LIV 1794. CHAP. He however professed himself still an active member of the confederacy, and ready to support every prudent and practi cable project for forwarding its ends. The emperor found it necessary to acquiesce in Frederick William's objections to a levy in mass, and to appear satisfied with his professions of zeal in the cause. The subsidiary treaty with England either empowered him to make vigorous efforts, or induced him to promise such, and accordingly he was still deemed one of the chief members of the confederacy, and upon the conviction of his co-operation the projects and plans of the campaign were Plan of the formed. The confederates proposed this year to press upon campaign. the frontiers of France with numerous forces on various sides, and also to co-operate with the insurgents on the coast of Brittany. In the month of February the duke of York, and with him colonel Mack, came over from the continent to London to hold a conference with the British ministers on the operations Respective of the campaign. The emperor undertook to furnish two hunforces of the dred thousand men, the king of Prussia sixty-four, including powers. thirty-two thousand in British pay, Britain forty thousand, the rest of the allies, the Dutch, German princes, and the Emi› grants fifty-two thousand, so that the whole combined force to operate on the frontiers of France should amount to three hundred and fifty-six thousand men, besides the troops intended to be employed by Britain on the coast. The French army it appears at this time amounted to seven hundred and eighty thousand men, of whom four hundred and eighty thousand composed the armies on the frontiers, and the rest were employed either in watching the late scenes of insurrection, or on the frontiers of Spain and the Alps. belligerent The empe ror joins the allied armies. On the fifth of March the duke of York arrived on the continent, to take the command of the British army; on the seventeenth he proceeded with general Clairfait to Valenciennes, where a council of war was held with the prince of Saxe-Cobourg, after which the generals returned to their respective head-quarters. It was determined that the emperor himself should take the field, and should be invested with the supreme command. On the ninth of April his imperial majesty arrived at Brussels, and was inaugurated duke of Brabant. This ceremony, performed with great pomp and splendour, it was presumed would strike the imaginations and hearts of the people, and stimulate them to the most vigorous efforts, in his and their own cause. The states in a body presented his imperial majesty with the keys of the Louvain; on the gate there was the following inscription: "Cæsar udest, trement Galli," this sentence was by the courtiers construed to mean the French republicans tremble at the approach of the emperor Francis. Great numbers of children, decorated with white staves, drew the state coach soleinnly along: at the principal church Te Deim was chaunted; verses were presented to the emperor, REIGN OF GEORGE III. songratulating his inauguration, and celebrating the achieve. CHAP ments which he was to perform. His imperial majesty proceeding to Valenciennes, was joyfully received by the allied army; and on the 16th of April he reviewed the combined Energy of forces, previously to the commencement of military operations. Meanwhile the French government had made the most pow-the revolu erful and efficient dispositions for opening the campaign. Hor- tionary rible as the deceniviral system was, it possessed one quality so leaders in momentous in war, that without it all other qualities supported by the most abundant resources are of little efficacy; it was distinguished for extraordinary ENERGY. Every latent power was sd to nal called into action, its immense resources were not only employed, but converged into a focus. The immediate object was to repel foreign invasions and interference wheresoever they threatened, and wheresoever they were seconded; to conceutrate all the intellectual and physical force of France to this point; to crumble all opposition to this design and to the exist- visqu Jasmgitled ing rulers who were carrying it into execution. Some embers to so of rebellion rekindling early in spring, troops were sent with the usual rapidity to the scene of reviving insurrection. These Rebellion is speedily subjugated the royalists, and punished them in the quelled in most summary and cruel manner. Rebellion was crushed by the dispersion of the Vendeans; faction was extinguished; and hostile operations against foreign powers engrossed the sole attention. General Jourdain was removed from the command of the northern army, and succeeded by general Pichegru, whose uncommon military talents proved him deserving of this confidence. As Jourdain was permitted to retire without disgrace, and indeed, in the express words of the decree, with honour to himself, and with the gratitude of his country, his retirement was but short, and he was afterwards appointed to command the army of the Rhine. i fabbing sit hushy On the seventeenth of April the confederates advanced in The confeeight columns to invest Landreci, a well fortified town in derates take Hainault, on the right bank of the river Sambre. The first Siege of column, composed of Austrian and Dutch troops under prince Landreci. Christian of Hesse Darmstadt, advanced upon the village of Catillon, which was forced after some resistance. The second under lieutenant-general Alvintzy, forced the French intrenchments at Mazinguer, Oisy, and Nouviou, and took possession o of the whole forest of Nouvion. The third column, led on by the emperor in person and the prince of Cobourg, after carrying the villages of Ribouville and Wassigny, detached forwards the advanced guards, which took possession of the heights called Grand and Petit Blocus. The fourth and fifth columns were intrusted to the duke of York; the first of these was under his own immediate direction: and the latter was commanded by sir William Erskine. The objects of these coTums were the redoubts and village of Vaux, and the strong intrenchments of the French in the wood called Bois de Bou 1794. Conflicts between the allies and the repubJicans. Battle of CHAP. chain. The sixth, seventh, and eighth columns, under the LIV. hereditary prince of Orange, were not engaged, being only a corps of observation on the side of Cambray The duke of York endeavoured, notwithstanding the strong position of the French army, to turn their right, and for that purpose ordered the whole column to move forwards under the cover of the high ground, leaving only sufficient cavalry to occupy their attention. The fire of the republicans was at first severe, but finding the British troops eager to press them to a close engage ment, which they foresaw would terminate in their discomfiture, they thought it expedient to retreat. These successes of the British troops enabled the confederates to commence the siege. The French assembled in considerable force at the camp of Cæsar, near Cambray, which as we have seen, they had occupied the former year. The duke of York, well knowing the efficacy of the British force, on the 23d of April sent general Otto to attack the enemy's position. Otto, finding the French strong, and firmly posted, delayed the assault till the arcival of a re-enforcement, when, charging them with impetuosity, he soon broke their line, and after killing twelve hundred drove the rest into Cambray, with the loss of their artillery Pichegru, not disheartened by these repeated disadvantages, still directed his own movements against the most formidable part of his enemies. On the 24th of April he atthe 24th of tacked the duke of York on all sides. The consummate geneApril between the ral of the republicans found in the British prince and his army a commander and soldiers not to be overcome even by his ability the republi- and efforts. Frederick vigorously receiving the assailants in front by grape-shot and musketry, judiciously despatched seve ral regiments of cavalry round the right, and of infantry round the left wing of his enemy, while he himself opposed the our prince powerful and numerous host in the front of the battle; the two detachments charging the enemy's flanks, broke their lines, and produced a most destructive carnage in both wings: such a combination of valour and skill completely defeated the French. This attempt of Pichegru was only part of a general plan of attack, extending from Treves to the sea, although he chose for himself the post of most difficulty and danger. On the right, the columns of the French attacking the enemy's army were repulsed with loss, though not nearly so great as the loss which they incurred in their conflict with the duke of York. Ou the left, they gained a trifling advantage by the reduction of Menin and Courtray. Other engagements tooks place during the siege, without any decisive event. Where ! the British fought, the French were uniformly repulsed; but: in their other couflicts they were more successful. Their efforts, however, to relieve Landreci, were not effectual, as that duke of York and 'cans; and coun tryinen are victorious. Landreci is raken. r See New Annual Register for 1794, p. 328, REIGN OF GEORGE III. LIV. fortress was captured after an investment of ten days. The CHAP. 1794. Testimony vention to His new - Pichegru, a man of strong and comprehensive genius, re- of the corgarded precedented modes of warfare no farther than they could serve his purpose, and formed a plan of attack at once of the Eng new and admirably adapted to the character of the French, lish. especially to the soldiers under his command. His system of Pichegru. tactics consisted in pursuing the enemy without intermission; plan of courting opportunities of engagements; and keeping his whole warfare. force together, without dividing it for the purpose of carrying on sieges; to reduce only such as were necessary in order to secure proper positions, without seeming to be at all concerned about the reduction of such strong places as he had left behind. This system was suitable to the state of military experience among the greater part of the French soldiers, as well as to the character of the people. The troops were mostly new levied, and although nationally courageous, active, and impetuous, and then inspirited by enthusiasm, yet they were not sufficiently trained in stationary warfare to undertake any siege of difficulty. Besides, as an annalist" of the present campaign observes, The French soldier is too ardent and impatient to go througly "with a chain of operations that require perseverance. In "the field he darts forth as an eagle, and fights like a lion. Bat "a long and arduous siege repels and often even discourages. "In order to have a military body of men perfect and invinci “ble, it would be necessary to carry on sieges with Swiss troops, "and to have French armies of observation. But while a "general has only Frenchmen under his command, he ought "not to let them grow restive, by remaining long in one place, "but keep them always in breath, and always within view of "the enemy." This system of incessant attack was extended System of in its operation to the several armies of the republicans, so as incessant to render them really parts of one great host, closely connected attack. together, as one army over a wide expanse of country. From Co-operathe German Rhine to the sea, there was one co-operating line ting line of of armies. Though the victory of the duke of York, and the mies from capture of Landreci retarded the progress of this grand the German scheme of advance and assault they did not prevent its final execution and success. The exertions and attainments of the British arms eventually promoted the accomplishment of the French projects. After the battle of the 24th of April, they The French cautiously abstained from close engagement with the British wisely French ar Rhine to the sea. avoid a close en See Barrere's speech in the convention, after the late victory of the duke of gagement York. u Histoire Chronoligique des operations de l'Armee du Nord, ét de celle du Sambre et Meuse, par le citoyen David, temoin des plupart de leurs exploits. with the British. CHAP. forces, and bent their principal efforts, both on the right and left, against the Austrians. LIV. 1794. federates. Jourdain with an army in mass. To this plan of partial attack the movements of the allied army were peculiarly auspicious. Soon after the siege of Landreci it was judged expedient to divide the confederates Separation into three parts; the chief army under the immediate comof the con- mand of the prince of Cobourg, and having the emperor himself at its head, was posted near the Sambre; the duke of York with the British forces, was stationed at Tournay: and general Clairfait, with a third army, occupied West Flanders. Pichegru directed his own principal efforts to the left against Clairfait, and straitening the quarters of the duke of York; and in attacking British posts and detachments, without bazarding a decisive battle. Several very bloody conflicts, however, took place in this kind of warfare, but without materially impairing his highness's force, though fresh numbers were daily joining the French army. Jourdain, with the advances army of the Rhine, in the beginning of the campaign, had met with severe checks, but had been ultimately successful against general Beaulieu, whom he compelled to evacuate the duchy of Luxemburg, and to fall back to Namur. Encouraged by their career of success, the French now prepared to invest Charleroi on the Sambre. The prince of Cobourg with the main army advanced to its relief; but though the undertaking was extremely important, trusted to his own troops, without calling for the aid of the duke of York from Tournay. On the 21st of June he reached Ath, and on the 24th he effected a junction with the prince of Orange and general Beaulieu, at Nivelles. The main body of the French army, under general Jourdain was posted at this time at Templeuve, Gosselies, and Fleurus, for the purpose of covering the siege of Charleroi. A battle ensued: both armies fought with the most intrepid courage, but the impetuous valour of the French succeeded. The allied army was defeated in every quarter, and forced with immense loss to retreat to Halle, thirty miles from the field of battle this victory decided the fate of the campaign. Charle roi, and soon after Brussels fell into the hands of the victorious enemy. In West Flanders, Pichegru was equally successful against Clairfait, Receiving large re-enforcenients from Lisle, Flanders he undertook the siege of Ypres, the key of Flanders. The attacks and importance of this place induced general Clairfait to hazard Clairfait. the whole corps under his command for its relief. On the 13th Battle of June 26, Pichegru in West defeats of June he attacked the republicans; and drove them from their first position; but fortune soon changed. The ability, courage, and skill of Clairfait were in vain opposed to the iminense bost of impetuous republicans. After a series of defeats he was compelled to abandon Ypres, to retire to Ghent, while Pichegri * New Annual Register, 1734, page 338. |