Anthony Perry
Encyclopedia
Anthony Perry known as the "screeching general" was one of the most important leaders of the United Irish Wexford
rebels during the 1798 rebellion
.
, Ireland
to a Protestant family and lived a prosperous life at Inch near the Wexford/Wicklow border as a gentleman farmer. He enlisted in the local yeomanry
corps as a second lieutenant responding to the Governments appeal to save the kingdom from radicalism during the height of anti-Jacobin
paranoia in the mid-1790s. However, the atrocities he witnessed, and may even have participated in, disturbed him so much that he took the United Irish Oath in 1797 and was made a colonel.
As a United Irish colonel, Perry was responsible for the organisation and recruitment of the movement in north Wexford
. A measure of this success was evident by the fact that the brutal coercion campaign unleashed by the Government 1797-98 did not identify Wexford as a United Irish stronghold until barely a month before the eventual outbreak.
for interrogation. After enduring 48 hours of torture including being pitchcapped
, Perry broke and revealed some names of comrades in the south Wexford movement but little of the north Wexford organisation. Acting upon the information tortured out of him, the authorities released Perry on 26 May and concentrated mainly on a round up of the United Irish leaders in Wexford town.
, Edward Fitzgerald, and John Henry Colclough, the rebellion erupted rapidly after being sparked off by a clash at The Harrow where rebels under Fr. John Murphy attacked and defeated a small yeoman cavalry force. A bloody series of raids for arms and attacks on loyalist forces ensued across the northern half of the county countered by roaming bands of yeomen burning and killing indiscriminately. Victories at battle of Oulart Hill
and Enniscorthy
followed, leaving the rebels in total control of the area between Enniscorthy and Gorey
by 29 May.
Despite his horrific wounds, Perry reported to the rebel camp at Vinegar Hill
, Enniscorthy on 29 May and was appointed as second in command to the northern army. His first command ended in defeat when indiscipline and lack of firearms led to a bloody defeat by the militia
at Ballyminaun Hill. However, he was then instrumental together with Fr. Edward Roche in planning the devastating counterattack upon an advancing British spearhead at the Battle of Tuberneering
on June 4 which destroyed half of the British army in North Wexford in one fell swoop.
town to regroup in safety and gave Perry his nickname the "screeching general" from his practice of screaming at the enemy when leading rebel attacks. The rebels failed to follow up the victory despite the fact that much of Wicklow county, including Arklow
town, was left unoccupied by the British during these critical days.
Part of the reason for this failure to effectively follow up the victory was undoubtedly down to the fact that the rebel forces lacked military discipline, but also that the victorious rebels took advantage of their new power to settle old scores by hunting down and taking revenge upon local enemies. For example, on June 7, Perry led a raid upon Carnew
, scene of the extrajudicial massacre
of rebel suspects on May 25, burning most of the town to the ground. He was also suspected of involvement in the execution of two of his yeomen torturers at the Gorey camp on June 8.
, Perry's position of leadership was weakened by disagreement over tactics with Fr. John Murphy whose units refused to take part. The march on Arklow was also a leisurely affair with Perry having to personally plead with his men to desist from delaying by countless pausing for hurrahs as they passed his house on route. The disastrous defeat
threw the rebels back on the defensive and Perry spent the following days reorganising the scattered rebel forces and skirmishing with probing British units.
was reached and Perry's men threatened to throw the British plans into disarray after holding off several British attacks around Kilcavan Hill on the 19-20 June. However a decision was taken by the Rebel council on 20 June to consolidate all rebel forces in Wexford
at the main Vinegar Hill camp for the looming battle and Perry withdrew as ordered.
The subsequent defeat
on 21 June eliminated rebel control of territory in Wexford but left at least 10,000 armed men willing to fight on. Perry managed to withdraw a force of some thousands to the south towards Wexford town and with other leaders such as Garret Byrne, Edward Fitzgerald and Esmonde Kyan fought their way through Wexford reaching Kilcavan Hill again by June 28 and defeated a pursuing cavalry force at Ballyraheen Hill on 2 July.
Perry and the surviving column then left Wexford and reached the Wicklow hills on July 5, having fought off a pursuit led by General James Duff (perpetrator of the Gibbet Rath massacre
) at the battle of White Heaps/Ballygullen. Some rebels took to the hills to fight on in a protracted guerrilla war; some returned to their homes; but the bulk set off on a march into the midlands to revive the rebellion under the effective leadership of Perry and Fr. Mogue Kearns
. Crossing into Kildare
on July 9, the rebels captured a keg of gunpowder near Newbridge
and linked up with remnants of the Kildare rebels under William Aylmer
. Following consultation with their Kildare comrades, it was then decided to swing northwards and attack Clonard
in County Meath
, partly because they believed stores of arms were located there, but also to elude the thousands of soldiers combing Kildare for rebels.
was disastrous failure and a severe blow to the surviving rebel army. Many Kildare
rebels returned to their homes, Meath men were discouraged from joining by the defeat and much of their existing stocks of ammunition were wasted in the futile attack. A desperate decision was taken to hook up with the rebels in Ulster
and the surviving column of no more than 1,000 men was constantly harried by pursuing Government troops until forced to stand and fight at Knightstown near the river Slane
where they were scattered and defeated.
Some rebel units managed to reform and the decision was made to head back to Wexford but the surviving column was intercepted and met final defeat on the evening of the same day at Ballyboghill, Co. Dublin. Perry probably lost contact with the main rebel force before the final battle and fled towards the west in the company of Fr. Mogue Kearns
and others. They reached Edenderry
in County Offaly before being captured by the military and were both summarily hanged on July 12.
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
rebels during the 1798 rebellion
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
.
Background
Perry was born in County DownCounty Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to a Protestant family and lived a prosperous life at Inch near the Wexford/Wicklow border as a gentleman farmer. He enlisted in the local yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
corps as a second lieutenant responding to the Governments appeal to save the kingdom from radicalism during the height of anti-Jacobin
Jacobin (politics)
A Jacobin , in the context of the French Revolution, was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary far-left political movement. The Jacobin Club was the most famous political club of the French Revolution. So called from the Dominican convent where they originally met, in the Rue St. Jacques ,...
paranoia in the mid-1790s. However, the atrocities he witnessed, and may even have participated in, disturbed him so much that he took the United Irish Oath in 1797 and was made a colonel.
As a United Irish colonel, Perry was responsible for the organisation and recruitment of the movement in north Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
. A measure of this success was evident by the fact that the brutal coercion campaign unleashed by the Government 1797-98 did not identify Wexford as a United Irish stronghold until barely a month before the eventual outbreak.
Arrest and torture
The arrival of the counter-insurgency campaign in Wexford, embodied by the dispatch of the dreaded North Cork Militia, ensured that high profile radicals like Perry would be the first to be subjected to arrest and interrogation. On 23 May Perry was arrested and taken by the North Cork Militia to GoreyGorey
Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
for interrogation. After enduring 48 hours of torture including being pitchcapped
Pitchcapping
Pitchcapping refers to a form of torture devised by British forces in 18th century Ireland which was widely used against suspected rebels during the period of the 1798 Rebellion, most famously on Anthony Perry, one of the leaders of the Wexford Rebels....
, Perry broke and revealed some names of comrades in the south Wexford movement but little of the north Wexford organisation. Acting upon the information tortured out of him, the authorities released Perry on 26 May and concentrated mainly on a round up of the United Irish leaders in Wexford town.
The rebellion erupts
While the authorities concentrated on extracting intelligence about the rebel organisation from southern leaders such as Bagenal HarveyBagenal Harvey
Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey was a barrister and a commander of the United Irishmen in the Battle of New Ross during the 1798 Rebellion....
, Edward Fitzgerald, and John Henry Colclough, the rebellion erupted rapidly after being sparked off by a clash at The Harrow where rebels under Fr. John Murphy attacked and defeated a small yeoman cavalry force. A bloody series of raids for arms and attacks on loyalist forces ensued across the northern half of the county countered by roaming bands of yeomen burning and killing indiscriminately. Victories at battle of Oulart Hill
Battle of Oulart Hill
The Battle of Oulart Hill took place on 27 May 1798 when a rebel gathering of 1,000 annihilated a detachment of militia sent from Wexford town to stamp out the spreading rebellion in county Wexford.-Background:...
and Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
followed, leaving the rebels in total control of the area between Enniscorthy and Gorey
Gorey
Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
by 29 May.
Despite his horrific wounds, Perry reported to the rebel camp at Vinegar Hill
Vinegar Hill
Vinegar Hill could refer to:*Vinegar Hill , a 1999 novel by A. Manette Ansay.*Vinegar Hill , a 2005 TV-Movie starring Mary-Louise Parker...
, Enniscorthy on 29 May and was appointed as second in command to the northern army. His first command ended in defeat when indiscipline and lack of firearms led to a bloody defeat by the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
at Ballyminaun Hill. However, he was then instrumental together with Fr. Edward Roche in planning the devastating counterattack upon an advancing British spearhead at the Battle of Tuberneering
Battle of Tuberneering
The Battle of Tuberneering was fought on 4 June 1798, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. it was fought between British troops and insurgents mobilised by the revolutionary organisation named the United Irishmen...
on June 4 which destroyed half of the British army in North Wexford in one fell swoop.
June 4–9
The victory at Tuberneering shocked the military who withdrew as far as WicklowWicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
town to regroup in safety and gave Perry his nickname the "screeching general" from his practice of screaming at the enemy when leading rebel attacks. The rebels failed to follow up the victory despite the fact that much of Wicklow county, including Arklow
Arklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
town, was left unoccupied by the British during these critical days.
Part of the reason for this failure to effectively follow up the victory was undoubtedly down to the fact that the rebel forces lacked military discipline, but also that the victorious rebels took advantage of their new power to settle old scores by hunting down and taking revenge upon local enemies. For example, on June 7, Perry led a raid upon Carnew
Carnew
Carnew is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Wicklow situated just a mile from the border with County Wexford...
, scene of the extrajudicial massacre
Carnew massacre
The Carnew Massacre was the summary execution of 38 prisoners being held as suspected United Irishmen by the local garrison in the British army barracks base of Carnew Castle, Carnew, County Wicklow, Ireland on 25 May 1798....
of rebel suspects on May 25, burning most of the town to the ground. He was also suspected of involvement in the execution of two of his yeomen torturers at the Gorey camp on June 8.
Battle of Arklow
When the decision was finally taken to march on and capture ArklowArklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
, Perry's position of leadership was weakened by disagreement over tactics with Fr. John Murphy whose units refused to take part. The march on Arklow was also a leisurely affair with Perry having to personally plead with his men to desist from delaying by countless pausing for hurrahs as they passed his house on route. The disastrous defeat
Battle of Arklow
The second Battle of Arklow took place during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 9 June when a force of United Irishmen from Wexford, estimated at 10,000 strong, launched an assault into County Wicklow, on the British-held town of Arklow, in an attempt to spread the rebellion into Wicklow and to...
threw the rebels back on the defensive and Perry spent the following days reorganising the scattered rebel forces and skirmishing with probing British units.
Vinegar Hill and aftermath
By June 18 the British had built up a force of some 20,000 troops poised to strike from the north and west. Rebel forces under Perry withdrew from their base at Mountpleasant to meet the threat and formed a large camp at Kilcavan Hill in the north of the county. The British had not expected a large rebel force opposing them until EnniscorthyEnniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
was reached and Perry's men threatened to throw the British plans into disarray after holding off several British attacks around Kilcavan Hill on the 19-20 June. However a decision was taken by the Rebel council on 20 June to consolidate all rebel forces in Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
at the main Vinegar Hill camp for the looming battle and Perry withdrew as ordered.
The subsequent defeat
Battle of Vinegar Hill
The Battle of Vinegar Hill was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 21 June 1798 when over 15,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the largest camp and headquarters of the Wexford United Irish rebels...
on 21 June eliminated rebel control of territory in Wexford but left at least 10,000 armed men willing to fight on. Perry managed to withdraw a force of some thousands to the south towards Wexford town and with other leaders such as Garret Byrne, Edward Fitzgerald and Esmonde Kyan fought their way through Wexford reaching Kilcavan Hill again by June 28 and defeated a pursuing cavalry force at Ballyraheen Hill on 2 July.
Midlands campaign
Gibbet Rath massacre
The Gibbet Rath massacre was the massacre of some 300–500 rebels by British forces which took place during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on the Curragh of Kildare on 29 May 1798.-Background:...
) at the battle of White Heaps/Ballygullen. Some rebels took to the hills to fight on in a protracted guerrilla war; some returned to their homes; but the bulk set off on a march into the midlands to revive the rebellion under the effective leadership of Perry and Fr. Mogue Kearns
Mogue Kearns
Father Moses Kearns was executed by the British on July 12, 1798, in the throes of leading 2,000 Revolutionary Irish troops in the Easter Uprising in Ireland...
. Crossing into Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
on July 9, the rebels captured a keg of gunpowder near Newbridge
Newbridge, County Kildare
The earliest known mention of Newbridge was by traveller and bookseller John Dunton in 1698, though he does not refer to any settlement other than at Ballymany....
and linked up with remnants of the Kildare rebels under William Aylmer
William Aylmer
William Aylmer from Painstown, County Kildare, Ireland was a leader of the United Irishmen in the 1798 Rebellion against the British government. At the Battle of Ovidstown on 19 June 1798 he led a fierce battle against superior forces in which 200 insurgents died. Aylmer retreated into the...
. Following consultation with their Kildare comrades, it was then decided to swing northwards and attack Clonard
Clonard, County Meath
Clonard is a small village in County Meath, Ireland. It lies on the R148 regional road between the towns of Kinnegad and Enfield. This road was the main road between Dublin and Galway until the construction of the M4 motorway - it is still used by traffic avoiding the toll on the M4.It is notable...
in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, partly because they believed stores of arms were located there, but also to elude the thousands of soldiers combing Kildare for rebels.
March on Ulster
The attack on ClonardClonard, County Meath
Clonard is a small village in County Meath, Ireland. It lies on the R148 regional road between the towns of Kinnegad and Enfield. This road was the main road between Dublin and Galway until the construction of the M4 motorway - it is still used by traffic avoiding the toll on the M4.It is notable...
was disastrous failure and a severe blow to the surviving rebel army. Many Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
rebels returned to their homes, Meath men were discouraged from joining by the defeat and much of their existing stocks of ammunition were wasted in the futile attack. A desperate decision was taken to hook up with the rebels in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
and the surviving column of no more than 1,000 men was constantly harried by pursuing Government troops until forced to stand and fight at Knightstown near the river Slane
Slane
Slane is a village in County Meath, in Ireland. The village stands on a steep hillside on the left bank of the River Boyne at the intersection of the N2 and the N51 . In 2006 Slane's population was 1,099, having grown from 823 in 2002. The population of the village and the surrounding rural area...
where they were scattered and defeated.
Some rebel units managed to reform and the decision was made to head back to Wexford but the surviving column was intercepted and met final defeat on the evening of the same day at Ballyboghill, Co. Dublin. Perry probably lost contact with the main rebel force before the final battle and fled towards the west in the company of Fr. Mogue Kearns
Mogue Kearns
Father Moses Kearns was executed by the British on July 12, 1798, in the throes of leading 2,000 Revolutionary Irish troops in the Easter Uprising in Ireland...
and others. They reached Edenderry
Edenderry, County Offaly
Edenderry is a town in the north of County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal passes immediately south of the town through the Bog of Allen and there is a short spur to the town centre....
in County Offaly before being captured by the military and were both summarily hanged on July 12.