body of between three and four hundred men, placed 1799. in ambush and armed almost all with pikes. The attack was made from an height on the left of the column, so unexpectedly and rapidly, that the troops had scarcely time to form; when at that critical moment, a hundred men of the Caithness legion arrived on the spot, and by a brisk fire helped to put the assailants to flight. Their loss amounted to about fifty men; that of the royal troops, by the commander's account, only to a sergeant and one private; which is highly probable, as the insurgents had no fire-arms. 1798. Marquis meut. CHAPTER VIII. Administration of Marquis Cornu adis. On the 21st of June, 1798, Marquis Cornwallis assumes the assumed the civil government and supreme military Govern- command, which it was found necessary to unite in the same person. This appointment under Providence was the salvation of Ireland. His lordship had it in his special commission to put down the rebellion in Ireland by moderation, and to check the ferocity of the Orange system by firmness. A change in the whole system of governing that country had become imperiously necessary, and this nobleman was selected by Mr. Pitt for the purpose. What ulterior commission he had from the British cabinet with reference to the union of the two kingdoms, subsequent events may shew.. * It is the fashionable cry of a certain party, which systematically opposes every proposal brought forward for the advantage of Ireland, to identify the principles of the system of the two governments of Earl Camden and Lord Cornwallis. For many interest. ing facts and assertions upon this subject, the reader is referred to the postliminious preface to the Historical Review of the State of Ireland, published in 1604. He will ther. find, that the author was assured by the prime minister of that day (Lord Sidmouth), that it was an identity of spirit and principle applicable to the varying circumstances of a rising, raging, and expiring rebellion. And he very significantly assured the author, that he knew not the General appoint General On the 28th of June General Lake was recalled 1798. from Wexford, and General Hunter appointed in his Recal of stead, to the inexpressible joy of the surviving inhabit- Lake, and ants. The main body of the Wexford insurgents, ment of reckoned to be fifteen thousand, had directed their Hunter. march, under Father John Murphy, into Carlow, with intention to penetrate into Kilkenny, in hopes of raising the colliers about Castlecomer, who had been in a state of disturbance in the year 1793. Upon entering the gap, they dispersed some troops, who opposed their progress, and defeated a body of the 4th dragoon guards, and of the Wexford militia, who disturbed their passage over the river Barrow; some few were killed, and twenty-seven taken prisoners, of whom seven condemned as Orangemen were shot. The grounds, views, or motives of Lord Cornwallis' actions. *Notwithstanding the constant charges of this contest having become a religious war, it must be allowed, that to the last the cordial enmity of the rebe's was to the Orangeman, and not to the Protestant. Even Sir Richard Musgrave affords evidence of this as late as the day, on which the rebels evacuated Wexford, from a certificate, which he says was given on that day by Father Broe. "I hereby certify that A. of B. in the parish of C. has done his "duty, and proved himself a Roman Catholic, and has made a "voluntary oath, that he never was an Orangemun, nor look the "Orange oath. "Dated Wexford, June 21, 1798. F. JOHN BROE." a 1798. Major-general Sir Charles Asgill, who had marched with a force of about a thousand men to seize the post of New-bridge, arrived too late to stop the progress of the rebel army, which by a rapid movement had pre. occupied that post, where they passed the night. On the next morning that general arrived too late to protect the town of Cas:lecomer, upon which the rebels descended from the heights, having in their route defeated a body of about two hundred and fi ty men at Coolbawn. The town was set on fire, and of this conflagration cach party accuses the other. In the morning of the 25th of June, having taken post at a place called Kilcomny, they were assailed by a force of ncarly twelve hundred men, under General Sir Charles Asgill, and that of Major Matthews, of about five hundred, from Maryborough. After an hour's firing of cannon, the rebels, fearing to be surrounded, filed towards the gap with their usual celerity, leaving all their plunder and artillery behind them. Their artillery consisted of ten light pieces, and among the articles of plunder were seven hundred horses. They forced their way back to the mountains of Wicklow, The other body of Wexford insurgents being joined by the forces under Mr. Garret Byrne, made an unsuccessful attack upon Hacketstown, and finding it impracticable to effect their design, without cannon, of which they had not a single piece, retreated from the place, alter an action of nine hours. During the engagement a considerable force of our cavalry and infantry stood on a hill at a small distance, in view of the scene of action, but did not join in the battle. Shortly after they surprized a' corps of the Ancient 1798. British, and Ballaghkeen cavalry; of whom they slew about eighty without losing a single man. On the 2d of July, they were pursued by a body of yeoman cavalry and infantry, before whom they retired to an eminence, called Ballyrakeen-hill . Here they took post. As the yeomen moved up the hill, the insurgents poured upon them with such impetuosity, that they were in an instant utterly discornfited, with the loss of seventy privates and two officers. The cavalry escaped by flight. The first prominent act of Marquis Cornwallis, to First act of the change put a close to the system of blood and terror, was of system. a proclamation* authorizing his majesty's generals to give protection to such insurgents as, being simply guilty of rebellion, should surrender their arms, abjure all unlawful engagements, and take the oath of allegiance to the King. How necessary at that time such a step was, could be a question of no difficulty to those, who viewing dispassionately the state of affairs, considered what numbers had been seduced into the conspiracy by artifice, and forced into rebellion by unfortunate circumstances. To give the full sanction of law to that necessary measure, a message was delivered from his excellency to the house of .commons, , * The form of it, together with the certificate and oath, are to be seen in my Historical Review, vol. III. p. 773. It was published in the Dublin Gazette only on the 3d of July: but as it bears date the 29th day of June, 1798, it was probably com. municated to General Lake before publication, as that general left Wexford on the 28th. |