8th August 1798: The enforced passivity of the Wexford district is called into question by reports that five members of Capt Cornick's yeomanry have been found dead in the Killaughrim woods near Enniscorthy.
Finn's Leinster Journal reports on the 4th that an "entrenched camp is established on Gorey hill, adjoining the town of Gorey, in the county of Wexford - and is under the command of ColJohn Skerrett - This force is to be kept up in that quarter during the winter". The Dublin City militia march to Tullow (Carlow) and to Carnew (Wicklow), which has been reduced "to such a lamentable condition . . . that excepting two houses and the parish church, not a roof remains in the town to shelter the soldiery from the weather".
Heavy rains drench the troops in the mountains obliging Col Walter Jones to petition from Rathdrum for "leather caps of the German pattern" to outfit his ailing Leitrim militiamen.
On the 4th Castlereagh obtains the 40-page memoir written by the state prisoners as part of their agreement with government. Irked by the odd "insolent prophecy", he notes that the explanatory document reveals little new on United Irish contacts with foreign powers. While deemed "in some parts rather inflammatory" by Cornwallis owing to its unapologetic tone, he also values the political coup its delivery represents. He informs the Duke of Portland on the 7th "we have now a most favourable opportunity of sending almost every dangerous man out of the country and have at the same time established our character for extraordinary lenity".
Meath woman Mary Mullaly has a fortunate escape on the 7th when the Viceroy decides her sentence of transportation, mitigated just two days before from death, should be remitted "in consideration of her youth and her father's character".
She was tried with 10 men in Trim by Lt-Gen Craig's court martial. Clemency is also granted to William Pilkington, John Allen, John Enright and seven other Clare United Irishmen whose cases are reviewed following trial in Ennis.
Cornwallis directs Lt-Gen Earl of Clanricarde to void the additional sentences of corporal punishment and to discharge two defendants who had surrendered to stand trial. The remaining eight face life in the armed forces or transportation to New South Wales.
A Gorey writer sends a letter to Saunders' Newsletter on the 8th asserting that "the Durham regiment which was encamped here marched out yesterday to attack the rebels who are still in force in the Co Wicklow . . . and killed between 60 and 70. GenMoore met a strong post of them and as I am told put them to rout and killed great numbers of them; on their retreat they fell in with another party of the King's troops . . . they have got a complete drubbing".
In Belfast Rev Haliday notes the "famous town is becoming from day to day less interesting; it resumes by degrees its ordinary features . . . our courts martial no longer sit for blood; our streets are not so gaily adorned and incumbered with heroes in red and blue; our brisk juvenile military magistrates are gradually relinquishing the civil department to our old slow-eyed justices of the peace. Even Newtownards, the headquarters of severity (a priest sat there as judge advocate), exhibits a sullen acquisition with the new, absurd system of mercy and humanity . . . the gallows was struck, after suspending no more than a beggarly dozen".