Year: 1878

long and stubbornly contested. The
positions occupied by the bclligerents
were naturally strong and well defended
on both sides


Cwlng TO their superiority of men.
the English made several bloody but i'm.
ettectual charges Each time thew were
driven back with great slaughter. while
every attempt of the Irish 10 force their
lines met with a similar and bloody end
ing. And thus the battle RACED from
early dawn of that long summer day
until the sun was sinking low in the west.


MyleS the Slasher had remained an
idle but inpatient spectator of the
scenes enacted before him. lie had
been commanded by his General TO oc-
cupy position with his cavalry and
await his orders. The fiery soldier
chaied at his inactivity, for he had
/ been kept waiting all day listening
to the roar and swell of battle
around him, but he was too good n
soldier To disobey. He watched the sun
as he sunk behind him in the woods
and eagerly longed for the din and clash of
battle. He had not much longer TO wait.
Suddenly with roar the English artil.
l lerv opened, and under cover of their
nre the whole army advanced TO the
charge. This was the decisive moment.
/ Munroe with his whole strength deter
mined to fall upon his enemy and crush
/ him at blow.


At that moment the Irish General
/ emerged from the woods, and accom-
/ panied by his staff galloped in the di-
rection of his Colonel of cavalry. Their
1 greeting was short and curt


Colonel, do you see these troops ad-
vancing on the right?'


Yes, General"


They number two thousand five hun
dred men, and are the flower of the En-
elish army"


Yes, General"


Their lines must be pierced and
broken, and put TO rout, or else the dav
IS lost, On you devolves that honor.
You know your duty. Good-by."


a grim smile lit up the countenance
OF the Slasher as the General rode back
to his own personal command and,
turning to his troopers, he said


Men, before the enemy reach yonder
knoll that rises between them and us we
must be upon them. Forward and fol-
low me-"


Dashing the spurs into his chargers
hanks he rushed into the open space be-
tween him and the foe, followed by
every man in his command. The on
slaught was fierce and terrible. but of
short duration. The Slasher, with one
| fearful blow, Glove the English standard
bearer to the chin and leaped into the
midst Of the enemy's ranks. His terri
BILE shout could he heard above the peal
of musketry that greeted him, but, un-
harmed, he rushed on, scattering death
and destruction around him. For
awhile II was body TO body with push Of
pike, but brave a the Britons were they
could not withstand the fiery and fear
ful shock Of Myles the Slasher. Before
his rushing charge they went down,
and, beaten and defeated, Munroe fed.
leaving behind him three thousand of
his best and bravest troops dead on the
field.


The brave General who had so wisely
planned and bravely won the battle of
Benburb did not long survive TO wear
his hODOTs. He was treacherouslv
poisoned by n spy of the enemy, and
Lord Castlehaven assumed command.
Being encamped near Granard, in the
county of Longford, Castlehaven ordered
the Slasher 10 proceed with a chosen de.
tachment Of horse TO defend the bridge
OF Finea against Munroe, his old enemy.
who was then bearing down on the main
army with a superior force Myles
took up his.station on the bridge lust as
the enemy came in sight and the latter,
confident of success, dashed forward
But they never gained the center.
Their foremost files went down before
the sabers of the Slasher and his men
and their leader fell, killed by the hand
of Miles himself. Charge after charge
they made, their General hurlng the
black masses Of his troops against that
small and devoted band of horsemen
One by one they fell, until the gallant
O'Reilly was left with a mere handful
to defend the bridge. His horse had
been shot under him, and he now fought
on foot. The enemy maddened by re-
pulse and the death Of so many comrades.
rushed forward with hfearfulimpetuositv
determined TO sweep all before them.
Nothing remained for the few brave
fellows but retreat or death IL was
impossible for scarcely threescore men
10 Withstand the shock Of n thousand
hrce and savage grenadiers. The bridge
must be yielded at last


The bold Sasher, however, was equal
70 the emergency. Placing himself in
the very center of the bridge, and
grasping his terrible weapon in his hand
ht dNdlOtu Lne assault. IN tHeY came,
and for fully twenty minutes the
Slasher held the bridge, and all that
came within his reach went down
More than twenty perished by his hand
alone and more than three times that
number fell before the swords of his
gallant COmrads


Covered with thousand wounds. and
dripping with blood from head TO foot
ne still stood there and blocked the wav
A length he fell, struck down bv the
sword Of a gigantic Scot, and az he
closed his eyes i'm death he heard the
amp Of Castlehaven's troops, az they
rushed 10 the rescue. They came too
late to save him, but he had saved the
bridge, and died content


Tradition adds that the officer who
gave him his death-wound was also
man Of extraordinary strength and stat
urc, and laid open his cheek with one
cut Of his sword but that the Slashcr
held the blade between his teeth as firmly
az II held in a smiths vice, until he cut
down the Scotchman with his own
sword. The Slashcr's body was dis.
covered on the following day and con.
veyed TO the Monastery Of Cavan. where
1t was Inferred in the tomb Of his anccs-
tors