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COOTE.

in Londonderry by those who had declared for Charles II., and who demanded that he should quit the kingdom: he however, resolutely held out, and obtaining relief from England, he sallied forth and took many prisoners, at the same time scouring the country for many miles round. Ludlow informs us that during the siege of Londonderry, a commerce of an extraordinary nature was carried on between the besiegers and the besieged; Sir Charles was in want of provisions, and his enemies of gunpowder, of which he had an abundance. A mutual accommodation was therefore agreed upon between them, and an exchange made, which enabled both parties to carry on their military operations in a comfortable and soldier-like manner. On a like occasion, the municipality of a Dutch town, when besieged by the Spaniards, very deliberately sold to them the same destructive grain, and were highly satisfied with the extraordinary profit the town made by the mercantile speculation. After these affairs, Sir Charles concluded a peace with Owen Row O'Neal, and was thus enabled to maintain in safety his garrison of Londonderry. The Parliament highly approved of his conduct, and sent him provisions, ammunition, and additional forces, which enabled him to clear the country of his enemies for a great way round. In December he engaged with a body of four thousand horse and foot, coming to raise the siege of Carrickfergus, and slew about fourteen hundred; on which the place immediately surrendered to him. In May 1652, he took Galway after a siege, and so distressed the Royalists, that they could not continue their combat with the Parliament any longer. Their chieftains in these skirmishes were the Marquis of Clanricard, together with the Earl of Castlehaven, whom Sir Charles had defeated the preceding summer. After the termination of the war he was appointed by act of parliament president of the court of justice in the province of Connaught. Being in England at the time of the deposing of Richard Cromwell, he set out immediately for Ireland to give information to Henry Cromwell, who inherited the courage of his father,