THE General , and indeed the whole Army , having been very impatient of lying at Carrickinlish ; the General , on the 23 of August , sent out M. Slundt , with 150 fresh Draught Horses , to hasten the coming up of our Guns , &c. And ordered our Ships in the Shannon to come nearer Limerick : On the 25th . at 5 in the Morning , pursuant to the Orders received from the General the over-Night , the whole Army Decampt , and by three in the Afternoon came before two of the Enemies Forts , the one an old Church , the other Ireton's Fort , very strong Places ; in the former were 500 Musqueteers , but neither of them gave us much trouble , the Garrisons in both running away upon our advance . On the Left of our Army was a very good Fort built last Winter , Guarded by 600 Men , which was bravely attacqued by 8o of our Granadiers , who receiving a Volley of their Shot , with small damage , mounted the Works , and carried the place , and killed 800 , and took 16 Prisoners : A Danish Collonel who Commanded our Advance party of Horse , was slain by a chance Cannon-shot . 26. This Afternoon our Cannon and Mortars , with 800 Carrs and Bombs , and 800 Barrels of Powder , arrived in the Camp from Athlone . 27. Last Night we broak Ground , and made our approaches with very small loss . This morning Orders were given for fitting 1000 Hand-Granadoes , and 600 Bombs , to be ready against eight at Night : Likewise this morning the Prince of Hesse with 3 Regiments of Foot and 700 Horse , Marched to reduce Castle-Connel , which Surrendred to him early the next morning upon Discretion , the Garrison being made prisoners of War : We also took in the Castle of Ballycullane , and another Castle down the River . 29. This Evening our Line of Communication was finished , and two Batteries ordered to be raised on the left of the Town , the one for 10 Guns , the other for 7 Mortars and 2 Howbits , 30th . This morning our Batteries being finished , the Guns and Mortars were drawn down and Mounted thereon , and this Night about 11 , our Mortars began to play , and threw above 100 Bombs and Carcasses into the Town , which besides their other Execution , Fired the Town in three places . Near 1000 Prisoners taken in several Castles about Limerick , were this day sent hence to Clonmel . About 10 this Night 600 Troopers on Foot were Commanded down to the Trenches , to raise another Battery , much nearer to the Town then our first . 31st . Early this morning the Troopers had finished their Battery . About 2 this morning a Body of 400 Horse and Dragoons went abroad to scour the Country ; About 9,700 Horse and Dragoons , Commanded by Brigadier Leveson , went from the Camp towards the County of Kerry ; about 11 a Clock we play'd from our new Battery on Thomond-Bridge to destroy it . This Night 200 of the Protestant Inhabitants of Limerick and thereabouts , most of them Women and Children , were brought off from an Island in the Shannon , where the Irish detained them Prisoners , the manner of Relieving them was thus : Major Joseph Stroud , who Commanded in Chief the Militia of the County of Cork , Garrisoned at Annagh-beg , as he was Relieving his Guards , a Captain , Lieutenant , and Cornet , all of the Irish Army , Deserted and came over to him ; one of them proposed a piece of Service , which Major Stroud readily accepted , which was to bring off some Protestants from an Island in the Shannon , called St. Thomas's-Island ; whereupon the Major immediately taking with him 16 Dragoons , with them in 4 Catts entred the Island , and brought off 200 Protestants , that were in great Misery , being almost Starv'd for want of Food , having only two small Cabins to shelter them from the Weather , and but a little Hay to lye on ; they also brought off a prey of 46 Horses . Yesterday and this day we play'd from our Cannon and Mortars very briskly , with very great Execution , laying many of their Houses in several Streets level with the Ground , making them a heap of Ruines , as we are told by a Captain , two Lieutenants and 11 Dragoons , who deserted the Rebels , and just came over to us .

Sept. 1. This Morning Collonel Wolseley went from the Camp with 500 Horse and Dragoons towards Killaloo , it being reported that Sarsfield is moving that way : We still continue to Batter and Bombard the Town furiously . 120 of the Rebels who were taken 20 Miles off , were last Night brought Prisoners to the Camp . Sept. 2. This morning the General receiv'd an Express from Brigadier Leveson , ( who went from the Camp on Monday last ) Dated Yesterday near New-Markes , which advises , That having Intelligence on Monday Evening where the Merrions and the Lord Brittas's Regiments of Horse were , he Marched towards them , and by One of the Clock in the Morning sell in with them , Killed many of them on the place , totally Routed them , and took the Lord Castle-Connel and several other Prisoners , as also a good prey of Cattle ; then dividing his party into two Bodies , he Marched on the pursuit . In this Action Major Wood had his Leg broke by a Shot from the Enemy , which was the most of our loss ; our Guns & Mortars have played very busily all last night and this day . A Court-Martial was this day held , whereof the Earl of Drogheda was President , where a Woman which pretended she came for a Protection for Cattle , was Condemned for perswading some French Soldiers ( whom she took for Papists ) to desert and go over to the Irish ; several others were also found Guilty of Stealing . 120 of the Rebels , who were taken 20 Miles off , were last Night brought Prisoners into the Camp .

Our Lines of Communication having been finished three days since , we have been ever since working on our Lines of Circumvallation , one of which is likewise finished .

A Captain , two Lieutenants and 11 Dragoons , who lately Deserted the Enemy , tell us , that the Besieged are afraid to make Sallies , lest the Men should Desert .

Sept. 3. We have made four Forts for the Defence of our Line of Contravallation ; and this morning we began the raising of new Batteries on the Right of the Town , ( those we made at first being on the Left ) on which will be planted 45 pieces of Cannon , the least of them 18 Pounders , and 11 Mortars , the largest of them is within Carbine-shot of the Wall . The Deserters tell us , that they bave not Provisions in the Town for many Days ; and that the Militia of the Country which the Earl of Tyrconnel forced into the place after the Battle at Aghrim , are very pressing to go home , and that Monsieur d'Ussone the French Governour , has promised to dismiss them , if Succors do not come from France in 12 days ; That our Bombs have set many of the Houses in Limerick in a flame , and that the second Bomb that was thrown Killed a Lady , and Wounded some others . On the 4th . 300 Horse and Dragoons were sent to reinforce Brigadier Leveson , who since the defeat of two of the Enemies Regiments , is advanced farther , in order to reduce the small Garrisons which the Irish have still in that Country .

6. Last Night we finished our new Battery , consisting of 46 large whole Cannon , and 10 Mortars ; all this Day we have played incessantly from the said Battery , throwing in many hundreds of Shells , &c.

7. We continue to play from our Batteries , and several Deserters that came into our Camp this Evening tell us , that our Bombs have done great Execution .

8. Early this morning our Battery of 22 Pieces of Cannon began to play , and continued so all this day with very great Success , making a Breach in the Wall of the English Town . On the Left of this Battery are planted 8 Mortars .

9. This day we finished another Battery , which plays upon St. Iohn's-Gate in the Irish Town . About Two this Afternoon the Enemy came out , and appeared as if they intended a Sally ; which March of theirs was no sooner known , but our Men march'd down upon them , and beat them back into the Town , Killing many of them .

10. All this day we continued Firing , and about Six at Night the Town appeared on Fire in many places , which continued burning till Two the next morning .

11. All this day our Cannon and Mortars continued to play without intermission , setting Fire to the Town in several fresh places ; we continued playing all the 12th .

13. This morning came over to us some Dragoons , who gave us an Account last Night our Bombs burnt three of the Enemies Magazines , one of Brandy , &c. and two of Bisket .

14. This day the General sent two Regiments towards Clonmell and Waterford , to reinforce the Militia .

15. The General resolving to pass the Shannon , in order to Attack the Irish Horse in Clare , the better to conceal his Design , made a shew as though he designed to draw off and raise the Siege , which the Enemy greatly rejoyced at : This Night the Bridge of Pantons , &c. was finished .

16. This morning by break of day , several Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons , and a Detachment of Foot , passed over the Bridge to a little Island , and then waded ashore without any opposition : As soon as they were discovered , Brigadier Clifford , who lay Encampt not from thence with 4 Regiments of Dragoons , brought his Men down on Foot ( their Horses being at Grass ) to oppose us , but they were quickly put to flight , flinging away their Arms , and leaving all their Baggage , &c. and two Pieces of Cannon , behind them . Upon this their Camp , which lay a little higher , drew out , but it was only to cover their Baggage ; for so soon as our Troops came near them , and had passed the first Defile that was between them and us , they scour'd off with all haste towards the Mountains . We took a French Lieutenant-Collonel , and several other Officers Prisoners . This day the Lord Lilburne was killed with a Cannon Ball as he was lying upon his Quilt in the Trenches .

17. This day a Captain came , over to us , who said , That the Town is qutte Ruined ; That we have Killed great numbers of their Men : That they have not 10 Days Bread in the Town , and not above 6000 Foot .