TOM.

IV.

1689.

Shomberg takes Caricfergus, and then marches towards Newry.

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"ment of hors, which were all that were then in a condition to "march, and left the Duke of Tyrconnel behind at Dublin (who was then not fully recover'd) to hasten the troops after "him as fast as they could be got into a condition to march. "Some days after the King set out, one Dean, an Officer " of Schomberg's Army, belonging to the ordinance, who had quited him the day after his landing, came over to him, and gave his Majesty an account of the strength of his forces, " and that the Prince of Orange had sent Bentinck down to "Chester where Schomberg then was, to hasten him away, "which made him set sail eight days sooner than he intended; "he tould him how many were already come ashore and how many to land, that in all they made two and twenty Bat"talions reckoning what Kerk had already brought, of which "three regiments were french, two Dutch, the other Seaventeen English, togather with six Regiments of hors and two of Dragoons, a train of Artillery of twenty pieces of ordinance "and Six mortars, a considerable summe of mony, and all "other necessary answerable to such an Expedition.

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"While they were puting these things ashore he besieged Caricfergus, and thō a very weak place was forced to attack “ it in form, and it defended it self eight days, a much longer "time than any body could haue immagined, kill'd a great many of his men, and had good conditions at last; thō they were not kept, for Schomberg suffer'd the Scotch Protestants "of the Country to take their armes from them, and after that, " and other barberous usage, to keep them three days near Lisnegarvy in the nature of prisoners, before he let them come to Newry. Assoon as he was Master of Caricfergus, "he advanced by easy marches with his whole army, which by that time was all come ashore, and Kirk had likewise join'd with his body of men too. In the mean while some of "the King's foot began to come up to him, and had the hors

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been in a condition to haue done the same time enough, his Majesty had resolved to haue marched to Dundalke in person, and haue disputed that post with the enemie; which could he haue done, would haue been of mighty consequence, for it would not only haue preserued all that plentifull country behind him, but haue kept the enemie on the other side the mountains, betwixt that and the Newry which was all ruined, or haue obliged them to take a great compass about through the mountains, and barren Country betwixt that and Armagh, if they design'd to march towards Dublin, which it was believed Schomberg would not have done; for he must have quited the Sea cost, and by consequence haue wanted the provisions on board his ships.

دو

وو

With this design therefore the King sent Major General d'Escô, with two regiments of foot and two hundred of Parker's hors to Dundalke to view the Town and Country about it, to giue the King an account if it was as good a post as was believed and could be made good against the enemie; and his Majesty had this farther prospect in it, to secure the Duke of Berwick's retreat from Newry, if he should be hard pushed by them, which upon d'Esco's arrival at Dundalk, he found the Duke of Berwick had been obliged too; the town being on the other side of the river, and the " Enenie come within four miles of it, to prevent their receiveing any benefit from the fourage there, he burnt it " and retired to Dundalk. Assoon the King was advertised of " this he ordered him to come to Droghedah, there not being troops sufficient to make good the other Post, so the enemie " possessed themselves of it; Mons' Schomberg with the general Officers and some regiments for their security quarter'd in " the Town, but his Army remain'd on the North side the river, their right towards the mountain Slugnelen and their left " towards the Sea, where he waited the arrivall of his great

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دو

TOM.

.IV.

1689.

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“artillery, which by reason of the badness of the way, he had "sent by Sea, from Carickfergus to Dundalk, and then (as "the discours of the Enemies army was) they intended to "march Streight to Dublin and were so confident of efecting "it, without much resistance, that they had marked down "their marches, and even the day they would be there; and "to alarm and delude the King's forces still more, they sent σε some ten or twelve Vessels to make a shew of landing, first at Sherrys, afterwards at Dublin, and gave it out they expected ten thousand Danes, which they pretended were to "land in Munster, togather with some English forces from "Bristol and Milford haven; and this most of the Protestants " of Dublin and other places who were ready to rise, did not "only believe, but reported about, which gaue occasion to "the French Ambassador, Mons' Rosen, &c, their pressing "his Majesty again to secure his retreat to Athlone, that it "was impossible to defend the Boin which had so many "fords both aboue and below Droghedagh, against so numerous " and well apointed an Army, with so weake, so ill armed " and so raw a boddy of men, as his Majestys forces were "composed of; that if Mons' Schomberg declined marching "streight to him, he might take to the right which was an open Country, and steal a march towards Trim, and so be assoon at Dublin as the King, and by that means cut off his

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retreat to Athlone; they conceiv'd it therefore necessary, "that his Maty should lay aside all thoughts of defending the "Boin, but chuse some other post betwixt (it) and Dublin, and "order the Duke of Tyrconnel with the troops which were to "march from thence, to stop at Swords or some other place "about half way, so that he might still haue an eye towards "Athlone; and to reinforce this argument, sayd, If Mons'

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Schomberg sent but two or three thousand men by sea and "put them ashore near Dublin, they by the help of the

Protestants might be able to master the Town, when all the "
King's forces were at such a distance as Droghedagh.

دو

TOM.

IV.

» The King
haveing
assembled his
Army at
,, Droghedagh,
resolves to

the Enemy,

But all these specious reasonings made no impression upon 1689. the King, who tould them, That if once he made a step back, the whole Country would be so disharten'd as to give all up, that `the new raised troops would dwindle away to nothing, and that whosoever had any thing to loos would run in to the Enemy to seeke protection, when they saw the King about to desert them, which they would haue reason to believe, if he durst not looke the Enemie in the face, that if he could not defend the Boin, the same argument would hould for other place betwixt (it) and Dublin.

any

"march towards "thō the French

were hugely >> against it.

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"

By this time the King's troops began to come up, so he " formed a camp, and found his men both Officers and Soul- " diers hearty, resolute, and convinced that nothing but Victory could secure them from loosing their liberty, their estates, and Religion; nevertheless the French ceased not perswadeing the King to retire towards Athlone and by consequence to desert Dublin, even the very night before the Duke of Tyrconnel came to Droghedagh (who brought with him the remainder of the troops) they pressed him with more vehemence than ever to come to some resolution as they called it, which was in efect to abandon all: but when the King tould them, he would not alter his mind till he had spoke with My Lord Tyrconnel, they then redubbled their arguments and earnestness, which made the King tell them " with something more warmth than usual, that he would not doe so irrational a thing, that he was positively resolved to fight the Enemie, it being neither agreeable to his temper, nor reputation to abandon Dublin, and make So shamefull a retreat unless he was forced to do it.

The next day the Duke of Tyrconnel came up and gaue the

King an account of the condition, and number of his troops,

301.

TOM.

IV.

1689.

The King came to Ardee the 14th of Sept❜.

'

" and what he had left with Mr Symon Lutterel the governor “of Dublin, upon which his Majesty called the Ambassador "and all the generall Officers to consult what was fit to be "done; the Duke of Tyrconnel and the rest of his own Subjects were unanimously of his own opinion, the Duke more"over assured them, there was not corn enough in Connock "to Subsist twenty thousand men two months; upon which "the King resolved now he had got his army togather which "consisted of near that number, to advance towards the enemy, being they came not towards him, but remain'd still at Dundalk, thō their Cannon and Stores were put on shore, " and the Inneskillingers had joined them with two regiments "of hors, as many of foot and one of Dragoons such as "they were; accordingly upon Holy Rood day the 14 of Septembre they marched to the Town of Ardee, situated upon " a small river about eight miles from Droghedagh, and the same distance from Dundalke, some three miles on the left "hand of the road in a very plentifull country.

"The French Ambassador was for this march, but not "Mons' Rosen, who according to his wonted caution, would never give any advice but retire and avoid fighting, not "that he wanted courage, for no man had more, or more experience in the war, but it was his misfortune to be over cautious; besides he had writ into France (as the King was informed) that it was impossible for his Majesty to get an Army togather, and when he saw the contrary, had a mind "it should do nothing.

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"The King expected to haue found the Enemies Army "advanced as far as that place, haveing notice by his parties, "and spys, that some of the Inneskillingers (whom the Enemie "still Sent before them) had been there, and had order'd the "inhabitants, who were most Protestants, to brew and bake "for their Army; besides it was reasonable to believe, Mons'