While Cromwell was threatening Waterford, Ormonde brought his whole army to Carrick, the recapture of which he left to Taaffe and Inchiquin, while he marched on with the tidal river between him and the Parliamentary host. The city was open on the river side, and there was no difficulty in ferrying over 1500 Ulster soldiers with Lieut.-General Ferrall as governor. Jones had previously succeeded in occupying Passage, 'a very large fort with a castle in the midst of it, having five guns planted in it, and commanding the river better than Duncannon.' The garrison surrendered on condition of quarter only, and Ballyhack being already in Cromwell's hands, Waterford was pretty thoroughly cut off from the sea. The attempt to recapture Carrick failed, perhaps for want of a good engineer, for the assailants' mine exploded to their own injury, and without damaging the wall. Reynolds's men spared their ammunition and defended themselves mainly with stones. The gates were burned, but quickly barricaded inside with rubble, and Inchiquin, having no stock of provisions, was forced to retreat with heavy loss. Ormonde on his return was very nearly captured, for he expected to find Carrick in the hands of friends, and had to ride twenty miles round to join his men at Clonmel. He met the Tipperary rustics flying in all directions with their portable goods, so as to escape being plundered by the soldiers.[160] [Sidenote: The siege of Waterford raised, Dec. 2.] [Sidenote: Death of Michael Jones.] [Sidenote: Ormonde's difficulties.]