hours in fearching the vaults and cellars under the parliament-house, left gunpowder or any other combuftibles fhould have been laid there by the rebels.

A minute recital of individual outrage committed in the neighbourhood of the metropolis would be tedious and difgufting to the reader: I fhall therefore proceed to defcribe fome of the achievements performed by the rebels in the county of Kildare, which gave ftronger indications of their boldnefs and malignity,

In the year 1795, defenderifm had fpread fuch deftruction and difmay in it, by the conftant commiffion of nocturnal robbery and affaffination, that many of the loyal families were obliged to fecure the lower windows of their houfes with bricks and mortar; and fuch of them as had been active in checking its deftructive progrefs, were obliged to introduce fome of the military into them for their protection; and as defenderifm had made the popish muk titude peculiarly fufceptible of the doctrines of the united Irishmen, which were introduced into the county of Kildare in the year 1796; and as they were diffused and fublimated by the refidence and the active malignity of lord Edward Fitzgerald, the rebellion broke out with deftructive rage in that county.

His lordship had laid a plan of furprising all the military pofts in it, which occafioned much carnage, though it fortunately did not fucceed in the extent which he expected.

In the beginning of the year 1797, the rebels robbed the houses of proteftants of arms from Athy to Monaftereven, Kildare, Kilcullen, Dunlavin, Timolin, and Castledermot;* and were fo fuccefsful, that none escaped, but thofe who fortified their habitations, and maintained a party of the military in them.t

See Plate I. 7 and 8, for thefe places.

An

This fulfilled the prophecy of fir Laurence Parfons in the year 1795. See page 160.

An encampment of fome regiments of cavalry on the Curragh of Kildare, in the fummer of that year, furnished a plaufible pretext to the difaffected of Spreading a report that orangemen, aided by the military, were to murder all the Roman catholicks; in confequence of which, numbers of the lower clafs of people, intimidated by fuch tales, propagated for the wort of purpofes, lay in the open fields, where they were fworn and organized.

The following fymptoms of the approaching rebellion appeared in the county of Kildare, in the years 1797 and 1798: Conftant nightly meetings which the utmoft vigilance of the magiftrates could not prevent: The abftinence of the lower clafs of people from fpirituous liquors, to a degree of fobriety too unufual and general not to be fyftematick: The infrequent application to magiftrates in matters of difpute: The declining to pay rent or any debts whatfoever, by thofe who had means to do fo, and who had been before very regular: The conftant refort of the popish multitude to the confeflion-boxes of their clergy: The refusal to take bank notes, from an idea that the approaching convulfion by fubverting the government, would put an end to the currency: The eagerness of the people to take oaths of allegiance to lull the magiftrates.

I fhall now proceed to defcribe the operations of the rebels in that county.

ATTACK UPON NAAS.*

In the month of May, the garrifon of Naas confifted of one hundred and fifty of the Armagh militia, commanded by colonel lord Gosford, with two field pieces, thirty-five of the Ancient Britons, commanded by major Wardell, twenty-four of the fourth horse, and fixteen of the North Naas cavalry, commanded by captain Neville.

On the evening of the twenty-third of that month, two anonymous letters were received, one in the morning

* Plate I. 7.

morning by the honourable lieutenant-colonel Achefon, the other in the evening, by lord Gosford; informing them, that the town would be attacked that night by three thousand men.

In confequence of this information, the guards were doubled, and every measure neceffary for their defence was adopted. As the garrifon continued unmolested till two o'clock in the morning of the twenty-fourth, many of the officers had gone to bed, thinking the information they had received was groundless; but about half past two o'clock, a dragoon from an out-poft came in, and informed major Wardell, that a very large body of rebels were moving towards the town; on which the drums beat to arms, and the guards repaired to the different pofts which they were deftined to occupy.

Soon after, three thoufand rebels, who had been posted at the quarries of Tipper, advanced rapidly and quietly to the town, and entered it at four different places, the greater part from the North, by the Johnstown road, and penetrated almost to the gaol, where they made a moft defperate attack; but were repulfed by a party of the Armagh, with one piece of cannon, and a detachment of the Ancient Britons.

Captain Davis having received fome pike wounds in the beginning of the action, of which he died the next day, his men were fo enraged, that they charged too foon, and prevented the cannon from playing on the enemy with the defired effect.

Large parties of the rebels, who stole unnoticed into the town, through the houfes and narrow lanes, fought fometime in the streets, and flood three vollies from a party of the Armagh militia, pofted oppofite to the barrack, before they gave way; at laft they fled precipitately in every direction, when the cavalry charged, and killed a great number of them in the purfuit. Thirty of the rebels were killed in the streets; and, from the numbers found dead in back houfes and in the adjacent fields, a few days

after,

after, it is imagined that no lefs than three hundred could have fallen.

They dropped in their flight a great quantity of pikes, and other arms, of which a great number were found in pits near the town, where they also feized three men with green cockades, whom they inftantly hanged in the publick ftreets. Another prifoner, whom they fpared in confequence of very ufeful information which he gave, told them, that the rebel party was above one thousand strong, and that they were commanded by Michael Reynolds, who was well mounted, and dreffed in yeoman uniform. He made his escape, but his horfe fell into the hands of our troops.

One of the rebels concerned in the attack, who obtained the royal mercy by furrendering himself under the proclamation, informed me, that one of the gunners, who directed the cannon at the gaol, having been feduced by the rebels, elevated it fo much as not to injure the affailants.

ATTACK ON THE TOWN OF PROSPEROUS.

The rebels were more fuccefsful in this enterprise than in that at Naas, having contrived it with more ingenuity.

On Sunday the twentieth of May, captain Swayne arrived there, with a detachment of the city of Cork regiment, and immediately repaired to the chapel, where he, the reverend Mr. Higgins, parish priest, and doctor Efmond, a phyfician, fucceffively exhorted the people to return to their allegiance, and to furrender their arms; but as their exhortations produced no effect, he, agreeably to the order for exercifing free quarters, diftrained the cattle, and did fome injuries to the property of perfons well known to be difaffected, and to have concealed arms in their poffeffion; but it produced no other effect than the furrender of two or three pikes and firelocks, on the morning of the twenty-third of May.

Father

Father Higgins and doctor Efmond informed captain Swayne, that the people were become repentant, would have brought in their arms, and have left them in the streets during the night, but that they were afraid of the fentinels. The captain therefore, at their defire, ordered the fentinels not to challenge them, which order proved fatal to the garrifon.

Befides the city of Cork detachment in Profperous, there was a party of the Ancient Britons, confifting of a lieutenant, a quarter-mafter, and twenty privates. Twelve of them were lodged in a houfe oppofite the barrack of the city of Cork company, and the remainder were at fingle billets, except a few who flept over the ftables where their horfes were.

About two o'clock on Thurfday morning the twenty-fourth of May, the two fentinels were furprifed, and killed; and both the barracks were affaulted, while the foldiers were faft afleep. The barrack of the Cork company confifted of a hall, an apartment on each fide, the fame in the next ftory, and under ground offices. A party of the rebels rushed into captain Swayne's apartment, which was on the ground floor, and murdered him. Some foldiers, who flept in the oppofite apartment, alarmed at the noise, came forth with their firelocks, and expelled thofe ruffians from the barrack, after having killed two or three of them.

The house was at that time furrounded with a great number of rebels varioufly armed. A fierce conflict enfued between the affailants and the befieged; but it was foon put an end to by the following malignant device of the former: There was a great quantity of straw in the under-ground office, to which the rebels fet fire, and to increafe the flame introduced fome faggots into it. The foldiers were foon in a state of fuffocation; and the heat being fo great, that they could not endure it, they retreated to their comrades in the upper ftory; but the flame and the smoke foon reached them there, as the rebels continued to introduce lighted faggots into the VOL. 1. apartments

U