After the lo: lieutenant and governor generall of Ireland had rested certen daies at Dublin for establishinge the state of that kingdome, and for makinge his necessary provision for the warr, his lordshipp departed from thence towards
The daye followinge, the rebell shewed himselfe in small numbers deliveringe some few shott out of the woods and ditches vpon our vaunte-curriers but without any hurte. This night the army lodged a myle from Athye which hath beene a great markett towne, but brought by these late wars into the state of a pore village.
Athie is devided into two partes by the ryver of Barrow, over the which lyeth a stone bridge, and vpon yt a castle occupied by James Fitzpierce, a gentleman of the famylie of the Geraldines, who so soone as our army approached the castle yeelded himselfe to the mercy of the lord lieutenant, as dyvers also the same daye, viz. the vicount Montgarret and the lorde of Cayre (both Butlers) who were presented unto the Lord Lieutenant, by the Erle of Ormond,84 who in that place ioyned his forces to our army.
The lord lieutenant havinge put a guard in the castle of Athye, passed his forces over the Barrow by the bridge of the castle, which ryver beinge not otherwyse fordable but with difficultie, and the bridg thereof the onely waye which leadeth into the Queenes County, the importance of this enterpriz easely appeareth (without any amplifycation) vnto every ignorant sence. At Woodstocke85 (a village scituate vpon Barrow) his lordship expected victualls a daye or two for the reliefe of Maryburge, a forte of great importance in the Queenes County which his lordship now hasted, not permittinge other staye in his jorney then necessity gave cause. Durynge the tyme that our army incamped at Woodstock, the rebells attempted the stealinge of some of our horses, which being perceived by Sr. Christofer Sentlaurence,86 (sonne to the Lord of Hoth) he passed the ryver naked, and beinge followed by his men reskewed the praye and returned with the heade of a rebell.
About the same tyme the rebells presented themselves 200 stronge to the sight of the castle Rheban87, distant a myle from Woodstok, where a parte of the army then laye; but vpon sight of the erle of Southampton, who hasted towards them in most soldier lyke order with a small troope of horse and foote they retyred themselves to their boggs and from thence to their woods.
So soone as the lord Lieutenant was provided of vittells he marched with his
His lordship havinge vittelled the forte, and encreased the garrison, and bestowed the order of knighthood on the capten thereof Frauncis Rush, (who had constantly held the same, being dryven with all his company to eate horsflesh the space of 20 dayes before) he lodged that night at the foote of a very highe hill colled Croshy Duff, the generall Ratehill88 of the province of Leinster, where the rebell Ony mac Rury O'More89 shewed himselfe with 500 foote and about 40 horse two myles from our campe, renewing that night and contynewinge the next morninge a challeng which he had made a few daies before, to fight 50 of his with 50 of ours with sworde and target, which was consented vnto by the lorde lieutenant, but the rebell never came to performe yt.
The lord lieutenant havinge from the topp of Croshi Duff viewed the cuntry rownde about, and particulerly the way of that dayes march, led his army towards a passage called Cashells, halfe a myle from that nights quarter. The nature of the passage90 is such through a thicke woode91 a myle long, leadeth a highe waye, in moste places ten going paces broade, which in the midst was traversed with a trench and the woode plashed vpon both sydes from behinde which the rebell might with facillyty gaule our men in their passage. To the other two sydes of the woode are adjoyned 2 boggs which served the rebell for a secure retreat from all force of our armye; but upon an elevated porcion of grownde betweene the woode and the bogge on the lefte hande was a village, from behinde which the rebell might safely sallye and returne agayne to his strength at his pleasure. His Lordship, to make his way through this passage with security devided his army into thre battells. Before the vantguarde marched the forelorn hope consisting of 40 shott and 20 shorte weapons, with order that they should not discharge, vntill they presented theire peeces to the rebells breasts in their trenches, and that sooddenly the shorte weapons should enter the trenches pell mell vpon eyther syde92 of the vauntguarde (which was observed in the batle and reareguarde) marched wings of shott, enterlyned with pikes, to which were sent secondes, with as much care and diligence as occasion required. The baggage, and a parte of the horse marched before the battell, the rest of the horse troopes fell in before the rearewarde, except 30 which in the head of the rearelorne
His Lordship was this daye in all places, flyinge lyke lightninge from one parte of the army to another, leadinge, directinge, and followinge in the vanguarde batle and reareguard. The small losse we susteyned in this place was multiplied upon the rebell by our quarter and skoutmasters, who accompanied with divers gentlemen made a good slaughter of certeine rebells which assayed to force the quarter; among these were of especiall note, Alexander Donnell, and Donnell Knaghy, a man of base birth, but (for the proofe of his darynge and skill in their millitary discipline) of especiall esteeme with Tyrone. In this conflict Edward Bushell, gentleman, received a hurt in his brest with a pyke.
The daye followinge, the Lord Lieutenant observinge the former of marche led his army throughe the passage called Ballyregate of a castle belonging to the vicount Montgaret where we founde the rebells so few in number, and so tymerous in attempting, as their behaviour prooved that the other dayes march was terrible vnto them.
These passages thus overcom to no small terror of the enemy and admyration of the soldior, his Lordship went to Kilkennye93 (a cytty where the Erle of Ormond is resident) where he was received with as much ioye of the cytizens as could be expressed, either by lyvely orations or by sylent strowinge of the streetes with greene hearbes and rushes with which ceremonyes of gladnes he was lykewise welcomed not many dayes after at Clonmell.
The citizens of Clonmell, had beene longe tyme hindred in their traffique to Waterforde, by the castle of Darenclare, scituate vpon the ryver Suyre, which althoughe yt were very defensible, and that yt had some yeares paste endured the force of an armye, yet was yt at this tyme vpon the Lord Lieutenants comminge before yt presently yeelded to his mercye.
In the midest of the ryver Suyre (5 miles from Clonmell) lyeth an Iland the same a naturall rocke, and vpon yt a castle which althoughe yt be not built with any great arte, yet is the scite such by nature that yt may be said to be inexpugnable. Of this castle which is called Cayre,94 is the lord of Cayre entytuled baron, which beinge helde by James Butler his younger brother, the Lord Lieutenant sent the Lord of Cayre to parly with him, and with him Sr. Hen. Danvers, whome he advised duringe the parly to observe as much as was possible for him, the nature of the place, who returninge with the lord of Cayre (evill satisfyed that his brother would not yeeld his castle) related the scite and strength of the place, to be such as is mencioned.
This night his Lordship reviewed the place himselfe in person and caused the same to be donn by the Lord Marshall and sergeant major, commaunding after a dilligent review, that the approaches (takinge the advantages by the way of olde ditches and walls) should be that night carryed to the board of the counterscarp, one day beinge intermitted without doing any thinge, for want of the artillery, which could not aryve in shorte tyme, the same being drawne onely by force of men; there passed a daye or two before the battery was commenced.
The same night that the cannon was planted, his lordship sent the lord Marshall and segeant Maior, with 300 men, to occupye a garden which adioyneth to the castle upon ye south west parte, althoughe this passage to this garden were such as that a very small number might have made fronte to an army, yet did these beastes first quit that passage, and presently after they abandoned the castle (except 8 persons) to the relieffe of which wer sent early in the morninge 100 kerne, by the whyte knight. In the beginninge of the night, Sr. Christopher St. Lawrence was sent with 300 men to possess an Iland which lyeth from the castle towards the northeast not more then halfe an hargubuz shott, to breake up two bridges, one of which leadeth from the Iland to the mayne, and the other from the same Iland to the castle.
The rebells seinge themselves in the morninge secluded from that reliefe which they howerly expected from Desmond and from the white knight: at night they conveyed themselves with as much stillnes as was possible out of the castle, which yet being perceived by dyvers of our guardes, they fell presently to execution, and entred as well the castle without resistance as direction, by which accident was repossessed for her Maiesty, with the slaughter of 80 rebells, one of the strongest places by nature in all Irelande.
Duringe this siege capten Brett was shott in the body with a hargubuze, as was also capten Georg Carye95 through both cheekes and throughe the body, the bullet entringe above the lefte shoulder and passinge forthe vnder the opposite arme hole which hurtes were myraculous, for that there were onely three shotts made and his boddy in all places covered with an armor of muskett proofe. These two worthy capteines havinge in this siege, and in many other services, made honorable proofes of their vertu after a few dayes chainged this lyfe for a better. His Lordship havinge repared the breaches of the castle, and placed such a garrison in the same as might anoy the fronteringe rebells, his sicke men beinge sent to Clonmell he arryved by easy jorneyes at Lymricke, where he was enterteyned with two Englesh orations,96 in which I know not which was more to be discommended, words, composition, or orators, all of them having their particuler excellencies in barbarisme, harshnes, and rusticall both pronounce and action.
The army, which had endured much as well by fowle waies as unseasonable weather, being well refreshed by the relieffe they received from Lymrik, was conducted by his Lordship to Adare. In a ruyned Abbey of which village, his lordship lodged a regiment of foote, passinge the same over the ryver of Adare by a narrow bridge; which was well perceived by the rebells Desmond and Lacy, who never made shew to prohibit the passage, althoughe they had not much more then muskett shott from the same, aboute 1200 foote under 5 ensignes, and 2 cornetts of horse eather appearinge to be at least 100. Those were rayned in sight of our army, devided from yt by an infordable ryver, and a bogge, and in such disorder as yt rather seemed a morris daunce by their trippinge after their bagpipes then any soldiorlyke exercise, they conveyinge themselves after a while in a ringe daunce into a wood which they had close at their backes, and from whence they have not departed further at any tyme since the armye entred Munster, then an olde hunted hare doth from her covert for relieffe.
Earely in the morninge the army passed the ryver and marched towardes a passage halfe a myle from Adare which had on eyther syde a woode, but under that on the right hande a bogge, by the head of which extended yt selfe the woode on the lefte hande. The passag laye over the bogge, which was very difficult both for many naturall sloughis which we founde in the same and for plashin97 made that morninge by ye rebell. At the entrance into the passage
The rebell thus repelled by providence in his lordship, the whole troopes marched through the passage, not alone without losse, but without difficultie. On the left hand of the passage was Plunkett lodged with 300 rebells, who makinge onely that daye eccho in the woode with the reporte of 30 or 40 shott, was constreyned the next daye to geve pledges to Desmond for the assurance of his faith.
From the passage his Lordship conducted his army towards Aischeton,98 which castle was then somthinge distressed by the rebell, who intercepted the passage in such sorte, that till this tyme yt could not conveniently receive any relieffe from Lymricke, from whence it was now vitelled by his lordshipp; the rebell neither hinderinge his lordship to passe or repasse his army over the ryver Doyle upon which Ayscheton is scituate, where a small number might have made heade to a copious army, nor endeavored any notable offence, in any other place, where they might have prooved their forces with much advantage.
His Lordship with purpose (as I conjecture) to geve the rebell an inexcusable provocation, directed his jorney towards castle Conan in the county of Corke, Desmonds cheefe howse, at which tyme passinge betweene woodes close by Pheniters towne99 which flancqued the army on either syde within muskett shott, his lordship peradventure to lett the rebell know the vertu of his men, and their owne weakenes, enterteyned skyrmysh with them in theire owne strength, forcynge them to abandon the same without other losse, then that Sr. Hen. Norris presenting a charg with his troope of horse, had his legge broken with a bullet, which hurt was after certen weekes languishment the end of his lyfe. The Lord Lieutenant was this day in as good hazard as any pryvate
Not many dayes after the army still marchinge towards castle Conan was enterteyned in skirmish from the skert of a woode called Barney Cowlagh by Mac Cartes men, where Sir Henry Danvers, endeavouring to save certen straglers which had indiscreetly ingaged themselves, was shott in the face, the bullet passing to the roote of the lefte eare, where yt still resteth, but without any anoyance, he beinge allready perfetly recured.
Desmond insteade of defendinge his castle, raced the same, by which and throughe his whole cuntry the army marched without any offence, althoughe he might have presented himselfe in our way in many places of exceedinge advantage, so that without any impeachment of the rebells his lordship aryved (notwithstandinge great braggs made by Desmond) unfought withall, at Waterforde, where his lordship was received with as much joyfull congratulation of the people as in any other towne in Ireland. During his lordships aboad in Waterforde, he reviewed with carefull diligence, the harborow, as also the forte of Dun Canon which guardeth the same. The seite and fabrycature of which (both in his lordshipps judgment and opynion of others skillfull in fortification) declare Sr. John Norris100 (by whose approbation that was chosen and this allowed) as judiciall an ingener as his other acts have enoblished him for a most worthy soldior. For the seite it is so overtopped by an emynent height not distant from yt more then 150 paces, that no man can stand secure in the piazza of the forte. And as for any arte of fortyfication whereof this place should participate and whereby skilfull inginers are accustomed to render places more defencyble, yt was held by his Lo: judgment (as I said before) an insufficient intrenchment, and consequently a moste defective fortresse, as whose spalto affordeth a secure lodginge under it to an enemy, coverynge him from all offences of the parapett, and yet the same not raysed to such height as may secure the defendants in the strada coperta, whose ditch is narrow and shallow,
From Waterforde to Dublin (whether the Lo: Lieutenant was now in returne with his army) leadeth a doble waye. The one throughe the Glynnes which denyeth passage to horse and carriages; the other alonge the sea shoare, by which his lordship conducted his army as well peradventure for the commodity of the passage as to visit in his waye the garrysons of Enerscorfy, Arclo, Wicklo, and Newcastle: untill the army had passed Enescorfy the rebell never shewed himselfe, for all the former daies marches were throughe a playne champion, where he never trusteth to himselfe. But before that the army was advaunced to the mydwaye from Eniscorfy to Arcklow, the rebells (ayded with the oportunytie of woodes and bogges) presented themselves in our waye, for the preservinge of certen villages all which (and onely which) his lordship caused to be consumed with fyer in despyte of them.
About three myles from Arcklo the army was to passe a forde, where the rebell presented himselfe, with opynion (as may be conjectured) yf not to prohibitt yet to troble the army in the passage; the skirmish was for the space of an howre hotely maynteyned on both partes, either parte contendinge to force the other by fresh supplies out of their grosses which they had hard at hande. The Lord Lieutenant thinkinge to enclose the enemy betweene the horse and foote commaunded the lord of Southampton (who was now passing the foarde) to take the first oportunyty to charge, but the rebells (whose dread of our horse causeth him to observe dilligently all their motions) perceiving the erle of Southampton to advance with his troope, retyred him selfe into his strength, a parte
In the meane tyme while these things were in hande the whole troopes were passed the foarde, and his lordship began to contynew his march towards Arklow, laying in a village upon the waye an ambuscado of about 40 horse, which might cut of the rebell yf (which his Lordship suspected) he should approach to offend the rearguard. But the rebell (who is not easely surprysed by ambuscadoes) either perceivinge or suspectinge deceit made an Alt with his troopes, which howsoever yt seeme contemptible, yet is yt sufficient to fight in the trenches of his cuntry, with fyve such armyes as ours. His Lordship perceiving the rebells staye, called his horse to their place, and the cuntry beinge to appearance a playne and firm champion, the whole army seemed to promise to itselfe securytie, and the rebell not purseivinge, every man attended onely to hasten to the quarter in a speedy march, whereby the army was distracted into an excessive length, and brought thereby althoughe into no disorder, yet into some unreadiness, whiles the army marched; his Lordship beinge allwaies vigilant to observe the order of his owne troopes in their march ascended for this purpose the topp of a hill, whose height discovered the whole playne, and perceivinge from thence, that the rebell prepared to gene vpon the reare of the sinister winge of the vantguard led by Marmaduk Constable ensigne to capt. Ellis Jones, he comaunded the erle of Southampton (to whome gathered suddenly a few stragling horse) to haste to their succors; in the meane tyme while the erle of Southampton was occupied in assuringe the foote, and endeavoring to drawe the rebell (which held him in his strength of woode and bogge) upon
The rebells Donnell, Spaniah,101 and Phelim mac Pheagh, mooved either with the slaughter of theirs, whereof died more then a 100, fyve of which were commaunders, or terryfied with ye order, readiness and vertu of our men, withdrew themselves, and desyred by Sr. Hen. Danvers (who commaunded that day the rearguard of horse) to com in vnto his lordship vpon protection, which his lordship denyed as a course vnfitt for rebells, refusing to receive them upon other tearmes, then upon submission to her Majesties mercy.
His Lordship had before his entrance into this jorney of Munster, and Leimster, with provident care secured by sufficient garrisons all the frontiers of the English pale, leavinge at Dundalke the Lord Cromwell, at Ardee, Sr. St. John
Not above seaven myles from Wicklow is that part of the Glynnes called Banilagh,104 the strength of which cuntry, although yt is exceedinge greate by nature, yet hath yt lately beene much encreased by the industry of Phelim mac Pheagh, who at this daye usurpeth the possession of the same. Sir Hen. Harrington partly mooved with a desyre to take a view of Phelim mac Pheaghs new workes, and partely drawne by an opynion to exercise his soldiors, which were all rawe men and vndisciplined, departed from Wicklow towardes the Banilagh with 450 foote under the comaund of their captaynes, Wardman, Mallory, Linley, Loftus, and Ratcliff, to which he added capt. Montacute with his troope of 50 horse, and 15 horse of so many Irish gentlemen who offered themselves voluntarylie to this service. It was marched that daye within a myle of Banilagh where yt was encamped by the side of a bogge, not of necessitie (for this jorney was meerly voluntarye) but either of judgment or necligence, which maketh as well his error inexcusable who made choice of this place, as his who approved the same. The rebells takinge the oportunytie of that advantage which was geven them by this unsoldior lyke encampinge, never ceased to disquiet our men, the whole night longe, deliveringe sometimes entier vollies of shott in their market place.
The next morninge (which he had also don the daye before at his first cominge to this quarter) Sr. Hen: Harrington, attended onely with the horse, went towardes the Banilaghe, returninge eftsoone without makinge any memorable discovery of the place, which yet was the occasion of his drawing forth105 presently upon his returne to the quarter, havinge received intelligence that the rebells had assembled themselves in grosse, he gave order to march which the rebells perceivinge (they being then in sight) hasted after, and commencyng skirmish with their loose shott, maynteyned the same for the space of two myles, when our men having passed a small brooke by a forde and lodged 10 musketteires
Of the pryvate men escaped by flight, but more hidd themselves lyke fearefull hares in the furres, all which were by a martiall courte condemned to dye, which sentence was yet mittigated by the Lord Lieutenants mercy, by which they were onely decimated by lott, soone after his Lordships returne to Dublin; the capts. were accused in a martiall courte of cowardize and omission of their duties, where as I have heard they discharged themselves honorably, but Welsh, lieutenant to Capt. Adam Loftus, was founde culpable of either error, and therefore sentenced to be shott.
The lord Lieutenant had not sooner refreshed his army after the painfull jorney of Munster, but he led a parte of the same into Ophaly,106 now called the Kinges countye: but before his Lordship departed himselfe from Dublin, he sent the Lord Marshall with a sufficient force into the Queenes county to vitle the forte of Mariburge, and as I supose to suppresse as much as was possible, the insolency of the O'Mores, which are the capitall rebells of that cuntrye. He sent lykewise at the same tyme the sergeant major into Ophaly, whome his Lordship overtooke not far from Phillips towne, the head towne of that shire, which his lordship supplied with munition and vittles, viewing in the waye the grownde, which not many daies before Capt. William Williams, sallyinge forth of the towne with 300 men to recover a pray taken that morninge by the rebells, loste 60 of his men, which fell improvidently betweene three enemies ambuscados.
The next morninge after the Lord Lieutenant had joyned to him the sergeant major, his Lordship conducted his forces, which exceeded not the number of 1200 foote, and 200 horse, out of the Kinges county into the county of Westmeath
But although they abandoned the advantage which was presented them in the morninge, yet omitted they not to take their opportunitie in the afternoone, enterteyniug with contynuall skirmish the sinister winges of our army, which for 4 myles togeather were flancqued both with woode and bogge, which advantage of grownd turned to their disadvantage in prooffe, for they being made bold thereby, lost this daye one of the Connors, a principall comaunder amongst them, and about 40 pryvate men, we receiving no losse and almoste no hurte.
A porcion of the county of Ophalye is called Fergall, a place so stronge as nature could devise to make yt by wood and bogge, with which yt is environed, which for the naturall strength thereof, the rebells in those partes have ever since the begininge of these warres made a storehowse for all their prayes, peaceably enjoyinge there without molestacion what they had injuriously robbed from other parties. In Fergall from Derrow107 (whether the lord Lieutenant parposed to conduct his army) leadeth awaye throughe a thick woode, and over two fordes, both of them (besydes their naturall difficulties) entrenched and plashed in such manner, (as his Lordship was perswaded by them to whome the cuntry was well knowen) to leave the accustomed waye, and to passe the ryver Derrow by a bridge which his Lordship caused to be made, to which worke the rebell gave no impediment; although that for the advantage of the place, he might with a very small number and without any losse have defeated the passage. The army aryved that night late at Ballycowen, halfe a mile from which is Ardenegroffe, whether Sr. Conyers Clifford, governor of Connaght, was come with 9 companies of foote, according to direction which the lo: Lieutenant had geven him by his letters not many dayes before: Sr . Conyers Clifford was sore fought with all his entrance into Fergall having 10 men slayne and 40 hurte, which losse was by the vertu of his men dobled vpon the rebell of whome were slayne and hurt about 100. In this skirmish, was of singular note the vertu of Sr. Griffin Markham whome the governor comended to the Lord Lieutenant for having made demonstracion of his forwardnes, even to the undertakynge of the duty of a sergeant.
In the morninge after the Lo: Lieutenant had a while enterteyned the governor in pryvate, his lordship devided his forces into 3 partes, sending into the woodes whether the rebells wer retyred with their cowes, 500 choice men under the conduct of Sr. John Mac Coughlin,108 and Sr. Theobald Dyllon, and as many another way under the comaund of Sr. Christopher St. Lawrence; his Lordship with the rest of his forces of hors and foote took the fittest places, from whence he might either second or serve for a retreit to the rest in any extremytye. The enemies fearinge to loose his cowes, entred skirmish with us, but yet so fearfully (seing the Lo: Lieutenant ready for any advantage) and with so small resystance, as their lives seemed more precious unto them then their cowes, upon which Sr. Christofer S. Lawrence fell, who with a great slaughter of the rebells returned with 500 cowes and 60 garrans; the lyke fortune had Sr. John Mac Coughlin and the rest with him. This attempt was made with such resolucion in the soldiers and discretion in the leaders, that yt bredd such a terror in the rebell as after that daye he never durst appear in sight, but hid himselfe from place to place in the woods from whence he could not easely be chased. The Lord Lieutenant seinge yt but lost tyme109 to hunt after them, the yeare spending faste, and the weather being unseasonable, having dispatched away Sr. Con: Clifford into Connaght, returned by easy jorneyes not many dayes after to Dublin, where his Lordship was certefyed of the unfortunate defeat and loss of Sr. Con: Clifford in the Corleus, the manner whereof, as I hard yt related, was in this manner.