1798. Marquis assumes the ment. CHAPTER VIII. Administration of Marquis Cornwallis. On the 21st of June, 1798, Marquis Cornwallis Cornwallis 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 com mission he had from the British cabinet with reference to the union of the two kingdoms, subscquent 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 interesting 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 1804. He will there 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 1798. General appoint General On the 28th of June General Lake was recalled 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 Wexfo d 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 rebels 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 Broc. "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 Orangeman, nor took the "Orange oath. "Dated Wexford, June 21, 1798. F. JOHN BROE." 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 preoccupied that post, where they passed the night. On the next morning that general arrived too late to protect the town of Castlecomer, upon which the rebels descended from the heights, having in their route defeated a body of about two hundred and fifty men at Coolbawn. The town was set on fire, and of this conflagration each 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 nearly 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, fled 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, after 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 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 discomfited, with the loss of seventy privates and two officers. The cavalry escaped by flight. 1798. the change The first prominent act of Marquis Cornwallis, to First act of 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 communicated to General Lake before publication, as that general left Wexford on the 28th. 1798. Final dispersion of the Wexford insurgents. on the 17th of July, signifying his Majesty's pleasure to that effect; and an act of amnesty wasacc ordingly passed in favor of all engaged in the rebellion, who had not been leaders, who had not committed manslaughter, except in the heat of battle, and who should comply with the conditions mentioned in the proclamation. The Wexford insurgents had fixed their station near the White Heaps, at the foot of Croghan Mountain; whence they moved, during the night of the 4th of July, toward Wicklow Gap; but on the morning of the 5th, the army under Sir James Duff from Carnew, under cover of a thick fog, surrounded them in four powerful divisions, before they could perceive the approach of any enemy. Finding themselves unable to withstand a battle, they broke through the pursuing cavalry, of whom they slew about eighty, and moved with their usual velocity in the direction of Carnew. Upon their arrival at Ballygullen, they resolved to await the approach of the troops, and try the issue of a battle. Their force was then considerably reduced. They maintained the contest for an hour and a half with the utmost intrepidity. They repulsed the cavalry, and drove the artillerymen three times from their guns; but fresh reinforcements of the army pouring in on all sides, they were obliged to give way, quitting the field of battle with little loss to themselves, and notwithstanding their fatigue, retreated with stupendous celerity in different directions. They assembled again at Carrigrew, where upon considering the reduced state of their forces and the ad |