During the night a party of rebels set fire to the barracks at _Prosperous_, where one officer and twenty-eight men of the militia perished: a party of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS was also surprised in quarters and nearly every man put to death: a few men were taken prisoners and afterwards butchered by the insurgents with the most inhuman cruelty. A party of fencibles was also surprised and murdered at Dunboyne; and the same misfortune befel a party of the Suffolk militia escorting baggage to Kildare. A number of other towns were attacked: in some instances the rebels were successful, in others they were defeated; and on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of May numerous skirmishes occurred, and civil war with all its horrors raged in the heart of Ireland. A body of rebels attempted to surprise _Carlow_, which was garrisoned by detachments of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS and Ninth Dragoons, with some Yeomanry, Militia, and Volunteers, amounting to about 450 men. The rebels assembled nearly 3000 strong on the estate of Sir William Crosbie, Bart., who led them to the attack; and after a sharp conflict they were defeated, with the loss of 500 men killed, and many prisoners, including their leader, who was immediately tried by martial law and hanged. Numerous encounters occurred in other parts of the country; and on the 30th of May a detachment of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS, with a party of fencibles and Antrim militia, proceeding under the command of Colonel Walpole to join Major-General Loftus at _Gorey_, arrived at a place where the road was low and narrow, with high clay banks on each side crowded with bushes, and beyond them deep trenches, where they were attacked by an ambush of rebels of overwhelming numbers. The cavalry, by repeated charges to the front and right, endeavoured to extricate themselves, but their utmost efforts could not avail against the immense numbers by which they were opposed; and after an unequal fight of an hour's duration, in which their commanding officer, Colonel Walpole, and many men and horses were killed, they were forced to retire, covered by the militia, and had the mortification of losing three guns. About the same date 15,000 rebels took Wexford, and in the beginning of June made an attack upon New Ross, but were repulsed.[19] Enraged at this failure, they murdered, at the instigation of their priests, 241 Protestant prisoners in cold blood, and evinced, in this act, a ferocious cruelty not exceeded by the savage barbarians of the most uncultivated part of the world. On the 4th of June Captain Sir Richard Steel engaged, with his troop of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS, a body of rebels posted at _Ovidstown_, and the insurgents fought for some time with bravery, but were eventually dispersed with great slaughter. The troop had one serjeant, two rank and file, and three horses killed; with nine men and a number of horses wounded. Captain Sir Richard Steel had his horse killed under him, and was himself severely wounded.