BATTLE OF TIMAHOE.
Government being apprized of these proceedings, dispatched General Champagne to Clonard, where he arrived upon the 6th of June; and after consulting with Lieutenant Tyrrell, was escorted by him to Edendery, where the General expected a detatchment of the Limerick Militia; but being disappointed in this respect, an express was sent to Philipstown to hasten the reinforcement, which arrived at Edendery upon the evening of the 7th; and on the next day, General Champagne, having arranged his plan of operations, marched from Edendery, with the following forces: A detatchment of the Limerick Militia, under Lieutenant Colonel Gough; the Coolestown Yeomen Cavalry, under Captain Wakely and Lieutenant Cartland; the Canal Legion, under Lieutenant Adam Williams; the Clonard Cavalry, Lieutenant T. Tyrrell; and the
Ballina Cavalry, Captain O Ferrall. These several corps were distributed, so as that the Cavalry should surround the bog of Timahoe, while the Infantry attacked the Camp upon the Island: This judicious plan was completely executed,—the contest was obstinate for some time, owing to the small number of the Infantry, who led on the attack; but their firmness and discipline supplying the want of numbers, the Limerick, headed by the gallant Colonel Gough, and ably supported by Lieutenant Williams marched into the entrenchments, drove the Rebels from their camp, who were attacked in their flight by the Cavalry and many of them put to death. The Camp was entirely destroyed; and a great quantity of prisoners and considerable booty were carried off by the victors!
On the 29th of June, Lieutenant Tyrrell having received information that a large body of Rebels had stationed themselves upon a hill near his dwelling-house at Kilreiny, and had committed various robberies in the course of the preceding night,
he went to Kinnegad to solicit a reinforcement and sent an express to Edendery for a force to co-operate with him. The Kinnegad Yeomen Cavalry, under Lieutenant Houghton, and a small party of the Northumberland Fencibles immediately marched with Lieutenant Tyrrell to Clonard, and from thence being joined by his own Corps, he proceeded to Fox's hill, where the Rebels were posted to the amount of 600.—The attack was began by the Clonard Supplementaries, who displayed great steadiness upon this occasion; the Kinnegad Corps and the Northumberlands supported the attack with great zeal, and the Edenderry force consisting of a detatchment of the Limerick, Lieutenant Colonel Gough, the Coolestown Cavalry, Captain Wakely and the Canal Legion, Lieutenant Williams, having fallen upon the Rebels from the opposite side, they were routed with considerable slaughter. Their commander, one Casey, his brother and another Leader were killed in this action, and their bodies brought to Edenderry, where they were exposed for several days.
JUNCTION OF THE WEXFORD AND KILDARE REBELS.
It might have been hoped, that these successes would have established tranquility in this neighbourhood, and probably such effects would have followed the military exertions, were it not for the irruption of a large column of Wexford Rebels into Kildare, under the command of Colonel Perry who being immediately joined by Colonel Aylmer, commanding the Rebel Camp at Prosperous, was prevailed upon to abandon his intention of penetrating into the North, and to adopt a plan suggested by Aylmer, of attacking Clonard, pushing on from thence by Kilbeggan to the Shannon and surprising Athlone. In pursuance of this plan, the Rebel Forces amounting to 4000 men made a movement towards Clonard.
BATTLE OF CLONARD.
Lieutenant Tyrrell was totally unapprised of the intention, or motions of the enemy:—his guard were extremely vigilant during each night, but not apprehending any danger in the day