Excerpt from History of the Insurrection of the County of Wexford, A. D. 1798: Including an Account of Transactions Preceding That Event, With an Appendix; Embellished With an Elegant Map of the County of Wexford

(elves under fuch obligations to me, that at treaty I lived in the fame hoofe wiih them, furrender of the town until the 29th of Jo they departed for Waterford. Being well malice and obloquy, I conflantly exprefl'ed a defn'e, during their Ray, to be brought to trial, for any alle' gation that might.be framed againfi me; and I am now confident, that had it been polhble to procure any proof againfi me, it would by no means be neglefled hot this being impra�licable, even in fuch crazy times, other means of deep malignity were reforted to, and thefe, as well as I am hitherto acquainted with them, .i (hall endeavour to 'defcribe. My former intention of going to America, was by no means Iefi'ened but aug mentedaby the feenes of which I had fo recently been witnefs to in my native country. I accordingly perfifled in my refolution, and was determined to get out of the country as fpeedily as poihble. The committee that had been appointed by lieutenant general Lake, to act as a kind.of council to general Hunter, then in com mod in W'exford, and to grant pafl'es, now began to pra�iife their malicious arts againft me, which they avoided before, being apprehenlive, if not well aware, that their fchemes worild be countera�'led and defeated, if attempted to be put in execution, .while the oficers, who were acquainted. With my condu�l, remained in Wexford. I received a, note from the chairman of this committee, (and it was delivered to me by one of the body, whom I then confidered as my friend) defiring I would write to him, fiating what I would with to be done, and that my requefi would be taken into imme diate confideration. This induced me to write to them, intimating the delire, I had fo often exprefi'ed, of going to America, adding, that I wilhed to fct off the next dayday in order to fail in a {hip then in the harbour of Dublin 5 and this determination I would, in all proba bility, have fince put in execution, but that I confidered it might have given freer fan�lion to the calom nies fo indhfirioufly raifed againll me. This confide ration has detained me in Ireland, as here I was the better enabled to vindicate my honour, and this, ia deed, my perfecutors have completely efi'e�led, quite in contradi�lion to their inclinations and withes. The immediate con/ideraiion of the committee was, in confe quence of premeditation to fend back the gentleman, who brought me the note and took my anfwer, to ar rej} me. This he did at my lodgings, where I was publicly known to be fince the infurrefi'ion, and two yeomen were'there placed as a guard over me. This whole condu�l, from feveral circumftances of which I have hoce come to the knowledge, was certainly prerau carted. Had I been fent to gaol, it would have been produ�live of a trial by court martial, and this was a benefit which they did not wifh to allow me, as they were well aware of the fentiments of the oflicers, whom I would have fummoned back to Wexford; befides fome individuals among them were molt ungratefully induced to forward the vile proceedings againft me, at they were apprehenfive I might call on them as wit nefi'es, when their loyalty may have been called in queflion, were they to' do jufiice to my condu�l and it may alfo have been manifefled, that whatever ho nour fome of them now polfefs, is owing to their taking my advice in preference to their own; as if they efcaped piking on the one fide, they may have been hanged on the other, and with much more juflicc than feveral who have forfeited their lives on the occafion. To tranfport me without further enquiry, was tl1e1e.

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