Trillic and Augher

From Derry and Enniskillen in the Year 1689 by Thomas Witherow

« Previous page | Start of chapter | Contents | Next page »

CHAPTER VI...continued

TRILLIC AND AUGHER.—24th and 28th April.

Thus reinforced by a portion of Lord Kingston's men, the Enniskilleners now felt not only strong enough to protect themselves, but able to make incursions into the surrounding country. Having heard that the Jacobites were about to plant a garrison at Trillic, nine miles from the town on the Derry road, Colonel Lloyd, who in every sense deserves to be regarded as the Murray of Enniskillen, on the 24th of April led out a party to dislodge them. His approach was discovered so early, that the enemy had time to escape before he came up; a hot pursuit of six hours dispersed them over the country without enabling Lloyd and his men to overtake them, but they brought back with them both the enemy's baggage, and a large quantity of cattle and provisions, which were taken from the surrounding neighbourhood.

Some days afterwards, hearing that the enemy were about to plant a garrison in the castle of Augher, which lay eighteen miles from Enniskillen on the road to Charlemont, Colonel Lloyd and his men marched in the hope of being able to surprise them on the morning of Sabbath the 28th of April; but, notwithstanding the rapidity of their march, the garrison had notice of their approach, and fled, taking with them all that they could carry. The Enniskilleners had to content themselves with burning the castle, levelling the fortifications, and seizing as many cattle as the neighbourhood could supply. They then passed through the mountains, with the view of expelling the garrison that the enemy had placed in the house of Daniel Eccles, Esq., of Clones; but that garrison also had notice of their approach, and of course set fire to the building, and took to flight before they came forward. Having swept across a large part of the counties of Monaghan and Cavan, they returned home on Thursday, 2nd of May, bringing with them horses, sheep, cattle, and provisions, in great abundance. The plan adopted at Enniskillen from the first, and acted on to the last, was to go out and fight every enemy before he came near the town. The result was, that throughout the whole campaign a foe could scarcely come within sight of the place, and that, while Derry was living on starch and tallow, Enniskillen never knew what it was to want. Often during the war a good milch cow could be bought on the streets of Enniskillen for eighteenpence, and a cow not giving milk for sixpence.[27]

« Previous page | Start of chapter | Contents | Next page »


NOTES

[27] Hamilton, p. 17; MacCarmick, pp. 37-39.

Derry and Enniskillen in the Year 1689

Thomas Witherow's thoroughly researched and well-annotated work is a classic account of the Siege of Derry, from the shutting of the gates against the Jacobite forces by the thirteen apprentice boys to the relief of the city by Major-General Kirke's fleet in July 1689. The defence of Enniskillen and the counteroffensive actions of the Enniskilleners is also ably documented.

Order Derry and Enniskillen in the Year 1689 (Paperback) »

Order Derry and Enniskillen in the Year 1689 (Kindle) »

Fighters of Derry

William R. Young’s Fighters of Derry has for decades been one of the most overlooked works on the Siege of Derry and as a local genealogical resource. First published in 1932, the book was the product of ten years’ research into identifying participants at the siege which the author undertook when suffering from ill-health in the latter part of his life.

The book is essentially divided into two parts: the first contains 1660 biographical entries relating to the defenders of Derry, tracing, where possible, the family lineage; and the second part includes 352 entries on the Jacobite side. Apart from individual accounts of eminent protagonists in the siege, such as David Cairnes, Rev. George Walker, the Duke of Schomberg, Patrick Sarsfield, etc., there is also background given to many of the most influential families involved in the conflict.

Order Fighters of Derry (Paperback) »

The Actions of the Enniskillen-men

While the epic siege of Derry is usually accorded its proper place in history, the contemporaneous exploits of the Enniskillen men are often overlooked. This is manifestly unjust because the Enniskilleners demonstrated bravery and heroism in battle at least equal to that of the defenders of Londonderry. Some, of course, rate the actions of the Enniskillen men more highly. As far as Revd Andrew Hamilton, the Rector of Kilskeery and author of A True Relation of the Actions of the Inniskilling Men (1690), was concerned ‘The Derry men saved a city but the Enniskilleners saved a kingdom.’

Order The Actions of the Enniskillen-men (Paperback) »

Order The Actions of the Enniskillen-men (Kindle) »