CHAP. IX. Commencement of the rebellion in 1798.-Disturbances at Santry-Cromlin.--Tullagh.--Saggard. Naas. Baltin4glafs.-Profperous.-Clain.- Kilcullen.-Hacketftown.Dunlavin-Engagement at Tara Hill--Proclamation from the Lord Lieutenant and council.-Notice from the magif trates of Dublin to its inhabitants.Addrefs from the loyal Roman Catholics to thofe concerned in the rebellion. THE rebellion of 1798 broke out on the 23d of May; on the night of which, the northern mail-coach was stopped at Santry, (within a few miles of Dublin) by means of cars which were placed in a certain part of the road, fo as to obftruct the paffage of the coach, which having ar rived at this point, was surrounded by fome armed perfons, who faid they did not intend any harm, but merely wifhed to prevent the contents of the mail from falling into the hands of a great body of infurgents, that were a little further on. The coachman and guard, conceived by fuch language, that their obstruction proceeded from no evil defign, and made no refistance; they with the paffengers were perfuaded to go into a house near the road, and were undeceived only by feeing the coach in a few moments in flames. In the adjacent fields a body of the rebels, amounting to about 1000, were affembled: no injury was done to the paffengers; and a small remnant of the letters was was brought half-burnt to the poft-office-The Connaught mail was also stopped between Lucan and Leixlip, broken to pieces, and the letters destroyed. This was the fignal for insurrection: and accordingly on the following day, a large body of infurgents affembled between Crumlin and Tallagh, in the neighbourhood of Saggard, all armed, and most of them well mounted : they were oppofed by the yeomanry in that quarter; who fired upon them, but without effect, and were obliged to re treat. A reinforcement of cavalry, (the 5th dragoons, commanded by Lord Roden) fome time after arrived, between whom and the infurgents a conflict enfued, in which three of the latter were killed, and about 30 taken prisoners. A quantity of pikes were also taken, and two carts, Some of the dead bodies were brought to Dublin, and exposed, during the whole of that day in the castle-yard ; and the 5th dragoons, in returning to camp, carried through the city, as trophies, the horse and boots belonging to one of the deceased. The infurgents were armed with piftols, fwords, blunderbuffes, and pikes. Every neceffary precaution was now taken for the defence of the metropolis. The feveral corps of yeomanry were ftationed at alarm pofts; cannon were placed in the avenues leading to the caftle; the military preparations wore the most awful appearance; and expreffes continually arrived, giving the intelligence of those disturbances which daily took place in different parts of the kingdom. We fhall endeavour to ftate these partial infurrections, as correctly as poffible, in the order of time in which they occurred, and thereby fhew the gradual proceedings of the rebels, Од May, 25th. On this day, at about half past two o'clock in the morning, the rebels made a regular attack upon the town of Naas, of which the following account is given by Lord Gosford and Major Wardle, in a letter to Lieutenant-general Lake. “A dragoon from an outpoft came in, and informed Major Wardle of the Antient British, that a very confiderable armed body was approaching rapidly upon the town; the whole garrison were instantly under arms, and took their pofition according to a plan previouffy formed, in case of such an event happening, They made an attack upon our troops posted near the gaol, with great violence, but were repulfed they then made a general attack in almost every direction, as they had got poffeffion of almost every avenue into the town: They continued to engage the troops for near three quarters of an hour, when they gave way, and fed on all fides, The cavalry immediately took advantage of their confufion, charged in almoft every direction, and killed a great number of them." It appears that the rebels at this place were above 1000 ftrong; about 30 of them were killed in the streets, and above 100 in the fields; a great quantity of arms and pikes were taken; and much more was fhortly afterwards found in pits near the town. The fame day, other attacks were made by the rebels in different parts of the counties of Kildare and Wicklow. About one o'clock they appeared in the neighbourhood of Baltinglafs, to the amount of at leaft four or five hundred. Thirty of the Antrim militia, under the command of Lieutenant Macauley and Cornet Love, with twenty of the 9th dragoons, were fent to attack them; but the inftant that they were advancing upon them in the town of Stratford upon Slaney, Captain Stratford appeared at the other end of the town, with part of his corps: the rebels were attacked on both fides, and completely routed, leaving near 200 200 men killed, befides many wounded, amongst those who had made their efcape.. The town of Profperous also suffered confiderably; at which place, a party of the Cork militia, under Captain Swayne, was ftationed. Several of the rebels had, on the day before, made a furrender of their pikes to Captain Swayne, under a pretence of returning to their allegiance; but on the 24th, the barrack was attacked, and fet on fire; where Captain Swayne, and the whole detachment being locked up, were inhumanly destroyed. Part of this town belonged to Mr. Stamer, who was alfo put to death by the infurgents, as was alfo Mr. Brewer, a respectable manufacturer, whose body was mangled with favage barbarity : They also maffacreed a poor old man, upwards of feventy years of age, who had served as a sergeant in his Majefty's forces and after committing thefe cruel atrocities, they exclaimed," where are the hereties? down with the beretics !?? At Clain, an action took place; where the rebels were defeated by a party of the army and Mr. Griffith's yeomanry, who behaved with the greateft fpirit. A fmall party of the Suffolk Fencibles, moving from Barrettown to Kildare, were attacked in a narrow pafs by a confiderable force, and loft all their baggage. In the neighbourhood of Lucan the infurgents affembled with pikes, &c. but a party of the military fell upon them, and routed them with great flaughter, leaving 90 of them dead on the field. They likewise affembled near Lusk, and proceeded to commit depredations: they furprised and attacked ten men of the Fermanagh militia, but were at length routed, with the lofs of 50 men killed, and a number taken prifoners, At Collon alfo, where they had collected in great force, they were completely routed. The town of Ballimore was attacked; and at firft the 9th dragoons were fomewhat checked; checked: however, they rallied, and beat the infurgents but Captain MFarland of the Tyrone, was unfortunately killed. A principal conflict now took place near Kilcullen, concerning which, the following particulars are extracted from a letter of Lieutenant-general Dundas to Lord Visc. Caftlereagh, dated 25th of May, 1798. " About 2 o'clock P. M. yesterday, I marched out again to attack the rebels, who had affembled in great force on the north fide of the Liffey, and were advancing toward Kilcullen-bridge, they Occupied the hills on the left of the road leading to Dublin, the road itself, and the fields, high, inclosed on the right. The attack began between three and four-was made with great gallantry; the infantry forcing the enemy on the road, and driving them from the hills on the left; the cavalry, with equal fuccefs, cutting off their retreat :-The affair ended foon after four; the flaughter was confiderable for such an action; 130 lay dead, no prisoners: his Majefty's troops did not fuffer in either killed or wounded. The rebels left great quantities of arms behind them, and fled in all directions. General Welford, from Kildare, joined me last night. Captain La' Touche's corps of yeomanry diftinguished themselves in a high ftile." 雾 Such were the pleafing accounts received of the defeat of the rebels in the different places before mentioned. At the borders of the county of Dublin, however, near Dunboyne, a rebel party affembled, who got poffeffion of fome military baggage, and committed many outrages. Several of them alfo appeared in the neighbourhood of Clondalkin, and about Rathfarnham: these were purfaed and overtaken by a party of the military; many of them were killed, and others made prifoners: the bodies of three of the most active and defperate of them, were brought to Dublin; they were hung up in Barrack-ftreet for |