DIVINE PROTECTION
Dinah W. Goff --CONTINUED -- 3
We were greatly struck by observing that, how-
ever outrageously a party might come, there were
generally some among them who were disposed to
promote peace. Such would say, "You ought not to
treat them so--the poor ladies who have been up -
all night making bread for you with their own
hands." One morning a most violent party advanced,
yelling and swearing hideously like savages intent
on rapine, so that we fully believed they had formed
some wicked design; but two young men, who looked
sorrowful and alarmed on our behalf, though perfect
strangers, came forward, requesting we might all
withdraw and shut the door, as they could not but
dread the consequences if the party were allowed
to enter the house. The young men stationed them-
selves on the steps of the hall door, drew their
great cavalry swords, and, flourishing them, de-
clared that no one should pass; pleading for us
in the most kind and energetic manner -- "Why would
you injure Mr. Goff and his family, who are doing
all they can, feeding and providing for you?"
After a long struggle the company relinquished
their evil purpose. The young men were quite
overcome with the exertion and heat: my father
warmly thanked them, and gave them silk handker-
chiefs to wipe their faces, inquiring their names-
one of them was called Dennis ----------of Gorey. On that
occasion, many wicked-looking women were outside,
evidently waiting for plunder; and, when disappoint-
ed, they made frightful faces, and shook their hands
at us as we stood at the windows. One of them was
heard to say when they withdrew, "You are a set of
chicken-hearted fellows!"
A severe conflict took place at Enniscorthy,
the garrison being forced to surrender, and many
hundreds, as we were told, left dead in the streets.
Two days after it, our Quarterly Meeting for Lein-
ster province was, in usual course, held there; and
was attended by David Sands from America, a valued
minister of our society, who was then traveling
through Ireland, with Abraham Jackson as his com-
panion. As they passed through Enniscorthy, the
latter had to alight and assist in removing the
dead bodies, which still lay in the streets, from
before the wheels of the carriage. The meeting,
though small, was said to have been remarkably solemn,
as it well might be, and also much favoured; many
other Friends with ourselves were deprived of the
means of attending, by the want of horses which the
rebels had taken.
A barn, about a mile and a half from us,
belonging to a gentleman who lived at Scullabogue,
was used as a prison, in which about 250 persons,
chiefly Protestants, were confined--men, women, and
children, some being infants in their mothers’
arms. There they remained from Sixth until Third-
day, without receiving any food, except some sheaves
of wheat occasionally thrown in, that the rebels
might have the amusement of seeing them scramble
for the grains. On the day of the battle of New
Ross, sixty or more of them were brought out on the
lawn, and offered, one by one, life and liberty if
they would change their religious profession; but
they all refused. Some, after being half tortured
to death answered, "No; give me more powder and
ball first."
Two of the prisoners, named John and Samuel
Jones, had attended our meeting, though not members;
and their case was a particularly dreadful one.
Samuel was kindly supported by his wife whilst he
was unmercifully tortured; one limb after another
being broken, and each time the question repeated,
"Will you have the priest?" which he steadily
refused: looking calmly at his faithful wife, and
saying, "My dear, I am not hurt; I feel no pain."
His brother also bore his martyrdom with firmness,
and was put to death by slow degrees in a similar
way. The wife, with admirable fortitude, stood
between them when they were shot, and held up a
hand of each. She then implored the murderers to
take her life also; but they refused, saying,
"They would not dishonour the Virgin Mary by
killing a woman." I saw her afterwards in deep
affliction passing our gate, as she sat in a
cart with the remains of her husband and brother.
On the same day,-.viz.the fourth of Sixth Month,
--the barn was set on fire and all the other
prisoners (said to be 184) were consumed. Some
of the poor women put their infants out through
the windows, hoping to save them; but the ruffians
took them up on their pikes, and threw them back
into the flames. I saw the smoke of the barn, and
cannot now forget the strong and dreadful effluvium
which was wafted from it to our lawn. (Yet Keightley
remarks– "We fear, if a fair balance were struck of
the bloodshed, the cruelties, and the other enormities
committed during these unhappy times, that the pre-
ponderence would be greatly on the side of the royal-
ists.")
QUEST, P.O. Box 82, Bellefonte PA 16823
E-mail: quest@quaker.org