Wars of the Irish Kings (48 page)

The sixth day the Campe was accordingly fortified, and the seventh in the morning, the Lord President with the said horse and foote left the Campe, at which time it was concluded by both Counsels, that wee could attempt nothing against the towne, untill either the Lord President returned, or the new Forces and provisions promised from England arrived, it being judged a great worke for us in the meane time, to continue our lying before the Towne, since the Spaniards in the Towne were more in number, then we who besieged them ….

The eight of November: certaine ships to the number of thirteene, were discried to passe by Kinsale to the Westward, but it was not knowne whether they were English or Spaniards. The tenth day we had newes that the Earl of Thomond was landed with one thousand foote, left to the Lord Deputies disposall, and with an hundred horse, appointed in England to be commanded by the said Earle; and these were the thirteene ships discovered to passe Westward.

By this time the Spaniards had gotten knowledge of the Lord Presidents departure from the Campe with good part of our forces, and thereupon supposing us to be much weakened, (as in deed we were, and inferiour in bodies of men to them in the Towne); they drew out this day about noone most part of their forces, and soon after sent some sixty shot and Pykes to the foot of the hill, close by our Campe, leaving their trenches very well lined for their seconds: some of ours were presently drawne out to enter-taine skirmish with those that came up, and another strong party was sent out towards Ryncorran, who from the bushy hill plaied in flanckes upon their trenches, and did beate them from the same; so as they that were first sent out close to our Campe, being beaten backe by our shot, and thinking to find the seconds they left behind them, were disappointed by their
quitting of the Trenches, and by that meanes driven to follow the rest to the succour of the Towne. Our men following with much fury, hurt and killed divers, amongst whom they brought off the body of a Sergiant, and possessed the enemies trenches, the which the enemies (being reinforced) made many attempts to regaine, but were repulsed and beaten backe into the Towne. Wee heard by divers, that Don Jean committed the Sergiant Major, who commanded then in chiefe, presently after the fight, and threatned to take his head, commended highly the valour of our men, and cried shame upon the cowardise of his owne, who he said had beene the terrour of all Nations; but now had lost that reputation, and hee gave straight commandement upon paine of death, which hee caused to bee set up on the Towne gates, that from thenceforth no man should come off from any service, untill hee should be fetched off by his Officer, though his powder were spent or his Peece broken, but make good his place with his Sword. Captaine Soto one of their best Commanders, was that day slaine, (for whom they made very great mone), and some twenty more, besides those we hurt, which could not be but many. On our side, onely some ten were hurt, and three killed; among whom Master Hopton a Gentleman of the Lord Deputies band, was sore hurt, and in a few daies died thereof. If this skirmish had not beene readily & resolutely answered on our part, the Spaniards had then discovered the smalnes of our numbers, and would no doubt have so plied us with continuall sallies; as we should hardly have beene able to continue the siege.

The eleventh day: we had newes, that the one hundred horse and the thousand foot embarked at Bastable, (both which were left to the Lord Deputies disposall, the horse to be made new troopes, the foot to be dispersed for supplies, or to raise new Companies as his Lordship should thinke fit) were arrived at Waterford ….

The thirteenth day: our Fleet recovered the mouth of Kinsale Harbour, but could not get in, the wind being strong against them. The foureteenth day the Fleete with much difficulty warped in, and recovered the Harbour, whence the Admirall and Vice-Admirall came to the Lord Deputy at the Campe. This night and the next day the two thousand foot, sent under Captaines in the Queenes shippes, were landed, and came to the Campe. And the fifteenth day in the afternoone, the Lord Deputy went aboard the shippes, whence returning to the Campe, the Enemy discerned him riding in the head of a troop of horse, and made a shot out of the Town at him, which grazed so neere him, that it did beat the earth in his face. In these ships were sent unto us not onely artillery and munition, but also speciall Officers to attend the same, as five Canoneers, two Blacke-smiths, two Wheel-wrights, and two Carpenters ….

The Queenes ships after they had saluted the Lord Deputy at his going aboard with thundering peales of Ordinance, had direction the next day to beat upon a Castle in the Hand, called Castle Nyparke, which the Lord Deputy was resolved to make his next worke, & to beat the Spaniards out of it, and so to invest the Towne on that side. This some of the ships performed, and brake the top of the Castle, but finding that they did it no greater hurt, and that the weather was extreame stormy, they ceased shooting. This day his Lordship gave direction, that the hundred horse & one thousand foot, which first landed at Castle Haven, and now were arrived from thence in the Harbour of Kinsale, should be conducted to Corke, to refresh themselves, for being beaten at Sea, and now landed in extreame weather, and in a Winter Campe, where they had no meanes to be refreshed, they beganne to die, and would have beene lost or made unserviceable, if this course had not beene taken to hearten them. This day and for many daies after, divers Spaniards ranne from the Towne to us, by whom we understood that in the tenth daies skirmish, the above named Captain Soto, a man of speciall accompt, was slaine.

The seventeenth day: the weather continued stormy, so as neither that day nor the next we could land our Ordinance, or doe any thing of moment, yet because this was the day of her Majesties Coronation, which his Lordship purposed to solemnize with some extraordinary attempt, if the weather would have suffered us to looke abroad, wee sent at night when the storme was somewhat appeased, the Serjant Major and Captaine Bodley with some foure hundred foot, to discover the ground about Castle Nyparke, and to see whether it might be carried with the Pickaxe, which was accordingly attempted; but the engine we had gotten to defend our men, while they were to worke, being not so strong as it should have beene, they within the Castle having store of very great stones on the top, tumbled them downe so fast, as they broke it, so that our men returned with the losse of two men, & proceeded no further in that course ….

The nineteenth day: a Demy Cannon was unshipped, assoone as it was calme, and placed on this side of the water, which plaied most part of the day upon the Castle Nyparke, being a great reliefe to the besieged, & brake many places, but made no breach that was assaultable. In the night they of the Towne attempted to releeve the Castle by boates, but were repelled by Captaine Tolkerne and Captaine Ward, who lay with their Pinnaces betweene the Iland and the Towne.

Hitherto nothing could possibly bee attempted against the Towne, more then had beene done. For considering that the numbers of the defendants not onely equalled, but by all report, exceeded the number of the besiegers, … and considering that if wee had undertaken the carrying of approaches, with a purpose to batter, the whole Army must either have been tired with watching night and day, without shelter, in tempestuous weather, or disgracefully have forsaken the worke, or (to say the best) incurred the hazard of fight in places of disadvantage, with an expert enemy. And considering that the Countrey stood upon such tickle tearmes, and so generally ill affected to our side, that almost the least blow, which in the doubtfull event of warre might have lighted upon us, would have driven them headlong into a generall revolt. And further, that our Army consisted for a third part (at the least) of Irish, who being not fit to make good an entrenched campe, & much lesse fit to give upon a breach, would without question, either presently have quitted us, or turned their weapons against us, if the Spaniards had had any hand over us; and considering that in al sound judgement, this little army, (which was to be the soule of that body that should oppose it selfe against these invaders and rebels), was by all possible meanes to bee preserved as much as might be, and not at all ventured, but with manifest assurance to prevaile. These things with other like circumstances considered, what could there be more done, during the time that we wanted our supplies and seconds ….

Six Irish Gentlemen horsemen came into the towne of Kinsale on Sunday the fifteenth of November, and one Owen Conde came the same day, and they are all readie to goe out againe, and Father Archer with them. Don Jean says privately, that the Lord Deputy was borne in a happy [hour], for he will have the Towne, unlesse they be relieved from the North. They have nothing but ruske and water. They have but foure pieces of Artillery, one small piece is at the Churchyard, one great and a small in James Meaghes Garden, and the other biggest of all is at the Watergate, to play upon the shipping, and all foure are mounted. The Spaniards were five thousand by report at their setting out from Spaine, they landed at Kinsale three thousand five hundred, they are yet 3000, there are two hundred sicke and hurt in the hospitals, they lost 100 at Rincorran, and 17 and a boy at Castle Nyparke. They had nine slaine when they offered to relieve the Castle, and five when Captaine Soto was slaine ….

They fill the old Abbey at the West gate with earth, that they may
mount a great piece there, which they make account wil command the ground where the English battery is planted at the North Gate, where the Mount is raised, yet it is not likely they will mount any Ordinance there, but rather keep it as a hold. They have store of powder and munition, which lies at John Fitz Edmonds Castle, but they meane to remove it presently, and put it in a seller within the towne. Their treasure lies at the house where Captaine Bostock lay. They are much afraid the Lord Deputie will place some Ordinance at Castle Nyparke, or thereabouts, which will much annoy them; but most of all they feare the placing of it at a place neere the water side for which cause they raised their mount, but especially filled up the old Abbey, from whence it is best commanded. Don Jean lies at Phillip Roches. A shot made from the English on Friday at night, hit the house where Don Jean lay. The Townesmen will stay no longer there, for feare of the shot, and then the Spaniards will be in great distresse. One went from Don Jean to Tyrone about nine daies agoe to hasten his coming, the man was blind of one eye ….

The same two and twentieth day foure Pieces were planted by the Cannon and demy Cannon, which altogether played into the Towne, one of which shot killed foure men in the Market place, and strucke off a Captaines leg, called Don John de Saint John, who after died of that hurt, we likewise planted three Culverings in the Hand beyond the water, in which the foresaid Castle Nypark stands, and from whence we heard, that Don Jean feared annoiance.

The three and twentieth: these did beate upon the old Towne with good effect. And the same day our other sixe Pieces on the North-East side plaied upon the Towne, and so continued till night, in which time (in all mens judgments, and by report of the prisoners we tooke) they did great hurt to the Towne. This day while the Lord Deputie, the Marshall and Serjeant Major were viewing the ground where the approches were intended, a private souldier of Sir John Barkleys, in their sight, and in face of the Spanish guards, attempting to steale a Spanish sentenel (as hee had stolne divers before) this sentenel being seconded by foure, that he saw not, he fought with them all five, whereof one was the Serjeant Major, whom he had almost taken; and when he found he could doe no good upon them all, he came off without other hurt, then the cutting of his hand a little, with the breaking of a thrust, which one of them made at him, and he hurt the Serjeant Major.

The night following, we began certaine neere approches on the North-East side of the Towne on a hill, which by the naturall situation thereof, was free from sudden sallies, by reason of a valley betweene it and the Towne, so as it might bee speedily seconded from the Campe. There with
much expedition was raised a Fort (and Artillery planted, to play into the Towne) …. For making those approches, the Lord Deputy drew out one thousand foote, continuing the worke all night; and although the ground were extreme hard, by reason of the Frost, and the night very light, yet that night they brought the worke to very good perfection. The enemy played all the night upon them with great vollyes, but hurt onely three men, either in the trenches, or in divers sallyes they made (in the one whereof a squadron of our new men did beat them back to the Gates).

This day the Lord President advertised that O donnell [Hugh O’Donnell], by advantage of a Frost (so great as seldome had been seene in Ireland), had passed a Mountaine, and so had stolne by him into Mounster, whereupon he purposed to returne with the forces hee had, to strengthen the Campe. And in the evening Sir Richard Levison, by the Lord Deputies direction, drew the Admirall and Vice-Admirall in betweene the Hand and Kinsale, whence the foure and twentieth day they shot into the Towne.

The five and twentieth day: all the Artillery still played upon the Towne: but the shot from the ships doing little hurt, save onely upon the base Towne, the Lord Deputie gave direction to spend few shot more, except it were on the high Towne. This night direction was given to make a plat-forme for the Artillery upon the trenches, which was made the three and twentieth at night. Somewhat after midnight the Spaniards made a sudden salley, with purpose to force the trench, but were soon beaten backe by Sir Francis Barkeley, who commanded the watch that night in that place.

The sixe and twentieth: the Lord President with the two Regiments of foote, and with his horse he had led out against Odonnell, together with a Connaght Regiment under the Earle of Clanrickard, and a Regiment of the Pale under Sir Christopher Saint Laurence (which upon the way were commanded to joyne with the Lord President), came to the Campe; and these foure Regiments were that night quartered by themselves, upon the West-side of Kinsale, to invest the Towne more closely, and to keepe Odonnell and the Spaniards from joyning together ….