HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. 



IVednesdat, JuLTi^, 1793. 

 Foreign. 



Frakce. 



T 



■■- HE allied army oh the borders of France towards the Netherlands, have 

 at length succeded in carrying Conde, which surrendered, by capitulation, 

 on the loth instant. The garrison originally consisted of four thousand 

 men: of these only fifteen hundred were capable of doing duty when they 

 surrendered as prisoners of war. The remainder were either killed or in 

 the hospital. 



The capture of this small place it is thought will greatly facilitate the 

 future operations of the campaign. It commands the sluices which innun- 

 date a considerable part of the environs of Valenciennes, so as to enable the 

 besiegers to drain it, and thus get accefs to the weakest parts of the forti- 

 fications of that strong place. Conde also can be defended by a very small 

 garrison, and will be a safe place for forming magazines for the future ope- 

 rations of the war. 



Valenciennes continues still to be valliantly defended. The besiegers ar« 

 advancing with caution ; and there can be little doubt, that unlefs Custine 

 Ihall be able to raise the siege, by some decisive action which he seems 

 to have in contemplation, that place also must soon be captured. The 

 town already seems to be reduced to a heap of ruins, and the miserable in- 

 habitants reduced to the utmost state of wretchednefs, for want of accom- 

 modation or (belter from the bombs of the besiegers. 



Mentz is nearly in the same situation. The defenders, now driven from 

 most of their out posts, are confined within the walls of the place itself, 

 which is thrown down by many powerful batteries. The fine Cathedral, for 

 sparing of which it is now said a blockade alone was at first attempted, is 

 now a heap of rubbifh, and many other parts of the town entirely consum- 

 ed by fire. The sallies of the garrison which were at first vigorous and 

 often succefsful have been in general reprefsed of late; and the French 

 themselvej begin to speak of the fate of that place as inevitable, unlefs it 

 can be relieved by some powerful diversion from without. 



Custine is, as formerly, incefsantly writing letters to the Convention, 

 vindicating his own conduct from the imputations of gthers, and denoun- 



