XXI. 1796. CHAP. Fortunately for the Austrians, instead of adopting decisive a course, he resolved to advance into Bavaria, hoping thereby to effect a diversion in favour of his colleague; a fatal resolution which, though in some degree justified by the order of the Directory to detach 15,000 men at the same time into the Tyrol, utterly ruined the campaign, by increasing the great distance which already separated the Republican armies. After remaining several days in a state of inactivity, he collected 53,000 on the banks of the 24th Aug. Lech, and forced the fords of that river on the very day of the battle of Amberg. Latour, who had extended his small army too much, in his anxiety to 26th Aug. Cover a great extent of country, found his rearguard assailed at Friedberg, and defeated, with the loss of 1700 men, and fourteen pieces of cannon. After this disaster he retreated behind the Iser, in the direction of Landshut; his centre fell back to the neighbourhood of Munich, while the left wing stretched to the foot of the mountains of Tyrol.— Moreau continued for three weeks occupied in inconsiderable movements in Bavaria; during which a severe combat took place at Langenberg, between 4000 Austrian horse and Desaix's division, in which, after the French troops had been at first broken, they ultimately succeeded by heroic efforts in repulsing the enemy. The Archduke was nothing moved by these disasters, but resolutely continued his pursuit of Jourdan. "Let Moreau advance to Vienna," said he, on parting with Latour; Arch. Ch. "it is of no moment, provided I beat Jourdan.". iii. 52, 59, Memorable words! indicating at once the firmness 56. St Cyr, of a great man, and the just eye of a consummate general.' Jom. ix. 50, iii. 188, 222. This resolute conduct had the desired effect. XXI. 1796. 13th Sept. threatens his retreat at After the battle of Wurtzburg, the Archduke de- CHAP. tached Murferd with a small division to join the garrison of Manheim, and combine an attack on the téte-du-pont at Kehl. The French were driven into Archduke the works, which were assaulted with great bravery by the Imperialists; and though the attack was re- Kehl. pulsed, it spread great consternation through the French army, who saw how nearly they had lost their principal communication with their own country. Moreau, who began to be apprehensive that he might be involved in disaster if he advanced farther into Germany, proceeded with great circum- 24th Sept. spection, and arrived on the Iser on the 24th September. Being there informed of the disasters of Jom. ix. Jourdan, and that a part of Latour's corps, under 63,65. Nauendorf, was advancing rapidly upon Ulm to turn iii. 186, his left flank, he halted his army, and next day began Cyr, iii. his retreat.1 1 Arch. Ch. 208. St 222, 258. retreat. Moreau's situation was now in the highest degree critical. Advanced into the heart of Bavaria, with the defiles of the Black Forest in his rear, at the dis- Moreau retance of 200 miles from the Rhine, with Latour solves to with 40,000 men pressing his rear, and the Archduke and Nauendorf with 25,000 ready to fall on his flank, he might anticipate even greater disasters than Jourdan before he regained the frontiers of the Republic. But on the other hand, he was at the head of a superb army of 70,000 men, whose courage had not been weakened by any disaster, and who possessed the most unlimited confidence, both in their own strength and the resources of their commander. It is not with detached columns, or by menacing communications that the retreat of such a body is to be prevented. Fully appreciating these great advantages, and Th. viii. 412. CHAP. 1796. Which he most firm dical man ner. aware that nothing is so likely to produce disaster in a retreat as the symptoms of apprehension of it in the general, he resolved to continue his retrodoes in the grade movements with the utmost regularity, and to and metho- dispute every inch of ground with the enemy when they threatened to press upon his forces. The Austrian armies likely to assail him were as follows:Nauendorf, with 9500 men, was on the Danube, ready to turn his left flank; Latour, with 24,000, in Bavaria, directly in his rear; Froelich, with 14,000, on the Upper Iller and in Tyrol; while the Archduke, with 16,000 or 18,000, might be expected to abandon the Lahn and hasten to the scene of decisive opera1 Jom. ix. tions on the Upper Rhine. It was by maintaining a 65. St Cyr, firm front and keeping his forces together in masses, 258. Arch. that the junction or cooperation of these considerable forces would alone be prevented. ' iii. 240, Ch. iii. 213, 242. up Aware that the Archduke might probably block the line of retreat by the Neckar, Moreau retired by the valley of the Danube and the Black Forest.. Resting one of his wings on that stream, he sent forward his parks, his baggage, and his ammunition, before the army, and covering his retreat by a powerful rearguard, succeeded both in repulsing all the attacks of the enemy, and in enabling the body of his army to continue their march without fatigue or interruption. Want of concert in the Austrian generals at first eminently favoured his movements. Having retired behind the Lake of Federsee, he found that Latour was isolated from Nauendorf, who was considerably in advance on the Danube, and the opportunity therefore appeared favourable for striking with superior forces a blow upon his weakened adversary. This was the more necessary, as he was approaching the entrance of the defiles of the Black XXI. 1796. Latour at Forest, which were occupied by the enemy, and it CHAP. was of the last importance that his movement should not be impeded in traversing those long and difficult passages. Turning, therefore, fiercely upon his pur- Oct. 2. suers, he assailed Latour near Biberach. The Aus- And defeats trian general, believing that a part only of the ene- Biberach. my's force was in the front, gave battle in a strong position, extending along a series of wooded heights, lined by a formidable artillery. The action was for a long time fiercely contested; but at length the superior forces and abler manœuvres of the Republicans' Jom. ix. prevailed. Desaix broke their right, while St Cyr Ch. iii. turned their left, and a complete victory crowned the 216, 230. efforts of the French, which cost the Austrians 4000 414. St prisoners, and eighteen pieces of cannon.' 71. Arch. Th. viii. Cyr, iii. 259, 310. After this decisive blow, Moreau proceeded leisurely towards the Black Forest, directing his steps towards the Valley of Hell, in hopes of being able to debouche by Fribourg, before the Archduke arrived to interrupt his progress. He had already passed the separation of the road by the Neckar, and Nauendorf occupied that which passes by the Valley of Kinzig. He therefore directed his centre towards the entrance of the Valley of Hell, under the command of St Cyr, while he stationed Desaix and Ferino on the right and left, to protect the motions of the principal body. The Austrian detachments in the mountains were too weak to oppose any effectual resistance to the passage of the French army. St Cyr Retires speedily dissipated the clouds of light troops which leisurely infested the pine-clad mountains of the Valley of Hell, Black Foand Latour, rendered cautious by disaster, without attempting to harass his retreat, moved by Homberg to unite himself to the Archduke. So ably were the measures of the French general concerted, that he through the rest. CHAP. not only passed the defiles without either confusion or loss, but debouched into the valley of the Rhine, rather in the attitude of a conqueror than that of a Arch. Ch. fugitive.' 1797. 15th Oct. iii. 240. Jom. ix. 74, 311, 333. gen be reau and the Arch duke. Meanwhile the Archduke Charles being now St Cyr, iii. assured of the direction which Moreau had taken, directed Latour and the detached parties to join him by the valley of Kinzig, while Nauendorf covered their movements by advancing between them and the French columns. The greater part of the Austrian forces were thus collected in the valley of the 16th Oct. Rhine, in the middle of October, and though still inBattle of ferior to the enemy, he resolved to lose no time in Emmendin- attacking, and compelling them to recross that river. tween Mo- Moreau, on his part, was not less desirous of the combat, as he intended to advance to Kehl, and either maintain himself at the tête-du-pont there, or cross leisurely over to Strasburg. The action took place at Emmendingen, on the slopes where the mountains melt into the plain, and afforded an example of the truth of the military principle, that the possession of the mountains secures that of the valleys which lie at their feet. Waldkirch was felt by both parties to be the decisive point, from the command which it gave over the neighbouring valleys, and accordingly both generals strove to reach it before their adversary; but the French, having the advantage of better roads, were the first to 19th Oct. arrive. They were there attacked, however, by Nauendorf, who descended from the heights of the Black Forest, and after a bloody action drove St Cyr, who commanded the Republicans, out of the town with severe loss. Meanwhile the success of the Austrians was not less decisive at other points; the Austrian columns having at length surmounted |