December 5th, 1798: The full list of ex-army men and yeomen appointed as BrigadeMajors of Yeomanry is published by Hibernian Journal on November 30th. Half-pay officer Robert Wallace is instated in Fermanagh, where he will be called upon to liaise with Tyrone's new brigade major, Lieut Hamilton Arndall of 24th Dragoons, and also with Monaghan's Lieut Russell of the 30th Foot and Leitrim's Capt John De Courcy. Aberdeen fencible officers Maj William Cunningham and Capt Maxwell have been appointed for Mayo and Donegal respectively and most of those selected to administer Yeomanry business have local landed connections.
Otway Toler of Tipperary, Thomas Palmer of King's County and Roscommon's Maj John Bagwell have seen service with the 14th Dragoons, 54th Foot and 30th Dragoons between them but all hail from influential families in the counties to which they are assigned.
Godfrey Smith is brought to Dublin on 30th from Sallins, Co Kildare. He is alleged to have taken the unsound course of defecting to the United Irishmen during the battle of Vinegar Hill on June 21st with his horse and equipment. A more acclaimed veteran of the Wexford campaign, Maj-Gen Henry Johnson, receives a ceremonial sword to honour his staunch defence and bold recapture of strategic New Ross on June 5th.
The reappearance of the Defenders in mid-Ulster and the rapid growth of Orangeism is monitored by Rev Edward Hudson. He ascertains that the republicans are swearing a new oath of association and attempting to reorganise in Catholic areas where United Irish structures are in disarray. Writing from Portglenone on the 30th, Hudson claimed to have received accounts from a colleague in Forkhill, Armagh, of a "very large meeting lately on the adjoining edge of Louth. The yeomanry marched out to disperse them, but they had saved them the trouble". A mysterious organiser has apparently bucked the trend by attracting Presbyterian involvement in a sector renowned for sectional rivalry.
Highlanders of the 89th Regiment stationed at Baltinglass are reminded of the limits of their jurisdiction on December 1st upon venturing into the rugged Imaal valley to collect turf. Imaal is the stomping ground of Michael Dwyer, whose heavily armed and highly experienced fighters ply the Scots carters with a heavy volume of fire. 300 shots are fired at the troops, who run so low on ammunition that the arrival of Capt Morley Saunders and his Yeomen to cover the retreat is deemed providential. Finn's Leinster Journal reports that day on the greater success enjoyed by the military in a recent drive to eliminate Wexford insurgents operating around Newtownbarry, Killan and Enniscorthy. The so-called "Babes in the Wood" are hardened rebels capable of extreme brutality against loyalists. Kilkenny's rebels are somewhat less militant and it is reported on the 4th that some surrender weaponry taken from the Knocktopher yeomanry in return for pardons.
John Claudius Beresford, son of the major Dublin banker and politician, follows the discourse of a meeting of the Alderman of Skinners Alley on the 4th with greaterthan-usual attention. At Castlereagh's behest, Beresford, "Governor" of this "political" society, attempts to gauge the attitude of the freemen and freeholders towards legislative Union. Unguarded commentary on the matter is discouraged but is nonetheless contained in whispered asides and implied by the wording of the toasts proposed.
Beresford infers from his discreet survey that the "opinion of every person was against the measure", other than the stalwart Alderman James who fears from Protestant interests.