Captain Edward Coppinger, the second son of Thomas the exile and Helen Galway, must have been very young indeed when he commanded a company. His uncle, Captain Henry, duly figures in King James' Army List, but he does not. Mr. D'Alton has made a good many mistakes about southern families, as was not unnatural in so complete a record as his annotated King James' Army List.
An account of his death is given in Smith's History of Cork, vol. ii., chap. vii., p. 212.
"I shall conclude this month with one of the briskest actions that happened since the war began. On the last of April Captain Thornicroft and Lieut. Hayes, with about 100 foot of Cork garrison, being on their return to Ballynagosey, were attacked by Sir James Cotter, Major Slingsby, and 300 of the Irish. The English had but just time to draw into an old decayed pound at six mile water where the ditch was scant breast high, and in many places broken; however, their resolution supplied all other defects, so that they endured several attacks for the space of 3 hours, and at last forced the enemy to retire with a loss of 60 killed on the spot and as many wounded. Captain Coppinger and two other Captains were of the number slain, and Major Slingsby was carried prisoner to Cork, where he died of his wounds. The English lost only 8 soldiers and 2 carmen and 5 wounded."
This engagement had the name of Bottle Hill. Now, doubtless, Captain Coppinger was returned as killed in action, but there is a tradition that a faithful henchman carried him off on his back still breathing, and contrived to convey him to Ballyvolane, where he lived a few hours and died in his own home, having had time to receive the last rites of the Church. Descendants of this faithful follower still exist. in his brother John's petition to the Court of Claims (1701), it is stated that Edward died in 1696.
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