98] 
bourhood of Givet were ordered to 
repair thither. 
On the 29th, the French and 
Austrian patroles had some skir- 
mishes; and on the 30th Colonel 
Lattem, with his regiment of horse- 
chasseurs, took possession of Bouve- 
nis, with the loss of only a few 
men. ‘This post, which is half way 
to Namur, was on the succeeding 
day occupied as an advanced post 
of the army by M. de Gouvion, 
with 3000 men. By this time Fay- 
ette had received intelligence of 
the misfortunes which had taken 
place in the army of the north; 
which determined him to postpone 
farther operations. The General, 
in his letter to the minister at war, 
complained loudly that he was in 
want of articles indispensably ne- 
cessary to the movement, as well as 
to the preservation of his troops, 
He was destitute of tents, hay, 
straw, and draught-horses. His ar- 
my occupied the heightsof Givet, 
while his advanced posts had pene- 
trated seven leagues into the ene- 
my’s country. The little foresight 
of the French executive power 
strikes us with astonishment. This 
army was literally in want of every 
thing. Artillery, powder and ball, 
articles of the first necessity, they 
were without; and the soldiers 
passed the night in the open air. 
Add to all this, discipline was re- 
Jaxed. 
Similar orders were transmitted 
to M. Luckner, to commence hos- 
tilities on the side of the Rhine. 
byentering the district of Porentin, 
and to take possession of the pass of 
Porentrui. This pass is on the side 
of Basle, and is important to the 
French, as it is equally so to the 
* Servan wasa clerk in the war-office, under the Comte deGraye. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
Germans, in case of war: it opens 
a road at once into Germany and 
Switzerland, if 
M. de Custine, who was sincere- 
ly attached to the revolution, and’ 
Ferriere were ordered by the Ma- 
rischal on this service. The troops 
were ordered to rendezvous at Ri- 
chery, on the frontiers of France, 
on the 29th of April. - This force 
consisted of 2000 men, with seven 
pieces of artillery ; and were said to_ 
be in excellent order. On the 30th, 
complete possession was taken not 
only of the pass, but of the whole 
paincipality; and General Custine 
himself, with 1000 men, occupied 
the town of Delemont. The 
French troops met with no oppo- 
sition from either the armed force 
or the inhabitants of the country ; 
who, on the contrary, express- 
ed themselves highly satisfied with 
the event, and brought wine in 
abundance for the use of the troops. 
The Prince Bishop cf Porentrui 
had some days before taken the 
alarm, and in consequence had ap- 
plied to the Austrian General who 
commanded in the neighbourhood,, 
for a sufficient force to protect the 
country and pass. The Prince was 
actually on the road, accompanied _ 
by 400 Austrians; but the previous 
success of the French rendered 
that measure fruitless. 
The chagrin of Rochambeau ~ 
made it necessary for the ministers — 
of France to nominate a successor 
in his command. M. Luckner was — 
called to Paris ; and about the same 
time M. Servan was appointed mi- — 
nister at war, inthe room of M, — 
de Grave: a sincere friend at once _ 
to the King and the system of a li- — 
mited monarchy*. Luckner warms — 
