Account of the rising in Munster by James Cleland

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390

No 15

1642
One Sunday the 10th day of July last past the Lord fforbes with diuers other shipps Landed at Kyngsale having in the said ffleete nyne ensignes companyes which the munday, twesday & thursday following were mustered on the hills nere adioyning the said harbour On Twesday being the twelfth of July the lord kinalmeakey gouernor of Bandon bridge came to Kinsale to conferr with the said Lord fforbes & the friday followinge being 15th of July: the said Lord fforbes with the 9 companyes marched vp to the towne of Bandon being seaven mile distant from the towne of Kinsale, where his souldiers were billetted for that night. On Satturday morning followinge waggons beinge prepared for their carriadge of the Amunition and provision for the souldiers, and twoe waynes for the twoe feild peices, The said Lord fforbes about three of the clock in the afternoone of marched forth with his 9 Companyes and two companyes of bandon bridge souldiers vnder the Commaund of Captaine Hooper and captayne Woodhowse, and any the governors troop rankes contayninge some 60 to 70 horse march and lay all night on the west side of the said towne on a Mountayne some twoe miles & half distant from the said towne On Sunday in the morning being the 17th of July they betymes marched towards the towne of Cloughnekelly being then having some fower myles and half from the said towne. The said towne beinge formerly a Corporacion, & Consisting all English, and the said lord gouernors towne but forsaken in January last by the English & then inhabited by the Rebells. And in their marching to the said towne, The troopers slew to the number of 80 or thereabouts in the country & towne, And waringe bringing to the said towne a great prey of Cowes & sheepe by the perswasion as was generally reported of one Sir William Hull the said Lord fforbes left in the towne twoe of his owne companyes being vnder the comand of captayne Price and captaine Welden; & on Company of bandon bridge souldiers vnder the commaund of Captayne Woodhowse; who w in the said who were left there of purpose to provide for the Armyes returne th at night, who were gone to releefe the Castle of Rathbarry which was vnder the commaund of Mr Arthur ffreke a dersett sheere gentleman being then in great distresse, the said castle being three myles, & ½ distant to the west from the said Towne, And In their marching to the said castle they mett with a prey of Cowes & sheepe which were all dryven to the castle, & cominge to the said castle they were distribute to the distressed of the castle accordinge to their seuerall needs being brought thither to that intent only some quantity of sheepe & twoe Cowes the souldiers killd for their dynner, which being dressed and put on the fyer presently one came post from

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the said Towne to the lord fforbes & told him that the towne was of Cloughnekelly where the three companyes were left was encompassed about with at least 2 or 3 thowsand lyne Rebells, and that if a speedy course were not taken for their Releife, they were all in daunger of being lost wherevppon the Lord fforbes as a carefull Commander presently gaue order to his captaynes & officers that all the off companyes with should bee in a Readynes to march away, which accordingly was donne, but another messenger comming afterward ffrom the said towne with not [sewnding?] the former said they were not in such danger as their former Intelligencer certifyed, & the said Sir William Hull vppon his second relacion reporting openly speaking that the Rebells were cowards, and if the said three companyes were vigilant & carefull they need not feare the enimyes approchinge, wherevppon the lord fforbes gaue order that the souldiers should haue one howers tyme for the dressing of their victualls After which tyme The tyme being expired they after (some souldiers beinge were left in the castle and amunition deliuered to the said Mr freke) they marched towards the said towne burning & killinge as they went, But as they had marched a myle from the castle there were some that fledd from towne which met t them & who told them that they did veryly beleeve that the three companyes were all cutt of, & that the whole army of the Rebells were marching towards them wherevppon the English Army both horse & foote were presently in order, & marching towards the said towne found some english lay dead on the high way some twoe miles & half distant ffrom the said towne, and being within a myle & half of the said towne as soone as our English army had recovered the height of the said Hill, the enimy appeared on both sides & before vs & havinge the recovered the playne ground our twoe feild peics were discharged on the enimy being then even within shott on forward & thother backwards which discharge presently made the enimy to fly, & suddenly vppon the flight the troope fell on them And most of those that fledd to the right hand fearing f our fforces fledd into an Iland (for the tyde came vp to the towne) some mile distant ffrom the towne & se hoping there to be saffe in regard they were English were strangers (as the enimy supposed) & knew not the way into the Iland. It beinge then vppon turning water, But they were mistaken for the troopers being as well acquaynted with the Iland as themselues pursued them & killed diuers of them in the Certifi said Iland & forced many into the tyde who were all drowned (only fyve as was reported escaped to the other side to the mayne) & theyre was one Burt of kinsale a str{ }

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and valliant man { } pursuing after { } the tyde shooting att them in the water soe that there were slayne & drowned that day in all about 600 of the Rebells And now the day being spent in the pursuite of the enimy our forces retur marched in the evening toward the said towne wherein in the said towne & about the towne were slaine of our English about some 80 or 100, who were of the 3 companyes that were left in the towne to provide for the Armyes retourne, but the capt: whose name was weilding if he had or would haue be taken advyce by the Auncient English men that knew well what belonged to the Irish warrs It was generally conceaved that there had not an English mans blood been spilt that day, for the other companyes fledd to that forte by the towne, and there saved themselues, and not one man lost whereas capt: Weildings company of & some other souldiers of Bandon with him thinkinge to withstand the enimy (although multituds) after the first dish e discharge the enimy fell in vppon them & routed them they being f e but few in number) & soe had the slaughter of them, But it was thought that the Capt. Leiftennant and Auncient fledd to a howse in the towne & made g (which was fyred by the enimy), for their dead bodyes could not be found: soe Marching through the towne (it being in a valley) the gouernor stayed would not rest there, but lay on a hill by a waters side so me a mile distant from the towne, & on mounday following the 18th of July the souldiers generall seeing it was a very weatt morning the souldiers marched home to towards the towne of Bandon, sparingly, & the troope went a myle backwards to the poore towne before mentyoned & brought with them between 18 & 19 C sheepe & some h & some 30, and odd cowes & some horse all which were driven to the towne of Bandon & there gyven to the souldiers, On Wednesday following being the 20th of July the lord fforbes with his eight coulours & two of Bandon, & the former troope marched to a Castle called Kilbrittaine were which was the cheifiest Rebells castle in the west & the strongest but taken by that famous towne of Bandon in which there was a garrison of bandon souldiers where they lodged all night & the thursday in the morninge followinge they march{ed} to a towne an Irish towne called Timoleague wherein was a castle & an Abby, one in the one side end of the said towne & the others one { } the other side end , the reg Army being all pitcht in order before the castle be presently they summoned the castle who had an Annswere contrary to their expectacion, for It was thought because it was Sir Roger o Shaghnesyes castle who was then in the North & had done good servyce about Gallaway, that the Lady shaghnessy his wife

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would deliver vp the castle, but it was of opinion that there were some great ons fledd thither for refuge who would not suffer her, to yeeld vp the castle, Although shee had made on sent many promises to the governor of Bandon formerly to that effect for the surrendring of the said castle, wher vppon pyoneers were sent to the castle, & the feild peics discharged, but all would not prevayle for want of a canon or demicannon the Army was forced to leave the seidge with the losse of 5 or 6 men & others some 8 hurted Only the towne was burnt, & to the ground, & the Abbey was fyred & the pyoneers gott into the castle yard, & brought from thence some 60 or 70 head of Cattle & some sheepe and horses

James Cleland

V.B. 10

Mr Clelands papers
of the proceedings in Mounster
from Nov. 20 til July 23
1642