628 
nar obfervations, and a multitude of ob- 
fervations of the ftars, for a Catalogue of 
the Stars, which he had announced fo early 
as the year 1741 5 among which was twice 
fo be found the new planet Uranus. (See 
Lalande’s Aftronomie,Tables, p.188.),The 
more he was requefted to communicate his 
obfervations, the more obftinate he -be- 
came ; he even threatened to deftroy them. 
At the breaking out of the revolution, 
Lalande was greatly alarmed for the 
fafety of thefe papers; he wifhed to pre- 
ferve them from deftruction, amd made an 
attempt to get them into his poffeffion; 
but all his endeavours were in vain. He 
was only able to learn, that Le Monnier 
had hidden them under the roof of his 
houfe. Le Monnier having been firit feized 
with a fit of the apoplexy fo early as the 
roth of November 1791; Lalande appre- 
hended, left, if no.one except himielf fhould 
know where he had hidden his papers, the 
infirm old man might perhaps have him- 
felf forgot ee hopes, however, that 
his fon-in-law, La Grange, may have fome 
information concerning them. Le Monnier 
Jeft behind him three married daughters, 
the fecond of whom was. on the 3: of 
May, 1792, led to thealtar of Hymen by 
the celebrated La Grange. 
REVOLUTIONARY ANECDOTES: 
[Taerefting and Original Anecdstes of the 
French Revolution ; to be ee in a 
regular feries jrom its commencement to 
the prefent pericd, and including its fecret 
Liftory-J 
WESTERMANN. 
N the 3d of July 1794, General 
Weftermann, at the head of three 
thoufand five hundred men, took pofiefiion 
r Chatillon, in La Vendée; and delivered 
more than fix hundred prifoners of the 
troops of the line, with the wives, mothers, 
and daughtérs of the adminiftrators of Par- 
thenay, whom the royalilts had taken as. 
hoftages, after having pillaged every thing 
which that unfortunate town Asati he 
The royalifts made a gallant refiftance; 
but they were the vi€tims of a rafh mode 
of warfare, which they had employed with 
fuccels againft troops lefs inured to war. 
‘They endeavoured to throw. themfelves 
upon the cannon, and carry them off by 
main ftrength; but a few difcharges of 
grape-fhot brought great numbers of them 
to the ground, and put the reft to the rout. 
They owed their fafety to flight, and to 
the Bots aux Chévres, (Goats ‘Weod), 
which afforded them a place of refuge 
(jo) 
Two days after th ey contrived to take 
Original Aneedotes of the French Revolution, 
does nothing but dream.” 
[ Sept. 
their revenge in a manner equally artful. 
and fanguinary. The republicans being 
au bivouac under the walls of Chatillon, at 
twelve o’clock in the day, the hour at 
which the grand guard was relieved, the 
out- pofts perceived a large drove of oxen 
on the high road advancing towards them 
with hafty fteps, and made no doubt that 
they would turn out an excellent prize. 
‘Thefe oxen were driven on by a column cf 
royalifis who were concealed by acloud of 
duft raifed by the feet of the cattle At 
the moment when the republicans were 
about to feize their prey, they were affailed 
by the above column, and by a great num- 
ber of royalifts hid among the corn.. The 
cavalry had only time to leap upon their 
herfes, while the enemy fell upon the artil- 
lery, and maffacred the cannoneers at their 
pot. 
An artillery-man feeing all his Bee 
lie dead by his fide, having one of his arms 
breken, and being on the point of falling 
into the hands -of the enemy, teok up the 
match, placed him{elf before the gun; and 
thus blew himfelf from its mouth. ‘The 
royalifts killed every thing that came in 
their way. Only a {mall part of the ca- 
valry, efcaped, and fixty infantry com- 
manded by a chief of battalion. Thefe 
were all that remained of Weftermann’s 
leSion*. | 
The fratagem of the royalifts was how- 
ever focn repaid by another. 
In the month of O&ober following, 
Chaibos, General of Divifion, marched to 
GhAtillon at the head af twenty thoufand 
men, and took pofieffion of the place. Three 
days aiter, Weftermann, who commanded 
the van guard, going out to reconnoitre, 
perceived the enemy advancing towards 
the town with a fupertor force. He 
haftened to fend information of it to Ge- | 
neral Chalbos, and advifed him to prepare 
to repel the attack. ‘ This is a mere 
vifion, (anfwered Chalbos) 5 Weftermann 
- He was foon 
undeceived. The royalifts attacked, on 

* This was not the firft time that oxen had 
been employed in ftratagems of war. The 
claffical reader will remember with what ad- 
drefs Hannfbal made ufe of them, in order to 
extricate himfelf from a perilous fituation, be- 
tween the rocks of Formiz on one-fide, .and 
the marfhes of Linternum on the _ other. 
That able general colle€&ted two thoufand 
_oxen, tied bundles of vine-cuttings to their 
horns, fet fire to them in the night, and then 
drove the infuriated animals towards the 
heights and, pafies occupied by the Remans, 
who fled panic-ftruck, and gaye the Cartha- 
ginians time to pafs the.defile, 
every 
