peasants. When we came here, officers and men were alike ignorant of
everything relating to war. Now we have, at any rate, learned a certain
amount of drill and discipline, and I think we shall give a much better
account of ourselves, in the open field, than we have done in front of a
strong town which we had no means whatever of storming. Still, it has
been a frightful waste of life on both sides, and with no result, beyond
horribly embittering the feeling of hatred, which unfortunately prevailed
before, between the Catholic and Protestant populations."

The mortification and disgust, caused by the failure of Londonderry, was
increased by a severe defeat of a force under General Justin McCarthy,
Lord Mountcashel, at Newtown Butler, on the very day that Derry was
relieved. General McCarthy had been detached, with a corps of six
thousand men, against the Enniskilleners. He came up with them near
Newtown Butler. Although but two thousand strong, the Enniskilleners, who
were commanded by Colonel Wolseley, an English officer, at once attacked
the Irish, only a portion of whom had come upon the ground.

McCarthy, who was a brave and experienced officer, sent orders to the
cavalry to face to the right, and march to the support of the wing that
was attacked. The officer gave the order "right--about face," and the
cavalry turned and trotted towards the rear. The infantry, believing that
they were deserted by the horse, at once lost heart and fell into
confusion.

McCarthy, while endeavouring to remedy the disorder, was wounded and
taken prisoner, and the flight became general. The Enniskilleners pursued
with savage fury, and during the evening, the whole of the night, and the
greater part of the next day, hunted the fugitives down in the bogs and
woods, and slew them in cold blood. Five hundred of the Irish threw