Massacre at Lenthall
Oliver Cromwell

Dublin, 17 September 1649

Upon the 10th inst., we began the storm; and after some hot dispute we entered, the enemy disputing it very stiffly with us. Our men that stormed the breaches were forced to recoil; they made a second attempt and became masters both of their retrenchments and the Church. Divers of the Enemy retreated into the Mill-Mount: a place very strong and difficult of access. The Governor, Sir Arthur Ashton, and divers considerable officers being there, our men getting up to them, were ordered by me to put them all to the sword: and indeed, being in the heat of action, I forbade them to spare any that were in arms in the Town: and, I think, that night they put to the sword about 2000 men; about 100 of them possessed St Peter's Church-steeple whereupon I ordered it to be fired, when one of them was heard to say in the midst of the flames: 'God damn me, God confound me; I burn, I burn.'

The next day, the other two Towers were summoned. When they submitted, their officers were knocked on the head; and every tenth man of the soldiers killed; and the rest shipped for the Barbadoes. I am persuaded that this is a righteous judgement of God upon these barbarous wretches, who have imbrued their hands in so much innocent blood; and that it will tend to prevent the effusion of blood for the future, which are satisfactory grounds to such actions, which otherwise cannot but work remorse and regret.

T. Carlyle, ed. The Cromwell Papers. (1908), II:48