U ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



pie of tile UnitaJ Provinces at this Crisis, and on the Political IdeHs 

 airrent in the Netherlands and Germany. Advautagu tnhen of them by 

 the French. Maestricht besieged and taken ly them, after a long arid 

 obstinate Defence. Pichegru prepares to invade. Holland, hferiority of 

 the Forces opposed to him. Distracted Situation of the Dutch. 



THE operations of war con- 

 tinued in the mean time with 

 linabated vigour on the part of the 

 French. After theij expulsion 

 from Liege by General Jourdain. 

 tlie Austrian? retired to a strong 

 situation at some distance, whefe 

 they thfcw up some entrenchments, 

 intending to wait for expcctfd re- 

 inforcements', uirh wliich they did 

 not desp;;ir to make a further 

 standi and possibly to commence 

 an effectual check to the pro^xress 

 of the enemy. But General ,1onr- 

 dain, strengthened with additional 

 supplies of men, resolved to attack 

 the Austrians before tliey could 

 n?ceive any increase of numbers. 

 To this ]nnpose he divided his army 

 into four bodies, with which he 

 proposed to make as many sepa- 

 rate attacks. The Austrians, 1S,000 

 strong, were posted on the other 

 side of a river which he had to 

 cross, exposed to the fire botli of 

 their artillery and musketry : the 

 banks were steep and rocky, and 

 the entrenchments were fortified 

 with uncommon care. General 

 Latour, an officer of great experi- 

 ence, commanded the Austrians, 

 ■who seemed to look on their situa- 

 tion as secure. On the 18th of 

 September the several divisions of 

 the French anny attacked the Aus- 

 trian encampment with their usual 

 impetMOsity. They made little use 

 ot their fire-arms ; and as soon as 

 they had crossed the river, they 

 rushed forward with tlieir bayonets; 

 and tlieir numbers enabling them 



to relieve each other, and to make 



incessant attacks, the bravery and 

 discipline of the Austrians proved 

 unavailing. They fought howevef 

 with such remarkable obstinacy, 

 that they did not begin to retreat 

 till the French had penetrated into 

 every part of their camp. Their 

 loss of course was very considera- 

 ble, exceeding two thousand slain 

 on the spot, besides prisoners, 

 The action lasted till night ; anct 

 1 hey did not retire without making 

 a great slanghter of the French,' 

 whose success was in a great mca-, 

 sure owing to the discovery of 

 the position and movements of the 

 Austrians made by two expert en- 

 gineers, v.'hom the French sent up' 

 in an ijir-balloon. From this ma- 

 chine they perceived with facility 

 whatever was transacting in the 

 Austrian camp, and gave continual 

 notice of all they saw by notes, 

 which they threw down among 

 their own people. By these means 

 the number of troops in the camp^ 

 the quantity of their artillery, their 

 motions and probable designs, v^erc 

 instantly made known to the 

 French, who directed their attack? 

 accordingly sgainst the weakest 

 parts, assaulting these with the 

 largest bodies, and with the greater' 

 confidence, from their presumption 

 and the probability of success. 



The balloon, soon after its in- 

 reiitioti, was considered in Britain,- 

 as \Vcll as some other countries,' 

 merely as a caridsity ; as it could 

 neither carry a burthen, nor be 



conducted 



