
149601 
the €tat major, faid to him, “¢ Charette, the 
firft and greateft reproach which the republic 
has tumake againft you is, the having Beatie 
her, and having long < -mployed fo mu ch talent 
againft her, when you ought. to have I nests 
that, having declared in favour of liberty, fhe 
could overthrow all fadtions.” . « General,” 
replied Charette, ‘ it was with reluctance that 
E fought againft a majority of the nation, and 
it was only the difference of opinion that could 
have impelled me to do fo.” another 
Ptivate conyerfation which he demanded of 
General Hedouville,- and at which General 
‘Travot was prefent, he pretended that propofals 
of accommodation had been madea few days 
ago. ‘ Jam fo much the more aftonifhed,”’ 
: replied General Hedouviile, “ at what you fay, 
as after your refufal a month ago to accept the 
propofal s made to you, in confequence of the 
opening made by yourfelf, through the curate of 
Rabateliere, you appeared to be unwilling to 
come to any accommodation, and wrote to 
Stofflet, that, fo far from figning any convention 
with the republicans, you would fu; pport your 
party tothe laft momé¢nt. You engaged ‘him 
even in that letter to print your ankwer, in order 
to make known your intentions.”?’ “ It was a 
laft cifort,”” replied Charette, “ which I made 
to revive my party.”’ “* How,’ rejoined He- 
douville, had you the hope of ee ible to 
contend, with advantage, again{t the will of a 
great nation?’’? <“ Seeing “that my partizans 
abandoned me, andthat my efforts were ufelels, 
I determined no longer to refift the will of the 
naticn, and [ might ie confidered as willing to 
accept propofals of peace.”’ ** You were talon,” 
faid Hedouville, “ with arms in your hands, 
and it will be for your official defenders to ftate 
your-defence before the military council, before 
which you are to be carried.”’—As the General 
im chief determined that Charette fhould fuffer at 
Nantes, where he had formerly taken the oath 
not to infringe the peace, he was fent on the 7th 
to Nantes. On landing from the boat, he ex- 
claimed with an elevated voice, *‘ Sve to what 
the Englifa have brought me: py but it was the 
only moment in which he difcovéred any emo- 
tion. On the following morning, at nine o’clock, 
he was led to gencral Dutilh, before whom he 
underwent an examination. ‘The grenadiers, 
chaffeursy and cavalry of the na‘ ional guards 
Were under arms, with two companies of the 
Legion of Nantes. Charette, placed in the 
midit of this efcort, preceded by half a dozen 
generals, and furrounded by fome gens d’armes, 
was fent back from the houfe of General Dutilh 
to his prifon. As he pafied along, an immenfe 
concourfe of people were affembled, and filled all 
~ the balconies. The cry of Vive la Reebhoe: was 
frequently repeated; but fuch was the correét= 
nefs of the popular demeanor, that indignation 
was reftrained, and Charette was not affailed by 
any injurious perfonalities. He was dreffed in 
a brown pantaloon, and jacket of the fame, with 
mo other diitn&ion than a narrow gold lace 
“upon bis collar. 
tied negligently about his head, in which he had 
Montuix Mac, No, Hl, 
in 
Death of Charette. 
He wore a white handkerchief 
249 
received a.fhot, and his ight épaulet remained 
ftill covered with the blood. He had his left 
arm in a fearf; three fingers of that hand haying 
beén ftruck off by a cut of a fabre. His coun- 
tenance was firm, his: march fteady, the ut= 
moft compofure was diffufed over the whole of 
his figure... His complexion was not, as fore 
merly, fmoo:hand fair ; it was brown and har - 
dened by fatigue. His: air was free both from 
infolence and meannefs. Onthe gth following, 
he was tried, sand maintained his dignity 
throughout ; anfwering every queition with 
temper and fang freit. Being afked; whether 
at the time of the pacification the reprefentatives 
of the people had not promifed him a king > 
he replied, that neither in. public or in private 
they had made any fuch agreement... The rea- 
fon of h’s taking up arms, was his having been 
informed that the reprefentative Gaudin had 
put troops in motion for the purpofe of feizing 
him, in violation of the treaty. That he re 
ceived from the Englifh only 15,000 franks 5 
that he only corre/ponded with them while they 
were at Ifle Dieu, and that he received from 
them very little fupply of arms or ammunition $ 
and that he had received from Louis XVUE 
only the brevet of lieutenant-general.. That 
he had no correfpondence in the interior, and 
when he was in wantof arms orammunition; he 
depended on the peafants to procure them. To 
the queftions refpeéting the maffacres he had 
ordered at Machicoul, and other places, he only 
denied them by a fhake of the head anda deep 
figh, which feemed to convey his fenfe of having 
done no more than his duty. He confeffed that 
he fought for the reftoration ef monarchy, and 
declared, that a few days before he was fur- 
prifed, he received a meffage from a getieral, 
whom he did not name. offering him protéGtion, 
if he chofe to quit the territories of the repub- 
lic. He heard the fentence read without the 
leaft emotion ; and when he requefted leave to 
{peak, the deepett filence enfued. He then faid, 
‘he did not mean to retard, for a fingle inftant, 
the fate to which he was deftined, but begged 
it as a favour, that the commiffion would, for his. 
fatisfaction, fend in fearch of the letter of whick 
he had already fpoken.”” At five o'clock, he 
was conducted to the Place des Agricultures: Five 
thoufand men were drawn up in a {quare bat- 
talion, and the clergyman Guibert affifted him 
in his laft moments. He refufed to go on ‘his 
knees, or have his eyes bandaged, but pretenting 
his oe to the piquet, which was drawn up 
before him, be withdrew his left arm from the 
fling, and making a fign with his head that he 
was ready, the foldiers fired, and he dropt dead 
upon the fpot. Charetre was no more than 
thirty-three years of age, and in height about 
five feet four inches; his hair was dark, his 
eye-brows black and natrow, his eyes funk, 
little and lively, his nofe long and hooked, nae 
mouth large, his chin long, much marked with 
the fmall-pox, a full feat his thighs well 
made, his legs rather fmall, Bie voice feeble and 
effeminate, and his fhape altogether handfome. 
Iie was immoderately ambitious ; and it is tohis 
KOK ambition 
