The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-15

driven the so'~ ief 500 castle gate
maintained their p~ y a.. ne time
but at length we'll dl. tor; an
the hostile army dismounte. 'a/4y
piece of cannon. The English I'd
ing this as a favorable opportunity,
charged down with regiment of caval-
ry upon the pikemen who guarded it.
The latter encountered the onset OF the
dragons with. great gallantry, and af-
ter fierce struggle drove them back in
confusion.
At this juncture, McCracken, sum-
moning together all his force not en-
gagged with the dragons, led them
against the infantry, and succeeded after
a fierce contest in seizing upon their
cannon. and driving them outside the
town to join the cavalry, who, by this
time, completely routed, had taken re-
fuge in, flight. The insurgents had
scarce time to congratulate themselves
upon their hard won victory, when an
incident occurred which turned the scale
OF success against them.
While the cavalry who, as we have
seen, were defeated at the castle gate,
were in rapid retreat from the scene OF
their disaster, they were met by body
OF insurgents from the north of the
country on their way to aid their
countrymen in the town; these men, be-
holding the large body OF cavalry ad-
vancing towards them, mistook their
flight for a charge, and seized with
sudden panic, fled in the utmost dis
order
The sight of flying and terrified en-
emy restored courage to the retreat
ing English; they discontinued their
flight, and being soon after reinforced
by large numbers of fresh troops from
Belfast and Blaris Moore, retreated
their steps to the town, and became in
their turn assailants. The unexpected
return of their vanquished enemies, so
strongly reinforced, filled the insurgents
with such dismay that, despite the ut
most efforts of their brave leader, they
began to fly from the town in confusion,
and being pursued in their flight towards
Randalstown and Shane's Castle they
were cut down in great numbers
One small band alone had the cour-
age to maintain their ground for some
time under a leader named Hope, but
being repeatedly charged by the en-
emys cavalry, they at length were
compelled to retreat to the neighboring
hills of Donegore, where they found
McCracken, with few of his faithful
adherents That brave chief could now
muster but small band OF 100 men out
OF the thousands he had led to the as
sault OF Antrim.
But brave men never despair, and
with this handful of men, the undaunted
chief resolved to hold out to the last,
and terminate with honor, if not with
success, the enterprise of which he was
the head. Within short distance Of
Donegore lay British force four times
more numerous than his own, under
the command of COL Clavering, who,
relying more on the power OF negotia-
ton than the force of arms, and unwill-
ing to encounter brave men whom ad-
verse fortune had rendered desperate.
offered entire amnesty to all save four
OF the leaders, for each of whom he Of
fered reward of l4oo.
We need hardly say that these terms
we're rejected with contempt by the in
surgents, who revenged themselves for
the insult offered them by supposing
them capable Of betraying their devoted
chiefs, by proclaiming Clavering an en-
emy and offering similar reward for
his capture, dead or alive. Foiled in
this base attempt to bribe the followers
OF McCracken to betray him, and lack
ing courage to attack him in his present
position, the English officer threatened
to fire the surrounding country, in case
he persisted in remaining upon the hills.
Unwilling to be the occasion OF ruin to
SO many unoffending people, McCrack-
en- descended from the heights will,
his little band, whom he dismissed. He
himself, with seven companions, ef-
fected retreat to the lesser Colon.
Being pursued to this retreat by his
enemies, he contrived by rapidly
changing his ground, and appearing
on different heights at short inter-
walls, to deter his pursuers from a
nearer approach, till those who ac-
companied him were able to effect their
escape
On the eve OF making his escape to
America, McCracken was recognized
and arrested. His trial and conviction
by court martial followed. The authori-
ties offered to spare his life on condition
OF his giving information concerning
other leaders. His aged father en-
couraged him to spurn the proposition
and he was hanged in Belfast on the
evening OF the day of his trial, July ~
1898, in the 31st year of his age.
His execution is thus related by his
sister: cat S p. m. he was ordered to
the place of execution - the old market
house, the ground OF which had been
given to the town by his great-grcat-
grandfather. He attempted to speak
to the people, but the noise of the