----Hark! from camp to camp
The hum of either army stilly sounds,
That the fix'd sentinels almost receive
The secret whispers of each other's watch;
Steed threatens steed in high and boastful neighings,
Piercing the night's dull ear.
KING HENRY V.
King James, almost immediately after his arrival in his capital of
Dublin, assembled and met the Irish parliament. His Majesty proceeded in
great state to the House of Peers to open the session, where, arrayed in
his royal robes, and adorned with his crown,[48] he met the assembled
lords and commons of Ireland. He made a most truly dignified and
impressive speech[49] from the throne, with all that native grace and
dignity with which indeed King James was peculiarly gifted; and he
adopted his royal residence, while he sojourned in his Irish capital, at
the Castle of Dublin, from whence His Majesty issued various
proclamations.
[48] Life of King James.
[49] This speech will be found in the third volume of Rapin's
History of England, page 85.
The morning which succeeded the said meeting of parliament, at an early
hour, the Duke of Tyrconnel received an express, which stated, that[50]
"the Prince of Orange had landed at Carrickfergus, from the Mary yacht,
attended by Prince George of Denmark, the Duke of Ormond, the Earls of
Devonshire, Oxford, Scarborough, and Manchester, the Honourable Mr.
Boyle, and many other persons of distinction. He tarried," it was added
to the report, "only about half an hour after his landing, and then set
off in Duke Schomberg's carriage for Belfast."
[50] History and Antiquities of the County and Town of
Carrickfergus.
When this was told to King James, his only reply was, in allusion to
Prince George: "What! has little '_est-il possible_' deserted me at
last!"[51]
[51] Memoirs of Grammont.
The plain, but extraordinary fact now came forth, that the Prince of
Orange had been actually six days in Ireland before any intimation or
express to that effect had arrived thereby to acquaint King James of the
event.
The Prince of Orange having driven King James from England, Ireland was
now fated to become the scene of civil war, which, as will appear, was
conducted with considerable talent on both sides. And very soon a battle
was to be fought between two contending sovereigns, and the glorious
prize depending upon the eventful issue of the mighty contest was no
less than the triple crown of three powerful kingdoms!
At this period England was most critically circumstanced: defeat at home
was succeeded by victory of the enemy abroad. The defeat of the fleet
of Torrington off the shores of England, was the harbinger of the defeat
of the Dutch in the great battle of Fleurus. The reins of government
were guided by a woman, whose councils were distracted by two implacable
factions. Invasion was impending; rebellion existed in one of the three
kingdoms, and was expected in the other two; the king was absent; the
army abroad in other countries; and an exiled master returning home,
armed with power and vengeance. These combined causes shook the British
empire to its centre.
Numerous indeed were the difficulties and obstructions with which the
Prince of Orange had to contend; and various the plots, intrigues, and
conspiracies, that he had to overcome, which rendered the commencement
of his reign (when styled William III.) so very tempestuous, that more
than once he had resolved[52] "to abandon his throne, and retire into
Holland, and for ever to relinquish the sovereignty of England;
distracted, as he found it, with political and religious contentions,
and convulsed by party and faction."
[52] Rapin's History of England.
However, he hesitated before he carried this measure into execution. He
issued a proclamation previous to his departure from England, promising
to the Irish who should lay down their arms and return to their homes,
that they should not be molested in their persons or injured in their
properties; and this he promulgated to some Irish lords, who were at
that time in London, at the very moment that Duke Schomberg was
departing for Ireland. The discourse which King William gave at a
council held was to this effect:[53] "He declared to them, that he had
resolved, with the assistance of God, to reduce Ireland to the obedience
of England, and not to stop at any measure that was necessary for its
accomplishment; but that he loved not the effusion of blood--no, not
even of his most implacable enemy; and that he had resolved, so far as
human prudence permitted, to extend his pardon and his clemency to all
those who were in arms against him, except the Duke of Tyrconnel, the
Lord Chancellor Fitton," and about twelve peers more, who were
enumerated in this proclamation, and were thereby excluded from the
royal mercy; and in this exception some generals and field officers were
included.
[53] Rapin's History of England.
Intrusting the government of England to his royal consort Queen Mary,
the daughter of King James II., he proceeded immediately to Ireland,
there in person to pursue the war with vigour; and very shortly landed,
as has been already told, at Carrickfergus, where he was expected with
impatience, and was met by his army, which in number amounted to forty
thousand men, not only well appointed and provided with necessaries, but
also well disciplined. They were attended by a commissariat corps, and a
train of sixty large cannon, which completed the military force of
William. The army consisted of English, Dutch, and Brandenburghers, who
received their illustrious leader with shouts and transports of joy.
Upon the landing of King William he was received by the Duke of
Schomberg, the Count Menard Schomberg (son to the duke), by the Prince
of Wirtemberg, Count Solms, Major-General Scravenmore, Lord Sidney, Sir
David Bruce, and Sir John Lanier, &c. &c.
As soon as King James had positive intelligence of the arrival of the
Prince of Orange, (who, strange to say, had been, as we before noticed,
six days in Ireland without King James having been made acquainted with
the event,) he then instantly commenced his march; and committing the
guard of Dublin to Colonel Luttrel, who afterwards betrayed him,[54] and
who then commanded a body of militia, His Majesty set onward in his
march, attended by an army consisting of about six thousand foot, old
experienced soldiers of the army of Louis XIV., the same which had
lately accompanied him from France. These were destined to form a
junction with the chief body of his troops, who were then stationed on
the banks of the Boyne. These, when they should be united, although
considerable, yet, in point of numbers, were still inferior to the army
of the Prince of Orange.
[54] Life of King James.
Several months previous to the arrival of King James, Duke Schomberg had
landed at Carrickfergus Bay, at the head of twelve thousand men; and
without any opposition, assisted by six ships of war, he took possession
of the town. Upon his advance into the country the position of the
hostile armies were thus constituted:--Schomberg then occupied Dundalk,
which he was forced to fortify; while Marshal Rosen threatened his right
flank. King James had lost previous to his arrival, by the defeat of his
forces, the fort and garrison of Charlemont, along with a large store of
ammunition, seventeen pieces of brass cannon, &c.; and want of
provisions caused the surrender of this important fortress. The troops
of Marshal Rosen then found it necessary to march to the banks of the
Shannon, until they should ascertain how matters went on at sea. For
Louis XIV. had sent them assurances that he would not only fit out a
great fleet, but that as soon as the squadron which coasted in the
Irish seas to guard the transport fleet, and to secure the Prince of
Orange's passage over, should sail into the channel to join the grand
fleet of England, he would then send into the Irish seas a fleet of
small frigates and privateers, to destroy the transports of the Prince
of Orange.[55] This indeed would have proved fatal if it had taken
effect; and the execution of the scheme seemed easy, if not certain. It
would have shut up the Prince of Orange in Ireland until a new transport
fleet could have been brought thither, which would have taken some
months to complete; so that England, in the mean time, might have been
lost before, by any possibility, he could have repassed the seas with
his army.
[55] Rapin's History of England.
There can be no doubt whatever that the destruction of the transports of
the Prince of Orange must also have caused the ruin of his army; for the
stores both of bread and ammunition were still on board, from whence he
was to draw his supplies. Conscious of this, he made his fleet sail
slowly along the eastern coast towards the capital, spread out in sight
of his army as it advanced in its march, to elevate the spirits of his
soldiers by the grandeur of the spectacle, and to inspire them with
confidence by the idea of security which it presented.[56] Upon all
that coast there was not a safe port to cover and secure the fleets and
transports of the Prince of Orange; and it was this induced the staff
and officers of King James to oppose the measure of bringing the war to
a speedy termination. Meanwhile King James's army was stationed on the
banks of the Boyne, to defend the capital. King James had now arrived at
the head quarters of his army; and with the reinforcements which he
brought along with him, as well as by his royal presence, gave hope and
confidence to his army. But there was an oversight in King James when an
opportunity was presented of totally defeating Schomberg, which, by
remissness or want of determination, he wholly lost. Schomberg, upon the
arrival of King James, was in the occupation of Dundalk, which he was
forced to fortify. Marshal Rosen threatened his right flank at the same
time that King James, with thirty thousand men, was stationed on the
banks of the Boyne, at Drogheda. It hence appears that King James had
thus Schomberg shut up there in a _cul de sac_, all retreat being cut
off;[57] Schomberg's army pining and diminishing by sickness, and
enclosed in retrenchments; while King James, with a far superior army,
stood in front. But strange to say, he permitted Schomberg to escape,
and make good his retreat unmolested by any pursuit.
[56] Sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland,
and Rapin's History of England.
[57] Colonel Keating's Defence of Ireland.
However, this inaction of King James arose, it would appear, from his
positive determination to remain where he was encamped, and defend the
Boyne, which he considered to be the key that mastered the pass to the
capital. "We must," said the king, addressing himself to his council of
war, and principally to Tyrconnel, "_coutè qui coutè_ defend the Boyne.
Not to do this is to abandon Dublin; and by so doing we should lose our
reputation, so that the people would desert us, and capitulate; and all
our friends in England would be also dispirited; therefore I am fully
resolved to have one fair and, I trust, decisive battle for my
crown."[58]
[58] Rapin's History of England.
Lieutenant-General Hamilton advised King James at this council, "to send
a detachment of dragoons to defend the ford of Slane, which was below
the town of Drogheda, (which the English either knew not of, or did not
regard of importance,) and to despatch eight regiments to defend the
bridge of Slane."
But King James coldly said in reply: "I shall send fifty dragoons to
protect the ford."[59]
[59] Ibid.
This reply put Hamilton into the utmost amazement, considering the
importance of the place to be defended. But he remained silent.
In many respects the determination of King James to maintain the post he
occupied, which certainly was well chosen, was as correct as his resolve
was judicious; where encamped,
"His white pavilions made a show,
Like remnants of the winter's snow,
Along DONORE'S dark ridge."
"Stationed upon the commanding hill of Donore, which looked down upon
the Boyne, his right approach was upon Drogheda, which he occupied, his
front facing the Boyne, fordable, but still deep, and rising every tide,
with strong banks, which, intersected by mounds of earth, and divided by
hedges and ditches; hence his army presented a front of about three
miles, extending towards the Slane, where he negligently failed to
occupy a bridge, which had been advised by General Hamilton. The river
Boyne forms towards the centre of where James was stationed a
considerable projecting curve, and another in reverse higher up toward
Slane."[60] This, as will be seen in a subsequent chapter, was of the
utmost importance to the two contending princes. We must add, that the
localities of the station added to the security of King James; for had
his opponent succeeded in crossing the Boyne at this point, there was
still a morass also to be passed, and then succeeded by the barrier of a
rising ground.
[60] Keating's Defence of Ireland.
Thus advantageously was encamped upon the 30th of June the army of King
James.--He had thrown up some breast-works upon the banks of the fords
which lay between the two camps; and he now gave orders that "if his
troops were driven from these on the morrow, then to retire to the line
of houses; if from the houses, to the hedges; if from the hedges, to the
range of small hills; and if driven from these, to occupy the heights of
Donore: and if they could not then make that station good, they were to
retreat to Duleek, and stop further pursuit by defending the pass."
Throughout the whole of this eventful day, the precursor of the ever
memorable first of July, salutation from the cannon's mouth had been
interchanged between each contending army, and not without leaving
numerous ostensible marks of slaughter in the camps of the two
contending princes. But towards the close of day the thundering roar of
cannon ceased at once on both sides; while in the rival camps of royal
James and William was only then to be heard the "dreadful note of
preparation" for the battle on the morrow.
King James having caused his army to pass him in single files,
surrounded by his nobles, generals, and staff, he thus addressed his
army:--
"Soldiers, and comrades of my toil! to-morrow I purpose putting an end
to all our hardships and privations by terminating the war; by boldly
encountering those squadrons who are now yonder encamped, and whose
standards, waving on the banks of the Boyne below, seem to invite us to
the battle. We shall not disappoint them! nor, brave men, shall you be
disappointed! They shall indeed feel what loyal men, determined in a
just cause, can do and dare for their lawful sovereign. And God protect
those who fight under the banner of justice;--who fight for their lawful
king, and for all that is dear to men! As for myself I have been bred in
the ranks of war, (if your king may for once be permitted to speak of
what he has performed;) educated alike in the school of hardship as of
war. I have fought in different realms--in Spain, in France, and
Holland, I have fought and conquered with the brave Turenne, for whom I
have ever felt the tenderness of a son. I have fought by land and by
sea, and with those same Dutch that now invade us; aye, and beat them
too we have to boot! at the mouth of their Texel--upon their own shores,
I did it! But to-morrow we shall meet them again, and their vaunting
leader, in the battle-field; when and where, I trust, under the auspices
of heaven, that again and once more I shall rout them, and that too
upon my loyal shores of Ireland! For strongly I feel that the blood of
the noble Edwards and the Henrys still pulsates in these veins; and that
the valiant blood of the fourth Henry of France, my glorious
grandfather, still survives, and animates his descended son. Soldiers!
he too, like myself, met with ingratitude--with disloyalty! he, like me,
was driven from his throne! But he had a Sully; and I can boast that I
have a Tyrconnel! His loyal troops of Navarre restored him to his
throne; and on to-morrow, with the benison of God, I shall witness my
restoration to the ancient throne of the Stuarts, by my brave--my loyal
Irish, and the gallant swords of my noble Frenchmen that now encircle
me; and who, to a man, are fully determined to conquer or to die for me;
and in that fate shall your king fully participate with you all--to
vanquish or to perish!"
Here shouts of "_Vive le Roy_," and of "God save King James," from the
French, English, and Irish troops of the king, rent the air with loud
and tumultuous huzzas; which bursting over the heights of Donore, were
re-echoed by the waters of the Boyne below, and wafted to the camp of
the Prince of Orange.
Meanwhile, in the camp of King James, the Duke of Tyrconnel was every
where to be seen galloping from post to _piquèt_. He ordered each
soldier to wear in his cap a small cockade of white paper upon the
ensuing day of battle, that in the heat of the engagement they might
thence distinguish each other from their foes.[61]
[61] Life of King James.
"The watch-word of to-night," said the duke, as he rode along the camp,
addressing himself to the officers, "be '_Eblana_;' and our gallant
war-cry on the morrow let it be--'James and Victory!'"
Here the whole army rent the air with shouts of applause; while
Tyrconnel retired to his tent, impatiently awaiting the dawn of day.
From the moment of the arrival of the Prince of Orange in Ireland he had
taken every pains, and had used every art, to inspire his army with
confidence, and to ingratiate himself in their favour and love.[62] All
the arts of a general and of a man of sense he put in practice to draw
the attention of his soldiers from the misfortunes of the last year in
Ireland, and from the danger of the present. The day upon which all his
troops from different quarters met and united with him: he then ordered
the whole army to pass him, and thus threw a march into a review.
Instead of keeping one station, he rode in among the regiments so soon
as they appeared, to encourage the soldiers, and to satisfy himself of
the state of every regiment. An order having been brought him to affix
his signature for wine for his table, the prince said aloud:--"No, I
will drink water with my soldiers!" He slept every night in camp, and
was throughout the day on horseback; he flew from place to place to
survey the army, or the country, intrusting nothing to others. While at
one time he brought up the rere with an anxiety which fully engaged the
affections of the soldiers; at another with a spirit which inflamed
them, he was the foremost in advanced parties if danger seemed to
threaten, or that the object to be known was of importance.[63]
[62] Story's Civil Wars of Ireland.
[63] Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland, by Sir John Dalrymple,
vol. I. p. 135.
But it is now full time that we should attend in the camp of the Prince
of Orange, and take a cursory view of some of the principal events of
the remarkable 30th day of June, and notice his force, the occurrences
of this day, and his preparations for the approaching battle.
At break of day the Prince of Orange, upon the 30th of June, being
informed that the army of King James had repassed the Boyne, ordered his
whole army to move forward at that early hour, in three lines, towards
the river, which was distant from them about three miles. The advanced
guards of horse commanded by Sir John Lanier; the Brandenburghers by
Colonel Sir David Bruce. They moved onward in very good order, and by
nine o'clock were within two miles of Drogheda. The Prince of Orange,
who marched in front of them, observing that there was a hill to the
east of the enemy, and to the north from the town, he rode instantly
thither to inspect their camp, which he found to be stationed along the
river in two parallel lines.[64]
[64] Rapin's History of England.
Here different observations were made as to the force and numbers of the
enemy by Prince George of Denmark, the Dukes of Schomberg and Ormond,
and other generals. Amongst them General Scravenmore appeared to despise
their numbers, observing, at the same time, that they were but a handful
of men, for he could not reckon above forty-six battalions that were
then encamped.
But both the Prince of Orange and Prince George replied, that they might
have a great many men in the town; and that there was also a hill to the
south-east, beyond which part of their army might be encamped.
"However," rejoined the Prince of Orange, "we shall soon be better
acquainted with their numbers--
'If fight King James, as well I trust
That fight he will, and fight he must.'"
The Prince of Orange now proceeded in person to visit every outpost,
every videt, every guard, and every _piquèt_. He marked out his
encampment, and fathomed the Boyne in order to ascertain where it was
fordable for his army to pass, which he firmly resolved to do upon the
following morning. While the prince was thus occupied, and advancing to
take a nearer view of the situation of his enemy, and while the army was
marching, he alighted from his horse, and sat down upon a rising ground,
where he refreshed himself for about an hour. During which time a party
of about forty horse of King James came on; but advancing very slowly,
they made a halt upon a ploughed field opposite to the Prince of Orange.
They brought with them in the rere two field-pieces, which,
undiscovered, they planted at the angle of a hedge, which screened the
cannon. The prince was no sooner remounted than the party instantly
fired at him, and with the first shot killed a man and two horses very
near to the prince. This bullet was presently succeeded by another,
which having first grazed upon the bank of the river, then upon
rebounding struck the Prince of Orange in the right shoulder, tore away
a piece of his coat, and stripped off the skin; afterwards in the recoil
it broke the handle of a gentleman's pistol.
Lord Conningsby seeing what had happened, rode up hastily, and putting
his handkerchief to the prince's shoulder, staunched the wound. The
prince remounted his charger, and observed to Lord Conningsby, "_Il ne
faloit pas que le coup fût plus pres_."[65] There was no necessity that
the bullet should have come nearer!
[65] Histoire de Guillaume III. tome II. Amsterdam, 1703.
This accident having occasioned some disorder among the attendants of
the Prince of Orange, caused the enemy to conclude that he was killed;
who thereupon set up a great shout, and the report of his death reached
Dublin, and even Paris. However, having his wound dressed, the prince
remounted his horse, and showed himself to his whole army, to dissipate
their apprehensions. He continued on horseback until four o'clock, dined
in the open field, and then mounted his favourite _Sorrel_ again, (for
so was the royal charger called,) although he had been abroad from one
in the morning. About the hour of nine at night he called a council of
war, and declared his determination to pass the river Boyne upon the
next day. Which resolve Duke Schomberg at first opposed; but finding the
king positive, he advised that part of the army, horse and foot, should
be sent that night towards the bridge of Slane, in order there to pass
the Boyne, and so advance between the enemy and the pass at Duleek. This
advice, which if followed would perhaps have ended the war in one
campaign, seemed at first to be relished; but it was afterwards opposed
by General de Ginckle, and the other Dutch general officers. Duke
Schomberg retired to his tent, where not long after the order of battle
was brought him, which he received with discontent and indifference,
observing, that _this was the first that ever was sent to him_. The
opinion of Schomberg was right; not to occupy the important pass of
Slane was certainly a strange omission in the tactics of the two
contending princes.
The Prince of Orange ordered that every soldier should be provided with
a sufficient stock of ammunition, and all the army to be ready to march
at break of day. And every man was to wear a green bough, or sprig,
pulled from the adjoining wood which overhung the ford, that they might
ascertain friends from foes during the fury of the fight. His Highness,
attended by torch-light, rode at the twelfth hour at night through his
camp, making his observations, and ascertaining that all was in
readiness for the important day that was now about to arrive. He gave
orders to his equery "to saddle blithe _Sorrel_ for the field
to-morrow!"
The watch-word of the prince that night was "Westminster." And as he was
retiring to his tent he said to the Prince of Denmark, "Our watch-word
to-night is '_Westminster_;' let our war-cry to-morrow be--'_Nassau and
Freedom!_'"
Having thus said, he saluted Prince George, and retired to repose.
END OF VOL. I.
Transcriber's Note: Advertisements that were placed at the beginning of
the book, have been moved to the end. The spelling and punctuation are
as printed in the original publication, with the following exceptions:
hight is now high, mags is now mass, Schurmann is now Schurman,
downfal is now downfall, vulsa is now vuesa, vicegerency is now
viceregency, possitively is now positively, immemediately is now
immediately, ignonorance is now ignorance, angy is now angry,
occacasions is now occasions, and inuendos is now innuendos.
The oe ligature has been expanded.