regain the town, and accordingly he directed the troops to countermarch. The rebel-chief was soon informed of the movements of the enemy; but, possessed of the churchyard, and aware that a few minutes would enable him to carry the gardens, he felt confident that every attempt the royalists could make to dispossess him of the town would be abortive. But it was fated otherwise. At the instant he was about to order an assault, when his detached party had actually got in the rear of the disheartened loyalists, who, conscious of the coming danger, found themselves exhausted by fatigue, and almost left without a cartridge, the express returned with the fatal tidings that Orr had retreated, and the reserve was lost! In bitter agony the rebel leader heard the ruin of his hopes. From some unaccountable cause, the wretched imbecile to whom the fourth column had been entrusted, became panic-struck by the opening cannonade, and before the mischief was known, the division was removed beyond recal. Thus the Republicans saw victory snatched from their grasp—no alternative but a retreat was left-to remain where they were would only lead to certain destruction; and they reluctantly determined to evacuate Antrim, and retire from a town their unpractised bravery had won from a wellappointed enemy. There was no time for deliberation-Colonel Durham was already on the heights, and had opened with round shot upon the churchyard-and the exhausted yeomanry, inspirited by this unexpected relief, sallied forth from the gardens, and drawing up the aban doned guns, turned their fire on the houses which afforded shelter to insurgents. O'Hara ordered a retreat, and with little loss, he retired on and took possession of Randalstown. CHAPTER XII. Is it the lark that carols shrill; Is it the bittern's early hum? No! distant, but increasing still, The trumpet's sound swells up the hill, Lord of the Isles. RANDALSTOWN had been taken by a rebel detachment, on the morning of the attack on Antrim. They evacuated it the same night, and fell back upon Toome, where, being threatened by General Knox, they broke down the bridge which crosses the river Bann, and waited to effect a junction with the insurgents who were risen in the neighbourhood of Saintfield. O'Hara retired on Ballamena, and the next day took up a position on Donnegore-Hill. The general rising of the united Irishmen was hourly expected-the partial success which attended their arms at Newtownards, having, in a great degree, counterbalanced their discomfiture at Antrim; for there they justly attributed their defeat to no want of gallantry on their part, but to the imbecility of a treacherous commander. Thus circumstanced, one victory might have retrieved the cause, and induce the more timid and cautious of the malcontents to openly appear in arms. For two days that O'Hara remained on Donnegore-hill, he was indefatigable in restoring confidence among his followers, and taking measures for effecting a simultaneous insurrection. On the second evening he received certain intelligence that the rebels, in great force, had seized the town of Ballinahinch, and that General Nugent intended to move from Belfast, and attack them on the following day. Well aware that his own fate rested on the result of the expected battle, he determined in person to witness the event of the conflict. Having called the principal insurgents together, he stated his intention, and having made necessary arrangements for uniting with their friends in case of success at Ballina hinch, he privately left the camp, attended by Mahony. It required both caution and address to avoid falling in with the numerous detached parties of the enemy, who were scattered over the country, between him and the rebel encampment; but by following a mountain road, he reached his destination in safety. The The position chosen by the rebel leaders was rather beautiful than strong. On the crest of an eminence, covered with the freshest verdure, their forces were bivouacked, and as some pains had been taken to introduce at least the semblance of military regularity, the appearance of their line was not uninteresting. absence of the requisites for encamping was little felt, the weather being dry and sultry; and the friends of those on the hill had sent ample supplies for the revolutionary commissariat. Strong pickets were advanced along their front, and some of the youthful leaders were indefatigable in using precautionary measures against surprise. On the flanks of their position, cannon, formerly belonging to the volunteers (which had hitherto been concealed VOL. II. Р |