The Irish standard., 1898-05-21


will follow. Let the Irish brigade show
an example," "It shall be DONE" re-
piled Dillon. "Victory!" cried SAKE.
Cor DEATH" cried Dillon, and, placing
himself in front of his brave men, he
made speech Of corresponding vigor to
his soldiers: March against the enc
mics of France and of yourselves, with
out firing, until you have the points Of
your bayonets upon their bellies"
Words, not less, If not more worthy of
remembrance, for their martial energy,
than those at Bunker Hill, of Gen. Put
nam, to his men, against tho same foe;
Reserve your fire till you see the
whites of their eyes!"
Soon," adds an English letter from
France, ''as the English troops beheld
the scarlet uniform, and the well-known
fair complexion of the Irish; soon as
they saw the Irish brigade advancing
against them with fixed bayonets, and
crying out to one another, STEADY
boys! forward! charge!" too late they
began to curse their cruelty, which
forced so brave a people from their ma
tive country, to seek their fortunes, in
every country, and now brought for
ward In the field Of battle, to wrest
from them both victory and life!"
That portion of the British, immedi-
ately opposed to the Irish, were q choice
BODY OF men; and they had the advan-
tage of being upon a rising ground, the
| ascent to which they were to sweep with
| their musketry; while the Irish brigade
| had to ascend, and charge the occupants
| OF the enemies, without pulling a trig-
ger.
| AS the Irish approached the British,
an officer OF the brigade, Anthony Mac
Donough, being in advance of his men,
was singled out, and attacked by a
| British officer. MacDonough soon dis
! abled his adversary and making him
prisoner, sent him to the rear; fortu-
| nately for him, as he must have fallen
! in the charge or retreat.
The Irish being now sufficiently near.
the British prepared to give them that
formidable tempest of bullets, which
was reserved for the last moment. in
order to be discharged with the more
deadly effect. And by that fire the
irish suffered accordingly. Count Dill
lon and his brother, Arthur, were slain
at the head of the family regiment, and
large number of officers and soldiers
We're likewise killed or wounded.
But this did not arrest the impetuous
determination with which their more
| fortunate comrades pushed forward. to
the cry, in the old Celtic tongue, of
/; Remember Limerick, and Saxon per-
hdy.' Without any volley In reply to
the blaze of shot from the English, the
Irish brigade ran in upon the British
with fixed bayonets thrusting them in
to their faces.
or the twenty cannon belonging to
the formidable allied column, fifteen
pieces, with two colors, were among
the recorded trophies of the Irish bri-
gade; the list brigade of British foot
guards (the best OF England's soldiers)
being specially noticed ms losing pair
| OF coors and two hor8ed guns.
| 1T seemed to use the words of
Louis AV.'s biographor, "as if we had
been fighting against those enchanted
| legions which were visible and invisible
at pleasure; It was" says he, "an affair
| OF seven or eight minutes'-or, as the
French minister of war, who was pre-
sent, aflirms of the time in which the
victory was achieved by this final at
! tack, lin ten minutes the battle was
| won.''
After the victory, Louis caused his
army to be rearranged and leading IT
700 yards beyond the ground occupied
by the enemy, had it drawn out for re-
view. The king rode through the
ranks, bestowing on the several corps
the praises which they merited.
! AS the royal cortcgc approached the
Irish brigade, the Dauphin ran forward
to the brave Lally, who having been the
1lrst to enter, sword in hand, the
enemy's column on it's right, was
wounded, though slightly, and was sit
ting on drum in front of the shattered
remains Of his brave regiment, having
one each side of him several English Of
ficers, whom he had disabled and made
prisoners.
The Dauphin, announcing to Lally
the favors intended for his regiment by
the King, Louis then ordered Lally to
! advance in front OF the army, nominat-
ed him brigadier on the field. The king
and royal cortege then went through
the camp of the Irish and thanked each
corps, one after another, for the service
they had rendered to France.
The allies lost $500 men, including
1000 prisoners, and the French 5000:
fontenoy cost the Irish brigade dear.
The gallant Dillon was killed with one
fourth of the officers and one-third of
the rank and file; but the immediate
consequences to France were immense
-Tournay at once surrendered, Ghent
Bruges, Ostend and other places were
taken in quick succession, and the En-
glish and their allies driven back behind