Where was Wolfe Tone Captured?

Bob Z

Was it letterkenny or Buncrana?

NIMAN

I always had it in my head that it was Buncrana, but reading Wiki it says he was brought ashore at Letterkenny, so its a matter of semantics.

Wolfe Tone took part in a third raid, under Admiral Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart, with General Jean Hardy in command of a force of about 3,000 men. This encountered an English squadron at Buncrana on Lough Swilly on 12 October 1798. Tone, on board the ship Hoche, refused Bompart's offer of escape in a frigate before the battle of Tory Island, and was taken prisoner when the Hoche surrendered. Tone was brought ashore at Letterkenny Port

Bob Z

NIMAN wrote: »

I always had it in my head that it was Buncrana, but reading Wiki it says he was brought ashore at Letterkenny, so its a matter of semantics.

Wolfe Tone took part in a third raid, under Admiral Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart, with General Jean Hardy in command of a force of about 3,000 men. This encountered an English squadron at Buncrana on Lough Swilly on 12 October 1798. Tone, on board the ship Hoche, refused Bompart's offer of escape in a frigate before the battle of Tory Island, and was taken prisoner when the Hoche surrendered. Tone was brought ashore at Letterkenny Port

yes there are conflicting reports online

Full Marx

Bob Z wrote: »

where was wolfe tonecaptured was it Letterkenny or Buncrana ive even reaad that he was captured in Rathmullan

He was onboard a French ship of the line called Hoche and the ship surrendered off Lough Swilly , in fact bad weather meant the ship was not able to enter Lough Swilly for three weeks after she surrendered. The prisoners disembarked in Buncrana and then Tone was taken to jail in Derry.

There is a legend about Tone being subject to a Judas type encounter in a hotel in Letterkenny that has done the rounds for generations but that is false.

Upon disembarking in Buncrana he was immediately identified by an old college acquaintance called Sir George Hill, although it is important to mention that Tone made no effort to hide himself.

But to answer your question, he was captured at sea!

Zaph

Threads merged. OP, please don't start the same thread in multiple forums. Thanks.

Bob Z

Full Marx wrote: »

Bob Z wrote: »

where was wolfe tonecaptured was it Letterkenny or Buncrana ive even reaad that he was captured in Rathmullan

He was onboard a French ship of the line called Hoche and the ship surrendered off Lough Swilly , in fact bad weather meant the ship was not able to enter Lough Swilly for three weeks after she surrendered. The prisoners disembarked in Buncrana and then Tone was taken to jail in Derry.

There is a legend about Tone being subject to a Judas type encounter in a hotel in Letterkenny  that has done the rounds for generations but that is false.

Upon disembarking in Buncrana he was immediately identified by an old college acquaintance called Sir George Hill, although it is important to mention that Tone made no effort to hide himself.

But to answer your question, he was captured at sea!

How are you sure that it is false? wasnt it his son who said this?

Full Marx

Bob Z wrote: »

How are you sure that it is false? wasnt it his son who said this?

Given the balance of evidence I am satisfied that the account Tone's son gave is false. Basically Tone's son says that the "prisoners were landed and marched to Letterkenny" and that a breakfast was held on the invitation of the Earl of Cavan for the French officers, among whom Wolfe Tone was still incognito. Sir George Hill, an Orange magistrate and former college mate of Tone's then entered the room and identified him at which point, the story goes, he was taken into the next room and told he would be treated as a traitor rather than a prisoner of war an indignity which resulted in Tone ripping off his French uniform so as not to have the uniform of a free country, France, so treated.

The above is the story that reached the Tone family in France. Tones son then goes on to say that his father was hurried from Letterkenny to Dublin.

However, there exists a letter from George Hill to undersecretary Cooke, written in Buncrana at 12 O'clock (Hill indicated the location and time at the top of the letter) in which he explains that the first man off the boat who was attired as an officer was Wolfe Tone and that Tone recognised HIM instantly and addressed Hill 'with as much sang froid as you might expect from his character'. He adds that Tone was immediately sent off to Derry under a strong escort.

There also exists a letter from Tone himself to General Lord Cavan, addressed to Buncrana and written the same day, from Derry Jail, protesting how he is being treated and requesting he be treated as a prisoner of war. There is a reply from General Cavan, of the same date, to Tone in which he specifies his location as Buncrana and basically tells Tone that he is a traitor and will be treated as such.

From this correspondence it is apparent to me that the account Tone's son gave is false. It seems beyond dispute that Tone landed in Buncrana. Why would Hill lie in his letter? Why would they go to Derry via Letterkenny? Why would Tone write to Lord Cavan in Buncrana if he had met him at breakfast in Letterkenny and had this conversation in person with him there? Why is the reply from Buncrana and not Letterkenny where the story goes Lord Cavan was based?


The story also goes that as well as ripping off his uniform Tone was then basically paraded on horseback all the way to Dublin, however we know from a letter from Drennan that he arrived near the four courts, with a heavy escort, in a carriage wearing "rich French regimentals".


It seems apparant that the story that emerged and reached France, which Tone's son recorded later, was an embellished one.