144] 
ance of the Imperial court, and the 
former readiness to coincide with its 
wishes. The return of this com- 
plying temper was also partly due 
to the necessity which Austria felt, 
of paying @ competent regard to 
the ideas and inclinations of the 
people at large, and of carefully 
avoiding to give them just cause of 
offence. 
The frontiers of France, on the 
Rhine,were now in danger of becom- 
ing again the theatre of wars Thespi- 
rit and a¢tivity of the archduke, in- 
creased by his late successes, had 
prompted him to an enterprize, from 
which, if he succeeded, much uti- 
lity and honour would be derived. 
This was to retake, by a sudden 
and vigorous attack, the fortress of 
Kehl. To this end he detached, from 
his army, a corps of chosen men, 
who attacked the French general, 
Scherer, at Bruchsal, in the proxi- 
mity of the Rhine, on the thirteenth 
of September, and, pushing him be- 
fore them as far as Kehl, forced the 
outworks on the nineteenth, and 
had nearly carried that strong for- 
tress. A tremendous fire, from the 
French batteries, compelled them, 
at length, to retire: but the bold- 
ness and resolution displayed in this 
enterprize did great honour to the 
assailants, and shewed how little the 
Austrian troops were daunted by 
the successes of the French. 
The same enterprizing disposition 
continued to characterize the arch- 
duke in his operations against the 
French, after their retreat to Fri- 
burgh, where Moreau had now es- 
tablished his quarters. On the se- 
venteenth of October, his advanced 
posts, at Kindringen, in the vicinity, 
were assailed with great fury by the 
Imperial army, commanded by the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1796. 
archduke in person. All the gene+ 
rals that had been employed against 
Moreau, in the course of the came 
paign, were present in this aétion, 
which was maintained with remark- 
able obstinacy by both parties. The 
personal intrepidity of the archduke 
was conspicuous on this occasion. | 
The right wing of his army, under 
Latour, being repulsed, and on the 
point of abandoning the attack of 
Kindringen, he put himself at the 
head of a body of grenadiers, who 
returned to the charge and carried 
it. The left wing, and the centre 
of the Austrians, met with the firmest 
resistance, and, though the French 
were worsted, the aétion was not 
decisive. , 
General Moreau, finding himself 
overpowered by the 1 immense supe- 
riority of numbers that occupied the 
positions around, concentrated bis 
force in such a manner, as either 
to make a vigorous defence, ora se- 
cure retreat,as circumstances should 
render it most expedient. He was 
attacked upon the strong ground 
he had chosen af Schlingen, situated 
upon a height, near Friburgh, on 
the twenty-third of October.. The 
dispositions made by General Mo- 
reau, to receive the enemy, were so 
judicious, that, notwithstanding the 
number and valour of the Austrians, 
and the expertness of their com- 
manders, the contest lasted three 
days, when the I’rench, after disput- 
ing every inch of ground, retired, in 
the best order, across the Rhine, at 
Huninghen, on the twenty-sixth. 
Their retreat was conducted with 
such firmness in the men, and skill 
in their commander, that the Aus- 
trians were neither able, nor willing, 
to.attempta close pursuit. 
The 
