The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-07-21

years; DuL IN .lOSU IL OOQeQ Ill IOr IIe
land.
I When William landed in. Ireland
James concentrated his forces in half
hearted way on the Boyne to await hif
son.in:1aw. He had but 10000 ldierf
in all, of which force only his French al
lies and the Irish cavalry deserved the
name. The river was shallow and ford
ablein places, and in front OF the Old
bridge ford the French engi. eers had
erected an earthen fort and temporary
earthworks were thrown up at other
places. The road to Dublin lay to the
resr of the left wing of the Irish army
through the Pass ( t Dunleek, and James
was too eolicitous about keeping this
open, for he was thinking of retreat be-
fore shot was fred.
William of Nassau advanced out Of
Ulster with splendid army Of $4,000
soldiers, under the com n6nd OF the Duke
Of Schomberg, reputed the best soldier
in Europe. Nearly half of. Williams
force were veteran English troops, the
flower OF their army, having among them
the cavalry and infantry of the Royal
Guards, the Tangier Regulars and other
veteran organizations tiled and proved
in battle. The rest of the army Of Will
liam was made up of well trained Veter-
ans, mercenaries from the Protestant
countries Of Europe, men hafdened in
European wars, superbly armed, thor,
oughly disciplined and we'll otficered.
There was Solme's Blues, regiment OF
2,CO0 infantry, called the best in Europe;
and the Danish, Swedish, German and
Dutch me, cenaries we're seasoned cam
paigners. There were besides force of
Huguenot refugees under Caillemot and
a couple of regiments of Protestants of
Leinster and Ulster. These we're the
two armies; one strong in every military
requirement., under cool, experienced
leaders, c6bfdent in it's strength and
united in purpose; the other a mass OF
fragments, led by vacilating poltroon;
badly armed and ill-disciplined body.
Ths result could easily be figured out by
cool head.
The absurd boast of ignorant bigots
today that the Irish Protestante or An
glophiles of 1890 won the victory OF the
Bcyne is unworthy OF notice, Their
share of the fight amounted to little; the
battle was won by Williams veterans
and james poltrocnery.
On the night of June Both, William
marched to the Boyne and took up posi-
tion for the battle next day. Next morn
ing. while William was at breakfast. the
Irish artillery opened the ball by send
ing a.couple Of bombs into the party,
swonnding William slightly and Gearing.
his adherents badly. Meinhart Schom
borg, son OF the Duke, led the right wing
of the English army up the river bank to
take the IRISH in flank and get between
it and Dublin. This move alarmed
James who sent LauzuD, the French
General, with the FRENCH troops to oc-
:cupy the Pass OF Duleek and block chat
move, and with the French went q regi-
ment of Irish cavalry under Sarsfeld.
The withdrawal of the French veterans
from the field, left the defense Of the
whole key to the Irish position, the ford
at Oldbridge, to the raw Irish infantry,'
who were discouraged and alarmed by
their withdrawal. Meinhart Schomberg
marched to the bridge at Slane where
his progress was resisted by Sir Neil
O'Neil with body of cavalry; but
O'Neil was killed, the bridge carried and
the cavalry beaten after stout fight;
but the delay saved the Pass OF Duleek.
When William saw the weakening of
the Irish centre, he advanced into the
river with Solme,s Blues, the Danish
mercenariee, the Huguenot regiment and
the troops from Enniskillen and Lon
donderry; and the Irish infantry made
but poor stand, flying after the French.
The defense OF the field now fell to the
disciplined Irish cavalry, small but
splendid body Of horse led by Hamilton,
and we'll they did their work, adding
honor and glery to the name of the Irish
soldier. With Hamilton at their head.
the cavalry rushed sword in hand upon
solme's magnificent Blues and hurled
that veteran body into the river. Then
they turned on the Huguenots, scatter
ing them and killing Oaillimot, their
leader. The Enniskillen and London
derry regiments nextsfelt their fury and
broke before their fiery onslaught, and
then they rode the ferocious Danish
mercenaries and drove them into the
river in confusion. William and Schom-
berg rode into the fray, and rallying
their beaten veterans, led them bsck
against the valiant little body of cavalry
that damned the tide off victory and
made the escape sof james forces pos.
sible. Oncs more the discip bat
II