CHAP. XVI. 1794. 1 Toul. v. 68, 72, 77, 78. Jom vi. 47, 56. Th. vii. 86. 78. Efforts of the English to decry the Opposition war, and firmness of Mr Pitt. cannon of Nimeguen, and the remainder in a line around Thiel, and between the Waal and the Leck, communicating with the Dutch corps at Gorcum, in the hope of being permitted to remain there undisturbed during the winter. Meanwhile Pichegru invested Grave and Venloo; the latter of which, though defended by a sufficient garrison of eighteen hundred men, and amply provided with artillery and ammunition, surrendered before the works were injured, from the mere annoyance of the enemy's musketry.1 The successive intelligence of the defection of the Prussians, and the open abandonment of the Low Countries by the Austrian troops, which exposed Holland and Hanover to the immediate invasion of the Republican forces, afforded the Opposition in the British parliament a favourable opportunity for renewing their attacks on the government; and they triumphantly observed, that, after twenty-seven months of bloodshed and combats, the Allies were reduced to the same situation in which they were when Dumourier projected the invasion of Holland. But nothing could shake the firmness of Mr Pitt. "It matters little," said he, "whether the disasters which have arisen are to be ascribed to the weakness of the generals, the intrigues of camps, or the jealousies of the cabinets; the fact is, that they exist, and that we must anew commence the salvation of Europe." In pursuance of this heroic resolution, Sir Arthur Paget was despatched to Berlin, to endeavour to obtain some light on the ambiguous and suspicious conduct of Prussia; and Lord Spencer to Vienna, to endeavour to divert the Imperial cabinet from their alarming intention of abandoning the Low Countries. As soon as the latter nobleman arrived at Vienna, he obtained a private audience of the Emperor, and laid before him the proposals of the British government, which were no less than the offer of an annual subsidy of three millions sterling, provided the Imperialists would renew the war in Flanders, and give the command XVI. 1794. of the army to the Archduke Charles, with Clairfait, CHAP. Beaulieu, and Mack for his council. At the same time they stated such facts respecting the measures of Cobourg, 1 Hard. iii. who was deeply imbued with the temporising policy the 41, 69, 73. cabinet of Vienna had now adopted, as led to his recall xxxi. 1036. from the army, of which Clairfait assumed the command.1 Parl. Hist. Austrian resolve on contract The cabinet of Vienna, however, secretly inclining to 79. peace, delayed giving any definite answer to the proposals But the of Mr Pitt, and meanwhile entertained covert overtures and Prussian from the French government; while Clairfait received cabinets orders to remain altogether on the right bank of the peace, and Rhine, and Alvinzi was merely detached, with twenty-five their efforts. thousand men, to co-operate with the Duke of York in the defence of Holland. This retreat renewed the alarm of Prussia for her possessions on the Rhine, which was much increased by the cessation about the same period of the subsidies from the British government, who most justly declined to continue their monthly payments to a power which was doing nothing in aid of the common cause. Frederick-William upon this withdrew twenty thousand of his best troops from the army of the Rhine, to join the forces which the Empress Catherine was moving towards Warsaw under the far-famed Suwarroff. It was now evident that the coalition was rapidly approaching its dissolution. The King of Prussia openly received overtures of peace from the French government, while the Duke of Würtemberg, the Elector of Saxony, the Elector of Mayence, and the other lesser potentates, secretly made advances to the same effect, and insisted so strongly on the danger of their situation, that the Emperor, notwithstanding all the firmness of Thugut, was obliged to acquiesce in their pacific measures. The 5th of December was the day fixed for the discussion of the important question of peace or war in the diet of the Germanic empire. And such was the consternation generally diffused by the divisions of the Allies, and the successes of the French, that fifty-seven voices then declared for peace, and thirty-six XVI. 1794. Dec. 5. CHAP. demanded the King of Prussia for a mediator. This important resolution at once determined the conduct of Prussia. She now threw off the mask, and established conferences at Bâle preparatory to a peace; while Britain made unheard-of efforts to retain Austria in the confederacy, and at length, by the offer of a subsidy of £6,000,000, prevailed on that power to maintain her armies on the defensive on the banks of the Rhine, and resume, in the ensuing campaign, a vigorous offensive in Italy.1 1 Hard. iii. 81, 95, 110. Malmes. ii. 217, 314. 80. Siege of Holland,and standing be Dutch and British. Oct. 27. The successes which have been detailed, great as they were, turned out to be but the prelude, on the part of the and winter French, to a winter campaign attended with still more campaign in decisive results. Towards the end of October, Pichegru misunder- undertook the siege of Nimeguen: the Duke of York tween the approached with thirty thousand men, and by a vigorous sally upon the besiegers, who had the temerity to open their trenches, though the place was only invested on the left bank of the Waal, gained a brilliant but ephemeral success, attended by no important consequences. Shortly after, the French established some batteries, destined to command the bridge which connected the town with the intrenched camp in its rear, and soon sank some of the pontoons composing it. This so much disconcerted the Allied commanders that they hastily evacuated the place, with the bulk of the troops under their orders, in the night, leaving its defence to an inadequate garrison of three thousand men. These soldiers, feeling themselves unable to man the works, discouraged by the flight of their fellowsoldiers, overawed by the redoubled fire of the besiegers, and despairing of maintaining the place, immediately attempted to follow their example. Terror seized their ranks; they precipitated themselves upon the bridge, which was burned before the rear-guard had passed over. One regiment was obliged to capitulate, and part of another, embarked on a flying bridge, was stranded on the left bank, and next day made prisoners by the French. Nov. 4. CHAP. Thus this splendid fortress, which rendered them masters soon and 1794. 76,77. Jom. Toul. v. vi. 174, 177. Th. vi. 176, 81. nary fatigues ed efforts of The French army, worn out with seven months of incessant marching and bivouacs, now stood excessively in Extraordineed of repose. The clothing of the soldiers was in rags, and increas their shoes were worn out, and the equipments of the the French artillery, but for the supplies obtained in the captured army. places, would long ago have been exhausted. But all the representations of the generals upon these points were overruled. The Committee of Public Salvation, inflamed by the spirit of conquest, and guided by the enterprise of Carnot, resolved upon exacting from them fresh sacrifices. Accustomed to find every difficulty yield to the devotion of the Republican soldiers, or be overcome by the prodigious amount of the Republican levies, they resolved, after a month's rest to the troops, to prosecute their successes in the midst of a rigorous winter, and to render the severity of the season the means of overcoming the natural defences of the Dutch provinces. The first object was to cross the Waal, and, after driving the Allied XVI. 1794. CHAP. forces over all the mouths of the Rhine, penetrate into Holland by the Isle of Bommel. For this For this purpose, boats had for some time past been collected at Fort Crevecœur, and pontoons and other materials for a bridge at Bois-leDuc; and, the preparations having been completed, the passage was commenced at daybreak on the 12th November. But the firm countenance of the Allies defeated all their attempts; and after several ineffectual efforts, Moreau, whose sagacity clearly perceived the danger of Toul. v. 166. persisting in the design, withdrew his troops, and the army was put into winter-quarters, on the left bank of the Meuse and the Rhine.1 Nov. 12. 1 Jom.vi. 179, 182. Th. vii. 178, 181. 82. projects a winter cam paign. Early in December, the Duke of York, supposing the Pichegru campaign finished, set out for England, leaving to General Walmoden the perilous task of protecting, with an inferior and defeated army, a divided country against a numerous and enterprising enemy. But a severe frost, which soon after set in, and rendered that winter long memorable in physical annals, made the Republicans conceive the design of invading Holland during the season when the frost had rendered the numerous canals and rivers which intersected the country passable for troops and artillery. The prospect of that danger excited the utmost alarm in the mind of General Walmoden, who saw the Meuse frozen in his front, while the Rhine and the Waal, the waters of which are prevented from congealing by the tide which flows up them, were charged with floating ice in his rear, and thus were alike impassable for boats or land forces. In these circumstances he was justly afraid that the same severe weather which exposed his line to the attacks of the enemy in his front, would render the passage of the arms of the sea in his rear impracticable in the event of retreat.2 Influenced by these Jom. vi. apprehensions, he passed his heavy cavalry to the other Toul. v. 167. side of the Waal, evacuated his magazines and hospitals 183. upon Dewenter, and ordered the Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, cantoned with the most advanced corps in 183, 184. Th. vii. 182, |