The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-14
MASSACRES BY THE REGICIDR
Dr0gheda and Wexford Citizens
Shown No Quarter.
GARRIsONs PUTTO THE SWORD
What English Historians Saw of
His Bloody Warfare.

fearful niEe months campaign of
blood and slaughter was that of Oliver
Cromwell's in Ireland. begun on Aug. IA.
1919, and lasting till the following May.
AS early as March, 1919, he was made
licutenantcolonel of the forces in Ire
land. On the 18th of August, 1649, he
set sail from Milford Haven, and land
ed i'll Dublin the following day. He
brought with him 5000 foot, 1000 horse
several pieces of artillery. and an abund-
ant supply of all kinds Of military
stores. Within a few days Cromwell
was Joined by other forces, and found
himself ready to take the field at the
head of an army of some 1900 men
amply supplied with artillery and milf:
tary stores. and military chest OF
i2OO,O00. On the Isl of September he
marched for Drogheda, the possession
OF which Wills of the first impurtancc--it
helnE an open seaport, barring COM
munication with tho north. Ormond
had garrisoncd Drogheda with 5000 OF
his troops under the command OF Sir
Arthur Ashton. Cromwell arrived be-
fore the town on the Sd, and put hie
batteries into position. Upon tho 10th
he opened fire, his summons to surren.
der being disregarded What follows
cannot be better told than in his own
words: Upon Tuesday. the 10th OF
this instant, about 6 o'clock in the even.
ing, we began to storm; and after some
hot dispute we entered about 700 or 500
men; the enemy disputing 1t very stifny
with us-and, indeed, through the nd.
Vantages of the place, and The courage
God WAS pleased to give the defends
crs, our men were forced to retreat quite
cut OF the breach, not without consider
;tble loss. Although our men that
stormcd the breaches were forced 10 re-
coll yet being encouraged to recover
thcir loss. they made Il second attempt
wherein they got ground of the enemy,
and forced him to quit his cntrcncT,.
ments; and after very hot dispute
tn" enemy gave ground and our men
became masters. Divers of tho
enemy retrcatcd into the mill mount.
Tho governor, Sir Arthur Ashton, nnd
divers considerable officers being there
our men getting up to them were or.
dcr"d by me to put them all to the
sword. And. indeed, | forbade them to
spare any that we're in arms in the
town; and think that night they put to
the sword about 1000 men" Sir Arthur
Ashton was killed among the first; 'he
had his brains beaten out" says one
who was present, land his body hacked
and chopped to pieces" l don't be.
llevc." writes Cromwell, that any Of
ficcr escaped with his life, save only one
lieutenant. who. | hear, going to the
| enemy, said that he was the only man
that escaped of all the garrison" As
; every part of the town was commanded
from the mill mount, further resistance
| was useless; Cromwcll's troops poured
in and were soon in possession Of the
whole of the north side The work O1
slaughter was continued CrOmwcll's
| chaplain, Hugh Peters, who gave the
first account of the victory to the Eng.
ish Parliament, sets down the number
of the garrison at $500. none spared.
About 100 troops" says Cromwell,
possessed st. Peters church sreeple.
= Il ordered the steeplc to bQ
fired. When they submitted, their Of
fcers were knocked on the head every
| tenth man of the soldiers killed, and
hn chippn1 nH IN m -
Tho parliament of England, on tho re.
ceipt of the news, appointed a day OF
| thanksgiving, and voted letter of
thanks to the lOrd-ieutenants OF Ireland
and to the army. After gaining en-.
trance to the town." says Dr. Lingard
in his History Of England, 1.-The conquer.
ors, stimulated by revenge and fanati-
cism, directed their fury against tho
townsmen. and on the next morning
(Sept. 12D 1000 unresisting victims
were inundated together within the
| walls of the great church. whittier they
had fed for protection. No distinction
was made between the defenseless In:
habitants and the armed soldier" DR.
Warner, Protestant clergyman, In his
account of this massacre agrees with DR.
Lingard that the slaughter was terrible.
Cromwell in his message to the English
parliament thus speaks of this massacre
at st. Peters church, saying: "Thai
they (the Irish) had the insolence, on
the last Lords day, to thrust out the
Protestants (from that church,) and te
! have the mass said there" All the ec-
clesiastics were, as a matter of course.
put to DEATH We shall now give threa