Meanwhile Monroe’s army came into touch with Owen Roe’s force, and the Scottish general opened fire with guns and muskets, to which the muskets of Owen Roe as vigorously replied.  The Scottish artillery was planted on a hillock a quarter-mile from Owen Roe’s center, and under cover of its fire an infantry charge was attempted, which was brilliantly repulsed by the pikemen of Owen Roe’s army.  A second attack was made by the Scottish cavalry, who tried to ford the river, and thus turn the left flank of the Irish army, but they were met and routed by the Irish horse.  This was about six in the evening, and the sun, hanging low in the sky, fell full in the faces of the Scottish troops.  Owen Roe promptly followed up the rout of the Scottish horse by an advance, making a sweeping movement from right to left, and thereby forcing Monroe towards the junction of two streams, where he had no space to move.  At this point Owen Roe’s army received a notable accession of strength in the form of four squadrons of cavalry, sent earlier in the day to guard against the possible approach of George Monroe from Coleraine.

At a signal from Owen Roe, his army advanced upon Monroe’s force, to be met by a charge of the Scottish cavalry, instantly replied to by a charge of the Irish cavalry through the three open spaces in the front infantry line of Owen Roe’s army.  Monroe’s first line was broken, and the Irish pikemen, the equivalent of a bayonet charge, steadily forced him backwards.  It was a fierce struggle, hand to hand, eye to eye, and blade to blade.  The order of Owen Roe’s advance was admirably preserved, while the Scottish and English forces were in confusion, already broken and crowded into a narrow and constricted space between the two rivers.  Finally the advancing Irish army reached and stormed the hillock where Monroe’s artillery was placed, and victory was palpably won.  The defeat of the Scottish and English army became an utter rout, and when the sun set more than three thousand of them lay dead on the field.

It is almost incredible that the Irish losses were only seventy, yet such is the number recorded, while not only was the opposing army utterly defeated and dispersed, but Monroe’s whole artillery, his tents and baggage, fifteen hundred horses, twenty stand of colors, two months’ provisions and numbers of prisoners of war fell into the hands of Owen Roe; while, as a result of the battle, the two auxiliary forces were forced to retreat and take refuge in Coleraine and Derry, General Robert Monroe escaping meanwhile to Carrickfergus.  It is only just to him to say that our best accounts of the battle come from officers in Monroe’s army, Owen Roe contenting himself with the merest outline of the result gained, but saying nothing of the consummate generalship that gained it.