honour, you will forgive my taking up your time by communicating my thoughts to you, and, through you, to the French general, at this important period. He is arrived at a moment the most fortunate, when the government, as if excited by some supernatural impulse to accelerate their own destruction, after creating animosities among the people, armed a part to massacre the rest, and proclaimed a religious war. "This religious prejudice, policy requires should be fed; humanity requires it should not be permitted to go the length of taking away lives. In every town, the general should, in my mind, place the suspected persons in such a state as to be perfectly secure from personal violence, and yet not leave it in their power to injure the common cause, either by communicating intelligence to the enemy, or by fabricating reports, to damp or chill the public spirit. But above all, they should not be permitted to hold any kind of public employment at this crisis. The effect that would have on the multitude would be inconceivable.

"The general, I trust, will not be led to make any partial distribution of commissions to any particular set of men, so as to cause jealousy among the rest; though only weak minds could feel any, in so great a cause. Yet, even this has ruined Ireland in a former period. The natives, I conceive, should be trained in skirmishes, or marched to different places, before they engage in a general action. Habit produces courage, or insensibility of danger, which

produces the same effect. Suppose an attack upon Sligo, if the general thinks the army could be divided with safety. Then they would be received by thousands of enthusiasts (Carmelites), and the habit and pride of conquest would recruit their courage, and the army might easily prevent their being attacked from Athlone. The example the yeomanry show, and the conduct of the cavalry in the engagement at Castlebar, prove how dangerous it is to trust, on horseback, any but experienced soldiers. Many, seized by an impulse, sometimes irresistible, run on horseback, who would fight well on foot. The courage of one often communicates itself to others but fear is epidemical: the flight of one often brings on that of a whole regiment. The soldiers should be invited to come over to you, with warmth; but trusted with caution. Of the yeomanry who join, the fidelity is unquestionable: they all like the cause.

"But above all, my friend, your men should be roused, animated, encouraged; they should be told they fight for their God, their country, and themselves. The principle of the partition of lands among them should be inculcated; and, I think, by the French general; this would be speaking at once to their feelings and their understanding. This doctrine, once properly instilled, would shake the old government to its centre; it would communicate through the kingdom, like an electric spark; it would spread dismay and distrust through the ranks

of our enemies, and may cause such desertion among the military, particularly the militia, that the government may fall without a struggle; may die without a blow The expectations of our friends, the fears of our enemies, are realized, by the victory at Castlebar; the character of the French soldiers, the talents of their commander, are established by it.

"By suspected persons, I mean those favoured by the old government, and those against whom the public indignation is directed.

I remain, with the warmest wishes for the delivery of Ireland, your assured friend,

"To Citizen Gannon,

"To be handed to Commissary Major Roche,

"Castlebar."

"E. G.

If the foregoing be genuine, and not a letter made for an imaginary writer, it implies much; and, in fact, renders it manifest, that had the French interest in Ireland been supported by many such as EGarvey, and had the number of foreign troops landed been at all formidable, (they amounted to less than fourteen hundred,) Ireland would have been separated from Great Britain-perhaps for ever. Few as the French were, they consisted of the best description of soldiery; they were veterans, and mostly of the army of the Rhine, as several of them, with whom I conversed, informed me. I saw their colours, taken in or after the fight; a large flag of white silk, or sub

stance like silk, having in the centre République Française" embroidered within a wreath of laurel.

The officer who commanded the artillery, and defended Castlebar as long as he could, told me,-and he was an old experienced soldier, that no troops could possibly behave better than the French did when they attacked him. They were obliged, he observed, to advance in column, of which formation he took advantage, and by his fire made a lane through it from front to rear, killing many. But before he could fire again, the French, with great skill, dispersed themselves to the right and left, so that his next shot did comparatively no mischief. And then, surrounded by the enemy, and deserted by two regiments which should have supported him, he was obliged to surrender himself, his guns, and such of his artillery-men as survived.

A circumstance took place at this attack on the town, too much to the credit of the brave men concerned, not to deserve commemoration. During the night of the 26th, six Highland soldiers, of the regiment called Fraser's Fencibles, who were posted outside the threatened suburb, were ordered to send notice to the commandant within of the first approach of the invading force; but had no orders to withdraw. Each of these heroic fellows, accordingly, remained fixed as a statue, and died precisely on the spot assigned to him. I saw, with strong emotion, the ground where these true soldiers fell, like Spartans of old; and copied the following inscription from

an engraved stone of large dimensions, inserted in

the wall of the church of Castlebar, by their colonel and fellow-countryman :—

ERECTED

то

THE MEMORY OF
JAMES BEATY,

ANGUS M'DONALD,

GEORGE MUNRO,

DONALD URQUHART,
WILLIAM ROSS,

AND

DOUGALD CAMERON,

PRIVATES OF THE FRASER HIGHLANDERS,
WHO WERE KILLED IN

WHO

THE ACTION AT CASTLEBAR
WITH THE FRENCH INVADERS,
ON THE 27th OF AUGUST, 1798.
AS A SMALL TRIBUTE TO THEIR
GALLANT CONDUCT,

COMMANDED THE DETACHMENT

OF THE REGIMENT ON THAT DAY.

skirts of his

He said the

The commanding officer of the artillery, to whom I have alluded, then captain, since General S., had shot-holes through his hat, and the coat, yet escaped without a wound. French had treated him respectfully, and sent him away safe and he added a pleasant story of his horse, Gunner; a noble animal of great size and beauty, and white as snow. Gunner was an old