From the archives: firsthand account of Humbert’s landing in north Mayo
By Tom Gillespie
On April 7, 1934, The Connaught Telegraph published an extract from the book ‘Adventured in the Revolution’ by Moreau de Jones (French officer) translated by Cyril Hammond from which they took the following extract dealing with the landing of the French in Killala under General Humbert in August 1798.
Finally after drifting about the sea for 15 days, we made the north west coast of Ireland on August 20 - 226 years ago on this day - and entered the vast gulf of Donegal, at the bottom of which is the town of Sligo. The frigates anchored in the bay of Killala, on the southern side of the gulf.
An hour later the Adjutant General Sarrazin, at the head of the grenadiers only, landed before the town, which was defended by three or four hundred men.
He took their trenches at the point of the bayonet and made them prisoners; his success was so rapid that the bishop had no time to leave Killala and was captured in his carriage.
Nevertheless, the fight was fairly murderous since there were more that 100 men killed. We remained as spectators of this vigorous debut which earned Sarrazin the grade of brigadier general.
That evening, when the landing of the troops had been carried out, Humbert promoted him in the name of the Directory, and such was the enthusiasm that nobody doubted but that few should march from victory to victory to Dublin.
A glance from my learned friend confirmed me in the thought that his opinion had best be accepted with reserve, and in effect, when our troops were on the beach, although they had been joined by every man the crew could spare, it was found that our army scarcely amounted to the strength of a battalion.
It was even worse when it came to organise the material necessary to enable us to advance.
Naturally, in the campaigns of the Republic, no provision was made for camp equipment, hospitals of clothing, and one had no provision either for the subsistence of the soldier or his pay; the enemy was supposed to provide for all that.
But here negligence went further; we had omitted to provide our four field guns with the means either to manoeuvre, be transported, or even to fire.
When we had landed we realised that these articles must have seen sent elsewhere. At the time of this discovery I was about to say farewell to Captain d’Herblay and to return to my post in the frigate.
“My boy,” he said, “don’t leave me in this difficult situation; if yon do not help me with your youthful energy and ability I am a dishonoured man.”
I assured him of my willingness to help him, but called his attention to the objections which the captain of the frigate was bound to make.
The obstacle was flattened in a moment by General Humbert, who swore with an energy of expression which cannot be committed to paper that if the Navy refused him what was necessary he would render the commanders of the ships responsible of the expedition and would accuse then before the Directory in the event of failure.
The General’s anger gained d’Herblay a dozen gunners and my assistance; a quantity of promises were added, whose execution we awaited in vain; for the frigates provided very badly for our needs and, pretexting bad weather, soon got under sail.
Their return was effected without incident and when they entered the harbour that had more than 200 men on board who had been of no service to them and who would have been a considerable reinforcement to the expedition had they left them with us.
Thus it was that I found myself, much against my will, second in command of the artillery of which was pompously called the Army for Ireland. In reality we were the foremost of a forgone hope which could never rejoin the main division.
The General, who axiom it was that the French troops could do nothing, had ordered the artillery to leave with the column in the morning; and his firey temper forbade the observation that nothing was ready and that everything we needed was missing.
He was capable of shooting on the spot anybody even vaguely connected with such a state of affairs.
I was of the opinion that instead of complaining we would be better advised to make the best of things; my captain strongly approved my idea, and justified it by a quotation from some antique philosopher entirely unknown to me.
I also took advantage of the dictatorship which victory confers to bring our gun teams up to strength.
I seized the bishop’s excellent horses; I used the postal wagons as limbers. I commandeered the bell ropes of the Cathedral; finally, by many other simple expedients, I succeeded in lining up at daybreak four pieces, tolerably well equipped, which earned a satisfied smile from the General when he inspected us before our departure.
My most difficult problem was to find a horse for the captain, who was quite incapable of marching. All the rich inhabitants had left at full gallop when we landed and it was not easy to persuade any of them to return us his palfrey for our own purposes.
One, nevertheless, in whose house we had billeted ourselves, possessed cellars as large as an Egyptian labyrinth, which furnished us with some good wines.
The Captain and I, who drank nothing but water, refused the kindly offers made by the majordomo, but in return I asked him to arrange for his master to lend us a saddle horse, which we should certainly be unable to transport from France and which we would therefore not lose sight of.
As a recompense I promised to keep secret the existence of these excellent cellars and prevent our men from visiting them, provided that when we left the captain as no longer afoot.
One good turn deserve another, even in Ireland; and in due course a veritable charge was brought to M. d’Herblay, to the accompaniment of courtly phrases.
In our happy days of lawful peace my method will undoubtedly be considered so revolutionary, but it must be remembered that my duty obliged me to take military action in favour of a popular uprising, and in the name of the Republic. Let us hope that the troops of there Holy Alliance, who invaded in 1815, under the auspices of there Holy Trinity, committed no graver depredations.
On leaving Killala we marched towards the town of Castlebar, where the enemy was in force. Our advance guard, commanded by General Sarrazin, found at Balayna (Ballina) our first halt, a body of cavalry which made as though to dispute the passage, but thinking better of it they made off helter-skelter.
The rebels, instead of meeting us were late, but they eventually arrived, and if they could with reason have criticised the smallness of our numbers we had every reason to be alarmed at seeing our allies in such a pitiful condition.
They all wore the uniform of the greatest misery, not a beggar in France would boast of such rags to compete with theirs. They were scarily armed, and the rest was in keeping. The Munster rebels whom I had seen in Cork, were their superiors in every respect.
General Humbert received them very kindly, but could not hide from us his surprise and dissatisfaction; it was evident to those who were with him that he had ceased to count on the cooperation of there allies.
The morning of our departure from Balayna (Ballina) (to Castlebar) we found ourselves faced with the English Force commanded by General Lake, one of the heroes of the war in Hindustan. Our columns charged his position in double and carried them. General Lake endeavoured to rally his troops in the town and he posted his guns in the main street of Castlebar, but they were captured with bayonet and the rout was complete.
We pursued the fugitives for more that two leagues, and our soldiers took several colours and some thousand men, who we allowed escape the following night, having no means either to feed or guard them.
It was a fine day’s work; the success was due entirely to the death of the officers and men; which was irresistible. The enemy could nowhere stand his ground. He was dislodged from his position so rapidly that the battle was lost before he knew where he was.
The rebels were chiefly of use in the pursuit; they tackled the fugitives with an ardour and courage which was not without reward, for that evening the majority had boots and some even shirts.
The General in Chief in the guise of conqueror organised the Province of Connaught as a Department of the Irish Republic.
As President of this Republic he recognised John Moore who, after 20 days in power, was taken by the English when they reentered Castlebar, condemned to death and hanged on the spot.