Derry and Enniskillen in 1689

TRILLIC AND AUGHER.--24th and 28th April.

Thus reinforced by a portion of Lord Kingston's men, the Enniskilleners now felt not only strong enough to protect themselves, but able to make incursions into the surrounding country. Having heard that the Jacobites were about to plant a garrison at Trillic, nine miles from the town on the Derry road, Colonel Lloyd, who in every sense deserves to be regarded as the Murray of Enniskillen, on the 24th of April led out a party to dislodge them. His approach was discovered so early, that the enemy had time to escape before he came up; a hot pursuit of six hours dispersed them over the country without enabling Lloyd and his men to overtake them, but they brought back with them both the enemy's baggage, and a large quantity of cattle and provisions, which were taken from the surrounding neighbourhood.

Some days afterwards, hearing that the enemy were about to plant a garrison in the castle of Augher, which lay eighteen miles from Enniskillen on the road to Charlemont, Colonel Lloyd and his men marched in the hope of being able to surprise them on the morning of Sabbath the 28th of April; but, notwithstanding the rapidity of their march, the garrison had notice of their approach, and fled, taking with them all that they could carry. The Enniskilleners had to content themselves with burning the castle, levelling the fortifications, and seizing as many cattle as the neighbourhood could supply. They then passed through the mountains, with the view of expelling the garrison that the enemy had placed in the house of Daniel Eccles, Esq., of Clones; but that garrison also had notice of their approach, and of course set fire to the building, and took to flight before they came forward. Having swept across a large part of the counties of Monaghan and Cavan, they returned home on Thursday, 2nd of May, bringing with them horses, sheep, cattle, and provisions, in great abundance. The plan adopted at Enniskillen from the first, and acted on to the last, was to go out and fight every enemy before he came near the town. The result was, that throughout the whole campaign a foe could scarcely come within sight of the place, and that, while Derry was living on starch and tallow, Enniskillen never knew what it was to want. Often during the war a good milch cow could be bought on the streets of Enniskillen for eighteenpence, and a cow not giving milk for sixpence.[27]

[27] Hamilton, p. 17; MacCarmick, pp. 37-39.