up the night before last, and sent prisoner here, where he will be coufined in a place of safety, as well as many others, whom it is now necessary to apprehend. Your lordship may depend upon my individual exertions in this unpleasant contest; and as I am ably supported, I make no doubt that we shall prevent the rebels from gaining any advantages, and ultimately oblige themi to return to their allegiance. I shall write again tomorrow, should any material event occur. G. NUGENT, major-gen. Dublin Castle, June 9. 1 font, my aide-de-camp, and major of brigade Sandford, are entitled to my fullest praise. I should not omit lieut. Eustace, the general's aide-de-camp, who is a very promising young man. To lieut.-col. James Foulis, commanding the Mid-Lothian cavalry, and capt. Irvine, commanding the detachment of the 5th and 9th dragoons, I am no less indebted. I cannot say too much in favour of capt. Bloomfield, B. H. artillery, and capt. Thornhill, commanding the royal Irish flying artillery, whose very great exertions contributed very essentially to our success. We had a great loss in col. lord Mountjoy. Capt.Tottenham,yeomanry cavalry, and capt. Boyd, with the debus of his corps, have rendered me every possible assistance. In making mention of those particulars, I would not wish you to suppose I do not feel myself much indebted to every individual, a very few excepted. Return of the killed, wounded, and missing of the Troops engaged at Ross on the 5th of June. Killed, 1 colonel, 1 cornet, 1 quarter-master, 4 serjeants, 3 drummers, and 81 rank and file; also 54 horses; wounded, 1 captain, and 57 rank and file; also 5 hores; missing, 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, 1 ensign, 2 serjeants, 2 drummers, 72 rank and file, and 4 horses. Names of Officers killed, wounded, CAMDEN. Extract of a Letter from Major-general Johnson, to Lieut.-gen. Lake, dated at Ross, June 7. I send you a return of the killed, wounded, and missing of the troops engaged on the 5th instant. Their numbers you will, I trust, find not great, when you take into consideration the numbers they were opposed to. I likewise send a return of the ordnance, ammunition, and standards, taken from the rebels. The number killed cannot be ascertained. In my former letter I was prevented, by a pressure of business, doing justice to the merits Col. lord Mountjoy, county of of several officers, to whom I am Dublin militia, killed; cornet Ladhighly indebted for their extraordi- well, 5th dragoons, killed; capt. nary exertions. General Eustace, Sinclair, Donnegal militia, woundcol. Crawford, A. Q.M.G. lieut.- ed; capt. Warburton and lieut. colonels Stewart, 89th regiment, Flinter, Queen's County militia, commanding light infantry; Max- missing; heut. Harford, Kilkenny well, Donnegal militia; majors, militia, missing; heut. Blake and Vandelure, Clare militia; Vesey, lieut. Buller, of the 89th, attached county of Dublin militia; Melli- to the light battalion, missing; and missing. quarter quarter-master Hay, of Mid-Lo- with pikes and fire-arms, and bearthian fencibles, killed. Return of Ordnance, Stores, &c. taken from the Rebels in the Action of the 5th of June. 1 5 half-inch howitzer, on shipcarriage; 1 iron 4-pounder on ship carriage; 14 swivels, 1 iron 3pounder, 1 iron 2-pounder, 14 shot of different sizes, an immen sity of pikes, which were broken as soon as taken. Also musquets, likewise destroyed. A variety of standards and colours. Whitehall, June 14, 1798. Dispatches of which the following are copies, have been this day received from his excellency the lord lieute nant of Ireland by his grace the duke of Portland, his majesty's principal secretary of state for the home department. Dublin Castle, June 10, 1798. I have the satisfaction to acquaint your grace, that yesterday evening a very large body of the Wexford rebels was driven back with great loss from their attack upon majorgeneral Needham's post at Arklow. The inclosed extract from the major-general's letter to lieutenantgeneral Lake will furnish your grace with the details of this important advantage. I have the honour to be, &c. CAMDEN. His grace the duke of Portland. Arklow, June 10, half past five, A.M. SIR, About three o'clock, P. M. yes. terday, the rebel army presented itself at my out-post in very great numbers. ing down on me without any regular order. The position I had chosen was a very strong one in front of the barrack. As soon as the enemy approached within a short distance, we opened a heavy fire of grape, which did as much execution as, from the nature of the ground and the strong fences of which they possessed themselves, could have been expected. This continued incessantly from six until half past eight o'clock, when the enemy desisted from their attack, and fled in disorder on every side. The numbers killed have not been ascertained.-Oar loss is inconsiderable, and no officer is wounded. A principal leader is among the slain. Colonel sir W. W. Wynne, with some of the 4th dragoon guards and 5th dragoons, and part of his own regiment, and the yeomanry, charged the rebels most gallantly, and routed a strong column of them attempting to gain the town by the beach. Col. Maxwell offered his services to burn some houses in his front, near the end of the action, and effected it most handsomely, and without loss. Colonel Skerrot, of the Durbam fencibles, on whom the brunt of the action fell, acted in the most spirited and determined manner; as did also colonel O'Hara, who commanded the Antrim, and covered the road on my right. The coolness and good conduct of colonel Cope, of the Armagh, does him infinite credit; and it is with the most real satisfaction I add, that the zeal and spirited conduct of the yeomanry corps were every thing I could wish. They approached from Coolgrexny road, and along the sandhills on the shore, in two columns, To lieutenant-colonel Blackwhile the whole of the intermediate wood, of the late 33d, and lieuspace embracing my entire front tenant-colonel Cleghorn, of the was crowded by a rabble, armed Meath, who did me the honour to serve with me upon this occasion, I am indebted for the most essential services, and I am happy thus to acknowledge my obligations to them both; and of the spirited exertions of Mr. Whaley I cannot speak too highly. I must, in justice to my aide-decamp, capt. Moore, of the 4th dragoon guards, and major of brigade, capt. Needham, of the 9th dragoons, mention their great alertness. To the great activity and information of the former I am much indebted, and he will detail to you all other particulars. (Signed) FRANCIS NEEDHAM. Lieutenant-general Lake, &c. &c. Dublin Castle, June 17, 1798. My Lord, I have the honour to acquaint your grace, that a letter has been this received by lieutenant-general Loke from major-general Nu gent, at asulfast, dated the 9th inst. stating that the rebels in the county of Autrim were dispersed in all di rections, except at Toome, whither Brigadier-general Knox and lieutenant-colonel Clavering were proceeding and that many of them had laid down their arms. Major-general Nugent also states, that Mr. M-Cleverty had returned from Douegorr-hill, whither he had been carried prisoner by a bo Whitehall, June 16. Dispatches, of which the following are copies, have been received from his excellency the lord lieutenant of Ireland, by his grace the duke of Portland, his majesty's principal secretary of state for the home depart ment. Dublin Castle, June 11. My Lord, I am concerned to acquaint your from major-general Nugent this grace, that the accounts received from the details which were yestermorning are not so favourable as day received I had reason to hope. A body of rebels having assembled ed by a detachment under col. near Saintfield, they were attackStapleton, who at first suffered the rebels to flight. Being ordersome loss: but he afterwards put ed to proceed to Newtown Ardes, col. Stapleton found the rebels in possession of the town, upon which general Nugent ordered him to retire until his force could be augmented. There is no official account as to the body of rebels which were to be attacked by brigadier-general Knox, at Toome Bridge. Private accounts state that they have been dispersed. I have the honour to be &c. dy of 2,000 rebels. Whilst they His grace the duke of Portland. were in this station they disagreed, and quarrelled amongst themselves, and, from his influence and persua sion, above 1,500 left the camp,. broke and destroyed their arms, and declared that they would never again carry an offensive weapon against his majesty or his loyal subjects. Many more dispersed, and the commander of them was left with 50 men only. I have the honour to be, &c. His grace the duke of Portland. Dublin Castle, June 12. My Lord, I have the honour to acquaint your grace, tbat accounts have been this day received from major-general Nugent, who is at Belfast, which state that the information he had received of a large body of rebels having entrenched themselves near Toome Bridge, was unfounded.One arch of the bridge had been broken down by an inconsiderable party, which had been dispersed ; the the bridge has been since rendered passable. Colonel Clavering bas reported from Antrim to major-general Nugent, that the disaffected in the neighbourhood of that town had expressed a desire to submit, and to return to their duty. At Ballymena, 150 musquets and 800 pikes had been given up to the magistrates. Many arms, 500 pikes and a brass field-piece, bave been surrendered to major Seddon. Major-general Nugent expresses his warmest acknowledgements to the regulars, militia, and yeomanry forces under his command, for their alertness, zeal, and spirit. Other advices state, that lieutenant-colonel Stewart, having marched from Blaris with a part of the Argyle fencibles, 30 cavalry, and some yeomanry, arrived at Ballinahinch as the rebels were beginning to collect. He relieved some yeomen who were in their possession; and the rebels fled into lord Moira's wood, whither they were pursued, about 40 of them killed, and the remainder dispersed. By a letter received this morning from major-general sir Charles Asgill, it appears that he had attacked, with 300 men, a rebel camp at the Roar, near Ross, which he completely dispersed; 50 men were killed and their leader. I have the honour to be, &c. His grace the duke of Portland. Whitehall, June 18. A dispatch, of which the following is a copy, has been this day received from his excellency the lord lieutenant of Ireland, by his grace the duke of Portland, his majesty's principal secretary of state for the home department. Dublin Castle, June 14, 1798. I have the honour to acquaint your grace, that intelligence arriv ed this day from major-general Nugent, stating that he had marched against a large body of rebels, who were posted at Saintfield. They retired on his approach to a strong position on the Saintfield side of Ballynahinch, and there made a show of resistance, and endeavoured to turn his left flank; but lieutenant-colonel Stewart arriving from Down, with a pretty considerable force of infantry, cavalry, and yeomanry, they soon desisted, and retired to a very strong position behind Ballynahinch. General Nugent attacked them next morning at three o'clock, having occupied two hills on the left and right of the town, to prevent the rebels from having any other choice than the mountains in their rear for their retreat; he sent lieutenant-colonel Stewart to post himself, with part of the Argyle fencibles, and some yeomaury, as well as a detachment of the 22d light dragoons, in a situation from which he could enfilade the rebel line, whilst colonel Leslie, with part of the Monaghan militia, some cuvalry and yeoman infantry, should make an attack upon their front Having two howitzers and six sixpounders, with the two detachments, the major-general was enabled to annoy them very much, from different parts of his position. The rebels attacked impetuously colonel Leslie's detachment, and even jumped into the road from the earl of Moira's demesne, to endeayour to take one of his guns, but they were repulsed with slaughter. Lieutenant-colonel Stewart's de tachment was attacked by them with the same activity, but he repulsed them also, and the fire from his howitzer and six-pounder soon obliged them to fly in all directions. Their force was, ou the evening of the 12th, uear 5000; but as many persons persons are pressed into their service, and almost entirely unarmed, the general does not suppose that on the morning of the engagement their numbers were so considerable. About 400 rebels were killed in the attack and retreat, and the remainder were dispersed all over the country. Parts of the town of Saintfield and Ballynahinch were burnt. Major general Nugent states, that both officers and men deserve praise for their alacrity and zeal on this as well as on all occasions; but he particularly expresses his obligations to lieutenant-colonel Stewart for his advice and assistance throughout the business, and to colonel Leslie for his readiness to volunteer the duty at all times. The yeomanry behaved with extreme steadiness and bravery. Three or four green colours were taken, and one six-pounder, not mounted, but which the rebels fired very often, and a considerable quantity of ammunition. Their chief was Munro, a shopkeeper of Lisburn. Major-general Nugent regrets the loss of captain Evatt, of the Monaghan militia; Lieutenant Ellis of the same regiment was wounded; the loss of 5 rauk and file killed, and 14 wounded. Several of the yeomen infantry were killed or wounded. The major-general expresses his acknowledgments to lieutenant-colonel Peacock, and major of brigade Machinnon, who were of the greatest service. post they repulsed the rebels, who left behind them above 40 deadmany more were carried off. Captain Hopkins, of a revenue cruizer, brought his guns to bear on the town, and was of great service in defending it. Advices from major-general Sir Charles Asgill, dated from Kilkenny, the 13th instant, state, that on the evening of the 12th, having heard that a large body of the rebels had marched from the county of Wexford against Borris, under the command of Mr. Baginal Harvey, and were burning the town, he proceeded to its relief with 400 men, but the rebels had fled before he could arrive. They had attacked Mr. Kavenagh's house, in which were 29 men of the Donegal militia, who, notwithstanding the incessant fire kept on them for some hours, defended themselves in the most gallant manner, and killed several of the rebels.-Nothing could surpass the determined bravery of those few men. The rebels effected their escape into the county of Wexford. A letter received by lieutenantgeneral Lake from major-general Johnson, dated the 13th instant at New Ross, states, that having received information that the rebels had fitted out several boats and other craft, for the purpose of effecting their escape, he had sent lieutenant Hill, with such armed vessels as could be spared from Feathard, where they were collect. ed, with orders to destroy the whole; which lieutenant Hill effected with his usual spirit, and without loss. Thirteen large sailing hookers and a great many boats were burnt. The Portaferry yeomanry, on the 11th instant, under the command of captain Matthews, made a most gallant defence against a large body of the rebels, who attacked the town of Portaferry-the yeomanry having taken possession of the market-house, from which His grace the duke of Portland, &c. I have the honour to be, &c. CAMDEN. |