The Story of Ireland

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 16, 6 May 1925, Page 7

The Story of Ireland

(By A. M. Sullivan.)

.Early on the morning of June 30, 1690, Wiliam's army approached the Boyne in three divisions. "Such was his impatience , to behold the., enemy he -was to fight, and the ground they had taken up, that by the time the advanced guard was. within view of the Jacobite camp, he was in front of them, having ridden forward from the head of his own division. Then it was that he beheld a sight which, yet unstirred by soldier shout or cannon shot, unstained by blood or death, might well gladden the heart of him who gazed, and warm , with its glorious beauties even a colder nature - than his! He stood upon a height, and beheld beneath him and beyond him, with the clearness of a map and the gorgeous beauty of a dream, a view as beautiful as the eye can scan. Doubly beautiful it was then; because the colors of a golden harvest were blended with green field's and greener trees, and a sweet river flowing calmly on in winding beauty through a valley whose banks rose gently from its waters, until in lofty hills they touched the opposite horizon bending and undulating into forms of beauty." "To the south-east, the steeples and . castle of Drogheda, from which floated tho flags of James and Louis, appeared in the mid-distance; whilst seaward might be seen the splendid fleet which attended the motions of the Williamite army. But of more interest to the phlegmatic but experienced commander, whose eagle eye now wandered over the enchanting panorama, were the lines of white tents, the waving banners, and moving bodies of troops, which, to the south-west, between the river and Donore Hill, indicated the position of James's camp." „ Having viewed the ground carefully, William selected the Oldbridge fords for the principal attack, arid fixed upon sites for batteries to command the opposite or Jacobite bank. He then rode a short way up' the river, and alighted to take some refreshment. On his return he was fired upon by some field pieces at tho other side of the river, the first shot striking to the earth one of the group beside the prince. A second shot followed; the ball striTck the river bank, glanced upwards, and wounded William slightly. He sank upon his horse's neck, and a shout of exultation burst from the Irish camp, where it was believed he was killed. He was not much hurt, however, and rode amongst his own lines to assure his troops of his safety; and shouts of triumph and defiance from the Williamite ranks soon apprised the Irish of their error. That night—that anxious night!— devoted by William to the most careful planning and arrangement for the morrow's strife. But ere ; we notice these plans or"approach^that struggle, it may be well to describe for young readers with all possible simplicity the battlefield of the Boyne, and the. nature of the military operations - rf which it was the scene. ; :; . ■"'.",'. ■ vA-

LXIV.—“BEFORE THE BATTLE.”

: The Boyne enters the Irish sea a mile or more to the east of Drogheda, but for a mile; or two above or to the west *of that town; the sea-tides reach and rise and fall in the river. Two miles and a half, up the fiver from DrOgheda-, on the southern bank, is the ; little village of Gldbridge. About five milts.. in a direct-line due west, of Oldbridge {but considerably more by the curve of the river, which. between these points bends deeply s southward), ■; stands the town of Slariei on the northern bank. The ground : rises rather rapidly from the river at Oldbridge, sloping backwards, or southwards, about a mile, lothe hill of Donore, on the crest of. which stands. a little ruined church was a ruin even in 1690) and a grave-yard; three miles and a half further southward than Donore, on the road to Dublin from Oldbridge, stands Duleek,y ■• .- ■■'' : , ;; .' V-r.,' X ■'■■-'■'■'■: James's camp was pitched on the northern' slopes of Don ore, looking down, upon this river at Oldbridge. James himself slept and had his headquarters in the, little ruined church already mentioned. ._ > < !" Directly opposite to Oldbridge, on the; northern side- of the river, the ground, as on the south side, rises rather abruptly, sloping backward; forming a hill called Tullyallen. This hill is intersected by , a ravine north and -south, leading down to the river, its mouth on the northern brii\k being directly opposite to Oldbridge. The ravine is now called King William's Glen. On and behind "Tullyallen Hill, William's camp was pitched, looking southwards, towards, but not altogether in sight of James's, on the other, side of the river. . " .; 1 At this time of the year, July, the Boyne" was fordable at several places up the river towards Slane.. The easiest fords, however, were at Oldbridge, where when the sea-tide was at lowest ebb, the . water was not three feet deep. _ },^'t< ; ';. J_'. ; •; To force these' fords, or some r 6f them, was William's task! To defend them, was James's endeavor. > : .-• , " , p " The main difficulty ; in crossing a-'ford in the face of an opposing army, is; that the enemy almost invariably has batteries to play on the fords with shot and shell, and troops ready at hand to charge the crossing party the instant they attempt to "form" on reaching the bank, if they succeed in reaching it. If tho defending party have not batteries to perform this service, and if the assailants have batteries to "cover" the passage of .their' fording parties by r a strong cannonade, i K e., to prevent (by shot and shell fired over their heads at the bank they, rush for) the formation there of ,any troops to charge them on ; reaching the : shore, the < ford is, as a general rule, mire to be forced.'•„; . . .* ": - ■ James had hot a single cannon or howitzer l at the fords. From fifty splendid field pieces . and mortars William rained shot and shell on the Jacobite bank. ''' ." '-J <:!_■■. William's plan of >attack .was to outflank

James's ' left ■ by sending a / strong force up // • the ; river ; towards ; Slane, where ■; they were; i to cross and attack the Jacobite flank and : while he, with the full strength his - maSK : army (the centre under ■;: Schomberg senior, the extreme v left under himself),"*' would, under cover of a furious cannonade, | force all the fords at and below Oldbridge It was only at-the last moment that James was brought to perceive the deadly danger of being flanked from Slane, and he then detailed merely a force of five hundred dra-. goons under the gallant Sir Neal O'Neill to defend the extreme left there. . His attention until the mid-hour of battle next day, was mainly -given to the (Oldbridge) fords in his

front, and his sole reliance for their defence was on some poor ;; breastworks \ arid farmbuildings to shelter musketry-men; trusting for theTestto hand-to-hand encounters when • the \ enemy should have ■;. come across! J- In fact, he had no /other reliance, since was without artillery to defend the fords. .' All .else being settled, ere the anxious council-holders/ on each ■ side r sought their couches, the pass-word for the/morning "and the [distinguishing badges were announced. The Jacobite soldiers wore white cockades. William chose green- for his colors. •* Every man. on his side was ordered to wear a green bough or sprig in his hat, and the word was' to be "Westminster." (To be continued.) ■ ~- ,