Ireland: The People's History of Ireland, Volume 1 (of 2)Finerty, John F. (John Frederick)
History
Ireland: The People's History of Ireland, Volume 1 (of 2)
Finerty, John F. (John Frederick)
Ireland -- History
IMMEDIATELY after the signing of the treaty, it was fixed upon between
De Ginkel and Sarsfield that, on October 6, the Irish infantry would
march out of the King’s Island by Thomond Bridge, into the County Clare,
and there and then make a choice of service with England or France. It
was arranged that those who chose the former service were to turn to the
left at a certain point, where an English flag was planted, while those
who decided for France were to march straight onward to a more distant
point marked by the French standard. They were, in all, about 15,000
men, and, quite naturally, the respective leaders awaited the result
with burning anxiety. They were not left long in doubt. The first body
to march was the Royal Irish regiment of Foot Guards, fourteen hundred
strong, of which Mr. Story remarks wofully, it “seemed to go all entire
[for France] except seven men, which the general was much concerned at,
then my Lord Iveagh’s regiment of Ulster Irish came off entire to our
side.” In all a little over 1,000 officers and men ranged themselves
under the flag of King William, while nearly 13,000 mustered under the
Fleur-de-Lis. A few days afterward, the Irish horse, now much reduced,
made choice in the same fashion, and with about the same proportionate
result. The same privilege was granted the outlying bodies of King
James’s army, and all decided for France in the proportion of about ten
to one. Of the Irish general officers, more or less under the suspicion
of the army since the disasters of Aughrim and Annaghbeg, we find
Generals Luttrell and Clifford, Baron Purcell, “and a great many more of
the Irish nobility and gentry going toward Dublin,” which means that
they made terms with the enemy.
It was well along in the month of December before the Irish soldiers who
had volunteered to go beyond the seas were entirely transported to
France. The foot, for the most part, sailed from Limerick, many of them
in the returning fleet of Chateau-Renaud, and the cavalry from Cork,
where occurred the tragical event we have already related. In
all—including the capitulated troops from every Irish garrison—20,000
men from Ireland landed in the French ports, and these, together with
Mountcashel’s Brigade, which had been in the French service since before
the battle of the Boyne, made up a force of 25,000 veterans, who were
mostly in the pay of King Louis, but all of whom were sworn to support
King James in any effort he might put forth to recover his crown.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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