In
October of 1595, the Dublin government agreed to a truce which
lasted until January 1, 1596, and was extended until May 1. During
that time, O''Neill sought to align himself with new allies. Regarded
as the defenders of the Catholic faith and long time enemy of
Protestant England, Spain sent an envoy to Killybegs with promises
of futher assistance.
Following
an unsuccessful attempt to gain control of southwest Ulster an
Connaught in the summer of 1596, the English agreed to another
truce which lasted until the following sumer. Afterward, the English
discovered that a priest named Piers O'Cullen of Clogher had sailed
to Spain with a letter dated September 19 and signed by O'Neill
and O'Donnell asking the King to send arms, money, and 2-3000
to Ireland to, "restore the faith of the Church and so secure
you a kingdom."
In
the summer of 1597, Lord Deputy of Ireland, Thomas Burgh, launched
a three-pronged English offensive into Ulster. The only accomplishment
of the attack was capturing an earthen fort on the Blackwater.
Burgh reinforced the fort with a garrison of about 150 men under
the leadership of Captain Thomas Williams, who subsequently managed
to fend off an attempt by O'Neill to retake the fort.
Lord
Burgh died on October 13, 1597, and another truce was called while
his successor was appointed. On the 14th of October, a Spanish
fleet left Lisbon and Vigo to support O'Neill and O'Donnell, however
an autumn gale scattered the ships before they could reach their
destination.
When
the next truce expired in June of 1598, the Irish Council in Dublin
was considering abandoning the Blackwater fort. That August, Bagonel
offered to reinforce the fort with a column of 3,901 foot soldiers
and 320 cavalry. As they approached Blackwater on August 10, the
elements of the column were seperated and lost contact near a
boggy stream called, "Yellow Ford." There, O'Neill and
O'Donnell's combined force of 4,050 foot soldiers and 600 cavalry
ambused the English column killing 25 to 30 officers - including
Bagonel. More than 800 English foot soldiers were killed, another
400 wounded, and some 300 deserted to O'Neill. The Irish estimated
their battles losses at 200 dead and 600 wounded.
Yellow
Ford was the worst English defeat on Irish soil, and resulted
in O'Donnell extending his control over Connacht while Owne Rory
O'Moore and Richard Tyrrell led 2,000 Irish into Munster, slaughtering
any Loyalists that they found there. Sir Richard Bingham dispatched
to Ireland with 8,000 troops, whom he garrisoned in the towns
of the east, from Carrickfergus to Waterford.
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