376 FRANCE. 



have greatly facilitated the success of the Prussians in these ren- 

 counters. 



On the 14th of March, the Imperialists advanced from Tongres to- 

 wards Tirlemont, by St. Tron ; and were attacked by general Du- 

 mouriez successively on the 15th and following days. The first at- 

 tempts were attended with success : the Austrian advanced posts 

 were obliged to retire to St. Tron, through Tirlemont, which they 

 had already passed. On the 18th, a general engagement took place 

 at Neerwinden ; the French army being covered on the left by Dor- 

 mael, and on the right by Landen. The action continued, with great 

 obstinacy on both sides, from seven in the morning till five in the 

 afternoon, when the French were obliged to fall back; and the Au- 

 strian cavalry, coming up, put them entirely to flight. The loss in 

 each army was great. The French displayed considerable courage 

 and address ; but were overpowered by the superior numbers, and 

 perhaps by the more regular discipline, of their enemies. 



Dumouriez was now suspected of treachery ; and general Miran- 

 da intimated his suspicions, in a confidential letter to Petion, dated 

 the 21st of March. Four commissioners were immediately sent from 

 Paris, with powers to suspend and arrest all generals and military 

 officers whom they should suspect, and bring them to the bar of the 

 convention. These commissioners, on the 1st of April, proceeded to 

 St. Amand, the head-quarters of Dumouriez ; and, being admitted to 

 his presence, explained to him the object of their mission. After a 

 conference of some hours, the general, finding that he could not per- 

 suade them to favour his intentions, gave the signal for a body of sol- 

 diers who were in waiting ; and ordered the minister of war, Bour- 

 nonville (who was sent to supersede him) and the commissioners Ca- 

 mus, Blancal, La Marque, and Quinette, to be immediately con^eved 

 to general Clairfait's head-quarters at Tournay, as hostages for the 

 safety of the royal family. 



Dumouriez, notwithstanding his splendid talents, found himself 

 grossly mistaken with respect to the disposition of his army. They 

 had resented the affront so imprudently offered to their general : but 

 when he came to explain to them his plan, and propose the restora- 

 tion of royalty in the person of the prince, they all forsook him ; and 

 he was obliged to fly with a very few attendants, making his escape 

 through a dreadful discharge of musketry, which the whole column 

 poured upon him and his associates. 



The latter end of June, and the beginning of July, were chiefly dis- 

 tinguished, in the north, by some petty skirmishes between the two 

 grand armies. In the latter part of July, the Austrians obtained 

 some successes of more importance. The garrison of Conde, after 

 sustaining a blockade of three months, surrendered on the 10th, by 

 capitulation, to the prince of Cobourg : and Valenciennes, on the 

 20th of the same month, to the duke of York, not without some sus- 

 picions of treachery in both cases. 



Encouraged by these successes, a large detachment from the 

 combined army, under the command of the duke of York, pro- 

 ceeded, without loss of time, to attack the port and town of Dun- 

 kirk. On the 22d of August, the duke of York marched from 

 Furnes to attack the French camp at Ghivelde ; which was aban- 

 doned at his approach, and he was almost immediately enabled 

 to take the ground which it was his intention to occupy during 

 the siege. On the 24th, he attacked the outposts of the French 5 



