Retrofpe of French Literature...Hiftory. 
TOS9 
FRENCH LITERATURE. 
HISTORY. 
** Journal, ou Témoignage de |’ Ad- 
jutant-General Ramel,’’ &¢. Journal, 
or Teftimany, of Adjutant-General Ra- 
mel, Commanding-Officer of the Guard 
of the Legiflative Body of the French 
Republic, and one of thofe tranfported 
to Guiana, after the 18th Fruétidor (4th 
Sept. 17973) containing alfo a Variety 
of, Faéts relative to'tthat Day, ‘and ,the 
pafiage to, ftay at, and efcape of fome of. 
the Hixiles fromthe Colony. With a Chart 
of Guiana. Leipfick, 1799; 1 vol. Svo. 
We are told by Ramel, that he occu- 
pied the poft of adjutant-general of 
the army of the Rhine, when orders were 
received by him, from the dire€tory, to 
repair to Paris, and take upon him the 
command of the guard of the legiflative 
body ;’a fituation to which he had been 
invited, in confequence of a yore of the 
two councils.» His corps. which was at 
firtt compofed of 800, had been dately di- 
vided into two batallions, of 600 men 
each; and the author no fooner found 
himfelf initiated in his new-office, than 
he commenced areform, @s a great num- 
ber of the foldiers bad ferved the conven- 
tion in the fame capacity. His conduct on 
this, and many other occafions, gave great 
difguft to the Jecobins, and even to. the 
direttory, who, however, made him an 
offer of another poft, and cven an ad- 
vancement in rank, provided he would 
giveimhisrefignation. — 
A few days before the grand cataftrophe, 
an unufual degree of vigilance was made 
ufe of by thofe employed to guard the 
legiflative body. A fatal fecurity, how- 
ever, prevailed among the members them- 
felves ; and, even on the morning before 
their expulfion, Emery, Dumas, Van- 
blanc, Troncgorducoudray, and Thibau- 
dau, although forming part of the op- 
pofition, protefted loudly againft the fu- 
fpictons-that had taken place, and the 
terror that had feized on the public mind. 
Their fecurity was fo great, trat they re- 
tired before midnight; bur, withim an 
hour after this, Ramel received orders to 
repair to the minifter at war, and learn- 
ed, at thé fame time, that feveral columns 
of troops had entered Paris, and that the 
officer to whom the charge of the cavalry 
was confided had withdrawn. his. corps, 
and two pisces of cannon, in confequence 
ef orders from General Angerau. 
At three o'clock Ramel was f{ummoned, 
‘Cin the name of the direétory,”” to ailow 
reco men to vals the bridge, “ as they 
were entrufted with executing the orders 
of government.’” He was at the fame 
time affured, by an officer who had for- 
merly ferved along with him, that his 
grenadiers were already furrounded by 
12,000 men, and 4o pieces of cannon. 
On this he inftantly repaired to the 
Thuilleries, and found the generals Pi- 
chegru and Villot inthe apartment def- 
tined for the commiffion of infpeétors. 
He now difpatched meflengers to Lafion 
Ladebat, prefident of the Council of An- 
_ cients, and Simcon, prefident of the Coun- 
cil of Five Hundred, and renewed his in- 
junétions to the officers oa the advanced 
pofts not to withdraw without an order 
in writing, figned by his own hand. A 
few minutes after this, he reeeived inti- 
mation that the iron gate of the bridge 
had been forced ; that the divifions of An- 
gerau and Lemoine had effeéted a junc- 
tion ; that all the pofis were turned and 
overawed by a fuperier force ; and that a 
battery of cannon was directed againft the 
hall cf the Council of Ancients. Being 
now reduced to fo critical a fituation, and 
perceiving that there was only one poft 
leading to the Council of Five Hundred 
that held out, the adjutant-general de- 
manded orders to relieve the referve of 
grenadierg, and repuife force by force, 
‘The deputies, however, retuled their af- 
fent, cbferving, ‘* that all refiftance was 
ufelefs,”* and prohibited him’ from firing 
a finyle mufket. At half paft four o’clock, 
general Werdiere fignified to the legifla- 
tors, that he had: orders to oblige them to 
leave the hall, and carry the keys to the 
dire€tory. This produced a long alterca- 
tion: but, as the ofiecr intruited with 
this commiffon obferved * that hg, did 
hot come there fo deliberate,” all oppok- 
tion was in vain. 
At half an hour after five in the morn- 
ing, Ramel received a written order from 
general Anverau, commanding him to 
retire with his guard to. the guard Crfay ; 
but he refufed to obey; and. not being 
any longer able to keep up a communica - 
tion with the committees, which were 
blocked up by the directorial troops, 
he waited for the orders of the two 
councils. 
His troops, until'this: period, had re- 
mained faithful; but a captain now €x- 
claimed, ©‘ that they were nor Swiis 1” 
and a lieutenant ob/esved, ** that he had 
been wounded on the rath Mexclemisre, 
while fighting apainit Lous XVILI. ard 
would’ not now draw bis fword-in his 
caufer”, A third cried aloud. * Theemnr- 
cils are labouring in behalf of the king; they 
6U 2 
are 
