The Irish standard., 1902-02-08
Sergeant Custume, the Irish Horatius, is
the Hero Who with Ten Men
Died for Country.
A Sketch of the Battles of Athlone and
Aughrim Fought Between the
Celts and Saxons.

remainder We're borne toward the town
by overwhelming numbers. The col
onel now saw that it was useless to
attempt to defend or retain that Sec
ton of the town any longer, so he
gave orders for the destruction of the
bridge that connected the two sections
across the Shannon.
Inch by inch the decimated defend
ers are forced back toward the bridge.
Soon, however, it dawned on the Will
liamites that they must gain the
bridge, and to win or maintain it be-
came now the hinge on which every
energy turned. Above the clang of
arms Mackay heard the noise of pick
and bar and but too readily saw that
the Irish were destroying the bridge,
and his voice rang out: "They are de-
stroying the bridge! On, on, save the
bridge!' Fitzgerald rallied and en-
couraged his few followers at the en-
trance of the bridge, for he plainly
saw that
Their van will be upon him
Before the bridge goes down;
And if they once may win the bridge,
What hope to save the town?
That bridge was safe whilst one of
that band could WELD q pike or raise
a musket. The narrowness of the en-
trance of the bridge favored them; the
great number of the enemy now only
impeded it's own project. The storm.
ers sought to clear the bridge by
throwing themselves upon the defend
ers and freely giving ten for one; but
it was of no avail. The enemies are
furious and the defenders fast falling.
Again and again Mackay cries out:
ION, on, the bridge, the bridgev
But meanwhile pick and crowbar
Have manfully been piled,
And now the bridge hangs tottering
Above the boiling tide.
"Back! back! for your lives" comes
the cry from the Irish side of the
river. The defenders rushed along the
t0ttering bridge and some of them
crossed in safety, but the last group
turned around once more to keep back
the enemy, and now they stood hem
med in by Williams horde and the
''lordly Shannon" 1t was a moment
Of great anguish for the beholders
from the Connaught side of the de.
fenseless group. Mackay's men press
ed toward them. A moment more and
they were cut down, but that little
band drew back pace from the
brink of the broken bridge, and as
with a defiant look they cast their
arms to the face Of the enemy, they
plunged all abreast into the Shannon.
The enemy sent after them a volley
of musket balls, which seemed to rid
die the very river, yet amidst many a
shout of glee, a hundred welcoming
hands pulled most Of that heroic band
out Of the water on the Connaught
shore. The work was done. The
bridge was rendered impossible. The
Irish town was saved, and "this was
fitting Inauguration to siege, which
for heroic daring and unbending forti-
tude has few examples in the history
Of warfare" But the bridge has yet
to be kept ere Athlone is saved and
lost.
The town was now bombarded, and
within few days it had the appear
ance of charcoal pit. The enemy
had spent upon it about fifty tons of
gunpowder, twelve thousand cannon
balls and six hundred bombs, besides
innumerable tons of rock hurled from
their mortars. The Irish guns were
buried in the ruins.
Under this disadvantage the Irish
never lost courage; but what was
their CONSERVATION when on the morn.
ing of January the 2Sth they beheld
the enemy, under cover of their whole
artillery, throwing beams across the
broken arches and planking them