OF
DRAGOONS.
The circumstances under which the formation of the Sixth, or the Inniskilling Regiment of Dragoons, took place, derived their origin from the political events of the reign of King James II., and from the diversity of religious sentiments entertained by His Majesty's subjects in Ireland.
1172
1370
1534
1660
1684
In the twelfth century (1172) Ireland, which had been divided into a number of independent states, of which Munster, Leinster, Meath, Ulster, and Connaught were principal sovereignties, submitted to the authority of the English monarch Henry II. The religion of the people was the Roman Catholic, the same as generally prevailed in other parts of Europe; but two centuries afterwards, the introduction of the reformed religion commenced (1370), and was completed in England in 1534, in the reign of Henry VIII.; it, however, made little progress in Ireland, where the majority of the inhabitants continued Roman Catholics. The English, having embraced the Protestant religion, extended their reformed ecclesiastical institutions to Ireland, where many Protestant families fixed their residence and obtained possessions. The differences in religion, unfortunately, created hostile feelings between the English and Irish; commotions occurred, and a military establishment was found necessary. This consisted of various numbers at different periods: after the Restoration in 1660, the Army of Ireland was composed of twenty troops of horse, a regiment of foot guards, and seventy companies of foot; which were formed into three regiments of cavalry and eight of infantry, including the (Irish) foot guards[7], in 1684. In the following year King James II. ascended the throne, and instead of overlooking the nominal distinctions among his subjects, and seeking to promote the welfare of all, he commenced his endeavours to re-establish the Roman Catholic religion in the three kingdoms, by the most arbitrary proceedings in Ireland. Opposite views and interests were thus brought into collision; evil passions were called forth, which produced effects contrary to those designed, and the results embroiled Ireland in intestine war, and involved many families in misery. The King also commenced arbitrary proceedings in England, where a number of noblemen and gentlemen of property and influence, united in soliciting the Prince of Orange to come to England with an army to aid them in opposing the measures of the Court.
1688
In the autumn of 1688 the Prince of Orange prepared an armament for England, when the army in Ireland was augmented with men of the Roman Catholic religion, who, not obtaining regular pay, were permitted to seize on the property of Protestants for subsistence: persecutions were also commenced against the latter, and a report was circulated of a design to massacre all persons of the reformed religion, on a named day, when many families fled to England, and others prepared to defend themselves.
Appearing on the western coast of England, as the supporter of civil and religious liberty, the Prince of Orange landed his army on the 5th of November; he was welcomed by the people,—joined by many noblemen,—by officers of rank and distinction, and by a number of soldiers, and he advanced by triumphant marches to the capital, where his arrival was celebrated with public rejoicings: King James vacated the throne, and escaped to France.
These events afforded the strongest encouragement to the Protestants of Ireland to make a bold resistance to the proceedings of their opponents, and to join in the same Revolution which had secured the blessings of a constitutional monarchy, and of religious liberty, for England. The principles of self-defence stimulated them to make a daring effort for the preservation of their liberties, in the hope of being aided from England; and from the opposition thus made to illegal aggression, the Sixth, or the Inniskilling, Regiment of Dragoons, derived its origin.