Moving
by night to escape notice by any of the nearby Protestant estates
failed Sarsfield and his forces seen as they passed through Killaloe.
The spotters rushed to warn William's camp, and William immediately
ordered out two companies of troops. One to locate the whereabouts
of Sarsfield's forces, and the other to reinforce the siege train.
His orders were not carried out for several hours.
Sarsfield's
midnight attack on the siege train took the Williamites completely
by surprise and the waggoners and their escort was quickly overwhelmed
without reinforcements. In the heat of the attack, a number of
non-combatants, including women and children were killed by Sarsfield's
men. Two of the eight guns of the siege train were completely
destroyed, while the carriages of the other six had been severely
damaged. A large quantity of ammunition was also lost along with
other supplies including a number of tin boats which were to have
been used as bridging material to help cross the river.
The
destruction of the siege train delayed William's preparations
for an assault on the city. It would be another five days before
the salvaged guns would finally arrive at William's camp. This
gave the Irish in Limerick almost week to strengthen the walls
and fortifications.
By
the second week William's large artillery had leveled parts of
the city wall, and many wharves and houses were on fire or burnt.
Behind a large breach in the wall, the Irish placed a battery
of guns with others to cover both flanks near the opening.
At
about 2:30 on the afternoon of 27 August, William's forces attacked
the breach in the wall of Irish Town. After more than three hours
of hard fighting, the Williamites were finally forced to retreat
from the breach and within the city walls. It was during this
bloody engagement that one of the more celebrated incidents of
the siege is said to have taken place. The women of Limerick are
said to have joined with the men hurling bottles and stones at
the retreating Williamite forces.
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