BOB FRA 
nouuce the farsguinary decree of the former government, 
and no blood was to be unneceffarily (lied. But the duke 
of York was compelled to retreat to the plains of Breda, 
cftabiifhing his head-quarters at Oofterhout, and taking 
(o ftrong a pofition that he felt fecure from an affault, till 
the Dutch (liould have liad time to put the garrifon in a 
(hue of defence. Pichegru, though extremely anxious 
to befiege Breda, was prevented 4 by many unfavourable 
circumftances; At lengtli he was enabled, by the fall of 
Valenciennes and Conde, which yielded after a very (light 
refinance, on the 26th and 27th of Augnft, to mufter a 
hundred thoufand men, with which lie meditated an at¬ 
tack on the duke of York’s army, now' reduced to about 
thirty-five thoufand men; intending to force them beyond 
the Meufe, and prevent their junction with the Imperial 
forces. He drove in the Britifli out-pofts, with an intent 
to turn the left of the army, and cut off the retreat to 
Bois-le-duc; but the Britifli commander effected a retreat, 
and encamped on a large plain feven miles beyond Bois- 
le-duc, ellablifliing his head-quarters at the village of 
Udden. In this interval Sluvs had furrendered, after en¬ 
during a vigorous fiege. But while Moreau was thus 
meriting the applaufes of his country, he experienced 
only its favage ingratitude. His father belonged to the 
robe; and, falling into the fufpicious defeription of noble, 
was atfaffinated by the revolutionary tribunal on the 25th 
of Auguft, the very day his fon captured Sluys. It is 
even faid that the general himfelf was marked for de- 
ftrudtion by Robefpierre; but the death of that tyrant 
enfttred his fafety. 
The befie.ging army, exhaufted by fatigue and illnefs, 
could not immediately be employed ; and as the battering- 
artillery was not arrived, Pichegru profecuted his origi¬ 
nal plan of hanging on the rear of the duke of York; 
leaving Breda to itfelf till he (hould have made fome im- 
predion 011 Holland. He made, however, a judicious feint 
of commencing the fiege of that place, for the purpole of 
concealing his force; and on the 14th of September he 
made a general attack on all the out-pofts along the Dom- 
rnel, forcing that of Boxtel, which was defended by the 
troops of Hefte Darmftadt. In this affair the French be¬ 
haved with extraordinary valour, fwimming a river to 
the attack ; yet the allies loft upwards of fifteen hundred 
men. As the capture of this important poft would pre¬ 
vent the duke of York from maintaining his pofition, he 
retreated acrofs the Meufe, and encamped at Wichen. 
The French army of the North took a pofition behind 
the Aa, and on the 19th, proceeded to Denter. The pur- 
fuit of the duke of York’s army was for a time difeonti- 
nued, as well on account of the fatigue of the French 
troops, as for want of knowing the country; but the ar¬ 
my of the Sambre and Meufe, agreeably to the orders of 
Pichegru, attacked and defeated the left wing of the Auf- 
trrans ; and, after a feries of well-contefted engagements, 
in which the numbers and enthufiafm of the republicans 
had always the advantage, the Imperialifts were com¬ 
pelled to crofs the Rhine at Cologne, with the lofs of 
near ten thoufand men. The laft, battle, on the 3d of 
October, was peculiarly bloody : general Clairfait had 
chofen his pofition near Ruremonde with fo much judg¬ 
ment, that the French appeared to be fquandering lives 
with unavailing profufion ; and their attack muft have 
remained an everlafting monument of their raftinefs and 
folly, had the wings of the Auftrian army exhibited as 
much courage and difeipline as the centre ; but at the 
moment when Clairfait was fecuring the profpedt of com¬ 
plete fuccefs, he was informed that his wings were forced, 
and making a hafty retreat. The French generals were 
fo doubtful of the courage of their men in this occalion, 
that they placed cannon to fire on fuch as might fall 
back: they foon afterwards gained poifeffion of Cologne 
and Bonn. 
Crevecoeur having furrendered without firing a (hot, the 
republicans became matters of the inundations which con- 
itituted the principal ttrength of Bois-le-duc. They were. 
1 
N C E. 
however, doubtful of the fuceefs of a fiege, when the com¬ 
mander, on the 1 itlxof October, terminated their fufpence 
by a voluntary furrender, obtaining for his garrifon oer- 
miflion to retire into Holland. The Dutch had alfo 
abandoned fort St. Andre, but, being negligently occu¬ 
pied by the governor, it was retaken by lieutenant-general 
Abercrombie, and proved a material impediment to the 
further operations of the republicans. 
The duke of York next eftablifhed his head-quarters at 
Arnheim, and the French prepared to befiege Nimeguen : 
many (kirmifhes took place in front of this town; and the 
Britifh troops under major-general de Burgh, now earl of 
Clanricarde, made a fpirited fortie, and got temporary 
poffeflion of the works of the befiegdrs, defeating them 
with great (laughter. This did no 1 however avert the 
fate of the place: the French opened batteries on the 
town and bridge, which funk feveral of the boats ; and 
had the bridge been deftroyed, the whole garrifon mud 
have been taken pnfoners: the duke of York therefore 
ordered the Britifh troops to pafs the bridge, leaving 
pickets under major-general de Burgh, who with great 
difficulty alfo effected a retreat : the whole Dutch garri- 
fen were taken prifoners, Nov. 8. In the mean time o-ene- 
ral Laurent had made himfelf mafter of Venloo, Kleber 
took Maeftricht, Coblentz and Rheinfeld yielded to the 
right wing of the army of the Sambre and Meufe, and 
Mentz alone remained in poffeflion of the allies on the 
left bank of the Rhine. 
After the evacuation of Nimeguen, the Britifh army 
went into cantonments along the Waal, and on the oppo- 
fite fide of the Lech : the weather was unufuallyfevere, 
the troops fickly, and fatigued with the feverepduty of 
maintaining a cordon of ftrong pickets along th^Waal 
from Bommel on the right, where they joined the Dutch, 
to Parmeran on the left, where they communicated with 
the Auftrians. After thus retiring into winter quarters, 
the duke of York quitted the army on the 6th of Decem¬ 
ber to return to England, and the command devolved on 
general Walmoden. 
Pichegru, who had been fome time abfent on account of 
his health, now refumed the command ; but the campaign 
would have been confidered at an end, had not a froft of 
uncommon feverity fet in, and enabled the French to gain 
unforefeen advantages. The Dutch government, which 
had relied on an inundation as the laft means of defence, 
faw with alarm the impediment oppofed by the weather, 
and folicited peace ; but the French, elated with the prof¬ 
pedt of conqueft, and encouraged by the powerful demo¬ 
cratic party in the country, rejected the terms, though 
replete with advantage, and even refufed an armiftice, 
which was required for the purpofe of negociation. They 
took pofleffion of the ifland of Bommel and fort'St. Andre ; 
and, on the 27th of December, 1794, fix hundred men 
crolfed the Waal near Tuyl, the ice being fufficiently 
formed to bear whole regiments of cavalry, with the 
heavieft cannon. They foon gained the poft of Tiel, and 
were about to be fupported by a very large force; but a 
detachment of Britilli, Heffians, and emigrants, under ge¬ 
neral Dundas, attacked them with irrefiftible impetuofity, 
and forced them to re-pafs the river, with great lofs of 
men, and four pieces of cannon. Undifmayed however 
by this check, a large body of French again crolfed the 
Waal near Bommel, on the 4th of January, 1795. Gene¬ 
ral Dundas, after a fmart (kirmifti at Geldermalfen, fell 
back upon Beuren, and it was refolved to take a pofition 
behind the Lech ; but a fudden thaw renewed the hopes 
of the allies, and orders were iffued for taking advantage 
of it by a combined attack: unfortunately, the froft re¬ 
commenced with increafed feverity ; the orders which 
had been given could not be retraced in time ; and an 
aflion was fought near Eldermafen, in which the allied 
troops, particularly the Britiih, flittered confiderably, 
every officer in the 27th regiment of foot being wounded. 
The republicans, having completed their arrangements, 
again crolTed the Waal on die 10th, and attacked feveral 
points 
