About this month, and, if I remember right, the three foregoing, many were the addreffes and other teftimonies of public regard from loyalists of various counties to their great champion and deliverer. Why these teftimonies were not more early, is to me perfectly accountable. His fuperlative value and merit, in every point of view, feems not to have been fully confidered at firft. The hafty news of the day, framed only (and that in a very general manner too) from his exceedingly modeft report, wherein very many important particulars then neceffary to the establishment of his uncommon fame, are totally omitted, feemed calculated to treat" of the battle of Rofs" as an affair which might be comparatively estimated with most of the other very important conquests obtained in any distinguished manner in the fame cause; and fo to confign our incomparable victor to a rank with the other justly-esteemed heroes!-at their head indeed, but far below that place which he now holds in the public eftimation!! The mouths of rebels, as well as of loyalifts, feon. proclaimed his real worth, and has now most effectually eftablished it. On paying my fubfcription towards the sword presented to our General by the inhabitants of this town, a gentleman very juftly obferved, that " of all the inhabitants "there was not one under more peculiar obligations than myself; "and yet," continued he, "where is the Irish loyalist who " is not under peculiar obligations to General Johnson ?"— Upon this, a thought darted into my head like lightning. I bad by me a gold ring, in which was fet a ruby of uncommon fize on a topaz foil, which I obtained in the Weft Indies laft war confiderably cheap. This I fent to my invaluable friend, together with the following letter, which I infert not merely as being expreffive of my very great obligations, which from the courfe of this narrative are very apparent, but for the fake of introducing his extremely polite answer, the fentiments of which, if addreffed to a whole county

from

from fuch an eminent character, would be fufficient to convey to the breast of every loyal individual the most grateful fenfations.

"To Major-General* JOHNSON, Waterford.

"While whole counties are manifefting fome portion of that gratitude to you, in which this kingdom at large, but more especially the South, is deeply indebted, and which thousands more daily acknowledge, fuffer an humble individual to step forward, and, in his own behalf, present you with a small token of his gratitude for your kind preservation of his life on the eve of the memorable fifth of June; at a time, when every minute you spent in that very humane office, was fraught with unknown importance to the momentous affairs of the enfuing day!

Such is my honeft pride and gratitude at this moment, that I think it impoffible I fhould ever forget how I have been honoured, and my life preserved, by the humane condefcenfion of the great General Johnson, in perfonally escorting me confiderably upwards of one quarter of a mile, from the peril of a juftly-enraged foldiery, who, at that awful juncture, were exprefsly determined not to difcriminate between friend and enemy otherwise than from the colour of the coat; and his then fending me, under the care of a party of his own troops, to my very place of abode.

Accept, illuftrious General, and friend of Ireland, who are not more juftly celebrated for your military skill and gallantry, than for your humanity; deign to accept the ring I now send you (however inadequate the present) as an em

blem of that grateful efteem by which you are bound, not more to the heart of every loyal subject, than to that of, Sir,

Your unfpeakably obliged,
Ever grateful, and

Moft humble fervant,

JAMES ALEXANDER,

Late temporary Major of the Rofs Unarmed Loyalifis.

POSTSCRIPT.

I have now the humiliating task to acknowledge, that I have been very remifs in neglecting to communicate to you fome intimations of reiterated effufions of gratitude from the late unarmed Rofs Loyalifts, especially thofe lately joined to our corps of yeomanry; men whofe misfortunes in life, fince the rebellion, have been almost folely the effects of their loyal attachment to the conftitution of their country.Thefe, more especially, have, oftener than once or twice, during my command over them, requefted that I fhould make known to you their very deep and grateful sense of your prudence and humanity, in caufing them to be affembled for protection and maintenance, and their labours to be distributed in the garrifon; by which means the more loyal were afforded a defirable opportunity of difplaying the reality of their professions.

What a destruction we fhould have had, both by sword and famine, amongst those fix hundred and thirty-fix men,* were it not for this your timely, prudent, and humane interference and difcrimination!

Never was I engaged in a trust of greater difficulty; nor never was such a difficulty more endeared to my heart, through the remembrance of the protection which I myself had fo recently experienced!

"Six hundred and thirty-fix," i. e. exclufive of men of property and the conftant garrison party. All together måde upwards of 700 men.— But this is a retrogade account.

The

The General's anfwer was as follows:

«SIR,

"Waterford, 22d May, 1799.

"I am honoured by your letter, accompanied with a very handsome ring; a mark of individual approbation exceedingly gratifying to my feelings!

To protect his Majesty's loyal fubjects is my duty as an officer; but to have been conducive to the preservation of one, so strongly marked by a general course of loyalty and zeal as You have proved yourself, gives me a pleasure in reflecting on, which furpaffes the power of my pen.

You will oblige me by returning my acknowledgments to the perfons who have been pleased to exprefs their polite opinion of my conduct, as mentioned in your postscript in language which speaks the abilities of the writer.

Believe me, with great truth,

Your obliged humble fervant,

HENRY JOHNSON, Major-General."

James Alexander, Efq. New Rofs.

Some time this month one Lacey, of Kil-Anne, was tried, and condemned to be hanged in his own neighbourhood, and then to have his head cut off, and expofed on a spike fixed for that purpose on one of the battlements of the Court-houfe of this town, and there to remain. This was for imprisoning a Proteftant young woman for fome time during the rebellion at Kil-Anne, and declaring his intention was to burn her to death in the parifh-church, and thus to make an Orange-pye of her," as he termed it; for which purpose he had actually collected fome faggots. He was escorted from the Court-house to the place of execution

by a ftrong guard. I accompanied the guard part of the way, with an intention of going all the way to fee the execution; but really fuch was the barbarous and inhuman converfation of two of the foldiers, who walked next the cart on which the wretch was tied, that I felt my whole foul overwhelmed with indignation; infomuch, that by the time we advanced as far as Boreen-a-flaun I turned into that lane, and after having diverted my chagrin, by a little humorous chat with an old woman and a young girl, I returned home. "Orange pye!" exclaimed one of the guard, "ha-ha-ha! "I believe these fellows thought that this is King James's "times; but we will let them know that it is King George's <times." "The Papift thieves!" exclaims another, "I "believe a little stretching will be good for them." "I be«lieve," faid the former," they would strive to perfuade "us (if they could) that there was no fuch thing as a battle "at Rofs, or a house burned there. Ah! ha-ha-ha!"This laugh was joined by another, "Ah! ha-ha-ha!" that " is mere lol-lol! all in my eye, fays Larry! Humph!" And thus they went on.

Though it is impoffible I fhould confider these witty remarks as unprovoked, yet furely to bandy them, and that too with such gleeful merriment in the ears of a wretched culprit, whofe immortal fpirit was going to be fent into the prefence of an offended GOD, is unbecoming the Christian character. I wish any of those men who fhall read this anecdote, to reflect, that one of their merry companions is now in eternity; and let any one of them afk his own foul, what anfwer, in defence of fuch treatment of a fellow-finner so circumstanced, does he think that man can make to that awful Being, whose wisdom is not to be baffled by our pitiful arguments or fubterfuges, and " in whose fight shall no man living be justified?" What though the horrid culprit has become, agreeably to the most enlightened views, not only of justice, but of real mercy, "a forfeit of the law.”