The Irish standard., 1897-05-08
A Gallant Struggle for Faith and !.
Fatherland,
WEXFORD AND VINEGAR HILL
The Battle Fields of ireland in the
Year of 1898.
A PREMATURE lNsURRECTIQN
The Event Will Be Celebrated
Early Next Year.

1 -
Early Next Year.
The true history of '98 will, perhaps,
never be written. On the one side, doc
other, there were none. The bitterest
partisanship colors the accounts. Ire-
land was fighting for freedom and
avenging wrongs centuries old; England
was in state of abject terror over the
French revolution and Napoleon. Great
Britain had lost the American colonies.
monarchy was overthrown in France,
Poland was struggling, Napoleon was
threatening to invade Ireland, counting
with certainty on the awakening in the
Celt of his old dream of freedom from
English rule. Pitt said the map of El1-
rope might as we'll be rolled up, it would
not be. needed for generation. With
what frantic haste and crushing force
England fell upon the Irish revolution
lists is well known; how the Irish fought
Is subject for an epic. In six weeks
the struggle was over, and Erin from
Wexford Harbor to Antrim, was deso-4
late waste. Whole counties were one
great cemetery for the slain and camps
for shelterless people. Fitzgerald and
Tone had escaped hanging by dying in i
prison; Thomas Adds Emmett, O'Con-
yfo
Sampson were in prison and destined to
exile. Robert Emmet, youth in Trim
ity, was already suspected and marked
for martyrdom. The "informer' sys-
tenn was firmly established in British
favor. The United Irishmen were dis
banded, and the Orangemen organized
to be allowed to flourish for years and
give cause for the making of wounds
that are not yet healed.
The agitation of the United Irfshmen
that preceded the outbreak had gone on
for some years. 1t is too voluminous in
detail to more than refer to. BY the
end of 1897 half million Irishmen had
taken the oath, but the country was
without firearms. Lord Edward Fitz-
gerald was chosen chief,
but he was arrested before the rebellion
broke out. Near the end of ~ Wolfels
Tone started for Ireland with Gen.,
Hoche and fleet of French vessels.
Dense fogs enveloped the ships; some of
them lost their way, the others nearly
suffered shipwreck. Another French
fleet was fitted out with $4,000 men on
board. Gen. Hoche died. Napoleon
went to Egypt. In latter attempt Tone
was captured and sentenced to he
hanged. Lord Fitzgerald died in Jail:
on June 4. 1898, and Ireland was left
without leader.
The rebellion actually began at Mas
on May "a. five days after the capture
Of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, nd when
it was known that he would die of his.
wounds. One thousand insurgents, un-,
der leader named Reynolds, appeared
at Mas, fourteen miles from Dublin,
The British troops were protected by,
barracks and the attacking party had !,
no arms, only pitchforks, pixies, scythes
and shillalahs, but they killed fifty SOL
diers and two officers, and retreated
with a loss of 100. They were pursued,
In the darkness some fifty people were,
killed who were simply flying in fright
from their homes. Houses were fred,
innocent people were hanged, through; !;
out all the surrounding country the peo-.
pie were harried. On the same night;
the militia at the hamlet Of Prosperous
was attacked and the barracks burned,
and there was a skirmish near the
bridge of the old Kilcullen, In which,
some 600 were engaged. The victorious
insurgents Of Prosperous marched,
against some royal troops at Shane. In
fifty spots to the north and west Of Dub
lin the insurrection broke out with hor-5
rible deeds. The 1rishmen marched
against artillery with nothing but pixies
and pitchforks; the regulars moved
men down, pursued. massacred, burned
houses, tortured the peasantry. The
insurgents were victorious more than
half the time, and from the 23d to the
31st Of May no mail arrived In Dublin,
The Cork mail was destroyed at Mas,
the Belfast at santry, the Athlone at 4
Lucan.
Dublin was under martial law and the
Insurgents never seriously menaced It,
On the, 26th 5000 rebels were gathered.
on the hill Of Tara, that lies near Naya4ys
in bend Of the Boyne, led to the sum-
NIT Of this hill to fight for liberty ost
the site Of the obliterated Irish capital
| Of legendary days. a half dozen miles
away the hill Of slane looms thr6nss
the min, the spot ;where &
Ibuilt. the nrstspaseal 1res ~ r. 4