Edward Ratigan, and Patrick Gallagher, a rebel colonel, feized Mr. Cufack, a loyal fubject of the Revenue corps, that evening, kept him a prifoner fome time, and threatened his life if he gave information of what he had seen of their conduct.

In confequence of this, major Sirr, who had been fome time convinced of the difaffection of Ratigan, fearched his houfe on the Monday following, and having found there many ftand of arms, a large quantity of ammunition, and fome thoufand printed oaths of the united Irishmen, demolished his houfe, and burnt a large quantity of timber which he found in his yard.

Captain Ryan received no lefs than fourteen wounds, of which he died a few days after, univerfally and deservedly lamented; as he was a man of great probity and firmnefs of mind, and a zealous loyalift.

The arreft of lord Edward vifibly occafioned a ftrong fenfation among the mafs of the people in Dublin, as their hopes of getting poffeffion of the metropolis on the approaching infurrection which they meditated, refted much on his valour and skill as an officer. Numbers of them were feen going from one part of the town to the other, with a quick pace and a ferious countenance. Others were perceived in small parties, converfing with that ferioufnefs of countenance and energy of gefticulation, which strongly indicated the agitation of their minds. A rifing to effect a refcue was expected that night; the yeomen therefore, and the garrifon, which it was to be lamented was very thin, remained on their arms all night, and were fo judiciously disposed as to prevent the poffibility of an infurrection.

By the papers found in lord Edward's writing-box, and on his perfon, the extent of the plot, and the malignant defigns of the perfons engaged in it, were difcoverable.*

See them in Appendix, No. XIV.

Major

Major Sirr found in his lodgings at Murphy's a green uniform, turned up with black, and a curious cap of the fame colour, which he was to have worn when he headed the infurrection; and at the fame time the official feal of the Irish union.

The plan for taking a city, found among lord Edward's papers, alludes to Dublin, fhews the bold defigns of the rebels, and how terrifick the infurrection would have been, but that it was defeated by the vigilance of government.

Meffieurs Henry and John Sheares, brothers, both barristers, and natives of Cork, and Patrick Byrne, a bookfeller of Grafton-street, were arrested and committed on charges of high treafon, on Monday the twenty-first of May. In the houfe of the former a magiftrate found a proclamation, which fhewed the fanguinary defigns of the rebels. It was to have been published and circulated the morning after the intended infurrection and maffacre had taken place.

On the morning of the twenty-first of May, lord Caftlereagh, by the defire of the lord lieutenant, wrote to the lord mayor, to acquaint him, "That "his excellency had difcovered that the difaffected "in the city and neighbourhood of Dublin, had "formed a plan of poffeffing themfelves, in the "courfe of the prefent week, of the metropolis, and "of feizing the executive government, and those in "authority within the city."

The government and the loyal fubjects ftill continued in an awful ftate of fufpenfe, as the frequent difcovery of the fabrication of pikes, even at noon-day, and of treafonable committees forming plans of infurrection, unquestionably evinced that the volcano was, on the point of burfting.

On the twenty-fecond of May, 1798, lord Caftlereagh prefented a meflage. to the houfe of commons, from his excellency the lord lieutenant, "That his "excellency had received information that the difaf"fected had been daring enough to form a plan for

Appendix, No. XIII.

"the

the purpose of poffeffing themselves, in the course of the prefent week, of the metropolis, of feizing the feat of government, and thofe in authority within the city; that, in confequence of this information, he had directed every military precaution to be taken, which feemed expedient; that he had made full communication to the magiftrates, for the difection of their efforts; and that he had not a doubt, by the meafures which would be purfued, the defigns of the rebellious would be effe&tually and entirely crufhed."

To this meffage, the house of commons voted an addrefs, "To affure his excellency that the intelli gence which it communicated, filled them with horror and indignation, whilft it raifed in them a fpirit of determined refolution and energy; that they relied on the vigilance and vigour of his excellency's government, which they trufted would continue unabated, until the confpiracy, which fo fatally exifted, would be utterly diffolved."

The fpeaker and all the members immediately waited on his excellency with the addrefs; and to fhew their zeal, and to encreafe the folemnity of the proceeding, they walked through the ftreets on foot, two and two, preceded by the fpeaker, the ferjeant at arms, and all the officers of the houfe.

The government and the loyal fubjects ftill conti nued in a woeful ftate of fufpenfe and tribulation, not knowing on what night the infurrection might take place; and it is probable that they would have been furprised and murdered in their beds, but that it was fortuitoufly discovered a few hours before the rebels were to have rifen.

VOL. I.

THE

THE BREAKING-OUT OF THE REBELLION.

THE earl of Ely commanded a corps of yeomen cavalry at Rathfarnham, a village about three miles distant from Dublin, of which a ferjeant and twelve men mounted guard every night, and patroled through the adjacent country.

Lord Camden, having received information that the rebels meant to attack and cut off that fmall party on the night of the twenty-third of May, 1798, recommended to the commanding officer that the whole troop fhould mount guard, which, eventually, was very fortunate; for foon after they were affembled, a man, about nine o'clock, went to lieutenant Latouche, who commanded on that night, and offered to conduct him to a place where two hundred rebels were assembled; but on arriving there, there was no appearance of them. It proved afterwards, that the defign of this traitor was to have led the patrole, confifting of a ferjeant and twelve men, into an ambush, by which they would have been cut off; but a numerous body of rebels, who meditated their deftruction, intimidated by the unexpected arrival of the whole troop, concealed themfelves in the adjacent hedges.

At their return to Rathfarnham, they were informed by a perfon, fuppofed to be connected with the rebels, that the village would be attacked, and that they would be difarmed by a numerous body of them, who were affembling on the mountains. Lieutenant Latouche having urged the neceffity of communicating this intelligence to the viceroy, Samuel Bennet, a private in the corps, and fon of Samuel Bennet, a coachmaker in Aungier-street, with laudable ardour, offered his fervice on the occafion, and carried a letter to the viceroy; who returned for anfwer, that no troops could be fent to them, as an infurrection in the metropolis was apprehended; and

his excellency defired that an exprefs fhould be fent to him, if the rebels should appear to move towards the city.

The corps, having heard two fhots fired, proceeded to Harold's-crofs, and were informed there, that the rebels, about five hundred in number, and varioufly armed, had paffed through Rathfarnham in their abfence, and had proceeded towards Crumlin, headed by David Keely, a deferter from their troop.

Mr. Bennet returned to Rathfarnham in the abfence of his troop, and having heard a great fhouting at a place called the Ponds, he repaired thither, and faw a great concourse of rebels armed with muskets, pikes and piftols, and was on the point of being furrounded by them. They had two carts laden with pikes and ammunition, which they were to have diftributed among fuch rebels as fhould join them in their progrefs. He therefore, with great fortitude, and with that zealous loyalty which would have procured wealth and fame for a perfon in a lefs humble fituation, undertook the perilous fervice of communicating to the viceroy what he had feen; and it was really perilous, for the rebels in great numbers were rifen, and were in the road and in the adjacent fields as he went to Dublin. In the city, particularly in the fuburbs, he saw a great number of rebels with pikes, in the gate-ways, alleys and ftable-lanes, waiting the beat of their drums, and the approach of rebel columns from the country, which they expected; and as he paffed, they frequently cried out, animating each other," Come, on boys! who's afraid?"

A lady, refident at Rathfarnham, informed me, that they paffed close by her house, with two carts filled with pikes, which made a dreadful rumbling noise, and which, joined to their yells, filled her with horror. As they proceeded they cried out frequently," Liberty, and no king!"

Befides the above Keely, they had as leaders two men of the names of Ledwich and Wade, Roman catholicks, and deferters from lord Ely's corps, Edward

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