Charles Chalmont Biography

The Marquis de St Ruth (General Charles Chalmont), the French Jacobite general, moved too slowly to save Athlone, as he had to gather his troops from their quarters and raise new ones from rapparee bands and the levies of Irish landowners

A stunning defeat of the fleeing Franco-Irish followed in the confusion and darkness, with some 4000 corpses left on the field.

An immediate attack was resolved on, and, after a severe and at one time doubtful contest, the crisis was precipitated by the fall of the Franco-Irish leader, the French General Charles Chalmont, Marquis de St Ruth, after which his disorganized forces fled in the ensuing

As St Ruth tried to rally his cavalry on the left to counter-attack and drive the Williamite horse back, he was decapitated by a cannon ball, at this point, the Jacobite position collapsed very quickly.

Both armies were about 20,000 men strong, the soldiers of St Ruths army were mostly Irish Catholic, while Ginkels were English, Scottish, Danish, Dutch and French Huguenot (members of William IIIs League of Augsburg) and Ulster Protestants.

Ginkel marched through Ballinasloe, on the main road towards Limerick and Galway, before he found his way blocked by St Ruth's army at Aughrim on the 12th of July 1691.

The Battle of Aughrim all but decided the war in the Williamite favour.

darkness of the early-morning of 13 July.

Both armies were about 20,000 men strong, the soldiers of St Ruths army were mostly Irish Catholic, while Ginkels were English, Scottish, Danish, Dutch and French Huguenot (members of William IIIs League of Augsburg) and Ulster Protestants