XVI. 1794. glorious siege of 1809 demonstrated, was capable of being CHAP. reinforced to any extent by sea. Nevertheless, such was the vigour of the Republicans, and the dejection of the Spaniards, that the assailants pushed the siege during the severest months of winter, without any molestation. Feb. 3,1795. The fort of Trinity was reduced on the 7th January; 1. vi. and the garrison, threatened with an immediate assault Toul. v. 34, by a practicable breach, retired by sea in the beginning 200. of February, leaving the fortress to the enemy.1 to the Jom. 36. Th. vii. 71. Invasion of defeat of the Spaniards. Biscay, and Nor was the fortune of war more favourable Spanish forces at the other extremity of the line. the fall of San Sebastian, Colomera endeavoured without effect to rouse the population of the Pyrenean valleys, and the Republicans attempted to erect Biscay into a Republic, to be independent of the Spanish crown. The usual fruits of democratic insurrection speedily appeared. The guillotine was erected at San Sebastian, and, in defiance of a solemn capitulation, the blood of the priests and the nobles was shed by the French commissioners, with as much inveteracy as if Guipuzcoa had been la Vendée. Meanwhile disease, the result of the misery they had produced, made deeper ravages than the Spanish sword in the ranks of the invaders; in a short time above thirty thousand men perished in the hospitals. At length, the Republican columns having been recruited by the neverfailing levies in the interior, a general attack, late in autumn, was commenced on the Spanish positions. In the valley of Roncesvalles, their best division, after a vigorous resistance, was routed with the loss of forty pieces of cannon and fifteen hundred prisoners, and a severe tempest of wind and rain alone prevented its total destruction. This success enabled the invaders to seize and burn the founderies of Orbaizita and D'Enguy, which had so long served for the supply of the Spanish marine; 2 Jom. vi. after which they retired to the neighbourhood of San Th. vii. 199, Sebastian and Fontarabia, still occupying in force the v. 218. valley of Bastan. 2 Oct. 16. 154, 167. 200. Toul. CHAP. XVI. 1794. 72. They sue for peace. 1 Jom. vi. 168. Toul. v. 221. 73. hostilities in These repeated disasters, and the evident disaffection of a considerable portion of their subjects, who were infected by the rage for democratic institutions, at length disposed the Spanish government to an accommodation. Nor were the Committee of Public Salvation inclined to insist on rigorous conditions, as the liberation of two experienced and victorious armies promised to be of the utmost importance to the Republican armies, in the conquests which they meditated to the south of the Alps. With these dispositions on both sides, the work of negotiation was not difficult. Although the conclusion of the treaty was deferred to the succeeding year, yet it was understood on both sides that negotiations were in progress, and no operations of importance were undertaken after this period. The severe winter of 1794-5, which gave the Republican troops the mastery of Holland, likewise closed their operations on the snows of the Pyrenees.11 The approach of winter, however, afforded no respite Renewal of to the armies on the northern frontier. After a delay of Flanders. two months, occasioned by the secret negotiations which the fall of Robespierre had broken off, the Republican armies recommenced those active operations which their immense superiority of physical force speedily rendered decisive. The Army of the North had 70,000 effective men under its banners; that of the Sambre and Meuse, nominally 145,000 strong, presented an efficient force of 116,000 men; while the Duke of York, to cover the United Provinces, had hardly 50,000; and General Clairfait, who had replaced Prince Cobourg, could only muster 100,000 to maintain the footing of the Imperialists in the Flemish provinces. The French armies were so situated, that they could mutually communicate with and support each other: the Austrians and British were far asunder, incapable of rendering mutual aid, and alienated by long-continued common disaster. But, con XVI. 1794. 15,26. Th. 74. British re tire to the right bank of the Meuse. sidered morally, the inequality between the contending CHAP. armies was still greater. On the one side was the triumph of victory, the vigour of democratic ambition, the ardour of patriotic enthusiasm, the confidence of increasing numbers, conscious ability, and a novel system of warfare; on the other, the dejection of defeat, the recrimi- Jom. vi. nation of commanders, the jealousies of nations, declining vii. 76. numbers, and an obstinate adherence to antiquated tactics.1 All anxiety about their rear having been removed by the reduction of Condé, Valenciennes, Quesnoy, and Landrecies, the Republicans in the end of August resumed the offensive. The fort of Ecleuse having surrendered to General Moreau, the Army of the North, reinforced by his division, commenced the invasion of Holland, while Sept. 4. the States-General obstinately persisted in maintaining half their troops, amounting to twenty thousand men, in garrison in the interior, thirty leagues from the theatre of war, thereby leaving the protection of the frontier to the comparatively inconsiderable force of the British commander. With little more than half the invader's troops, the Duke of York was charged with the defence of a frontier twenty leagues in extent. He first took up a defensive position behind the Aa; but his advanced posts having been defeated by the French with the loss of fifteen hundred prisoners, he was compelled to retire to the right bank of the Meuse, leaving the important places of Bergen-op-Zoom, Breda, and Bois-le-Duc, to Sept. 18. their own resources.2 Sept. 15. om. vi.22, 66,67. Th. 25. Toul. v. vii. 77, 78. Ruremonde, of the Aus Meanwhile the army of the Sambre and Meuse, under 75. Jourdan, made preparations for a general attack on the Battle of scattered forces of Clairfait. On the 18th, the Repub- and retreat licans, divided into six columns, broke up, and a number trans. of partial actions took place along the whole line; but Sept. 18. the post of Ayvaile having been forced by the French, the Austrians fell back with the loss of fifteen hundred men and thirty-six pieces of cannon; and, after several ineffectual attempts to make a stand, finally evacuated XVI. 1794. Oct. 2. CHAP. their positions on the Meuse, and retired towards Rolduc and Aix-la-Chapelle. Jourdan immediately followed them; and while Kléber, with fifteen thousand men, formed the blockade of Maestricht, the commander himself, with a hundred thousand, pressed the discomfited forces of Clairfait, now hardly in a condition to keep the field, from the confusion and precipitance of their retreat. In vain the Imperialists took up a strong defensive position behind the Roer: On the 2d of October, the Republican columns were in motion at break of day, to assail their position; and, for the first time since the Revolution, the splendid spectacle was exhibited of ninety thousand men moving to the attack with the precision and regularity of a field-day. The Germans occupied a series of heights behind the river, from whence their numerous artillery kept up a destructive plunging fire upon the advancing columns of the French; but nothing could arrest the enthusiasm of the Republicans. The French grenadiers, with Bernadotte at their head, plunged into the stream, and drove the Austrians from the opposite heights, while General Scherer, on the other wing, also forced the passage of the river, and made himself master of Düren. These disasters induced Clairfait, who still bravely maintained himself in the centre, to Toul. v. 69. order a general retreat, which was effected before nightTh. vii. 79, fall, with the loss of three thousand men, while that of the French did not amount to half the number.1 1 Jom. vi. 32, 36, 46. 84. 76. Who cross and Maes tricht is taken. Oct. 5. This battle a second time decided the fate of Flanders, and threw back the Imperial army beyond the Rhine. the Rhine, The Austrians in haste crossed that river at Muhlheim, and Jourdan entered Cologne the day following, and soon afterwards extended his troops to Bonn. Soon after the siege of Maestricht was seriously undertaken, and such was the activity of the Committee of Public Salvation, that a splendid siege-equipage, of two hundred pieces, descended the Meuse, and speedily spread desolation through the city. A large cavern, discovered in the Oct. 10. XVI. 1794. rock on which the fort of St Petre was situated, gave rise CHAP. to a subterraneous warfare, in which the French soldiers, ever ready to adapt themselves to circumstances, speedily distinguished themselves, and acquired a superiority over their opponents. At length, on November 4, the gar- Nov. 4. rison, despairing of being relieved, capitulated, upon condition of not serving against the French till regularly exchanged; and this noble fortress, with three hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, fell into the hands of the Republicans. After this event, and the capture of the castle of Rheinfels by the army of the Moselle, which shortly after took place, there remained to the Impe- 45. Toul. v. rialists nothing of all their vast possessions on the left 85. bank of the Rhine, but Luxembourg and Mayence.1 1 Jom. vi. 42, 79. Th. vii. British by licans, and the former behind the Waal. Nor were the operations of the left wing, destined for 77. the invasion of Holland, less successful. After the retreat Active purof the Duke of York, Pichegru, whose forces amounted suit of the to seventy thousand efficient troops, formed the siege of the RepubBois-le-Duc, the situation of which, being at the con- retreat of fluence of three streams, was of importance as a base to future operations. The States-General had neglected to provide for the defence of this important fortress; and the Duke of York had not a man he could detach for its succour. Its garrison was too weak either to man the works or undergo the fatigue of a siege; the fort of Sept. 29. Crevecœur surrendered almost at the first shot, and in a fortnight after the place capitulated, after a resistance Oct. 10. disgraceful to the Dutch arms. After its capture, the British general distributed his troops along the line of the Waal, in hopes of being able to maintain a communication with the fortress of Grave, now threatened with a siege; but Pichegru, continuing his career of success, crossed the Meuse, and attacked the advanced posts of the Allies with so much vigour that they were compelled to fall back, with considerable loss, across the Waal. Disconcerted by this check, the Duke of York stationed part of his troops in an intrenched camp, under the VOL. III. 2 F |