CHAPTER XXVIII.

SEVERITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE-THE WEXFORD LEADERS-ANECDOTE-HARVEY AND GROGAN-EXECUTIONERS-EXCESSES IN THE NORTH.

DURING the short time that the insurrection was raging in the south, terrible examples of hurried justice were daily witnessed in the metropolis and elsewhere. In the capital, the lamp irons or the scaffolding on the bridges, were turned into a temporary gallows-and corporal punishment resorted to, and even torturous measures used, sometimes from vague suspicion, at others from private enmity alone. That infernal invention, the pitched-cap,* was employed in common with the triangles; and it has been asserted, without contradiction, that many wretched sufferers were, from the cruelties they endured, deprived of reason, and, in some cases, driven to end their agonies by self-destruction. These instances were not a few.

"In the centre of the capital, the heart-rending exhibition was presented of a human being, rushing from the infernal depôt of torture and death, his person besmeared with a burning preparation of turpentine and pitch, plunging, in his distraction, into the Liffey, and terminating at once his sufferings and his life.

"A melancholy transaction occurred in the town of Drogheda. The unhappy victim was a young man of delicate frame; he had been sentenced to five hundred lashes, and received a portion with firmness, but dreading lest bodily suffering might subdue the fortitude of his mind, he requested that the remainder should be suspended, and his information taken. Being liberated from the triangles, he directed his executioners to a certain garden, where he informed them arms were concealed. In their absence he deliberately cut his throat. They were not discovered, for no arms were there.

"About the same period, and in the same populous town, the unfortunate Bergan was tortured to death. He was an honest, upright citizen, and a man of unimpeachable moral character. He was seized on by those vampires, and in the most public street stripped of his clothes, placed in a horizontal position on a cart, and torn with the cat-o'-nine

*"It is said that the North Cork regiment were the inventors-but they certainly were the introducers of pitch-cap torture into the county of Wexford. Any person having his hair cut short, and therefore called a Croppy' (by which the soldiery designated a United Irishman), on being pointed out by some loyal neighbour, was immediately seized and brought into a guard-house, where caps, either of coarse linen or strong brown paper, besmeared inside with pitch, were always kept ready for service. The unfortunate victim had one of these well heated, compressed on his head, and when judged of a proper degree of coolness, so that it could not be easily pulled off, the sufferer was turned out, amidst the horrid acclamations of the merciless torturers."-Lives of the United Irishmen.

tails, long after the vital spark was extinct. The alleged pretence for the perpetration of this horrid outrage was, that a small gold ring had been discovered on his finger bearing a national device-the shamrock of his unfortunate country."

The indiscriminating punishment, accompanied with all the obsolete barbarism attendant upon treason, inflicted on the Wexford leaders without exception, has been heavily condemned-and it has been contended, that to several individuals mercy should have been extended. It is a difficult question to decide. Much in favour of the sufferers might be adduced-while the circumstances of the times, the rank of the criminals, and the character of their offendings, were such as to close the door of mercy, and exact a rigid retribution. I question whether any of the influential gentlemen found unhappily among the Wexford leaders, had joined the standard of rebellion advisedly-and there is no doubt that the cruelties they witnessed, and found themselves unequal to restrain, dispelled the idle delusion which had tempted them to take arms against the government.

That Harvey, Keough, Colclough, and Grogan, were radically infected with republican principles cannot be questioned; but like hundreds of theoric politicians of that day, it is more than probable that their treasonable intents would have been confined to the dinner-table, and not displayed upon the field. In Ireland in those days, and indeed, even in the present, the withdrawal of the ladies was the signal for political discussions to commence-and with every cooper of wine, according to the party colour of the company, kingdoms were revolutionized, or rebellions were suppressed.

A symposium of this description, which was held in the spring of '98 at Bargay Castle, gives a sketchy picture of the tone and temper of the times. Men jested at the table, unconscious that the sword

*Lives of the United Irishmen.

"In those times, all the business of the country societies was conducted in public-houses, and men entered into solemn engagements, involving consequences of awful moment to their country and to themselves, in the midst of scenes ill calculated for cool deliberation. This, it may be said, was only amongst the lower orders of the United Irishmen, like those belonging to the Muddlers' Club,' of Belfast. But the upper orders, though they might not congregate in Shebeen' houses, and way-side inns, also had their houses of entertainment in the metropolis, their taverns on a larger scale-their 'Eagle,' in Exchequer-street, their 'Struggler's Tavern,' in Cook-street; and their business was done after the cloth was removed,' and the port wine was laid on the table. It was at such times and at such convivial meetings the introduction of candidates for admission was discussed, their qualifications were talked over, and the test eventually administered and taken in a room adjoining that in which the revels of a convivial party and the machinations of conspirators went on simultaneously.

"The candidate for admission into the society, after it became a secret one in 1794, was sworn either by individuals, or in the presence of several members, in a separate room from that in which the meeting was held. A paper, consisting of eight pages of printed matter, called the Constitution, was placed in his right hand, and the nature of it was explained to him: that part of it called the Test' was read to him, and repeated by him. The oath was administered either on the Scriptures or a prayer-book; and while it was administering to him, he held the constitution, together with the book, on his right breast. The constitution contained

was suspended over them by a hair, and never dreaming that within a few brief months, a boon companion then sitting at the board, might, like the prince of Denmark, apostrophize the only remnant of their mortality that was left:-"That skull had a tongue in it, and could sing once. How the knave jowls it to the ground, as if it were Cain's jaw-bone, that did the first murder!"

The narrator of this painful reminiscence of '98, is the late Sir Jonah Barrington:

Bagenal Harvey, who had been my schoolfellow and constant circuit-companion for many years, laughed, at Lady Colclough's, at my political prudery; assured me I was totally wrong in suspecting him, and insisted on my going to Bargay Castle, his residence, to meet some old Temple friends of ours, on the ensuing Monday. My relative, Captain Keogh, was to be of the party.

"I accordingly went there to dinner; but that evening proved to me of great uneasiness, and made a very disagreeable impression, both on my mind and spirits. The company I met included Captain Keogh, the two unfortunate Counsellors Sheares, who were both hung shortly afterwards; Mr. Colclough, who was hung on the bridge; Mr. Hay, who was also executed; Mr. William Hatton, one of the rebel directory of Wexford, who unaccountably escaped; and a gentleman of the bar, whose name I shall not mention, as he still lives.

"The entertainment was good, and the party cheerful. Temple freaks were talked over-the bottle circulated; but at length Irish politics became the topic, and proceeded to an extent of disclosure which utterly surprised me. With the Messrs. Sheares (particularly Henry) I had always been on terms of the greatest intimacy. I had extricated both of them, not long before, from considerable difficulty,

the declaration, resolutions, rules, test, regulations for the various committees, and form of certificate of admission into the society.

"The mode of recognition was the following: a member desiring to ascertain if a person was initiated, or to make himself known to another party, on meeting with a person not previously known as a United Irishman, repeated the first letter of the word United' in this manner,-'I know U.' The person accosted, if initiated, answered, I know N,'-and so on, each alternately repeating the remaining letters of the word. Where further proofs of initiation were required, there was a form of examination in a series of questions, to which the following answers were required, in common use among the lower orders :

"Quest.-Are you straight?

Ans.-I am.

"Quest.-How straight?

"Ans.-As straight as a rush.

"Quest.-Go on then?

"Ans. In truth, in trust, in unity, and liberty.

"Quest.-What have you got in your hand?

"Ans.-A green bough.

"Quest.-Where did it first grow?

"Ans.-In America.

"Quest.-Where did it bud?

"Ans.-In France.

"Quest.-Where are you going to plant it?

"Ans.-In the crown of Great Britain."

Lives of the United Irishmen.

through the kindness of Lord Kilwarden; and I had no idea that matters wherein they were concerned had proceeded to the lengths developed on that night. The probability of a speedy revolt was freely discussed, though in the most artful manner, not a word of any of the party committing themselves; but they talked it over, as a result which might be expected from the complexion of the times, and the irritation excited in consequence of the severities exercised by the government. The chances of success, in the event of a rising, were openly debated, as were, also, the circumstances likely to spring from that success and the examples which the insurgents would, in that case, probably make. All this was at the same time talked over, without one word being uttered in favour of rebellion-a system of caution which, I afterwards learned, was much practised, for the purpose of gradually making proselytes without alarming them. I saw through it clearly, and here my presentiments came strong upon me. I found myself in the midst of absolute, though unavowed, conspirators. I perceived that the explosion was much nearer than the government expected; and I was startled at the decided manner in which my host and his friend spoke.

"Under these circumstances, my alternative was, evidently, to quit the house, or give a turn to the conversation. I therefore began to laugh at the subject, and ridicule it as quite visionary, observing jestingly, to Keogh: Now, my dear Keogh, it is quite clear that you and I, in this famous rebellion, shall be on different sides of the question, and, of course, one or the other of us must necessarily be hanged, at or before its termination-I upon a lamp-iron in Dublin, or you on the bridge of Wexford. Now, we'll make a bargain! if we beat you, upon my honour I'll do all I can to save your neck; and if your folks beat us, you'll save me from the honour of the lamp-iron !'

mer.

*

*

"We shook hands on the bargain, which created much merriment, and gave the whole after-talk a cheerful character, and I returned to Wexford, at twelve o'clock at night, with a most decided impression of the danger of the country, and a complete presentiment that either myself or Captain Keogh would never see the conclusion of that sum* I immediately wrote to Mr. Secretary Cooke, without mentioning names, place, or any particular source of knowledge, but simply to assure him that there was not a doubt that an insurrection would break out, at a much earlier period than the government expected. I desired him to ask me no questions, but said, that he might depend upon the fact; adding, that a commanding force ought instantly to be sent down, to garrison the town of Wexford. 'If the government,' said I, in conclusion, does not attend to my warning, it must take the consequences.' My warning was not attended to, but his Majesty's government soon found I was right. They lost Wexford, and might have lost Ireland, by that culpable inat

tention.

"The result need scarcely be mentioned. Every member of that jovial dinner-party (with the exception of myself, the barrister before alluded to, and Mr. Hatton) was executed within three months! and

on my next visit to Wexford, I saw the heads of Captain Keogh, Mr. Harvey, and Mr. Colclough, on spikes, over the court-house door.

"Previously to the final catastrophe, however, when the insurgents had been beaten, Wexford retaken by our troops, and Keogh made prisoner, I did not forget my promise to him at Bargay Castle. Many certificates had reached Dublin of his humanity to the royalists, whilst the town of Wexford was under his government; and of attempts made upon his life by Dixon, a chief of his own party, for his endeavouring to resist the rebel butcheries. I had intended to go with these directly to Lord Camden, the lord-lieutenant; but I first saw Mr. Secretary Cooke, to whom I related the entire story, and shewed him several favourable documents. He told me, I might save myself the trouble of going to Lord Camden; and at the same time handed me a despatch, received that morning from General Lake, who stated, that he thought it necessary, on recapturing Wexford, to lose no time in 'making example' of the rebel chiefs; and that accordingly Mr. Grogan, of Johnstown, Mr. Bagenal Harvey, of Bargay Castle, Captain Keogh, Mr. Colclough, and some other gentlemen, had been hanged on the bridge, and beheaded, the previous morning.

"An unaccountable circumstance was witnessed by me on that tour. Immediately after the retaking of Wexford, General Lake, as I have before mentioned, had ordered the heads of Mr. Grogan, Captain Keogh, Mr. Bagenal Harvey, and Mr. Colclough, to be placed on very low spikes, over the court-house door of Wexford. A faithful servant of Mr. Grogan had taken away his head, but the other three remained there when I visited the town. The mutilated countenances of friends and relatives in such a situation, would, it may be imagined, give any man most horrifying sensations! The heads of Colclough and Harvey appeared black lumps, the features being utterly undistinguishable; that of Keogh was uppermost, but the air had made no impression on it whatever! his comely and respect-inspiring face (except the pale hue, scarcely to be called livid) was the same as in life; his eyes were not closed, his hair not much ruffled; in fact, it appeared to me rather as a head of chiselled marble, with glass eyes, than as the lifeless remains of a human creature. This circumstance I never could get any medical man to give me the least explanation of. I prevailed on General Hunter, who then commanded in Wexford, to suffer the three heads to be taken down and buried."

If an elevation to command was ever, during its brief duration, overcharged with anxiety, disappointment, and unavailing regret, for yielding to a maddening impulse in accepting of it, poor Harvey's was that short and humiliating career. He must have felt conscious that to his own incompetency to direct enormous masses, which, under proper handling, must have overwhelmed the little garrison, the bloody repulse inflicted on the insurgents at Ross, was entirely to be attributed ;*

"In his martial office, his head became totally bewildered. The sphere of action was too great-the object struggled for too comprehensive. Nor did even his personal courage follow him to the field-his bravery, as against a single man, was