

sons, took the oath of allegiance, and obtained protections.

"A few days after the king's troops entered Wexford, the famous rebel general, father Roche, was arrested, tried by a court-martial, and executed on the bridge, along with one Fenelon, and some others; after which their bodies were thrown into the river. Roche was tall and very corpulent, and so heavy, that when he was suspended, the rope broke and he fell to the ground: on recovering a little, he said, "God's "blood! what are you about? why do you pull my "stock so tight?" He then ascended the fatal step a second time, and was launched into eternity.

"As soon as it was known at Wexford that the rebels were defeated at Vinegar-hill, Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey, who had acted as commander in chief to the rebels, made his escape, and accompanied by Mr John Colclough, fled to one of the Saltee islands, about four miles from the shore, taking with them provisions, wine, spirits, and arms. There they purposed remaining until a favourable opportunity offered for getting themselves conveyed to France. Informa tion having been received by government where they had secreted themselves, a party of military was dispatched in pursuit of them, on the twenty-fourth of June, who landed on the island the following morning. Soon after they landed, they found a chest of plate, and some articles of wearing apparel, and after a diligent search, discovered them, secreted in a cave

and disguised as peasants. They immediately surrendered their arms, came forth, and were conveyed back to Wexford the next morning. Mr Harvey's trial commenced the same evening. He did not deny his having acted as commander of the rebel forces, but endeavoured to extenuate, by saying, "That he ac"cepted the command to prevent much greater evils, "which would accrue from its falling into other hands, "and with the hope of surrendering that command,.

[ocr errors]

one day or other, with great advantage to the coun"try." He had no counsel, and after a trial which lasted near eight hours, he was found guilty-death; which sentence was put in execution on the morning of the twenty-eighth. His head was placed on the session house, and his body thrown into the river.

"Mr Colclough was also executed on the evening of the twenty-eighth, and his body thrown into the river.

"Cornelius Grogan was arrested at his seat in Johrstown, and on his trial endeavoured to prove that he was forced to act as commissary to the rebel army; but was convicted and executed. His head was placed upon the court-house, and his body thrown into the

river.

“Matthew Keugh, who acted as governor of Wexford, was taken prisoner, convicted on the clearest evidence, and executed. His head was also placed on the session-house.

"Esmond Kyan, commander of the rebel artillery, was also taken prisoner, tried, found guilty, and executed.

"Edward Roche, a rebel general, was taken prisoner, tried, sentenced for transportation, and was sent to Newgate, with some other convicts. Before the vessel was ready to convey them abroad, he died suddenly.

"Richard Monk, a rebel captain, received a wound in an engagement, and was proceeding to surrender himself to colonel Maxwell, at Newtownbarry, when he was overtaken by some yeomanry and shot.

"Thomas Dixon, who led the rebel band that murdered the prisoners on the bridge of Wexford, was noted for cruelty and cowardice. His wife was, if possible, more sanguinary than himself. They never could be found, though a great reward was offered for their apprehension.

"In the whole, sixty-six persons were tried by court-martial, and executed at Wexford."

"While the surviving loyalists in Wexford were rejoicing at their deliverance, a very tragic scene was acted in Gorey. On the departure of general Needham from the latter town to Vinegar-hill, on the twentieth of June, he had sent an express to captain Holmes, of the Durham regiment, who commanded

« PreviousContinue »