Wexford, May 1st, 1799.

Sir,Altho' I have not the happiness of being personally acquainted with you, at the request of your Friend, Mr.W—s, it affords me pleasure to have it in my power to send you a copy of an acurate detail of the effects of the late dreadful Rebellion, as it respected this part of the Kingdom, written by an intimate and fellow sufferer with me and transmitted to Dublin, for publication in July 1798.

On Friday evening the 25th of May, about 9o'clock, the North Cork Militia then quartered here, with the Wexford Yeomen Cavalry and Infantry were ordered under arms, in consequence of an alarm that the Insurgents were rising in the neighbourhood of Camolin, in this County; and we continued under arms the whole of that night. On Saturday orders arrived here from Dublin-Castle to the High Sheriff, to apprehend B.B. Harvey, J.Colclough of Ballyteigue, and Edward Fitzgerald of New-park; and they were committed to goal on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Early on Sunday morning the 27th of May, an express arrived here that the day before an engagement took place between a party of the Camolin Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Buckey, and a large body of the Rebels, that the Lieutenant was killed, but that they had repulsed the Rebels; that they were then (Sunday morning) in great force in the neighbourhood of Oulard, burning the houses of different Protestant Inhabitants in that part of the County. In consequence of this information; Lieutenant-Colonel Foot with Major Lombard, and six other officers, and 106 men of the North Cork Militia, immediately proceeded from this town, and came up with the Rebels at an advantageous position they had taken on a hill near Oulard. Through the rashness of the Major, in charging the Rebels in an incautious manner, the whole party were surrounded, and not a man escaped instant destruction but the Lieutenant-Colonel and two privates. By this defeat the Rebels had acquired a powerful accession of strength and confidence, having got the whole of the arms and about 57 rounds of ball-cartridge from each man, they not having fired above three or four rounds when they attempted to charge them with Bayonets. On the following morning, the 28th, the Rebels attacked Enniscorthy, and after a severe conflict of three hours, and above 500 of them being slain, they took the town owing to the treachery of some of the inhabitants in setting fire to the town during the engagement, which obliged the Militia and Yeomenry to evacuate it, and they, with all the Loyal inhabitants that could escape, retired on Monday evening to Wexford. On Tuesday the 29th, the Rebels formed two powerful Camps, one at Vinegar-Hill, near Enniscorthy, and the other about three miles from Wexford, at the Three Rocks, on the road between Wexford and Ross, and sent threats in here that 10000 men would be detached from those Camps to attack the town next morning.—On Wednesday the 30th, information was received that a body of the military, (supposed to be the 13th regiment) was attacked by the Rebels near their Camp at the Three Rocks; this induced Lieut.Col.Maxwell, who arrived the day before with two hundred of the Donegal Militia, to march out with his men and four troops of Yeomen Cavalry to their assistance; but before he had come up with them, they entirely cut off the party, which proved to be a slight detachment of the Meath Militia, of about 100 men who were coming to Wexford with three howitzers; and with these howitzers the Rebels attacked Col.Maxwell's party, and obliged him to retreat into Wexford. The 13th regiment, who were coming to our relief, finding they could not proceed to us without attacking the Rebel Camp, returned back to Waterford. From these rapid successes, and their encreasing numbers, (as it was supposed there were then 20000 men ready to attack Wexford) the people here were panic-struck; and finding that many who were entrusted with arms had deserted the barriers, and it being considered that others could not be depended on, the Officers concluded that the town was not tenable, and without firing a shot it was evacuated on the 30th of May, and shortly after entered by the Rebels; who kept possession of it until the 21st of June. As to the different engagements the army has had with the Rebels at Ross, Newtownbarry, Arklow,&c. you must already be informed of them; in many instances the reports were vague and contradictory, I shall therefore confine myself to such particulars as fell within my own knowledge, of that I have reason to believe are facts.The atrocities committed by those ferocious tygers while they held this town, were I believe unprecedented. After taking possession of the town, without opposition, they immediately shot several Protestant Inhabitants, tore open most of our houses, destroyed and carried off our effects, (their rage was most particularly directed again at poor Mr.Daniels and mine) put every Protestant inhabitant whom they spared from immediate death (some few excepted that they received amongst them) to prison; but they would not stop here, we were obliged to slaughter each other. The Sunday after they had taken the town, June the third, Pigott, Robson, a Mr.Edwards and I, were dragged from our cells, and forced by the Rebels to put to death a man for being an approver against a Priest of the name of Dixon, who had attempted to swear him to be an United Irishman; after being made the instrument of his destruction, we were forced for to drag his body from the place of execution and throw it into the river. After deliberating for some time whether they should dispatch us at that moment or not, they carried us back to goal. Others of the prisoners were obliged to perform the like Office to another approver. After every species of insult and tyranny to us in prison, the fatal day at length arrived (Wednesday the 20th of June,) when the total extermination of the prisoners (namely 500) and all the Protestant inhabitants of the town, man, woman and child, was openly avowed to be their fixed purpose! About 95 of the prisoners were taken out and tortured to death by pikes on the bridge of Wexford; they returned for more victims, and I was dragged out of the cell, when above fifty wretches (whose ill-will I had incurred by exerting myself in the line of my duty,) cried out to have me destroyed. Providentially an express arrived at that moment, that the army had defeated a considerable party of the Rebels at Long Graige, between this and Ross, and requiring an immediate reinforcement; this made them beat to arms, and induced them at that time to stop the work of blood. The following day they were totally defeated at their great camp (as they termed it) at Vinegar-Hill, and routed in all directions, and on the same day the remaining prisoners were liberated by the army. The horrid cruelties they committed in this town fell short (if possible) of what they did in other parts of the County; at Scullabogue, between Taghmon and Ross, they put 150 Protestants into a barn and burnt them to death, amongst whom were two beautiful and accomplished young ladies of the neighbourhood; poor G—d, the Surveyor of Taghmon, attempted to escape from the flames at this place and was shot by them—at Enniscorthy they scarcely left a Loyal man alive that they could find, and the town was almost consumed by fire—There were about ten of their leaders hanged here, upon the arrival of the army, amongst whom were B.B. Harvey, Cor.Grogan of Johnstown, Captain Keugh, J.H. Colclough of Ballyteigue, and Kelly of Killarn, who were afterwards beheaded, and their heads placed over the Court-house. In consequence of a proclamation from General Lake, inviting the Rebels to desert their leaders, and promising pardon, numbers came in with pikes,&c.——

Such my dear Sir, is the recital of what I can recollect of the barbarities practised here during the reign of these monsters. What my feelings and sufferings were during that period, I cannot attempt to describe. That the Almighty providence may preserve us all from such another visitation, is the ardent prayer of, Yours,&c.——

The following Clergymen and Gentlemen, were taken Prisoners and put to death by the Rebels.

The Rev.Samuel Haydon, Enniscorthy; Rev.Robert Burrowes and Son, Oulart; Rev.Francis Turner, Ballingale; Rev.Mr.Pentland, Killarn; Rev.Mr.Troke, Templeshannon; Captain Allen Cox, Coolelife; Major William Hore, Harpurstown; Edward Turner,Esq. Slane Lodge; Edward Howlin D'Arcey,Esq. Ba——n.