112 



IRELAND (HISTORY.) 



lliis, the inhabitants were not unapprehensive ; but 

 they trusted thai suppli<s of forces uiul provisions 

 would speedily arrive from England; and, in the 

 mean time, the clergy in the town, both of the estab- 

 h>hment and belonging to the dissenters, by daily 

 lul iressiug Uie people in the cathedral, kept up and 

 eveu increased their determination never to yield. 



The town had been first assailed on the 17th of 

 April. On the 30th of July, three ships were seen 

 in Loch Foyle, part of some whic.li had before ap- 

 peared there. On these vessels the eyes both of the 

 besiegers and besieged were anxiously fixed. The 

 attempt to approach the town was extremely difficult 

 and ImzanUms; and the besiegers now did every 

 tiling in their power to increase the difficulty and 

 danger. Where the lake narrowed, its shores were 

 linea with batteries, and a boom formed as strong as 

 it could be made, was stretched across this narrow 



ni. This boom consequently must be broken, 

 jre the vessels could possibly approach. One of 

 them came near it. All eyes were fixed on the 

 event Sailing with considerable velocity, she broke 

 the boom. The besieged were almost intoxicated 

 with joy, when the next moment their joy was 

 changed to despair, on observing the vessel on 

 shore, in consequence of the rebound given her in 

 breaking the boom. The next moment the recoil of 

 her guns, which were fired on the besiegers as they 

 attempted to take possession of her, again set her 

 afloat. The garrison were now relieved from famine ; 

 and as on famine alone the besieged had trusted for 

 success, they immediately retired, having lost 8000 

 men. Of the 7360 of which the garrison consisted, 

 4300 survived ; but a large portion of these were 

 incapable of service. 



As soon as the Protestants of Enniskillen learned 

 the issue of the siege, they went in pursuit of the 

 enemy, and not only harassed them, but by their 

 rapid excursions, struck terror even to the capital. 

 At length three different armies were sent against 

 them. Two of these they defeated, and the third, 

 under the duke of Berwick, they obliged to retreat. 



The Protestants had long looked for effectual 

 succours from England. At length they arrived 

 under Schomberg and Solmes. From Bangor, in 

 the county of Down, where Schomberg landed, he 

 advanced to Dundalk, taking possession of Belfast, 

 Antrim, Carrickfergus, &c. on his route. His 

 encampment at Dundalk was very injudiciously 

 chosen in a low and damp spot, by which sickness 

 attacked his troops. Against him, thus encamped, 

 the arrny of James marched, commanded by him 

 in person. The situation of Schomberg, though 

 unhealthy, was strong ; so that James, after making 

 a show of immediate and general attack, retired 

 to Ardee. The people of England having indulged 

 in great hopes from the operations of Schomberg's 

 army, were loud in their expressions of disappoint- 

 ment and indignation, when they learned that his plan 

 seemed rather defensive than offensive ; and William 

 resolved, in order to pacify the people, to go himself 

 into Ireland ; and he accordingly landed at Carrick- 

 fergus on the 14th of June, 1690. 



Having put himself at the head of his forces, the 

 army of James retired before him to the southern 

 side of the Boyne, near Drogheda, where it halted ; 

 James, who had joined it from Dublin, declaring his 

 resolution to try the fate of a battle. The hostile 

 armies were nearly equal, that of James consisting 

 of 33,000 men, and that of William of 36,000 men. 

 The army of the former was composed of French and 

 Irish ; that of William of Dutch, Danes, and other 

 foreigners, among whom were some Huguenots, and 

 English and Irish; the last were principally Innis- 

 killou Protestants. The position of James's army 



was strong; but William, after having reconnoitred 

 it, resolved to cross the Boyne and attack him. 

 For this purpose, he formed his army into three 

 divisions, with orders to pass the river in three 

 different places. The right wing crossed early in 

 the morning of the 1st of July, 1690, without opposi- 

 tion, and, by their manoeuvres, soon put to flight 

 those of the enemy with whom they had to contend. 

 The passage of the centre division was not effected 

 so easily ; and, after it was effected, the Huguenots 

 were thrown into disorder. To retrieve which, 

 Schomberg put liimself at their head, and being 

 taken prisoner, he was accidentally killed by the 

 fire of his own troops. Nearly at the same time 

 fell George Walker, the heroic defender of London- 

 derry. The object of William himself, who headed 

 the third division, was, after crossing the river, to 

 take the enemy in flank ; but the English cavalry 

 under his immediate command, could not withstand 

 the impetuous attack of their opponents, and were 

 forced to give way. In this dilemma, the Enuis- 

 killeners immediately advanced, charged the enemy 

 in the most brave manner, and thus afforded time for 

 the cavalry to rally. The infantry of James now 

 gave way ; and James himself, alarmed at his 

 danger, put himself at the head of a regiment of 

 cavalry, and gained the pass of Duleck, three miles 

 to the soutli of the field of battle. The rest of his 

 forces having also passed through this defile, formed 

 again, and effected their retreat in good order. The 

 loss of the vanquished is said to have been 1500, and 

 that of the victors 500. 



James fled with such rapidity, that he reached 

 Dublin that night. He stopped there a very short 

 time ; and after having advised his partisans to sub- 

 mit to William, he continued his route, and embarked 

 at Waterford for France. His army also retreated 

 by Dublin ; but they directed their march towards 

 Athlone and Limerick. 



William did not at first pursue the defeated army ; 

 but having received the submission of the garrison 

 of Drogheda, he advanced slowly to the south, aud 

 encamped about two miles from Dublin. A procla- 

 mation was immediately issued, promising pardon 

 and protection to the lower orders of men who had 

 remained at home, or should return thither, and give 

 up their arms ; but expressly excluding from pardon 

 the leaders of the rebellion. Commissioners were 

 also appointed to seize all forfeitures arising from the 

 rebellion. 



As the enemy's forces had retreated to Athlone 

 and Limerick, it became necessary to take measures 

 for following and reducing them. Accordingly, 

 after William had permitted his army to rest a short 

 time, he detached ten regiments of infantry, and five 

 of horse, towards Athlone. while he himself marched 

 southward with a large force. Athlone was first 

 attacked; but William's troops being repulsed, 

 their commander judged it prudent to give up the 

 enterprise, and to march to join the king. The 

 great object of the monarch was the reduction of 

 Limerick. He began his approaches to this city, 

 which was very strong, on the 9th of August. The 

 garrison was commanded by Boileau, a Frenchman, 

 who took every measure that skill and experience 

 could suggest for the defence of the place. One 

 of his first enterprises was to intercept an escort, 

 and succeeding in this, he gave fresh spirit to his 

 troops, and an earnest to William of the difficulties 

 he might expect to encounter. The king, however, 

 was naturally of a temper not easily damped or 

 dispirited. He proceeded in his plans, and, on the 

 18th of August, was enabled to open his batteries. 

 On the 27th, having effected a breach, an assault 

 was ordered ; but atter this attempt had been carried 



