1829.)] in the Irish Rebellion. 373 
would have made the most generous man selfish. And he was a friendly 
man, but he could not save us all, so, as was but reasonable, he took with 
him those who were nearest to him. 
At eleven in the forenoon, the videttes brought word from the Duffrey 
Gate, that the rebels were advancing towards the town from the north- 
east, in a column that completely filled the road, and was more than a 
mile in length ; they were calculated, by some of our garrison who had 
served abroad, to exceed six thousand men. They soon closed with our 
Enniscorthy Yeomen, and the shots, and the shouting, fell sharply on 
our ears. I was at first greatly frightened, and the children hid their 
faces in my lap, but in a few minutes I became used to the noise, and 
could speak to my mother, and try to give her some comfort, but she 
seemed stupified, and could say nothing in answer, but now and then 
to lament that her fine boy was in the midst of the danger. She seemed 
not to comprehend that my father was equally exposed, more especially 
as he (seeing that the disaffected inhabitants had now actually begun to 
set their own houses on fire) had twice or thrice quitted his post, on 
the enemy being partially repulsed, and ran down to see if we were yet 
safe, and to tell us that William was well, and behaving like a man and 
a soldier ; he then, on again hearing the advancing shouts of the rebels, 
would rush back to the fight. This imprudence, in which he did but 
imitate the rest of his comrades, gave dreadful advantage to the enemy, 
yet it was not cowardice that caused them to actthus, for they gave proofs 
of even desperate courage, but from their painful anxiety for all that 
was dearest to them, and from their being totally unacquainted with the 
duties of a soldier, for, until the preceding day, the greater part of the 
Supplementary Yeomen had never before carried arms. 
The fearful firing had now continued nearly three hours. Our men 
were forced to fall back into the town, for our little garrison was now 
reduced to less than two hundred, and though upwards of five hundred 
of the enemy were killed, they were so numerous that they never felt 
the loss. The North Cork were now obliged to provide for their own 
safety ; and I have since heard it said, that they neglected to sound a 
retreat, which, if done, might have enabled many of the Enniscorthy 
men to make a more regular one. As it was, some of them dispersed 
through the fields, and gained Duncannon Fort in safety, amongst whom 
was my brother, and the rest retreated fighting through the burning 
streets, and more than once repulsed the enemy; these would again 
return on them in thousands, till at last, though they disputed every 
inch of ground, they were forced to retreat to the Market-house, 
and join their comrades who kept it. The house that sheltered us was 
directly opposite, and though nore within dared venture to the win- 
dows, yet we knew, from the increased uproar, that destruction had 
come nearer to us. At last the fire reached us, and we rushed from the 
flames into the midst of the fight, leaving all we had so anxiously saved 
the day before to be consumed, without bestowing a thought upon it. 
A know not what became of the wounded, but if they even perished in 
the flames, it was a more merciful death than they would have met from 
the rebels. We fled across the square to the Market-house, and I, who 
had never before seen a corpse, had now to step over, and even upon, 
the bodies of those rebels who had fallen by the fire of our men, whilst, 
which ever way I turned my eyes, I saw dozens strewed around. I do 
not know by what means we were admitted, but it was owing to the 
