FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   841   842   843   844   845   846   847   848   849   850   851   852   853   854   855   856   857   858   859   860   861   862   863   864   865  
866   867   868   869   870   871   872   873   874   875   876   877   878   879   880   881   882   883   884   885   886   887   888   889   890   >>   >|  
me command of the armies, which consisted of. Austrians, Prussians, English, and Dutch, was held by General Clairfait. Against these Dampierre issued from his camp at Famars, on the eighth of April, but his best troops were beaten at all points, and he himself received a mortal wound. After this defeat the republicans fell into a lamentable state of discouragement and disorganization; General Lamarche, who had succeeded to the command, being a man of neither skill nor energy. Had the allied powers pushed forward, they might have carried the fortified camp of Famars without any difficulty; but they allowed a whole fortnight to elapse before they made the attempt; and then, reinforcements having been received, it was not carried before many lives were lost on both sides, and after all Lamarche was allowed to retire and occupy another fortified camp between Valenciennes and Bouehain. The allied armies now laid siege to Valenciennes, and it was in vain that General Custine, who had arrived to take the command of the French army, sought to relieve the place; it was captured towards the end of July, and the Duke of York took possession of it in the name of the Emperor of Germany. About the same time the garrison of Conde yielded themselves prisoners of war, and Mayence submitted to the Prussian arms. A few days later the French were driven from a strong position near the Scheldt, called Caesar's Camp. At this point the success of the allied armies during this campaign closed. Jealousies and dissensions had long existed in their camp; and after the French were driven from their position behind the Scheldt, a grand council of war was held, wherein it was determined that the British, Hanoverians, Dutch, and Hessians should form a distinct army, not dependent upon the co-operation of the Austrians. This was the origin of sad disasters; had they held together, and had they acted vigorously against the enemy's masses, which were weakened and depressed by defeat, it is probable that the object of the war would have been gained. The Prince of Saxe-Coburg and General Clairfait strongly opposed the fatal step; but the British army, conducted by the Duke of York, decamped, and moved towards Dunkirk, while the Imperialists sat down before Quesnoy. The Austrians were successful in their enterprise: after fifteen days the garrison of Quesnoy capitulated. A different fate awaited the British army. The Duke of York arrived in the vicinity of
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   841   842   843   844   845   846   847   848   849   850   851   852   853   854   855   856   857   858   859   860   861   862   863   864   865  
866   867   868   869   870   871   872   873   874   875   876   877   878   879   880   881   882   883   884   885   886   887   888   889   890   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
General
 

armies

 
Austrians
 

command

 
French
 

allied

 

British

 
Lamarche
 

Clairfait

 

arrived


Valenciennes
 

carried

 

fortified

 

allowed

 

garrison

 
Famars
 

Scheldt

 
position
 
Quesnoy
 

driven


received

 

defeat

 

determined

 

Hanoverians

 

council

 

existed

 

Caesar

 

strong

 

called

 

submitted


Prussian
 

closed

 

Jealousies

 
dissensions
 

campaign

 

success

 

conducted

 

decamped

 
Dunkirk
 
opposed

Prince

 

Coburg

 
strongly
 

Imperialists

 

awaited

 

vicinity

 

capitulated

 

fifteen

 

successful

 

enterprise