Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Contemporary Diary of Siege of Limerick, 1691 (Author: Colonel Michael Richards)
diary-entry 4
Friday, 28th August. —About six o'clock we began to batter the envelope with two cannon only, one being split. At eight o'clock arrived the other two pieces and materials that colonel Goor ordered hither, so that now we have four pieces to batter with. About this time about four or five hundred horse and dragoons of the enemy drew up on the other side, made signals to the castle, and told them they should be relieved immediately. I ordered the broken gun to be drawn on the top of a hill, with which we beat the horse from their ground. At this time came also a horseman from the pass where the king William III. went over last year 1690, two miles from Limerick, over against Foxon's house, and said the party left there by the prince
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were beaten off, and that the enemies were coming over, upon which we immediately put ourselves in order to receive them. The envelope is now ruined enough, so that, the signal being given (which was the distinct discharge of four cannon and three huzzas), captain Johnson, of Trelawny's regiment, who commanded the grenadiers, and captain —of the same, who commanded the fusiliers, advanced and made themselves masters of the house, the enemies quitting it immediately. They flung many hand grenades and stones by which they killed five of our men and wounded seven. The petardier, with two grenadiers, fixed the petard to the gate with very good success, upon which the enemies beat a parley, but their demands being extravagant, the prince did not hearken to them. The news of the enemies' coming over was again confirmed, so that the prince thought it not prudent to play a hazardous game; therefore granted them to march out without their arms, and, according to their capitulations, they are to be subsisted till sent into Hungary to fight against the Turks in the emperor's service. At night they marched out, and our party, posted at the gate, took possession for king William. In it were about fifty barrels of barley and meal, a stack of hay and about thirty cows, two casks of brandy, and one of claret, with several barrels of powdered beef and but little ammunition. After the rendition of this place, major Ogle came from the general to acquaint the prince that the enemies on this side were cut off by a party sent from the camp, so that we might be at rest on that side; however, this did not hinder us from keeping under arms all night. Colonel Goor at the camp made a review of all pressed horses and oxen sent from Dublin, and has sent those fit for service to Athlone, to transport the remainder of our stores; the others are discharged. Mr. Meesters is returned from the ships, which now lie within two miles of the town, having given orders for the unloading first what is most necessary, as twenty-four pound balls, powder, planks for batteries, tools, etc. The night passed we have worked hard at the line of contravallation, and another line is carrying on to the left to gain a rising ground before the retrenchment of the line made the preceding night. The cannon that was ordered to Castle — is now advanced three miles further on the road to Cork, to reduce a castle thereabouts.
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