Unhappy campers: Dundalk (1689) and after

Using anecdotal and statistical evidence, this article concludes that nearly half the troops disembarked in Ulster in mid-August 1689 by the Duke of Schomberg died of 'flux' and 'fever' by the following Christmas. This estimate includes those who died in the camp at Dundalk, the field hospital at Carlingford, hospital ships, the base hospital at Belfast, and in quarters during the month of December. Contemporary eyewitness accounts and civilian records point to dysentery and typhus as the main 'flux' and 'fever' respectively. The article demonstrates the ineffectuality of medical advice based on contemporary miasmic theory in keeping large bodies of soldiers healthy, if they stayed encamped in the same place too long. The reasons why Schomberg chose to stand fast are explored. These include his personal experiences, the logistical constraints on movement, the strategic imperative to move, and the tactical difficulties of so doing.