Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-07-18
MacauIay on the Battle of the
BOyne.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.l
In speaking of the battle of the Boyne
the Gazette says: For long time
after the defeat at the Boyne, Irish valor
was held in poor repute. The conduct
Of the Catholics was regarded as proving
them destitute of soldisry qualities.
That this was a mistaken conclusion
there is no donbt, for the Irish have
since repeatedly shown their valor and
military prowess. According to the
histrionic Macaulay who was Scotch
Presbyterian, "Even before the day
closed it was abundantly proved that
the reproach (alluded to by the Gazette)
was unjust Richard Hamilton put HIM
self at the head of the cavalry, and
under his command they made a gallant
though unsuccessful attempt to retrieve
the day. They maintained desperate
fight in the bed of the river with Solmes'
Blues. They drove the Danish brigade
back into the stream. They fell impet-
uously on the Huguenot regiments,
which, not being provided with pixies,
then ordinarily used by foot to repel
horse, began to give ground. During
near half an hour the battle continued
to rage along the southern shore of the
river. All was smoke, dust and din.
Old soldiers were heard to say that they
had seldom seen sharper work in the
Low Countries. But, just at this con-
Juncture, William came up with the left
wing. His arrival decided the fate of
the day. Yet the Irish horse retired
fighting obstinately"
In this battle the Irish under King
James had 10000 men, of whom one
third was excellent French infantry and
excellent Irish cavalry. But" says
Macaulay, the rest of his army was the
scoff of all Europe" Why it was so he
thus states: " The Irish foot soldiers had
not merely not been we'll trained; they
had been elaborately ill-trained. The
greatest of our Generals repeatedly and
emphatically declared that even the ad-
mirable army which fought its way, un-
der his command, from Torres Vedras to
Toulouse, would, if he had suffered it to
contract habits Of pillage, have become,
in few weeks, unfit for all military pur-
poses. What then was likely to be the
character of troops who, from the day
on which they enlisted, were not merely
permitted, but invited, to supply the de-
ficiencies Of pay by marauding? They
were, as might have been expected, a
mere mob. In truth, all that the dis
cipline, il tits to be SO called, of James
army had done for the Celtic kerne had
been to debase and enervate him. After
eighteen mbnths of nominal soldiership
he was positively farther from being
soldier than on the day on which he
quilted his hovel for the camp"
The force of the British army in this
battle was $4,000 men, of whom one-half
were from England. There were there,
also, the fine Scotch Guards. There
were several splendid Dutch regiments,
and strong force of Danish mercena-
ries commanded by the German Prince
of Wirtemberg. There were also a Prus-
sian and Finland regiment. There
we're considerable number of French
Huguenots. 1t will be noticed, there
fore, that the north of Ireland's 5 part in
this battle was extremely limited and
that it was almost entirely national
contest of England and Scotland against
the sister kingdom, and the success of
the former is looked upon by the latter
as a foreign triumph, and as fastening
upon them the English dominion.