My Comments on Caldwell - Williamite Plantation (Page 5)

Londonderry was the last refuge for many thousands of Protestants from all over Ulster who feared that they would be mercilessly slaughtered as had happened during the Rebellion in 1641.

On 7th December 1688, when the first companies of Redshanks had crossed the Foyle by ferry, a group of thirteen young Apprentice Boys ran to close the city gates. On 18 April 1689, James came to Derry and summoned the city to surrender. Greeted with cries of "No surrender!" the siege began. The Jacobite Army set up two attacking positions on the water, using their gun batteries to fire across the River Foyle into the walled City. French Soldiers were also based in the Creggan area where they would fire across the bog into the city itself.

Joseph Caldwell, great grandson of William Caldwell of Straiton and nephew of Sir James, was thirty-two years when he served in defense of Derry. The people inside the walled city not only suffered from attacks by cannonballs and mortars, a floating boom was placed across the River Foyle in June to prevent supplies from reaching the city. Thousands died from starvation and disease.

At the end of July, three merchant ships called the Mountjoy, Phoenix and Jerusalem sailed towards the boom barricading the river. Protected by the frigate Dartmouth, the relief ships eventually broke through the boom to unload their cargo of food and supplies to the starving people. By the evening of the 31st of July, the Jacobites could be seen burning their encampments and marching off towards Lifford. Joseph Caldwell died on September 30, 1730 and is buried on his farm in Lifford, Ballycogan Parish, County Donegal.

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