Year: 1867

small account with Ginckle. One hun.
dred wagon loads of shot and she'll
reached the camp that evening; thirteen
squadrons of waggon.horscs were sent TO
Dublin for more, and two batteries we're
added to the seven that had been at work
since the morning of the 25th. One OF
these was on hill outside the wall,
which commanded the western end Of the
bridge, and the other in meadow TO the
south of it, which raked the passage lead.
ing from the Irish town 10 the castle.
Under cover of these batteries the Eng
lish reached the last broken arch, and
secured to themselves by breastwork
overlooking that of the Irish on the other
side. Here the grenadiers Of both ar
mics now stood firing their muskets and
hurling their grenades across the narrow
space that separated them. AT length
the fascines of the Irish breastwork took
fire, the whole was soon sheet OF flame,
its defenders were forced TO retire, and
on the night of the 9th tho English re-
mained masters of the last broken arch
OF the bridge


The situation Of the besieged was now
most desperate. The town seemed all
but in possession OF the enemy. The
bastion opposite the southern ford, about
fifty yards from the bridge, was leveled
and practicable to infantry and cavalry.
The ford itself was easily passable, for
the river was unusually low for the sea-
son. The town was heap of shoulder
ing ruins, and the castle-with the single
exception of the Connaught tower--was
beaten to the level of the besiegers' guns.
Beams had been extended across the
last broken arch of the bridge, the
planking was partially set, while the fire
of their forty.seven guns WAS fierce and
active as ever. Still the Irish relaxed
neither in courage nor intrepidity.
Though but one gun alone sent an occa.
sional response TO the incessant roar of
nine batteries, sweeping every foot of
their intrenehments, "they worked like
horses, checking the fire within the
town, carrying fascines to fill their
trenches and exhibiting 4 courage and
endurance "s such as was never excelled
by man" Such was the situation on
both sides through the night of the 9th
the one in the face ofinevitable death,
trying to reconstruct their shattered de-
fenses, and the other in eKultation, pre-
pairing to force the river at sunrise the
next morni2g. g-5t


The night passed on, and the morning
rose bright and clear above the river.
The beseged seemed to have exhausted
all the means of defense Some lay close
in the cover of their trenches, and others
drawn up behind the western wall of the
castle, waiting for the approaching con-
hict. The enemy alone we're at work.
The planking was nearly completed
across the last broken arch Of the bridge.
The fire from their right and left tra-
versed its western end between their
workmen and the besieged, and their
grenadiers were advanced along the
bridge, waiting for the expected signal
At this moment sudden commotion
was observable in the Irish quarters, and
a simultaneous shout rent the air, as
eleven men, cased in armor, we're seen
to clear their trenches and bear directly
for the bridge A silence still as death
fell over the besiegers and besieged, aud
for moment all seemed spell bound
In another the noble fellows had reached
the bridge, and with strength and
courage beyond what men were thought
capable of" commenced to tear away
the pIanks and beams, and cast them


into the river. The amazement of the
English soon gave way to the stern ne
cessity of war. A discharge of great and
small guns swept the bridge, and the de-
voted men passed forever from the earth
Undeterred by their fate, eleven more
sprang forward to complete the work
Another peal rang out as before, cloud
of smoke enveloped them for moment,
and, clearing away, it was found that
their work was completely accomplished,
that the bridge was rendered impossible, |
and that two of the eleven had escaped |
within their intrenchments.