James William the superiority of numbers and discipline. diffided in his troops, and seemed more bent upon his personal safety than the issue of the battle: William confided in his own exertions, and the advantage of his presence and example to animate his troops. The result corresponded with the foresight, judgment, and exertions of the rival commanders. 21. On the last day of June, the two armies were sta tioned on each side of the river Boyne, in sight of each other. William, while reconnoitring his enemy, was wounded on the shoulder by a cannon ball, which had been aimed at him. An immediate conflux of his men around him gave rise to a report that he was killed. It flew through Ireland, and soon reached Paris, which was illuminated on the occasion, and displayed all the rejoicings of a victory. About nine o'clock at night William called a council of war, and without asking the advice of his officers, ordered his army to cross the river on the next morning, in three divisions, under Count Schomberg, the duke his father, and himself in person. 21. No sooner had James perceived Count Schomberg marching off towards Slanes, than he imagined the whole army was following; and by dispatching large bodies of troops to watch their motions, he considerably weakened his main body. William, as soon as he heard that Count Schomberg had passed the river, ordered the advanced body to cross, who formed as fast as they got footing. The Irish troops, after an ill-directed fire from the houses, breastworks, and hedges, fled. General Hamilton, who commanded the Irish cavalry, enraged at the cowardice of the infantry, ordered brandy to be distributed amongst his dragoons, and then bore down with resistless impetuosity upon the enemy, who had advanced into the open ground. A body of French, which had hitherto been undiscovered, advancing to support Hamilton's charge, with an order proportioned to his want of it, threw William's centre into disorder. The Dutch stopped, the French protestants were broken, the English advanced slowly, and the Danes fled back through the river, pursued by a part of Hamilton's dragoons. Callimote, the commander of the French protestants, was mortally wounded. In the mean time, that part of Hamilton's dragoons, which had entered the river, finding their career stopped, returned, and in their way, breaking through the French protestants a second time, wounded Schomberg, and hurried him along, till he fell by the fire of his own men, who mistook him for the enemy. William, in the mean time, who had passed the river below, was preparing to fall on the enemy's flank. At this sight the Irish retired to the strong station of Dunmore, where the battle lasted above half an hour with various success. The Irish infantry once more gave way. Hamilton, with his cavalry, again attempted to recover the victory, and had nearly succeeded, when he was taken prisoner. James, on learning that Count Schomberg was still advancing towards Dunleek, whither he had ordered his army to retire, fled with his principal officers, while the armies were still engaged. William immediately directed a pursuit, the celerity of which prevented the enemy from defending the pass of Dunleek, and the victory became complete. About two thousand of the Irish fell: the English report that they lost not above one-fourth of that number. 22. The battle of the Boyne turned the scale of the kingdom. William, although he commanded à considerable su periority of force, attended to the duties of a vigilant, steady, and intrepid general, shared the danger of his army, encouraging it by his presence, voice, and example, even after he had been wounded and pressed by his officers to retire from the action, and be more cautious of his person. James stood at a secure distance, a cold spectator of the contest for his crown; so fearful of his enemy, or diffident of himself or his troops, that his chief concern and preparation before the battle were to secure his personal retreat.* He fled with * When James, after his flight, arrived in Dublin, he had the ungracious imprudence to reflect upon the cowardice of the Irish; an infamy so little known in Ireland, that their native language has no word to express it. A printed account, in the nature of a bulletin, was circulated through London at the time of these transactions in Ireland, containing the following account; "At five this morning, being Wednesday the 2d of July, king James having sent for the Irish lord mayor and some principal persons to the castle, told them that he found all things against him: that in England he had an army which would have fought, but they proved false and deserted him; that there he had an army, which was loyal enough, but would not stand by him; he was now necessitated to provide for his safety, and that they should make the best terms for themselves that they could. He told his menial servants that he would have no further occasion to keep such a court as he had done, and that they were at liberty to dispose of themselves. He desired them, therefore, all to be kind to the protestants, and not injure them or their city; for though he quitted it, he did not quit his interest in it, and so with two or three in company he went to Bray, and along by the sea to precipitancy to Dublin, and thence to Waterford, where a frigate was ready to convey him to France. Thus did he leave the worsted relicks of his army to make the best stand they could against the enemy, and procure from him the best terms their personal bravery entitled them to. 23. James, in his flight, received a letter from Louis the XIVth, in which that monarch informed him, that his victory at Fleurs had put it in his power to draw his garrisons from the interior of Flanders to the coast, and of the station his fleet had taken, which had prevented his enemies from succouring each other. Louis urged him to retire to France, and leave the conduct of the Irish war to his generals, with orders to protract it. In his passage he met a French fleet of frigates, with which Seignelai had been commissioned to burn William's transports, then on the coast of Ireland: but this unfortunate monarch, more immediately intent upon his own personal safety, than the successful progress of his arms in Ireland, insisted upon their returning to convoy him safe to France. 24. The flight of James and the retreat of his army left William with such force about Drogheda, as to enable him to summon it to surrender. The governor having hesitated, William threatened to treat the garrison as Cromwell had in case of resistance. It instantly yielded. And William hastily advanced to Dublin, where he was received with enthusiasm by the protestants, and without any resistance from the catholics. William did not follow up his victory at the Boyne with all the energy that might have been expected. James's army retreated to the Shannon; and was pursued by ten regiments of foot and five of cavalry under general Douglas. The French were at this time masters of the sea. William, therefore, marched along the coast, and took Wex Waterford, having appointed his carriages to meet him another way. We hear he did not sleep till he got on ship-board; and, having been once driven in again, is since clear gone off." It is also reported, that when James arrived late at night at the castle, the lady (then stiled duchess) Tyrconnel received him with the most sympathizing respect and condolence, when the king sarcastically reflected upon the alertness of the runaway Irish, to which with becoming spirit she replied, that his majesty had at least the advantage of any of them. There is no question but the Irish would have stood by James to the very last, had he not so shamefully fled. Although his army retreated in good order, so as to command the admiration of the enemy, yet, indignant at the dastardly conduct of their commander, they cried out generally to the enemy, as they retreated, “ exchange kings, and we will fight the battle over again." ford, Waterford, and Duncannon forts. Having anchored his fleet in places of safety, with five regiments he left the army on the 27th of July, with the intent of returning to England: but having been apprized on his march that the French, after having set fire to the small fishing town of Teignmouth, had quitted the coast, he returned to the army on the 8th of August, and advanced to Limerick, round which the greatest part of James's army was gathered. There general Douglas, after an ineffectual pursuit of the enemy and an unsuccessful attempt upon Athlone, joined him. William, after having lain before the town about ten days, ordered a general storm, but was repulsed with heavy loss. He soon after raised the siege; and the same day set off for England, leaving Count Solmes to command the army, who was very soon superseded by general Ginkell. 25. Lord Marlborough, being anxious to signalize himself, obtained from the queen and council the command of 5000 men that were then unemployed in England. He gave a solemn pledge that he would take Cork and Kinsale before the winter, which he effected, and returned to England on the 28th of October, where he was received with great acclamation,, and some national boast that an English general had accomplished more in one month than all William's foreign generals had effected in two campaigns. 26. William was most anxious to terminate the war in Ireland for whilst there was a loyal banner flying, he was apprehensive of the English malecontents, whom he knew to be more numerous than it was prudent to notice. He accordingly gave orders to Ginkell to make an end of the war at any rate. With great wisdom he completely recruited his army, and supplied it with all necessary provisions and stores. He sent over also an unlimited pardon to all who would apply for the benefit of it, James having reported unfavourably to Louis of his prospects in Ireland, and having endeavoured to palliate his flight by arraigning the conduct of his Irish troops, great part of the French forces under Boileau marched to Galway, and thence reembarked for France. The service was disagreeable to the French they undervalued the Irish; and felt little ardour in fighting for a nation abandoned by their own sovereign. On the other hand, the Irish ridiculed the pompous parade and pageantry of the French, and set so high a value upon the superiority of their own prowess and athletic powers as to disdain their assistance. Jealousies and broils were the consequence of these opposite sensations. Great disorders prevailed during the winter from the undisciplined state of the army which James had thus abandoned; the cruelties of the lowest orders of peasantry, called Raparrees, who outraged both friend and foe, and the brutality with which the army of William treated the Irish as a conquered people, all conspired to complete the miseries of the unfortunate Irish. James sent back Tyrconnel as chief governor, to restore order and confidence. Competitions rose between him and Sarsefield, and it was found advisable to supersede them both by St. Ruth, a French general, who took the command of the army in the spring. He was an officer of great merit, and notwithstanding a general want of money, stores, provisions, and every necessary for the campaign, effected by a judicious plan of defence more than could have been expected under so many disadvantages. ; 27. After a very valiant defence, Athlone was taken by storm, and St. Ruth fell back upon Aghrim, which lay about ten miles to the southward. The jealousy between St. Ruth and Sarsefield, which had subsisted from the appointment of the latter, rose to an excess at Athlone, and contributed to the loss of that important garrison. St. Ruth collected about 25,000 men at Aghrim, and there resolved to put the fate of the country on the hazard of a battle. His dispositions and order of battle were extremely judicious: and the contest was maintained with equal bravery by both armies. The Irish, by the masterly movements of St. Ruth, were gaining the advantage over the English army, which had been carried by its ardour into a most perilous situation, when St. Ruth was killed by a cannon-ball. This event gave a turn to the day, and the English gained a complete victory; which they disgraced by following up with such fury for four miles as to give no quarter. They report that they killed above 7000 of the enemy, and lost only about 700 of their own men. Sarsefield, who, on the death of St. Ruth, succeeded to the command, not having had the order of bat tle communicated to him, was unable to follow it up and such was the confusion into which the death of St. Ruth threw the Irish army, that they could not be rallied, and they retired in haste and disorder upon Limerick. : 28. Limerick was the only place of strength in which the Irish could make a stand; and here they resolved to venture their last stake. Ginkell followed with as much haste as he prudently could, and, with a view of finishing the |