XLIV. CHAP. inftance. They believed Father John, and another priest, Michael Murphy, to be invulnerable, when leaden bullets were fhewn them by these leaders, which they affirmed to have been shot against them by the enemy, and to have ftruck them without hurt. CHAP. CHAP. XLV. State of Dublin--Cornwallis viceroy-Executions at Wexford--Grogan, Harvey, &c.-Fate of Perry-Bill of amnesty-Capitulation of leaders -O'Connor's pamphlet--Profecutions-BandittiDevastations of the rebellion-Compensations to fuffering loyalifts-Eftimate of lofs to the kingdomDepravation of morals-Frauds in claims of compenfation-Embaraffment of clergymen-Neglect of the French government-Arrangement of CornwallisKillala's narrative. WITH XLV. State of Dublin. 1798. ITH the final difperfion of the Wexfordian infur- CHAP. gents the rebellion was terminated, and this had been but local. The whole kingdom had remained quiet, except the counties mentioned, and a small part of the county of Cork. In the last the few infurgents had been quickly fuppreffed, defeated at Ballynafcarty, on the ninteenth of June by colonel Sir Hugh O'Reily. All this time the capital, vigilantly guarded by a large military force, had enjoyed a peace not otherwife interrupted than by alarms of plots within and hoftilities without. The chief part of this force VOL. II. G g confifted XLV. CHAP. confifted of its own citizens, formed into yeoman companies, whofe conduct on this occafion merits much applause. The grand and royal canals, fifty feet broad and twelve deep, formed a defense round the city, in the nature of a wet ditch, the numerous bridges of which, fortified with palifades, were conftantly guarded by yeomen. Trials and executions had early commenced. Among the executed were Henry and John Sheares, John Mac-Cann, who had been fecretary to the provincial committee of Leinster, and Michael William Byrne, delegate from the county committee of Wicklow. Oliver Bond was condemned, but reprieved, as a judicious and neceffary system of mercy was adopted after the arrival of a new chief governor. Cornwallis viceroy. 1798. That a viceroy of military talents, of political knowlege and activity, vefted with ftrong powers, had not been fent fooner into this kingdom, where a widely extended infurrection had been fo long known to have been planned, feems an unaccountable conduct in the British cabinet. The confequence might have been fatal if the infurgents had been well conducted, and fupplied with arms and ammunition from France. As if to make atonement for paft inattention one of the fitteft perfons was at length appointed to this most important office, the marquis Cornwallis, who had eminently difplayed talents of a general and statesman, not lefs when inevitably overcome in America than when victorious in the Eaft. His earlier appointment might have faved the lofs of fome thousand lives and of immenfe property. His activity XLV. activity and wisdom, his eafmess of accefs and atten- CHAP tion to bufinefs, difplayed a new phenomenon, where the viceroyalty had been generally a finecure, and the viceroy a pageant of state. His adminiftration commenced on the twentieth of June, when he entered the metropolis in a very modeft manner, from which lord Camden departed in a kind of triumphal parade. at Wexford. 1798. His arrival could not immediatly change the Executions fyftem. Trials, by court-martial, and executions in the ufual manner, proceeded at Wexford, immediately after its furrendry, and several men fuffered as leaders of rebellion. The bridge was the scene of execution, as it had been of maffacre. The bodies, after death by hanging, were commonly ftripped, treated with indignity, and thrown into the river, and their heads placed aloft on fpikes on the court-house. Philip Roche, a man of rough and boisterous demeanour, but humane, courageous, and feemingly of a military genius by nature, might with more regular troops and better arms have performed much. He feemed to have latterly despaired of fuccefs, and thence to have indulged almoft perpetual intoxication. As his character has been foully mifreprefented, I fufpect that the actions of another priest named Roche, who is faid to have preached unchriftian doctrines, have been through mistake attributed to him. Since many furviving proteftants owed their lives to his exertions, his fate was fecretly regretted; and that he had been treated with more decency previously to his execution might XLV. CHAP. be wifhed for the honour of the military character. Captain Mathew Keugh, a proteftant, who had been formerly an officer in the royal fervice, made an excellent defense, which was then of no avail. He had been in great danger among the rebels, from whom he had unfortunately for himself accepted a commiffion, and had been fignally ferviceable in prevailing on them to evacuate the town. Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey and Cornelius Grogan, proteftants alfo, fuffered together. The latter, poffeffed of an eftate of eight thousand pounds a year and of much accumulated wealth, had unfortunately been made a prifoner by the infurgents, who nominated him a commiffary. Enfeebled with age, the gout, and a timid fpirit, he had been as unable to execute a commiffion as to reject the title. He was feized at his houfe by the foldiery, which, with all his effects, was configned to plunder. His great wealth might have been a ftrong temptation, and I am decidedly of opinion that of rebellion he was perfectly innocent. Such is the inconsistency of human nature, that this timid man met his fate with heroic fortitude, while Harvey, who in duels had displayed an intrepid fpirit, fhewed symptoms of fear at his execution. Harvey, not fortunate in his private connexions, had in fome respects borne an amiable character, particularly that of a most humane landlord; a character every where valuable, in Ireland fcarce. He had been carried by the tide of theoric politics into the fyftem of United Irishmen; but I have good reafon to believe that he was determined |