ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH--THE SIEGES OF CORK AND KINSALE.
While the events just narrated had been passing in Ireland, King James
remained at the court of France, endeavoring to win King Louis' consent
to his favorite plan of invading England in the absence of the Prince
of Orange. Having failed in this through the persistent opposition of
the French minister, he turned his attention once more to his affairs
in Ireland, and requested an expedition to sustain his arms in that
country. But the misrepresentations of De Lausun had so warped the
mind of this sovereign, that in this he was equally unsuccessful; and
finding himself unable to awaken the interest of Louis, or to change
the mind of his minister, he gave way to despondency, and remained a
passive spectator of surrounding events. In this exigency the Duke of
Tyrconnell determined to present himself at the court of Versailles,
and plead the cause of his country. The successful defence of Athlone
and Limerick furnished him with arguments that her cause was not yet
hopeless; and the favor hitherto shown him by the French monarch,
led him to believe that his suit would not be unfavorably received.
So, having constituted a council of three lords-justices and sixteen
senators, to conduct the civil affairs of the nation, and appointed the
Duke of Berwick as deputy, with Sarsfield as his second in military
command, he left the city in company with De Boïsselau, the late
governor, and joined De Lausun at Galway, where he embarked for France
on an important mission.
Scarcely had he departed from the city when the spirit of discontent
became manifest in the council and among the leaders of the army.
Believing, or affecting to believe, that the deputy was indifferent
to their wants and grievances, and had abandoned the country to its
fate, they resolved to send a deputation to France to represent their
policy, and urged the Duke of Berwick to sanction their proceedings. He
opposed the design for some time; but the excitement daily increasing,
he was forced to acquiesce in order to restore the general harmony.
"Accordingly," says he, "I summoned all the principal lords, as well
of the clergy as the laity, and all the military officers down to the
colonels, inclusive, to attend me.... I proposed to them the Bishop of
Cork, the two Luttrells, and Colonel Purcell. My choice was unanimously
approved, and a few days after I dispatched my deputies. At the same
time I sent Brigadier Maxwell, a Scotchman, to explain to the king
my reasons for appointing this deputation, and to beg of him not to
suffer either Brigadier Luttrell or Colonel Purcell to return: they
were the two most dangerous incendiaries, and I had chosen them on
purpose to get them out of the way. When these gentlemen were got on
board, they conceived a suspicion that Maxwell might be charged with
some instructions relating to them, for which they proposed to throw
him overboard, but were prevented by the bishop and the elder Luttrell.
The first was a prelate of distinguished piety; the other was of an
obliging disposition, and always appeared to me to be a man of honor.
Notwithstanding Maxwell's representations, the king permitted these
gentlemen to return to Ireland. Tyrconnell consented to it, but he had
reason to repent of it after."[51] Such were the inauspicious signs, too
plainly indicative of a divided interest, and such the difficulties
that beset the deputy in this, perhaps, the greatest emergency of his
country. But undeterred by the party intrigue of the hour, he addressed
himself to the duty of his embassy with such tact and decision that
he soon gained the ear of the French monarch, put the conduct of de
Lausun before him in its proper light, propitiated the minister,
counteracted the designs of the _cabal_, and obtained the promise of
an expedition to Ireland proportionate to the importance of the cause
and the necessities of the crisis. This success being communicated
to the council in Limerick, had the most favourable effect; hope and
confidence were renewed among all classes of the people, and activity
and courage were soon manifest in all ranks of the army.
On the other hand, the intrigue and party strife that prevailed at the
court, and in the legislative councils of England, were of a nature,
not less serious, than those which menaced the success of the Jacobite
arms. Since the accession of William to the throne, two factions had
been gradually maturing there, and at this time had reached the acme
of party strife and hatred. These, for convenience, may be termed the
Dutch and English interest, which they respectively represented, while
apart from both, and, perhaps, numerically as strong as either, stood
the Jacobite party, watching the course of events, and determined to
take advantage of their mutual animosity.
William, who looked to the elevation of Holland as a European power,
and the humiliation of France as the primary objects of his life, had
neglected his English partisans, and raised his Dutch and foreign
mercenaries to the highest civil and military offices of the State; and
this lost him much of his prestige among the parliamentary leaders,
while the people, who had begun to look calmly on the condition
of their country, saw it, after all, but a conquered province of
Holland. The invasion had succeeded, but their liberties were more
circumscribed: "Popery" was ignored, but prelacy was enslaved; the
Parliament existed, but the people had no voice in its construction;
the foreign legions revelled in the capital, but the English soldiers
were disfranchised and conscripted for foreign service. The general
discontent had become alarming, and to add to the growing disaffection,
and give it point and purpose, the Princess Anne, the younger daughter
of King James, being treated with studied neglect by both William and
Mary, to whose elevation she had contributed by a plot unworthy of
her station as a princess and her dignity as a wife, had become their
bitterest enemy, and the recognized head of the English interest. To
such a pitch had she carried her resentment, that on William's return
from Ireland, she had raised up an English champion to humble his
pride, by eclipsing his military fame, and the person thus put forward
was Lord Churchill, afterwards the renowned Duke of Marlborough. Owing
to this, the return of William was not hailed by any of those popular
manifestations that mark the return of a conqueror to his country. On
the contrary, the ordinary gratulations, things of everyday occurrence,
were but coldly accorded to him by the people;--his parliamentary
partisans scarcely deigning the formal acknowledgments of success,
while the opposition declared that the victory of the Boyne was
overbalanced by the defeat at Athlone and Limerick, and that the result
of his expedition was degrading to the British arms. He endeavored to
remove this impression by representing to the Parliament, and causing
to be reported on the continent, that the heavy rains which had fallen
during the siege were the cause of its abandonment, although many then
knew, what the Duke of Berwick afterwards affirmed, "that not a single
drop of rain fell for above a month before, or for three weeks after
that event."[52] But the English party were not deceived by the device,
the assertion gave point to their irony, opposition became more bitter
and clamorous, and in order to humiliate him the more, it was proposed
to send Marlborough,--"at his own request,"--to Ireland to redeem the
disgrace by completing the reduction of the country. William, though
knowing this to be a direct insult to himself and his foreign army,
was obliged to acquiesce, for the conquest of Ireland was a matter of
pressing necessity to both parties; each desiring it for the national
safety, and yet each aspiring to that honor, as a means to the
perpetuation of its power. The expedition was accordingly ordered; but,
while Marlborough was making preparations for his departure, William
sent the Duke of Wurtemberg to Ireland with secret orders to claim
the command of the expedition on its arrival, by right of military
precedence, and thus counteract the designs of his political enemies.
After the departure of the Luttrells and Purcell for France, and the
restoration of harmony in the councils of the Irish Senate, Sarsfield
and Berwick directed their attention to the military affairs of the
nation, which were in a very disheartening condition. The defences
of the city were repaired, the garrisons along the frontier were
strengthened and reinforced, and detachments sent into the counties
bordering on the Shannon, to co-operate with the Rapparees in levying
contributions of corn and cattle for the support of the army. The
sieges of Athlone and Limerick, following in such quick succession, had
nearly exhausted all their military stores, and had the enemy chosen
to make a rapid descent on the river fortresses immediately after the
retreat of William, it is more than probable that the war would have
been terminated by the close of 1690; for there remained but fifty
barrels of powder within the city, "and there was not, in the whole
country which remained under the control of the royal army, enough
to double the quantity."[53] But the indecision of the enemy, after
the withdrawal of the Prince of Orange, enabled the Irish generals
to anticipate events, and to distribute a supply of military stores,
which soon after arrived from France. Early in September, with about
3,000 infantry, seven battalions of cavalry and four field-pieces, they
encamped at Banagher, a good strategic position, on the Shannon, about
fourteen miles south of Athlone, resolved to take the offensive, in
order to check the enemy, now extended from Clonmel to Enniskillen, and
making stealthy approaches towards the frontier garrisons along that
river. The town of Birr, in the King's County, about seven miles from
their encampment, was the most advanced post of the enemy at this time,
and the first to invite an attack. It was a place of much importance,
as it threatened the passes of Banagher, Meelick, and Portumna; and
being the principal depot of military stores and provisions for that
district, its capture would have been of immense advantage to the army.
Accordingly, on the 13th of September, Berwick appeared before the
town, and had soon carried the outer works of the castle by which it
was protected, but met with considerable delay from the inefficiency of
his guns, which gave the enemy time to hasten up their reinforcements.
In a short time General Kirke appeared with a regiment for its relief,
but seeing the Irish cavalry drawn up on a hill overlooking the town,
he retreated back to Roscrea, where he was joined by General Douglas,
and with a force of 8,000 men and ten pieces of artillery, appeared
again on the 16th, as the garrison was on the point of capitulating.
Upon this, Berwick withdrew his guns from the trenches, and taking up
a good position on the hills, about a mile from the town, he spent all
that day and the next offering every inducement to battle, which the
enemy as persistently declined,--each failed to draw the other from its
chosen position. At last, on the third day, Berwick withdrew towards
his camp, followed at a distance by the enemy, who advanced when he
advanced, and halted when he halted, until his cavalry, making a
detour of several miles, assailed their flanks, doing great execution,
and putting their whole force in disorder, when they retreated
precipitately, pursued up to their defences; and so the affair ended.
A series of bitter skirmishes between the pickets of both armies
succeeded this for a few days, when the enemy again moved towards
Clonmel and Kilkenny, where there was a general muster to reinforce
the Duke of Marlborough, who had effected a landing at Cork, and
Berwick retired behind the Shannon to collect troops to oppose him; the
garrisons at Birr and Banagher were withdrawn to their defences, but
the Rapparees moved over the country at will, and harried it without
fear of retaliation.
On the 21st of September, Marlborough sailed up the harbor of Cork,
effected a landing at Passage, without any serious opposition, and
took up his march for the city, the men hauling the cannon, he being
unprovided with train-horses or cavalry. His force consisted of 8,000
infantry, six hundred marines, some ships of war, and a few transports;
but being joined by the Duke of Wurtemberg and General Scravenmore
with 4,000 infantry and nine hundred cavalry, his army was augmented
to about 14,000 men, provided with all the essentials of a siege, and
a co-operative fleet to assail the city from the water-side. On the
23d, he appeared before it in form; Wurtemberg, according to the secret
orders of William, claiming precedence in command, and Marlborough
demurring, on the ground that he was specially commissioned for this
campaign. A warm dispute arose, one insisting on the privilege of rank,
and the other on delaying the siege, and referring the question back to
the Parliament. This delay being likely to hazard the success of their
arms, by giving the besieged time to strengthen their defences and
get in supplies, a compromise was agreed upon, by which they were to
assume the command alternately. Marlborough's turn came first, and he
gave the word, "Wurtemberg," and in acknowledgment of this politeness,
the latter, when his turn came, gave the word "Marlborough;" but
notwithstanding this outward exchange of military compliments, their
mutual jealousy continued without affecting the progress of their arms.
The city of Cork, situated in a valley surrounded by high hills,
was defended by a few dilapidated outworks, all of which, excepting
the Castle of Shandon, which overlooked it on the northern side,
were abandoned as the enemy approached, the troops retiring into the
principal fortress, which stood on a low, marshy plain, between two
branches of the river Lee, accessible only at low-water, but poorly
supplied with artillery, and almost exhausted of provisions and
military stores. The Castle, after repulsing an assault of the Danes,
was also evacuated, and its troops withdrawn into the inner fortress,
against which the entire force of the enemy was now directed. Its
garrison, after this junction, amounted to 4,500 men--a force ample
for a protracted resistance; but already on limited rations, and there
were only five barrels of gunpowder within its walls. By the loss of
Shandon it was exposed on three sides to the fire of the enemy's land
batteries, and on the fourth, to that of his ships, which could come
within short range at tide-water.
On the approach of the enemy, the governor, Colonel McElligot, had
received orders from the Duke of Berwick to demolish the fort, burn
the city, and retire with his command into Kerry; but having disobeyed
this mandate, at the solicitation of the citizens, until too late, he
determined to redeem his error by the gallantry of his defence, and
hold out long enough to give Berwick time to hasten up succors to raise
the siege. The enemy, having gained possession of the hills, opened
a fierce cannonade on the city itself, and having levelled all the
intervening houses, descended into the valley, opened on the citadel,
and after a most spirited resistance of two days, silenced its guns,
and prepared to carry its works by storm. The assault could only be
made at low-water, and once each day was there assault and repulse,
in one of which the Duke of Grafton[54] was killed while leading his
regiment across the marsh. At length, after a desperate defence of
twelve days, it surrendered on the 5th of October, on terms considered
highly honorable; "but the ink with which the capitulation was signed,
was not yet dry when it was violated in every particular." The Catholic
people were stripped and driven from the city; the city itself was
given to pillage; the Earls of Tyrone and Clancarty were wounded
and grossly outraged by the soldiers and the mob, and the prisoners
subjected to indignities and cruelties, compared with which death would
have been a refuge. They were pent up within a loathsome fen, where,
being denied food, they were necessitated to feed on putrid carrion;
more than half of them died within a fortnight, from the diseases
it engendered; one-half the remainder were murdered by order of one
Captain Lauder, on the way to Clonmel, some time later; and of the
survivors, few ever returned to report the inhuman deed.[55] Marlborough
and his English army were even more barbarous than the Prince of Orange
and his foreign mercenaries.
On the surrender of Cork, Marlborough turned his attention to Kinsale,
which is about twelve miles distant by land, and sixteen by water,
and which had, in the mean time, been invested by a portion of his
land force and his navy. The town was defended by two forts--Castle Ny
and St. Charles--named respectively the Old and New Forts; the former
having a garrison of 450 men, and the latter one of 1,200; and both
being better provided in guns and material than the fortress just
surrendered. But the Old Fort had been blown up by accident on the 3d,
causing the death of two hundred of its garrison and the capture of
the remainder; so there was now but the New Fort to resist the united
efforts of the army and navy of Marlborough. The defence, however, was
a gallant one, and marked by deeds of great personal daring, both of
the men and commandant; but, being cut off from succor both by land
and sea, they capitulated on the 15th; being allowed to depart with
their baggage and arms, and to join their countrymen at Limerick. As
this fort was impervious to the enemy's cannon, and might have held
out, while its provisions lasted, a suspicion of treachery attached to
its governor, and it is intimated by more than one of our annalists
that he must have been bribed by Marlborough, who was impatient of
delay, as he had pledged himself before his departure from England to
reduce both Cork and Kinsale within a month; but the accusation is not
sufficiently authenticated by any, while it is liable to doubt, on
the consideration, that a soldier base enough to accept a bribe would
not have scrupled to turn over his command to the enemy, which might
have been as easily accomplished. The loss of life, with the exception
of those blown up at Castle Ny, did not exceed four hundred on each
side, but the Irish army lost heavily in prisoners at Cork, few of
whom survived their subsequent sufferings; and the loss of those two
maritime stations to their cause was incalculable.
The Duke of Berwick tells us that during the interval, he had collected
a force of about 8,000 men, and had got as far as Kilmallock, in the
County Limerick, with the purpose of compelling Marlborough to raise
the siege. But considering his force inadequate, he contented himself
with watching the enemy, and when the expedition was finished returned
to his quarters. The indecision shown by Berwick at this juncture,
in view of his well-known valor and intrepidity, would favor the
impression that he was unwilling to appear in arms against his uncle,
and his explanation would seem rather to fix than to remove it. Eight
thousand men, in a friendly country, under the command of such generals
as himself and Sarsfield, who was also there, against 14,000 investing
two strong fortresses, and extended over a line of seven or eight
miles, seem not inadequate, and might have created such a diversion as
would have at least protracted the siege; and any disarrangement of
Marlborough's plans would have placed him in a very critical position.
With the fall of Cork and Kinsale, the campaign of Marlborough may
be said to have terminated; he remained but a few days more in the
country, and after planning offensive measures against the counties
of Cork and Kerry, to be conducted by Ginkle, he returned to England
after an absence of five weeks, and received the congratulations of
the people and Parliament, to the great annoyance of the Prince of
Orange and his partisans. He was thenceforth the great popular idol
of the nation, and was soon after started on that military career
that has placed his name among the greatest of England's generals.
After his departure, Ginkle pressed the war in the south with great
vigor. Scravenmore and Tettau, with a heavy force of infantry and
cavalry, penetrated northward to Mallow, and, turning to the west,
began to plunder and lay waste the country. But they were soon beset
by organized bodies of farmers and Rapparees, and, by an assault, as
vigorous as it was unexpected, were driven with great slaughter towards
Bandon, where they were again furiously assailed by Colonel O'Driscoll,
and, panic-stricken, fled back to their quarters.