The effect of this determined resistance, on the part of the little
garrison at Carrickfergus, was to impress Schomberg with the fact that
the difficulty of the task he had undertaken was vastly greater than he
had supposed. The success with which Londonderry had defended itself
against the Irish army had impressed him with the idea that the levies of
King James were simply contemptible; but the fighting qualities of the
garrison of Carrickfergus had shown him that they were a foe by no means
to be despised, and convinced him that the force at his command was
altogether inadequate to his necessities.
He therefore moved south with extreme caution. He found the country
altogether wasted and deserted. The Protestants had long since fled, and
were gathered round Derry and Enniskillen. The Catholics had now deserted
their homes, at his approach; and the troops, in their retreat, had
burned and wasted everything, so that he had no means of subsistence for
his army, and was obliged to rely upon the fleet, which he ordered to
follow him down the coast.
Schomberg was soon joined by three regiments of Enniskillen horse. The
appearance of these troops astonished the English. They resembled rather
a horde of Italian banditti than a body of European cavalry.
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