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BOOK II. and Meuse, the Rhine and Moselle, and the army of Italy under General Bonaparte.

CHAP. VII.

1796.

The archduke determined to march to the relief of Wartensleben, whom Jourdan had pursued almost to Ratisbon; Wartensleben, however, retreated towards Wurtzburg. Ou the 24th the garrison of Koeningstein surrendered by capitulation, and the French obtained an immense quantity of military stores.

The Duke of Wirtemberg and the Margrave of Baden being deprived of their territories, dispatched ambassadors to the executive directory of France, to treat for peace, which was readily granted, on condition of their abandoning all alliances, offensive and defensive, against the republic, ceding to France whatever territories they possessed on the left side of the Rhine. The French also concluded a new treaty of friendship and alliance with his Prussian majesty, who rejoiced to behold the humiliation of the house of Austria, and whose attention was wholly engrossed with the way in which he might best convert the passing events of the war to his own advantage.

The people of Germany at first looked with a favorable eye on the French revolution, admiring the principles on which it was originally founded; but as the republican troops advanced into the empire, they began to perceive that there is no inseparable connection between principles and practice. So exorbitant were the contributions levied by the republican generals, in the principalities of Germany, for the support of their troops, that the people even lamented the loss of the milder tyranny of their own petty despots.

The army of the Rhine and Moselle took possession of Ulm and Donawert, and on the 24th of August reached the banks of the Lech, an extensive river which empties itself into the Danube, and by which the circles of Suabia and Bavaria are divided. Its passage was gallantly disputed by a large body of Austrians posted near Augsburg; but fortune still declared in favor of the French, and General Moreau having entered Bavaria in triumph, made himself master of Munich on the 27th.

The archduke having abandoned Donawert, occupied a strong position behind the Lech, where it joins the Danube, but having information that a division of the republicans under General Bernadotte was marching towards Ratisbon, while Jourdan's army was directly in front of Wartensleben's, his royal highness marched troops along the right bank of the Danube, leaving General La Tour to watch General Moreau, as he himself meant to pass the river at Ingolstadt, to act against Jourdan, while General Wartensleben was to engage him in front. He passed the Danube on the 17th of August, both at Neuburg and Ingolstadt, in which last fortress he placed a very strong garrison, not merely to protect his

own rear, but also to annoy the left flank of General Moreau, should he put in execution his intention of marching to Ratisbon and Landshut.

Lefebvre having been ordered by General Jourdan to engage the right flank of the Austrians encamped at Sultzbach; where a large body of troops, with a powerful train of artillery, had been stationed by General Wartensleben, succeeded in forcing the Austrians to abandon the heights, after a gallant resistance. The republican centre was charged with the attack on the enemy's front before Sultzbach; and General Ney, to facilitate this object, marched with the vanguard from Herspruck towards Sultzbach, by the only road that was practicable for the conveyance of artillery. The distance was twenty-two miles, the whole road being flanked by lofty mountains, which enabled the imperialists to do incredible mischief to the republicans. General Ney gave orders to attack the woods with the bayonet, while his right wing, to deceive the Austrians as to the ultimate point of attack, was ordered to ascend the hill. The imperialists under General Hohenlohe began a heavy fire from the woods, but the French troops entering it, the Austrians, unable to resist, left them the possession of it. General Jourdan changing his position, ordered General Colaud's division to support his vanguard, which, with the generals Ney and Grenier, enabled the right wing of the republican army to turn the left of the Austrians, and made them retreat to Sultzbach, their strongest, though only remaining position. It was wholly inacces sible in front, and the skirts of it were defended by artillery and infantry. A small plain on the left of the rock, being encircled with woods, the position of the republicans prevented their reaching it, except through a narrow defile. As it did not strike the Austrians that their left was in danger, they neglected to take possession of a hamlet, environed with trees and hedges, as well as of that part of the wood beyond the plain. General Jourdan, therefore, ordered General Ney to occupy the hamlet with light infantry, and Grenier was to get possession of the wood at the head of a brigade, The Austrians, on being made acquainted with these manoeuvres, endeavoured to recover the wood, but General Grenier compelled them to fall back towards the rock. The plain being held by the republicans, they commenced a heavy cannonading against the enemy. The heights on the left were at length reached by General Lefebvre, where the enemy fought with the most determined bravery. The troops by which the place was defended retreated in the night, which prevented Lefebvre from pursuing them; but as he was now master of the heights, the forces could encamp on the field of battle.

The generals Championnet and Bonneau

pressed on to Amberg, to check the progress of the Austrian troops stationed in that quarter, and came up with the enemy on the heights of Poperg. They were directly attacked, and forced to retreat to Amberg, after an obstinate engagement of twelve hours. General Wartensleben changed his head-quarters in the night towards Schwartzenfeld, behind the Nab; and on the next day, the division under General Grenier marched to Amberg, and made the Austrians recross the Wils, one of the feeders of the Nab.

In the evening of August 18, the archduke was informed of General Wartensleben's being forced to abandon Amberg, and retreat across the Nab. Two days after he reached Hemmau, with his right column, which gave him the command of the road to Ratisbon, and allowed him to annoy the right flank of General Jourdan's army, which had marched towards the Nab. On the 22d, the archduke's advanced guard engaged the French under General Bernadotte, who had taken a position near the village of Teming. The republican forces were obliged by the Austrian general Nauendorff, to retreat to Neumarck, from which place he was driven the next day by the archduke; he retreated to Nurnberg, which left the right flank and the rear of General Jourdan's army totally exposed; and the military talents of Prince Charles enabled him to profit by the valor of his troops. Accordingly, he and General Wartensleben pressed upon General Jourdan on the 24th; the latter moving against the front, and the former against the flank of his army; which must have been followed by a decisive battle, had not the republican commander-in-chief been induced to retreat. General Bernadotte evacuated Nurnberg, and, in great haste, marehed on towards Forcheim, while the Austrians at Lauff made it impossible for Jourdan to carry that passage. General Kleber retreated towards Pegnitz, where he received the orders of General Jourdan to march directly for Pondenstein, where he arrived at midnight. The archduke having dispatched Nauendorff by the way of Ratisbon, to co-operate with General La Tour, to threaten the left flank of Moreau, continued his pursuit of the French commander-in-chief. By the skilful movements of the archduke, Jourdan, on the 29th, found it necessary to retreat to Bamberg, where he took possession of both sides of the Rednitz. He was pursued by the archduke, but his retreat was well covered.

General Moreau sought to gain intelligence of the movements of the Austrians along the Danube; but it does not appear that he was acquainted with the sad reverses experienced by General Jourdan. General Desaix had orders to attack the enemy at Ingolstadt, on the 1st of September, and oblige them to destroy the bridge; the re

publicans were attacked by the enemy at day- BOOK II. break, when General La Tour was reinforced by detachments from the prince under General Nau- CHAP. VII. endorff, who, on his march, defeated the French, and forced them to take shelter in a wood. This was followed by a desperate battle, when the republicans were enabled to repulse General La Tour with great loss.

General Jourdan arrived at Schweinfurth, whither he had retreated by forced marches. Prince Charles reached Bamberg on the 31st of August, crossed the Maine on the 2d and 3d of September, and soon got possession of Wurtzburg, to which place General Jourdan used every exertion to arrive before the Austrians, and was only three leagues from it on the day it was taken possession of by General Hotze. Jourdan made a dreadful attack on the advanced guard of Gen. Hotze; but, instead of making any impression on their line, he was obliged to flee with precipitation towards Dusseldorff, with a scanty remnant of his army.

General Wartensleben was to pass the bridge at Dettelbach, and engage Jourdan's centre, while General Kray was charged with turning his left wing. The attack was begun by the troops under General Stzarray, but the republicans made him fall back, and deprived him of his first position. Wartensleben crossed the river with his cavalry, and came to action with the left wing of the French. Jourdan weakened his right wing, in order to strengthen his left, and thus enabled Stzarray to resume his former station. The left of Jourdan's army was repulsed by the Austrian cavalry, and obliged to take refuge behind the wood; his left wing was impetuously attacked by numbers superior to his own, and Jourdan again commenced a retreat, and again experienced misfortunes.

The retreat was committed to the youthful and gallant General Marceau, to be covered from the enemy, till the republicans were able to evacuate the defiles of Altenkirchen. While French chasseurs in a wood were firing upon Austrian hussars, Marceau arrived to reconnoitre the ground, with an officer and some artillery. A Tyrolean chasseur recognised his rank, and discharged a carbine at him, the contents of which passed through his body. The general descended from his horse, was taken to Altenkirchen, and carried through the columns by the grenadiers.

On the next day, September 4, Altenkirchen was occupied by the enemy's advanced guard; and when the Austrian general, Haddick, was told of the circumstance, he sent the wounded French general a guard of safety, accompanied by General Kray. Hopes of saving General Marceau were still kept up, and Prince Charles's principal surgeon exerted himself to the utmost,

1796.

1796.

BOOK II. in vain. In the morning the symptoms were more dangerous; the general was seized with a CHAP. VII. heaviness in his head, and expired about six o'clock. The Austrian regiments of Barco and Blankenstein, who knew him on the field of battle, disputed the honor of paying him the last offices; but they were prevented, as the French officers attending hini prevailed upon Prince Charles to allow his remains to be given to his brethren in arms. The prince requested, that the Austrians might be acquainted with the moment of his interment, to join with the French in performing the last military honors; his body was interred in the fortified camp at Coblentz, under the discharge of the artillery of both

armies.

The French having re-crossed the Rhine at three different places, the archduke detached a force towards Ukareth and the Sieg, taking the route towards the Maine, with the remainder of his forces, which river he crossed on the 28th of August, to commence hostilities against General Moreau, leaving a sufficient force between Mayence and Francfort. After the defeat of JourAfter the defeat of Jourdan, Moreau could not possibly penetrate farther into Bavaria, nor remain for any time in the places he then occupied; and Prince Charles could send larger reinforcements to General Latour, in proportion as Jourdan retired from the Danube and the Maine. The hostile armies engaged on the 7th of September, near Mainburg; the Austrians were defeated by the centre of the republican army, and 500 of them taken prisoners. On the 11th, General Moreau commenced a retreat; he crossed the Lech, and gave orders to cut down all the bridges behind him: he then ascended along the banks of the Danube, and stationed his head-quarters at Ulm. Find ing himself closely pursued by the Austrians, he united his forces in one body, and fell upon them with such fury, that he forced them to retire, and fall back by degrees towards the Rhine. A detachment from the archduke, strengthened by troops from Manheim and Philipsburg, attacked General Sherer on the 13th, who was stationed at Bruchsal, and obliged him to retreat to Kehl. Here the republicans were again attacked by all the forces the enemy could collect, who succeeded in getting as far as the head of the bridge, over the Rhine, where they were checked by the batteries of that place, and were thrown into the utmost confusion. The works of importance remained with the republicans, who drove the Austrians from the town of Kehl by a tremendous fire. The national guards of Strasburg were ordered, by General Moreau, to secure Kehl, the bridge and the forts on the isles of the Rhine, as of the utmost importance in his re

treat.

October 1, General Moreau attacked General Latour in his camp between Biberach and Buchau; and, after a long and sanguinary action, not only forced him to retire in confusion, but would probably have destroyed his army, had it not been for the emigrants under Prince de Condé, who gallantly covered the retreat of the Austrians, and saved their baggage.

The Archduke Charles directed his march along the right bank of the Rhine, in order to cut off the retreat of General Moreau, and arrived at Radstadt on the 5th of October. To annoy the republican army in its retreat, a body of Austrians were stationed between the Necker and the Danube, as well as to cover all the passes of the Black Forest and mountains. General Moreau took the route of Stockach with the principal part of his army. All the defiles in his flank and rear were occupied by the Austrians, while the rapid movements of the archduke evinced a determination to destroy the bridges on the Rhine, prior to his arrival there.

The

It now remained for the republican army to force the passage of the Black Forest. centre of the French army made a violent attack on the Austrians, stationed in the Val d'Enfer, a most terrific defile, narrowed by lofty mountains for several leagues, nor more, in some places, than ten fathoins wide. The right and left wings soon cleared the defile, without any loss, and reached Fribourg on the 12th of October, taking possession of Waldkirch on the ensuing day, and ranging themselves along the heights on the right bank of the Eltz, while the convoys and baggage, under the protection of the right wing, passed by the way of the Forest towns. On finding that it was not practicable to prevent the retreat of General Moreau, Latour proceeded to join Prince Charles near Hornberg, and the Prince de Condé and General Frolich pursued the French, while retreating through the Black Forest and mountains. The archduke having united his forces, gave battle to the left wing and centre of the republican army. Wartensleben, with the centre division, was to force the heights behind Martinsell; and General Petrasch, with the left wing, was ordered to march to Emendingen. Latour, who commanded the right, had a terrible opposition, being repeatedly repulsed in his attempts on Kendringen; till the archduke, with the grenadiers, made himself master of the village, October 18. Upon this occasion, General Wartensleben was dangerously wounded in the arm, while bringing the centre into action.

On the 19th the Austrians attacked Nymbourg, but without any important effect. The next day, General Moreau abandoned the Brisgaw, and retired towards Huningen, where a large bridge

was established. His position was formidable; his right wing touching the Rhine, his left at Kandern, and his centre division at Schliengen, where he meant to remain for some time, if the Austrians did not make him alter his resolution. The imperial army moved, on the 23d, in four columns: those commanded by the Prince de Condé and the Prince of Furstenberg were to manœuvre so as to prevent the republicans from sending troops from their left; the others, under Latour and Nauendorff, were to attack the left wing, and endeavour to turn their flank. After an obstinate conflict, October 24, which lasted till night, the French retreated to Altingen, and passed the Rhine at Huningen, on the 26th, without any opposition. Thus General Moreau returned to Strasburg, the point whence he had set out, having effected a wonderful retreat. General Jourdan being induced to resign the command, it was given to General Bournonville, commander-in-chief of the northern army.

The Austrians made many spirited efforts to gain possession of Kehl, and the bridge of Huningen, but were still repulsed; the archduke durst not leave the Brisgaw exposed to General Moreau, and the conquest of Kehl was of the greatest importance to secure his troops while in winter-quarters.

General Dessaix, who was appointed governor of Fort Kehl, made a sally at the head of a body of troops, November 22, with a view of retarding the operations of the enemy, and obtained possession of the village of Suntheim, as well as of two redoubts in its neighbourhood; but he was at length repulsed by the archduke, and obliged to retire, having received a wound in the head. The archduke resolved on a regular siege; and, opening his trenches on the 25th of November, he commenced a cannonading, which lasted fifteen days without interval. A second attack was made upon it, December 11, when its defence became doubly dangerous and difficult, the intercourse with Strasburg being cut off by breaking down the bridge, and rendering their boats totally useless. After finishing their second parallel, the Austrians attacked and carried the re

publican camp, and the battery which defended BOOK II. it. The French were again rallied by General Lacombe; and, that they might fight with de- CHAP V termined valor, he destroyed the bridges to prevent their return. This had the desired effect, and hereupon the Austrians were defeated with some loss.

The artillery of the Austrians, however, was too dreadful for the republicans to withstand; they had no communication with the opposite bank, and no hope of any relief. General Desaix proposed a capitulation to the archduke, and he signed it, allowing the French twenty-four hours to carry off their artillery and stores.

After the evacuation of Fort Kehl, the republicans only possessed one post on the right bank of the Rhine; this consisted of the French position at Come, intended to cover the bridge of Huningen, which had been for some time masked by thirteen battalions and two squadrons under the Prince of Furstenburg. Being attacked suddenly, at ten o'clock at night, by the left wing of the Austrian army, which advanced in three columns, forced the barriers of a half-moon, and entered by escalade; the French retired into the horn-work, where they were threatened with an assault. On this, General Abbatucci, placing himself at the head of a body of troops, sallied forth on the imperialists, who were trying to make a lodgment, and forced them to retreat; but, having received a fatal wound, of which he died a few days after, General Sisce, who succeeded to the command, held out for a considerable time, but was at length obliged to surrender the post, having been allowed two days to withdraw the garrison and stores.

The long defence maintained by the garrison of Kehl diverted the attention of the Archduke Charles from the affairs of Italy, whence he intended to follow Wurmser, to stop the career of Bonaparte. This gallant prince, however, by a laudable union of talents and courage, liberated Germany from the yoke of France; by which an excellent opportunity was afforded of sending. succours to Italy..

1796.

BOOK II.

1796.

CHAPTER VIII.

Naval Occurrences.-Situation of Genoa.-Seizure of Elba.—Evacuation of Corsica.-Expedition against Ireland, under Villaret-Joyeuse.-Its Failure.-Cruize of Commodore Warren.—Captain Nelson's Achievements in the Mediterranean.-Captures.-Attempt to re-capture the Cape of Good Hope by a Dutch Squadron.-Surrender of the Dutch Fleet.-Captures in the East Indies.-Expedition to the West Indies.-Consequent Captures.-Attack on the French Batteries.—Surrender of St. Lucia.-Expedition to St. Vincent's.-Surrender of the Enemy.- Attack on the Island of Grenada. - Surrender of the French.-State of St. Domingo.

IN the course of this year the trade of Great Britain received considerable injury from the sucCHAP. VIII. cesses of Bonaparte, notwithstanding the superior strength and admirable disposition of her navy. Although the Toulon fleet did not dare to put to sea, for fear of encountering the English, then cruising in the neighbourhood of Genoa, Admiral Richery found means to slip out with the following small squadron:

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100 pieces of cannon, was immediately surrendered.

On the 20th of October, however, the British evacuated the island of Corsica. The people of this island seemed to submit with satisfaction to the dominion of his Britannic majesty, while jacobinical rage was at its height in France; but, as soon as a regular government was established in that country, they appeared to be extremely anxious to be re-united to that republic, and abandon their new allegiance. Sir Gilbert Elliot perceiving, during a tour into the interior of the island, which he accomplished not without personal danger, that an universal fermentation prevailed, and the Corsicans were assembled in great force, after being joined by a body of French

La Victoire Warwick. 74 Jupiter Duquesne . 74 Barras La Révolution. 74 And the three following frigates: La Felicité, L'Embuscade, and La Friponne. After having captured several prizes in the Straits, he retired to Cadiz, where he remained some months block-troops under General Gentili, the viceroy intied up by a few ships under the command of Admiral Mann.

Genoa, no longer able to preserve even the appearance of neutrality, was obliged to shut her ports against the enemies of France; while, in Leghorn, the property appertaining to the coalesced powers was seized upon by the consul of that nation. Fortunately, however, all the vessels and most of the merchandise appertaining to Great Britain, were removed; the former consisting of twenty-three sail of square-rigged vessels and fourteen Tartans, which were carried out to sea by Captain Freemantle, of the Inconstant. As the governor was supposed to have favored the occasion, he was immediately arrested, and sent to Florence.

Hereupon it was determined, by the Viceroy of Corsica, to seize on some commodious station on the coast of Tuscany, as an arsenal for the English fleet; and the island of Elba being deemed proper for this purpose, a small squadron accordingly sailed from Bastia, with a body of troops, under Major Duncan, July 10. Commodore Nelson having joined the convoy, a landing was effected; and the Captain, of 74 guns, placed within half-pistol shot of the grand bastion. On this, the governor consented to a capitulation; and the town of Porto Ferrajo, with

mated his determination to withdraw his troops. This was not accomplished, however, at Bastia and St. Fiorenzo, without some bloodshed; and several of the magazines fell into the hands of the enemy. The people of Corsica, being formed into primary assemblies, sent a deputation to the commissioners of the French republic in Italy, solemnly to renounce the title of subjects of the King of Great Britain, and renew their oaths of fidelity and constancy to the French republic.

An armament had been long preparing in Brest harbour, designed to cover a descent upon Ireland, which at that time was in a very distracted situation; but, owing to certain unavoidable causes of delay, it was not ready to put to sea till the 10th of December. It consisted of eighteen sail of the line and thirteen frigates, commanded by Vice-admiral Bouvet, having a fleet of transports under convoy with 25,000 men, at the head of whom was the celebrated General Hoche. It having been given out that the squadron was intended against Portugal, and manifestoes actually procured, drawn up in that language, for the purpose of concealing the object of its destination, Hoche employed a native of Ireland (M. Shee) to compose and print proclamations; in which he endeavoured to seduce his countrymen by fallacious promises; but the principal dependence of

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