66 ANNUAL REGISTER, i794. 



they endeavoured to make a stand, 

 they put thf m to a total rout, kill- 

 ing and taking numbers, and, 

 amoiig other captures, seizing their 

 military chest, esteemed of uncom- 

 mon richness. These successes 

 made them masters of several towns 

 of importance, and of which the 

 situation opened the way into those 

 parls wiiich they were chieily de- 

 sirous to attack. 



While the French armies were 

 gaining so many victories on the 

 eastern- fiontiers of Spain, the 

 northern borders of that kingdom 

 were equally the scene of their 

 success. The Spaniards, after (heir 

 defeat at St. Jean Deluz at the 

 commencement of the campaign, 

 had hiade the greatest eftbrts to 

 retrieve that misfortune. They 

 assembled a large force on the 

 same spot :— but they were not 

 more fortunate than before. Ge- 

 neral de la Forde, a French officer 

 of extraordinary activity, fell upon 

 them in their camp, which he 

 forced, together with an adjacent 

 fort, in one day. The slain an.d 

 prisoners were numerous ; and 

 the quantity of military stores, and 

 especially of provisions, was so very 

 considerableas to occasion the most 

 serious liistress to the Spaniards. 

 This advantage, which was ob- 

 tained towards the close of July, 

 prepared the way for another of 

 still greater consequenct^. A body 

 of J 5,000 Spanish troops had taken 

 a strong post on a mountain, the 

 whole extent of which they co- 

 vered with their numbers. The 

 force of the French was much 

 inferior, not exceeding 60OO men j 

 but as the execution of their de- 

 sign was materially obstructtd by 

 tlie position of the enemy, they 

 resohcti to risk an attack upon it. 



notwithstanding their inferiority. 

 With that furious impetuosity 

 which has so frequently proved 

 irresistible, they rushed on the 

 Spaniards so unexpectedly, that 

 they were thrown into a confusion 

 from which they never recovered. 

 They retreated with such precipi- 

 tation, that they abandoned their 

 magazines, 200 pieces of cannon, 

 and tents for 20,(X)0 men, and lost 

 in their retreat 2000, who Fub- 

 mitted without resistance. This 

 briHi:mt action struck the Spaniards 

 with so much terror, that it seemed 

 tohave deprived them of all presence 

 of mind. The rapidity of the 

 French was such, that they were 

 before the walls of Font'.rabia on 

 the evening of this very day, when 

 it immediately surrendered. The 

 following day was signalized by 

 the seizing of Port Passage ; and on 

 the ensuing, they invested St. Se- 

 bastian, which capitulated the next. 

 Thus they accompU->hed in fcjur 

 days what in former times had cost 

 the labour of months and the lives 

 of thousands and had put to the 

 test the abilities of the most illus- 

 strious commanders. These re- 

 markable days were the 1st, 2d, 

 3d, and 4th of August. The cap- 

 ture of those important places was 

 accompanied by that of more than 

 30C)0 prisoners, besides the acquisi- 

 tion of immense accumulations of 

 stores of every kind with which 

 tliose tov;ns were filled. 



The conduct of the French on 

 this occasion entirely reconciled 

 the inhabit<ants to their fate. The 

 severest orders were issued, con- 

 f(jrmably to tlie directions of the 

 French government, against any 

 species of depredation or disrespect 

 against the tstabli.shed religion of 

 the eounlry. This indeed was 



dictated 



