SHrove-monday the 20. of February wee de­parted out of Bristoll with 200. proper men well armed, and colours flying, and shipped them aboard, in the good Ship called the Lambe of Bristoll.

Tuesday the 21. we set sayle from King-roade, neare Bristoll, for Ireland, having with us for our Convoy, the good Ship called the Fellowship of Bristoll, a man of warre. Tuesday night, and Wednesday all day, we kept company together at Sea. Wednesday night the winde being contrary, ere Thursday morning our Ship and Convoy were separated.

Thursday about noone we descried land, and in the evening we arrived before the Fort of Duncannon, in the mouth of the River of Waterford.

Friday and Satterday we landed our men safely with­in the Fort, wherein we found the noble old Lord Es­mond Governour thereof, with 100. men resident for the defence thereof; the enemie laying within Musket shot thereof.

[Page 3] The Enemies Commanders under their Generall the Lord Mongarret, are Colonell Butler, Lieutenant Colonell Maylor, and Serjeant Major Butler.

The enemie before our landing had made a Truce or cessation of Armes with his Lordship for five dayes, which was expired the Sunday following our arrivall: During the time of the Truce, a Parley was fought by Serjeant Major Butler; the effect whereof was, that the evnemie might be admitted to bring into the Fort as many men of theirs as his Lordship had therein, upon pretense to strengthen the same: If this might bee granted, they would lay downe their armes, but his Lordship would not embrace any of their treacherous propositions.

At the time of the Parley his Lordship demanded restitution for the wrongs and injuries done unto His Majestie, and His Highnesse Subjects, the poore Pro­testants in Ireland; Answer was made by the Enemie, They could doe nothing in that particular without con­ference with their Generall.

Before their first Truce was ended, the Enemie de­sired a second for 14. dayes, but his Lordship would not condescend thereunto.

Munday the last of February, Colonell Butler sent a Letter unto his Lordship, perporting a further cessa­tion of Armes, as also a parley with foure of our best men of quality, and then with eight men; and by and by a Messenger sent from Colonell Butler, to desire private conference with his Lordship in person, which his Lordship refused; for that he would have no confe­rence at all with any one of them, without publique notion to my selfe and Captaine Weldon.

[Page 4] Wednesday the 2. of March, we sallyed forth upon the enemies quarters with 60. Musketiers, intending to have fired their quarters, and bring away such neces­saries for lodging as we could get, for lodging for our Souldiers: Our men came bravely on, and exchanged divers bullets with the enemy; but by extraordinary numbers of men encreasing upon us, (being but an handfull) occasioned by the sudden intelligence sent un­to the neighbouring Garrisons, as by burning of Furzes, setting Beacons on fire, &c. we retreated into our Fort without losse of any man, onely one man received a small hurt in his shoulder.

Friday the 4. of March, we sallyed forth againe upon the Enemie, removed their Centinels, forced them to retreat from their quarters, and brought away their Court of Guard, made of Deale boards, which served very well to make our Souldiers Huts, lodging being somewhat scarce within the Fort. This day also wee brought our men safe off, onely one man shot in the face, but not mortall. This day likewise our Convoy, together with a Pinnace, came into the Harbour.

Sunday morning the 6. of March we sallyed forth againe, intending to have some further bandying of bul­lets with the Enemie; but marching up their quarters, we found they had raised their siedge, and were gone we knew not whether; of which opportunity wee ta­king advantage, presently fired divers of their houses, neare adjoyning unto the Fort, and brought away di­vers small stackes of Corne, to our no small comfort, and then retreated (to give God praise) into the Fort, resolving to sally forth againe in the afternoone.

Sunday in the afternoone we sallyed forth againe, and [Page 5] then marched forth with some 150. men, about a mile and halfe distant from the Fort, where we fired diverse other houses, there being good store of Corne, Goates, Sheepe, and Swine; some Sheepe, Goats, and Swine wee brought away, but could not bring any Corne: First, in regard the day was almost spent; and second­ly, for that the Enemie was discovered drawing to a place of ambush, that was betweene our men and the Fort; but some of our men remaining behinde in the Fort, perceiving their drift, prevented their comming; and presently some 50. Musketiers were commanded to march thither, and make good the same against the Enemie, untill our men should come off, which was done accordingly; the Enemie not daring to approach any further, but were forced to retreat with shame.

Sunday night, his Lordship, my selfe, and Captain Weldon resolved together with the Captain of the Man of War, that on Munday morning by the break of day, the Ship together with the Pinnace, should go up the River about two miles distant from the Fort, and there lie between a Town called Passage, and another small Town called Ballyhacke, opposite against Passage, the one having a Fort with four gunnes in it, the other a strong Castle, but no Artillery in it.

Munday morning the seventh of March, I went up my selfe in the Man of War together with the Pin­nace, and lay betweene those two Townes, the Fort of Passage shot thrice at us, then our Ship shot one shot into the Fort, and presently the Fort hanged forth a flag of Truce; whereupon, and for that there were divers of the poor English Protestants Prisoners with­in the Town, we made no more shots, but wholly in­tended [Page 6] our battery against the Castle of Ballyhacke, be­ing the onely convenient place of Rendevous and Ga­rison for all the rebellious Crue, that besiege the Fort of Duncannon; our Ship lay before it most part of the day, sending many shots to the Castle, but could make no breach therein, then I commanded some 20. Mus­queties to go on shore, and set fire on one side of the Town, which they did landing at one end thereof, where they set a fire one house, thinking the rest of the houses on that row would have taken fire by degrees. All this while the Rebels from the Castle played upon our men with their small shot, very thicke; our men retreated into the Boates, and came aboard againe all safe, onely one man at the first landing was shot through the shoulder.

But finding the fire not to take effect, I commanded the Boates to be manned forth againe, and to land our men on the other side of the Towne, and set that on fire: Our men being landed, marched up very boldly to the Towne, in despight of the Castle, (which still played upon our men with their small shot) and fired the most part of the Town, and came off bravely, onely one other man (one of the Ships company) received a shot into his belly, but none of our men mortally wounded.