Robert Goodbody Journal
of the houses was plundered, except of trifling articles but when the army came in, Robert Woodcock, a very handsome lad, being in coloured clothes, a soldier seeing him, run after him to take his life, he run up-stairs and the soldier after him. He met Elizabeth Pim on the landing place and run behind her, she shifting over him to save him, and shouting to the man not to fire, but he did, and I think the shot broke his arm, but Elizabeth Pim had marvelous escapes as the garrison of the Loyalists was next door to them. I don't think that in either of the houses even the plate or house linen was disturbed, but many of those who looked to the arm of flesh to save them lost very heavily. One young man, Thomas Gatchell, my schoolfellow, had been much with the army before the rebellion broke out, and consulted with E.Pim what he had best do, but he did not take her advice, took up arms and went to the garrison, and when they capitulated he escaped with another cut backwards, and got into a large empty house, built by John Pomeroy. He probably also got up a chimney on the upper story. But both of them were murdered very soon after, and I saw afterwards the marks of their blood and brains o the hearth stone.
My Uncle Pim died about 5 weeks after this.
I now return to Mountmellick where there never was any regular brake out, but all only willing to do so. The rebels broke out at Monastreven, and if I recollect right, set fire to some houses in Portarlington, but I don't think they ever got possession of either of these towns. But o the day of the attack on Monastreven there was great alarm over the town of Mountmellick, and about dusk in the evening a young lad rode out of the town, and after a while brought in word that the rebels were collecting at the
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Copyright © 2004 Mr Tony Lynch All rights reserved.

