This body of rebels burnt every proteftant house within fix miles of Hacketftown, in every direction, and murdered fuch of their inmates as they could *feize. Wherever they encamped, they, as ufual, fent out parties in queft of proteftants, whom they murdered. Mr. William Byrne, of Ballymanus, frequently was prefent at, and gave orders at the mallacres, for which he was foon after hanged. Ifaac Langrell, a proteftant, was piked near Gorey; after which, as fome figns of life appeared in him, a ruffian, with a hay knife on the end of a stick, gave him a stroke across the neck, which almoft fevered his head from his body; on which William Byrne, who was pretent with a drawn fword, and feemed to command the party, ordered them to march off, saying, "For the heretick will rife no more." The following fact was proved on a court-martial at Wexford, the 19th of May, 1800: Henry Hinch, a proteftant, was taken from his own house, near Gorey, by a band of affaffins, and conveyed to the rebel camp, where Mary Forde faw him on his knees, begging his life; when Mary Redmond, his neighbour, whom he had regarded as a friend, infifted that he should be killed; on which he was fhot, and when he fell fhe ftruck his body with a ftone, and called him an orange rogue. Then a rebel of the name of Philips fired another fhot at him. This poor man, who had lived by his induftry, left a wife and nine children, As that column ftill continued to infeft the country contiguous to Gorey, general Needham, on the morning of the thirtieth of June, fent Hunter Gowan, captain of the Tinahely cavalry, with a part of his corps, to reconnoitre near Moneyfeed. † From a hill near that town, about three o'clock in the morning, he perceived the rebels in a hollow under him in very great force, having received large reinforcements fince their flight from Vinegar-hill. He fent intelligence gence of it to general Needham, who ordered colonel Pulefton, of the Ancient Britons, to join him immediately with detachments from his own regiment, the 4th and 5th dragoons, the Ballaghkeene, Gorey and Wingfield yeomen cavalry. The latter, before the reinforcement arrived, killed eight or ten fcattered rebels, and among them one Brien, who the day before went to general Needham, pretended to return to his allegiance, furrendered a pike, and in confequence of it obtained a protection; but on that day he was armed with a musket. The rebels advanced to Tinahely, • and having turned off to Wingfield, † burned the old manfion there, and then proceeded to Moneyfeed, where our troops first got fight of them. From thence they pursued them for two miles, to a place called Ballyellis, where the rebels, being clofely preffed, placed their baggage and their cars in the road, and posted a number of pike-men in their front. As foon as our cavalry came in fight of them, at the turn of a road, they charged them with great impetuofity; but when they were within a fhort distance of them, the pikemen leaped over the hedges at each fide, on which the horses in front were entangled in the cars; and thofe in their rear preffing on them, a fhocking fcene of confufion enfued; both men and horfes were involved and tumbled over each other: The rebels fired on them from behind the hedges and a park wall which was near, and while they were in this flate of embarrassment, killed numbers of them with their muskets, and piked fuch of them as happened to be unhorfed. Colonel Pulefton, whofe horse they fhot or piked, was with difficulty faved by his men. Captain Giffard, of the Ancient Britons, and Mr. Parfons, adjutant of the Ballaghkeene cavalry, who had ferved with reputation abroad, and about fixty privates of the military and yeomen, were killed. I have * Plate II. I. +Ibid. 2. #Ibid. 4. I have been affured, that this action would have been more fatal to the loyalifts, but that the Wingfield corps, who were on the right, went through a lane to a hill which commanded the rebels, whom they put into confufion by a well-directed fire, and of whom they killed from twenty to thirty. The defign of the rebels was to furprise the town of Carnew, which was about a mile diftant, to have killed fifty yeomen, who garrifoned it, and to have burnt the few houfes which they had not deftroyed before; but the garrifon having been apprifed of their defign by fome of the cavalry in their retreat, took poft in a malt-house, and defended the town fo well, that the rebels, unable to pafs through it, retired to Ballyellis,* and in their retreat burnt a fine new house of fir John Jervis White. They then took poft on Kilcavan-hill, near Moneyfeed, and to the north weft of Gorey, where the Wexford rebels feparated from thofe of the county of Wicklow, who were commanded by Garret Byrne of Ballymanus; for, foon after the battle of Vinegarhill, they had united and co-operated. This feparation was occafioned by a difpute between their leaders. They repaired from Kilcavan, where they remained but an hour, to Ballyraheene-hill, which lies between Carnew and Tinahely. In their progress they killed twelve proteftants, among whom was a farmer of the name of Driver, and burned fome houses. They were-purfued by detachments of the Wingfield and Shillelah cavalry, the Tinahely infantry commanded by captain Morton, the Coolatin by captain Chamney, and the Coolkenna by captain Nixon, the whole making about one hundred and twenty. They endeavoured to gain the hill of Ballyraheene, which was high and steep, before the rebels, but could not fucceed. However, though they were posted on an eminence, eminence, and behind hedges, and notwithstanding their great fuperiority of numbers, the brave and loyal. yeomenry, with a degree of valour bordering on rafhrefs, attacked and engaged them for three quarters of an hour; but were at laft obliged to retreat, as the rebels were endeavouring to furround them. Captains Chamney and Nixon, and feventeen privates, were killed, and many were wounded. Though Garret Byrne had been the particular friend of captain Chamney, he ordered his houfe, which was within a quarter of a mile of the action, to be burnt but lieutenant Chamney having taken poft ¿ in it with forty yeomen, defended it all night against the whole hoft of rebels, of whom they killed great numbers, One of them was fhot in endeavouring to fet fire to the hall-door, bearing a feather bed on his back for his defence. This engagement took place the fecond of July, two miles from Tinahely, and four from Carnew. Garret and William Byrne of Ballymanus, who headed the banditti, which committed these outrages and barbarities, piqued themselves on the antiquity of their family. Garret, the eldest brother, had an eftate, and was reputed a gentleman, from his birth, property and education. Edward Fitzgerald alfo was a man of independent fortune, and had received a good education. On the fourth of July, general Needham, who was ftationed at Gorey with a fmall force, received information that this body of rebels had for two nights been affembled at the White heaps, a very elevated fpot, which had an extenfive plain on the top. It is about fix miles to the north of Gorey, and near the village of Coolgreney. Thinking it a very favourable opportunity for attacking them, he concerted measures for that purpose with general fir James Duff and the marquis of Huntley; the former commanded at Carnew, the latter at Arklow. § * Plate II. 1, 2. 1 Ibid. 4. § Ibid., General General Duff's column was deftined to cut off the retreat of the rebels by the Wicklow gap, that of the marquis of Huntley was to occupy the fummit of Croghan mountain, which lies to the north of Coolgreney, and to intercept their flight by that af cent. At General Needham was to make the attack. dawn of day he approached within half a mile of the White heaps, when his advanced guard was perceived by fome videttes of the rebels, pofted near a farm-house, in which feveral of the rebel leaders had flept the preceding night. Thefe videttes gave the alarm to the main body, and it unfortunately happened that foon after a fog arofe, fo thick as to retard the movement of our troops, and to afford a cover to the rebels to escape. When general Needham arrived on the White heaps, he found very visible marks of the enemy having lept there the night before; however he met but a few ftragglers, who were put to death. About twelve o'clock, the fog clearing off, he obferved the rebels afcending Croghan mountain, where, meeting by furprife the marquis of Huntley's corps, they defcended rapidly, and endeavoured to efcape by Wicklow-gap, which lies to the fouth-west of Croghan; where, approaching in the fog, close to fir James Duff's column, a few rounds of grape fhot compelled them to change the courfe of their flight towards a hill near Moneyfeed, where they were closely purfued by fir James, when, on the difperfion of the fog, they were perceived by general Needham, who, though at two miles diftance, joined in the purfuit; and finding that his infantry could not advance with fufficient celerity, he pufhed on his cavalry, which joined that of fir James Duff. At length the rebels, after having been pur, fued and haraffed by our cavalry for above twelve miles, and finding themfelves unable to proceed, refolved to try the issue of a conteft, and for that pur * Plate II. 1. pofe |