through Edgeworthstown, escorting an ammunition cart from Mullingar to
Longford: they promised to take us under their protection, and the
officer came up to the door to say he was ready. My father most
fortunately detained us: they set out without us. Half an hour
afterwards, as we were quietly sitting in the portico, we heard--as we
thought close to us--a clap of thunder, which shook the house. The
officer soon afterwards returned, almost speechless; he could hardly
explain what had happened. The ammunition cart, containing nearly three
barrels of gunpowder, packed in tin cases, took fire and burst, halfway
on the road to Longford. The man who drove the cart was blown to
atoms--nothing of him could be found; two of the horses were killed,
others were blown to pieces and their limbs scattered to a distance; the
head and body of a man were found a hundred and twenty yards from the
spot. Mr. Murray was the name of the officer I am speaking of: he had
with him a Mr. Rochfort and a Mr. Nugent. Mr. Rochfort was thrown from
his horse, one side of his face terribly burnt, and stuck over with
gunpowder. He was carried into a cabin; they thought he would die, but
they now say he will recover. The carriage has been sent to take him to
Longford. I have not time or room, my dear aunt, to dilate or tell you
half I have to say. If we had gone with this ammunition, we must have
been killed.

An hour or two afterwards, however, we were obliged to fly from
Edgeworthstown. The pikemen, three hundred in number, actually were
within a mile of the town. My mother, Aunt Charlotte, and I rode; passed
the trunk of the dead man, bloody limbs of horses, and two dead horses,
by the help of men who pulled on our steeds: we are all safely lodged
now in Mrs. Fallon's inn.

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