Cromwell in Ireland: A History of Cromwell's Irish Campaign (Classic Reprint)

Preface. The object of this work is to give an account in full detail, as far as is possible, of Cromwell s Irish campaign, which began in A ugust, 1649, and ended in May, 1650. It is a portion of history but little known. It lies for the most part in a few books, some of them difficult of access by reason of their scarcity, others written in a I naguage not intelligible to the greater number of readers. Traditions, indeed, there are still surviving of the doings of Cromwell and his followers, many of them having, no doubt, a foundation of truth ;but many, too, exaggerations at best, and not a few wholly unfounded and false. In truth, there is hardly a ruined church throughout the length and breadth of the land, the destruction of which is not attributed to Cromwell, or a crumbling castle of which it is not said that Oliver Cromwell He did it pommel, And made a breach In its battlement. Evil deeds are attributed to him as done where he never set foot, and names are given to places that would seem at first sight to record his presence there, but in reality have had their origin in the wish of his followers to perpetuate their leaders fame, or in the hatred of those among whom they dwelt, who would hand down the record of his cruelties by an appellation which in their minds summed up all manner of evil. Many years ago Sir William Wilde expressed a wish that some one would write the history of Cromwell s Irish campaign, one of the most defective portions of modern I rish history. He adds that Mr. Hardiman, whose services in the field of I rish research have been such as to make us regret that his works are so few, had made aco Uec tion of all the documents relating to Cromwell in I reland. I have made inquiry for these wherever I head any part of his manuscripts were at the British Museum, Markree Castle, the Royal I rish A cademy, and the monastery of Errew bu
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