Anthony Perry facts for kids
Anthony Perry (born around 1760 – died July 21, 1798) was an important leader during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. People called him the "screeching general" because of how he shouted during battles. He was a key figure among the United Irishmen, a group of rebels in Wexford who fought for more rights and independence for Ireland.
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Early Life and Involvement
Perry was born in County Down, Ireland. He came from a Protestant family and lived a good life as a gentleman farmer in Inch, near the border of Wexford and Wicklow.
In the mid-1790s, the government asked people to join local volunteer armies called the yeomanry to help protect the country. Perry joined as a second lieutenant. However, in 1797, he secretly joined the United Irishmen and became a colonel in their group.
As a United Irish colonel, Perry was in charge of organizing and recruiting new members in north Wexford. He was very successful. The government used harsh methods to try and stop the rebels between 1797 and 1798. But they didn't realize how strong the United Irishmen were in Wexford until just a month before the rebellion started.
The Rebellion Begins
The government was focused on finding out information from rebel leaders in the south, like Bagenal Harvey and Edward Fitzgerald. But the rebellion suddenly began when rebels led by Father John Murphy attacked and defeated a small yeoman cavalry group at The Harrow.
After this, rebels started raiding for weapons and attacking government forces across the northern part of Wexford. In return, groups of yeomen burned homes and killed people without mercy. The rebels won important battles at battle of Oulart Hill and Enniscorthy. By May 29, they controlled the area between Enniscorthy and Gorey.
Even though he had serious injuries, Perry arrived at the rebel camp at Vinegar Hill on May 29. He was made second-in-command of the northern rebel army. His first command ended in defeat because his men were not well-organized and didn't have enough guns. They lost badly to the local army (militia) at Ballyminaun Hill.
However, Perry then worked with Father Edward Roche to plan a powerful counterattack. On June 4, they struck a leading group of British soldiers at the Battle of Tuberneering. This attack destroyed half of the British army in North Wexford very quickly.
Rebel Actions: June 4–9
The victory at Tuberneering surprised the British army. They pulled back to Wicklow town to regroup safely. This battle also gave Perry his nickname, the "screeching general." He got it because he would scream at the enemy when leading rebel attacks. The rebels did not follow up on their victory, even though much of County Wicklow, including Arklow town, was left open by the British during these important days.
One reason for not following up was that the rebel forces lacked military discipline. Also, the victorious rebels used their new power to get revenge on local enemies. For example, on June 7, Perry led a raid on Carnew. This town had been the site of the Carnew executions where rebel suspects were killed on May 25. Perry's men burned most of Carnew to the ground. He was also thought to be involved in the execution of two yeomen who had treated rebels badly at the Gorey camp on June 8.
Battle of Arklow
When the rebels finally decided to march on and capture Arklow, Perry's leadership was weaker. He disagreed on tactics with Father John Murphy, whose units refused to join the march. The march to Arklow was also very slow. Perry had to personally ask his men to stop delaying by cheering every time they passed his house.
The defeat was a disaster and forced the rebels to defend themselves. Perry spent the next few days reorganizing the scattered rebel forces. He also had small fights with British units that were exploring the area.
Vinegar Hill and Aftermath
By June 18, the British had gathered about 20,000 soldiers ready to attack from the north and west. Rebel forces under Perry moved from their base at Mountpleasant to face this threat. They set up a large camp at Kilcavan Hill in the north of the county. The British had not expected to meet a large rebel force until they reached Enniscorthy. Perry's men threatened to mess up the British plans after holding off several British attacks around Kilcavan Hill on June 19–20. However, the Rebel council decided on June 20 to bring all rebel forces in Wexford together at the main Vinegar Hill camp for the big battle. Perry followed orders and withdrew.
The defeat on June 21 meant the rebels lost control of territory in Wexford. But at least 10,000 armed men were still willing to fight. Perry managed to lead a force of thousands to the south towards Wexford town. With other leaders like Garret Byrne and Edward Fitzgerald, he fought his way through Wexford. They reached Kilcavan Hill again by June 28 and defeated a chasing cavalry force at Ballyraheen Hill on July 2.
Campaign in the Midlands
Perry and the remaining rebel column left Wexford and reached the Wicklow hills on July 5. They had fought off a chase led by General James Duff at the battle of White Heaps/Ballygullen. Some rebels went into the hills to continue fighting a long guerrilla war. Some went home. But most of the rebels, under the strong leadership of Perry and Father Mogue Kearns, marched into the midlands to try and restart the rebellion.
Crossing into Kildare on July 9, the rebels captured some gunpowder near Newbridge. They also met up with the remaining Kildare rebels led by William Aylmer. After talking with their Kildare comrades, they decided to go north and attack Clonard in County Meath. They thought there were weapons there, and they also wanted to avoid the thousands of soldiers searching Kildare for rebels.
March Towards Ulster
The attack on Clonard was a terrible failure and a big blow to the remaining rebels. Many Kildare rebels went back home. People in Meath were discouraged from joining because of the defeat. Also, much of their existing ammunition was wasted in the useless attack.
A desperate decision was made to try and connect with the rebels in Ulster. The remaining column, with no more than 1,000 men, was constantly bothered by chasing government troops. They were forced to stop and fight on July 14 at Knightstown Bog, north of the River Boyne in County Meath. There, they were scattered and defeated. Some rebel units managed to regroup, and they decided to head back to Wexford. But the remaining column was stopped and finally defeated on the evening of the same day at Ballyboghill (County Dublin).
Perry likely lost contact with the main rebel force before the final battle. He fled west with Father Mogue Kearns and others. They reached Edenderry in County Offaly before being captured by the local yeomanry. Both Perry and Kearns were quickly put to death on July 21. They were buried together in the cemetery of Monasteries. A large Celtic cross now marks their grave.
Sources
- Anthony Perry profile, byrneperry.com; accessed 28 October 2015.
- Holt, Joseph (1838) 'Memoirs of Joseph Holt, General of the Irish Rebels, in 1798: In Two Volumes, Volume 1', Corburn, 367 pages.
- O Súilleabháin, Fionntán, "The Wexford Republic's Mighty Wave", republican-news.org; accessed 24 February 2016.
