No Quarter.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 273, 19 November 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

No Quarter.

After the execution of Charles 1., Jones, the Parliamentary general, proceeded to Droghecla, but was encountered by Lord Inchiquin and defeated. The Royalists being now in possession of the town, the 3rd of September, 1649, Cromwell appeared under the walls. He waited a week, expecting that Ormond would attempt a diversion, and give him an opportunity of forcing an action in the field. Ormond, trusting fco Ash ton's promise, did not move. The English guns were placed in position. On Monday, 9th of September, they opened fire, and a summons was sent in to the governor to deliver over the town to the Parliament. No answer was returned. The guns having broken a way on Tuesday at live in the afternoon the Parliament troops advanced to the assault. The garrison fought with extreme courage. Twice, after forcing their way into the town, the storming parties were beaten back through the breach. The third time, as the light was waning, Cromwell led them up in person, forced Ashton under his inner lines, stormed thd6e lines in turn, and before night fell was master of Drogheda. The summons to surrender having been refused, the order was to put every man found in arms to the sword. Ib was almost literally obeyed. A few score held out till the morning in two detached towers, and then surrendered ab discretion. Every tenth man was shot; the remainder were sent to the penal settlement at Barbadoes. The details of this siege are given by D'Alton at great length. He tells how Cromwe}! beat down the tower of St. Mary's Church, thundering on the tower for some hours, and being repulsed two or three times by the garrison ; how the Carmelites, devoting themselves to the aid of the military, displayed the most heroic intrepidity, combined with such skill in the management of defensive operations as might not only do honour to more experienced soldiers, but actually struck the mind" of Cromwell with doubt as to the successful issue of his hostilities. The Irish histories say there was "an indiscriminate slaughter of mep,

women, and children." "The scene that ensued," says Mr D'Alton, " paralysed all Ireland, and can never be mentioned without a thrill of horror. The clergy, mingled with soldiery, as they fled before the ferocious conqueror, perished indiscriminately with them. — Cassell's " Our Own Country." •