176] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



nounced it to he the pri7ninn mobile, 

 of the campaign. His left wing, 

 and his rear, were protected by the 

 forts of the Rhine, Holland, and 

 the neutrality of Prussia ; and the 

 direction of the whole army towards 

 Vienna rendered it formidable to 

 the emperor. An ofBcial note 

 from Buonaparte, communicated to 

 the Helvetic government, the re- 

 jection of peace by the enemies of 

 France, and at the same time ex- 

 pressed a hope of his being able 

 to force them to accept it. 



Buonaparte, in his personal de- 

 meanor, began now to assume a 

 military air, which indeed he had 

 sustained pretty much ever since 

 his elevation to the supreme autho- 

 rity. He reviewed, in the Champ- 

 de-Mars, all tlie troops that were in 

 Paris and its vicinity. The French, 

 as well as the imperialists, every 

 where moved out of their canton- 

 ments. Skirmishes between par- 

 ties of hussars, advanced-posts on 

 both sides surprized, cannonading 

 from one side of the Rhine to the 

 other, and the proclamations of the 

 opposite generals announced an 

 approaching and terrible campaign. 



The communication between the 

 Austrian army of Italy and that of 

 the archduke was still maintained 

 by the corps commanded by general 

 Davidovich, which occupied Chia- 

 venna andBellinzona,and stretched 

 towards the country of the Grisons. 

 Unfortunately we have it not in 

 our power to embellish our narra- 



tive of the present campaign with 

 the active services of that brave, 

 wise, and virtuous prince, who was 

 obliged to quit the army from ill 

 health, and perhaps some other cir- 

 cumstances. But a better choice of a 

 commander, to supply, as far as pos- 

 sible, his place, could not have been 

 made than that of general Kray, 

 who took the chief command of the 

 army, on the eighteenth of March. 

 But it was remarked, even at this 

 early stage, as a bad omen, that 

 there was not a good understanding 

 between the general and the mi- 

 nister at war, count Lherbach ; 

 who were both of them quick in 

 their tempers, and of disposi- 

 tions equally obstinate and impe- 

 rious. 



General Kray received a rein- 

 forcement of one thousand Wirtem- 

 burghers, and as many Palatines, 

 who were destined to support the 

 Austrians posted between Rastadt 

 and Kehl. The different corps of 

 the Wirtemburgh, Palatine, and 

 Mayence militia, were stationed 

 behind the Austrian army of the 

 Rhine, at the entrance of the de- 

 files of Suabia, between the river 

 Enz, the Necker, and the Mayne, 

 between VVidbad and Psoutzheim, 

 as far as Heideberg, and from thence 

 by the Odenwald towards Eschaf- 

 fenberg on the Mayne, and be- 

 tween Frankfort and Mayence, 

 along the Nidda. 



The Bavarian troops* assembled 

 at Donewert. The first column, 



* Neither the Bavarian troops in tbe pay of England, nor the Wirtembiirgers, 

 nor tlie militia of Suabia, the Electorate and Mayence, all of them also in the pay 

 of England, are to De confounded with the Palatines, Wirtemburgers, and Mayen- 

 cers, who were furnished as contingents of the empire ; and of whom the first were 

 stationed between Philipsburg and Rastadt, and the last on the Nidda, between 

 Frankfort and Mayence. 



