

94 ANNUAL 



fully attacked the island of Noir- 

 moutier, lying opposite to the coast 

 of Poictou : but as soon as they 

 were apprized of the misfortune 

 that had befallen their associates, 

 they were so terrified, thri' they im- 

 mediately disbanded. Onto" tu'en- 

 ty-five thousand men, of which his 

 force consisted, Charette saw him- 

 self at once reduced to little more 

 than four thousand. They were 

 men, however, on whose fid 'lity 

 and valour he could rely, and who, 

 knowing that they hnd no m.^rcy 

 to expect, were al! resolved to d e 

 with arms in their hands, ratlier 

 than be passively massacred in tiie 

 field, or submit to an ignominious 

 death. With this hai'.dful of men 

 he took the intrepid resolution of 

 confronting his numerous foes, and 

 of disputing every inch of ground 

 in his possession. But in des .';te of 

 his invincible spirit and the cou- 

 rage of his adherents, he w.is not 

 able long to retain Noirmoutier. 

 The importance of this island was 

 too well known for tlie republican 

 Generals to suff>;r it to remain in his 

 hands. The dread of its falling 

 into the power of the English, in- 

 duced them to assault it wilh yll 

 possible speed. After as brave a 

 defence, as the inconsiderable 

 strength he had would allow, he 

 was compelled to abandon it, to- 

 gether with the hopes he had 

 formed of being able, through 

 means of the English, to make it a 

 place of arms ; from whence the 



REGISTER, 179i. 



royal party in the neighbouring" 

 parts might derive a variety of the 

 most important advantages. The 

 loss of this island exposed him and 

 his followers to unceasing dangers. 

 His conduct and th'^ir unconquer- 

 able eourage, afforded constant em- 

 ployment to the reoublican troops y 

 and it was not without the utmost 

 exertions th^y succeeded at last 

 in patting a period to the r resist- 

 ance, and compelling th -m to dis- 

 persCi This was not effected with- 

 out many combats and much ef- 

 fusiDii of blood. Forced at length 

 to yield to inevitable necessity, his 

 brave and faithful baud vvas obliged 

 to disperse for individual safety ; 

 which could no longer be preserved 

 while they continued in a body. 

 Both he and they, parted with the 

 most extreme reluctance ; nor did 

 they consent to this separation, un- 

 til their nun-.b.ers had been so re- 

 duced by the sword, that those 

 who remained could not, wthout ■ 

 the most blameable temerity, hope 

 for success in any farther resistance, 

 it was at tliis calamitous period that 

 the barbarity of the French go-> 

 vernment Was carried to an excess 

 that disgraced it throughout all 

 Europe, even with the warmest 

 wellwishers to the republican sys- 

 tem; and that affixed in the ima- 

 ginations of men a stigma to the 

 narional character*, which will 

 require many years to be oblite- 

 rated. The cruelties that sullied i 

 the successes obtained over the in- 



•Though not perhaps altogether, it is alleged by some, with justice. Whe-^ 

 Iherat thi< period the qacstion has been put) are we to look for the French cha- 

 jacter among the roynhsts, o; the republican government.' When «he Romans 

 groaned ui»ier pro.scriptions, they were to be considered rather as an unhappy thai* ! 

 a cruel people. Vet it cannot reasonably be supposed that such a tyrant as Ro- i 

 b^spierre would have found in Bntaiii, Geinian), Poland, Denmark, ^r Sweden, so | 

 many ijrompt executioners of his bloody purposes. j 



surgent* ' 



