The Battle of the Boyne, 1690

Line engraving, 1690 (c).

On 12 July 1690, the army of the recently deposed James II met the forces of William III by the Boyne river near the town of Drogheda. Despite stiff resistance, William's forces eventually broke through the Jacobite centre and right, causing a general retreat. Although the Battle of the Boyne was later celebrated as a decisive victory for William, Jacobite casualties were comparatively light and the greater part of James's army escaped.