1690
Although England was delivered from the power of papacy and despotism, a great part of Ireland was subject to King James and his adherents, whose cruel proceedings towards the protestants awakened the sympathies of the English nation, and King William resolved to proceed to the rescue of the unoffending sufferers. Colonel Babington's regiment was one of the corps selected to proceed to Ireland: it embarked at Highlake on the 12th of April, 1690, and immediately on landing marched to the siege of Charlemont—a strong castle situate on the angle formed by the confluence of the river Canlin with the Blackwater, on the eastern side of the county of Armagh, and erected in 1602 by Lord Mountjoy, as a curb on the Earl of Tyrone, whose chief mansion-house, with a strong fort, was at Dungannon, about five miles north-west of it. Under the shelter of this fort a town was built, which in 1689 was a corporation, sending members to parliament. It contained a good garrison under Teague O'Regan, an old soldier and a great humorist, who made a resolute defence. The garrison being in want of provision, King James sent a small supply, accompanied by a detachment of five hundred men under Colonel M'Mahon, who was permitted to enter the castle, but not to return. On the third night they attempted to force their way through the besieging force, but were repulsed with the loss of an officer and eight men; a second attempt made on the following day was also unsuccessful; and during the succeeding night they made another attempt, and were driven back with the loss of sixteen men. O'Regan was so incensed at their ill success, that he fastened the gates upon them, and refused to admit them into the castle; and they were forced to make huts in the dry ditch within the palisadoes and on the counterscarp. The place being closely invested, the garrison was forced to surrender in the middle of May for want of provision; and four companies of the Sixth, commanded by the major, took possession of the castle, where they found seventeen pieces of cannon and a large mortar, also a good supply of ammunition: but the fortress was found in so filthy a condition, that the officers and men were forced to encamp until it was thoroughly cleansed.
In the early part of June the regiment pitched its tents on the undulating grounds near Armagh; and the regiments of Lloyd, Cutts, Hastings, and Fowkes, eleven regiments of Danish horse and foot, and a brigade of Dutch cavalry, afterwards joined the camp.
King William arrived in Ireland, and, advancing to the banks of the Boyne, forced the passage of that river on the 1st of July, and overthrew the army of King James in a general engagement, in which the Sixth foot had the honour to take part. The regiment was in Sir Henry Bellasis's brigade, and shared in the glory of this memorable victory. The number of killed and wounded has not been ascertained; but, as the regiment only mustered four hundred and eighteen men at the general review at Finglass on the 7th and 8th of July, its loss may be supposed to have been great.
After delivering Dublin from the power of the papists, the regiment was detached against Athlone with the division commanded by Lieut.-General Douglas, who was a brave but rough soldier of fortune, and had served under King William in the Netherlands. On arriving before Athlone, a drummer was sent to summon the garrison to surrender. The governor, Colonel Richard Grace, of Moyelly castle, fired a pistol at the messenger, and said, "These are my terms; these only will I give or receive; and, after my provisions shall be consumed, I will defend Athlone until I eat my boots." The siege was afterwards commenced; and a battery opened its fire against the works: but the train of artillery proved too weak to make a practicable breach; and, ammunition becoming scarce, Lieut.-General Douglas raised the siege and retired. He did not preserve strict discipline in the division committed to his charge, which was accused of many outrages on the peasantry. On arriving at Ballymore, in the county of Westmeath, Babington's (now Sixth) regiment was removed from Lieut.-General Douglas's command, and ordered to proceed to Dublin to replace the regiments of Trelawny (now fourth) and Hastings (now thirteenth), which were ordered to embark for England.
The regiment remained a short time in garrison at Dublin, from whence it was detached to occupy a line of posts along the frontiers; and in November Lieut.-Colonel Columbine, advancing from Roscrea, made an incursion into the enemy's quarters near the Shannon, and in the neighbourhood of Nenagh, where he destroyed a quantity of corn and captured two castles.
1691
In April, 1691, Colonel Babington was succeeded in the colonelcy of the regiment by George Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt—an officer of distinguished merit, who was appointed to serve on the staff of the army in Ireland, with the rank of brigadier-general.
The regiment took the field with the army in May. The first service of importance was the siege of Ballymore, which fortress surrendered in the middle of June. The troops subsequently advanced against Athlone, a large and well-fortified town, divided into two unequal portions, or towns, by the river Shannon. Here the regiment was formed in brigade with Lloyd's (now fifth), Cutts', Nassau's, and three Danish battalions, commanded by Major-General the Count of Nassau and Brigadier-General the Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt. It furnished a detachment to attack by storm that part of Athlone which stood on the side of the river next to the army, called the English Town, which was captured in gallant style on the 20th of June. Its grenadier company, and a detachment of pikemen and musketeers, also formed part of the storming party selected to attack the opposite side of the town on the 30th of June. The tolling of the church-bell at six minutes after six o'clock in the evening gave the signal for the attack, when the forlorn hope, consisting of three officers and sixty grenadiers in armour, sprang out of the trenches and plunged into the river, which was waist deep, and rendered difficult by large stones. Three thousand men, under Major-General Mackay, seconded their efforts with signal intrepidity; and the soldiers, scrambling up the breach in the face of a heavy fire, one helping another up, soon overpowered all opposition, and in less than half an hour were masters of the town. This gallant exploit was performed with the loss of twelve men killed, and five officers and thirty men wounded: among the latter was the colonel of this regiment—the Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, and Lieut.-Colonel Columbine. The regiment remained at Athlone while the works were being put in repair; and, during a severe thunder-storm on the 9th of July, it had two men killed and three dangerously injured by lightning[21].
The Irish army, commanded by General St. Ruth, retired and took up a position near Aghrim, where it was attacked on the 12th of July, and the regiment had another opportunity of signalizing itself in action. The Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt headed his own corps, and his characteristic intrepidity was so conspicuous on this occasion, that he has been accused of rashness. He was again wounded; but had the gratification of witnessing the heroism of his men, who emulated his example, and the overthrow of the Irish army, before he quitted the field. Night having put an end to the pursuit, the regiment halted on the scene of conflict: its loss was ten men killed, and six officers and forty-five men wounded.