CHAPTER XXX. SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND TROOPS FROM FRANCE IN KILLALLA BAY-GENERAL HUMBERT-FALSE ACCOUNT GIVEN OF HIS EXPEDITION-BOMPARD'S DEFEAT OFF LOUGH SWILLY-CAPTURE, TRIAL, AND DEATH OF TONE. On the 27th of October, and for the last time, an invading force of French republicans appeared on the western shores of Ireland-and the same frigates from which Humbert and his gallant followers had debarked on the evening of the 22nd of August, once more entered Killalla Bay, with, as it was reported, two thousand men on board. When they sailed, the intelligence of Humbert's surrender had not been received by the Directory-and they had been intended to reinforce that officer, and make a strong diversion in favour of the Brest armament destined to operate on the north-east coast of Ireland. But their anchors had scarcely reached the bottom, when the unwelcome appearance of several hostile vessels obliged them to stand out to sea without holding any communication with the shore. Chased incessantly by British cruisers, they managed to escape by superior sailing-and after that failure, the French executive seemed to consider any future attempts on Ireland as hopeless. Had this descent been made, it is probable that the suppression of the rebellion a month before, and the severe examples already made on all concerned, would have caused an apathy on the part of the peasantry, which would have rendered this landing only an idle experiment to resuscitate a flame, quenched beyond the power of being rekindled. In the central counties the popular spirit was feverish still, and partial insurrections might have resulted.* But many of the insurgents were heartily disgusted with those fearful scenes in which they had so recently been actors, and had no desire or intention to try conclusions in the field again. In one littoral district of the county of Wexford, which stretches from its capital towards Gorey, called by the inhabitants "the Muckamores," the peasantry, who had been two months before in arms, tendered not only their allegiance but their services to the government-and there is no doubt, that had the latter been accepted, they would have proved both brave and faithful allies in the field. A curious document, addressed to the commander of the garrison of Wexford, proves that, provided he is allowed to fight, the Irish peasant is easily satisfied as to the cause.† * "The landing of the French was known by the rebels in the county of Kildare, the Queen's county, and part of the county of Tipperary; and the mass of the people in them shewed suddenly a strong sensation and a spirit of combination, even before the loyal subjects were acquainted with that event.”—Musgrave. "To Breggadeer Magar Figgerald, in Waxford. "Plaise your honor, as you war good enof to get the general to give us pardon, and as you tould us that if there was an occasion youd expect that weed fite for our Before we close our notices of the last attempts made by the Directory at invasion, it may be gratifying to observe, that the admirable conduct displayed by the commander of the Rochelle expedition, during his operations in the west, was not overlooked when fortune declared against him, and Humbert was obliged to surrender. On the warm representations of the Bishop of Killalla, the Irish administration was pleased to forward the French officers immediately "to London, giving them what money they wanted for their draft on the commissary of prisoners, Niou. From London the bishop had a letter from the committee for taking care of French prisoners, desiring to be informed in what manner he and his family had been treated by the French officers; and on the bishop's report, an order was obtained that citizens Charost, Boudet, and Ponson, should be set at liberty, and sent home without exchange. Niou, the French commissary, refused, on the part of his government, to accept of this mark of respect from our ministry, saying, that the Directory could not avail themselves of so polite an offer, because their officers at Killalla had only king and country, and as ever willin to be up to our word we send this paper about the bisness, and if your honor ill give us leave to fite, weel do every thing your honor bids us, and we minded nothing else to morrow but to fite for the king's officers against the French, and hopes your honor will excuse this haste as we wish to lose no time, and excuse our not nowing how to write to such generals, but if your honor will get a memoral drawn rite, your honor may depend on us, and put our name to it for us as in the inclosed. "O'BRIEN, "To the General Hunter, or Governor of Waxford, belonging to King George the Third. "We, the Macamore boys, was in the turn out against the Orrange-men, and to who your noble honour gave your most grasous pardon, for we never desarved any other if we war let alone, and being tould that the French was cumeing to take this cunttry from his Royal Highness the king, who we swore to fite for, and in regard to our oath and to your lordships goodness in keeping the Orrange-men from killing us all, weel fite till we die if your honour will give us leave, and weel go in the front of the battle, and we never ax to go in the back of the army your honour will send wid us, and if we dont beat them, weel never ax a bit to ete, and as you gave us pardon and spoke to the king about us, as the breggaddeer magar tould us, and as we tould him weed never deceive your honour, tho the black mob says weel turn out a bit again, but weel shew them and the world if your honour will bid us, that weel fite and wont run away from the best of them, and if your honour will send down the magar that was wid us from your lordship afore, or the honourable magar Curry, or the Lord Sir James Fowler, general of the middle lothin sogers in Waxford, and let them lave word at Peppers castle, and weel march into Waxford, go where your honour bids us, do any thing atal to fite for your honour, and weel expect to hear from your honour what weel do, or if your honour will order a signal to be made with a red flag, weel draw up and march as good as any sogers, and as far as one or two thoughsand good stout boys goes, weel fite for your honour to the last man, and weer sure all the Barneys ill do the same if you will give them lave. Signed by the desire of all the parishes in the Muckamores. "August 27th, 1798." 66 O'BRIEN, "WALSH, and "SULLIVAN." done their duty, and no more than what any Frenchman would have done in a similar situation." That this just and generous intervention was duly estimated by Humbert and his companions, the following letter, truly honourable to the good feelings of the French commander, will sufficiently establish: ' "My Lord, "Dover, October 26, 1798. 'Being on the point of returning to France, I think it my duty to testify to you the extraordinary esteem with which your conduct has always inspired me. Since I have had the good fortune of being acquainted with you, I have always regretted that the chance of war, and my duty as a military officer, have obliged me, in carrying the Scourge of war into your neighbourhood, to disturb the domestic happiness which you enjoyed, and of which you are in every respect worthy. Too happy if in returning into my country I can flatter myself that I have acquired any claim to your esteem. Independently of other reasons which I have for loving and esteeming you, the representation which citizen Charost gives me of all your good offices to him and his officers, as well before as after the reduction of Killalla, will demand for ever my esteem and gratitude. "I entreat you, my lord, to accept my declaration of it, and to impart it to your worthy family. "I am, with the highest esteem, 66 "My Lord, you most humble servant, "HUMBERT." In the teeth of this letter from the general to the bishop, it will be scarcely credited that it has been stated by writers, who profess to give a faithful record of the transactions of these times, that the failure of Humbert's expedition was altogether attributable to the blandishments of Dr. Stock, aided and assisted by his cook—and, that apprized of this clerical delinquency, one of the chief objects of the Directory in making a second attempt at landing in Killalla, was to seize the devoted bishop, and carry him away to France.* In his notice of Humbert's expedition, the younger Tone gives the following veracious reasons for its final failure : "Strange and desperate as was this enterprise, had it been prosecuted with the same spirit and vivacity with which it was begun, it "These forces had orders to send the Bishop of Killalla and his family pri soners to France, and, if they should meet with opposition in landing, to lay the town in ashes. The cause of this unmerited severity was an unfounded opinion entertained by the French administrators, that the bishop had betrayed the town to the king's troops, together with a deposit of 280 barrels of gunpowder, partly buried under a hotbed in his garden, partly in a vault in the haggard under a cornstand. The powder could not be concealed from the king's officers, even if the bishop had thought it his duty to attempt it; but its removal was anxiously wished, since the town with all its contents had three times been in danger of annihilation by the approach of fire to this terrible mass, the shock of whose explosion must have had the most ruinous effect."-Gordon's History. might have succeeded, and Humbert, an obscure and uneducated soldier, have effected a revolution, and crowned his name with glory. The insurrection was scarcely appeased, and its embers might soon have been blown into a flame; but landing in a distant, wild, and isolated corner of the island, instead of pressing rapidly at once, as he was strongly advised, to the mountains of Ulster (the centre of the United Irish organization), and calling the people to arms, he amused himself, during a fortnight, in drilling the peasantry of the neighbourhood, who flocked to his standard, and enjoying the hospitality of the Bishop of Killalla. That prelate rendered a most signal service to the Irish government by thus detaining the French general." Such is Tone's account-in statement, devoid of truth, in purpose, equally mean and malignant. What are the facts? Let us see in what way Humbert amused himself during a fortnight. He landed late on the evening of the 22nd, drove the feeble garrison into the castle, and took possession of the town. On the 23rd he made a reconnaissance on Ballina, and employed himself actively in mounting his cavalry, horsing his guns, and obtaining means of transport for his stores and ammunition. On the 24th, not contented with obtaining all the horses in the town, he actually sent off the bishop prisoner, with a threat of deportation, because the doctor could not work miracles and obtain the means of transport he demanded. This proceeding on the part of the French general would indicate that he did not take things so very quietly as Mr. Tone insinuates, and that the hospitality of the bishop had not sufficient fascination to induce the rough republican to overlook the due attention to his orders. On Sunday morning, Humbert took possession of Ballina-and recommencing his movements at daylight, by a forced march he crossed twenty English miles of bog and mountain, by a road hitherto considered impracticable-reached the royalist position-and at noon on Monday had completely routed a well-appointed army, and seized the town of Castlebar. All these affairs being transacted in the short space occurring between Wednesday evening, when he landed, and Monday, at mid-day, when he took possession of the capital of the county. Of his future operations the reader is already apprized. The same spirit, the same celerity, and the same boldness, distinguishing the close of a career, which throughout had been marked with a daring and success, that elicited the unqualified admiration even of his enemies. We have often had cause to think that no men might complain with greater justice, generally, against their biographers, than the leaders of the Irish Union. A partisan is ever a dangerous person to chronicle a life, and the ignorance of false praise is always damnatory to the memory of him on whom the ill-judged incense has been lavished. The folly of Irish writers lay chiefly in predicating the possession of military talent to persons who, from the nature of their avocations, could never have gained the slightest insight into the art of war-and with all the action, and about as much of the reality of pantomime, transmuting preachers into adjutant-generals, and traders into commanders-in-chief. That Dickson, Munro, or McCracken, by no possibilty could have acquired any military experience, may be inferred from the peaceful professions they had followed. Tandy proved himself a mere poltron-and in the memorials left behind him by poor Tone, and most unwisely given to the world, the weak frivolity apparent in every revelation stamps him a wild and dreamy enthusiast, wrapt in idle speculations of Utopian government-a restless demagogue—a man whose mercurial disposition might have been successful on the stage, but utterly unsuited for the field. The fate of the greater expedition, which the frigates visiting Killalla on the 27th of October were intended to assist, had been unfortunately decided before these vessels made the land. On the 16th of September, a squadron* under the command of Commodore Bompart, with three thousand troops on board, quitted Brest harbour, and on the morning of the 17th was fallen in with by the British 38-gun frigates Boadicea and Ethalion, with the 18-gun brig Sylph, when about five leagues to the westward of the Bec du Raz. Captain Keats immediately made sail in search of Lord Bridport, leaving the Ethalion to watch the movements of the French squadron, which on the 18th bore away south-west. The Ethalion was joined soon afterwards by the 38-gun frigate Amelia, Captain Herbert, and on the 19th by the 44-gun frigate Anson, Captain Durham; and these ships continued watching the movements of the enemy until the 1st of October, when blowing and thick weather separated the British ships; but on the 11th, the Ethalion and Anson, which had for a time lost sight of the enemy, were joined by Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren. British squadron then consisted of— The 80 Foudroyant 44 Magnanime 38 Ethalion Sir Thomas Byard, Hon. Michael de Courcy, ... ... ... George Countess, Philip Charles H. Durham, Hon. Charles Herbert. Commodore Bompart, who, on losing sight of the British frigates, had steered for Lough Swilly, in fulfilment of his orders, was discovered by the British squadron on the same day off Tory island. During the night the Anson, in a heavy squall, carried away her mizen-mast, main, and main-topsail-yards; and in the same squall the Hoche lost her main-topmast and fore and mizen top-gallant-masts. At 5h. 30m. A.M. on the 12th, Commodore Bompart and the ships of his squadron found themselves at no great distance from the British ships. The French at this time were formed in two ill-constructed *Hoche, 74; Immortalité, 46; Romaine, 46; Loire, 46; Bellone, 36; Coquille, 36; Embuscade, 36; Résolue, 36; Sémillante, 36; Biche, schooner. |