220 
though perfectly fure he was there, while 
the only way he tovk to efcape, was by 
keeping the fame path as they. The 
peafants always concealed him, fome out 
of fear, and others from a principle of 
attachment. He was, however, grown 
cruel, even towards thofe who had ferved 
him ; and more than once killed peafants 
who were ploughing their grounds, left 
they fhould betray him, and indicate his 
route. In the commune of St. Hilaire, 
near Paluan, he put to death with his 
own hand, the father, the fon, and the 
foninlaw, upon mere fufpicion. He was 
alfo grown melancholy ;. the idea of his 
deftruction inceffantly haunting his mind. 
At length his evil deftiny overtook him. 
A republican columm was returning 
to their cantonment at the Chateau de 
Pont-de-vie, near the town of Poirée, 
four days after they had left it, in order 
to procure provifions, and take a little 
reft, when two horfemen upon the look 
out, faw the gleam of arms break through 
the trees. Of this they immediately in- 
formed the general, who advanced with- 
out lofing a moment, at the head of the 
few troopers he had with him, and foon 
perceived that it was the band of Charrette, 
which was defiling two a-breaft acrofs a 
heath of fmallextent. The general rode 
through the two ranks, in order to difco- 
ver if their chief was among them, while 
they, more eager to fave than to defend 
themfelves, fred only two or three fhot, 
which took no effeét. Here it may be 
proper to ovferve that Charrette was fiy- 
ing before a {mall column, from Leger, 
commanded by adjutant-general Valentin ; 
and that it was only in confequence of our 
counter-marching that we met with him ; 
for, according to cuftom, he was follow- 
ing our detachment. d ; 
The general ordered the infantry to 
advance, and fent it in purfuit of the roy- 
alifts he had reconnoitred, among whom 
he had not been able to difcover Charrette, 
They were {oon overtaken, and out of 
thirty-feven, four only efeaped; and 
how cven they contrived to get off is not 
known. The cavalry being difperfed 
along the different roads in fearch of the 
principal chief, a young man without 
arms and in the livery of a fervant, was 
perceived by two horfe-chaffeurs coming 
out of a little wood, or rather out of a 
morafs. They rode up to him, and re- 
quefted him to tell them where Charrette 
was to be found. The young man at 
firft denied having feen him, buta few 
ftrokes with fhe flat of their fabres made 
him confefs that the renowned com- 
Original Anecdotes of the French Revolution. 
[April 
mander of the royalifts was in the very . 
morafs that he had juft left. The Chaf 
feurs inmediately rode back to convey 
this information to the general, who or- 
dered three or four foot foldiers to fearch 
the fufpected place ; and at laft Charrette 
was dilcovered by a corporal of the Chaf- 
feurs of the mountains, ~of which corps 
our infantry was compafed. Travaux, | 
our general, alfo perceived him, and gave 
orders that not a fhot fhould be fired. 
The corporal caught hold of him by the 
fkirts of his jacket and endeavoured ta 
ftop bim, but Charrette, wholat that fata] 
moment had loft his cuftomary prefence 
of mind, kept running, and dragged the 
corporal after him till he cdme to a hedge 
over which he attempted to leap, but fell 
into the mid of it, and was taken out 
in a ftate of infenfibility ; being entirely 
exhauited ky his long continued efforts 
to efcape. A little water thrown in his 
face having reftored him to his fenfes, the 
firft words he {poke were, Whofe prifoner 
amI? Travaux, was the anfwer. So 
much the better, {aid he, he is the only 
man worthy to take me. He was armed 
with a carbine and two piftols, which he 
had difcharged in the previous aétion. 
His drefs was a green jacket with the 
fkirts turned back, and embroidered with 
four fleur-de-lis in gold ; a pink waift- 
coat, afath of white filk with gold fringe 
at the ends ; halt-boots, and a round hat 
with a handkerchief over it. He had 
been ftruck by a ball, which had grazed 
his forehead over the left eye ; and had 
been wounded in the left arm by the 
burfting of his carbine. As he was too 
weak to walk, he was put ona horfe, and 
condusted to the Chateau de Pont-de-vie, 
where he paffed the night in the general’s 
room, under a ftrong guard. He ate and 
chatted all the night, and, in fhort, fup- 
ported that character of fortitude, which 
he had acquired in fo many trying fitua- 
tions. The next day he was taken to 
head quarters at Angers, whence he was 
conveyed to Nantz, and there tried and thot. 
Before his punifhment, the executioner 
afked if he would permit him to tie a 
bandage over his eyes—No, anfwered 
Charrette, I ‘have looked death often 
enough in the face to be able to brave 
him. Being afked by general Travaux, 
why he had not emigrated, when he had 
‘found an opportunity, “ I had {worn, faid 
he, to put the king upon the throne, or pe- 
rith in the attempt—i have kept my oath.” 
[To be continued ina regular feries from its 
_ Commencement to the prefent period, and 
tacluding the fecret hiftory of that event. | 
