20. Fearful of encountering a similar broadside on the other side, the captain of the Jacobin stretched across under the Montagne's lee, and thus threw herself a little behind that vessel right in the Queen Charlotte's way, in the very position which Howe had designed for himself to engage the enemy's threedecker. The British admiral, therefore, was obliged to alter his course a little, and pass aslant between the two vessels, and, having thus got between them, opened a tremendous fire on both. The Jacobin soon made sail, to get out of the destructive range, and, being to the leeward of the British admiral, he effected his escape; but the Montagne could not do the same, being to the windward, and she would unquestionably have been taken, as she was hardly firing at all after the first awful broadside, when the foretop-mast of the Queen Charlotte came down with a tremendous crash. During the confusion occasioned by this catastrophe, the Montagne, tak sequence was, that five only of the ships | were killed or wounded by that disafter the Queen Charlotte, viz., the charge. Defence, Marlborough, Royal George, Queen, and Brunswick, succeeded in passing through. The Cæsar, in particular, which was the leading vessel when the signal for close action was flying from the admiral's mast-head, backed her main topsails, and engaged on the windward of the enemy; and the Gibraltar also omitted to obey the order, by crossing the French admiral and engaging his second ahead-a disheartening circumstance, though arising, as it afterwards appeared, from want of capacity rather than timidity on the part of its captain.* Howe, however, was not discouraged, but held steadily on, walking on the front of his poop along with Sir Roger Curtis, Sir Andrew Douglas, and other officers, while the crew were falling fast around him, and the spars and rigging rattled down on all sides, under the terrible and constantly increasing fire of the enemy. With perfect composure, the British admiral ordered not a shot to be fired, but the pilot to lay him along-ing advantage of the momentary inabiside of the Montagne of 120 guns, the lity of her antagonist to move, contrived greatest vessel in the French line, and to sheer off, leaving the British admiral probably the largest then in the world. now engaged with the two ships second So awful was the prospect that awaited and third astern of her. The Vengeur the French vessel from the majestic ad- of seventy-four guns was warmly envance of the British admiral, that Jean gaged at this time with the Brunswick, Bon Saint André, the commissioner of under Harvey; but another French the Convention on board, overcome with ship, the Achille, came up on the other terror, took refuge below. After many side, and a terrible combat began on entreaties, Howe allowed a straggling the part of the British vessel, thus enfire to be returned, but from the main gaged on both hands. It was sustained, and quarter deck only; and reserving however, with admirable courage. Caphis whole broadside, poured it with tain Harvey was severely wounded in awful force into the stern of the Mon- the hottest part of the engagement, but, tagne, as he slowly passed through the before being carried down, he saidline between that huge three-decker “Persevere, my brave lads, in your and the Jacobin of eighty guns. So duty continue the action with spirit close did the ships pass on this occasion, for the honour of our king and country, that the tricolor flag, as it waved at the and remember my last words, The Montagne's flag-staff, brushed the main colours of the Brunswick shall never and mizen shrouds of the Queen Char- be struck."" Such heroism was not lotte; and so terrible was the effect of long of meeting with its reward: the the broadside, that three hundred men Ramillies soon after came up, and open* The rudder of the Cæsar had been early ed her fire upon the Vengeur; the load in the action disabled by a chance shot, which was taken off the Brunswick; by a forwas the main cause of that vessel not break-tunate shot the rudder of the French ing the line; though the captain was after- vessel was shot away, and a large openwards, at his own request, brought to a courtmartial, and dismissed the service. ing beat in her stern, into which the : water rushed with great violence. The Vengeur was now found to be sinking; the Achille made off, followed by the Ramillies, to which she soon struck; and the Vengeur shortly after went down with three hundred and fifty, of her crew, four hundred and fifty having been humanely taken off by the boats of the Alfred and Culloden.* 21. The French now began to move off in all quarters, and the British ships, with their prizes, closed round their admiral. The damage sustained by the victors was inconsiderable, except in four ships, which were disabled for further service; fifteen sail of the line were ready to renew the battle; they had still the weather-gage of the enemy. Ten of the French line had struck, though six only of them had been secured; and five of their ships were dismasted, and were slowly going off under their sprit-sails. Had Nelson been at the head of the fleet, there can be little doubt the disabled ships would all have been taken, and perhaps a victory as decisive as Trafalgar totally destroyed the Brest fleet. But the British admirals, at that period, were in a manner ignorant of their own prowess; the securing of the prizes taken was deemed the great object; and thus the pursuit was discontinued, and the enemy, contrary to all expectation, got their dismasted ships off, and before dark were * It was stated in the French Convention, and has been repeated in all the French histories, that when the Vengeur sank, her crew were shouting "Vive la République!" Knowing that the gallantry of the French was equal to such an effort, the author with pleasure transcribed this statement in his former edi tions; but he has now ascertained that it was unfounded, not only from the account of Captain Brenton (i. 131), but from the information given him by a gallant naval officer, Admiral Griffiths, who was in the Brunswick on the occasion, and saw the Vengeur go down. There were cries heard, but they were piteous cries for relief, which the British boats afforded to the utmost of their power. Among the survivors of the Vengeur's crew were Captain Renaudin and his son, a brave boy of twelve years of age. They were taken up by different boats, and mutually mourned each other as dead: till they accidentally met at Portsmouth in the street, and rushed into each other's arms with a rapture indescribable. They were both soon after exchanged: a braver and more humane father and son never breathed.-JAMES, i. 165. entirely ought of sight. Six ships of the line, however, besides the Vengeur, which sank, remained in the possession of the British admiral, and were brought into Plymouth; while the remains of the French squadron, diminished by eight of their number, and with a loss of eight thousand men, took refuge in the roads of Berthaume, and ultimately regained the harbour of Brest, shattered, dismasted, riddled with shot: how different from the splendid fleet which had so recently departed amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants !† The loss of the British was two hundred and ninety killed, and eight hundred and fifty-eight wounded; in all, eleven hundred and forty-eight, being less than that sustained in the six French ships alone which were made prizes.‡ 22. The Republicans were in some degree consoled for this disaster by the safe arrival of the great American convoy, chiefly laden with flour, consisting of one hundred and sixty sail, and valued at £5,000,000 sterling-a supply of incalculable importance to the wants of a population whom the Reign of Terror and civil dissension had brought to the verge of famine. They entered the harbour of Brest a few days after the engagement, having escaped, as if by a miracle, the vigilance of the British cruisers. Their safety was, in a great degree, owing to the sagacity of the admiral, who traversed the scene of destruction a day or two after the battle, and, judging from the magnitude and number of the wrecks which were floating about, that a terrible battle must have taken place, concluded that the victorious party would not be in a condition for pursuit, and resolved to hold on his course for the French harbour. 2300; the killed and wounded in them 1270, The prisoners taken in the prizes were besides 320 who went down in the Vengeur. -BARROW's Life of Howe, 236. The following were the respective guns and weight of metal in this memorable battle: Number of guns, Weight of metal, British. 1,087 French. 1,107 Number of men, 23. Lord Howe gained so decisive a suc- | sions in Great Britain, had been recess from the adoption of the same prin- garded with lukewarm feelings by a ciple which gave victory to Frederick large portion of the people; and the at Leuthen, to Napoleon at Austerlitz, friends of freedom dared not wish for and to Wellington at Salamanca,-viz., the success of the British arms, lest it to direct an overwhelming force against should extinguish the dawn of liberty one-half of the enemy's force, and in the world. But the Reign of Terror make the attack obliquely, keeping the had shocked the best feelings of all the weather-gage of the enemy, to render respectable portion of this party; the it impossible for the ships to leeward execution of Louis had caused the film to work up to the assistance of those to drop from the eyes of the most engaged. By this means he reduced blinded; and the victory of 1st June one-half of the enemy's fleet to be the captivated the affections of the patriotic passive spectator of the destruction of multitude. The ancient but half exthe other. His mode of attack, which tinguished loyalty of the British people brought his whole squadron at once wakened at the sound of their victoriinto action with the enemy, seems ous cannon; and the hereditary rivalry clearly preferable to that adopted by of the two nations revived at so signal Nelson at Trafalgar, in sailing down in a triumph over the Republican arms. perpendicular lines; for that exposed From this period may be dated the the leading ships to imminent danger commencement of that firm union before the succeeding ones came up. among the inhabitants of the country, Had he succeeded in penetrating the and that ardent enthusiasm in the conenemy's line at all points, or his cap- test, which soon extinguished the seeds tains implicitly obeyed his directions of former dissension, and ultimately in that particular, and engaged the carried the British empire triumphant whole to leeward, he would have through the severest struggles which brought twenty ships of the line to had engaged the nation since the ConSpithead. To a skilful and intrepid quest. squadron, who do not fear to engage at the cannon-mouth with their enemy, such a manœuvre offers even greater chances of success at sea than at land, because the complete absence of obstacles on the level expanse of water enables the attacking squadron to calculate with more certainty upon reaching their object; and the advantage of the wind, if once obtained, renders it proportionally difficult for one part of the enemy's line to be brought up to the relief of the other. The introduction of steam-vessels of war, either as light ships, or as forming the line of battle itself, promises to assimilate still more closely actions at sea to those at land, and, by always putting it in the power of the superior force to bring its opponents to close action, and intercept their retreat, promises yet greater and more uniform results to the daring tactics of Howe and Nelson. 25. Vast were the preparations for war made by the Committee of Public Salvation in France. Her territory resembled an immense camp. The decrees of the 23d August and 5th September had precipitated the whole youth of the Republic to the frontiers, and twelve hundred thousand men in arms were prepared to obey the sovereign mandates of the Convention. After deducting from this immense force the garrisons, the troops destined to the service of the interior, and the sick, upwards of seven hundred thousand were ready to act on the offensive a force much greater than all the European monarchies, taken together, could bring forward to meet them. These enormous armies, though in part but little experienced, were greatly improved in discipline since the conclusion of the preceding campaign. The months of winter had been sedulously 24. Never was a victory more sea- employed in instructing them in the sonable than Lord Howe's to the Brit- rudiments of the military art; the ish government. The war, preceded glorious successes at the close of the as it had been by violent party divi-year had revived the spirit of conquest. were the men on whom reliance could really be placed. The whole ability of France, in consequence of the extinction of civil employment, was centred in the army, and indefatigable exertions were everywhere made to communicate to headquarters the names of the young men who had distinguished themselves in any grade. The central government, guided by that able statesman, had discovered the real secret of military operations, and, by accumu among the soldiers, and the whole were directed by a central government, possessing, in the highest degree, the advantage of unity of action and consummate military talent. Wielding at command so immense a military force, the Committee of Public Salvation were prodigal of the blood of their soldiers. To advance incessantly to the attack, to bring up column after column, till the enemy were wearied out or overpowered, to regard as nothing any losses which led to the advance of the Repub-lating an overwhelming force upon one lican standards, were the maxims on which they conducted the war. No other power could venture upon such an expenditure of life, because none had such inexhaustible resources at their disposal. Money and men abounded in every quarter; the camps were overflowing with conscripts, the fortresses with artillery, the treasury with assignats. The preceding campaign had cost above £100,000,000 sterling, but the resources of government were undiminished. Three-fourths of the whole property of France was at its disposal; and on this vast fund a paper currency was issued, possessing a forced circulation, and amply sufficient for the most prodigal expenditure. The value of assignats in circulation, in the course of the year 1794, was not less than £236,000,000 sterling, and there was no appearance of its diminution. The rapid depreciation of this paper, arising from the enormous profusion with which it was issued, was nothing to a power which enforced its mandates by the guillotine; the government creditor was compelled to receive it at par; and it signified nothing to them though he lost his whole fortune in the next exchange with any citizen of the Republic. 26. What rendered this military force still more formidable was the ability with which it was conducted, and the talent which was evidently rising up among its ranks. The genius of Carnot had, from the very commencement, selected the officers of greatest capacity from among the multitude who presented themselves; and their rapid transference from one situation to another gave ample opportunities for discovering who part of the enemy's line, soon acquired a decided superiority over the Austrians, who adhered with blind obstinacy to the system of extending their forces. In the prosecution of this mode of action, the French had peculiar advantages from the unity of their government, the central situation of their forces, the interior line on which they acted, the fortified towns which guarded their frontier, and the unbounded means of repairing losses which they possessed. On the other hand, the Allies, acting on an exterior circle, paralysed by divisions among their sovereigns, and at a distance from their resources, were unable either to combine for any vigorous offensive operations, or render each other any assistance when pressed by the enemy. Incredible efforts were made at the same time to organise and equip this prodigious body of soldiers. "A revolution," said Barère, "must rapidly supply all our wants. It is to the human mind what the sun of Africa is to vegetation. Monarchies require peace, but a republic can exist only in warlike energy. Slaves have need of repose, but freemen of the fermentation of freedom; regular gov ernments of rest, but the French Republic of revolutionary activity." The Ecole Militaire at Paris was speedily re-established, and the youth of the better classes marched on foot from all parts of France, to be there instructed in the rudiments of the military art; one horse out of twenty-five was everywhere levied from those persons possessing them, and the proprietor received only nine hundred francs in paper, hardly equivalent, from its depreciation, to a louis in gold. By these most pressing instances, therefore, to induce the cabinet of Berlin to change their resolution, offered to take a large portion of the Prussian troops into their own pay, provided the other states of Germany would take upon themselves the charges of the remainder, and even urged the formation of a levée en masse in all the circles of the Empire, immediately threatened with means, albeit ruinous to individuals, | vocation of the Anterior circles, to dethe cavalry and artillery were furnished liberate on the most effectual means of with horses, and a considerable body withstanding the revolutionary torrent of educated young men was rapidly with which they were menaced. * provided for the army. The manufac- 28. The cabinet of Vienna was greattories of arms at Paris and in the pro-ly alarmed at this official declaration of vinces were kept in incessant activity; the intention of the Prussian governartificial means were universally adopt- ment to withdraw from the coalition; ed for the production of saltpetre, and and their chagrin was not diminished gunpowder in immense quantities was by the clear perception which they daily forwarded to the armies. had, that this untimely and discredit27. Indefatigable were the exertions able defection was mainly prompted made by Mr Pitt to provide a force on by a desire to secure a share in the the part of the Allies capable of combat-partition of Poland, of which they saw ing this gigantic foe; and never were the little prospect of themselves being alefforts of his master-spirit more re-lowed to participate. They used the quired to heal the divisions and extinguish the jealousies which had arisen in the coalition. Poland was the apple of discord which had called forth these separate interests and awakened these jealousies; and in the plans of aggrandisement which all the great Continental states were pursuing in regard to that unhappy country, is to be found the true secret of their neglect of the great task of combating the French Re-invasion, in order to combat the revolution, and of its rapid and early success. Prussia, intent on territorial acquisition on the shores of the Vistula, and desirous above everything of securing Dantzic, the key to that stream, and the great emporium of the grain commerce in the north of Europe, had already assembled forty thousand men under the king in person, for the siege of Warsaw; and the cabinet of Berlin, unable to bear at the same time the expense of a costly war on the eastern and western frontiers of the monarchy, had in consequence greatly diminished their forces on the Rhine, and openly announced their intention of reducing them to the contingent which they were bound to furnish as a member of the Empire, which was only twenty thouOrders had even been despatched to Marshal Moellendorf, who commanded their army on the Rhine, to retreat by divisions towards the Elbe; while, at the same time, with preposterous inconsistency, Frederick William addressed a letter to the ArchChancellor of the Empire, in which he bewailed in piteous terms the public danger, and urged the immediate con sand men. doubtable forces which France was pouring forth from all ranks of her population. Austria, however, though so desirous to stimulate others to these last and convulsive efforts, made no attempt to rouse their emulation by setting the example of similar exertions herself. Not a regiment was added to the Imperial armies; and the Prussian "As it is impossible for me," said the king in that letter, "any longer to continue at my own charges a war so remote from the frontiers of my dominions, and attended with so heavy an expense, I have candidly explained my situation to the principal allied powers, and engaged in negotiations with them, which are still in dependence. I am, plying to the Empire, to provide for the cost in consequence, under the necessity of apof my army, if its longer continuance on the theatre of war is deemed essential to the comI implore your Excellency, mon defence. therefore, that, in your quality of Arch-Chancellor of the Empire, you will forthwith convoke the Anterior circles. An immediate provision for my troops, at the expense of these circles, is the only means which remains of saving the Empire in the terrible crisis which is approaching; and, unless that step is forthwith taken, they can no longer be employed in the common cause, and I must order them, with regret, to bend their steps towards their own frontier, leaving the Empire to its own resources." |