When Lady Fanshawe joined her husband, a few weeks before Cromwell's landing, she found Cork an agreeable place of residence enough, and so it remained for about six months. She lived in the old Augustinian Friary called the Red Abbey, which then belonged to Michael Boyle, Dean of Cloyne, who vied with Inchiquin and Roscommon in civility to her. She calls the latter Lord Chancellor, but he is not generally included in the list. 'My Lord of Ormonde had a very good army, and the country was seemingly quiet.' And so it continued outwardly for some time, though Inchiquin's power had been gradually wasting away since Rathmines. Suddenly one night, at the beginning of November, Lady Fanshawe was roused from her bed by the sound of cannon, and by screams and cries outside. Opening the window, she saw a crowd, who informed her that they were 'all Irish stripped and wounded and turned out of the town by Colonel Jeffries.' Hurrying off to the Colonel she reminded him of her husband's former civilities to him, which he handsomely acknowledged, and at once granted a free pass. She passed 'through thousands of naked swords' with her family, 1000_l._ in cash and other light property, and got to Kinsale where she was safe for the moment. Cromwell was much annoyed at Fanshawe's papers having thus escaped him.[168] [Sidenote: Cromwell's campaign in the South, Jan.-March, 1650.] [Sidenote: Surrender of Fethard, Feb. 3.] The Parliamentary managers were alarmed by the negotiations of Charles with the Scots. They knew, too, that Fairfax could hardly be trusted to lead an attack on the Presbyterian kingdom, and they resolved to recall Cromwell. The letter was written on January 8, but it did not reach him until he was already in the field again, and he thought proper to treat the reports of its coming as Nelson treated the signal at Copenhagen. On January 29 he set out from Youghal with twelve troops of horse, three troops of dragoons, and between two and three hundred foot. Reynolds and Ireton, with about the same number of horse and dragoons and 2000 foot, were sent to Carrick to threaten Ormonde's quarters at Kilkenny. Cromwell himself marched towards Mitchelstown, took Kilbenny Castle, Clogheen, and Rehill, near Cahir, and went from there to Fethard. The last-named walled town surrendered after a night's discussion 'upon terms which we usually call honourable; which I was the willinger to give, because I had little above two hundred foot, and neither ladders nor guns nor anything else to force them.' [Sidenote: Cashel protected.] [Sidenote: Callan taken.] [Sidenote: Enniscorthy surprised and retaken.] [Sidenote: Ardfinane.] [Sidenote: Cahir surrendered, Feb. 24]