33] 
three and four thousand were made 
prisoners, and all their camp equi- 
page was taken, with the military 
chest, and more than twenty ficld- 
ieces, - 
General Hoche, who comnranded 
“en the Lower Rhine, crossed that 
river'on the eighteenth of ‘April, 
-at Neuwiad. General Kray, an 
officer of great reputation, was at 
“the head of the Imperialists, and 
, had made skilful dispositions to 
receive him. Conjecturing, how- 
ever, that a suspension of arms ei- 
ther had, or would, shortly take 
place between the republic and 
the emperor, he proposed an ar- 
mistice to the French general, but 
this was refused, unless such con- 
eessions were made as the Austrian 
-general deemed unreasonable, They 
‘both, in consequence; prepared for 
~an engagement. It began by an 
impetuous attack from the French. 
whoadvanced, in great force, against 
“the Imperialista: these, who were 
strongly entrenched, made a vigor 
ous resistance, and destroyed num- 
bers with their cannon: but, after 
‘vailong and» bloody conflict, the 
French, by dint. of perseverance, 
seconded by a formidable artillery, 
succeeded in their attack, and the 
Austrians were thrown into dis- 
order : they rallied, however, and 
disputed their ground with much 
obstinacy ; but, being charged by 
large bodies of cavalry, and having 
but 4ew to oppose them, they, at 
length, gave way, leaving all.their 
- cannon , and most of their baggage, 
togethey with fourthousand prison- 
ers, besi des the sjain. 
This'action proved decisive. The 
Tmperial army -was pursued and 
cisiouged from every post where it 
ditempted to make a stand, and 
sufiered’ ex, twemely in the whole 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
course of its retreat. A Fregch di- 
vision crossed the Lahn, and’ push- 
ed towards Francfort, and another 
followed the retiring enemy to the 
defiles of the Dilla, on their way 
to Watzlaer, killing and_ taking 
great numbers. <A third division 
assailed their camp, near Mentz, 
and forced them to take shelter 
under its cannon, Nothing could 
withstand their impetuosity, and 
they were within a few hours march ~ 
to Francfort, when intelligence ars. 
rived of the preliminaries of peace 
being signéd. This, of course, 
stopped their progress, and put an 
end to all farther hostilities. 
The opening of the campaign, 
upon the Rhine, in this brilliant 
manner, on the part of France, was 
an additional motive for Austria 
to acquiesce, the more willingly, 
in the suspension of arms, that: 
freed it from the apprehensions 
justly entertained from Buonaparte, 
The councils of Vienna were now 
taken up.in the devising ofgmeans 
to render the issue of thef nego- 
-ciations, for the definitive settle- 
ment of affairs, less hurtful to the 
interests of Austria than appear- 
ances seemed to threaten they must — 
finally prove. 
‘The French had now compassed. 
that object, which they long bad in 
view, to treat with Austria separately 
from England. ‘Those who con 
ducted the negociations, on the part 
of Austria, were conscious how soli- ; 
citousthey were to conclude a peace, 
without the accession of England te 
such a treaty. On this ground they 
well knew that France would relax 
in many points, in order'to bring © 
matters to.a speedy decision, lest, 
by throwing some unseasonable dif- ” 
ficulty in the way, the negociae 
tions might be retarded, and an 
opportunity 
