LI

1793.

CHAP. which was made by the action of the 8th, resolved to make a general attack on the camp at Famars, that covered the approaches to Valenciennes. The dispositions for this grand object being finished, the 23d of May was fixed for executing the design. At daybreak the British and Hanoverians assembled under the command of the duke of York, and the Austrians and German auxiliaries under the prince of Cobourg and general Clairfait. Great pains had been employed to conceal the projected attack, until its execution should be commenced. A fog somewhat retarded the advance of the troops, but at the same time concealed their approaches; until the sun penetrating through the mist, displayed to the astonished French the allies in four coBattle of lumns, proceeding towards their camp. A tremendous fire of artillery began the action on both sides: the contest soon became closer; and one of the Austrian columns was nearly overpowered, when the Hanoverians and British repulsed its assailants: at length the combined troops, led by the British, and headed by the duke of York and general Abercrombie, entirely defeated the French army. During night the duke of York refreshed his forces, resolved to attack the enemy's fortifications the next morning; but in the night the republicans abandoned the intrenchments which they had formed with such pains and expense, and left the way open to Valenciennes. About the same time bodies of Dutch and Austrian troops employed in the maritime Netherlands, drove the French invaders on that side within their frontiers.

Famars.

Blockade and surrender of Conde.

CONDE, as we have seen, was in a state of blockade: the town was not provided with a sufficient quantity of provisions to sustain a long siege: the governor (general Chancel), therefore, about this period ordered the women and children to quit the place. As the diminution of consumers tended to prolong a blockade, the prince of Wirtemberg, who commanded on that service, would not suffer their departure; opposed and prevented repeated attempts. The besieged, after a very brave and obstinate resistance, and enduring with the most persevering fortitude all the rigours of famine, were, on the 10th of July, obliged to Sicge of Valencien surrender at discretion. But a much more arduous enterprise, undertaken by the allies, was the siege of Valen

new.

LII.

fortress.

ciennes; and the victory at Famars having enabled them CHAP. to approach, they formed a regular investment. Valenciennes is situate on the left bank of the Scheldt, opposite 1793. to the camp which the French had recently occupied. Its Strength fortifications, among the chief efforts of Vauban's genius, of the rendered it a post of extraordinary strength. The garrison consisted of about eleven thousand men: Custine, appointed on the death of Dampierre to take the command of the northern army, found it impossible to relieve the fortress, which was therefore obliged to depend upon its own strength. The allies, conscious of their force, and confident of ultimate success, summoned the fortress to surrender: thesummons was disregarded; and being repeated, was still unavailing the allies, therefore, proceeded with their approaches. A difference of opinion prevailed between the two chief engineers, of Britain and of the emperor respectively, colonel Moncrief and monsieur Ferasis. The British officer, less regarding customary modes than efficient means, proposed to plant batteries immediately under the walls of the city, instead of approaching it by regular parallels. The German officer, adhering closely to experimental tactics, proposed to proceed in the manner which had been so long in use; and his opinion was adopted by the council of war. On the morning of the 14th of June the trenches were opened; and Ferasis directed the siege under the superintending command of the duke of Opera. York. The successive parallels were conducted with dis- tions. tinguished skill, and finished with uncommon expedition; this despatch being powerfully promoted by the British guards; who, from their habits of working in the coal barges on the Thames, were enabled to do more work in a given time than an equal number of any other soldiers.b In the beginning of July the besiegers were able to bring two hundred pieces of heavy artillery to play without intermission on the town, and the greater part of it was reduced to ashes. The smallness of the garrison, compared with the extent of the fortifications to be defended, prevented general Ferrand, the commander, from attempting

a

a New Annual Register, 1793, page 187. b See Macfarlane, vol. iv. page

LII.

1793.

CHAP. frequent sorties: in one of which the garrison made on the 5th of July, however, they were very successful, killed several of the enemy, and spiked some cannon. A considerable part of the war was carried on under ground, by numerous mines and countermines, which both besiegers and besieged constructed. The chief of these were, one which the besiegers formed under the glacis, and one under the horn work of the fortress. These mines were completed and charged on the 25th of July, and in the night, between nine and ten o'clock, were sprung with complete success. The English and Austrians immediately embraced the opportunity to throw themselves into the covered way, of which they made themselves masters. The duke of York now, for the third time, summoned the Captured place to surrender; and the governor seeing no hopes afterasiege from farther defence, capitulated; by the capitulation the troops taken in the garrison were allowed to retire into of the em- France, on swearing that they would not, during the war, serve against any of the allied powers; and the duke of York took possession of Valenciennes in the name of the emperor of Germany.

of six weeks, in the name

peror.

of Burke

and his votaries on this subject,

Sentiments THOSE promoters of war with the French republicans who desired the restoration of monarchy as the chief object of hostilities, disapproved of various circumstances in the capture of Valenciennes, and indeed in the principle on which the campaign was conducted; as, according to their hypothesis, the legitimate object of the war in which the confederacy was engaged was the reestablishment of monarchy, the emigrant princes and other exiles ought to have had the chief direction in its councils and conduct; whereas these were really employed as mercenaries. On the same hypothesis Valenciennes and other towns captured, ought to be possessed in the name of Lewis XVII. as king of France, and of his uncle the count of Provence, as lawful regent during the young king's minority; and troops capitulating ought to be restricted from serving against French royalists, as well as the allied powers. These observations were fair and consistent inferences, if it had been admitted that the combined powers were actually,

e New Annual Register, 1793, page 190.

103

CHAP.

LII.

1793.

ent from

Mr. Pitt

as the English opposition asserted, fighting for the restoration of the monarchical constitution: but according to British ministers, and the greater number of their parliamentary votaries, the purpose of the war was not a counter revolution in France, but the attainment of security against are differthe French projects of aggrandizement, and dissemination those of of revolt; that the most effectual means for this purpose and his cowas the reduction of her power, without any regard to her adjutors. internal government; that we were to reduce her strength in the present as in former wars, by capturing, according to our respective force, her towns and possessions. Indeed, the confederates at present seemed to proceed on the same principle of conquering warfare which had been practised by the grand alliance for humbling the power of Lewis XIV. To adopt the language of works less specially devoted to the support of ministerial politics, than to the restoration of monarchy in France; they were rather antigallicans, warring against physical France, on the general principles of former times, than antijacobins, warring against moral France, on the peculiarly requisite principles of present times. On the one hand, the object of Mr. Burke, however impolitic and impracticable it may have been deemed, was much more definite than the objects of Mr. Pitt, as far as these were explained: on the other, the objects of Mr. Pitt being conceived to be merely antigallican, were much more agreeable to the prevailing sentiments of Britons than the avowal of a combination would have been, for interfering in the internal polity of France, and reestablishing a government which, in its former exercise, Britain so very much disapproved. The capture of French towns in the name of the young prince, as sovereign of a country that had renounced its authority, would have been an avowal of a counter revolutionary project, which the British government disavowed, and which the majority of the British nation would have censured. The appropriation and capitulation of Valenciennes were therefore perfectly consonant to the professed views with which

d The most eloquent and illustrious advocate of this doctrine, Mr. Burke, exhibits this theory in his remarks on the policy of the allies, begun in October,

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1793.

CHAP. the allies, having completed the purposes of defence and recovery, had invaded the French Netherlands. While the allies were thus engaged in the Netherlands in strengthening the power of the emperor on the Rhine, they were occupied in recovering the captures of the French. On the 20th of June the Prussian army invested Prussians. Mentz; and after a regular and vigorous siege, and a very gallant defence, it capitulated on the 22d of July.

Successes

of the

Mentz is taken. France is torn by dissentions.

WHILE the confederates were making such advances on the frontiers of France, the republic was entirely torn with dissentions. The Girondists, who had been long declining in authority, and who were more than ever abhorred by the Mountain, since their desire to save the king, had constantly supported Dumourier against the The Moun- invectives of Marat and the jacobins. As soon as Dutain excite mourier was driven into exile, the Mountain raised an against the outcry against his late protectors the Girondists. They

a clamour

were represented to the furious multitude as a band of traitors and counter revolutionists. The municipality of Paris, and the jacobin clubs, resounded with complaints, threats, and imprecations, against the party in the convention which retained some sentiments of humanity, some love of order, and some regard for justice. The Gironde party still possessed considerable influence in the convention; but the Mountain, gratifying the Parisian rabble with blood and plunder, exercised the supreme command Establish in the city. In March was established the revolutionary ment of the tribunal for trying offences against the state. This celeary tribu- brated and dreadful court, consisting of six judges, was wholly without appeal. The crimes on which it was to pronounce were vague, undefined, and undefinable; extending not merely to actions, but to most secret thoughts. On the 1st of April a decree was passed abolishing the inviolability of members of the convention when accused of crimes against the state.

revolution

nal.

THE chiefs of the Brissotines appeared to be astonished and confounded at these daring and desperate measures of their inveterate adversaries, confident in their power and popularity; and made no vigorous opposition to decrees which were evidently intended to pave the way to their