| | 1 | Author: | McHenry
James
1753-1816 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | O'Halloran, or The insurgent chief  | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 | | | | Description: | It was on the evening of the fourth of June, that
a messenger arrived from Belfast, at O'Halloran
Castle. He delivered to its owner the following
note, and passed on to circulate others of a similar
import throughout the country. “The signal is given. The mail coach has not
arrived. Our informant says it was stopped yesterday
at Swords. The south is in arms—Wexford is
taken. Let the rising be on the 7th inst. The general
rendezvous for this county is Donegore hill.
The small parties of the military quartered in the
country towns must be captured, if possible, by
surprise. The bearer will proceed with intelligence
along the coast. You will despatch messengers
through the interior, by Ballynure, Ballyclare,
Ballyeaston, Ballymena, &c. Expedition is requisite. “I am now a prisoner in the hands of the insurgents;
and you may be sure I am well treated,
when I inform you that I have had influence
enough to persuade them to postpone an attack,
which, just as I was brought here, they were on
the point of making upon you. “Sir, we are to the number of sixteen hundred
men in arms, prepared to attack the garrison under
your command. But to give you an opportunity
of saving your soldiers from destruction, we
have thought proper, first, to apprize you of our intention,
and to summon you in the name of our
country, to surrender your party, both military
and others, with all your warlike stores, into our
hands. As our prisoners your lives will be safe,
and as much attention as possible paid to your
comforts. The lives, families and properties of
such of our town's-men as have joined you, shall
also remain unmolested. Our attack shall be suspended,
in expectation of your compliance, for three
quarters of an hour, but no longer. “Sir, enclosed is my reply to the rebel chieftains.
By it you will see that you anticipated truly,
when you supposed that I would not agree to an
unconditional surrender. I am sorry that you are
in their power; but it is pleasing to find that they
are not disposed to abuse their good fortune, by
acts of wantonness or cruelty. It may yet be in
my power to show that I can esteem humanity,
even in such an enemy. “In answer to your message, I have to inform
you that rather than comply with your demands,
my party and myself are resolved to meet destruction
amidst the ruins of the place, which it is our
duty to defend. Do not, however, suppose that we
shall fall an easy prey. It is true, your number
exceed ours by ten to one; but were they a hundred
to one, as we are fully supplied with the
means of defence, we know too well how to use
them, not to make our enemies deplore the dearness
of any victory they may gain over us. In
your case, it is apparent that victory is at least
doubtful. Some traits of humanity displayed by
you have been communicated to me, in consideration
of which I give you my promise, and all the
gentlemen of the town, who have so gallantly come
to my assistance, will guarantee its performance,
that if you lay down your arms, and return peaceably
to your allegiance, all that you have yet done
shall be overlooked, and pardoned, and the full
and free protection of the laws of your country
shall once more be extended towards you. Should
you reject this offer, I can only deplore your infatuation;
I must resist you unto destruction, and
the blood of those who may fall on both sides, be
upon your heads. “Dear Sir—It has fallen to my lot to communicate
to you the unfortunate news of the forces we
assembled this morning, being completely defeated
and dispersed, after a severe conflict with a large
body of the king's troops, near Ballynahinch, in
which it is supposed, that we lost upwards of one
thousand men. “Sir, being informed that you have the rebel
chief, O'Halloran, in custody, I am induced, in
consequence of some representations made to me
in his favour, by a person well acquainted with
him, to pardon his offence, on condition that he
shall pay a fine to be assessed by you to any
amount, not exceeding ten thousand pounds, which
sum shall be appropriated to the relief of those
royalists who have suffered from the rebellion in
the county of Antrim. “Dear Barrymore—I have at length followed
you. Excited by my ardent desire to see the peerless
beauty, who could so completely subdue a
heart which was impregnable to all the attacks of
the Dublin fair, I eagerly embraced the first moment,
in which I could, with propriety, undertake
the journey. The day before I left the city, I
waited on the Lord Lieutenant, with the letter you
enclosed from the Recluse, who, I understand, is to
be no longer a mendicant, but is to appear in society
in his own proper character of Francis Hamilton,
Esq. of Hamilton-hall, in the county of Tyrone.
His excellency was much pleased to hear from
him; and, without delay, not only granted to him
his request, but wrote to him a long letter, which
on finding I was about to take a Northern trip, he
entrusted to my care. “Dear Sir—It is with great satisfaction that I
acknowledge the receipt of your's of this morning,
covering the commands of his excellency, the Lord
Lieutenant, respecting you, which, of course, it is
my duty, as well as my pleasure, to obey. I shall
make the agreeable communication known without
delay to all the justices of the peace, jailers, and
other officers, whom it concerns, so that you will
be in no danger of personal molestation; and may
appear in public whenever you think proper. “My Son—A few days ago, I received from you
a very foolish letter, requesting me to consent to
your marriage with a woman I never saw, nor, until
that very moment, ever heard of. I took, of
course, some pains to inquire concerning her, and
her connexions. The only person from whom I
could obtain much information, is your old mendicant
protagee, who praises her in a style that I
cannot well understand; but from which I can
gather that she is a great beauty. I presume,
therefore, that in the ardour of your admiration,
you have endowed her with angelic qualities, for
in the eyes of every love-sick young man who has
a handsome mistress, she cannot be aught else
than an angel. “* * * * * * * * * At what an awful crisis,”
said he, “have I been entrusted with the government
of this unfortunate country? Treason, rebellion,
massacre, and invasion, have shaken her to
pieces, and have prostrated her into the depth of
misery. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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