Wars of the Irish Kings (51 page)

The two and twentieth: Tyrones horse and foote often shewed themselves from an Hill, beyond which they incamped in a Wood, yet our Artillery still plaied upon the Towne, breaking downe the Wall, and some Turrets, from whence the Spaniards shot annoyed our men. Many intelligences confirmed, that Tyrone on the one side, and the Spaniards on the other, had a purpose to force our Campe.

This night the Spaniards sallied, and gave upon a trench close to the West-side of the Towne, which the Serjeant that kept it did quit: but Sir Christopher Saint Laurence appointed to second him, came up with some foote, and did beat the Spaniards into the Towne, before they could doe
any great hurt, save onely a little defacing it. Our Artillery still plaied upon the Towne, that they might see wee went on with our businesse, as if wee cared not for Tyrones comming, but it was withall carried on in such a fashion, as wee had no meaning to make a breach, because wee thought it not fit to offer to enter, and so put all to hazard, untill wee might better discover what Tyrone meant to doe, whose strength was assured to bee very great, and wee found by letters of Don Jeans, which wee had intercepted, that hee had advised Tyrone to set upon our Camps, telling him that it could not bee chosen, but our men were much decayed by the Winters siege, and so, that wee should hardly bee able to maintaine so much ground, as wee had taken when our strength was greater, if wee were well put to, on the one side by them, and on the other side by him, which hee would not faile for his part to doe resolutely. And it was most true, that our men dailie died by dozens, so as the sicke and runnawaies considered, wee were growne as weake as at our first setting downe, before our supplies of foure thousand foote ….

This evening [December 23] one of the chiefe Commanders in Tyrones Army, having some obligations to the Lord President, sent a messenger to him for a bottle of Usquebagh, and by a letter wished him, that the English army should that night bee well upon their guard, for Tyrone meant to give upon one Campe, and the Spaniards upon the other, meaning to spare no mans life but the Lord Deputies and his. Don Jean de l’Aguila after confessed to the Lord President, that notwithstanding our sentinels, he and Tyrone the night following, had three messengers the one from the other. All the night was cleare with lightning (as in the former nights were great lightnings with thunder) to the astonishment of many, in respect of the season of the yeere. And I have heard by many horsemen of good credit, that this night our horsemen set to watch, to their seeming did see Lampes burne at the points of their staves or speares in the middest of these lightning flashes.

Tyrones guides missed the way, so as hee came not up to our Campe by night, as the Spaniards ready in Armes howerly expected, but earely about the breake of the next day.

The foure and twentieth of December: some halfe hower before day, the Lord Deputie in his house sitting at Counsell with the Lord President and Master Marshall, as thinking the intended enterprise of the enemie by some accident to bee broken, suddenly one of the Lord Presidents horsemen
called him at the dore, and told him, that Tyrones Army was come up very neere to our Campe. And Sir Richard Greame, having the Scout that night, when hee discovered that Tyrone with his forces was on foote marching towards the Campe, presently advertised the Lord Deputy thereof, and his Lordship being alwaies in readinesse to intertaine them (seldome going to bed by night), and at this time setting in Counsell, when he heard that they were advanced within three quarters of a mile of our Campe, caused all our men to draw into Armes in our quarter, and himself with the Marshall attending him, advanced towards our scouts … to take view of the enemy, and hee brought him word that they were in the same place formerly advertised. Upon his returne, the Lord Deputie left for defence of the great Campe on the Northside …. This done, the Lord Deputie sent a Corporall of the field unto our lesser Campe … and directed how to set all the Companies in their severall guards …. By this time the Marshall … advanced with twenty score of the enemie, the ground rising so high betweene them and our men, as they could not see one the other.

It was now the breake of the day, whereas mid-night was appointed the time appointed for the Rebels to meete with Don Jeans forces, the Spaniard being to set upon our lesser Campe, and Tyrrell leading the Rebels Vantguard (in which were the Spaniards lately landed at Castle-Haven), and Tyrone leading their Battaile, and O Donnell their Reare, being all to set upon our chiefe Campe, conceiving themselves of sufficient strength to force both our Campes at one instant, and to make no great worke of it.

The Lord Deputy, with the Lord President in his company, being come up to our forces, led out against Tyrone, and resolving there to give him battaile, commanded Sir John Barkeley Serjeant Major to draw out of the Campe two Regiments …. Upon their comming up, the enemy finding us resolved to fight, retyred himselfe over a Ford, and the Marshall seeing them disordered in their retrait, sent word thereof … to the Lord Deputie, desiring leave to fight, and his Lordship … gave him leave to order that service according as hee in his discretion, should find the disposition of the enemie, and therewith sent backe Sir George Carew Lord President with three troopes of horse, to the great Campe, to command both Camps in chiefe, and to make head against the Spaniards, if they should sally out of the Towne.

But the Spaniards still expecting the comming up of the Rebels, according to their mutuall project, and never imagining that wee with our small forces, could draw out sufficient bands to meete and beate the Rebels, contained themselves within the towne walles, till (as by the sequell shall appeare) their sallies could little profit them.

After the said message sent to the Marshall, presently the Earl of
Clanrickard came up and exceedingly importuned the Marshall to fight. Whereupon the Marshall drew a Squadron of foote with their Drumme to the Ford, and willed Sir Richard Greames with his horse to march directly to the Ford. Then the enemy retired hastily with horse and foote over a boggy ground to firme land, hoping to keepe that boggie passage against us. Then the Marshall directed Sir Henry Davers (commanding the horse under him), with his horse, and Sir Henrie Power with his Regiment of foot to advance, who presently came over the foresaid Ford unto him. The Lord Deputy being upon the hill with two Regiments of foote, commanded the Serjeant Major.

So the Marshall having the Earl of Clanrickard, and Sir Henrie Davers with him, advanced with some hundred horse, and began with a hundred Harqubusiers (led by Lieutenant Cowel a valiant Gentleman marked by a red cap he wore, to be a special instrument in this fight) to give occasion of skirmish on the Bog side, which the rebels with some loose shot entertained, their three Battalions standing firme on the one side of the Bog, and our Fort on the other side. In this skirmish our foot were put up hard to our horse, which the Marshall perceiving, put forth more shot, which made the Rebels retire towards their Battaile. Then the Marshiall finding a way through a Ford, to the ground where the Rebels stood, he possessed the same with some foote, and presently he passed over with the Earle of Clanrickard, Sir Richard Greames … and their horse, and offered to charge one of the Rebels Battailes of one thousand eight hundred men: but finding them stand firme, our horse wheeled about.

Now Sir Henrie Davers with the rest of the horse, Sir William Godolphin with the Lord Deputies, and Captain Minshall with the Lord Presidents troopes (kept by the Lord Deputie to answere all accidents), and our Serjeant Major with two Regiments … came all up, whereupon the Marshall with the horse charged home upon the Reare of the Battaile, and the Irish not used to fight in plaine ground, and something amazed with the blowing up of a Gun-powder bagge … but most discouraged to see their horse flie (being all Chiefes … and Gentlemen, to the number of five or sixe hundred), were suddenly routed, and our men followed the execution. The other two Battailes that stood stil, now finding this routed, made haste to succour them. Whereupon the Lord Deputy sent instantly … Sir Oliver Saint Johns Regiment … to charge on the Flanck of the Vanguard, which presently retired disorderly, being followed by our foote and horse: but the Spaniards landed at Castle-Haven, marching there, and being not so good of foote as the Irish, drew out by themselves … soone broken, and most of them killed, the rest (with their chiefe Commander Don Alonzo Del Campo) being taken prisoners, namely, two Captaines, seven
Alfieroes, and forty souldiers, whereof some were of good qualitie.

In the meane time many of the light footed Irish of the Van escaped, as did likewise almost all the Rere, by advantage of this execution done upon the Spaniards and the maine Battaile, (of which body farre greater then either of the other, all were killed), but onely some sixty or there abouts.

Thus the Irish horse first leaving the foote, then two of the Battalions being routed, they all fell to flie for life, our men doing execution upon many in the place. On our part Sir Richard Greames Cornet was killed, Sir Henry Davers, Sir William Godolphin, Captaine Henry Crofts Scoutmaster were slightly hurt, onely sixe souldiers hurt, but many of our horses killed, and more hurt.

The Irish Rebels left one thousand two hundred bodies dead in the field, besides those that were killed in two miles chase: we tooke nine of their Ensignes, all their Drummes and Powder, and got more than two thousand Armes. And had not our men been greedy of the Spaniards spoile, being very rich, had not our foote been tired with continuall watchings long before, in this hard winters siege. Had not our horse especially been spent by ill keeping and want of all meate for many daies before, (by reason of Tryones neerenesse, so as the day before this battaile it had been resolved in Counsell to send the horse from the Campe for want of meanes to feede them, and if Tyrone had laine still, and not suffered himselfe to bee drawne to the plaine ground by the Spaniards importunitie, all our horse must needs have been sent away or starved.) Had not these impediments been, wee [could have] then cut the throates of all the rebels there assembled; for they [the Irish] never made head against them that followed the execution, nor scarce ever looked behind them, but every man shifted for himselfe, casting off his Armes, and running for life. In so much as Tyrone after confessed himselfe to be overthrowne by a sixth part of his number, which he ascribed (as wee must and doe) to Gods great worke, beyond mans capacitie, and withall acknowledged that he lost above one thousand in the field, besides some eight hundred hurt. This we understood by the faithfull report of one, who came from his some few daies after, and told the L. Deputy moreover, that he tormented himself exceedingly for this his overthrow.

After the battell, the Lord Deputy in the middest of the dead bodies, caused thanks to be given to God for this victory, and there presently
knighted the Earle of Clanrickard in the field, who had many faire escapes, his garments being often peirced with shot and other weapons, and with his owne hand killed above twenty Irish kerne [foot soldiers] and cried out to spare no Rebell …. So before noone his Lordship returned to the campe, where commanding vollies of shot for joy of the victory, the Spaniards perhaps mistaking the cause, and dreaming of the Rebels approach, presently sallied out [of Kinsale], but were soone beaten into the Towne, especially when they saw our triumph, and perceived our horsemen from the hill on the West side, to wave the Colours we had taken in the battell ….

The seven and twentieth: the Lord Deputy … wrote to Master Secretary [in London] the following letter: … “God hath given the Queene the greatest victory that ever was obtained in this Country ….”

The twenty-eighth day of December: the Lord Deputy was advertised that Syrriago, a principal Commander of the Spaniards, landed in the West parts, having received newes of Tyrones overthrow, was suddenly gone for Spaine without acquainting any of the Spaniards therewith, and that he carried with him on the same ship Hugh Odonnell ….

The nine and twentieth day: his Lordship had advertisements from diverse places that Tyrone in his flight out of Mounster, passing the Blackwater, lost many of his carriages, and had some one hundred and fortie of his men drowned, fear making them so hasty, as they could not attend the passing of their owne fellowes, much less the fall of the waters.

The last of December: Don Juan Generall of the Spaniards offerred a Parley, [saying] that having found the Lord Deputy (whom he tearmed Viceroy) though a sharpe and powerfull, yet an honourable enemy; and the Irish not onely weake and barbarous, but (as hee feared) perfidious friends, hee was so farre in his affection reconciled to the one, and distasted with the other, as he was thereby induced to make an overture of such a composition as might be safe & profitable for the state of England, with least prejudice to the Crown of Spaine, by delivering into the Viceroyes power the towne of Kinsale, with all other places held by the Spaniards in Ireland, so as they might depart upon honourable tearmes.