Battle of Three Rocks
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Three Rocks was a United Irish victory during the 1798 rebellion
against a British
artillery
column marching to reinforce Wexford
town against anticipated rebel attack.
and Enniscorthy had spread the rebellion throughout county Wexford, with rebel camps amassing at several locations and confining Government troops to a few towns now vulnerable to attack, such as Wexford
, Gorey
, and Bunclody/Newtownbarry
.
Upon receipt of these reports, General Fawcett, commander of the garrison at Duncannon
fort, led a column of 200 soldiers to bolster the garrison at Wexford town. Orders were given for a supporting artillery column of almost 100 militia and gunners with two howitzers to follow and link up with the infantry column halfway between Wexford and Duncannon
at the village of Taghmon
.
Making rapid progress and encountering no opposition, Fawcett's column arrived about dusk at Taghmon and free-quartered his troops for the night among the inhabitants of the village. Sometime after two o’clock in the morning, the slower artillery
column arrived at Taghmon but pressed on towards Wexford for unclear reasons. It appears that rebel sympathisers and agents may have duped the column with false reports of a clear road to Wexford and of the urgency of their pressing ahead.
. An ambush
position was prepared at the eastern end of Forth mountain, where the ground receded to the “Three Rocks”. In the pre-dawn darkness, rebel musket
men were stationed parallel to the anticipated line of advance, concealed behind the rock outcrops and scrub while hundreds of pikemen waited out of sight. Rebel signallers with flags watched the approaches and waited for the troops to enter the chosen killing ground.
As dawn broke, the British column walked unsuspectingly into the trap and suffered a close range volley of musket fire followed by a massed pike charge into the line, giving the soldiers no chance of regrouping. The fighting was over in a matter of minutes, leaving around 70 of the militia
dead, most of the gunners captured, and the two howitzers in the hands of the rebels.
about an hour later, bringing news of the disaster. Unnerved by the annihilation of his support column and by the prospect of attack from rebels armed with artillery, Fawcett ordered his men to retreat to Duncannon, thus abandoning his original mission to relieve Wexford.
Meanwhile, the commander of the garrison at Wexford
, General Maxwell, concerned by the non-arrival the troops from Duncannon and by reports of fighting, led a force of cavalry
in the direction of the Three Rocks to meet the expected reinforcements. They soon encountered rebels drawing up the captured artillery to use against Wexford and fled back to the town but lost a cavalry
captain to rebel gunfire before escaping.
, news of defeat at Three Rocks, the prospect of facing rebels with artillery
, and the visible massing of more rebels north across Wexford bridge sapped the garrison's will to resist, and envoys suing for peace were dispatched to parley with the approaching rebels. Though the intention to surrender the town was genuine, the garrison had no intention of being held prisoner by rebels and sneaked away while the rebels were distracted by the peace envoys, wreaking revenge by indiscriminately burning, raping and murdering as they fled to Duncannon
.
The garrison was well away before rebels entered the town, freeing prisoners such as Bagenal Harvey
, setting up a Committee of Public Safety
derived from the French model, and even organising a makeshift navy
to protect the harbour. Any military personnel or prominent loyalists who failed to escape were quickly rounded up to be lodged in the town jail, a prison ship, or makeshift prisons.
The rebels now had control of almost all County Wexford
, and were in a powerful position to launch offensives against the few remaining British garrisons in the county at Bunclody
, Gorey
, and New Ross.
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
against a British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
column marching to reinforce Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
town against anticipated rebel attack.
Background
By 29 May, rebel victories at Oulart HillBattle of Oulart Hill
The Battle of Oulart Hill took place on 27 May 1798 when a rebel gathering of 1,000 annihilated a detachment of militia sent from Wexford town to stamp out the spreading rebellion in county Wexford.-Background:...
and Enniscorthy had spread the rebellion throughout county Wexford, with rebel camps amassing at several locations and confining Government troops to a few towns now vulnerable to attack, such as Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, Gorey
Gorey
Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
, and Bunclody/Newtownbarry
Bunclody
Bunclody is a small town located on the River Slaney, on the border between counties Wexford and Carlow, Ireland. The R746 regional road intersects the N80 in the centre of the town. It is a picturesque town near the foot of Mount Leinster. Most of the town is situated in County Wexford...
.
Upon receipt of these reports, General Fawcett, commander of the garrison at Duncannon
Duncannon
Duncannon is a village in southwest County Wexford, Ireland. Bordered to the west by Waterford harbour and sitting on a rocky promontory jutting into the channel is the strategically prominent Duncannon Fort which dominates the village.Primarily a fishing village, Duncannon also relies heavily on...
fort, led a column of 200 soldiers to bolster the garrison at Wexford town. Orders were given for a supporting artillery column of almost 100 militia and gunners with two howitzers to follow and link up with the infantry column halfway between Wexford and Duncannon
Duncannon
Duncannon is a village in southwest County Wexford, Ireland. Bordered to the west by Waterford harbour and sitting on a rocky promontory jutting into the channel is the strategically prominent Duncannon Fort which dominates the village.Primarily a fishing village, Duncannon also relies heavily on...
at the village of Taghmon
Taghmon
Taghmon is a village in County Wexford, Ireland. It lies on the R738 regional road, 14 km west of Wexford town and 24 km east-southeast of New Ross.-History:...
.
Making rapid progress and encountering no opposition, Fawcett's column arrived about dusk at Taghmon and free-quartered his troops for the night among the inhabitants of the village. Sometime after two o’clock in the morning, the slower artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
column arrived at Taghmon but pressed on towards Wexford for unclear reasons. It appears that rebel sympathisers and agents may have duped the column with false reports of a clear road to Wexford and of the urgency of their pressing ahead.
Rebel preparations
Contrary to these reports, a large army of South Wexford rebels had gathered on Forth Mountain and were well aware of the advancing British redcoatsBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. An ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
position was prepared at the eastern end of Forth mountain, where the ground receded to the “Three Rocks”. In the pre-dawn darkness, rebel musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
men were stationed parallel to the anticipated line of advance, concealed behind the rock outcrops and scrub while hundreds of pikemen waited out of sight. Rebel signallers with flags watched the approaches and waited for the troops to enter the chosen killing ground.
As dawn broke, the British column walked unsuspectingly into the trap and suffered a close range volley of musket fire followed by a massed pike charge into the line, giving the soldiers no chance of regrouping. The fighting was over in a matter of minutes, leaving around 70 of the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
dead, most of the gunners captured, and the two howitzers in the hands of the rebels.
British retreat and withdrawal
A few survivors of the rout reached Fawcett’s force in TaghmonTaghmon
Taghmon is a village in County Wexford, Ireland. It lies on the R738 regional road, 14 km west of Wexford town and 24 km east-southeast of New Ross.-History:...
about an hour later, bringing news of the disaster. Unnerved by the annihilation of his support column and by the prospect of attack from rebels armed with artillery, Fawcett ordered his men to retreat to Duncannon, thus abandoning his original mission to relieve Wexford.
Meanwhile, the commander of the garrison at Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, General Maxwell, concerned by the non-arrival the troops from Duncannon and by reports of fighting, led a force of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
in the direction of the Three Rocks to meet the expected reinforcements. They soon encountered rebels drawing up the captured artillery to use against Wexford and fled back to the town but lost a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
captain to rebel gunfire before escaping.
Fall of Wexford
The retreat of the cavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, news of defeat at Three Rocks, the prospect of facing rebels with artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, and the visible massing of more rebels north across Wexford bridge sapped the garrison's will to resist, and envoys suing for peace were dispatched to parley with the approaching rebels. Though the intention to surrender the town was genuine, the garrison had no intention of being held prisoner by rebels and sneaked away while the rebels were distracted by the peace envoys, wreaking revenge by indiscriminately burning, raping and murdering as they fled to Duncannon
Duncannon
Duncannon is a village in southwest County Wexford, Ireland. Bordered to the west by Waterford harbour and sitting on a rocky promontory jutting into the channel is the strategically prominent Duncannon Fort which dominates the village.Primarily a fishing village, Duncannon also relies heavily on...
.
The garrison was well away before rebels entered the town, freeing prisoners such as Bagenal Harvey
Bagenal Harvey
Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey was a barrister and a commander of the United Irishmen in the Battle of New Ross during the 1798 Rebellion....
, setting up a Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
derived from the French model, and even organising a makeshift navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
to protect the harbour. Any military personnel or prominent loyalists who failed to escape were quickly rounded up to be lodged in the town jail, a prison ship, or makeshift prisons.
The rebels now had control of almost all County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, and were in a powerful position to launch offensives against the few remaining British garrisons in the county at Bunclody
Battle of Bunclody
The battle of Bunclody or Newtownbarry as it was then called, was a battle in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, which took place on 1 June 1798 when a force of some 5,000 rebels led by Catholic priest Fr...
, Gorey
Gorey
Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
, and New Ross.