Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum, Vol. 2 (of 3), 1642-1660Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum, Vol. 2 (of 3), 1642-1660
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 17th century
Inchiquin then fell back to Mallow, and dispersed his men
in garrisons, while the Irish went to their several homes.[19]
[Sidenote: The Scots in Ulster, June 1642]
[Sidenote: Kinard burned.]
[Sidenote: Charlemont retained by the Irish.]
There was perpetual fighting in Ulster during the summer of 1642. Monro
marched on June 17, with about 2000 men, from Carrickfergus to Lisburn,
where he was joined by Lord Montgomery and others with some 1100 foot
and four troops of horse. Lord Conway brought his regiment and five
troops of horse. Next morning the Scots general, with his own foot
and nearly all the horse, marched through the plain to Dromore, while
Montgomery cleared the woods of Killultagh, most of the Irish flying
across the Bann with their cattle and 'burning the country all along.'
The fighting was not severe, and the two divisions coalesced somewhere
near Banbridge. Monro, being short of provisions, decided not to follow
the enemy into Tyrone, and went off with some troops of cavalry towards
the Mourne mountains, leaving the other leaders to do the best they
could. Three hundred cows were captured, and the bulk of the army came
to Kinard. A priest was also taken, 'Chanter of Armagh and a prime
councillor to Sir Phelim O'Neill, who was since hanged, but would not
confess or discover anything.' The chief had gone to Charlemont, and
his men ran away who 'for haste did not kill any prisoners,' so his
house was burned, which was 'built of free stone and strong enough
to have kept out all the force we could make.' Two hundred miserable
captives were released, in rags and with faces like ghosts. The plunder
was considerable, including Sir Phelim's plate, which was on carts
ready to carry off. News was heard of Lady Caulfield, who was 'kept at
a stone house near Braintree woods,' and here Captain Rawdon found her
with her children, just in time to prevent the rebels from taking her
off into the forest. Rawdon was not so successful in the case of Lady
Blaney, who had been carried away into the wilds of Monaghan the night
before he came on the scene. As he rode through Kinard the second time
there was 'nothing left quick but angry dogs and embers.' Charlemont
had been strengthened with some skill, and there was no possibility of
taking it without guns, though Sir Phelim was nearly captured trying to
go there, and had to fly into Tyrone. Dungannon was afterwards taken
and garrisoned, with the usual hangings, Sir William Brownlow and
other prisoners there having overcome the rebel guard 'with the help
of some Irish that had formerly had relation to them.' Two brass guns
were taken, but they were not heavy enough to make the difference at
Charlemont, and on the eighth and ninth days the army returned from
Armagh through Loughbrickland to Lisburn. A great many cattle had been
taken, and all not eaten or stolen were divided among the men, one to
every four foot soldiers and to every two troopers.[20]
[Sidenote: Desultory character of the war.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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