Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-02-22
"MYLEs THE sLAsHER.u

The Enniskillen Dragons, an
Irish regiment in the English ser
vice, have IS grand a record as any
similar body of men in the world.
The time of their formation dates
from 1888, the year of the English
Revolution, when William of Orange
drove James the II from the throne
of England.
The nucleus of the regiment was
first formed of young men recruited
in Fermanagh, Tyrone and Canvan,
and.up to the present time contains
a majority from those counties, and
it is a singular fact that they make
the best and most efficient cavalry
men in the British service. Their
celebrated charge at the Boyne,
Waterloo and Balaklava are matters
of history. Their descendants were
well represented in the Federal army
during our late war, and rode side
by side with Sheridan in many
raid and foray.
But the most dashing trooper of
them all, the boldest and bravest ri
der that ever sat in the saddle or
spurred to death with a shout of
defiance ringing on his lips, was
Mylss the Slasher.
Maelmora, or Myles O'Reilly, was
descended from long line of chiefs
who had braVsly battled for the de-
fense of their native land. He lived
in troublous times, when he could
give and take the most knocks, was
generally considered to be the bet
ter man, and when thews and sinews
were held in as much estimation as
brains or genius. O'Reilly, hewev-
er, was gifted with both. He was
reckoned to be the strongest and
bravest man in Europe, and was
called the "Slashsr" on account of
his surprising strength and bravery.
A giant in strength and stature,
comely and fair to look upon, tried
and trusted leader, an ardent patri
OF, and daring soldier, he was IDOL
lied by his men and feared and hat
ed by his enemies. In battle he was
terribls-helmet and skull were
shattered at a blow from bis power
full arm, and but few in the English
army dared meet him alone in single
combat. Many arugged mountain
ser, who had followed the flag of
Munroe and Beniomend, and many
Mosstrooper who had raided on the
border of Berwick and Carlisle, met
his death from the sword of the
Slasher. When leading charge it
was invariably his custom, if he
could possibly accomplish it, of rid
ing into the midst of the enemy's
ranks and hacking and Slashing all
around him with his ponderous saber
until he cut his way through or de-
feated the enemy.
In the month of June, 1646, the
English army, ten thousand strong,
and commanded by Major-General
Munroe, lay encamped on the Ulster
Blackwater, near the little village of
Benburb, in Tyrone. General Owen
Roe O'Neal, who commanded the
northern division of the Irish army,
with about six thousand men,
marched to meet and measure
swords with him. On the morning
the 4th of June the two armies en-
countered each other. The battle
was long and stubbornly contested.
The positions occupied by the belig-
erents were naturally strong and
well defended on both sides.
Owing to their superiority of men,
the English made several bloody but
Intellectual charges. Each time they
were driven back with great slaugh-
ter, willie every attempt of the Irish
to force their lines met with a anal
lar and bloody ending, And thus
the battle ragged from early dawn of
that long summer day until the sun
was sinking low in the west.
Myles the Slasher had remained
an idle but impatient spectator of
the scenes enacted before him. He
had been commanded by his Gensr-
al to occupy a position with his cav
airy and await his orders, The fiery
soldier chafed at his inactivity, fOI