During the American War of Independence in 1776, all British troops in Ireland were withdrawn to fight there. Remembering what their fathers had done nineteen years before, the men of Belfast assembled together in 1779 to defend their country from any possible invader. Thus began the Irish Volunteers.
Lord Charlemont took command of the County Armagh, and in July 1880 when it was decided to consolidate the force into a United National Army, he was chosen as its first Commanding General. Previous to this they had acted as independent troops and companies.
By 1782 they numbered 100,000 and had companies all over Ireland. Locally they were Volunteer companies at Acton, Tullyhappy, Tyrone's Ditches, Lisdrumgore, Drumbanagher, Killevy, and Mullaglass. The last two mentioned were initially cavalry units but later became infantry, as were all others listed.
Though these volunteers were exclusively Protestant, they were under no obligation to Dublin Castle nor were they bound by oath to the British Crown. As such they were a constant source of danger to the Anglo-Irish parliament in Dublin, so when the danger of invasion had passed this government decided to carry out Grattan's plan for their gradual dissolution; and to substitute for them a militia and yeomanry under its orders and supervision.
General Lake, the commander of the new force, recognizing the value of the ex-Volunteers as a fighting force, made them the nucleus of his militia and yeomanry.
The Armagh Militia fought at all the principal engagements in Wexford and Kildare from May to July 1798, and was a decisive factor in the defeat of the French invaders at the Battle of Ballynamuc, County Longford.
Following the defeat of Napoleon, the Militia were disbanded in 1816, but the local Yeomanry continued until September 1831, when they held their last parade at Millvale, Bessbrook.
The Mullaghglass Yeomanry in 1798 were under the command of Captain Savage Hall, with his Lieutenants, George Atkinson, A. Gibson and James Hamilton.
Other ranks included:- Sgt. Major Brown, Sgts. Ledlie and Thomson, Corporal Brown, and Troopers:- William Cartmill, Ml Henry, George Henning, John Short, Pollock Short, John Irwin, Samuel Pollock, Charles Truesdale, John Truesdale, John Rantin, Hugh Rantinsen, Hugh Rantin, jun., Adam, Thomas and William Rantin, James Brown, John Clarke, sen., and John Clarke, jun., Thomas Clarke, Arthur Faris, John Faris, jun., David Faris, John and Arthur Lockhart, Ebeneezer Patterson, Robert Fryer, Thomas English, William McSherry, John, Alex and Robert McCrum, Robert McCollins, Samuel Thompson, William Spratt, Joseph Watson, Samuel McCartney, David Gordon, James Ledlie, Robert Branyon, Ben Nummy and James Matthews.
Killevy Yeomanry was under the command of Captain Jonathan Seaver, and Lieutenants John Duff and William White; while Drumbanagher Infantry was commanded by Captain J. Moore. Beleek Rangers was captained by William Reid assisted by Lieutenant David Duff.
George Atkinson, Millvale, Bessbrook, commanded the Mullaghglass yeomanry at the time of its disbandment, September 9, 1831. His Lieutenants were Wood Gibson, William Duff and Absalom Best. Other ranks included:-Sgts. Lockhart, William Barrett, G. Henning and J. Calvert; Corporals Rantin, Nummy, Joseph Brown, J. Crawford and George Linden; with Privates Joseph Arill, Robert Best, sen., and Robert Best, jun., William and Solomon Best, William and James Brown, John Clarke, sen., and John Clarke, jun., James Clarke, R. and H. Carswell, James and T. Campbell, John Downey, James English, Hugh, George and David Faris, George Forsythe, William Graham, John and George Henning, John Harlan, James Harley, William Harra, John, Alexander and William Irwin, Alex. and Joseph Lemon, John Lockeley, H. Lockhart, George Lamb, Alex. Linden, R. Lawson, George and James Matthews, John Matchett, John McWhorter, John McCollins, T. McKendry, A. McClenaghan, James McCandless, Alex, John and William McComb, John McCullough, James McCullough, Alex. Otterson, William Rantin, sen., and William Rantin, jun., Thomas, Samuel and James Rantin, Samuel and W. Reed, Samuel, John, Robert, Isaac and Joseph Smith, Thomas Steenson, Andrew Sturgeon, William and C. Thomson, William and David White, Henry Williams, John Williamson, James Walker, John Watson, Josua Whigham, Robert Youart, Robert Paul, R. Best (Drummer) and John Harra (Permanent Sergeant).
George Atkinson, their Captain had written to Mr. Marsden, Dublin Castle, informing him before-hand of the rebellion of Robert Emmet. He had told the authorities the night it was to take place - 23 July, 1803 - and the exact hour, after midnight; but they seemed to reject Mr. Atkinson's information. In a letter which Atkinson wrote on 4 July, 1809, to Sir Arthur Wellesly, regarding a riot which took place at Camlough, he upbraided the authorities for their neglect of his information, and reminded them that - 'fortunately for Dublin Castle the rebels were two hours sooner than I had reason to expect and therefore deprived themselves of the advantage which would have resulted from the negligence of Marsden, and an adherence to their original intention, viz. not to rise until after midnight.'
This same Captain, George Atkinson, accompanied by a Lieutenant and thirty men had spent a fruitless night searching around Ballymoyer, on 20 August, 1803, for Thomas Russell who was reported to be in that neighbourhood. This Russell was the man who was hanged at Downpatrick Jail in November, 1803, and who is remembered in Florence M. Wilson's poem 'The Man from God Knows Where'."

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