WE having Possessed our Selves of the English Town, by driving the Irish over the Shannon, on the 20th. of June, as you have already heard.

The next day being the 21st. by Four in the Morning, we began to Work on our Batteries, against the Irish Town, and by Eight that Night we we had finished two Batteries, one of 6 Twenty Four Pounders, and the other of 8 Eighteen Pounders, and immediately after we began to batter the Castle, and the new Additional Works of the Town, on the other side of the River.

On the 22d. Our Guns continued to play incessantly, from our two Batteries, on the Enemies Works, and that with very good success.

The 23d. This Day about Ten in the Morning, our Tin-Boats, or Pontons, arrived in the Camp, some of our Soldiers going among the Ene­mies Dead, in search for Plunder, hear'd a Voice, crying, boire, boire, that is in English, Drink, Drink, and ma­king [Page 4]towards the place, they found it to be a French Lieutenant Collonel, who having his Back broak, and be­ing wounded in several other places, had lain there ever since the late Action on the 20th.

This Evening a Drum came to the General, from the Enemies Quarters, with an Answer to a Message sent by the General, about Exchange of Prisoners.

The 24th. This Morning about the Hour Six, our own Drum re­turned from the Enemies Quarters, being kept by them till this time; all our hands (that could any ways possibly be spared from other Du­ty,) were employed in mending the Tin-Boats; others of our Men were working with all diligence in raising three New Batteries, one be­low the Bridge, another above it, and the third without the Town-Wall, by the River-side, opposite to a large Bastion, the Enemy had erected, on the other side the River Shannon.

About 7 this Evening, one of the Granadeers belonging to the Lord Lis­burn's Regiment, perceiving a Colours of the Enemies floating on the River, just under one of the Arches of the Bridge, immediately stript and swam thither, and though, I believe, above an hundred Shot were made at him, yet the Fellow brought it off flying, and presented it to the General, who generously Rewarded him with Five Guineas.

The 25th. Yesterday, the Ene­my were very hard at work, in raising three New Batteries above the Castle; the one of 4 Guns, on a rising Ground, at a small distance from the Castle, and the other two of 3 Six Pounders each, near the River, but the Annoyance they gave us was ve­ry inconsiderable, notwithstanding, with one of them they play'd very briskly on the Old Walls of the Town where our Men were, (but without Killings, or Wounding any;) with another, they Shot into some of our Regiments of Foot, who lay Encamp­ed on the Bank of the River, which obliged our Men to Decamp, and re­move farther off.

About Four this Morning, our own Battery (below the Bridge) was finished, and 6 Twenty Four Pounders planted thereon, which began to play about Six, on the Ene­mies Breast-Work, on the other side, we continued to play incessantly all this Day, from our several Batte­ries; with the last mentioned, we beat down most of the Enemies Breast-Work and levelled it with the ground; as also, most of the Houses that stood in the Irish-Town; and with the help of Six Mortars, we battered down the greatest part of the Castle, and laid the Enemy so open, that a great part of them retired to Sarsefield's [Page 5]Camp, others got behind the Castle, and other of their Ruined Works.

The 26th. Four Deserters that came into our Camp this Morning, gave an Account, That the Enemies Army, hourly expected our going o­ver the Shannon; but they seeming verry silly Fellows, we gave little Credit to them. Our Cannon and Mortars continued to play all this Day without intermission. This Day we could plainly Discover the Irish Army, as they lay Encamped on the other side of the Town. Our Men worked very hard this Day in repairing the two Arches, of the Athlone Bridge, and made up one of them in the E­vening.

The 27th. This Evening we raised a Battery in the Meadow below the Town, and planted Five Guns there­on, to stop the way the Enemy had on that side, coming into the Town.

This Evening our Granadeers Burnt the Enemies Breast-work, on the other side of the broken Arch, with their Granadoes, which in the Night (notwithstanding our great and small Shot flying like Hail) the Ene­my very resolutely and industriously repaired.

The 28th. Last Night and this Morning, we wrought so hard on the last broken Arch, in the Enemies Pos­session, that our Beams were laid over it, and partly planked, which the Enemy perceiving, before we could make any Lodgment on the other side, detatched a Serjeant, and Ten Men, to run over their Works, with Design to ruine ours, but were all immediately Kill'd by our Men; and soon after a Lieutenant and Twenty more were sent upon the same Design, who all but two were Kill'd, who threw our Planks, and some of our Beams, into the River, and escaped amongst the Fire and Smoak.

All last Night, and this Morning the Enemy were hard at work, in Repairing some Old, and in making some New Trenches in the Meadow opposite to our Batteries. All this Day our Guns continued to play fu­riously on a place called Connaught Tower, a solid Wall on the North-side of the Castle, that it took up more time to bring down, than any part of the Castle.

This Afternoon a Council of War was held, wherein, after great deli­beration, and long Debates, it was concluded, We should by Six next Morning, attempt passing the Shannon on the Bridge, and a Float to be laid above the Bridge, opposite to the Ca­stle, without Boats below the Bridge, 1000 Granadeers were to be Detatch­ed for the Forlorn-Hope on this Ser­vice, who were to be sustained by 15 out of every Troop of Dragoons in the Army, and those seconded by se­veral [Page 6]Regiments of Foot, our Horse to pass close below the Bridge, over the Ford, where a large and open breach was made for their Entrance, and ac­cordingly Orders were given for eve­ry thing to be in readiness against the next Morning.

Monday the 29th. Before Six this Morning, our Men were ready march­ed to the Town, shewing all imagina­ble desire to Engage where they stood at their Arms.

Our Boats, Floats, and their Ap­purtenances, were drawn into the Town, by which time it was 10 of the Clock; all this Morning we plain­ly observed greater Numbers of the Enemy to flock into the Town, than formerly, but our Gunners plyed them so well, that great Numbers of them were killed with our Canon Ball; their coming so made us believe they had an Account of our Resoluti­ons the Evening before: A little after 10 of the Clock, the Granadeers of both Parties that defended the Breach, throwing Hand-Granadoes one at a­other, the Enemies Granadoes set fire to our Fasheens that lay close on the broken Arch, which suddainly flamed so violently, that our Men could not endure the Flame and Smoak that blew directly in their Faces, and though they laboured very hard to extinguish it, and did all that was possible for Men to do in their Con­dition, could not prevent that part of the Breast-Work from being thus ruined by the Enemy, but they pre­served all the rest intire; and imme­diately after, all Hands possible were employed in throwing up another Breast-Work, just behind the former, which was raised in a very few hours, and made much stronger than the for­mer, by this time it was somewhat af­ter Twelve of the Clock, and the Ge­neral finding the Attack upon the Town that way, was like to cost the Lives of great Numbers of our Men, they deferred proceeding further therein, till another Council of War was called: All this Afternoon our Guns continued Firing.

The 30th. All this Morning till near Twelve at Noon, our Guns and Mortors have play'd continually from their several Batteries, and not with­out good Success; they Destroying great Numbers of the Enemy. A­bout One a Clock, the General held a Council of War, with most of the Great Officers, wherein it was Re­solved, that this day we should At­tempt passing the River, and accor­dingly all things were Disposed against Four in the Afternoon, pursuance to the Orders given out by the General; about half an hour past Four the At­tack was made by 1500 Granadiers, who were Chosen Men drawn out of the whole Army, who had Each a Guiney given them for their Encou­ragement, in so hardy an Enterprise, [Page 7]for all things were brought to that Extremity, that the Enemy rendred our Pontons useless, and broke the two Arches of the Bridge which we had with so much Difficulty repaired, and would have cost us Ten Days time to have refitted, so that nothing could be done without Wading the River. The Signal for our Mens tak­ing the River, was the Ringing a great Bell, upon which the Grana­diers entered the Ford.

Captain Sandes, Cmmanded a Party of 30 Granadeers, having two Lieu­tenants to assist him, in the first At­tack, (the Brave Major General Tal­mash, who did not Command that Day, going with them as a Volunteer, and was the fifth Man that entered the Breach.) The Enemy at first made considerable Opposition, by firing very smartly, but nothing could withstand the Courage and Bravery of our Men; who, notwithstanding they Marched up to their Cravats in Water; yet with continual Huzzaing, advanced under the Shelter of our Cannon, and throwing their Grana­does, forced the Enemy from their Posts; and God be thanked, succeed­ed so well, that they entred the Town, and in less than an Hour, made them­selves entirely Masters of it, and the River, in sight of the Enemies whole Camp, who durst not Attempt the Succour of their most Important Pass, but run away, leaving behind them near Eleven Hundred of their Num­ber Dead on the Spot, and about Three Hundred and Fifty that were taken Prisoners, of which number is their Famous Major General Maxwel, one Collonel, two Lieutenant Collo­nels, six Captains, and great Numbers of Subalterian Offices; on our side we had not above Forty Men killed, and some few Wounded.

We found in the Place, six Pieces of large Brass Canon, and two Mor­tars, with other small Pieces; Twenty Barrels of Powder, Twelve Hogs­heads of Meal, &c. with other good Plunder.

This great Action was performed both by the Officers and Soldiers, with all the Courage and Resolution Ima­ginable; the Major Generals Tettar, and Mackay, and Brigadier General de la Meloniere, and the Prince of Hesse, Darmstadt, conducted the At­tack with great Vigor, and the Duke of Wirtemberg, Lieutenant General, who was carried over the River upon the Shouldiers of his Granadiers, to­gether with Major General Talmash, Count Nassau, and Brigadier Belasis, greatly contributed by their Conduct and Bravery to the good Success of it.

July the 2d. Our Men have been busied in Lining the Works of the Town, which remain Entire towards the Enemies Camp, and Repairing some other Fortifications.

Yesterday the General sent a Trum­pet to the Enemy, about the Ex­change of Prisoners, who came back this Day, and brought with him Ma­jor General Maxwel's Equipage, which he sent for by him. There Arrived an Express this Day to the General, from one of Colonel Woolsly's Cap­tains, giving an Account that the Enemy had Deserted Streams-Town, and that he and his Party is therein. Deserters come in daily from the E­nemies Quarters, of Horse, Foot, and Dragoons, who gives us an Ac­count of the great Confusion the E­nemy are in.