 The disturbances where so widespread in the affected counties, that the Irish government passed legislation to severely punish the "wicked and disorderly persons", and by the later half of 1772 sent the army into Ulster to crush them.Men were hanged, whilst many others are said to have drowned trying to flee across the sea to Scotland.The viceroy of Ireland, Lord Townshend, privately blamed the landlords and their actions for the disturbances and so issued a general pardon in November 1772.