Letter of Jourdan, General in Chief of the Army of the Sambre and Meufe, to the Soldiers which compofed that Army. BRAVE SOLDIERS, THE account of the victories which your brothers in arms of the army of Italy have obtained has reached you. I am perfuaded that, by this recital, your patriotifm and your courage are inflamed afresh. An occafion will foon prefent itfelf to fignalife both the one and the other, and to render you worthy rivals of thofe heroes who have marched to the conqueft of Italy. The whole world have their eyes upon you, in expectation of fome grand achievement on your part; the Republic reckons on your valour, and I reckon on it fufficiently to be convinced, that you will add fresh laurels to thofe you have already gathered. (Signed) 14th Prairial, (2 June.) JOURDAN. Extract of a Letter from the Conful of the Republic at Corunna, directed to the Minifter of the Marine, the 20th Prairial, (June 8) 4th Year. ANOTHER horrible outrage against the laws of nations has been committed by the Englith; but happily, crimes never remain unpunished. Yefterday, the 29th, the Enterprise armed corfair, Captain Valence, bound for St. Jean de Luz, was failing along fhore in fight of this port, when, in contempt of the edict of the King of Spain, of the 3d of January laft, declaring, that no fhip of war fhould go out of the port for the purpofe of attacking veffels that were in fight, one out of the two English loops of war, which I informed you were here at anchor, fet fail, and gave chace to the corfair. The latter, too inferior in point of ftrength, and near being taken by the enemy, ran afhore, and her crew had the good fortune to be faved. The English, after approaching within a piftol fhot of the corfair as the lay aground, and having fired above fixty rounds of cafe-fhot at her, part of which fell upon the Spanish coaft, the ferocious English dispatched their long boat, with fourteen men, to carry off the prize: and then the punishment of their crime firft awaited them. A few moments after the fourteen men boarded the corfair, an explosion, produced by a match artfully placed, blew up eleven or twelve of the English, and two loft their legs and arms. It is now the duty of our brave marines and the Spaniards to put a finishing ftroke to our cominon vengeance. I wrote accordingly to the general of the armies at Corunna, so demand fatisfaction in the name of the French Republic. Arret Arret iffued by the Minifter of the Marine of the French Republic. THE minifter of the marine and the colonies haftens to affure the public, that the rumours circulated about Toulon are utterly void of foundation: that the letters which he has lately received, and particularly thofe of yefterday, fpeak only of the hatred which the failors loudly exprefs againft the English government, and of the inceffant vigilance of the civil and military offi cers, against the traitors of every mafk, and of every colour; that the most ftri&t precautions are obferved to prevent all communication between the French and English fishermen; that there is even an exprefs order not to permit any flag of truce of the enemy to come within the port; and that the moft precife directions are renewed on the only two means of communication which are permitted. The minifter intreats the directors of journals to give no credit to loofe reports that may tend to replunge Toulon in the abyfs of anarchy and of factions; and he engages, in every thing which has relation to his office, to give them information previous to his announcing news of this kind. June 19. Addrefs of General Hoche to the Army of the Coafts of the Ocean. Head-Quarters at Rennes, 25th Prairial, (June 13) 4th Year. IN the hope of defeating the effect of the vigilance we exercise, of impofing on the good faith which animates us, and of obtaining either a delay favourable to his perfidious defigns, or more advantageous conditions, the individual named Puifaye, calling himfelf commander in chief of the pretended Catholic army, has made, by his agents to feveral general officers of the army, various infignificant and infidious demands and propofitions, tending to commit them in the eyes of the government. The commander in chief, who has for a long time known and difconcerted the atrocious plots of this agent of England, warns his brothers in arms to be on their guard, and to follow with precifion what is pointed out to them in the orders of the 17th and 18th inft. He at the fame time recommends to them the greateft activity, and the literal execution of the mandate of the Executive Directory, on the fubject of the difarming of the inhabitants. (Signed) L. HOCHE. 1 Orders given by General Buonaparte to the Conful of the French Republic at Leghorn, 10th Meffidor, (June 28.) THE Conful of the French Republic fhall put the feals upon all the magazines belonging to the English, to the Emperor, to the Empress of Ruffia, and in general to all the princes or fubjects of the ftates with which we are at war; he shall make an inventory of the goods. He fhall take all fteps, adopt all measures, and employ all neceffary means to difcover the merchandize which may have been depofited with the different merchants at Leghorn-of that property he shall take poffeffion. (Signed) BUONAPARTE. In execution of the order of the General, the Conful of the French Republic invites all the inhabitants of the city of Leghorn and its environs, of whatever nation and quality they may be, who poffefs, under the name of depofit, or any other name, effects, merchandize, filver, gold, money, jewels, horfes, furniture, &c. belonging to the fubjects of Great Britain, the Empire, Ruffia, or other enemies of the Republic, to deliver in the courfe of to-morrow, 12th Meffidor (June 30, old style), to the Conful himself, a detailed account, and true declaration, of the effects and fums of money which belong to the above-mentioned states, enemies of the Republic. Thofe who have contracted with the enemies of the Republic in any manner and form foever, are equally to make their declaration to the Conful of the Republic, which is to serve simply as a neceffary measure to the examination of them. The Conful particularly invites the French to point out to him the effects hidden, depofited, or alienated by pretended fales, or in any other manner-no motive for retaining them shall be admitted, because it is proved, that the French citizens have been at different times despoiled or injured by the blind measures of the enemies of the Republic in the port of Leghorn, and that even force and violence have been employed. It is, therefore, the most legitimate right of reprifal which the French Republic exerts, and a reftitution of its property, equally juft, which it claims to-day, conformably to the right of all nations. As foon as the declarations have been made, measures shall be taken to ascertain their exactness, and to affure the fequeftration of the said effects. Thofe who fhall neglect making declarations, or fhall make them incomplete, will expofe themselves to fevere researches, and to the fatal confequences which, out of regard to their own intereft, they ought not to subject themselves to. The The intention of the General in Chief is, that all the property' of the enemies of the Republic be delivered into the hands of the Republic as prizes taken by fea; in confequence, and by this confideration, all refearches, all trials, all condemnations, are attached to the confular jurifdiction. Leghorn, 11th Meffidor (June 29), fourth year of the Republic. Buonaparte, Commander in Chief of the Army of Italy, to his Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Head-quarters at Piftoja, June 26. THE flag of the French Republic is conftantly infulted in the port of Leghorn. The property of the French merchants is violated there; every day is marked by fome attempt against France, as contrary to the interefts of the Republic as to the law of nations. The Executive Directory have repeatedly preferred their complaints to the minifter of your Royal Highness at Paris, who has been obliged to avow that it is impoffible for your Royal Highness to reprefs the English, and to maintain a neutrality in the port of Leghorn. This confeffion immediately convinced the Executive Directory, that it was their duty to repel force by force, to make their commerce refpected, and they ordered me to fend a divifion of the army under my command to take poffeffion of Leghorn. I have the honour to inform your Royal Highnefs, that on the 7th inft. (25th June) a divifion of the army entered Leghorn: their conduct there will be conformable to thofe principles of neutrality which they have been fent to maintain. The flag, the garrifon, the property, and your Royal Highness and his people, fhall be fcrupulously refpe&ted. I am, moreover, inftructed to affure your Royal Highness of the defire of the French government, to witnefs a continuation of the friendship which unites the two ftates, and of their conviction that your Royal Highness, confcious of the exceffes daily committed by the English hips, which you cannot prevent, will applaud the juft, ufeful, and neceffary measures adopted by the Executive Directory. I am, With esteem and confideration, BUONAPARTE. 5 Anfwer Anfwer to the above Letter. HIS Royal Highness is conscious of having nothing to reproach himself with relative to his frank, candid, and friendly conduct towards the French Republic and his fubjects. A fovereign in friendship with the Republic cannot but regard, with the most extraordinary furprife, the orders given to your Excellency from the Directory. His Royal Highness will not refift the execution of them by force, but will preferve the good understanding with the Republic, ftill flattering himfelf with the hope that your Excellency will, on better information, revoke your prefent refolves. Should it not be in your Excellency's power to delay the entrance of your troops into Leghorn till further orders, the governor of that place has full powers to agree with you upon terms. This I am ordered, by my fovereign's exprefs command, to communicate to you, with that refpect in which I have the honour to remain, &c. (Signed) Florence, June 26, 1796. VITTORIO FOSSOMBRONI, Head-quarters at Leghorn, June 29. General Buonaparte to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. ROYAL HIGHNESS, AN hour before we entered Leghorn, an English frigate carried off two French fhips, worth 500,000 livres. The governor fuffered them to be taken under the fire of his batteries, which was contrary to the intention of your Royal Highness, and the neutrality of the port of Leghorn. I prefer a complaint to your Royal Highness against this governor, who, in his whole conduct, difplays a decided hatred against the French. He yesterday endeavoured, at the moment of our arrival, to make the people rife up against us; there is no kind of ill treatment that he did not make our advanced guard experience. I should, doubtlefs, have been juftified in bringing him to trial before a military commiffion; but from refpect for your Royal Highness, intimately convinced of the fpirit of justice which directs all your actions, I preferred fending him to Florence, where, I am perfuaded, you will give orders to have him punished feverely. I muft, at the fame time, return my thanks to his Royal Highness, for his goodnefs in appointing General Straraldo to fupply the army with every thing that was neceffary. He has acquitted himfelt with equal zeal and fuccefs. BUONAPARTE. |