historical chronicle. ^i 



and«r condition of not serving against the allied powers for oneyear. It ■ap- 

 peared that the ganisoi, had been reduced to great distrefs for want cf 

 provisions and stores of different kinds, particularly medicines, of which 

 they were utterly destitute. Before this surrender took place, the French 

 *orceson the Rhine under Beauharnois hadmade several vigorous but unsuc- 

 celsful eftoits to raise the seige by different rapid and unexpected attacks, 

 in which, though several times succefsful at the beginning, they were always 

 ultimately repulsed by the combined armies. Tiie French havenow no place • 

 of strength in that quarter nearer than Landau. 



Capture of Vcdenciieimes. 

 This important fortrefs which had been so long gallantly defendtd by 

 General FERRAND.having been reduced to the utrnost extremity by the blow- 

 ing up of some part of the walls on the 2Sth, followed by a vigorous afault 

 in which the combined forces made a lodgement in the covered way, from 

 which a general afsauit being intended, no hopes remained of any resis- 

 tance they could make proving effectual, General Ferrand. found himself 

 reduced to the necefsity of surrendering that place, by capitulation, to 

 the duke of York, on the iSth of July. The French troops were allowed 

 to march out with the honours of war : and to be conducted safely to the 

 nearest part of France, on conditions that they fliall not serve against the 

 allied powers during the war. Ferrand will thus in all probability soon 

 add one more to the list of unfortunate officers conSncd in the prison of the 

 Ahbaye in Paris. 



No accounts have as yet transpired of the intentions of the allied powers 

 with respect to the future operations of this campaign. But if appearances 

 may be trusted Britain seems to entertain a serious design of besieging Dun- 

 kirkio form; a large train of battering cannon have been flapped off from 

 faence for Ostend ; and the Engliflitroops since the capture of Valanciennes 

 seem to point their route tov/ards Dunkirk. We have not heard that the 

 French have taken any extraordinary precautions for the security of that 

 place. 



From the inactivity of the French forces on the frontiers during the lat- 

 ter part of the siege of Valancicnnes, it would seem that their force and 

 ardour were both greatly diminiflied of late. A motion was once made in 

 the National Convention to raise the whole body of the people capable of 

 bearing arms to the northward of Paris ; to be marched directly against 

 the combined powers, that by their numbers, which were supposed to ex- 

 ceed one million of men, they might totally overpower their enemies. 

 But it would appear that the Convention, distrusting their unanimity on 

 the present occasion, had thought it prudent to depart from this extraor-. 

 dinary mode ot warfare. What mode of defence they mean to atopt a- 

 gainst the efforts of the allied powers on the north is by no means obvious at 

 •present. Lisle, which i' .a place of great strength, they are said to be pn_ 



