The Williamite War in Ireland

A section devoted to questions and answers for this period.
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Rebel
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 207
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 2:40 pm

The Williamite War in Ireland

Post by Rebel » Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:19 pm

This may be sticking my head above the parapet as it were, but here goes. As a new member to the forum, and one with a deep interest in the above mentioned period, amd more than willing to help with members' queries etc where time and circumstance permit.

Obviously there are two ways to do this either to go through the Forum and tag a reply onto all of the various posts in turn or to await future queries.

I'll leave you with a few quick ones though:

a) Crimson Flag at Derry is not a unit colour, it is the flag flown over St Columb's Cathedral to signify that the garrison would not surrender to the Jacobites. As far as I'm aware there are no records of any individual unit colours used by the Derry garrison.

Likewise if we are being accurate, no unit should carry the Royal Standard as a unit colour, it's principal puropse is to mark the presence of the Sovereign, and the last time I'm aware of it's use in battle was at Edgehill in 1642, although it may have been carried by later Royalist armies of which King Charles I was acting as commander. I can't say for sure, but I think I know a man who can.

b) No - The Earl of Antrim's regiment would not have any highlanders in it.
This "redshanks myth" like the contemporary "Commber Letter" was a propaganda device to reawaken fears of the 1641 Rising and the threat that the 'evil' Catholics would murder all of the 'God fearing' Protestants in their beds.

c) Interesting discussion as to wheher Cannon's troops at Killiekrankie would have carried pike. For the record Lt-Colonel Alexander Cannon was sent to Scotland at the head of a dismounted detachment (3 or 4 troops - sources vary) of Nicholas Purcell's regiment of dragoons. Cannon's men were supposed to get their horses in Scotalnd (which they didn't) whilst Purcell's remaining dragoons were brought up to full regimental strength and reconstituted as a horse regiment. Needless to say, Cannon's men would have been armed with a flintlock carbine, a sword and (if lucky) a pistol.

- Mike.
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