A
contemporary account of the battle of Lisnegarvey over 350 years ago in 1641
A
BRIEF relation of the miraculous Victory gained there that day over the first
formed Army of the Irish, soon after their Rebellion, which broke out the 23rd
of October 1641.
"Sir Phelemy O'Neille, and Sir Conn Maginnis, their General then in Ulster,
and Major-General Plunket (who has been a soldier in foreign kingdoms), having
enlisted and drawn together, out of the counties of Armagh, Tyrone, Antrim and
Downe, and other counties in Ulster, eight or nine thousand men, which were
formed into eight regiments, and a troop of horse, with two field-pieces."
They did rendezvous on the 27th of November, at and about a
house belonging to Sir John Rawdon, at Brook‑hill, three miles distant
from Lisnegarvey, in which they knew there was a garrison of five companies
newly raised, and the Lord Conway's troop of horse. And their principal design
being to march unto, and besiege Carrickfergus, they judged it unsafe to pass by
Lisnegarvey, and therefore resolved to attack it next morning, making little
account of the opposition that could be given them by so small a number, not
half armed, and so slenderly provided of ammunition (which they had perfect
intelligence of by several Irish, that left our party and stole away to them),
for that they were so numerous, and well provided of ammunition by the fifty
barrels of powder they found in his Majesty's store in the castle of Newry,
which they surprised the very first night of the rebellion; also, they had got
into their hands the arms of all the soldiers they had murdered in Ulster, and
such other arms as they found in the castles and houses, which they had
plundered and burned, in the whole Province.
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PLEASED
Yet, is so pleased God to disappoint their confidence; and
the small garrison they so much slighted, was much encouraged by the seasonable
arrival of Sir George Rawdon, who, being in London on the 23rd of October,
hasted over by the way of Scotland, and, being landed at Bangor, and got to
Lisnegarvey, though late on the 27th of November, where those new-raised
men, and the Lord Conway's troop, were drawn up in the market-place,
expecting hourly to be assaulted by the rebels, and thus stood in that posture
all the night; and before sun‑rise sent out some horse to discover their
numerous enemy, who were at Mass (it being Sunday); but immediately upon sight
of our scouts, they quitted their devotion, and beat drums, and marched directly
to Lisnegarvey, and before ten of the clock, appeared drawn up in battalia, in
the warren not above a musket‑shot from the town, and sent out two
divisions, of about six or seven hundred apiece, to compass the town, and plant
their field‑pieces on the highway, before their body, and with them and
their long fowling-pieces killed and wounded some of our men, as they stood in
their ranks in the market place; and some of our musketeers were placed in
endeavouring to make the like returns of shot to the enemy. And Sir Arthur
Terringharn (governor of Newry), who commanded the garrison, and Sir George
Rawdon, and the officers, foreseeing, if their two divisions on both sides of
the town shall fall in together, that they would overpower our small number.
RETURNED
After which expedition, the horse, returning to the
market-place, found the enemy had forced in our small party on the north
side, and had entered the town, and was marching down Castle Street, which our
horse so well charged there, that at least 300 were slain of the rebels in the
street, and in the meadows behind the houses, through which they did run away to
their main body; whereby they were so much discouraged, that, in almost two
hours after, their officers could not get out any more parties to adventure a
second assault upon us; but, in the main space, they entertained us with
continued shot from their main body, and their fieldpieces, till about one of
the clock, that fresh parties were issued out, and beaten back as before, with
the loss of many of their men, which they supplied with others till night, and
in the dark they fired all the town, which was in a few hours turned into ashes;
and in that confusion, and heat of the fire, the enemy made a fierce assault.
But it so pleased God, that we were better provided for them
than they expected, by the relief, that came to us at night-fall, from
Belfast, of the Earl of Donegall's troop, and a company of foot, commanded by
Captain Boyd, who was unhappily slain presently after his first entrance into
the town. And, after the houses were on fire, about six of the clock till about
ten or eleven, it is not easy to give any certain account or relation of the
several encounters in divers places of the town, between small parties or our
horse and those of the enemy, whom they charged as they advanced, and hewed them
down, so that every corner was filled with carcasses, and the slain were found
to be more than thrice the number of those that fought against them, as appeared
next day when the constables and inhabitants, employed to bury them, gave up
their accounts. About ten or eleven o'clock their two generals quitted their
station, and marched away in the dark, and had not above 200 of their men with
them. as we were informed next morning by several English prisoners that escaped
from them who told us that the rest of their men were either run away before
them, or slain; and that their field-pieces were thrown into the river, or
in some moss pit, which we could never find after; and in this their retreat, or
rather their flight, they fired Brookhill house, and the Lord Conway's library
in it, and other goods, to the value of five or six thousand pounds, their fear
and haste not at all allowing them to carry any thing away, except some plate
and some linen; and this they did in revenge to the owner, whom they heard was
landed the day before, and had been active in the service against them, and was
shot that day, and also had his horse shot under him, but mounted presently upon
another, and Captain St. John And Captain Burley were also wounded, and about 30
men more of our party, most of whom recovered, and not above 25 or 26 more
slain.
And if it be well considered, how meanly our men were armed,
and our ammunition spent before night, and that if we had not been supplied with
men, by the timely care and providence of the Earl of Donegall and other
commanders, from his Majesty's store of Carrickfergus (who sent us powder post
in mails on horseback, one after another) and that most of our new-raised
companies were of poor script men than had made their escape from the rebels, of
whom they had such a dread, but they thought them not easily to be beaten, and
that all our horse (that did the most execution) were not above 120, viz., the
Lord Conway's troop. and a squadron of the Lord Grandison's troop (the rest of
them having been murdered in their quarters in Tandragee) and about 40 of a
country troop and company from Belfast came to us at night.
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CONFESSED
It must be confessed, that the Lord of Hosts did signally appear for us, who can
save with or without any means, and did by very small means give us the victory
over his and our enemies, and enough of their arms to supply the defects of our
new companies, and about 50 of their colours and drums. But it is to be
remembered with regret, that this loss and overthrow did so enrage the rebels,
that for several days and weeks after they murdered many hundreds of the
Protestants, whom they had kept prisoners in the counties of Armagh and weeks
and other parts of Ulster, and tormented them by several manners of death.
And it is a circumstance very observable, that much snow had fallen in the week
before this action, and on the day before, it was a little thaw, and a frost
thereupon it in the night, so that the streets were covered with ice, which
proved greatly to our advantage; for that all the smiths had been employed that
whole night to frost our horses, so that they stood firm, while the brogues
slipt and fell down to our feet. For which, and our miraculous deliverance from
a cruel and bloody army, how great cause have we to rejoice, and praise the name
of our God, and say with that kingly prophet, 'If it had not been the Lord
himself who was on our side, when men rose up against us, they had swallowed us
up quick, when they were so wrothfully displeased at us.
Yea, the waters of the deep had drown us, and the stream had
gone over our soul; but , praised be the Lord, who has not given us over a prey
unto their teeth; our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the snare of the
fowler, the snare is broken, and we are safe. Our hope standeth in the name of
the Lord, who made heaven and earth. "Amen!"
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