The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-29 00:00:00

HISTORY OF THE O'DONNELLS

OF SPAIN.
Gener,d. O'Donnell, whom the recent disturbances in
Spain has again brought before the world, is descended
from an ancient Irish family of the county of Donegal,
in the province of Ulster. The beautiful castle, which
was built by them near the town of Donegal, about the
12th century, still remains, and is the chief ornament
to the present bay. The stately monastery for Fran-
ciscan Friars of the Observantine Order, founded in
1474 by Hugh Roe, son of O'Donnell, Prince of Tyr-
connell, remains at a small distance from the town, and
attests by its ruins its former architectural beauty. The
most remarkable features in this edifice are the two
narrow passages, one built over the other, and which
seem to have been places for depositing valuable effects
in time of danger ; the upper one is covered with stones
laid along on the beams of stone that cross it, and the
lower one with stones laid across on the walls, each of
them exactly after the Egyptian manner of building.
Here the pious Roderic O'Donnell, Bishop of Derry,
died in the Franciscan habit, and on the Bth of October,

1550, was buried in the place.
O'Donnells, ancient and honourable of name,
lay claim to a Royal Milesian descent, and deduce
their lineage from the common ancestor of the O'Nials,
Earls of Tyrone (originally Kings of Ulster), and the
O'Melaghane, Kings of Meath. Without dwelling,
however, on so remote an era, we may remark that
Hugh-Roe O'Donnell, the celebrated Prince of Tyr-
connell, was one of the most extraordinary men that
Ireland ever knew, and that a long line of ancestry
bearing his name blaze in the annals of that kingdom,
renownei for chivalry and bravery in arms.
Turbulerke seems to have been the leading cherac-
teri:tic of the O'Donnals, and derperate enterprise
their delight. At a time when their history becomes
c'ear and traceable, viz., in the reign of our Elizabeth,
v. e find one of this redoubtable family bidding defiance
to the English Government, and refusing to admit any
Sheriff into his district. To compel his submission,
the Council at Dublin had not sufficient troops,
anti Sir John Perrot, therefore, resolved to ea-
u:lp him or his son by stratagem. Tho Lord
Deputy accomplished this object thus : He sent
a ship freighted with Spanish wines to Done-
gal, the captain of which entertained all who would
partake of his liberality. Yonne. O'Donnell, with a
couple of his companions, accepted the invitation, and
when overcome with wine were made prisoners, and
conveyed as hostages to Dublin for the chief of Tyr-
. council. But priscin-bars and castle-durance little
pleased the heart of au O'Donnell, and at last, with
many other hostages, be escaped again to Donegal, and
soon after be had landed at the blue bay of his home-
s'ead was invested with the chieftaincy of Tyrconnell,
and took in marriagethedaughterof O'Nial, chief of broad
rone. In 1600 O'N:al ma O'Donnell and the Spanish
emissary Oviedo, at his castle in Donegal, upon the ar-
rival of supplies from Spain at killytegs, to concert
the plan of a rebellion. Shortly after thN, the
English taking advantage of O'Donnell's ab-
sence in Connaught, marched a strong party
to Doncga!, and took possession of their monastery,
which was unsuccessfully assaulted by O'Donnell.
Obliged by the stress of circumstances to take refuge
in Spain, the O'Dannells embarked with the Spaniards
at Kinsale, leaving the English in undisturbed pos-

session.
In this cewly-adopted country, retaining all the
chivalry of their ancestors, they followed the military
profession, relying upon it for an increase to their fame,
and when the British army landed in the Peninsula in
1807, four brothers held commissions in the Spanish
service, viz., Henry, Charles, Joseph, and Alexander.
Henry O'Donnell first served under Gen. Blake in
1809, and the part which he took in the relief of
Gerona, at the head of the Ultonia regiment, first
brought him and General Saarsfield into notice. In
1810, he was appointed to the command in Catalonia,
where he created an army and held the French in
check. Defeated on the plains of Vich, by General Sou-
ham, and afterwards successful at tire vilage of Abishal,
for which he was created Count Abishal; he had the
glory of witnessing the surrender of a whole French co-
lumn under the command of Gen. Schwartz. The Cata-
lonians were justly proud ofahis gallant deed, and lie
became with them a great favourite. Deprived of his
command in 1811, he was next year named a member
of the Regency, but towards the close of the war re-
joined the army, arid commanded at the capture of
Pancorvo. On the return of Ferdinand VII. his full
rank was confirmed, and fresh honours bestowed on
him. After holding the command of the Army of the
Bidoassa, he was placed at the head of the troops des-
tiued for an expedition against South America. In
this command it is believed that he acted an equivocal
part, by first siding with the mutineers and then betray-
ing them. The Constitutionalists roundly affirm that
he had pledged himee f to their inte-ests, and was en-
gaged in the conspiracy of 1819. After the restore-
foe, Count de Abishal retired to France, and died at
Montpellier, May 17, 1834. This title became extinct
in the person of his son, who was shot, and whom we
shall notice afterwards.
Charles O'Donnell, the second brother, and a staunch
Royalist, commanded a division of the Army of
the Faith is 1822, when he experienced a defeat.
During the War of Independence he held command in
Valencia, and at the Peace was made Captain-General
of Old Castile. He had four sons, three Royalists
and one a Christine. Of the three Royalist sons,
Pepe—who followed his King to Portugal, and
passed through England, and afterwards organized the
Carlist cavalry—was killed while pursuing a party
of carabineers into Panapeluna ; the second was bathe-
rous'y massacred at Barcelona, and the third joined
Charles V. in the August of 1836, in Guipuscoa. The
Christine brother, who some days ago occupied the for-
tress of Pampeluna, was wounded some time since in
an action in the northern provinces, and in 1837 held
the rank of brigadier in the Queen's service. Charles
O'Donnell, the father, it is believed, died of a broken
heart on hearing the fate of his two sons. He had pre-
viously been smitten to the soul by the event of one of
theta joining that party to which he had himself been
always opposed.
Joseph O'Donnell, the third brother and a Royalist,
embraced the patriotic cause, and commanded at the
battle of Castalla in 1812, where he was defeated by
Marshal Suchet. He commanded the lines of San
Roque in 1820, and pursued and attacked Riego, who
was then traversing the lower part of Andalusia with
fifteen hundred men. His rencontres being dubious he
fell into disgrace with the Constitutionalists, and on
their gaining the ascendancy he retired into private life.
Alexander O'Donnell, the fourth and youngest bro-
ther of Count of de Abishal, joireed tl.O French, and
commanded a Spanish regiment, to which Joseph Na-
poleon gave his own name. Having been sent to the
campaign of Moscow he was taken prisoner, and the
Emperor Alexander having ordered all the Spaniards
formerly belonging to the French army to be collected
into one corps, which by special permission assumed his
name, the command was conferred upon Colonel Alex.
O'Donnell, and he sailed with his regiment for Spain.
This distinction saved him from the Afrancesadoes, and
his rank was confirmed. Alexander has two sons, Pepe
and Emilio, officers in the Urban Guards at Seville.
In the instance which follows, as well as those a'.-
luded to above, of brothers opposed to each other in
these deadly strifes, this family will ever stand as a me-
lancholy example of the consequences of civil dissension.
At the action of Alsazua, a small town in the centre
of Borunda,eight leagues north-west of Pampeluna,and
situated on the left of the river which gives name to the
district, Zumalacarregui, on the 22d of April, met with
the Chrkinos,who showed a disposition to withdraw to-
wards the forest. " They dare not face us," cried out Zu-
malacarregui, and with all possible speed rushed forward
with his men, crying "a la bayonets !" The wood was
cleared ; the Christine's were pursued, and naked steel
worked its vengeance. • Among the officers captured
was Colonel Leopold O'Donnell, only son of Count
Abishal. When taken he was running up a hill, but
the ground being broken, hit foot slipped, and he fell.
At this moment half a dozen Carlist soldiers and
a serjeant called on him to surrender. O'Don-
nell did not rise, but in an inclined pos-
ture begged his life, saying, " Todos saws unos—
todos swims hcrnsanos." Zumalacarregui fell back
upon Echerri-Aranaz, and here the fate of the prisoners
was decided. Ile sent to the nearest Christine autho-
rity a formal notice that he should order O'Donnell and
other officers and men to be shot, by way of requital for
the occuttun of to certain number of Carlists, whose
eases he specified. When this resolution was announced
O'bonnell's firmness forsook hits. He burst into tears,
end with earnest and repeated supplications intreated
Zumalacarregui to reverse his sentence. The latter
wee A but overcome, He was moved by the youth
*-1*
anti name of the supplial.„, and felt a soldier's
reluctance to extinguish, a title what had been
honourably Vrott en the field of battle. While he we:
ye. t *akeritig betiieiiii hit nethrill teelln end the con-
viction of duty; he Wet interthed that O'Donnell effereel
a large Suitt f9r hit rOleese; and it *u3 tepteseeted that
6 .. 11
.e slim was to supply tire *anti 61.' lift helf-ticked sele
rliers; " No," piaudly replied the inflexible soleliel,
.t my tionps shall nbvef Eobieht 10 clothe Ihenatelves
with the price of blood 1" O'Donnell was is out rentl
The present representative of the O'Donnell family
in Ireland is Sir Richard Annesley O'Donnell, Bart.,
of Newport House, in the county of Mayo, who suc-
ceeded to the title on the decease of his, brother, Sir
Hugh Moore O'Donnell, in 1828. The O'Donnell
seat now is Newport Ilcuie, in the county of Mayo.

- -
Mrs, Thom, the widow of the unfortunate maniac
who railed himself Sir William Conrtenay, and who was
shot in the mad affray near Canterbury a few years since,
died lately at Gucrnsey.
Two nights ago a van, belonging to Laffite'
Cidßard and Co., and laden with merchandise and effects
of travellers, who were on their way from Lyons to Paris
by the diligence of that company, was robbed near Paris.
The robbery was not discovered before the last change
of horses. The leather covering had been cut, and a
bale of velvets, valued at four or five thousand francs,
stolen ; but the thieves Must have been disturbed in
their operation, which was probably carried on at one
of the relays, as. they left behind property of much
greater value.