HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
called the Valley of Hell, from the 
frightful appearance of the rocks 
and mountains that hang over it on 
each side, and in many places are 
hardly the space of thirtysieet asun- 
der. This valley extended several 
leagues; and atthe opening that 
led out of it, a formidable body of 
Austrians was stationed. Moreau 
was duly sensible of the peril he 
was about to encounter; but no 
other method remained to extricate 
him from the many difficulties that 
surrounded him. Latour, though 
repeatedly defeated, was still in 
great force. Anxious to regain his 
reputation, he exerted himself inces- 
santly whenever the least advantage 
seemed attainable. While this in- 
defatigable enemy pressed upon 
his rear, every inlet on each side of 
the valley was filled with troops, 
awaiting the moment of assailing 
the flanks of the French in their 
passage through it. To guard 
against this multiplicity of dangers, 
Moreau disposed of his right and 
left in such a manner, that the rear 
part of them protected his entrance 
into that valley, by facing the forces 
under Latour, and the van by ad- 
vancing upon Navandorf and Pe- 
trasch on their respective wings, 
obliged them to divide their strength 
and attention. Having made these 
dispositions, the main body of the 
French proceeded in compatt order 
along the valley, at the farther open- 
ing of which a desperate fight en- 
sued with the Austrians that guard- 
edit. But the French cleared their 
way; as did also the rear of their 
right and left, which marched 
through with litule molestation; and, 
having joined their respective di- 
visions, presented altogether so for- 
midable a countenance, that the 
Austrians, already disheartened by 
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their inability to prevent the passage 
of the French, did not attempt to 
attack them in the position they had 
taken after leaving the defile, nor 
in their march to Friburgh, where 
they arrived the next day- 
This celebrated aétion took place 
on the twelfth of Otober. It com- 
pleted the security and success of 
one of the most memorable retreats 
recorded in the military annals of 
modern times. It covered with 
glory the troops that performed if, 
and the general that commanded 
them. Throughout the whole of 
his expedition, Moreau had display- 
ed consummate abilities. He had 
surmounted obstacles of every kind, 
and penetrated into the very heart 
of the empire. He had taken pos 
session of Augsburgh and of Munich, 
the capitals of Bavaria, and com- 
pelled the eleétor to sue for peace. 
Had not the ill-fortune attending 
Jourdan’s army disconcerted his 
plan, it was highly probable that he 
would have marched into Austria, 
and forced the emperor to accept of 
any peace, that he could have ob- 
tained, discomforted as he then was 
in every quarter, and deprived of 
any other means to save himself from 
apparent destruétion. 
In the mean time, it cannot be 
denied, that the light in which the 
French direétory perceived and re- 
presented the expeditions of its ar- 
mies into Germany, was a true one. 
The princes of the empire were dee 
tached from the coalition ; immense 
sums were levied, which defrayed 
the expences of the invasion; and a 
powerful diversion was formed in fae 
vour of the expedition into Italy. 
But it ought equally to have 
been acknowledged, as above, that 
these expeditions contributed to 
remove the partiality entertained 
for 
