protestants in this quarter. He soon after led his insurgent troops to the north-western parts of the province, which he hoped to find less efficiently protected.

In this expectation he was happily disappointed. His success in those parts was confined to the capture of a few places of little importance. In the beginning of December he succeeded in taking the town of Strabane, which he plundered and burned. He also obtained possession of the castle which had been held by the relict of Claude, first lord Strabane. Here he remained with his forces for several weeks, making occasional incursions through the adjoining country; but becoming enamoured of his fair captive, the lady Strabane, he carried her with him to his castle in Tyrone, where they were afterwards married. (7) Besides the taking of this town and castle, he obtained no other advantage in that part of the province.

For, shortly after the breaking out of the rebellion, Sir William and Sir Robert Stewart, acting upon the commissions received from the king, had embodied about a thousand men in the counties of Donegall and Tyrone, who were afterwards known by the name of the "LAGAN FORCES."(8) With this body they were enabled not only to hold the insurgents in check, but to succour several towns and castles which were closely besieged, and in danger of falling into the hands of the enemy. Though unable to protect Strabane, they garrisoned the castles of Newtonstewart and Omagh; both of which were seasonable asylums for the plundered and defenceless protestants of Tyrone. To the former of these places, the inhabitants of the barony of Dungannon repaired in a body, under the command of Sir Thomas Staples and colo

7 Sir Phelim said to lady Strabane, as he carried her off, that he would never leave off the work he had begun, until mass should be sung or said in every church in Ireland; and that a protestant should not live in Ireland, be he of what nation he would.' Lodge, v. 114.

8 The LAGAN' is the name of a large district in the county of Donegall, lying between the Foyle and the Swilly.

nel Saunderson. "They marched forth of that barony to Newton, nigh twenty miles through the barbarous mountains of Munterlony, one of the greatest fastnesses of Ireland, to join Sir William Stewart's forces there, where they were joyfully entertained." The castle of Augher in Tyrone was held by the Rev. Archibald Areskine, son and heir to Sir James Areskine, assisted by a company of soldiers, and by Archibald Hamilton, Esquire, and his tenants, who, at the first alarm of the rebellion, had fled thither for protection. The rebels, to the amount of two thousand, having burned the small town of Augher, laid close siege to the castle for a considerable time, but were repulsed in all their attempts to take it, and ultimately compelled by Sir William Stewart to abandon the siege. Irritated at the gallant defence of this post, Sir Phelim O'Neill, in conjunction with colonel Rory Maguire of Fermanagh, marched against it, and again invested the castle with nearly four thousand men. "They planted a small field-piece to batter; and in a dark night stormed the gate and bawn upon all parts. Yet by the resolution of Master Areskine, and the ready fire of Sir Henry Tichborne's old company, they beat them from their walls and scaling-ladders with the loss of two hundred men."

Sir William Stewart, apprized of this renewed and more formidable attack, despatched colonel Saunderson, major James Galbraith and captain Audley Mervyn from Newton, with all his disposable force, to the relief of Augher. The rebels, being once more compelled by the approach of this body to raise the siege, next invested Castle Derg in the same county; from which also they were repulsed by Sir Robert Stewart, who thence marched over against Glenfin,-burnt that

9 See "An Exact Relation of all such occurrences as have happened in the several counties of Donegall, Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh, in the north of Ireland, since the beginning of this horrid, bloody and unparalleled rebellion there begun in October last. Presented to the House of Com mons in England by Colonel Audley Mervyn, June 4, 1642." Lond. 1642. 4to. pp. 14.

country and killed divers,-afterwards fell over in the night upon the rebels' quarters above Strabane, and killed above eighty men.

"(10)

Meanwhile Sir William Stewart, with another portion of the Lagan forces, proceeded into the barony of Kilmacrenan in Donegall, where the rebels had early taken possession of the castles upon his estate, plundered his towns, and scattered the protestant inhabitants. "Captain Maxwell and captain George Stewart marched towards Ramelton with one hundred and fifty men, and killed ninety of the rebels, and brought home eighteen hundred cows. Captain Basill, about the same time, being New-Year's day, marched over into the enemy's country with sixty men, and encountered four hundred men and killed thirty-six." They regained possession of Ramelton and the castle there; and, supported by the neighbouring garrison of Derry, they effectually checked the further incursions of the Romanists in that quarter.

The city of Derry was securely placed under the command of the governor, Sir John Vaughan, knt. So early as the fourth of November, the lords justices issued a commission to alderman Henry Finch, to raise a company of foot for the defence of the city. Not long afterwards, captain Lawson, having received intelligence that one of his vessels, freighted with butter for France, had been detained at Derry, obtained permission from Sir Arthur Tyringham to place his newlyraised regiment at Lisburn, under the charge of his two lieutenants, Clugston and Hanna, and of his quarter-master Stewart; and having considerable property embarked in trade at this critical period, he proceeded to Derry to attend to his mercantile concerns. He found the cargo of his ship had been laid up for the use of the inhabitants, then apprehensive of being besieged by the rebels; and that the vessel itself was "employed to carry away into Scotland about five hundred poor souls which would have perished, if that occasion had

10 Mervyn's Exact Relation, &c.

not offered; no other shipping being there resident for the space of six months before."(1) Having obtained another commission to raise a company for the defence of the town, Mr. Lawson remained at Derry, where the principal part of his property lay. His brother-in-law, alderman Henry Osborne, and several other gentlemen, were also commissioned to raise soldiers, so that the city was soon fully garrisoned with seven companies of foot, commanded by the following captains:Robert Thornton, who was also mayor, Simon Pitt, Henry Finch, Henry Osborne, John Kilmer, Robert Lawson, and Hewit Finch, whose company was subsequently placed under the command of the governor's son, captain Henry Vaughan. These commanders took prompt and efficient measures for the defence of this important post. They entered into a mutual league' or agreement for the keeping thereof, and the country adjoining.' (12) They repaired the gates and

11 Lawson's "True Relation," &c.

12 As no history of this maiden city,' so full of interest to the northern protestant, has yet appeared, I am tempted to lay before the reader, throughout this work, ampler gleanings respecting its early state than I might otherwise have done. I accordingly subjoin a copy of the ' League,' noticed in the text, taken from a very rare and curious pamphlet, entitled, "A true copy of a letter sent from Doe Castle, in Ireland, from an Irish rebel, to Dunkirke," &c. Lond. 1643. 4to, pp. 5.

"The League of the captains of Londonderry for the keeping thereof, and country adjoining.

"1. It is concluded by us, whose names are subscribed, that we will, from this time forward, stand together for the safe keeping of this city of Londonderry and country adjoining, and be helpful in all things concerning the same. 2. It is agreed, that on the morrow morning, we will all join together, with a competent number of our men, to expel all such Irish out of the city, as we shall conceive to be needful for the safety of this city. 3. That after this is done, that a proclamation be made, that no man or woman so expelled the city shall, upon pain of death, return into this city, or make their abode within two miles of the same. 4. That the morrow morning we take the advice of Sir John Vaughan, and captain Henry Vaughan; that we survey the suburbs of this city, and conclude what houses are to be pulled down, and what gardens and orchards to be cut for annoying the enemy's approach, and that the same be speedily put in execution. 5. That forty men be spared every watch-night to guard the

ramparts, and erected temporary houses of wood within the walls for the accommodation of the soldiery, who were principally landholders from the surrounding districts. (13) They

ordnance and the gates the next day, that twenty men of the main guard, and twenty men of the bye guard, out of the two hundred watches every night. 6. It is thought fit all our companies be drawn forth into the fields, and that the captains and officers shall take a voluntary oath to be true to the king and state, and to keep the city to the expense of his life, and to leave it to the rest of the companies to do the like if they pleased.

The division of the walls for each captain's quarter to make good. “7. Captain Pitts to make good the king's bulwark to the Ferrigate. 8. Captain Thornton from the Ferrigate to master Wabion's bulwark; and they two to make good the Ferrigate. 9. Captain Kilmer from Master Wabion's bulwark to Chichester's bulwark, and make good the Shipkey-gate. 10. Captain Finch from the end of Chichester bulwark to the Butchersgate. 11. Captain Osborne from the end of Chichester bulwark to the Butchersgate. 12. Captain Lawson to make good the Prince's bulwark, and the Bishopsgate to the King's bulwark. 13. Whoever hath the town-guard, captain Lawson is to make good his quarter, and the captain of the town's guard to make good captain Lawson's quarter. 14. Sir John Vaughan and Sir Robert Stewart to make good the main-guard, and all the inhabitants or residents within the said city, not under the captain's commands, to repair to the main-guard, for the better strengthening thereof, and issuing of supplies as occasion shall require. 15. All women and children to keep within doors, and hang out lights in their several houses. 16. Every captain to allow so many men to the cannoneers as shall be requisite, and to give them their names the morrow morning. 17. Every captain to take the oversight of his own quarter, for the repairing of the defects of their several quarters, or other fortifications, with the gabions for the cannoneers, which is to be done at the general charge.

"The names of the captains,-Robert Thornton, Simon Pitt, Henry Finch, Henry Osborne, John Kilmer, Robert Lawson, Hew Finch.

"Since, the honourable city of London hath sent us fifteen pieces of ordnance, and four we had before, in all nineteen pieces, for which, amongst other their goodness towards us, we pray the Lord reward them, and preserve them, and continue his mercy with them, and direct his judgments in these evil times from them, that it may still continue a city flowing with plenty for ever."

13 In captain Lawson's "True Relation,” it is certified, on his behalf, that he hath issued and delivered out about 4000 deal-boards to make several houses, with timber, planks and nails, to receive the soldiers, their wives and children in the dead of winter, most of them having been men of good ability and householders; neither hath he been wanting on his part