Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Contemporary Diary of Siege of Limerick, 1691 (Author: Colonel Michael Richards)
diary-entry 3
Thursday, the 27th August.—Early this morning the general went to the left to the water side, where we had begun a sort of a trench, gaining to the right on the old line of contravallation. The enemies brought down two pieces of cannon to a house on the other side of the river over against the left wing of our camp, so that two or three of our regiments were obliged to change their ground, being incommoded by their shot. Four three-pounders were immediately sent from the artillery to the opening of our trenches, to check some little insults the
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enemies sometimes attempted to make on our workers. This morning went away a detachment with three twelve-pounders, under the command of the prince of Hesse, to take Castle Connel, with orders to hang all the officers and to put the soldiers to the sword, when reduced. Another party was also sent with two twelve-pounders, under the command of lieutenant-general Scravemoer, to reduce Castle —; but before we arrived before that place they submitted themselves prisoners of war. The company of miners were also sent, but all returned to the camp before two o'clock, p.m. About five in the afternoon, the prince of Hesse sent to acquaint the general that the place was of that strength as not to be forced, upon which the general sent me to his assistance. I took with me more powder and ball, a petard and petardier. I arrived there by the night, gave orders for the removing of our guns, that the next morning we might batter an envelope that took in a stone house, just by the gate of the castle, which, if possessed by us, cut off their water and gave room to petard the gate. The prince, at my request, ordered a captain, two lieutenants, and fifty grenadiers with a captain, a lieutenant and ensign with fifty fusiliers, to lodge themselves by the favour of the night under a high hedge near the castle, there to lie till the next morning, and to expect a signal for attacking the house and petarding the gate according to the directions I gave them in writing. All being well posted, I returned to the prince's tent and sent to colonel Goor for what we wanted, which was tools, etc.