Historical Epochs of the French Revolution Part 10

11. Festival of Reason, in the cathedral of Paris.

A woman is appointed to receive the homage there which is denied to the Deity.

12. The royalists of La Vendee continue their successes.

The Piedmontese still unsuccessful, losing their camp and stores at La Magdeleine.

The national vengeance is at length glutted with the blood of the inhabitants of Lyons; between 2 and 3000 persons have been ma.s.sacred by tying them together, and firing upon them with case-shot; and the sabre finished those whose wounds were not mortal.

Fort-Louis surrenders to the allies. 200 persons are guillotined at Strasbourg for hesitating to pay their proportion of a sum ordered to be raised in that city within 24 hours.

Collot d'Herbois and Foucher, commissioners at Lyons, write, that the work of destruction goes on too slow. Mines and fires are necessary to forward the demolition of so great a city.

The allies make a sally from Toulon, kill 2000 French, destroy the works, and take eleven pieces of cannon.

Manuel and Ca.s.sy, members of the convention, and Generals Houchard and Brunet, are guillotined.

18. Thuriot, Chabot, Bazire, L'Aunay, all deputies, are imprisoned. Chamfont cuts his throat. Several actions near b.i.t.c.he, between the French and Prussians; the latter are forced to retire.

On the other hand the French lose 8000 men in an action against Wurmser.

The Sardinians after two actions are forced to retreat.

Monsieur Lavordy, formerly comptroller of finances, guillotined.

26. The Vendeans beat the republicans, and take the post of Austrain.

The Sardinians under General Brentano repulse the French.

The Spaniards obtain a victory.

Chambon, member of the convention, mayor of Paris at the King's ma.s.sacre, is put out of the protection of the law, and killed by the inhabitants of Tulle, among whom he had taken refuge.

Gen. La Morbiere is guillotined.

27. The royalists of La Vendee take several towns in Brittany; on the 19th they take Granville, but evacuate it.

Barnave, a deputy to the first a.s.sembly, one of the, authors of the revolution, and Duport, then minister of justice, guillotined.

29. Project to erect a monument upon the Pont-Neuf, representing the people as giants.

The convention receives from all parts the letters of priesthood from the intruders.

Decreed, that a munic.i.p.al officer with a red bonnet shall inter the dead.

Robespierre declaims against the eagerness with which they set about the work of destroying religion.

A deputation of women appears at the bar with the red bonnet.

Decree, offering rewards to every abjuring priest.

At Rochefort and other cities the pictures and books of the churches are burned.

St. Domingo taken by the English.

The orator of the students of the republican school comes to the bar, to a.s.sure the convention that he and his comrades detest G.o.d.

Remonstrances of Mr. Drake, the British minister, to the Senate of Genoa on the subject of neutrality.

A member informs the convention that ten thousand firelocks are made in Paris daily.

Decreed, that a colossal statue be erected in Paris 46 feet high, with the rights of man and the const.i.tutional act for a pedestal.

Furious declamation of Robespierre against the British government.

30. General O'Hara, commander at Toulon, taken prisoner by the French.

The inhabitants of Marly send to the convention all the precious effects of the palace of Marly, and all the iron of the famous works of that place.

Decreed, that all the lakes and marshes of the republic be dried, and sowed with grain of various sorts.

_Dec_. 1. The Jacobins of Nantes drown 90 priests destined for Guiana, by sinking the ship in which they were embarked.

Madame du Barry, the Duke Chatelet, the two Rabauts, members of the convention, Kersaint and Noel, members also, are all guillotined. The ex-minister Claviere kills himself in prison.

One hundred and fifty persons guillotined at Dunkirk.

The festival of an a.s.s celebrated at Lyons, in derision of religious worship.

Collot d'Herbois informs the convention of the ma.s.sacres which he has executed at Lyons.

The right wing of the Austrian army takes 1200 prisoners, and kills 1700.

The Prince of Conde takes 7 cannon, and kills 1300 men.

The Duke of Brunswick kills takes and (sic) 6000 men.

3. Wurmser defeats the army opposed to him, kills 10,000, and makes 5,000 prisoners.

4. The French evacuate Deux-Ponts, having lost immense numbers of men and of artillery.

Raymond le Veuve is guillotined at Bourdeaux (sic).

The French attack the Austrian and Prussian armies almost daily, and are constantly repulsed with loss.

11. The French, notwithstanding their constant losses continue to attack the lines of the allies. They lose 5000 in an attack near Haguenau.

Valadi is discovered and guillotined.

12. The royalists are defeated with great loss near Mans.

In an action near La Guerche, the Vendeans kill 7000 republicans, and take their artillery.

Birateau, member of the convention, guillotined at Bourdeaux.

The festival of reason celebrated in all cities of France, as in Paris.

Madame de Villette, niece of Voltaire, dies on the scaffold.

14. The French make an attack on the posts of the allies on the side of Courtray, and are repulsed.

The general, with his aid-du-camp (sic) and staff to the number of 25, are arrested at Lisle.

16. The French again attack the lines of Gen. Wurmser, and are again repulsed with great loss.

18. The royalists of La Vendee are again victorious near Concale.

Toulon is retaken by the republicans, its name is changed on the motion of Barrere, to that of the "Port of the Mountain."

Letter of Chabot from the prison of the Luxemburg to the convention.

20. The Duke of Brunswick, near Weissembourg defeats the French army, kills 10,000, and takes their camp and baggage with 47 pieces of artillery.

Rejoicings in Paris on account of the retaking of Toulon.

The French, after having so often attacked the allies with great loss, and returned as often to harra.s.s (sic) them still, at length carry their point. They take 16 cannon, kill 500 men, and recover the strong lines of Weissembourg.

27. The allies raise the siege of Landau.

1794.

_Jan_. 1. The representatives of the people, in order to get rid of prisoners in La Vendee direct that all of them be thrown into the Loire.

2. The island of Noirmoutier is retaken by the republicans; 800 royalists are killed and 1200 are made prisoners.

3. The old marshal Luckner, and the son of General Custine, guillotined.

4. Eight hundred emigrants perish in crossing the Rhine.

The States of Brabant require great contributions for the expence of the war.

Bourdon de L'Oise complains, that the minister is still too monarchical, and he demands that one purely republican be appointed.

The Prince of Talmond, one of the chiefs of the royalists, is taken by the republicans near Fougeres. The remains of his army joins the Chouans.

The Chouans, who now begin to be distinguished, are so called from two brothers, gentlemen of that name, who were particularly active in levying troops in Brittany for the service of the royalists.

6. Mons. d'Espremenil, a counsellor of the parliament of Paris, and an ex-const.i.tuent, thrown into prison.

General Cartaux sent to the Conciergerie.

Chambon, comptroller of finances, complains that printing the names of emigrants on large paper is too expensive, and moves that the small octavo be used.

Decree of accusation against Roncin and Rossignol, generals of the republic in La Vendee.

The revolutionary tribunal of Lyons, to please the people, burns in effigy the Emperor, the Kings of England, Spain, Prussia, and Sardinia, Mr. Pitt, and the Pope. The city of Toulon is also burnt in the representation of a woman.

La Mourette, intruding bishop of Lyons, guillotined.

Herbert is convicted of having received from the national treasury, for his journal "Le Pere du Chesne," in June 1793, 123,000 livres, and in October 60,000 livres.

11. Thomas Payne and Anacharsis Cloots imprisoned in the Luxemburg.

Ordered by the jacobin club of Paris, that all sarcasms and philippics, uttered in their tribune against the government and const.i.tution of England, be printed and sent to the patriots in the three kingdoms.

The convention decrees, that all inscriptions on monuments shall be in the French language.

Decreed, that all property real and personal of the farmers-general shall belong to the nation.

Pondicherry surrenders to the British.

The president of the convention reads a letter from Vitre. "The souls of most of the royalists have "been sent to the Eternal Father; we are every day "destroying the Chouans, those infernal banditti."

The French are active in restoring the lines of Weissembourg to cover the siege of Fort-Louis.

The Baron Latude guillotined; he had lived many years in the Bastille, and was called the proof and victim of despotism.

The committee of public safety remove Simon, the shoemaker, from the office of tutor and preceptor to the son of Louis XVI. confined in the Temple; and resolve that there is no need of any other in his place.

A manufacture is offered to the convention of cloth made of two-thirds hair.

19. The chimney-sweepers request of the convention the release of Abbe Fenelon, who had been a father to them during 60 years.

21. The anniversary of the death of Louis XVI. is declared in the convention a day of glory.

Between the 13th of December and the 24th of January, 325 persons were guillotined at Lyons, and 330 shot.

Generals Wurmser and the Duke of Brunswick are succeeded by Generals Braun and Moellendorff.

The female citizen Chapuis, daughter of the general, demands to serve as a dragoon.

The Count d'Artois sends his diamonds to Marshal Broglio for the use of emigrants.

Motion by Rhul against the Elector of Bavaria.

A deputation of Americans demand the release of their countryman Thomas Payne. The president replies that he is an Englishman.

27. Decreed, that all castles in conquered countries which cannot be used as hospitals shall be burned.