»0 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1104: 



to the allied troops that garrisoned 

 Valenciennes. They were allowed 

 a cspitulation ; by which, though 

 prisoners, they were permitted to 

 retire to their respective armies, on 

 condition of not ser\ing against 

 France till regularly exchanged. 

 The reduction of this important 

 toAvn took place on the '26th of 

 August. So thoroughly was the 

 Imperial ministry convinced that 

 Valenciennes would remain to the 

 House of Austria, that they deter- 

 mined, as soon as it was taken in 

 the preceding year, to lay out 

 considerable sums on its improve- 

 ment. 7he period of its surren- 

 dering to the allies, promised them 

 far other events than those which 

 they so shortly after experienced. 

 The French had been so unfortu- 

 mate, that few persons imagined 

 that they would eVer recover them- 

 eelves. Hence, the vast projects 

 formed by the coalesced powers 

 seemed to them in a state of cer- 

 tainty to be realized j and nothing 

 eould exceed the astonishment with 

 which they were struck on the 

 great disappointments that follow- 

 ed, — The stores, provisions, and 

 magazines of every species, depo- 

 sited in Valenciennes, were ira- 

 jmense, to say nothing of the mili- 

 tary chest, containing more than 

 6.000,000 of German florins in 

 specie. All these Amounted to a 

 heavy and serious loss to the Em- 

 peror, at a lime when his revenues 

 were in.suflicient for h'f^ expences, 

 and the trtasures he bad acpu- 

 fnulated entirely exhausted by 

 thisunpropitious war. A circum- 

 stance that rendered the surrender 

 of this town to France an occiision 

 of deep gorrow, was, that at least 

 ]000 French emigrants fell into 

 the hands of their enraged coun- 

 ti'ypieu. It could not te doubted 



that the fate of these unhappy meti 

 would be similar to that ot their 

 companions, who had been taken 

 in arms against the republic, and 

 whorji the inexorable decrtes of 

 the Convention never failed to sa- 

 crifice to their vengeance when 

 and wherever it could find then^. 

 Numbers had been regularly exe- 

 cuted on being found in the other 

 placps taken by the French j and it 

 was become a matter of surprise 

 that, knowing the fate that awaited 

 them when taken, they were so 

 ready to serve in garrisons. 



The strong town of Conde closed 

 the list of those which reverted to 

 their ancient masters : though of 

 small extent, its strength had in- 

 duced the allies to make it a prin- 

 cipal drpositar)' pf all their warlike 

 appurtenances and preparation*. 

 The place contained whatever of 

 that nature it could hold. The 

 quantities of all those articleji 

 were prodigious, and alone a cap- 

 ture ot inestimable value It sur- 

 rendered on the 3pth of August ; 

 and the garrison, amounting to 

 nearly 2,Dp0 men, remained pri- 

 soners of war. The fortifications 

 of every one of those towns had 

 been considerably augmented and 

 improved, and they were altogether 

 in a better condition for defence 

 than b.efpre they were taken by the 

 allies. 



Previously to the recapture of 

 these places, various fortified towns, 

 especially in Flanders, had been 

 reduced by the French. '1 hajL 

 which claimed principal notice was 

 the little but stiong town of Nieu- 

 port. After the fall of so many- 

 other towns in its vicinity, the 

 Freiich did not imagine ii would 

 {)a\ c attempted a dettnc<B : but the 

 garrison consisted of men who, iJKp 

 those at Shn s^ were dclermined to 



hold 



