Battle of Ballynahinch

Battle of Ballynahinch
Part of the United Irishmen Rebellion
Battle of Ballinahinch by Thomas Robinson
Date 12–13 June 1798 Location Ballynahinch, County Down Result Decisive British victory, end of rebellion in Ulster
Belligerents
United Irishmen Defenders	British Army
Commanders
Henry Munro	Major-General George Nugent
Strength
~4,000	~2,000, 8 cannon
Casualties and losses
~400 dead (according to British)	~40 dead (according to British)

The Battle of Ballynahinch was fought outside Ballynahinch, County Down, on 12 June, during the Irish rebellion of 1798 between British forces led by Major-General George Nugent and the local United Irishmen led by Henry Munro (1758-98).

Background

Munro was a Lisburn linen merchant and Presbyterian United Irishman who had no military experience but had taken over command of the Down organisation following the arrest of the designated leader, Rev. Willam Steel Dickson on June 5th. Upon hearing of the victory at Saintfield on June 9th, Munro joined the rebel camp there and then moved to Ednavady Hill, Ballynahinch to join the thousands who had gathered in support of the rebellion. The response of the British garrisons was to converge on Ballynahinch from Belfast and Downpatrick in two columns accompanied by several pieces of cannon.

Battle of Ballynahinch

The battle began on the night of 12th June when two hills to the left and right of Ballynahinch were occupied by the British who pounded the town with their cannon. During a pause when night fell, some rebel officers were said to have pressed Munro for a night attack but he refused on the grounds that it was unchivalrous. As a consequence many disillusioned rebels slipped away during the night, later claims say the defections were mainly Catholic Defenders.

As dawn broke the battle recommenced with the rebels attacked from two sides and although achieving some initial success, confusion in the rebel army saw the United Irishmen retreat in chaos, pursued by regrouping British forces who quickly took advantage by turning retreat into massacre. Initial reports claimed four hundred rebels were killed, while British losses were around forty^[1].

Aftermath

Munro escaped the field of battle but was betrayed by a farmer who he had paid to conceal him and was hanged in front of his own house in Lisburn on 16th June. Ballynahinch was sacked by the victorious military after the battle with sixty-three houses being burned down. Cavalry scoured the surrounding countryside for rebels, raiding homes and killing indiscriminately, the 22nd Dragoons being guilty of some of the worst atrocities^[2]. The most famous victim was Betsy Gray, a young female rebel who, with her two brothers, was slaughtered in the post-battle massacre, ensuring her place in legend to this day.

References

External links

• http://www.ballynahinchregeneration.org/battle.htm
• http://republican-news.org/archive/1998/June04/04ball.html
• http://www.presbyterianireland.org/congregations/ballynahinch1.html
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/down/bhinch_battle.shtml
• http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/art/114142/The_Battle_of_Ballynahinch_13th_June_1798_c1798

This Irish history article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

This article about a battle in British history is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e