Siege of Charlemont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Charlemont
Part of the Irish Confederate Wars
Date July – August 1650 Location Armagh Result English victory Coote takes the fort, but at a heavy cost.
Belligerents
Irish Confederation	Commonwealth of England
Commanders and leaders
Felim O'Neill	Charles Coote
Strength
140	Very high
Casualties and losses
110	c. 500

The Siege of Charlemont was an important battle in Ireland during the summer of 1650. It happened as part of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, when England was trying to take control of the country. A strong English army, led by Charles Coote, attacked the fort of Charlemont in County Armagh.

The fort was defended by Irish soldiers. Coote's army, made up mostly of soldiers from the famous New Model Army, eventually captured the fort. But they paid a high price. About 500 English soldiers died trying to take the very strong fort. This made the Siege of Charlemont one of the deadliest battles for the English in Ireland. Only the siege of Clonmel saw more English soldiers killed in battle.

Why Charlemont Was Important

Charlemont Fort was a very strong and modern fortress. It was one of the first places captured by Irish rebels in 1641. This happened at the start of a big uprising against English rule. Because it was so strong, Charlemont remained under Irish control for many years. It was one of the few Irish strongholds left in northern Ireland by 1650.

At the end of 1649, English forces moved into Ulster, a region in northern Ireland. These forces included soldiers from the New Model Army, led by Robert Venables. They joined up with Charles Coote's smaller army. Together, they easily took control of eastern Ulster. They even defeated the Scottish Royalist army at the Battle of Lisnagarvey.

The main challenge to the English came from the Irish forces of Felim O'Neill. His soldiers even tried a surprise night attack on the English camp. But it didn't change much.

The Irish Army's Struggles

The Irish army in Ulster faced problems after their leader, Owen Roe O'Neill, died in late 1649. In 1650, Heber MacMahon was chosen to lead them. He was a bishop, not a military expert. By mid-1650, the Irish army was active again, pushing into Ulster. They were a threat to Coote's forces.

However, MacMahon led the Irish army into a terrible defeat at the Battle of Scarrifholis. Most of the army was destroyed.

The only important Irish commander to escape Scarriffhollis was Sir Felim O'Neill. He and a few other survivors made their way to Charlemont Fort. This fort was the last Irish stronghold left in Ulster.

Coote and Venables knew that Charlemont would be very hard to capture. They brought large siege cannons and mortars with their army. They started their attack in late July.

The Commanders in Charge

Charles Coote led the English army in Ulster. He had a tough reputation. During his attacks in Ulster in 1649, he was known for being very harsh. He treated not only Irish Catholics badly but also Scottish Protestants who fought against him. After his victory at Scarrifholis, he even executed soldiers who had surrendered. This included Henry O'Neill, the son of Owen Roe. This was seen as a shocking act, even for those times.

Felim O'Neill was an Irish Catholic leader. He had good reason to be afraid of Coote. O'Neill was also famous in English writings for supposedly causing a massacre of Protestants. Because of this, many Protestant soldiers in Ireland strongly disliked him. The English army surrounding Charlemont would be especially determined to capture him.

O'Neill did have some advantages. First, Charlemont was one of the strongest forts in Ireland. Second, Coote's harsh reputation was well known. No Irish Catholic would willingly surrender to him. The defenders of Charlemont knew they had little hope of survival if the English captured the fort. This meant the fighting would be very fierce.

The Attack on the Fort

By early August, the English army had managed to break a hole in the fort's walls. Coote then ordered his soldiers to dig trenches closer to the walls. On August 8, the English launched a major attack.

Felim O'Neill gathered everyone in the fort, including civilians, to defend the breach. Even the women armed themselves to help. The defense was similar to the defense of Clonmel a few months earlier. Hundreds of English soldiers were killed by the desperate defenders. The remaining English were forced back from the breach.

After this huge effort, the Irish defenders were exhausted. They were also running low on gunpowder and ammunition. Because of this, on August 14, O'Neill asked to discuss surrender terms. Sir Felim O'Neill demanded that Coote provide hostages before he would talk.

The terms O'Neill received were surprisingly generous. He and his men would be allowed to march out with their belongings after their wounds healed. They would then go to a port where Coote would have a ship waiting to take them overseas. Coote likely had to offer such good terms because few would surrender to him otherwise.

What Happened Next

The fighting at Charlemont was one of the bloodiest battles for the English in Ireland. While more soldiers died at Limerick the next year, most of those deaths were from disease. At Charlemont, almost all 500 soldiers died from fighting during the attack on the fort.

Coote was largely responsible for the many casualties his army suffered. Like other English commanders, he had been very ruthless. He often executed enemies who fell into his hands. Because of this, the Irish defenders in Ulster were willing to fight to the very end.

Felim O'Neill's defense of Charlemont was strong. His overall defense of Ulster in 1649–50 was also very determined. This was different from how he handled things in the early years of the Irish uprising. Even though the surrender terms allowed O'Neill to leave, he tried to hide in Ulster. He was eventually found and executed.

The fall of Charlemont was another setback for Ormonde, a key Irish leader. In September, Irish bishops said that any Catholic serving Ormonde would be excommunicated. Ormonde left Ireland in December.

For the English, capturing Charlemont meant they had completed their conquest of Ulster. Sir Charles Coote was then free to advance towards Athlone, which was a gateway to the province of Connacht.

See also

• Irish Confederate Wars
• Wars of the Three Kingdoms
• Irish battles