Battle of Cavan

Part of Williamite War in Ireland

Date	11 February 1690
Location	Cavan, County Cavan, Ireland
Result	Williamite victory

Belligerents

Williamite forces

Jacobite forces

Commanders and leaders

William Wolseley

Duke of Berwick
William Nugent

Strength

1,500

1,000

Casualties and losses

880

800

The Battle of Cavan took place in Cavan, Ireland on 11 February 1690 between forces of Williamite and Jacobite troops during the Williamite War in Ireland. It ended in a victory for the Protestant Williamites who captured, sacked and burned the town of Cavan before withdrawing to their forwarding base at Belturbet and further afield Enniskillen.

The local Protestant commander Colonel William Wolseley had been instructed by his overall commander Marshal Schomberg to observe and harry Cavan, as Jacobites were using it as a forwarding base to launch relief raids across Ulster for Jacobite forces. At the time Cavan was one of the few remaining settlements in Ulster still loyal to James II of Ireland. The Duke of Berwick led a reinforcement to the Jacobite garrison commanded by Brigadier John Wauchope.

Wolseley left Belturbet with a force of 1,200 infantry and 300 cavalry. He hoped to catch the Jacobites by surprise by using a roundabout route to cross the River Annalee via Bellanacargy but his expedition was spotted by a Jacobite outpost and word passed on to Cavan of its approach. Berwick decided to march out and confront Wolseley in the open, as Cavan town was unfortified and indefensible seeking to minimize local casualties. Wolseley was unaware that Berwick had arrived to reinforce Cavan the previous day bringing the Jacobite strength up to 1,000.

Wolseley felt that he had to now launch an attack, as it would be dangerous to attempt a withdrawal fearing mutiny by his English conscript mercenaries promised land and silver to defeat the Jacobite rebellion. He ordered his men and cavalry forwards, but they were pushed back by a Jacobite cavalry charge. Wolseley then ordered his infantry to forward march, who received the Jacobite fire until they were close enough to fire a devastating volley due to their overwhelming numbers. The Jacobite infantry retrenched and regrouped for the safety of a nearby entrenched fort pending await of relief.

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Wikipedia