The Columbian informer, or, Cheshire journal — Keene, N.H., 1793-10-09 00:00:00, page 1

OU have entrusted to me the com
irar.d of an army weakened by repeated
defeats. The loss most difficult to be re
,aired is that of the camp of Famars, an
important poffeflion which your Generale
ought never to have abandoned ; and it
might easily have been retained, had they
prevented th'e enemy from surrounding
them. The manoeuvres of the latter were
▼ Sts &ilful as those of your Generals were
bad. Seme of them with whom J conver
ted, resetting the faults which they had
cior^mitted, told me that they requeued
reinforcements from the Convention, but
(that they received no answer; and that as
ihe army at Famars was not strong enough
to resist, they had thought it more prudent
to abandon the camp than to fuffer them
selves to be inclofed. Cur business at
prelent is to repair that loss but this will
no: be easy. 1 doubt much whether I can
Wave Valenciennes^ 1 fhail use my utmost
L endeavors to raise the siege, but 1 can an-
J fwer for nothing —I mull give battle to the
enemy. lam certain that they will not
come to attack me in the pefition in which
l am. I have sent you my plans. 1 must
h<z, more men. 1 could easily make a
~fewer! ul diversion toWeft Flanders, and
^-—^ ^^c, but .p,^^^
leutt mutt be employed lor that expedition,
cite of the elicits of which is to deltroy
the magazines of the enemy, and other
to break the cordon which favors a com
, mcnication between the different parts of
A the Combined Armies. I mult have at
' least 120,000 men under my command,
to be able to attack the Prince of C'o
bourg. I have the means of conveying
intelligence to Valenciennes, ta inform
the garrison at what timsto make a vigor
ous tortie, which I will support. I must
not however, conceal from you, that my
plan depends upon circumstances, and
that a trifling event may render it abor
tive. Its fuccefi will depend upon the bra
very of the troops whom I have under
my command. Those whom I have to
2 combat are encouraged by four months
. 4 success but they arc not invincible. Theii
,7 vidories have ceft them dear without
having conquered us. The whole nation,
then, ought to rifeat this moment, and to
make the utmost efforts to refeue them
selves from slavery, and from the chains
which cur enemies wish to impose upon
us. I promise to die at my post, and not
to return but victorious.”
[On the iqtb ult. arrived at New-York,
the jhip Fhaor,from London, by which
r' ' tie following Interesting Intml
) LICENCE, is received.}
Al&efri zu the ihrnufs of War, «wben he
tvas lately Paris.
[No. 28. of Vol. 1.1
Letter addressi dto Citizen Dupont, Chief
of Brigade, and Adjutant-General of
the First Divifon of the Arty of the
North.
" The power of the leagued Kings has
been dalhing against the walls of Valeo
-0
“ I HAVE good news for you, my
dear DUPONT. I would not be too has
ty in communicating it to you, till it
were daily more and more confirmed
by our (pies and the deserters who come
ever.
GENERAL CUSTINE's SPEECH,
j'oru^u Jnie/lt^cnce.
NATIONAL CONVENTION,
Citizens,
Saturday, July 15.
FRANC E.
“ Head-Quarters at
Cambray July 6.
Printed and Published by HENRY BLAKE, ^ CO. in KEENE; NEw-HAMPshIR E.
Or, C HESHIREJOURNA L.
r%^sft ^ot w^^^^ftw^ft «grt„f% &%^^V^H^ ^,V.e^„-
THE
Columbian Informer;'
ciennes; they may convert that unhappy
city into aheap of allies and ruins; but
they will never subdue the invincible eng
age of its inhabitants, and the republican
soldiers who defend its ramparts. Hila
ry does not furnifh an inftaace of so cruel
a bombardment as this city is doomed to
faffer. For these three weeks past near
*2OO pieces of cannon have played upon
this city both night and day. The gar
rison makes fellies every day, which prove
not less fatal to the enemy, than the loss
of battles.
“ Cobourg, finding that the fire of the
fortrefs flickered, thought it was destitute
of ammunition, and attempted to scale if,
in the night bewteen the sth and 6th.
The Enghih, the Hungarian grenadiers
and Hanoverians were to perform the talk,
by means of barges laden with scaling lad
ders, which were thrown into the foffes—
General Ferrand perceived the enemy's
design, and fuffered them to approach ;
but when they were prepared to throw up
the scaling ladders, he assaulted them in
stantly by a shower ofballs and cafc-fhot,
which lighted upon them in every direc
tion. The number of those who fell vic
tims in this rash enterprize is computed at
6000 men. lam positively sure that Co
bourg was determined to facrifice 5000
men, to secure himfelf in the Ipccefs of
this affaqlt. The afLilants, thus repulsed
took Hight in confufion, and were pursued
into their camps. The explosion of a
mine, which was blown up at the fame
moment at the Rolleaux, completed their
defeat.
" Since th* beginning cf the £gc, the
enemy have loft a great number of can
non, which were taken, f:iked or dis
mounted. An epidemical malady, occa
sioned by the putrid exhalations from the
the woods of Raimes, and the Camp of
Famars, spreads desolation among the
combined armies. The hospital of Mons
and Brussels are not spacious enough to
contain their sick and wounded.
(Signed)
Cherin, Adjutant General.”
Letter from the Coenmiffoners <vitb tie ar
my of the coafli of Rochelle, affembksl in a
General committee.
" We arrived here with the Army yes
terday. The soldiers fuffered much from
the scorching heat, but their spirits are
high. Their desire cf fighting the ene
mies of the Republic, seems to promise us
the happiest successes.—The movement
wc have made in conjunction with West
erman, has really produced a good tf
feft, and prevented the enemy from mak
ing a fielh attack from Nantes. This
city is absolutely delivered from the num
berless hordes who surrounded it. The
rebels seem to have fled to their ancient
dens at Chatillion, Mortagne, and Chol
let. —We (hall not be long to seek them
there.
outrages.".
“ The army of General Canclavx
nowoccupying the right bank of the Loire,
greatly affills ours, and can second our op
creations in the most powerful manner.
Canclaux comes hither with our cob
leagues Merlin and Gillet.—We
Ihail fix our position, and the Generals
will concert their plan of operations.
" You have surely heard tha& West
erman, after the molt confiderabie and
most rapid successes, has been repulsed
from Chatillon. The enemy, terrified
at his boldness and numerous fucceffer, at
tacked him in main force, and routed his
little army. He purchased vi&ory at
a dear rate. This event has made a deep
impression oa us; but it could not damp
our courage, or lesson our hopes. This
check-will only afford a frefh opportunity
to our brothers in arms, of avenging all
WEDNESDAY, October 9, 1793.
" Angers. July 8.
Chabot, —Your Committee had for a
confideraole time been told, that a deep
plot was t, accompany the /e/r of July 14.
It was paily executed yesterday evening ;
and the 6gle point now is, that the offer
ing of that Counter-Revolution in Paris,
on the fame day that its inhabitants ac
quired li . rty. In order to accompany
this, all he Deputies of the Mountain
were to be assassinated ; for which purpose,
the cons, ators of Caen kept up a crim
inal correspondence with their accompli
ces, your colleagues, who still fit in this
Assembly. The day that Charlotte
Corde, the woman who Bruck MARAT
the mortal blow,arrived in Paris, Duper
ret, received a courier extraordinary
from Caen. Who was that courier ? That
very Corde. Duperret communi
cated the dispatches to Fauchet."
“ Fauchet—“ You lie!'
Chabot continued. "It was bn this
account that we yesterday commanded a
decree to put seal upon the papers of two
cf your members. This terrible project
led toothers; for it was not fufficient to
affaflinau the Mountain only, tc eufure
the eftabkfhment cf Federation, and after
wards cf Royalty. The intriguers, and
the cou^ter-revclutionilts had already mil
led the Sections, and caused citizens to
be deputed from Paris to Caea,Bureaux &
Bourdeau^. Others ordered the printing of
the scandalous manifeftos of the Federates.
Your Cot. mittee ought to take vigorous
meafur^ though all its members were to
tab under the poignards of the affafans.
" In causing the affaflination of Ma
rat, the cenfpirators, said the fans Cu
lottes, who were of his way of thinking,
will with to revenge his death.—they will
march to Calvados, they will there meet
men of different opinions A civil war
will commence ; and in the midst cf their
troubles we will eftablilh a Counter Rev
olution. What would this Counter Rev
olution be? It would be the recall of the
intriguers who you have only driven away
in part, for you have taken pity on Fau
chet, who retired during the storm, and
whois only retired to the convention
to intrigue afrclh. These conspirators
were to revi.e your Cooftitution, and leave
the people deflitute of laws,to waste them
selves in anarchy. This was the aim of
their plot.
" A woman has been the firfl inftrumert
of their crimes; this woman who h^s
plunged a knife into Marat's bosom,
items to me to be one of those, who, dur
ing the time of the Legillative Afcmbly,
spoke to M.Gawdet,in favour of the con,
fpirators of Caen. This woman wrote to
Marat thus last Friday : Your civifm
must make you desirous to difeover conspi
rators. I have a very important ore re
communicate to you, and therefore beg
that you will hear me at your house."
She presented hcrfelf their yesterday morn
ing, but not feeing him, left another
note, conceived in these terms :— Have
you received my letter ? if you have re
ceived it, I rest upon your politeness. It
is enough that I am unfortunate to claim
your attention.
" You fee, Citizens, that this female
conspirator rendered justice to the civifm
of Marat—who died as he lived, the con
stant friend of the people. Yefterdzy eve
ning ike again went to his hcufe; and
Marat whose heart has ever made so many
facrifices to humanity, ordered his doors
to be opened to her. She spoke a great
deal to him about the confpirator# who have
fled to Clen. He answered her, that they
would one day lose their heads upon the
fcaffold. At these words (he plunged this
knife int^ his bosom. [Chabot ffiews the
inftrume t.] Marat had only time to fay,
lam dyiig. His servant entered the room,
«d ,^ aery, the people ran to hi; as-
Sunday July 14.
PARTICULARS RESPECTING THE
ASSASSINATION of MARAT.
fiftance. This new Tifiphone went cutwith
audacity ; wasßopt. She might have assas
sinated herfelf, but she did not. When we
I told her that the would lose her'head upon
the fcaffbld, the locked at us with the smile
of mockery. She reckons upon the suc
cess of the traitorous plots c'f Caen, and
doubtless hopes toefcape punishment.
" But citizens, these plots will be de
veloped ; these crimes will be punished.—
The people of Paris are riling ; they al
ready make their enemies tremble [ty/at
fc] ; Aid I dare fay, that before the end
of this week, all the enemies of the Con
stitution will be arretted, and that the moil
guilty will lose their heads.
" In the pockets cf this abominable
woman were found an hundred and fifty
livres in Silver,, and 14c in affignats, a let
ter addrefled to Marat, a passport deliv
ered th# Bth of April by the Municipality
of Caen, her baptismal certificate, a geld
watch, &c. on her neck, the (heath of
the knife, and a writing in the form of an
address to the French people.
The extrafl of her certificate cf bap
tism, dated July 28, 1768, Bates, that
she was born of M. jean Francois Corde,
and Charlotte Codier, his wife.
The Jacobins on account of the death pf
Marat, immediately sffembled.—Noth
ing was determined on that evening : But
on the iph, El.. sa ^ v l^ xfv, :..<!de
manded that the honours of the Panthe
on should be given to this friend of the
people.
Robersfierre opposed this motion,
on the ground that the cfhes of marat
should not be depofned in a place where
crime and virtue where alike refpeded.
" Let us, (fays Roberspierre) make
a hecatcomb (one facrifice) of all enemies
of the Republic—this is the cn!y way to a
venge the death cf the friend of the peo
ple.
Hydtns, a Deputy to the National
Convention, who was imprisoned by the
Counter.Revolutionifts at Lyon, as an
hostage to the accused Deputies, has hung
himfelf, in a fit of despair, by his gar
ters. He ha s left a will, which throws a
good deal of light on federal of the Na
tional Deputies.
PAR!!, JULY 27. The sTaffin cf
Marat was one of those uncommon charac
ters, which Nature, as it were, frames on
purpose for a deed like ho's. The un
fanatic coolness with which fne prepared
and executed this deed, the high-minded
ness and courage which ihe displayed be
fore her judges, and on the fcaffold, went
far beyond the common powers of her sex.
Every circumflance therefore, which con
cerns this extraordinary wema'n, cannot
fail of being interesting.
In the evening of the 17th, the execu
tion of Charlotte Corde, the assassin of
Marat, tool: place in the Place de la Rev
olution. Her undaunted composure in
her last moments, will serve, per
haps, more than her crime, to transmit
her name to posterity. During her inter
rogatory, Ihe astonished the judges, and
the fpe&ators, by her calm, decent anl
onDefied deportment ; and even on
ft approach of cfea/h; fne expressed
herfelf with the greeted ease, and in
terms of pleafsrtry. She abfolutel, re
fufed the affiflance of a Confeffor. In the
cart which carried her to the place of exe
cution, and even on the fctfold, her air
and motions were graceful and decent.—
She placed her head without any visible
emotion, under the fatal instrument which
fevered it from her body—the most pro
found silence was observed. The execu-
This woman went in the morning to
Legendre's house ; but he refufed to fee
her, She said that she could not be guilty
of two murders, and that it was neccfiar,
to begin wi'j Marat.
THURSDAY, July 16.
[Whole No. 28.]