The New York herald., 1922-09-03
Diary of Captured Intelli-
gence Officer Reveals
Morale Decreasing.
CIVILIANS ARE HOSTILE
Long Marches Made in Wind
and Rain and No Towns in
Which to Rest.

Special cobre 10 THE New YoaK HERALD.
Copyright, 1899, by THE NEW YORK HEnALp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Dublin. Sept. 2.
The life of the rebels in Ireland
nowadays consists mainly in long.
hard, rapid hikes over rough ground,
judging from the diary of an intelll-
gencc officer who was captured and
questioned yesterday. There is a
growing Encouragement among the
rebel forces az stronghold after
stronghold in all parts of the country
falls into the hands Of the Free State
army. Everywhere the rebels are re-
treating and they arc also met every
where by the ieers of the people, as
is shown by the entries in the diary
recording these forced marches from
place to place and nowhere in parti-
cular.
An entry dated July Is says: The
civil population Is increa singly hostile.
The enemy knows exactly where our
men are billeted and comes along under
cover of darkness and cuts them off,
An entry on July 80 says: Again an
attack on an important town failed be-
cause the civilians revealed our plans
Ex-Service Men Hostile.
An entry dated two days later reveals
that ex-service men were actively OBJ
structing the rebels operations. Eek
service men in Carrick are inclined 70
become nasty / suppose they expect
their friends there In few hours. We
have taken positions on the bridges and
have fired a few salutes with machine
guns. but when the ex-soldiers were or
dered off the streets they remained and
jeered We finally beat them or the
streets with the butts OF our rifles"
Occasionally the rebels struck place
where they lived life OF luxury for a
few days They comniandeered the coun-
try place OF Lord Dproughmore at
Knocklofty. and the dIarist writes: Just
lima gine me in the kitchen garden to-
day for couple of hours with plenty
OF ripe fruit about. I had a lovely trip
up the SUR in one of his lordships boats
and had really enjoyable day. only
for day. however. for tonight we must
be off again"
A few days later the force begins to
nlSlnteErate. j. y. Is EOlllE 10 hnuCN-
lofty. Moss Is going home. Billy has
gone home and all our Tipperary friends
are going here and there. August 13--
We hear rumors OF Griffith's death here.
Nothing official We do not see a paper
sometimes for weeks" Next day:
News or Grifith's death was confirmed
and we all fell on our knees and prayed
for him"
The diary reveals that life for tho
rebels is becoming more difficult each
day They have no towns where they
can go to rest and they must keep
tramping by circuitous routes 60 avoid
the Free State forces. They sleep out
on the hills despite the damp weather.
and lack food and proper clothing. es-
pecially shoes.
Raid Emily in County Limerick.
The diary reveals that they were in
such a condition they decided TO risk
ralding the town OF Emily in County
Limerick. There they found the people
"cursing us from the bottom OF their
hearts" Nevertheless they loaded a
couple OF carts with clothing. shoes and
provisions and started away. As they
were leaving they observed another coli
umn entering the town at the opposite
end and feared a. first II might be Free
State troops. "But we find. 90 our relief,
that Il Is the East Limerick column. We
thank our stars that we reached the VII
lage before they did. otherwise there
would not have been much left for us.
The march from Emily proves dreary.
"ON again at II :3O PM IN storm
of wind and rain to cheer us. Erery
one had enough. and but less than
half our journey was over. We smashed
a signal cabin and cut the wires 10
Drumkn. Most OF the boys were hardly
q bic TO drag themselves along and some
of the old soldiers said they never cx-
perienced anything as bad in Frarcc.
n was q terrible march to Barringt0ns
Bridge. When we reached there we had
caly about hclf the column stili with us.
We stopped, sent back to gather up the
stragglerz. and then instituted record
forced march or sixteen miles. Those
who were in & will never forget IT,
The last entry. dated August IL. SAYS
was in bed al! day. and don't think :,
battle raging about would awaken
them
For week the dlarist was go busv
ne forgot his diary. During that ums
the Free state troops were forcing tho
rebels 50 hard that no apparently was
unable % write or else too diScourarc3.
with the morale or tho rebel forces .
so low. Il IL not expected that the fight !
ing will continue far into the fall as
the weather continues Increasingly bad
while the strength Of tho Free state
forces Is increasing at the Same time.