The British nation a history / by George MWrong . Ireland, except Dublin andDerry, was in Ormondes was expected that Charles IIwould land in Ireland as itsking, and use that basis for hisattack upon the regicide com-monwealth. Ormonde laid siege to Dublin, and the situa-tion was serious when Oliver Cromwell landed at Dublin,on August 13,1649, with some 12,000 tried veterans of thecivil war. He proclaimed that he was come to ask anaccount of the innocent blood that hath been shed, andsoon the Irish learned what this meant. Three weeks afterlanding, Cromwell was before Drogheda, in whic
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . Ireland, except Dublin andDerry, was in Ormondes was expected that Charles IIwould land in Ireland as itsking, and use that basis for hisattack upon the regicide com-monwealth. Ormonde laid siege to Dublin, and the situa-tion was serious when Oliver Cromwell landed at Dublin,on August 13,1649, with some 12,000 tried veterans of thecivil war. He proclaimed that he was come to ask anaccount of the innocent blood that hath been shed, andsoon the Irish learned what this meant. Three weeks afterlanding, Cromwell was before Drogheda, in which weresome of Ormondes best regiments under Sir Arthur the place refused to surrender, after a severe strug-gle Cromwell took it by storm and put to the sword aboutthree thousand people, some of whom were non-combat-ants. Many Eoman Catholic priests and friars were killed,but the stories of the massacre of women and children incold blood are probably false. The truth itself is badenough. In St. Peters Church, where, as Cromwell notes. James Butler,DcKE OF Ormonde (1610-1688). 382 THE BRITISH NATION with Puritan fervour, mass had been celebrated on theprevious Sunday, 1,000 were killed by his troops. Thechurch steeple, in which many had taken refuge, was seton fire, and the burning wretches in the flames died withcurses for their assailants on their lips. I wish, saidCromwell, that all honest hearts may give the glory ofthis to God alone, to whom, indeed, the praise of thismercy belongs. He marched on Wexford, gave its gar-rison an hour in which to yield unconditionally, and, whenthey refused, carried that place also by storm, and againput some two or three thousand people to the defence of this awful rigour was that it wouldterrify the land into submission and save further blood-shed. Perhaps it did. Town after town opened its gatesto him, and Avithin a few months the greater part of Ire-land was in his hands. Then came the cruellest part of Cromwells
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