The Battle of Castlebar

The Battle of Castlebar

August 27^th, 1798

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FROM Ballina we march’d in the morn,

Our hearts elate with patriot feeling,

For though we had neither trump nor horn,

We had Barrett and Burke, and Tone and Teeling.

And others whose hearts were on glory bent,

And the Frenchmen, too, with Humbert to lead ’em;

And as on Crossmolina road we went,

The blood surged wild thro’ our veins for Freedom.

For the autumn sun did his beams downpour

On the French ensign by the Green flag flying,

Surrounded by bayonet and pikes goleor—

Oh! where was the heart could then be pining?

And at length by Barnagee we bore,

The mountain breeze round our banners playing;

The redcoats lay on the plain before,

And we heard their trumpets loudly braying.

Their scarlet lines lay stretched o’er the ground—

There were cavalry, too—their long plumes flowing;

And full in front their black cannon frowned,

With artillerymen—their matches glowing.

When I think of the terrible flash and the roar

That burst on us then in tones of thunder;

That our men fled that storm of death before,

I do not even now at this moment wonder.

But we very soon rallied and held our ground,

Though the deadly round shot was thickly flying—

Though it shattered the very rocks around,

And many a man in his gore was lying.

  

Then might you see through Barnagee

The blue clad French to the fight descending,

Unheeding the loud-voiced artillery,

And the deadly balls ’twas so thickly sending.

And on over hedge and ditch they passed,

And bravely answered the English firing;

When we got the word to advance at last,

Militia and yeomen were quick retiring.

Then I grasped my musket and charged with the rest,

Down, down on that line of steel together;

We met the redcoats breast to breast,

Aye, and drove them back o’er the bloody heather.

Then cavalry rode against us in vain—

We met them bravely shoulder to shoulder;

And as war’s red tide rolled o’er the plain,

Our courage rose high and our hearts grew bolder.

But the field was ours. We at length drew breath,

And counted the heaps of the dead and the dying;

Six hundred redcoats lay in death—

Four thousand for life from the field were flying.

*      *       *      *      *

Ah! boy, were those old limbs what once they were,

And did I again get the battle warning,

I AGAIN would MARCH to Castlebar—

Again would FIGHT, as I fought that morning!

                           Christopher Green

             Ballina, 14^th May, 1877.