Montgomery manuscripts

158
The Montgomery Manuscripts.
Sr. Ralp Gore, 16 500 foot.
And these were obtained at the Ld. Visct.'s and Sr. J. Montgomery's instances and recom-
mendations (wherein Sr. Jas. appears mindful of his 2 fathers-in-law 1 ? and friends) as is evident by
the Secretary's letter to him, dated 26th of said month, and sent with the commissioners, by Mr.
Galbraith aforesV 8 the original commission, 2do. f m (the Lds. Justices of Ireland) Sr. Wm.
whence, with the Cornet, the rest of the said Troop, some of the
foot-soldiers on horseback, and Captain John Folliot, accompanied
with as many Horsemen as he could make, hastned towards the
north end of that Island, which is distant from the south end thereof
three English miles. But the enemy having driven the prey of cows,
horses, and mares forth at the south end, our horsemen with Captain
Folliot followed by Termon-Castle, whence they marched thorow
very inaccessible woods and boggs in the night, to the Cash (distant
sixteen miles from Bellashanny), being the first place that they
could guide themselves by the track of the enemy and prey, which
they still pursued with cheerfulnesse to Lowtherstowne, where, over-
taking them about one of the clock in the morning of Nov. 27, 1645,
their Trumpet sounding a charge, they followed it home so resolutely
that after a fierce confliction, in a short time they routed the enemy,
and had the execution of them for a mile-and-a-half, slew many of
them in the place, took some prisoners, rescued most part of their
prey, recovered their own souldiers who were then the enemy's
prisoners, with some of the Rebels' knapsacks to boot: which sudden
and unexpected flight did so amaze Owin Mac Arte and his army,
consisting of about two thousand foot and two hundred horse (as
prisoners do informl, who, after they had made their bravado on the
top of an hill within a mile of Iniskilline, in the evening of Nov. 26,
to keep the town from issuing forth to resist or stay the prey encamped
that night at Ballenamallaght, within four miles of this town, that
they all in a most fearful and confused manner ran away to the
mountains so vehemently scared and affrighted that their van thought
their own rere were my Troops, and their rere likewise imagined (those
that escaped the fight by flight from Lowtherstown" to have been also
my party that pursued them ; whereby their mantles, clothes, and all
that could be an impediment to their more speedie flight, were cast
upon the ground, and left behind them ; and so continued until they
passed the mountain of Slewbagha into the county of Monaghan,
where they are quartered upon the county creaghts, which lies from
Arthur Blayney's house, and from Monaghan Duffe, near the town
of Monaghan, all along to Droghedah, consisting of the banished
inhabitants of Tyrone, Armagh, Monaghan, and Louth.
" My Troop returned with Captain Foliot in safety (praised be
God) without hurt of man or beast, save one horse of Lieutenant
Edw. Grahame's that was shot and killed under him. And having
put the said prey again into the said Island, upon Nov. 28, they
marched to Bellashanny, whence again they came home to Iniskilline
on the north side of Logherne, the 30th of Nov., 1645.
"Among those that were slain, the grand son of Sir Tirlagh Mac
Henry 6 Neal was one.
" One Captain killed, two Lieutenants killed. And I find there is
some man of more eminent note than any of these killed, but as yet
cannot learn certainly who it is. Lieutenant Tirlagh 6" Moylan, of
Captain Awney 6 Caghan's company, taken prisoner, who, upon exa-
mination, saith that Inchiquin hath given a great blowe of late unto
Castlehaven and Preston in their quarters near Yoghel, and also saith
that the intent of this army was that if they could come off with our
said prey without check, they purposed then to have besieged this
town, and according as fortune favoured them, to have proceeded
against the Lagan and other places in Ulster.
"And yet I find by the answers of some others of the prisoners,
that by direction from the supreme Council of Ireland, this army of
Owin Mac Artes are to serve in nature of a running party to weaken
our forces of Iniskilline, Laggan, and Clanebyes, by sudden incur-
sions to kill, spoil, and prey us upon all occasions of advantage,
according as by their successes therein they shall assume encourage-
ment to themselves to go forwards against us, but especially against
Iniskilline, which they conceive is worst able to resist their attempts.
Captain Folliot had sixteen horsemen, with four of Mannor Hamil-
ton's men, and four of Castle Termon horsemen, that joined very
fortunately in the service with my Troop; for which God Almighty
be ever glorified and praised by " William Cole,"
x6 Sir Ralp Gore. — This officer was eldest son of captain
Paul Gore, an undertaker of escheated lands in Fermanagh
and Donegal. In Fermanagh he held the proportion called
Carrick, containing 1000 acres, and in Donegal, the pro-
portion of Dromnenagh, also containing 1000 acres. —
Pynnar's Survey, in Harris's Hibernica pp. 168, 190.
Captain Gore claimed arrears from the crown for certain
expenses incurred by him for the public service, and ob-
tained remuneration by the novel expedient specified in
the following passage: — "There was an act of Council
made in the year 1606, restraining the use of that barbarous
custom of drawing ploughs and carriages by horses' tails,
upon pain of forfeiting, for the first year's offence, one
garron, for the second two, and for the third the whole
team. Notwithstanding, this was not put in execution for
almost five years after; and yet the fault not amended,
until that in the year 161 1, Captain Paul Gore, demanding
seven or eight score pounds, due unto him from his
majesty, for pay of certain soldiers entertained by him upon
the lord deputy's warrant, did for that and other extra-
ordinary services, in the time of O'Dogherty's rebellion,
desire the benefit of this penalty for one year, in one or
two counties and no more; which the lord deputy was con-
tented to grant, limiting him to ten shillings Irish for each
plough so offending. In the year 16 12, the lord deputy
ordered to have the said penalty levied within the whole
province of Ulster, at the rate of 10s. English, upon every
plough drawn as aforesaid, and the money so raised, amount-
ing to ^870, was employed to public uses. In the year 1 6 1 3,
the penalty of 10s. English hath been taken up to the use
of Sir William Uvedall, by letters patent, reserving a rent
of ;£ioo yearly, the profits whereof this year, within the
province of Ulster, amount to ^800 sterling, although we
are informed the charge on the people is much more.
Although divers of the natives pretend a necessity to con-
tinue the said manner of ploughing, as more fit for stony
and mountainous grounds; yet we are of opinion that it is
not fit to be continued, being condemned by the English
inhabiting those parts, as an uncivil and unprofitable
custom." — Roll of Patents \ 16 James I., part iii./, printed
in Calendar of Patent Rolls, Jac. I., p. 399 b. In 1620,
captain Gore's son, sir Ralph, obtained a royal grant of
the lands of Dromnenagh, together with six quarters and
a half in the same county, containing 960 acres. — Morrin's
Calendar of Patent Rolls of Charles /., p. 481. This
family is at present represented by the owner of Manor
Gore, county of Donegal.
17 Fathers-in-law. — Sir James Montgomery's two fathers-
in-law here alluded to were sir William Stewart and sir
William Cole.
18 Mr. Galbraith aforesd. — This officer's name was
John Galbraith, and to him frequent reference is made in
the letters of sir James Montgomery, and of his nephew,
the third viscount. Although Galbraith's name must have
been previously introduced by the author, the passage in
which it was mentioned has been lost. Several persons
ol this surname settled in the county of Tyrone during
the earlier part of the seventeenth century. Buchanan of