ing them with their pikes, killed almost in an instant all of the detachment, except the lieu tenant colonel, a serjeant and three privates. If we may believe the accounts of some of the insurgents engaged in this butchery, no more than about three hundred of their number ventured to make this furious attack, of whom only six were armed with firelocks, the rest carrying pikes, with which they made so sudden and close an assault that only three of them were killed, and six wounded, by the disordered soldiery. The body of cavalry, who terrified the rebels into this feat of courage against the militia, consisted of two troops under captain Hawtrey White. These had marched from Gorey very early that morning, with design to attack the insurgents; but after a march of twelve or thirteen miles, the number and position of the enemy were imagined to be such as to render a retreat necessary; and after the killing of some few unarmed strag glers, and some old men who had remained in their houses, they returned to Gorey quite ignorant of the intended march of troops from Wexford, on the opposite side, and unapprehensive of the unhappy fate which awaited that detach ment. While the country exhibited a scene of distress and consternation-houses in flames, and families flying on all sides for asylum: the loyalists to the towns, others to the hills, the body of rebels, under Father John, marched from Oulart, flushed with victory, and perpetually augmented on its way by new accessions. They first took possession of Camolin, a small town six miles westward of Gorey, the loyal inhabitants of which had taken refuge in the latter; and thence advanced to Ferns two miles further, whence the loyalists had fled, six miles southward to Enniscorthy, whither they were followed by the rebels." The number of the latter, on their arrival at Enniscorthy, which they attacked at one o'clock in the afternoon, amounted to about seven thousand, of whom about eight hundred were armed with guns. *The town, situate on both sides of the river Slaney, was garrisoned by about two hundred and ninety men, consisting of militia, yeoman infantry and cavalry, beside some volunteers. At the western side of the town, called the Duffry-gate, whither the yeoman infantry had marched to meet them, the rebels, driving before them a number of horses and other cattle to disorder the ranks of their oponents, a stratagem which had been practised by other bodies of insurgents at Tara-hill and elsewhere, † and rais * A large quantity of fire arms had been sent at such a time to Camolin, and left in such a manner, as to answer the same purpose to the rebels as if they had been sent designedly for their use; the intention doubtless was quite otherwise, as it was done by the management of Earl Mountnorris. This rude stratagem, of driving cattle against the ranks of, an enemy, we find successfully put in practice against the old ing loud and horrible shouts, according to their occasions, made an As the North-Cork with a conduct not universal custom on such irregular but furious onset. militia, whose commander, easily comprehensible by unmilitary men, had not without the utmost difficulty, and most earnest entreaties, been persuaded to lead his men from the bridge, and to form a left wing to the defending army, retreated to their former station, the brave yeomen, who composed the right wing, finding themselves totally unsupported, and unable to withstand alone the multitude of assailants, retreated after a few discharges of musketry to the market-house, where they made a stand. A disorderly fight was maintained in the town, which, to render it untenable, was fired in many parts by the disaffected part of the inhabitants, some of whom also aimed shots from the windows at the garrison. The assailants in a short time extending themselves around, and making dispositions to ford the river in several places, were galled from the bridge, which was now become the station of defence, by the fire of the militia, who doubtless, if their force had been properly directed from the beginning of the attack, in conjunction with Irish inhabitants of the county of Waterford, by Raymond le Gross, who landed near Waterford in the year 1171, with eighty men, the advanced guard of Earl Strongbow's army. Leland's Hist. of Ireland, B. i. chap. 2. the yeomen, would have either entirely repulsed the rebels, or committed such havoc among them as greatly to check their ardour for the prosecution of their schemes. Notwithstanding the little assistance, except at the bridge, received from the militia by the yeomen and volunteers, so fluctuating for some time was the success of the day, that many persons, to avoid the fury of each prevailing party in turn, alternately hoisted the orange and the green ribbon. At length, when the rebels, wading across the river, which was then low, both above and below the bridge, up to the middle in water, some to the neck, had entered the eastern part, called Templeshannon, and set some houses on fire, the garrison, after a gallant defence of above three hours, in which the Enniscorthy infantry, commanded by captain Joshua Pounden, fired above forty rounds each man, abandoned the town, and retreated in great disorder to Wexford. The loss of the garrison, including volunteers, amounted to near ninety, among whom was John Pounden, of Daphne, Esq; a gentleman universally beloved; that of the rebels, who certainly suffered a very galling fire, was said to be five hundred; but I am inclined to think that half that number would be nearer the truth.* Before the yeomanry quitted * Edward Roche, one of the chief leaders of the rebels in their march to Enniscorthy, is said to have declared in the time of his imprisonment, that fourteen hundred chosen men, most or all I the town they had expended their ammunition, though they had repeatedly filled their pouches from the militia magazine. I have given this account from a comparison of different statements made by men who had been on the scene of action; but captain Snowe, who commanded on this occasion, has published a pamphlet in his own vindication, which appears to me to be candid and satisfactory. Expecting to be attacked by two columns of rebels at once, one on each side of the river, which would have been the case if they had been skilfully conducted, he took post on the bridge, the only station whence he could hope to defend the whole. Finding that they had advanced in one. column only, he marched with his whole force to support the yeomen at the Duffry-gate; but when he was proceeding to put his men in order of battle, he was advised by captain Richards of the yeoman cavalry to file to the left, to oppose a body of rebels, who were taking a circuit to enter the town at the rear of the army, by what is called the Daphne road. Observing that this body, instead of facing his men, took a wider furnished with fire-arms, composed the front of the rebel column, and that of these not less than six hundred were slain. Who will vouch for the existence of this declaration, and for the accuracy of knowledge, the veracity, and the sanity of Roche, who, if I am rightly informed, was deranged when a pri soner ? |