| them to advantage, 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
»bodies, occupied all the narrow 
passes and defiles throughout the 
country, and harassed the repub- 
lican troops yi their marches and 
motions. The inhabitants in those 
parts, being generally in the interest 
of the insurgents, informed them of 
“the most convenient places where to 
lie in ambuscade, and surprise their 
énemies. By these means they inter- 
cepted the communication between 
the republican troops, and often 
Seized their convoys of provisions 
and stores, and reduced them to 
the extremest want of ammunition 
and necessaries. Whenever they 
found an opportunity of attacking 
they never 
thisséd it, and occasionally defeated 
them with considerable slaughter. 
| When these were too well situated, 
or too strong in numbers, as well as 
position, to venture an engagement 
with them, the others kept within 
forests or fastnesses that were almost 
inaccessible, and wher*, on that ac- 
count, they succeeded in defending 
themselves. Their general -mede 
of attack was with musketry, never 
coming to close fight, and always 
placing hedges, pales, ditches, and 
other impediments between them- 
sélves and the foe,whom, as numbers 
of them were excellent marksmen, 
they contrived by these methods 
greatly to annoy, in spite of their 
urage and discipline, and their 
Biscincis to rush upon them through 
all obstacles, and to fight them 
under all disadvantages. 
‘The chiefs of the insurgents were 
so conscious of theimpracticabilityof 
encountering the republican troops 
any other manner, that their 
vn people, losing all hope of re- 
WeHNE those brilliant successes they 
had formerly obtained, gradually 
abandoned «all attempts of that 
* Vor: XXXVUI. 
(81 
kind, and gave themselves up to @ 
predatory system of hostilities, ac~ 
companied with as many sanguinary 
executions of their enemies, as they 
thought requisite for the support 
of their own cause, and the inumi- 
dation of their enemies. 
Such had been their plan of acts 
ing since the second insurrection, 
which had broken out in the com- 
mencement of the foregoing sum- 
mer, and had continued with va- 
rious success till the approach of 
winter. The disappointment that 
had befallen the expedition to the 
coast of France frum England, and 
the loss of so many emigrants, that 
had either fallen in battle, or been 
taken prisoners and put to death, 
had so effectually terrified their 
adherents, that, from that day, they 
had manifested little inclination to 
venture into new dangers, without 
better grounds of hope, than pro- 
mises of assistance wherein they had 
been so much deceived, andexhor- 
tations to loyalty,that only led them 
to ruin. 
Disheartened by the severe and 
atrocious vengeance executed upon 
their country, and the dreadful 
slaughter and chastisement of its in- 
habitants, the Vendeans had not, 
as before, crowded to the royal 
standards erected among them. The 
amnesty published after the former 
pacification, and the lenient treat- 
ment they had experienced in con- 
sequence of their submission to the 
republic, had produced the effects 
that had been expected. The re- 
maining majority of that unfortunate 
people had returned to their coun. 
try, and resumed their former oc- 
cupations, with the intent of never 
leaving them again for the rash en- 
terprises to which they had been 
prompted, by the ¥ain prospect of 
[G] being 
