IRELAND. 329 



in great force, their number amounting to not less than 15,000, in the 

 neighbourhood of Wexford and Enniscorthy, and attacked and cut in 

 pieces the whole of a party of the North Cork militia, except colonel 

 Foote, and two privates. They then made an attack, on the 28th, on 

 the town of Enniscorthy, which they carried sword in hand ; and on 

 the 30th made themselves masters of Wexford, where they liberated 

 from prison Mr. Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey, who was afterwards 

 nominated to the chief command of their army. Under him, as their 

 general, they attacked the town of New Ross, but were repulsed with 

 great slaughter. They were likewise repulsed in their attacks on. 

 some other places. The royal forces, however, suffered a check on 

 the 4th of June, when the strong post of the rebels being attacked 

 by colonel Wajpole, he was unfortunately killed in the beginning of 

 the action, and his corps being in a situation in which it was unable 

 to act, was forced to retire to Arklow. Encouraged by this success, 

 the rebel army, on the 9th, presented itself before Arklow, where 

 general Needham commanded a considerable body of the king's 

 troops ; but the position that general had taken, and the dispositions 

 he made, were such that they were defeated with great loss. 



On the 21st of June, general Lake made his grand attack on the 

 strong position of the rebels on Vinegar-hill, near Enniscorthy, having 

 gradually collected troops from every part till he had almost surround- 

 ed them. They maintained their ground obstinately for an hour and 

 a half, but at length fled with precipitation, leaving behind them a 

 great number of killed and wounded ; and thirteen small pieces of 

 ordnance of different calibres. 



Immediately after this action, a large body of the king's forces 

 advanced to Wexford, which general Moore entered so opportunely, 

 as to prevent the town from being laid in ashes. The rebels, before 

 they evacuated the town, offered to treat ; but general Lake refused 

 to sign any terms with rebels with arms in their hands ; though to 

 the deluded multitude he promised pardon, on condition of deliver- 

 ing up their leaders and returning to their allegiance. The rebel 

 troops immediately evacuated the town. Their general, Bagenal 

 Harvey, had quitted them soon after the battle of New Ross ; but 

 being discovered and taken with some others in a cave, he was tried 

 by a court-martial, and executed on the bridge of Wexford. 



In the beginning of June alarming commotions likewise took place 

 in the north of Ireland, and the insurrection soon became almost 

 general in the counties of Down and Antrim; but on the 12th the 

 rebels received a complete defeat at Ballynahinch, were they lost 

 upwards of four hundred men. They fought with great obstinacy, 

 and their leader Munro was taken prisoner, and afterwards executed* 



The English government, in the mean time, though not dissatis- 

 fied with the conduct of lord Camden, resolved to give Ireland a 

 military lord-lieutenant; and the marquis Cornwallis arrived at Dub- 

 lin in that capacity on the 20th of June, and immediately assumed the 

 reins of government. The conduct of his lordship was temperate 

 and judicious. On the 17th of July he sent a message to the house 

 of commons by lord Castlereagh, intimating that he had received his 

 majesty's commands to acquaint them, " that he had signified his 

 gracious intention of granting a general pardon for all offences com- 

 mitted on or before a certain day, upon such conditions, and with 

 such exceptions, as might be compatible v/ith the general safety," 



Vol. T. U u. 



