Ireland, p. 25; Baillie, ii. 73), but his castles were garrisoned by Argyll's regiment, which might be trusted to keep MacDonnell strongholds safely. Munro failed to take Charlemont, and the Irish were strengthened by the arrival of Owen Roe O'Neill [q. v.], who landed in Lough Swilly at the end of July. During the autumn and winter Munro was inactive, but in the early spring of 1643 he relieved Sir John Clotworthy's men, who were hard pressed at Mountjoy on Lough Neagh. In May Munro took the field with about two thousand men, and gained some rather dubious advantage over Owen Roe at Loughgall, near Charlemont. Turner, who was present, adversely criticises his arrangements, and Colonel O'Neill says his horse were broken, and that he had to alight, crying 'Fay, fay, run away from a wheen rebels' (Des. Cur. p. 490). A less doubtful success was the recapture of Antrim, who had just landed with important letters. Ormonde's cessation [see Butler, James] of arms with the Irish confederates was not acknowledged by Munro, for his masters in Scotland were no parties to it, but the want of supplies prevented him from doing anything. The answer to this cessation was the solemn league and covenant, and in November Owen O'ConnolIy was chosen by the English parliament as their emissary to Ulster, while Lord Leven was made commander over the English as well as the Scottish forces there, and authorised to name Munro as his substitute. This new commission arrived in April 1644, but many officers would have preferred to remain under Ormonde's orders, and among them was Colonel Chichester at Belfast. On 14 May Munro surprised that town. Between Scottish, English, and Ulster protestants he could now take the field with six thousand or seven thousand effective men (War of Ireland, p. 38). Dundalk and Newry were held for Ormonde, and Munro was repulsed from the latter place. He was then on his return from a raid into the Pale, and his movements from 27 June to 15 July are detailed in a contemporary pamphlet (London, 27 Aug. 1644). In August and September he had to defend his own province against Castlehaven, who was baffled in the end by disease and famine, and perhaps by Owen Roe's jealousy (ib. p. 41; Castlehaven, p. 53). During 1645 there was no fighting, but much plundering and burning by Munro's orders. His plots to obtain possession of Drogheda and Dundalk were unsuccessful (Carte). His force was weakened by the withdrawal of troops to face Montrose in Scotland, but he managed to avoid going himself. Rinuccini reached Ireland in October, and added a fresh element to the general confusion. Owen Roe got a substantial part of the papal subsidy, and with its help raised his force to its greatest strength. On 5 June 1646 he routed Munro at Benburb, the latter flying to Lisburn without coat or wig. Five contemporary accounts of this battle are printed by Mr. Gilbert (Contemp. Hist. i. 676). A covenanter confesses that this disaster was something of a judgment on the Scottish army, many of the soldiers being 'prodigiously profane and wicked in their lives,' and pitiless plunderers of the poor country (Reid, ii. 30). O'Neill marched southward at Rinuccini's call, thus losing the fruits of his victory, and Munro was left unmolested at Carrickfergus.
It soon appeared that Ormonde had no alternative but to leave the protestants of Ireland at the mercy of O'Neill and the nuncio, or to place them under the protection of the English parliament. After long negotiations Dublin was occupied by the parliamentary forces in June 1647. On 16 March an ordinance had been passed that the Scottish army should be paid and should leave Ireland; but they never received their arrears, and in the meantime refused to surrender Carrickfergus or Belfast. Munro thought it prudent to write to the neighbouring clergy disclaiming any sympathy with the English sectaries (Letter in Reid, ii. 56). The British regiments, as they were called—that is, the English and Ulster protestants—were placed under Monck's command, and Munro's importance was thus greatly diminished. The Scots had not been recruited since Benburb, and were reduced to a 'remnant of six regiments' (War of Ireland, p. 65). In May 1648 the Hamilton party in Scotland invited Munro to join their engagement against 'the sectaries and their adherents in England' (Documents in Reid, ii. 544), and he lent a favouring ear to their proposals. Monck thereupon received positive orders from the parliament to seize Belfast and to let no one land from Scotland (Letter in Benn, p. 122). He straightway came to an understanding with some discontented officers, and on the night of 12 Sept. the north gate of Carrickfergus was thrown open to him (Reid, ii. 76). Munro was seized in his bed and shipped for England, and Belfast surrendered immediately afterwards (Benn, p. 123). The vessel which took awayMunro had lain for a fortnight in the lough, which made many think that he connived at his own arrest and that he was well paid; but his long imprisonment seems to refute this. 500l. was voted to Monck, and Munro, on his arrival, was committed to the Fleet 'for joining with
