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Letters from Dublin. Easter 1916.
3rd Letter.
Dear Willie. I have material for several letters, and hardly time to write but as I knew you and the boys, generally will be pleased to have the account of the rising as opportunity, occurs, and post when possible.
At present I am one of a party under Lieut Mc Ilvane guarding the approaches to Dublin Castle. Falling in on Wednesday Morning, about a hundred men were picked out to proceed to Dublin Castle as reinforcement, and unfortunately for all concerned were put under the command of the stuttering captain. He cost us several livesand other casualties, all unnecessary, simply through obstinate stupidity. We marched out, the captain leading by the gate opening in Phoenix Park, through the Park, out at Parkgate, over Kings Bridge, and along the wall of The Guinness Brewery on the Quayside. We were in excellent formation for the job in hand fixed bayonets, rifles at the slope, and in single file at ten paces interval one rank on each side of the road. We had just cleared the corner of the brewery when a Subaltern in charge of an infantry picquet on the next corner stepped into the road and motioned us to halt. He explained to the captain that he was the last post on the riverside between us and the enemy, and on learning our destination, he suggested our turning up the stre street on our right and so reach The Castle by way of St Thomas St.
"I am in charge of this party, March On" was all the reply he got and on we went like lambs to the slaughter. I was on the river side of the road without Lieut Mc Ilvane walking beside me. I had noticed a strong barricade of overturned vehicles including trams across the road on The Four Courts side of the Liffey reaching from the Courts to the foot of the bridge, and had warned Mr Mc Ilvane to expect a volley from that quarter. At the first sound of musketry fire I suggested him ordering our party on this side to take cover behind the river wall. I had hardly breathed the suggestion when it was necessary to act on it. We had been allowed to advance until the whole length of our column was outlined against the houses and shops opposite the river wall. To gain shelter in a side street it was necessary for the whole force to retire along the quay side as the side turnings were commanded from The Four Courts windows.
The first volley had cost us two men killed and several wounded, all because our commander had scorned to take a suggestion from a mere infantry Subaltern. On our side of the road we had sheltered behind the wall and so suffered no casualty, but the first volley was followed by another from the upper windows of the dwellings across the street, that is on our side of the river. Those who had suffered the effect of the first volley were in shelter from this as they were directly under the first from which the rifles were blazing. As one man we dashed across the windows to share their shelter, indeed to improve on it by entering the road from whose upper windows the bullets came. We had hardly got the shops before it occured to us that the riflemen above us had merely into shelter through the floor of the rooms above to convert our shelter to fire shambles. Again we made a dash for it and reached the shelter into a side turning at the cost of one slightly wounded casualty. So much for vanity. It was not as if we were on a stunt. Our business was to reach
The Castle at the minimum cost and there take up the duty was to reach we had no commission for deeds of derring do, nor to finish alloted us. We had own hook. I marvel we were not all casualties. The only thing rising saved us on our side of the street was the fact that those who thing that through were afraid to shew themselves enough to enable them to fire muzzles of their rifles sufficiently to get us in line. Just to depress the fancy, a the
Letters from Dublin. Easter 1916.
3rd Letter.
sitting target at forty paces, and not a hit.
Duty calls so my tale must halt.
Your chum,
Charles.