Having to retrace in their retreat the perilous path between the French batteries most of them were slain. Many of the Irish were also killed and wounded. The regiment of Bulkeley, which was composed of Irish Catholics, having engaged the second regiment of English Guards, cut them to pieces, captured a pair of colours, and two pieces of heavy cannon. The French rallied and returned to the attack, and the English, who were a few minutes before so confident of success, were now entirely defeated. In this charge, which was fraught with so much. bloodshed, Lieutenant-Colonel Creigh, a gentleman from the county of Clare, who held his commission in the regiment of Thomond, had the cross of the Royal and Military Order of St. Louis shot through his body, but the wound did not prove mortal.

Conor O'Shaughnessy, who was one of the foremost through the engagement, having observed the Duke of Cumberland, singled him out and made towards him. As O'Shaughnessy approached his Royal Highness, he raised his sword, exclaiming-" Vengeance for the wrongs of my House, and the violated treaty that has made me an exile." As the Duke prepared to defend himself, a Prussian soldier, who happened to be close to him at the time, sprang behind O'Shaughnessy, and with a single blow of his long-barrelled musket, knocked the upraised sword from his hand. The Duke seeing his advantage, the next instant unscrupulously ran him through the heart, when, falling heavily on the ground, Conor O'Shaughnessy expired without a groan. Captain Forster, seeing his brave countryman fall, drew a pistol, and fired at the Duke, who escaped the shot, and was borne away in the impetuous charge by his guards, who were determined to protect him from the 'wild Irish' at all hazards, while at the same time the Prussian fell beneath the sword of one of O'Shaughnessy's followers.

As soon as the Duke of Cumberland saw the turn affairs had taken, his wonted courage forsook him, and he appeared to be solely concerned about his own life, regardless of the safety of his troops. Fortunately for him, the great exertions of the Count de Saxe during the day, and the consequent fatigue which he suffered, prevented him from pursuing the allied army in their precipitate rout, for had he done so it is certain the French army would not have spared a man. The Duke of Cumberland at first retired in great disorder to his camp, but his fear of the Irish Brigade was such that, not considering himself safe while near them, he took his departure that night at eleven o'clock, in great confusion, as he dreaded that when the French army would have taken a few hours' rest they might again attack him and destroy the remnant of

his army. He, therefore, marched with all possible speed, and took refuge at Aeth, which was well fortified by cannon.

When the Count de Saxe first heard of the Duke of Cumberland's retreat, he at once despatched the hussars and grassins in pursuit of him. These troops fell upon the rere-guard of the allies, which was in great disorder, and arrested a large number of officers, who were severely wounded in the late battle, and left by their friends in the different houses along the road. Indeed from the night of the 11th to the afternoon of the 12th, the French soldiers were perpetually engaged in conducting prisoners to their camp, many of whom were wounded. On this day the Marshal Count de Saxe ordered the Count d'Estrees to take 1,000 horses, eight companies of Grenadiers, 600 foot, and the grassins, and to pursue the retreating allies. But to Count d'Estrees' disappointment, after having proceeded with the greatest diligence to Leuse, he found that the enemy had quitted it in great haste at six o'clock in the morning. During his march, the different parties, which he hadsent out to the right and left in search of stragglers made between 1,500 and 1,600 prisoners, some of whom were badly wounded, and took 150 waggons belonging to the train of artillery. They also captured a large quantity of arms, some spare carriages and tackle. The prisoners, by order of King Louis, were sent to Douai and Lisle, and the body of Sir James Campbell, a Lieutenant-General of the English troops, was found covered with blood in the village of Baugoin. The following is an authentic list of the loss of the allies in this sanguinary battle, made a few days after the defeat, but in some time after it was found to be a great deal more (190).

Thus was France indebted to the exiles whom she harboured for another great and glorious victory, and the proscribed Chieftains of Erin felt justly proud of being the means of humbling the pride of the Ducal House of Guelph, whose inhuman penal laws enslaved their beloved Fatherland, and disgraced the Statute Books of the English Nation.

CHAPTER LV.

THE LAST CHIEF OF CINEAL AOHD.

THE great battle of Fontenoy went far to decide the campaign which it had opened. In Flanders, city after city, town after town, and citadel after citadel surrendered in rapid succession to the King of France, and the greater part of French Flanders again recognised the authority of Louis XV. Ghent, Ostend, Dendermond, Oudenard, Neuport, Aeth, and Tournay were among the number. The latter city, whose history is a record of battles and sieges from the earliest period, was reduced by the surrender of the citadel on the 20th of June. During the siege the Count de Thomond was severely wounded by the bursting of a shell. The allies made some spirited defences, but they found it impossible to defeat the French, who were so ably supported by the Irish. The Irish were most anxious to follow up their success at Fontenoy with other victories, and acted with great bravery and perseverance during all these sieges; but at the moment of victory, King Louis, for some unaccountable reason, offered to negociate a peace with the Court of England. George II. and his ministers, probably considering that Louis XV. was not sincere in this offer, or that at the moment of his triumph he would refuse them the favourable terms they required, rejected his overtures, and France and England remained belligerent powers. The Stuart party on the Continent, but particularly in Paris, were delighted at this, and the bold Brigade fought more reckless of life than ever, being buoyed up with the hope that the success of the French arms in Flanders would be followed by an invasion of Great Britain, and a diversion in Ireland in favour of King James III., who was now in the fifty-seventh year of his age. The Jacobites placed all their hopes of success in the eldest son of King James III., who was known on the Continent as the Prince of Wales, though that title was borne at the time in England by His Royal Highness Prince Frederick, the eldest son of King George II. The heir to the House of Stuart, His Royal Highness Charles Edward Louis Philip Casimer James, Duke of Cornwall in England, Duke of Rothsay and Albany in Scotland, Earl of Chester in England, and Earl of Dublin in Ireland, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, &c., &c., was born at Rome, in December,

third over the plain between Fontenoy and Antoine. As soon as all the troops were under arms, Marshal Saxe, who was greatly exhausted from the vigorous exertions he had to undergo on the eve of battle, which were too much for him, suffering, as he was, under such an acute disease, was carried on an osier litter through the ranks, to give the necessary orders. He was loudly cheered as he passed along by the soldiers, who could not but admire the courage and determination of a man who, though an invalid, could act the part of a General. As the officers were about to depart for the respective posts assigned to them, the Count raised himself in his litter, and pointing to the English army enthusiastically exclaimed

"Monsieurs, I have but prepared for you the road to victory, but regret exceedingly I cannot lead you myself. Alas! my health will not permit me to do so, but you need no guidance. Monsieurs, none know better how to tread the road that leads to glory; you have only to advance, and I know the result!"

As Marshal Saxe concluded, all the English cannon were brought to bear on the French, the Duke of Cumberland having previously ordered his artillery to open fire on the enemy. The French guns replied quickly, and the cannonading was kept up until nine o'clock, when the English advanced to assault Fontenoy, where they were twice repulsed by Monsieur de la Vauguyon.

When the cannon of the allies opened on the French, Captain Forster, having first grasped the hand of Conor O'Shaughnessy, hastened to join his regiment. The Count de la Mark rode to Antoin, to take command there, and the loud cheers of the Piedmontese troops greeted his arrival. In a few minutes after, the brave Marshal Duke de Noailles embraced his nephew the young Duke de Grammont, whose impetuosity at the battle of Dettingen had proved so fatal to the French army. He had scarcely parted from the embrace of his affectionate uncle, when both his legs were shot off by a cannon ball, the first which had taken effect on the French lines. The Duke was then hastily carried to the rere, where he expired in an hour after. His uncle the Marshal, though he loved his nephew as much as if he was his son, on seeing him mortally wounded, at once rode off in the direction of Fontenoy, resolved to single out the Duke of Cumberland, and by his death avenge that of his nephew. The English and Hanoverians now made a terrific assault on Fontenoy, determined to carry all before them. A fearful engagement was the result; the firing on both sides was incessant, and the booming of the cannon deafening. The English and Hanoverian troops displayed great bravery, and several of the French fell before

their impetuous charges. The French, however, encouraged by the example of their officers, fought with equal valour, and the English troops were obliged to retreat before them. The victors now gave expression to their delight by loud cheers, which so exasperated the English soldiers, that they returned to the conflict with renewed vigour, and pressing forward en masse, made an irresistible charge on Fontenoy, which was by this time enveloped in flames, and a scene of the most dreadful carnage. The firing was kept up with such unabated spirit by the French, that they were now almost without ammunition, and the Duke de Noailles was obliged to despatch several messengers to Marshal Saxe for a fresh supply. None, however, came, and the victorious English, who were ably assisted by their Hanoverian allies, resolutely pressed forward. By this time the French ammunition was entirely exhausted, but they still continued to give all the resistance in their power to the English with their sabres and bayonets. Messengers were again despatched to Marshal Saxe to crave the required ammunition, and to tell him that, unless he immediately complied, the English would, in a short time, be masters of Fontenoy; but his only answer was, that he could not do so at present, and that they should fire with powder alone to keep up the appearance of a defence, until he would be able to relieve them. In a short time after the ammunition arrived, when the French opened a heavy fire on their enemies, with such effect that the latter had again to retreat in confusion from Fontenoy. While the English were being defeated here, the Duke of Cumberland, who had ordered an assault on the Wood of Barri, which, like that of Fontenoy, proved unsuccessful, determined to attack the French centre. This was a daring resolution, for, as the assault on Fontenoy and Barri had proved unsuccessful, the English were still exposed to a rapid and galling cross fire from the right and left of the French army; and in order to attack the centre, the Duke of Cumberland should pass between these two fires. While passing through the village of Venzon, great numbers of the English were mowed down by the French artillery. Another great disadvantage under which the English laboured was, that no more than twenty men could march abreast. However, their courage was such, that they continued to press forward with the greatest coolness and determination. By this move the Duke of Cumberland lost several of his bravest men. Those of his troops who were so fortunate as to escape filed off to the left, and formed line, though still exposed to the deadly fire of the enemy. They did so more from instinct than from order, knowing well that their safety depended on forming themselves into one solid mass. This body then advanced to