William’s center now advanced, and began the passage of the river, under cover of a heavy artillery fire.  Every foot of the advance was stubbornly contested, and such headway was made by the Irish troops that Schomberg’s bodyguard was scattered or cut to pieces, and he himself was slain.  The center of William’s army was undoubtedly being beaten back, when, crossing lower down with eighteen squadrons of cavalry, he fiercely attacked the right flank of the Irish army and thus turned the possibility of defeat into certain victory.  That the Irish troops, although outnumbered two to one and led by a coward, fought valiantly, is admitted on all sides.  They charged and re-charged ten times in succession, and only gave way at last under pressure of greatly superior numbers.  The retreat of the Irish army was orderly,—­the more so, doubtless, because the former king of England was no longer among them, having most valiantly fled to Dublin, and thence to Kinsale, where he took ship for France, leaving behind him a reputation quite singular in the annals of Ireland.

Within a week after the battle, the Irish army, which had preserved order and discipline even in the face of the flight of James, occupied Limerick, and made preparations to hold that strong position, with the untouched resources of the western province behind them, and the hope, unshaken by their rude experience, that the runaway king might reinforce them by sea.  Through all the events that followed, presently to be narrated, it must be understood that Tyrconnell was steadily seeking to undermine the resolution of the Irish army, hoping the sooner to make his peace with King William, to secure his Irish estates, and, very possibly, be appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, under the new king.

William meanwhile brought his army southwards, being welcomed to Dublin by the large English element there, and presently continued his march to Waterford, which was surrendered to him, as was alleged, by Tyrconnell’s orders.  He also reduced Kilkenny, to which Tyrconnell had failed to send reinforcements, though repeatedly appealed to by its commander.  About this time, on July 28th or a day or two later, the brave garrison of Derry was relieved by some of William’s ships, which broke the line of blockade across the river and brought abundant provisions to the emaciated defenders.

A section of William’s army under Douglas was sent to take Athlone, the strong fortress which guarded the ford, and later the bridge across the Shannon—­the high road from Leinster to the western province of Connacht, beyond the river.  Douglas, after a fierce attack lasting seven days, was compelled to retreat again to the main army encamped at Waterford.  The French auxiliaries under Lauzun, who had not hitherto greatly distinguished themselves for valor, losing less than a score of men at the Boyne, now deserted Limerick and retreated to Galway, taking with them, if the fugitive king may be credited, a great quantity of ammunition from the fortress of Limerick.