The Irish standard., 1897-10-16


ted his camp on the Clare side at the
head Of a chosen body cf his best horse.
men, and true enough, also, that it
was upon an enterprise worthy of his
reputation that he had set forth. On
that night he rode to Killaloe twelve
miles above Limerick ON the river. The
bridge here was guarded by rarity OF
the enemy, but further up the river he
came to ford where he crossed the
Shannon and passed into Tpperary
county. He had one win him as
guide on this eventful occasion whose
familiarity with the locality enabled
Sarsfield to evade all the Williamile
patrols, and but for whose services it
may be doubted If his l.de this night
had not been his last. This was Ho-
gan. the Rapparee chief, immortalized
in local traditions as ''galloping Ho-
gan"
By paths and passes known only TO
riders native to the land" he return
ed into the deep gorges of Silver Mines,
and ere day had dawned was bivouack-
ed in wild ravine of the Keeper noun
tains. Here he lay in ambush all day
on Monday. When night fell there was
anxious tightening Of saddlegirths ana
girding of swords with Sarsf1eld's 500.
They knew the siege train was at Cash
ell on the previous day, and must by
this time have reached near the Will
liamite lines. The midnight ride be-
fore them was long, devious, difficult,
and perilous; the task at the end of it
was crucial and momentous, indeed.
Led by their trusty guide, they set out
southward, still keeping in byways and
mountain roads. Meanwhile, as already
mentioned, the siege train and convoy
had that evening reached Ballyneety,
where the guns were parked and convoy
bivouacked. 1t was o'clock in the
morning when Sarstield. reaching with
In mile or two of the spot, learned
from peasant that the prize was now
not far ahead of him. And here we
encounter fact which gives the touch
OF true romance to the whole story.
1t happened, by one of those coinci-
dences that often startle Ms with their
singularity, that the password with the
Williamite convoy on that night was
Sarsfeld."- That Sarsfleld obtained
the password before >he reached the
halted convoy is alsos unquestionable,
though how he came by his Information
is varfously stated, The painstaking
historian OF Limerick states that from
woman, wife Of, a sergeant in the
Williamite convoy, unfeelingly left be-
hind on the road by her own party in
the evening, but most humanely and
kindly treated by Sarsfields men, the
word was obtained. Riding softly to
within a short distance of the place
indicated, he halted and sent out a few
trusted scouts. They returned, report
Ing that besides the sentries there were
only few score troopers browsing be-
side the watch fires on guard; the rest
of the convoy being sleeping in all the
immunity Of fancied safety. sarsfield
now gave his final crders-silencc or
death. till they were in upon the SEN
tries, then forward like a lightning flash
upon the guards. One Of the Williamite
sentries fancied he heard the beat of
horsehoofs approaching him; he never
dreamt of foes; he thought 1t must be
one of their own patrols. And truly
enough. through the gloom he saw the
figure Of an officer evidently at the
head of a body of cavalry, whether
phantom or reality he could not tell.
The sentry challenged, and. still i'm
agining he had friends. demanded the
word" Suddenly, as If from the spirit
land. and with wild, weird shout that
startled all the sleepers. the phantom
troop" shot past like thunderbolt, the
leader crying as he drew his sword,
"sarsfield is the word, and Sarsfield Is
the mani"
The guards dashed forward, the bugle
screamed the alarm. the sleepers rush
ed to arms, but their was scarcely an
effort. The boat-swords of Sarsfleld's
500 were in their midst, and to the
afrlghted gaze of the panic-stricken
victims that 500 seemed thousands!
Short, desperate and bloody was the
| scene; so short, so sudden, so fearful
that it seemed like the work of incanta-
tion. In few minutes the whole of
the convoy were cut down or dispersed
! and Williams splendid siege train was
in Sarsfeld's hands! But the task was
as yet only half accomplished. Morn
Ing was approaching; Williams camp
was barely eight miles distant, and
thither some Of the escaped had hur-
riedly fed There was scant time for
the important work yet, to be done.
The siege-guns and mortars were filled
with powder and each muzzle buried in
the earth; upon and around the guns
were piled the pontoon boats, the con-
tents Of the ammunition wagons and
all the stores Of various kinds, Of which
there was vast quantity. A train OF
powder was laid to this huge pyre, and
sarsfield drew 81 his men. halting them
while the train was being fired. There
was flash that lighted all the heavens