The unthinkable punishment

 ON THIS DAY, 224 years ago 

June 20th 1798 

At his camp at Longraigue, near Horetown in south Wexford, before the rising of the sun, General Sir John Moore, was organising his force of 1,300 Crown soldiers for the assault of Wexford Town. However, he was to wait for his reinforcements from Duncannon Fort and would not proceed without them. His opponents, Fr. Philip Roche and Tom Cloney, encamped upon Forth Mountain, were somewhat positive to take the field of battle.

 After their disastrous and hasty retreat from Lacken Hill, the day before, the Southern Division had been rewarded with some refreshing and badly needed armaments from the commissaries at Wexford Town and also welcomed hundreds of their former comrades, who had mutinied since the Battle of New Ross, back to their ranks. There was no resentment. They would surely prove their honour to dear Wexford once again. 

At dawn, some welcoming reinforcements amalgamated into Roche and Cloney's force. A positive sight considering they had suffered mutiny since June 5th. Cloney briefly described within his memoirs the insurgent marksmen being around 350 in number. He encouraged their segregation from the columns of marching pikemen and planned to use them in four frontal attacking lines to stem Moore's ranks. As they marched towards Moore's camp, some unnecessary diversions occurred which would reflect deeply upon the result of the day. 

John Henry Colclough of Tintern, marched ahead of his column of men. They had honour to regain after their strange disappearance from the walls of Ross when their comrades were spilling blood by the thousands. Colclough had a lot to answer for and unfortunately, no account survives of why he decided to retreat so early in the battle at Ross. However, this was fifteen days later and now confusion was the enemy of the insurgents. 

Cloney relates further in his memoirs that Colclough, although not mentioned by name, decided amongst himself to march away from the main insurgent army. When questioned by Cloney to answer for his actions, Colclough confidently stated that his battalion of rebels were marching to a location between Moore's camp and New Ross, in order to cut off any retreating Crown Forces. 

Cloney acknowledged Colclough's confidence in Fr. Philip Roche's ability to beat Moore's force but he couldn't stop Colclough's decision and away marched several hundred badly needed rebels. The rising dust alerted Moore of the approaching insurgents. The Battle of Goff's Bridge was about to begin. 

Cloney returned to find the insurgent army in a logistical mess. Moore's elite company of 60th Rifles picked off insurgents as they started to cross the river, however, the positivity of battle and good discipline encouraged the rebel's progress. Having reached Goff's Bridge, Cloney relates in his memoirs that the road to Foulke's Mill and the road running north through the woods of Horetown House were crowded with insurgents, hampering Cloney's time in finding the direction that Fr. Philip Roche was leading battle plans from. Cloney gathered his Bantry battalions and made for Tottenham Green. 

It was here that Cloney learned of Fr. Roche's frontal attack upon Crown Forces at Stoneenrath Cross. By this time, General Moore's left flanking companies had extended some distance and Cloney found himself separated from the main body by these infiltrating bodies of Crown troops. The heavy exchange of musketry and the air void of any wind created a choking mist of battle smoke, which encouraged confusion and desertion amongst the insurgents. 

The insurgents launched their attack upon the artillery but were heavily repulsed by disciplined lines of Crown muskets and severe blasts of grapeshot. Moore's company of Yagers, an elite company of riflemen, picked off insurgents at longer ranges. The battle was intense at some places, with dozens upon dozens of insurgent bodies heaped upon the field. 

Major Aylmer of the Light Infantry marched against a large body of rebels that threatened Moore's left flank. Some '98 historians believe these insurgents to be Colclough's hesitant battalion. 

Aylmer was fearful of the hundreds of pikemen and insurgent musketeers within the dense wood. Several exchanges of musket fire resulted in the wood becoming dangerously misty, however Aylmer would not strike against them. Major Daniel was dispatched by Moore to reinforce Aylmer's position with two light companies of soldiers and a field gun, however, Moore's left flank became increasingly alarming as hundreds of pikemen harassed his lines, causing various retreating of Crown forces. 

After some intense battle negotiations of musket fire and pike charges, Moore eventually overcame his opponents and his Hessian Corps cleaned up the stragglers. Hundreds of insurgents lay dead upon the fields around Goff's Bridge and the peripheries of Horetown Wood. Rebel casualties are unknown for this battle as many who participated were not long term insurgents. The numbers may be close to 400. General Moore lost ten soldiers and forty-five injured, including Major Daniel who would later die from the bullet wounds be received whilst relieving Aylmer. By 8pm, the insurgents broke and fled in all directions, with the remnants retreating back to Three Rocks. 

The Southern Division of the Republican Army of Wexford was now broken and beaten.

In Northern Wexford, Needham's force manoeuvred from the town of Gorey in a southerly direction, towards the village of Oulart, on the slopes of the Wexford insurgents first major battle victory. Atrocities occurred at all quarters and mercy was rarely given. Anthony Perry, Garrett Byrne and Edward Fitzgerald of Newpark led the Northern Division steadily along the narrow roads towards Enniscorthy, but was hampered by the thousands of refugees who straggled behind. 

At some stages, brief clashes occurred with Crown Force scouts, highlighting how close they were being followed. The British manoeuvres were being quickly established. General Duff reached Scarawalsh Bridge, three miles north of Enniscorthy, whilst General Loftus marched through Camolin to Ferns and rendezvoused with General Lake and Dundas once more. By evening, this amalgamation had embraced Duff's force and they all settled upon the grazing lands of Soloman Richard's farm at Solsborough. Word was sent to General Needham at McAuley's Hotel at Oulart to proceed for the southern end of the insurgent camp, for tomorrow, battle would commence. General Johnson was camped on the western fringes of Enniscorthy.

 It would be a surrounding job. Close to midnight, the Northern Division reached their destination and joined forces with Fr. Mogue Kearns and Fr. Clinch. Myles Byrne would later state in his memoirs, the lack of enthusiasm of creating any makeshift defences during their tenure on the hill. 

With the distant sound of cannon echoing from the country behind Forth Mountain, the people of Wexford were in a frantic state, praying that Fr. Roche's boys would win the day at General Moore's camp. Only time would tell about their fate. The disciplined and dedicated pikemen, the John Street Corps, under Richard "Dick Monk" Monaghan, who had kept order upon the streets were now gone to fight under Roche and Cloney and in their absence lawlessness started to creep in. 

Multiple buildings across the town were being used as makeshift jailhouses for loyalist prisoners. The notorious Tom Dixon, his wife, "Yella" Madge Dixon and their consortium of what can be best described as an apolitical town rabble, who undedicated to the cause of liberty and religious brotherhood, came out to wreck havoc, under their black flag with bold white initials "MWS" - "Murder Without Sin". "If Wexford is to fall, then let's take a few of them with us" they would have chanted as they slogged heavy gulps of whiskey beside the harbour. They would've heard of the Massacre at Scullabogue and probably congratulated such a gruesome event, for now they wanted another. Wexford Town would see another of what Myles Byrne later described as "those abominable cold blooded reprisals."

The loyalist prisoners were no longer safe. Dixon's mob encouraged pandemonium amongst the townspeople, playing with their fears and exaggerating what the loyalists would do if the British regained control of the town. He got his pass in a sense and without any resistance, Dixon's mob made straight for the jails, unbeknownst to the town leadership of Matthew Keugh, William Kearney and Bagenal Harvey. Blood would be spilt today. 

Mock trials were established to try and legitimise their intended murders. The loyalists were dragged through the streets towards Wexford Bridge, tried and convicted within minutes and gruesomely piked by several of the mob, such as Thomas Cleary, Hugh Rooney and Stephen Furlong, who lifted them with the pikes until they died or fell unconscious, and then heaved the remains into the harbour below. This unbelievable massacre took place over three to four hours without much opposition. However, Esmond Kyan, the recuperating insurgent artillery commander, who had been wounded at Arklow, saw the commotion and saved several lives. The Wexford priest, Fr. Corrin also played an influential part by putting a stop to the travesty before it was completely stopped by Edward Roche, who returned to find such an act of disgust occurring during his absence from the town. It is stated that ninety-eight loyalists were piked to death upon the bridge of Wexford. Men were dying for their country at this moment and this was occurring behind their backs. Where was Harvey and Keugh? No one knows. Some speculate they knew of what was occurring but because of their hostile relationship with Dixon and his cronies, they remained out of sight. 

The 1798 Rebellion Casualty Database has tried to amass the full numerical list of those who succumbed on Wexford Bridge on June 20th. 

This list includes: 

Thomas Aiken, Private Samuel Atkin of the Wexford Cavalry, Philip Bacon, William Baubier, Peter and Robert Burrell of Mulrankin, 

John Byrne, Thomas Cavenagh, John and William Clarke, John Codd of Davidstown, Captain William Cox of Taghmon Cavalry, Thomas Crane, Thomas Crowe and Private David Dalton of the Enniscorthy Cavalry; Private William Daniel of the Wexford Militia, John Edwards, Thomas Finn of Killimuck, John Gibson, Jonas Gurley of Wexford Town, William Harrison, John Hatchell of Wexford Town, Abraham Henesy, William Hore of Harperstown, Private John McCoy of the Taghmon Cavalry, John Morton and Private Francis Plummer of the Enniscorthy Infantry; John Radford, John Radford Jr, Nathaniel Radford, William Radford, Private Middleton Robson of the Wexford Cavalry, Anthony Thackaberry, John Smyth, George Tully, Edward Turner, J.P., Richard Whitney of New Ross, ? Kellett and William Kennedy. 

Other casualties of atrocities that took place on June 20th included the murder of two elderly men, John Grimes and Michael Prendergast, upon Ballyboley Hill, near Enniscorthy, by Needham's cavalry scouts. John Laffan of Monageer, is also recorded as dying, aged 34 years. Private Henry Kinch, a yeoman from Hunter Gowan's Wingfield Cavalry, was assassinated by insurgents in northern Wexford whilst Private William Willis of the Newtownbarry Yeomanry Corps was executed upon Vinegar Hill, before the arrival of the Northern Division. 

Little is known of the whereabouts of Tom and Madge Dixon after these atrocities. Some evidence points them to have later participated in the Kildare and Meath theatre of the Rebellion before completely disappearing from record. Various stories detail that they emigrated to the USA, after things quietened down. 

Today, when some people think of the 1798 Rebellion in County Wexford, they might think of glorious battles, won or lost, whether their ancestor possibly shed blood or had fought for the Crown. Others will think of the despicable atrocities at Scullabogue and Wexford Bridge. It seems, because they were so well documented in the aftermath of the rebellion, courtesy of trial transcripts and loyalist propagandist writers, these atrocities take precedence over larger bloody atrocities such as Gibbet Rath, the town of Killala and the Kilcumney and Newtownmountkennedy Massacres. It was these two major atrocities in Wexford which would help drive a wedge between the religions of Ireland for many years and also help darken the positive and enlightened views of the United Irishmen and Irish Republicanism. Regardless, these murders were shambolic and unnecessary and a dark stain upon the glory and honour that the pikemen and women of Wexford, Kildare, Antrim, Mayo, Leitrim, Down, Meath, Carlow and Wicklow had amassed through their bravery and sacrifice.

At nightfall, as the soldiers established their camp at Solsborough, they watched in wonder at the magnificent sight before their eyes; over 20,000 people from Wexford, Wicklow and in some cases beyond, gathered around their camp fires upon the hill and sloping fields of Vinegar Hill. The insurgent council of war was initiated. William Barker and Mogue Kearns would hold back Johnson's troops within the town, whilst the remainder of the force would penetrate Lake's army. Tomorrow, the fate of Wexford was to be decided. 

©️ C. O’Rourke, 2022

Image 1 - The Cruikshank illustration showing the Massacre on Wexford Bridge, 20 June 1798.

Image 2 - Another illustration showing how the massacre was carried out.

Image 3 - The Battle of Foulkesmills / Horetown

Image 4 - Major-General Sir John Moore