DIVINE PROTECTION
Dinah W. Goff --CONTINUED -- 4
In the engagement at New Ross the insurgents
were defeated. This was an awful scene of conflict
and bloodshed, continuing with but little cessation
for nearly twelve hours. It is stated that 2000
persons were killed. The king’s troops retreated
twice, and the town was in the hands of the rebels,
when a reinforcement was understood to have come
up and put them to flight. Some asserted that no
reinforcement arrived, and that the assailing
multitude fled when there were none to pursue them.
General Johnson, who commanded the royalists, said
that the success of that day was to be attributed
to Providence, and was not the work of man. Several
Friends of New Ross had previously retired to Water-
ford; others who remained were remarkably preserved,
though the town was set on fire in different quarters.
Previously to the burning of the barn, a com-
pany came one day with two horses, saying they had
orders to take my dear father and our cousin, J.
Heatly to the camp-the latter being the father
of the two young officers before-mentioned. It
was nearly noon when they came and seized their
two victims; and my mother having gone to give
some orders in the kitchen, I ran to call her,
saying they were forcing my father on horseback.
On this she came out, and pressing through the
dense crowd on the lawn, asked them peremptorily,
"What are you doing with my husband?" On their
saying they were going to take him to the camp,
she said, in the same tone, "You shall not take
my husband, for he is in poor health; and if
you put him in prison I think he could not live
many weeks; he will be here for you at any time
you wish, as he cannot leave his house." They
were then silent, and quietly relinquished their de-
sign. My mother remarked, "We have got what you call
protections from the generals." These were sent for,
and read aloud, to this effect:– "Let no one molest
Mr. Goff or his family, they being hostages to the
united army. Signed in the camp of Carrickburn by
two generals, Harvey and Roche." These documents
had been previously sent without any request made
by the family. The party were then satisfied, as
related to my father: all entreaty was, however,
unavailing with respect to my cousin, J. Heatly, who
was taken away on horseback, amid the shrieks and
cries of his afflicted wife and children.
We afterwards heard that they soon made him dis-
mount, and walk ten miles to Wexford. They then put
him on board a prison ship on the river Slaney, where
he remained until the insurgents were totally de-
feated. He witnessed many of his acquaintances and
fellow-sufferers said to be to the number of ninety-
seven in all-taken out of the same ship and put to
death, with very cruel circumstances, on the Wex-
ford Bridge; but he and a friend of his had a
remarkable escape. The prisoners were called out -
by two and two; and when ft came to his and his
friend’s turn, he made some excuses for delay. The
rebels continued calling for them from the deck of
the vessel, with their bayonets pointed down towards
them: but they still delayed going. At this junc-
ture, a rumour reached their guards that the English
army were marching into the town; and this report
throwing them into a state of terror, the lives
of the two prisoners were saved. It proved; however.
to be only a few yeoman, boldly preceded by an officer
of the corps, which had been defeated in the engage-
ment on the mountains of Forth. The rebels took
flight in all directions, and Wexford was left in
possession of the English, to the great joy of the
loyal inhabitants, who had suffered many privations
and cruelties.
John Heatly often related the circumstance
afterwards, saying that Providence had in an ex-
traordinary manner saved his life. He had been
many years in the navy. His house, Rock View, was
occupied for some time by the rebels, who left it
a complete wreck; and persons in the neighbour-
hood said it was most amusing to see the country-
people parading about in the silk and satin trains,
which they took when plundering my counsln’s property.
A party, who assumed the rank of officers in
the rebel army, came to our house one day, and
directed to have dinner prepared immediately. On
my mother’s requesting the servant to lay the
tables in the hall, they indignantly asked, "Is it
there you are going to give us our dinner? Shew us
into the best parlour in the house." But on my
mother assuring them that she had seen nobleman
sitting in that hall, they became calm and satisfied.
They then asked for spirits and wine, saying they
would have some; and when my mother told them that
there were none in the house, they were greatly
irritated, still saying they must have some. On
being spoken to by my mother in the singular number,
they desired her not to say thee and thou to them,
as if she were speaking to a dog; and on her again
saying thou to one of them, he flourished his sword
over her head, and said, haughtily, "No more of your
theeing and thouing to me." They ate their dinner,
however, and went off peaceably.
We were now informed that orders had been given
to take my dear father’s life, and my mother was
most particular in keeping us all close together
around him, saying that if it were permitted that
our lives should be taken, we might be enabled to
support and encourage each other, or else all go
together! One day, about noon, a large company
appeared on the lawn, carrying a black flag, which
we well knew to be the signal for death. My dear
father advanced to meet them as usual, with his
open benevolent countenance, and my mother, turning
to me, said, with her sweet placid smile, "Perhaps
my stiff stays may prevent my dying easily." On
which the Roman Catholic who had taken refuge with
us said, "Have faith in God, madam; I hope they
will not hurt you;" she quickly pushed forward
and joined my dear father, who was surrounded by a
large party. He observed to them, he feared they
might injure each other, as their muskets were
prepared for firing; when one of them replied,
"Let those who are afraid keep out of the way.
My mother distinctly heard one of them say,"Why
don’t you begin?" and each seemed looking to the
other to commence the work of death. Some of them
presently muttered, "We cannot." At this critical
moment some women came in great agitation through
the crowd, clinging to their husbands, and dragging
them away. Thus a higher Power evidently appeared
to frustrate the intentions of the murderers, and
my beloved father was again graciously delivered.
One man said there was "no use in taking Mr. Goff’s
life;" but his two sons, if there, should soon be
killed, and then the estate would be theirs.
QUEST, P.O. Box 82, Bellefonte PA 16823
E-mail: quest@quaker.org