’About a quarter of an hour after the officer and the escort had departed, we, who were all assembled in the portico of the house, heard a report like a loud clap of thunder.  The doors and windows shook with some violent concussion; a few minutes afterwards the officer galloped into the yard, and threw himself off his horse into my father’s arms almost senseless.  The ammunition cart had blown up, one of the officers had been severely wounded, and the horses and the man leading them killed; the wounded officer was at a farmhouse on the Longford road, at about two miles’ distance.  The fear of the rebels was now suspended in concern for this accident; Mrs. Edgeworth went immediately to give her assistance; she left her carriage for the use of the wounded gentleman, and rode back At the entrance of the village she was stopped by a gentleman in great terror, who, taking hold of the bridle of her horse, begged her not to attempt to go farther, assuring her that the rebels were coming into the town.  But she answered that she must and would return to her family.  She rode on, and found us waiting anxiously for her.  No assistance could be afforded from Longford; the rebels were reassembling, and advancing towards the village; and there was no alternative but to leave our house as fast as possible.  One of our carriages having been left with the wounded officer, we had but one at this moment for our whole family, eleven in number.  No mode of conveyance could be had for some of our female servants; our faithful English housekeeper offered to stay till the return of the carriage, which had been left with the officer; and as we could not carry her, we were obliged, most reluctantly, to leave her behind to follow, as we hoped, immediately.  As we passed through the village we heard nothing but the entreaties, lamentations, and objurations of those who could not procure the means of carrying off their goods or their families; most painful when we could give no assistance.

’Next to the safety of his own family, my father’s greatest anxiety was for his defenceless corps.  No men could behave better than they did at this first moment of trial.  Not one absented himself, though many, living at a distance, might, if they had been so inclined, have found plausible excuses for non-appearance.

’He ordered them to march to Longford.  The idea of going to Longford could not be agreeable to many of them, who were Catholics.  There was no reluctance shown, however, by the Catholics of this corps to go among those who called themselves Orangemen.

’We expected every instant to hear the shout of the rebels entering Edgeworth Town.  When we had got about half-a-mile out of the village, my father suddenly recollected that he had left on his table a paper containing a list of his corps, and that, if this should come into the hands of the rebels, it might be of dangerous consequence to his men; it would serve to point out their houses for pillage, and their families for destruction.  He turned his horse instantly and galloped back for it.  The time of his absence appeared immeasurably long, but he returned safely after having destroyed the dangerous paper.