Wars of the Irish Kings (49 page)

This day the three Culverings were brought from the Iland beyond the water on the East-side, and were planted on a hill, in a point of land neere the water on this side of the Haven, lying to the East of our Fort newly built there, to which hill the Towne lay neere and very open. In the meane time the Spaniards from the Towne, played upon our ships with a Demy-Cannon, and shot our Admirall twise, and our Vice-admirall once, while they rode (as aforesaid) close by the Towne, but our ships within few shot exchanged, did dismount their Demi-Cannon, so as they could make no more shot with it, and at the same shot hurt their chiefe Gunner ….

The foresaid eight and twenty: in the morning, we sent a Trumpet to summon Kinsale, who was not suffered to enter the Towne, but received his answere at the gate, that they held the Town first for Christ, and next for the King of Spaine, and so would defend it Contra tanti. Upon his returne with this answere, the Lord Deputy commanded to make battery with all our Artillery, (planted all on the East side of the Towne), which was presently performed, and continuing till towards night, brake downe great part of the East gate. In the meane time the Spaniards being retired in great numbers into their trenches on the West side, to escape the fury of our Ordinance on the East side, Sir Christopher S. Laurence was commanded to draw out from our new Campe, on the West side, and to give upon them in their trenches, which he performed, and did beat them out of the Trenches, following them to the very gate of the Towne, killing many, and hurting more of them, and so returned without losse of a man on our side, having onely some few hurt. The nine & twentieth all our Artillery plaied upon the Town, and brake downe most part of the Easterne gate, and some part of a new worke the Enemy had made before the gate. This day two Spaniards wrote from Kinsale to some of their friends prisoners in our Campe, whom they stiled poore Souldiers, when we knew them to be men of accompt, and withal sent them such money as they wanted, yet under the title of Almes, as if they had neither mony of their owne, nor were of credit to be trusted for any.

The last day of November: Sir Richard Wingfield the Marshall tooke some fifty shot, and went to the wall of the Towne, to view the fittest place for us to make a breach, the Spaniards made a light skirmish with them, and hurt some few. The Marshall when he had well viewed the wall, drew the shot off, and judging the wall, close to the Easterne gate on the right hand, to be fittest for the making of a breach, he gave present order that our artillery should beat upon that place, which was done without intermission, and therewith we brake downe before night a great part of the wall, which the Enemy in the night attempted to make up againe, but was beaten from it by our Guards, who plaied upon them with small shot most part of the night. In the evening a Spaniard ranne away from Kinsale to our campe, who reported to the Lord Deputy that our Artillery had killed divers Captaines and Officers in the Towne, besides many private souldiers.

The first of December: it was resolved … that some foote should bee drawne out of the campe, to give the Spaniard a bravado, and to view if
the breach we had made were assaultable, and also to cause the Spaniards to shew themselves, that our Artillery might the better play upon them. To this purpose two thousand foot … and drawne neere the wals of the Towne, who entertained a very hot skirmish with the Spaniards, who were lodged in a trench close to the breach without the Towne. During this skirmish, our Artillery plaied upon those that shewed themselves, either in the breach or in the trench, and killed many of them, besides such as were killed and hurt by our small shot.

Among the rest one Captaine Moryson a Spaniard, (of whom … we shal have cause to speake hereafter) walked crosse the breach, animating his men, and though Sir Richard Wingfield our Marshall caused many both great and smal shot to be made at him, with promise of 20 pound to him that should hit him, or beat him off, (whereupon many great shot did beat the durt in his face, and stones about his eares); yet all the skirmish he continued walking in this brave manner, without receiving any hurt. Many thinke them best souldiers, who are often and dangerously hurt, but it is an errour: for wounds are badges of honour, yet may befall the coward assoone as the valiant man; and I have knowne most adventurous men who never received wound. Pardon this my digression, not warrantable in a journall, I will onely adde, that brave souldiers (for the starres have a kinde of power in our birth) are by some secret influence preserved, when others intruding themselves into that course of life, or driven to it by necessity of estate, fall at the first allarum …. After an howers fight, when we had taken full view of the breach, and found it not assaultable, our men were drawne off, with little or no dammage on our part, onely three of our men were hurt, and Captaine Guests Horse was killed under him, which Captaine first had killed two Spaniards with his owne hand.

The same day it was resolved in counsell, to plant a Fort on a Rath on the West side of the Towne, to lodge therein some foote, for seconds to the guard of our artillery, intended to be planted neere the same. And to this purpose, in the night following, the Marshall, the Sergiant Major, Captaine Edward Blany, and Captaine Josias Bodley Trenchmaster, (the Lord Deputy being almost all night present with them), drew out five and twenty of each company, and intrenching themselves on the said hill, not halfe Callivers shot from the Towne, beganne to cast up a small Fort. And though the Spaniards perceived not their purpose, yet many of them lying in a trench they possessed close to the West gate, did play very hotly all night on our men, guarding the Pyoners, and ours did no lesse on them, so that divers were hurt and killed on both sides. But the second day of December, about nine in the morning, when a great myst beganne to breake, and they discovered our worke a yard high, then from the said
Trenches, and more from the Castles, and high places in the Towne, they plied us all the day with small shot. Notwithstanding which annoyance, our men brought the work to very good perfection before the night. In the meane time, a Serjeant to Captaine Blany, drew out some seven or eight shot, and suddenly fell into a Trench which some Spaniards possessed, close by the Towne, of whom the Serjeant killed two, and each of the rest one, with their owne hands. But when not content therewith, they attempted another Trench, something distant from the first, the Serjeant in going on was shot through the body and two of his Company were hurt in bringing him off and so returned with this and no more losse.

This night the Trenches where the Cannon was planted on the East side of the Towne, were manned with the Lord Deputies guard …. Now within … two houres before the Moone rose, it being very darke and rainy, the Spaniard impatient off the Forts building, the day before so close to the Townes West gate, and resolving to attempt bravely on our Ordinance, planted on the East side, made a brave sally with some two thousand men, and first gave slightly towards the Trenches on the West side, but presently with a grosse and their chiefe strength fell upon the Trenches, in which the Artillery lay on the East side, continuing their resolution to force it … having brought with them Tooles of divers sorts, to pull downe the Gabbyons and the Trenches, as also spykes, to cloy the Ordinance. The allarum being taken in the campe, the Marchall and Serjeant Major … with some one hundred men fell directly towards the Port of the Towne next to the Campe, and the Lord Deputy sent out Sir Oliver Saint Johns with seconds. Upon the Marshals arrivall and charge, the enemy brake, and our men did execution upon them. Sir Benjamin Berry fell directly upon the enemies seconds, whom he charged and brake, killing many of them, and taking the Commander of that body, being an ancient Captaine, of great estimation with the enemy. At the same time the enemy gave upon our trenches and Fort built the day before on the West side, and continued the attempt long with great fury, till Captaine Flower in heate and without direction, sallying out of the Fort, to follow part of their forces discomfited, the enemie entered the Fort before he could returne, and possessed themselves of our trenches. Yet still our men continued the fight, and Sir William Godolphin gave many brave charges with his horse, to countenance our men, till the Earle of Clanrickard was sent to second them on this part …. Then his Lordship and the rest charged the enemies grosse, being without the Fort, and brake them, and did execution upon them falling towards the towne, and so returning thence, entered the West Fort again, with little resistance, for the enemie abandoned it …. In this salley in all the enemy left in the field above one hundred
and twenty dead bodies, besides such as were killed neere the Towne, and could not next day bee discerned by us. And wee tooke thirteene prisoners … After we heard by some of the Towne, that they left dead above two hundred of their best men … and that more then two hundred of them were hurt. On our part Captaine Flower, Captaine Skipwith, and the Earle of Clanrickards Lieutenant were hurt, and Captaine Spencer, and Captaine Dillon, and Captaine Flowers Lieutenant, were killed in the West Fort, who staying in the Fort when Captaine Flower sallied, were there found dead in the place which they were commanded to make good, and with their faces to the enemie, in as honourable manner as could be expected from any souldier …. The trenches about the cannon were in some places filled with dead bodies; for in that particular attempt they left seventy two bodies dead in the place, and those of their best men, whereof some were found having spikes and hammers to cloy the cannon. And in generall among the dead bodies many were found to have spels, caracters, and hallowed meddals, which they woare as preservations against death, and most of them when they were stripped, were seene to have scarres of Venus warfare [venereal disease]. Wee tooke some fortie shovels, and as many mattocks, and much Armes, left in the field, which tooles were so massie, as they had great advantage of us therein, and the sight of them would have put her Majesties Ministers of the Ordinance to shame, who for private gaine sent sale ware to us, unfit to be used ….

Some hower before this skirmish, the Lord Deputie was advertised by one Donnogh O Driscoll, that sixe Spanish ships were put into Castle Haven, and that six more were sent with them from the Groyne, but in the way were scattered from these by tempest, and that since it was not knowne what became of them. That in these six ships arrived, were two thousand Spaniards, with great store of Ordinance and Munition, and that by their report twentie thousand more were comming presently after them. The third of December, by reason of rany weather, nothing could be done ….

A Drumme was sent to the Towne, to offer Don Jean liberty to bury his dead, which message he received with due respect, but prayed us to burie them, with promise to do the like for any of ours happening to fall in his power. And because our Drum, according to his direction, expostulated with Don Jean, that howsoever the Spanish prisoners were well used by us … one of our men taken in the last salley, after he was hurt, so long as he gave himselfe out to be an Irish man, was kept in the hospitall, but after being discovered to be an Englishman, was drawne out, and killed. For this cause Don Jean sent backe with him a Spanish Drum to the Lord Deputy, intreating buriall for his dead, with the foresaid promise to doe
the like for ours …. His Lordship promised to doe, as a Christianlike act, though he knew the inequalitie of the offer, having so many of their bodies presently in his power ….

His Lordship also excepted to a kind of challenge sent by Don Jean, that the question betweene England and Spaine should be tried by combat betweene them two, this triall being in neither of their powers by commission, nor in Don Jeans will, though hee had the power, besides that the Councell of Trent forbad the Romanists to fight in Campo Steccato (or combat in the field) so as this message was rather quarrelsome then honourable, which otherwise his Lordship protested to bee most willing to accept, with thankes for the noble offer. Lastly, his Lordship remembred, that at our first setting downe, he sent a Drum to Don Jean, with this message; That whereas his Lordhsip understood certaine Ladies and women to bee in the Towne, he offered them before the playing of our Artillerie free leave to depart, or remaining there still, to command any provision for themselves which our campe afforded. And that Don Jean made an uncivill answere, That he would not be his Baud. To these exceptions hee answered with a Spanish shrug of the shouldier, as having no knowledge nor commission, to satisfie his Lordship therein. So his Lordship protested, that all the courtesie offered hitherto by him, proceeded out of that honourable respect which useth to passe betweene honourable enemies, and because he would ever be true to his owne Honour, whatsoever others were to theirs. But in case it were conceived to proceede of any respect of the greatnes or power of the Spanish Nation, or his owne feare, that he would hereafter shew how much he disdained such ill interpretations of courtesie. And so his Lordship dismissed the Drum.

This night the Spaniards attempted something by boats against our Sentinels, but were soone beaten backe againe. The fifth day Sir Richard Levison, though the wind hindered the going out of Kinsale Harbour, yet with towing, got out the Warspite, the Defiance, the Swiftsure, the Marline, one Merchant, and a Carvill, and with them went to seeke the Spanish Fleete newly arrived at Castlehaven ….

The sixth day: at ten in the morning, our Fleete arrived at Castle haven, and before foure in the after-noone one Spanish ship was sunke, the Spanish Admirall with nine foote water in hold drove to the shore upon the rocks, the Vice-admirall with two others drove likewise aground, most of the Spaniards quitting their ships. Our Fleete was forced to stay
there the next day by contrary winds, and the Spaniards having landed some Ordinance, plaied upon our ships all the day, but the night following they warped out, and the day after returned to Kinsale.

The sixt day likewise, a Scottish Barke bringing soldiers from Spaine, and being one of the Fleet newly arived at Castlehaven, but severed from them at sea by storme, came into the Harbour of Kinsale, and put the Spaniards, being fourscore, into our hands, who were brought to the campe, and examined before the Lord Deputie ….