Siege of Derry - The Siege

The Siege

The City Governor, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lundy, wrote on 15 April that "without an immediate supply of money and provisions this place must fall very soon into the enemy's hands". Lundy called a meeting with several of his most loyal supporters to discuss surrender. News of the meeting spread, angering many of the citizens. That night, Lundy (in disguise) and many others left the city and took ship to Scotland. The city's defence was overseen by Major Henry Baker, Colonel Adam Murray, and Major George Walker (also an Anglican priest). Their slogan was "No Surrender".

As the Jacobite army neared, all the buildings outside the city walls were set alight by the defenders to prevent them being used as cover by the besiegers.

The Jacobite army reached Derry on 18 April. King James rode to Bishop's Gate and asked the city to surrender. He was rebuffed, and some of the city's defenders fired at him. James would ask thrice more, but was refused each time. This marked the beginning of the siege. Cannon and mortar fire were exchanged, and disease took hold within the city. James returned to Dublin and left his forces under the command of Richard Hamilton.

Royal Navy warships under Admiral Rooke arrived in Lough Foyle on 11 June, but refused to smash through the boom (floating barrier) across the River Foyle at Culmore. On 28 July, under the orders of Major General Percy Kirke, three armed merchant ships called the Mountjoy, Phoenix and Jerusalem (a cutter) sailed toward the boom, protected by the frigate HMS Dartmouth under Captain John Leake. The Mountjoy rammed but did not break the boom. Instead, it was broken by sailors in a long boat from the frigate HMS Swallow, letting the fleet sail upriver and relieve the city.

The city had endured 105 days of siege during which some 8000 people of a population of 30,000 were said to have died.