1798 Part one

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A little Lesson in Irish History and a great what if question thrown in also.

.THE 1798 REBELLION. (A TWIST OF FATE IN HISTORY)

We start the story of the Irish 1798 rebellion with events that occurred in 1796, In the year of our lord 1796 an Irish radical republican by the name of Wolfe Tone was sent by his colleagues in the United Irishmen organisation to Paris to request from the newly founded French Republic aid to help in establishing an Irish Republic. The French agreed to aid the United Irishmen by sending 25 ships with 15000 troops under General Hoch to support an country wide rebellion, the French fleet with General Hoch and Wolfe Tone set out from Brest avoiding a British blockade, the fleet made good time and arrived in Bantry bay county Cork. The weather was fair and the flat sandy beach on which the landings will take place are empty and free of obstacle and opposition but the troops are not going ashore ! General Hoch who decided to travel on a separate frigate to the rest of his command has become separated from the fleet and the officers on the fleet ships in Bantry bay refuse, much to the despair of Wolfe Tone, to unload the troops without their General, after three days Hoch's ship finds the anchored fleet but now things take a turn for the worse.. a storm starts blow into the bay which prevent the disembarkation of troops and news that the British blockade fleet is now closing in on the French invasion fleet, the command is given, weigh anchor and make for France, Wolfe Tone protests but to no avail, all is lost and there will be no glorious rebellion

To be continued...

 

[dudmont]

Read a great book entitled "The Napoleon Options", a counter-factual look at what might have been in terms of Napoleon's reign. The very first scenario, the French "invasion" of Ireland. It was an interesting work to say the least. I've a rudimentary knowledge of the situation your describing, but I'll come back for more, most certainly.

 

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1798 PART TWO

In 1798 a new hope was given to Wolfe Tone, even after the disaster of 1796 he kept up negotiations with the French but it was the arrival of one Napoleon Bonaparte on the scene as the new darling of the republic (He had just returned from his Italian campaigns) which gave Wolfe Tone hope, He approached Napoleon with the venture, Invade Ireland and with the support of the United Irishmen establish an Irish Republic this would then give Napoleon the perfect base to strike at England, Napoleon showed initial interest in the enterprise but insisted that the rebels in Ireland would have to be ready within three weeks as he already had the ships in Brest and his veteran troops from the Italian campaign at the ready, Wolfe Tone argued that the rebels needed more time to organise themselves but Napoleon was insistent. In the end it was events which dictated what course history was to take but it will always bring up the question what would have happened if Napoleon had led the campaign to Ireland in 1798, what faith would have befell Ireland and what would have become of Napoleon.

 

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1798 part three

In May of 1798 while Tone was trying to convince Napoleon to embark on an Irish Campaign events in Ireland start to take there own course, on May 17-18: Meetings of new national directory of United Irishmen takes place to plan rebellion unknown to the leaders one of them is a spy for the British and all their plans are revealed. On May 19: due to the information gained by the spy Lord Edward Fitzgerald the most senior leader in Leinster is arrested (Dies from wound gained during arrest, 4 June). Other leaders are soon rounded up and imprisoned for treason, in a Trial at Maidstone, Kent Arthur O'Connor and Rev James Quigley, United Irishmen; former acquitted of treason but re-arrested, latter convicted and sentenced to death. (Hanged, 7 June.) . These events on top of the general persecutions going on around the country are the final straw for most of the rebels still at large so without senior leadership or any coherent plans the Rebellion starts, May 23-24: The Rebellion begins in Leinster, and spreads to Wexford.
Meanwhile In France the news comes of the rebellion, Wolfe Tone is Distressed, he sees the need for French aid but also wants to be with his colleagues in Ireland, Napoleon finally declines to take the Irish campaign and is now planning his Egyptian campaign, Tone approaches the French government for urgent aid all the while Ireland spirals into chaos.

 

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Great reading, Ciaus! The story is getting exciting now. I'm rooting for Wolf Tone and the Irish. Go on!

 

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Part Four, all goes pear shaped

The early art of the month of may is nothing short of disastrous, the rebels in Lenister try to seal Dublin off by blocking all road access to the capital and taking the surrounding towns of Nass and Kildare, only two main highways are closed by the rebels and although Nass is secured the attempts to take Kildare are repulsed by a small garrison of local militia, many rebels take the opportunity to make revenge attacks on local protestants who had been their oppressors and stories abound of atrocities, May 24: Archibald Hamilton Jacob conducts the Enniscorthy Yeomen Cavalry to the village of Ballaghkeen where they flog a man to death. Thirty-five suspected United Irish prisoners shot in Dunlavin.May 25: Twenty-four United Irish prisoners shot in the ball alley at Carnew. Four hundred and sixty United Irishmen killed in the unsuccessful attack on Carlow town.May 26: Insurgents defeated at Tara, Co Meath.May 29: 350 insurgents killed at Curragh, Co Kildare, by troops under Sir James Duff. However By May 27 some success for the rebels: Battle of Oulart Hill, Co Wexford; detachment of North Cork militia and local yeomanry almost annihilated. May 30: Battle of the Three Rocks, Wexford town captured by rebels. May 31: Establishment of civilian government in Wexford Town led by four Catholics and four Protestants Rebels declare the existence of the Irish Republic. The month of June continued in the same chaotic style with some Rebels success but many setbacks and the atrocities on both sides gain even more momentum, the biggest mistake made by rebel bands was the killing of protestant civilians which turned the Protestants in other parts of the country who originally supported the rebellion against it. June 5: June 5: Insurgents routed at New Ross, Co Wexford, after heavy fighting; massacre of over 100 Protestants by insurgents at nearby Scullabogue. .June 6: Rebellion breaks out in Ulster: Henry Joy McCracken issues proclamation calling United Irishmen in Ulster to arms. June 7: United Irishmen, led by McCracken, attack Antrim Town and are repulsed with heavy loss. (McCracken executed in Belfast, 17 July) June 9: Wexford insurgents, advancing towards Dublin, repulsed at Arklow.June 13: United Irishmen led by Henry Monro defeated at Ballynahinch, Co Down. (Monro executed at Lisburn, 15 June.) June 20: Battle of Foulksmills; decisive battle in which the New Ross United Irish division challenged the crown forces under General Sir John Moore & lost, soon after this the famous Marquis Cornwallis sworn in as Lord Lieutenant (he led British troops in the Americas during the revolution). June 21: Wexford insurgents defeated at Vinegar Hill, near Enniscorthy, June 22: The famed 45-mile route march out of Wexford under Father John Murphy and Miles Byrne to Kiltealy, the Scullogue Gap and the engagement of Killedmond in County Carlow.
June 26: Bagenal Harvey, a member of the United Irishmen, hung from Wexford bridge.July 2: Execution of Father John Murphy and his bodyguard, James Gallagher, at Tullow, County Carlow.

 

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Part five A glimmer of hope

The month of July quietens as more rebels leaders are captured and executed, July 14: John and Henry Sheares executed, July 17: United Irishman leader Henry Joy McCracken hanged at Belfast market-house. The Rebellion looks to be tapering out as those leaders whom are still free and living go to ground and the rebel companies disintegrate in total disorder, British Prime Minister Pitt fails to grasp the cause of all the problems in Ireland and gives leeway to continue massive retaliations on the catholic population and keep the repressive penal laws in place. However due to Wolfe Tones constant negotiations July 19: French Directory authorizes the sending of three expeditions to Ireland and gives command of the first one to Gen. Humbert. Aug. 6: Gen. Humbert's force of 1100 men sets sail from Rochefort in three frigates.Aug. 22: General Humbert lands at Cill Chuimín, Co. Mayo and captures Killala. Irish rebels rally to them.
French Regulars
The 1000 French troops that came to Ireland under the command of General Humbert were battle hardened veterans. Their courage under fire carried the day at Castlebar, the well delivered advance unnerved the Yeomanry who abandoned the field. From the French point of view their campaign must be seen as a major success, a small force had kept a much larger force occupied
Aug. 23-24: Humbert's Franco-Irish army captures Ballina.Aug. 25: Cornwallis takes command of British forces in the field and sends urgent request to England for reinforcements. Aug. 26-27: Humbert takes 1500 man force on a forced march through the mountains to the west of Loch Con and descends on Castlebar.Aug. 27: Humbert and his Irish rebels defeat government forces at the "Races of Castlebar," a huge amount of supplies and guns captured. Humbert sends an urgent request for reinforcements to France.Aug. 28-31: Humbert takes Westport, Ballinrobe, Hollymount, and other towns and proclaims a Republic of Connacht. Cornwallis holds back, assembling a massive army to crush Humbert. Perhaps there is hope for the rebels yet, Meanwhile Tone was called to Paris to consult with the Ministers of War and Marine in the organisation of a small expedition. Wolfe Tone accompanied eight frigates under Commodore Bompard and 3000 men under General Hardy to Ireland. However they were set upon by the English fleet. Tone was not recognised at first but his disguise was soon upturned. He made a gallant figure as he stood before his judges in the uniform of a French Colonel, making his last profession of faith in his principles to which he had devoted all that was his to give.
"From my earliest youth I have regarded the connection between Ireland and Great Britain as the curse of the Irish nation, and felt convinced, that while it lasted, this country would never be free or happy. In consequence, I determined to apply all the powers which my individual efforts could move, in order to separate the two countries. that Ireland was not able, of herself, to throw off the yoke, I knew. I therefore sought for aid wherever it was to be found.......Under the flag of the French Republic. After such sacrifices, in a cause which I have always considered as the cause of justice and freedom - it is no great effort at this day to add the sacrifice of my life".

Tone is buried at Bodenstown alongside his brother who had died for the same glorious cause a few weeks earlier.
And there, side by side, those two mangled bodies - each broken so cruelly in the conquerors murder machine - await the Resurrection - in the ‘green grave’ which Ireland cherishes as the most precious thing she owns.

 

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Part Six so endith the lesson.

The French efforts prove to be too little too late despite continued heroic resistance, Sept. 3-4: With the British closing in, Humbert evacuates Castlebar towards Sligo. His army is now nearly 3000 strong,
Sept. 5: English force under Col Vereker attacks Humbert at Collooney but Humbert outmanoeuvres him. Cornawallis has split his army and is closing in on Humbert. Humbert hopes to elude them and move toward Dublin. Sept. 6: Humbert reaches Drumkeerin, Cornwallis sends a message offering terms, they are rejected.Sept. 7: Humbert's army is nearly exhausted, as they reach Cloone in southern Leitrim. Cornwallis is only 5 miles away with 15,000 troops.Sept. 8: Cornwallis blocks the road in front of Humbert, Lake's army attacks from the rear at Ballinamuck, Co. Longford. The French surrender after a half-hour fight. The Irish are given no quarter by the British, 500 are slaughtered, many more are hung later. About 1000 escape into countryside. All the United Irish leaders who Humbert commissioned as officers of the French Army are refused the rights of prisoners of war despite Humberts protests and all are hung drawn and quartered as traitors. September 16: Small French force under James Napper Tandy makes brief landing on Rutland Island, Co Donegal. But leave soon after as they realise all is lost. Sept. 21-23: British Gen. Trench attacks the French and Irish left behind by Humbert to hold Killela. About 300 Irish rebels are killed, some while trying to surrender. The Irish Politician and defender of the Irish parliament Grattan removed from Irish Privy Council on groundless charge of being a sworn member of United Irishmen. October 12-20: French invasion squadron under Admiral JBF Bompart engaged outside Lough Swilly by British squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren; seven of ten French ships captured. So the rebellion ended despite the carnage and chaos created the ruling classes fail to investigate the reasons for the rebellion and the repressive anti catholic penal laws are enforced more vigoursly than ever, The United Irishmen, the revolutionary organization that led the '98 Rising, took its inspiration from the American and French revolutions which preceded it. Virtually all of the founders and leaders of the United Irishmen were Protestants, including the famous Theobald Wolfe Tone. The Rising of '98 is one of the most tragic events in the history of a country whose middle name might well be tragedy. In the space of just a few short months that summer about 30,000 people were killed. Many of the dead were peasants who charged cannons armed with farm implements or crude pikes, and a significant number of them were women. The fact that so many would take the field so poorly armed, with so little hope of success, is another indication of just how far down the road to total despair England's corrupt colonial rule had driven the impoverished masses of Ireland. The rebellion was put down with as much violence as the British Empire could muster. Many who tried to surrender were killed on the field and many more executed afterwards. When it was over the British government forced an Act of Union on the Irish people that would prove to be another sad and tragic legacy of England's misrule of their neighbours.

 

[dudmont]

"From my earliest youth I have regarded the connection between Ireland and Great Britain as the curse of the Irish nation, and felt convinced, that while it lasted, this country would never be free or happy. In consequence, I determined to apply all the powers which my individual efforts could move, in order to separate the two countries. that Ireland was not able, of herself, to throw off the yoke, I knew. I therefore sought for aid wherever it was to be found.......Under the flag of the French Republic. After such sacrifices, in a cause which I have always considered as the cause of justice and freedom - it is no great effort at this day to add the sacrifice of my life".

Heck of a speach, something the folks in my country would have been proud of.

 

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Wolfe Tone, one of many Protestant Republican heroes, and in true Irish style a tragedy of what might have been.

Caius, great story, just a of minor point; The 1796 expedition comprised 17 Ships of The Line, 13 Frigates and 20 transports, with close to 20,000 infantry.

Also, a slight expansion of the '76 expedition: They did not land solely because of the dissapearance of Hoche, but because the Easterly wind in Bantry Bay prevented them from making headway inland. The Bay is quite narrow, but the water very deep.

December 16th, on leaving Brest, a solitary British frigate: The Indefatiguable with Captain Pellew on board (and no doubt Horatio F'in Hornblower ) sailed into the harbor and managed to scatter the convoy. It broke off into 2 main bodies, and 1 solitary ship containing, guess who, yes General Hoche. By the 18th, the two main groups converged again, minus the General, and continued to Ireland.

They reached the mouth of Bantry Bay on December 18, and for six days the ships attempted to tack up the bay. This time to add to the problem was snow. Snow! in Bantry Bloody Bay, if you know the area, you know that it snows there about once every 50 years, and it had to snow during the invasion

Either on the 25th or 26th Hoche's ship La Fratenite arrived in the Bay, but was blown out to sea again, just before the winds abated enough for the furthermost ships to unload their troops. This was the point where those Captains refused to unload, the invasion force was quite scattered, and only a few ships could have landed troops.

At this point, with the troops freezing and seasick (can you imagine the conditions on board) there was little to do but turn back.

I spent a lot of my childhood vacations in West Cork, and looking into the Bay, one could imagine the frustration Tone must have felt so close to Ireland, but unable to reach the beaches. If you look out from the northernmost point of the Bay, on a clear day it's easy to view the open sea, in fact it looks like you could spit as far as those French ships were foundering. A most incredible set of circumstances which prevented Ireland's best chance of breaking from Britain before 1922.

On a related note, about 40-50 miles East of Bantry is a small seaside town called Crosshaven. It's on the Southern mouth of Cork Harbour, directly opposite Cobh. It has a wide open channel, with excellent sailing conditions, in fact once inside the mouth of the harbour a novice can sail quite easily on all but the roughest seas.

If you travel up the mouth of the harbor you will eventually reach the River Lee, and Cork city, but just about 3 miles past Crosshaven is a fork in the river , next to a wood called Currabiney, where if you follow the bend around to the West is the site of today's Crosshaven Yaught Club. The current marina is situated at the furthest point up the tributary, before reaching it, is a small, though quite perfect natural harbour known localy as Drake's pool. It can be viewed from the Carragaline-Crosshaven road, and today is a mooring point for many local boats.

The area takes it's name from an legend: on the run from the Spanish, Drake was cornered and sailed up the entrance to Cork harbour. The Spaniards delayed their pursuit, knowing that they had Drake at their mercy, and waited until their ships were combined before navigating the channel. Meanwhile, an Irish crewman on board Drake's ship had grown up in the area, and knew of the existence of this small side harbor. Drake sailed his ship in, and used the tall forrest of Currabiney to hide his ship. Well, the Spaniards sailed up the harbor, could not find Drake, and assumed that they had somehow lost him. Drake survived, sailed off leaving only his name to the area.

Why the story, well how ironic is it that while the French, on route to aid an Irish rebellion had no knowledge of what a perfect area for landing the pool might be, and they fought a futile struggle with nature just 40 miles away, while a few centuries before, the man who may have contributed to the preservation of Protestantism in England should be saved by an Irish sailor.

Well, who knows if the story is even true, or if Drake-less England would have had the same result against the Armada, but it does seem to fit in with the grand tradition of Irish tragedy.

 

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Great story, Ciaus.

(... and at least now I know what the name of the Folk-group "General Humbert" refers to.)

Wasn't there a movie or TV-series made based on this period: "The year of the French"?

 

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Thanks for the replies

Wasn't there a movie or TV-series made based on this period: "The year of the French"?

Yes Bylandt there was, a long time ago now I saw it when it originally came out but it has not been shown again since as far as I know, it was good though.

posted by sean9898

Wolfe Tone, one of many Protestant Republican heroes, and in true Irish style a tragedy of what might have been.

Yeah Sean I agree we Irish seem to love being part of the tragic but glorious loss, weather in history, sport or anything else. Anyway let's be honest defeat has always been more intresting that victory, if did not have all the glorious losses what would we bitch about.

Caius, great story, just a of minor point; The 1796 expedition comprised 17 Ships of The Line, 13 Frigates and 20 transports, with close to 20,000 infantry.

Thanks for that point I was using a book which was a bit short on details for my info plus I was writing mostly from memory in work anyway, it really only gave a generalisation of the situation, ah if they had only landed, according to my book..again not great on the detail side..the british garrison in Ireland in 1796 was small only about 50,000 and was increased by the adding of the yoemanry and milita to around 80 to 90k, however they were scattered all around the country and by the time they could be organised ( a least 3 weeks) Dublin could have been taken and who knows what then.

Although I live in county Limerick near to Cork I have never had much chance to see West Cork, my family nearly always had holiday's in Clare or connemara, but it is tragic that the French did not get to crosshaven, do you think the rebellion in 1798 would have had any chance if it was Napolean with a sizeable force of course that came instaed of the pittance that came in augest with M.Humbert???

 

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A point of Intrest

On further reading of the situation in Ireland in 1798, it was well documented that when Cornwallis took Command of Government forces he did his best to put to an end the attrocites commited by Goverment troops and even courtmartiled officers who let their Men run riot against the catholic pesentry, he also applealed for clemecy against the rebellion leaders and for Catholic emancapation, He however was unsuccessfull in the case for clemency and emacapation but he did manage to reduce the cases of attrocites being commited against prisoners and civilians...Now compare this factual evidence against the crap poured out by that insult of a movie "the patriot", in which Corwallis is seen as a man willing to condone such acts and as a coward also, hell even a bad general, I think it's kind of sickening actually, anyway I just thought I would point this out.

 

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Re: Thanks for the replies

Originally posted by ciaus
Yes Bylandt there was, a long time ago now I saw it when it originally came out but it has not been shown again since as far as I know, it was good though.

I remember it vaguely, was quite young at the time. Wish they'd release it on video.

Yeah Sean I agree we Irish seem to love being part of the tragic but glorious loss, weather in history, sport or anything else. Anyway let's be honest defeat has always been more intresting that victory, if did not have all the glorious losses what would we bitch about.

Glorius loss always better than victory. Look at the difference between the rememberance of the Easter Rising and of our actual Independence Day.

do you think the rebellion in 1798 would have had any chance if it was Napolean with a sizeable force of course that came instaed of the pittance that came in augest with M.Humbert??? [/B]

Napoleon in Ireland instead of Egypt! Oh, the thought of it. Can you imagine Napoleon in Ireland. He'd in Dublin within a week, and have control of the country within a month.

What would have happened after would be anyone's guess, although Britain could cut off his sea route to France, there were enough armories in Ireland to supply a self contained French army. Remember it took 11 more years before a British army defeated a French one, we might still be singing the Marseielles

 

[Rex Francorum]

Ciaus, when Louis XIV did pronounce these words ("Mes braves Irlandais")?

 

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Cremona

Originally posted by Rex Francorum
Ciaus, when Louis XIV did pronounce these words ("Mes braves Irlandais")?

Rex,

As far as I know it was after the Irish Brigades performance at the battle of Cremona, when they helped prevent the fall of the city to the allied Austrian forces under Prince Eugene, here is a link to a site about the Brigade,

wild geese