Page:A Compendium of Irish Biography.djvu/290

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those evil courses which gallants pursue, by which even youths who are naturally good are often roused to feats of arms." John was crowned King on 27th May 1 199, and again visited Ireland in 12 10. The Calendar of Documents relating to Ireland, 1 1 71-125 1, is full of interesting particulars of his preparations for the expedition, and of the stores and warlike material got together, much the same as those enume- rated in his father's preparations for the invasion of the island twenty-eight years before. [See Henry II.] This second expedition was principally for the purpose of chastising De Braosa, De Lacy, and other lords then in rebellion against his author- ity. His fleet consisted of 700 vessels. He lauded at Waterford on 20th June. Thence he marched to Thomastown, Kil- kenny, and Naas, and on the 28th June arrived at Dublin. There he tarried but two days; and then proceeded north to Trim and Kells. Reinforced by O'Brien of Thomond, and Cathal O'Conor, King of Connaught, he marched against Hugh de Lacy. Passing through Dundalk, Carling- ford, and Downpatrick, he arrived at Car- rickfergus. This stronghold he besieged and captured, making prisoners of De Lacy's bravest soldiers. De Braosa's wife and his relatives were captured in Gallo- way. The King liberated them on gua- rantee of a payment of 50,000 marks ransom. On the 29th July King John turned southwards, marched through Drogheda and Kells, and reached Dublin again on i8th August. There he delay- ed about a week, occupied with public affairs. The Anglo-Norman lords were compelled to swear obedience to the laws of England ; he divided the territories under his sway into twelve counties — Dub- lin, Kildare, Meath, Uriel (or Louth), Catherlagh (or Carlow), Kilkenny, Wex- ford, Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Kerry, and Tipp /ary, and arrangements were made for the government of the country. He granted a charter to the King of Con- naught, who surrendered to John the cas- tle of Athlone, and consented to hold his territories from the King for a subsidy of 5,000 marks, and an annual payment in Dublin of 300 marks. John ordered the erection of numerous castles, and confirmed charters he had granted to the Leper Hos- pital at Waterford and other institutions. After a sojourn of sixty-six days in Ire- land, John landed at Fishguard, in Wales, on the 26th of August. The first sterling money was coined in Ireland under his directions. His vigorous efforts for the government of Ireland on the occasion of his second visit scarcely accord with

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the disposition usually attributed to him. In 12 13 John suirendered his kingdom of England and lordship of Ireland to Pope Innocent III., and received them back, swearing fealty and promising to pay yearly 700 marks to the English church, and 300 marks to the Irish ; and on 28th October next year the Pope issued a bull commanding the archbishops, bishops, abbots, prelates, princes, earls, barons, knights, and people of Ireland, to pre- serve fealty to King John. John died at Newark Castle, Notts, 19th October 1216, aged 49, and was buried in Worcester Cathedral. '34 us 3x1 33s

Johnson, Guy, Colonel, a prominent loyalist in the American Revolution, was born in Ireland about 1740. He served against the French in North America in 1757, and commanded a company of rangers under Amherst in 1759. In 1744 we find him superintendent of the Indian department. His zeal as a loyalist on the breaking out of the Revolution obliged him to fly to Montreal. Afterwards he participated in the exploits of Brant and the Mohawks, and was in the battles of Chemimg and Newtown in western New York between them and General Sullivan. His estates were confiscated, and he died in poverty in London, 5th March 1788, aged about 48. At one period of his life he managed a theatre at New York. 37'

Johnson, Sir Henry, Bart., G.C.B., General, was born in Dublin in 1748, entered the army in 1761, and rose through the several grades — Captain, 1 763 ; Lieutenant-Colonel, 1 778 ; Colonel, 1782 ; Major-General, 1793 ; General, 1808. He commanded a battalion of Irish light infantry in the American Revolutionary War, and was severely wounded ; and while in command at Stony Point was sur- prised by General Wayne on the night of the 15th July 1779, and made prisoner with his whole force. In 1782 he mar- ried an American lady, and returned to England after the capture of Yorktown. During the Insurrection of 1 798 he com- manded a division of the army in the County of Wexford, and on 5 th June de- fended New Ross. It was attacked early in the morning of that day by an over- whelming body of insurgents under Bage- nal Harvey, who were at first successful, driving most of General Johnson's troops out of the town, but not following up their success, and abandoning themselves to pillage and inebriety, were in the after- noon obliged to retreat to Slievecoiltia. Musgrave places the insurgent loss at 2,500, while Johnson's casualties numbered alto- gether but 227, In the engagement General