9i ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



Isy between them and the insur- 

 gents. In this posiiidO they re- 

 mained, waiting for those immense 

 •rmies that were hastening to tht- ir 

 assistaiice from all pans of Fiance. 

 Ike executive department had or- 

 dered 30,000 of thetr bes-t trcops 

 to be draughted from the army of 

 the Nctherbnds j and, for greater 

 espedition, they were convened in 

 fiji-ng wnggons to the place of (heir 

 destination. The forces stationed 

 fa) that pcnir.sula wliere Cherbourg 

 » situated, were commanded tore- 

 pair vvl.h all diligence t.: tl;e !>ame 

 •pot: ; and the troops in the r ihtriet 

 cf Bre.-t. together wih those in ib^ 

 other diiiricfs of Brittany, avYiount- 

 ing to Uwir score lliousand men, re- 

 ceived i ke oidcrs. Tlie insii.-» 

 gents were Idly f.eivs,ble-(.f tlje dan- 

 gcrs that su ror.iiited ilirm m c eiy 

 euic : bill vm.»ed, to desmoid, they 

 ■were takt-n up w th ilelib rations 

 Iiow to act most to their adv;!oti!ge 

 in this perilous .situation. WniiC 

 they were thus occupied, an eiois- 

 Kav' dtspatchcd from tlie British 

 squadron, lound means, ihi ugh a 

 multiplicity of t.bsiae'es and pt-rils, 

 lo make hrs way to the insurgenls, 

 ■whom he informed of the aViival 

 the English on thcccast, and of the 

 determination of the Iiritisii g6- 

 Ter!:mcnt togive them the most ef- 

 icctual support. They were wisv 

 convinced, though too 'ate, of the 

 error thev haii committed in kr- 

 saking the coast, and liaiidy s;iw 

 tlie consequences ot (he taise step 

 they had so rash'y taken ; and ex- 

 jMei^sed a readiness to be guided by 

 those ofiicers against whose better 

 advice they had taken it. Laroche, 

 the Commander in chief, instaiuly 

 jieized this opportunity of proposing 

 an immediate return to the coast, 

 and to nial:e directly fur Ci.ei- 



bourg ; which being a town of littl* 

 gtrergth, they mi^ht niaster witl^ 

 facility. Heie they would be able 

 to make a stand till join' d by the 

 Engli&h, who tlien would meet 

 v.ith rojiort c,f obstruction in bring, 

 iiig them all tiie succours they 

 thought proper. 



This bold, but not injudicious 

 proposal. Was iiruBcdialely ac- 

 cepted, as iL appealed to carry as 

 few risk"< with it as any that could 

 b^ adopted in the very critical sltii- 

 at'on ill which they now stood. 

 Their sratieicd bodies being coU 

 lec'.ed, they set forwards v ith great 

 rcsolu.ion a-d confidence in their 

 scJicmes Thev inarched in thre« 

 division.s ; the last of wiiich Ic^rmed 

 thtir rearguard, and were intended 

 to rrsiist any hudden attack, and 

 protect the i;. notion of such of 

 tlitir own people as had not yet 

 joined tlie main body ; as alio 

 (»f tl.osc M ho were desirous to 

 hecome adventurers in the sums 

 c use. 



1 lie republican Generals were com- 

 pictely aware that, if tht- insurgetitJ 

 succeeded in their design, the/ 

 would i ecome more dangerous than 

 ever ; a,:d, a'ded by so powerful aa 

 ally as England, might seriously etv« 

 danger the very existence of tli« 

 rejiiubl c. Ihey exerted, of course, 

 all th( iv abilities aix! observed ever/ 

 motion of the insurgents with a \jj> 

 gilauce which nothing could es,. 

 cape. -As soon as these had bcr 

 gan their march, th'y were fc){- 

 .owed on every si tie by the re» 

 publicnn troops : a large body of 

 which attacked the rear guard ; bui 

 wei e qu ekly rejnilsed. .A niiuaied 

 With il'.is advantage, tlie roya isU 

 pnr'^ucd them to a gieat drstancoi 

 but unKxpeciedly fell In with one 

 of thos^ numerous rein for cement^ 



that 



