title="18"/>

The Battle had now lasted near six hours: about five in the evening the approach of succour was descried from the house—the hopes of all were elevated and they fought with renovated vigour.

One of the guard who had been excluded by the sudden shutting of the gates in the morning, finding he could be of no other use, repaired to Kinnegad, represented the situation of his friends at Clonard, upon which fourteen of the Kinnegad Infantry, under Lieutenant Houghton, and eleven Northumberland Fencibles, under the command of a Serjeant, immediately collected and with great gallantry marched for Clonard. The communication by the Bridge having been kept open in the manner before related, Lieutenant Tyrrell sallied from the house, and soon effected a junction with this reinforcement. A few vollies completely cleared the roads, and having then placed the Northumberland and Kinnegad men in such situations as most effectually to gall the enemy in their retreat from the garden, the Lieutenant

undertook in person, the hazardous enterprise of dislodging them from thence.

At this time, it is supposed there were 400 Rebels in the garden; numbers of them were posted upon a mount planted with old fir trees, which afforded considerable protection, and many lay concealed behind a privet hedge, from whence they could distinctly see every person who entered the garden, tho' they could not be seen themselves—Lieutenant Tyrrell at the head of a few picked men, rushed into the garden; and was received by a general discharge from both parties of the enemy: no time was lost in attacking the party behind the hedge, who being defeated, retired to the mount;—here the action again became warm, the Rebels appeared determined to maintain the advantage of their situation, and the Yeomen, tho' fatigued with the labour of the day, could not think of retiring. Six of them were badly wounded, among whom was Mr. Richard Allen, who had so gallantly defended the Turrett—a ball passed thro' his left arm, and entered his side; his comrades still persevered with

the most undaunted courage, and supporting a steady and well directed fire against the mount, the enemy were at length dispersed, and in their flight were met by the Northumberland and Kinnegad Corps who made great havoc among them.

The victory was now complete—as glorious an achievement, we will venture to say, as occurred during the whole rebellion, and for which the gallant officers and men can never be too much applauded, whether we consider it as an unexampled display of genuine loyalty and true courage, or estimate its value from its immence importance to that part of the country and the kingdom at large. It was the first check which the United Army of Wexford and Kildare experienced and proved the fore-runner of those multiplied defeats which terminated in its total dispersion.

MRS. TYRRELL'S SUFFERINGS WHILE PRISONER WITH THE REBELS.

After the Battle it might have been expected that the little garrison would have given themselves

up to an excess of joy; but the breast of their Commander was filled with anxious solicitude——the partner of his heart—his wife, the mother of those three gallant youths, who mixed in the hottest scenes of the day, was absent the whole time, and no tidings of her had reached the garrison. The men sympathised with the husband and the children, and success was thought incomplete, until she was restored to their embraces.

Probably the reader may participate somewhat of a similar feeling, and desire some gratification from a brief narrative of the circumstances attending the Lady while in possession of the Rebels.

On the morning of the 11th of July, about the hour that the guard dispersed, as we have before mentioned, Mrs. Tyrrell went in her carriage from Clonard to her own house at Kilreiny upon some domestic concerns—she soon heard the Rebels were approaching, and speedily drove back with the hope of reaching Clonard before them.

In this however she was disappointed; the noise of musquetry convinced her of the impractibility of this attempt. The servant was ordered to turn about and drive to Kilreiny, from whence she intended to send an express to Edenderry—she had not however proceeded many yards, when the carriage was overtaken by two men on horseback, armed with drawn swords who with oaths and menaces ordered the servant to stop—They turned the carriage back towards Clonard until they overtook about 200 men armed with pikes, a few musquets and some swords. They searched the carriage for arms, but did not find any. Mrs. Tyrrell describes the men as a ragged, wretched looking banditti: three of them, armed with musquets mounted the boot of the carriage; three more got behind it—and in this manner attended by a great crowd, the carriage was drove two miles round to the high road leading from Dublin to Clonard: here they kept her a prisoner, notwithstanding her frequent entreaties to be enlarged; she at one time apprehended the pike-men would cut her to pieces, as they

quarrelled among themselves, some disposed to treat her with civility—others the reverse—After some time she prevailed upon them to permit her to retire into a cabin, the inhabitants of which knew her, and two men armed with musquets were placed as centries. She there remained, until the Rebels were defeated at Clonard, when the whole body upon their retreat assembled at the cabin; one of the rebel officers came in and desired Mrs. Tyrrell to get into her carriage; she asked for what purpose. He replied, that she must go with them; she entreated him to permit her to remain where she was, and that her carriage and horses were at his service; he for some time denied her request: but falling on her knees to supplicate him, he told her she might stay:—He then withdrew, but immediately a great common fellow came in, seized her by the arm, dragged her to the door, and desired some men to lift her upon a horse, which had been provided for her, as some wounded men were to be put into the carriage. Mrs. Tyrrell's alarm now became excessive—she looked

round for the person, who had consented to let her remain in the cabin, and getting her arms round him reminded him of his promise. He acknowledged his engagement, but confessed he had not power to perform it—that she must go with them, but would be accomodated with her own carriage. Three or four men then thrust her into the carriage, which moved on, attended by an immense body of people, and a great number of officers. When they had proceeded about a mile, the carriage was stopped and entered by Col. Perry, who said, he was fatigued. Mrs. Tyrrell endeavoured to prevail upon him to let her go—but in vain—she told him, she would use all her influence for his advantage, if ever she had an oportunity—He answered, that the Yeomen had taken a general officer, at Clonard, and that she must remain a Prisoner till his fate was known.—After some time, the carriage was stopped again, and a fellow came in, who told Col. Perry, he had a right to it, as he had taken it, and tho' quite a common fellow, Perry had not power to prevent

him. Mrs. Tyrrell then applied to this man for protection; he answered, that she could not obtain her liberty. She was now reduced to all the anguish of despair, when a gleam of hope suddenly darted across her mind, upon seeing a man riding beside