My
Comments on Caldwell - Cromwellian
Plantation (Page
3)
Cromwell
landed at Ringsend in Dublin on 15 August 1649 with 35 ships.
His support came from Henry Ireton who arrived on 17 August with
an additional 77 ships at a port further south.
After
Dublin, Ulster became Cromwell's top priority. The conditions
there had worsened since the Royalist defeat at Dublin and many
of the vanquished troops had regrouped to the north in preparation
of an assault on Ulster. On the 31st of August Cromwell's forces
set out for the town of Drogheda, which was a vital key to his
campaign.
Ormonde
had fallen back from Drogheda but had left Sir Arthur Aston in
command with a nearly all Catholic garrison force of 2,000 foot
soldiers, and 320 horse cavalry. Drogheda was well provisioned
and had formidable walls protecting the town 20 feet high, and
6 feet thick at the bottom narrowing to 2 feet at the top. Anston
was so confident that the town's fortifications would allow his
troops to withstand an attack by Cromwell that he proudly said:
"He
who could take Drogheda could take Hell!"
Cromwell
immediately began to set up artillery upon his arrival at Drogheda.
Eleven siege guns and 12 field cannons were set up just south
of the town at a place still known today as 'Cromwell's Mount'.
Ormonde
had fallen back from Drogheda but had left Sir Arthur Aston in
command with a nearly all Catholic garrison force of 2,000 foot
soldiers, and 320 horse cavalry. Drogheda was well provisioned
and had formidable walls protecting the town 20 feet high, and
6 feet thick at the bottom narrowing to 2 feet at the top. Anston
was so confident that the town's fortifications would allow his
troops to withstand an attack by Cromwell that he proudly said: