"WILLIAM AND MAST.

243

and rushed on the guns. There was then a short and desperatefight. The Irish cannoneers stood gallantly to their pieces till -they were cut down to a man. The Enniskillen horse, nolonger in danger of being mowed down by the fire of the artil-lery, came fast up the causeway. The Irish dragoons who hadrun aw r ay in the morning were smitten with another panic, and,without striking a blow, galloped from the field. The horsefollowed the example. Such was the terror of the fugitives thatmany of them spurred hard till their beasts fell down, and thencontinued to fly on foot, throwing away carbines, swords, andeven coats as incumbrances. The infantry, seeing themselvesdeserted, flung down their pikes and muskets and ran for theirlives. The conquerors now gave loose to that ferocity whichhas seldom failed to disgrace the civil "wars of Ireland. Thebutchery was terrible. Near fifteen hundred of the vanquishedwere put to the sword. About five hundred more, in ignoranceof the country, took a road which led to Lough Erne. Thelake w 7 as before them: the enemy behind: they plunged intothe waters and perished there. Macarthy, abandoned by histroops, rushed into the midst of the pursuers and very nearlyfound the death which he sought. He was wounded in severalplaces: he was struck to the ground; and in another momenthis brains would have been knocked out with the but end of amusket, when he was recognised and saved. The colonistslost only twenty men killed and fifty wounded. They took fourhundred prisoners, seven pieces of cannon, fourteen barrelsof powder, all the drums and all the colours of the vanquishedenemy.*

* Hamilton's True Relation; Mac Cormick’s Further Account; LondonGazette, Aug, 22. 1G89; Life of James, ii. 8GS, 3G9.; Avaux to Lewis,Aug. f,., andtoLouvois of the same date. Story mentions a report thatthe panic among the Irish was caused by the mistake of an officer whocalled out “Right about face" instead of “Right face." Neither Avaux norJames had heard any thing about this mistake. Indeed the dragoons who

16 *

CHAP

XII.

!«&!>.