1796.] Public Affairs-France. of his army took the village and bridge of Cerea. But fome part of the French troops taking a wrong route, general WURMSER was enabled to retake both the village and the bridge. BUONAPARTE marched himself thither upon the first report of cannon, but it was too late. "We muft," faid he "make a bridge of gold to an enemy which flies, or oppofe a barrier of fteel." The Auftrians then made good their retreat, who, from all calculation, would otherwife have been obliged that day to have laid down their arms and furrendered themselves prifoners. WURMSER defiled all the night of the 11th towards Mantua, with fuch rapidity, that in the morning he arrived early at Nogara. He learned that the bridges of the Molinella were cut down, and that a French divifion waited for him at Caftellaro. He perceived that it would be imprudent to force Ceftellaro, because at the dawn the French were in purfuit of him; but the Auftrian gencral defiled by the bridge of Villa Inipenta, and defeated their intention. General ANGEREAU ariving on the 10th of September before Porto Legnago, invested the place. General MASSENA difpatched thither the brigade of General VICTOR, to inveft it on the fide of the Adize; and after fome parley, the garrifon, 1673 strong, furrendered themfelves prifoners of war. The French found there 22 pieces of field ordnance, and the 500 men made prifoners by general WURMSER, in the battle of Cerea, who by thefe means were delivered. On the 14th of September the divifion of general MASSENA fet out at daybreak from Caftellaro, towards Mantua, by the road of Deu Caftelli, in order to feize the Fauxbourg St. George, and thus compel the Auftrians to enter the place. The engagement began at noon, and the Auftrians defeated the French, with fome lofs. General MASSENA took, on the night of the 14th, a pofition behind. On the morrow, at day-break, the French learnt that the Auftrians had drawn out nearly all the garrifon of Mantua to defend two important pofts, called the Favourite, and St. George; and by this bold measure to preferve the means of procuring forage for their numerous cavalry. At two o'clock in the afternoon, general BoN attacked the Auftrians pofted before St. George, on the left of the French army. The French generals PIGEON, VICTOR, and MONTHLY MAG. No. IX. 747 KILMAINE, marched by the right to pafs the Auftrians. The battle began on all fides with great fpirit, but the French in a fhort time penetrated the centre of the Auftrians, and carried St. George, and took 3000 prifoners, with 25 pieces of cannon. Various reports have been in circulation fince thefe difpatches arrived, intimating a change of fortune which has happened to this enterprifing general; but as they were ftill unfanctioned by official authority, when this fheet was committed to the prefs, we have not prefumed to infert them. On the 12th of September the archduke CHARLES, leaving a confiderable corps in referve, at Windecken, marched with the main body to Friedberg. From thence general KRAY pushed on with a ftrong advanced guard towards Wetzlar, on the approach of which the French abandoned the town, and took poft on the heights behind it. General HOTZE was detached at the fame time towards Weilbourg, but was not able to render himself mafter of the place. The Archduke, whose chief operation feemed hitherto to be directed towards Wetzlar, now turned to the left, and following the great road to Limbourg, encamped on the 14th near Weyer. His object was to penetrate the centre of the French line, at the points of Limbourg and Dietz, whilft general KRAY turned it by the left, from Wetzlar, and general MILIEU kept in check the right, pofted near Naffau. The Archduke found general JOURDAN very advantageously pofted, and in confiderable force, on the heights in front of Limbourg, with an apparent intention of difputing the paffage of the Lahn; he therefore judged it advifable to defer the attack till the cooperation of general NEU was more certain, and till more troops fhould arrive. On the 16th, the Archduke advanced against the front of general JOURDAN'S pofition, whilft general NEV, from Kirberg, turned it. JoURLAN, who perceiving himself in danger of being cut off, abandoned the heights with precipitation, and being clofely purfued, was obliged to take fhelter behing the Lahn, leaving the Auftrians mafters of Dietz and Limbourg. The Tirailleurs defended themfelves in the fuburbs of the latter with fo much obitinacy, that night came on before it was poffible to diflodge them. From the refiftance made at Limbourg, the Archduke was in hopes 5 C that that the French meant to rifque an action, in the pofition of Hadamar; and, in confequence, the whole army affembled before day-break, on the 17th, betwixt Dietz and Limbourg, from which points it was determined that a general attack fhould be made. A very thick mitt, which prevailed in the morning, prevented the troops from advancing fo early as was intended; and when it cleared away, the French were feen in full retreat, and already at fuch a diftance as to leave no hope of bringing them to action. They abandoned fucceffively, in the courfe of the day, all their posts on the Lahn; thofe of the left and centre retiring toward the Sieg, and the divifion of the right, and the corps which blockaded Ehrenbreitftein, throwing themfelves into the Tete de Pont, Neuwied, and the intrenchments on the left bank of the Rhine. The Auftrian troops paffed the Lahn in pursuit of the French. General KRAY was op the 19th at Herboon, and puthed on towards Delenbourg and Siegen. The French, in the mean time, made great exertions to fortify themfcives in Neuwied. It was faid at this time that great diforders prevailed in geheral JOURDAN'S army; to great, indeed, that he thought it neceffary to demand extraordinary powers of the directory, without which it would be impoffible to refore difcipline and fubordination. This requeft was faid to be not only refufed by the directory, but he himself was removed from the command, which was conferred upon general BOURNON VILLE. On the 19th of September lieutenantgeneral HoTZE, in advancing towards Hochftebach, found means to bring on an action with the rear guard of the French, which terminated in favour of the Auftrians. MARCEAU, a French general of divifion, and diftinguished for his bravery and conduct, was wounded and taken prifoner; he foon after died of his wounds, and received from his enemies the honours due to a brave man. A confiderable corps of Auftrians, drawn from the garrifons of Manheim and Philipfburg, and reinforced by a detachment of cavalry, under count MERFELDT, advanced, in the time, into the margraviate of Baden, and met with fome fuccefs. They furprized and difperfed the corps which the French had left in that country; made a number of prifoners, and took and deftroyed a quantity of baggage and ammunition. While fuch were the operations of the detached corps, an opinion prevailed in the army of the Archduke, that the French, under general JOURDAN, intended to make a ftand in the pofition of Ukerath. On the 21ft, however, he received information that only a rear guard of the French remained on the Sieg; the main body having taken the direction of Duffeldorf, whilst two divifions of the right wing had actually croffed the Rhine, at Bonn. The Archduke now faw himself at liberty to undertake his projected operations towards the Upper Rhine, and he immediately made arrangements for that purpofe. Lieutenant-general WEMESH receiv ed orders to advance, on the 22d, to Ukerath and the Sieg, and at the fame time the Archduke began his march towards the Mein. He croffed that river on the 25th, 2nd, leaving à confiderable referve cantoned betwixt Mentz and Franck fort, proceeded towards the Upper Rhine. Prior to this movement of the Archduke, the Auftrians had an unfortunate affair at Thehl, on the 17th. They-attacked that place in two columns, and were at firft fuccefsful. The French were driven from the town and fort with great lofs, and forced to take refuge on the other fide of the Rhine. Unluckily, the commanding officer of one of the Auftrian columns was killed, and that of the other taken prifoner; and the troops, deprived of their leaders, fell into the greatcft confufion; whilft the French, having received a reinforcement from Srafbourg, paffed the bridge, which the Auftrians had neglected to destroy, and retook the fortrefs. The difafters and difficulties which general MOREAU has lately experienced have been confiderable; but we have little authentic information relative to his operations at prefent. On the 10th and 11th of September, it appears, he quitted his pofition on the left bank of the Yfer. General LA TOUR followed him closely, and was, on the 12th, at Pfaffenhoven. As general MOREAU feemed to direct his march towards Neuburg, where it was fuppofed he would pafs the Danube, general NOUENDORF Croffed the river below that place, in order to watch his motions; and on the 14th had an engagement with his rear guard, in which the Auftrians were faid to have taken 1000 prifoners. On the 17th of September, however, general MOREAU made a forward move ment, " 1796.] Public Affairs.-Italy... Weft-Indies... America. ment, drove in the Auftrian out-pofts, and extended his line as far as Landfberg on the Leck. General FROLIG advanced on the 19th to Ifny, where he defeated the French, made 500 prifoners, and difperfed the reft of the corps in the woods, and thus the right of MOREAU was completely defeated. General NOUENDORFF in the mean time had advanced with a confiderable corps to Nordlingen, whence he moved, and took a pofition, on the 20th, at Do. nainwert. His parties extended to Ulm and Gemund. Under thefe circumftances general MOREAU felt the neceffity of retreating. In the night of the 20th, he repaffed the Leck, at Augfburgh and Rain; on the 22d, his head quarters were at Weifsonhom, and he directed his retreat towards Ulm. On the 22d fix French commiffaries, and all the people belonging to the bread department, were taken upon the road leading from Ulm towards Conftadt and Stutgard. They had been forward at the two laft mentioned places to prepare bread for general MOREAU's army From this circumftance the Auftrians concluded that he defigned to crofs the Danube at Ulm, and retreat, by Stutgard and Constadt, towards Kehl. But major-general NOUENDORFF advancing from the neighbourhood of Nerlingen, arrived before Ulm time enough to fruftrate general MOREAU's defign; fo that when, on the 23d, a strong column of the French defiled out of the town, they found the heights, commanding the road towards Stutgard, already occupied, and did not attempt to force them. The next day, the Auftrians attacked this corps, and drove it back to the gates of Ulm. General MOREAU finding himfelf in this fituation, abandoned Ulm on the 26th, and proceeded along the left bank of the Danube as far as Erbach, where he again croffed the river, and was fuppofed to direct his retreat towards the forefttown. On the laft day of September. he arrived near Buchau, where, carly in the morning, he was attacked by the Auftrians at all points. The battle lafted the whole day; but the event of it is fpoken of doubtfully. After the battle general MOREAU Continued his march towards the Rhine, without lofing any of his artillery or baggage. ITALY. A courier, from Paris, arrived at Rome in September, and brought intelligence that the executive directory infifted on a formal retractation of the briefs iffued 749 by his Holiness against the civil conftitution of the clergy; and in this view they have dictated the following form: "Some common enemies having induced me to publifh briefs, which, in point of principle and effect, are repugnant to the rights of nations, I do difapprove and revoke the fame. "PIUS VI." Citizen Cacault, at Rome, received, about the end of Auguft, the answer he expected from Naples, purporting that his Sicilian majefty difclaimed any intention of entering the ecclefiaftical ftate in a hoftile manner; though, for want of fufficient accommodation for his numerous army in his own dominions, he had quartered a few troops at Ponte Corro. He alfo denied his having any intention of violating the armiftice with France but at the fame time declared, that if the enemies of Naples entered the pope's dominions, he will enter them likewife. This answer, couched in haughty and ambiguous language, was generally thought to indicate a rupture. a BRITISH AMERICA AND WEST- Notwithstanding the refpectability of our naval force," while that of the enemy remained fhut up in their ports," RICHERY, found means to pafs unnoFrench fquadron, under admiral ticed to Newfoundland, to capture feveral fhips, to do almoft infinite damage to the inhabitants in the Bay of Bulls, and other places, from whence he is faid to have departed, in order to fearch for farther booty. From our Weft-India inflands little elfe has been lately heard of but the difcafes and death of the British troops. UNITED STATES. One-third of the legislature go out on the 4th of March next, and a very active canvafs is already begun by those who wish to become their fucceffors. The prefident's term of office expires alfo on that day. It is expected that he will be re-elected without oppofition; and his friends affert, in contradiction to the report of his intention of retiring from office, that in cafe he is re-elected he will continue to ferve. In September, a terrible fire broke out at Quebec, which at firft menaced the whole city with deftruction. The church and convent of the Recolets were burnt down. It stopped towards Mount Carmel, after having entirely confumed 13 or 14 houfes, among which are two belonging to Chief Justice Monk. 5 C2 BIOGRAPHICAL BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF EMINENT CHARACTERS LATELY DECEASED ABROAD. AT St. Domingo, Lieat. C. Clarke, of the 21ft regiment of uragoons, fon of Dr. C. of Louth, Line sinthire. Lieut. A. Mackenzie, of the 21t reg of light dragoons. Lieut.-Col. G Legard, of the 69th reg. of foot. Aged 26, Capt. T. Steade, of the 21ft reg. of light dragoons. Lieut. C. Pennyman, of the 56th reg. of fot, fon of Sir J. P. bart. 19, Mr. J. de Raymond, fu gcon, of the 82d reg. of foot, fon of Mr. de R. of Whitehaven, who befides being deprived of large property in France, has recently loft two fons in the fervice of this country; Mr W. de R. aged 21, his eldest fon, having been killed on board the Stag, in which he was a mid hieman, in an engagement with the Alliance Dutch frigate. At St. Pierre, Martinique, Lieut. P. Anftruther, of the navy, son of Sir R. A. bart. of Balcafkie. On his paffage home from the West Indies, Col Howe, M.P. for Yarmouth, aid-de-camp to his M jetty, Col. of the 63d reg. of foot, and nephew to Sir. Stevens, bart. On his paffage from New York, E. Butler, efq. of Bath, brother to Sir R. B. of the kingdom of Ireland. In th Weft-Indies, 22, Lieut. H. Day, of the Old Buffs, fon of B. D. cfq. Alderman of Norwich. In the Island of St. Vincent, Lieut. John Graflick, of the 2d West India regiment. At Gibraltar, Capt. W. Brifbane, of the Aurora, ftationed there, fon of Admiral B. From fome appearances after his death, it is fuppofed that he was poifoned by the prifoners under his charge on board. On his paffage from the Weft Indies, Major R. H. Malcolme, of the 27th regiment. On Sunday morning, July 10th, after a very fevere illnefs of a few days, aged 64, Dr. Rittenhouse, Prefident of the American Philofophical Society Dr. Rittenhouse was a native of America, and born at a time when the advantages of a liberal education were far from being free to all. He feems to have purfued alone the energetic impulfe of his own mind in deftining himself, at an early period of his life, to fcientific pursuits. As his circumstances were narrow, he was not liberated from the labours of active life, he united the proeffions of a farmer and a watch-maker, the last of which he filled with unrivalled eminence. Some of its nicer operations continued to be his favourite mode of relaxation during all the fubfequent periods of his life, of which many friends poffefs invaluable teftimonials. In 1769, he was called by the American Philofophical Society, in affociation with other gentlemen, to obferve the tranfit of Venus; and the accuracy which characterifed the obfervations and calculations he made, was the refult of great powers of me chanifm, aided by comprehenfive and correct During the American war, which produced the firmeft alliance between freedom and fcience, from a fenfe of common danger, the philofopher did not claim an exemption from the duties of patriotifm. Accuftomed to kindle with enthusiasm in contemplating the fublimities of fcience, he could not behold the magnificent fpectacle of a nation afferting its rights without blending the feelings of a humane heart, and the thoughts of an enlightened head, with the feelings and thoughts of the patriot and the ftatesman. During the arduous conteft, as well as during the whole progrefs of the French Revolution, he thought like a freeman, he spoke like a freeman, he acted like a fre man. Since the American war, he fucceffively filled the offices of treasurer of the State of Pennfylvania, and director of the na-. tional mint: in the first of which he manifested inflexible integrity, and in the laft, the rare talent of combining theories in fuch a way as to produce correct practical effects. Thofe who ha e minds to effimate the great difficulties attending the performance of fuch duties, will do juftice to the talents which discharged them, and as to thofe who have not the capacity requifite, their cenfure is praife. Rittenhoufe was the fecond prefident, the fucceffor of the illuftrious Franklin, whofe greatnefs he delighted to acknowledge, and whose fame he contributed to enlarge, by correct and frequent eulogium. After being careffed by a grateful country in the bofom of honour, Rittenhouse yielded to the folicitations of a private life, and fpent his last days in philofophic retirement. There we behold him 'the object of love, admiration, and reverence. The amiable graces of domeftic virtue fhed, perhaps, a milder and a more conftant luftre over his character than the vivid flashes of fcience and the dead energies of intellect. Here he felt content, nor feemed to with for more. In his intercourfes of friendfhip, fincerity and fimplicity went hand in hand. A ftranger to the too common arrogance of high pretentions, he met every man on the ground of friendly reciprocity. Feeling a fuperior attachment to those who propagated fcience, he did not conceal the eftimation in which he held them. He was among the first to welcome to America the perfecuted philofopher of England, and formed with him an intimacy which only required time to be cemented into a lafting friendship. At Cold-Spring, Wefthaven, in NorthAmerica, in the 76th year of his age, the Green Mountain patriarch, patriot, and poet, Thomas Rowley, efq. He moved into Vermont, then called the New Hampshire Grunts, in a very early day, with a young growing family, who have fince fpread themselves very extensively. He took a decided part with Allen and Warner, not only in the field, but in council, in the oppofition 1796.] Biographical Notices.-Gen. Marceau, &c. pofition to the arbitrary proceedings against the people inhabiting this territory. He reprefented the town where he lived in affemblies and conventions, and held the office of justice of the peace for Rutland county, until in his advanced age he removed out of it. As a poet, he was poffeffed of a happy genius, and diftinguished himself in many popular American publications. -Smith's New World; or, Morning and Evening Gazette. In the 27th year of his age, of his wounds, at Alterke chin, in Germany, Lieutenant-Gen. Marceau, in the fervice of the French Republic, on the 5th complementary day (Quintidi, fetê des recompences) being the last day but one of the 4th year, according to the calendar of his native country, which anfwers to the 21ft of Sept. 1796, with us. Among the innumerable calamities incident to warfare, one, and that too not the leaft lamentable, is the premature death of many of thofe illuftrious men who smooth the rugged furface of a state, deemed by philofophers, little better than legalized murder; and, in fome measure, recompence human nature, for the multiplied miferies to which he is unnaturally fubjected. The prefent conteft exhibits numerous inftances of this kind, in the armies of all the belligerent powers; and in none, more particularly than in the perfon of him who is the fubject of this brief memorial. General Marceau was born in 1769, and was confequently, but twenty years old, at the commencement of the Revolution. In common with almost every Frenchman not of the privileged orders, and, to their honour be it fpoken, of many alfo born within the pale of nobility, he felt that his country was enílaved and rejoiced at the profpect of beholding the liberties of his nation vindicated. On the impolitic intervention of the Emperor Leopold, he burned to revenge, what he deemed the infult offered to the independence of France. He accordingly entered into the army, and made his fift campaign in Brabant: Mirabeau repented until the laft moment of his exiftence, that he had drawn his maiden-fword against the free-born Corficans; while Marceau, on the other hand, and all the patriots of that day, gloried in the profpect of rescuing the Flemings from the iron yoke of Auftria. After fighting under a conflitutional King, a new epoch occurred in the history of France and of Europe, and the army which had acquired nothing but difgrace under a feeble and wavering reprefentative of monarchy, in the person of Louis XVI, following the memorable example of the camp at Maulde, readily fwore obedience to a commonwealth.The youthful hero perceived that the happinefs, at least the glory of France, as well as his own advancement, were intimately connected with the change: he was thus attached to the new government, both by patriotifm and ambition, which will be allowed to be no common motive, in the hiftory either of nations or individuals. In addition to this, he was friendly, even by education, to the tranfition, for he had 751 just come from the fchools, where, notwithftanding the advice of Hobbes, after the civil war in England, a monaftic order ftill condefcended to teach the claffics; and with them, unwillingly infufed a portion of that kindred fpirit, which illumined and dignified the histories of Greece and Italy. The ftruggles of Athens and of Rome for liberty were familiar to him; and the crimes and expulfion of the Tarquin race pointed out, and, in a nearly fimilar fituation, fanctioned, in his mind, the profecution of the dynaity of the Bourbons. With principles fuch as thefe, added to dauntlefs intrepidity, unabating exertion, and military skill, it is not to be wondered that his rife was rapid, and his promotion certain. Soon after the breaking out of the war of La Vendée, by far the most calamitous of any, Marceau was fent thither, with the rank of general of brigade. There he had to contend, not against difcipline, fuch as he afterwards encountered during two campaigns on the banks of the Rhine, but fomething infinitely more terrible-it was fanaticifm, which, clad in canvafs, and wooden fhoes, and armed at first with nothing more formidable than clubs and pikes, encountered and defeated veteran troops. Such were the royal and catholic armies,' the avengers of the crown,' the league of Jefus," the band of the holy and immaculate Virgin,' names that imply but feebly the fuperftition of the sturdy and ignorant peafantry who compofed them. Against fuch enemies, it was almoft impoffible to fucceed in an offenfive war; and, indeed, they were never completely overthrown, until other means were employed for their fubjugation. Yet, notwithstanding this, fuch was the reputation of young Marceau, that he was appointed, in the 25th year of his age, as general in chief, ad interim, of the army employed against the infurgents in La Vendée; and Turreau, whom he superfeded, bears ample testimony to his merit, in his Memoires, although a misunderstanding actually fubfited betweed them. At the period we are now treating of, there were no lefs than three commanders in chief, and three intermediate ones, nominated within the space of three months, fome of whom exchanged the baton for the axe, and were dragged from their own head quarters to the fcaffold. Marceau was more fortunate. On the appointment of a fuperior officer, he was invited to repair to the army of the North, which happened at that critical period, to be earning laurels on the frozen waters of the Rhine, the Waal, 'and the Polders, and canals of Holland, under the famous Pichegru. It is not a little memorable, that the joint ages of thefe youthful commanders, did not at that time exceed fifty-feven, a time of life, which before this eventful period, fcarcely entitled a foldier to become a her: it is to be obferved alio, that the Prince de Cobourg, Duke of Brunswick, Generals Wurmfer, Beaulieu, and in fhort, all the veterans, grown hoa y under arms, have been beaten by fchoolboys like thefe. The fuccefs of this army was truly aftonishing, |