On the next day Colonel Mitchell received information from a magistrate of the County that the insurgents were in force on the hill of Dasure, and would attack his party on his march from Fermoy to Macroom. He therefore reinforced his small force with Captain Macnamara and Lieutenant Woodford’s detachments and Captain Eaton’s company, with his two subalterns, making his force of Riflemen three captains, three subalterns, four sergeants and 110 rank and file. They marched towards Dasure and found the insurgents posted on that hill, fully a thousand strong, while an equal number occupied the surrounding hills. As Mitchell’s small party approached, they rushed furiously down the hill with the object of surrounding them. But Mitchell had thrown out skirmishers in his front, and to his flanks, and completely defeated their attempt. They fired a few shots; but finding that their proposed charge had failed, fled panic-struck, leaving many killed and wounded (some accounts made the number forty, others from twenty to thirty) and about thirty were made prisoners. This attack on the Riflemen was made with a fury and determination not usual in combats of this kind,[183] and their steadiness and zeal called forth the warm commendations of Colonel Mitchell.
Two more companies moved at this time to Cork; and parties were detached thence to Macroom, Inchigeelagh, Firmount, Derry, Larchfield, Mount-rivers, Warren’s-court and Nettleville.
And on January 27 the Head-quarters of the Battalion marched from Fermoy to Bandon, leaving the heavy baggage at Cork, and sent out detachments to Dunmanway, Skibbereen, Rosscarbery, Clonakilty and Bantry.
At this time a party of the Battalion proceeding in charge of cars conveying ammunition from Macroom to Bandon was attacked by the insurgents at Clara Mountain, near Kilmurry; but they were driven off with the loss of some killed and wounded.[184]
On March 12 the Head-quarters, consisting of one company and some attached men only, marched from Bandon to Kinsale, the detachments continuing as before with occasional reliefs and changes; and additional parties being sent to Crowhowley, Millstreet and Ballyvourney.
On August 25, 1822, Sir Andrew Barnard, who had been promoted Major-General from the command of the 1st Battalion on August 12, 1819, was appointed Colonel Commandant of a Battalion.
The 1st Battalion, besides the detachments already mentioned, furnished parties to Abbeyfeale, Tarbert, Athea and Mountpleasant.
The Battalion marched from Rathkeale and the out-stations in two divisions on October 25 and 27, 1823, and arrived in Dublin on November 1 and 3, and occupied Richmond barracks until December 30, when they moved into the Royal barracks.
Previous to their leaving Rathkeale Major-General Sir John Lambert, who then commanded the district, issued a district order very complimentary to the discipline and services of the Battalion during more than a year and a half, during which it had been under his command, and stationed in a part of the county of Limerick which had been in a most disturbed state.
On July 23 the 2nd Battalion marched from Kinsale in two divisions which arrived at Limerick on the 28th and 30th, being again broken up in detachments to Newcastle, Glyn, Athea, Drumcolliher, Mayne and Glenduff, and subsequently to Abbeyfeale and Rathkeale.