IRELAND. 
feized their arras, and were eager for battle; but James cau- 
'tioufly retired, and led his army to Ardee. Schomberg, 
having received fome reinforcements from Britain, loon 
afterwards removed to a new encampment beyond Dun¬ 
dalk, and conveyed the fick, many of whom expired by 
the way, on-board the Ihips., and to Belfaft. Difeafe at 
length began to attack the catholic troops, and obliged 
them to retire into winter-quarters ; on which Schom¬ 
berg, left uninolelted, diftributed his men, reduced to half 
their original number, in the towns of Uliter. 
The attention of the Englilh parliament was at length 
ferioufly directed to the affairs of Ireland. Walker, the 
military divine, arriving in London with an addrefs to 
the king from the people of Derry, was prefented with 
5000I. He received the thanks of the houle of commons 
for himfelf, and thofe who bad ferved under him in the 
defence of the town, and the fum of io,oool. was voted 
for the relief of the widows and orphans of thofe who had 
fallen during the liege. Conlideyable dilcontent having 
been excited by the refuit of the late campaign,. king 
William refolved to repair in perfon to Ireland, and to 
afifime the command of his forces in that country. Schoin- 
berg’s troops, gradually reftored to health by wholefome 
food and good quarters, were infpirited by this intelli¬ 
gence, and by the victories of the Ennifkilleners. Thefe 
daring irregulars, having in February 1690 taken and for¬ 
tified Belturbet, proceeded about 1000 in number to fur- 
prile Cavan. Being unexpectedly met by a detachment 
of 4000 jacobites under the duke of Berwick, undaunted 
by this valt fuperiority, they attacked them with fuch 
fury as to drive the enemy from the field, and then rufhed 
into the town. Here Berwick, having rallied his troops, 
fell upon them, while engaged in plundering. Forced 
from their booty, the champions of Ennilkiilen were loon 
collected, and completed their victory with conliderable 
llaughter. The fortrel's of Charlemont was reduced by a 
body of Schomberg’s troops, who were reinforced by con- 
fiderable numbers of Dutch, Danes, and Brandenburghers, 
and were at length joined by king Wiliiam himfelf, who 
landed at Carrickfergus on the. 14th of June, 1690. 
Having reviewed his troops at Loughbrickiand, and 
minutely examined the lfate of every regiment, William 
proceeded louthward, without lofs of time. To fome of 
his officers, who advifed caution, he replied, “I have not 
come to Ireland to let grafs grow under my feet.” In 
his march he fared like a common foldier, riding with an 
advanced party all the day, and taking up his quarters in 
the camp at night with lei's attention to his own accom¬ 
modation than to the comfort of his men. “ Let them not 
want; I lhall drink water;” was his exclamation one day 
when requelfed to fign an order for wine for his own table. 
It cannot be furpriling that luch a leader fhould gain in 
an eminent degree the hearts of all his followers. The 
forces of James, retiring before him, at length took poll 
on the fouth fide of the Boyne near Drogheda ; and on 
the north fide of the lame river, William’s army arrived • 
on the 30th of June. James, on receiving intelligence of 
the landing of his rival, had marched with 6000 French 
troops, fent to his alfiftance by Louis XIV. and joined the 
main body of his army at the Boyne, leaving Dublin un¬ 
der a guard of militia. Contrary to the opinion of his 
officers, who' advifed him to decline an engagement, to 
rdtire to the Shannon, and to protratt the war by defen- 
live operations, James declared his relolution to maintain 
his poft, and his fatisfaCtion in the opportunity of a deci- 
live battle. Whatever confidence he excited among his 
adherents by this declaration, was deftroyed by the fears 
which he betrayed by lending a confidential agent to Wa¬ 
terford to provide a veffel for his conveyance to France 
in cafe of defeat. The hoftile armies were nearly equal in 
numbers; James having 33,000 and William 36,000 men; 
but in the Itrength of his pofition, the former had a de¬ 
cided advantage. His camp extended in two lines from 
the fortified town of Drogheda on the right, occupied by 
Irilh troops, to an almolt impafiable moral's on the lefti 
S2 S' 
In his front was the Boyne, fordable in fome places, but 
thefe deep and dangerous, with rugged banks, defended 
by brealt-works. James with his guards took his ftation 
at the village of Donore, iituated on an eminence in the 
rear. Three miles farther fouth was the pafs of Duleelc, 
through which he was to retire in cafe of defeat. Wil¬ 
liam drew up his army in three divilions, with orders to 
pafs the river in three different places; the right wing 
under count Schomberg, Ion of the duke, and general 
Douglas, (the former commanding the horfe, and the lat¬ 
ter the infantry,) at fome fords diicovered on the welt near 
the bridge of Slane; the centre under duke Schomberg, in 
front of the Irilh army ; and the left wing under the 
king in perfon, at a ford on the eall between his camp 
and Drogheda. Early in the morning of the 1 It July, the 
right wing palled the river with Icarcely any refinance, 
and overcame all the obltacles oppoled by ground inter- 
fected with ditches and by the bog which flanked James’s 
camp. Aftoniihed at their intrepidity and perfeverance, 
their adverfaries fled towards Duleek, and were purified 
with fome llaughter. By the centre the- palfage was-not 
effected without oppofition. It was convpoied of the 
Dutch guards, French Hugonots, Ennifkilleners, Bran- 
denburghers, and Englilh. The Dutch gained the oppo- 
lite bank amidft an inceffant lire from the brealt-works, 
hedges, and houfes, and lfiitained the lficceffive attacks of 
a body of infantry, and two of cavalry, till the Hugonots 
and Ennilkiilen troops, coming to their fupport, repulfed 
a third body of horfe with confiderable llaughter. Li a 
new attack the Irilh cavalry were more fuccefsful. They 
drove hack a lquadron of Danes acrofs the river, and re¬ 
turning broke the Hugonot infantry. Duke ocbomberg, 
rufhing through the river, put himielf at the head of the 
latter, exclaiming in their native tongue, as lie pointed 
to fome French regiments in their front: “Come on,, 
gentlemen; there are your perfecutors!” At this moment 
lixteen of the Irilh cavalry, who after their fuccefsful 
charge on the Hugonots, had been defeated by the Ennif- 
killen and Dutch troops, coming up,, were miftaken for 
friends by the foldiers about Schomberg, and permitted 
to pafs. Seizing this opportunity to wound that general, 
and to hurry him away with them a prifoner, they were 
purlued by his men, by whole fire the gallant veteran 
himfelf was killed. About the fame time fell George 
Walker, the defender of Derry, whofe military ardour had 
unneceflarily carried him into this engagement. Here too- 
Caillemotte, the brave commander of the Hugonots, re¬ 
ceived a mortal wound, and with his kill breath cheered 
his men with the cry of, “To glory, my boys, to glory!” 
At length the Irilh, retreating to Donore, formed in good 
order, and again advanced to the attack. Meanwhile 
William, having croffed the river at the head of the Dutch, 
Daniffr, and Englilh, cavalry, advanced to charge the ene¬ 
my in flank; hut they again retreated to Donore, where, 
facing about, they rulhed with fuch fury upon the Englilh 
under the immediate command of the king, that they 
were driven from their ground. William now gallopped 
to the Ennifkilleners, and afked “what they would do for 
him.” Thefe brave fellows, refolutely advancing, charged 
with their ufual impetuofity, and afforded their difordered 
affociates time to rally. Amid the confufion of the fight, 
in which William was expofed to every danger, one of 
his own men put a piftol to his head, on which the king, 
thrufting afide the inffrument of death, laid without emo¬ 
tion, “What! do you not know your friends?” The 
Irilh infantry giving way, general Hamilton at the head of 
the cavalry made a defperate charge to retrieve the fortune 
of the day. He was wounded,, and taken prifoner. This 
officer,-who had betrayed William, being brought before 
him, and alked whether he thought the Irilh would con¬ 
tinue the fight, replied, “Upon my honour, I believe they 
will, for they have yeta good body of horle.” On which 
the king in a contemptuous tone, exclaimed. “ Honour 1 
your honour !” James, in the mean time being informed 
that count Schomberg’s troops were forcing their way to*. 
D unleek,. 
