The Cavaliers of Fortune; Or, British Heroes in Foreign WarsGrant, James
History
The Cavaliers of Fortune; Or, British Heroes in Foreign Wars
Grant, James
British -- Foreign countries; Great Britain -- History, Military
After the defection and flight of General Dumourier, Kilmaine adhered
to the National Convention, and by that body was appointed a general
of division; and now he redoubled his energies to restore order in
the army, which by the defection of its leader was almost disbanded;
thus, in one month after General Dampierre took command, so ably was he
seconded by Kilmaine, the discipline was completely established.
He commanded the advance-guard of Dampierre in the new campaign against
the allied powers, on the failure of the congress at Antwerp on the
8th of April, 1793; and his leader bears the highest testimony to the
gallantry and noble conduct of Kilmaine, in the "murderous affairs of
the 1st and 2nd May;" in which, according to the official report, he
had two chargers shot under him.
Six days of incessant skirmishing succeeded, during which Kilmaine
never had his boots off, nor returned his sabre once to the scabbard;
and he displayed the most reckless valour on the 8th of May, in that
battle fought by Dampierre to deliver Conde.
The French were routed with great loss; Dampierre was slain; and on
Kilmaine as an active cavalry officer devolved the task of covering the
retreat of the infuriated and disorderly army, which fell back from
Conde-sur-l'Escaut, which is a barrier town, and was then the nominal
lordship of the unfortunate Duke d'Enghien.
On General la Marche succeeding Dampierre, he sent Kilmaine with his
division to the great forest of Ardennes, which formed a part of
the theatre of war, on the invasion of France by the allies; but he
remained there only a short time, and rejoined the main army, which he
found in the most critical circumstances.
The fall of Dampierre and the arrestment of Custine acted fatally on
the army of the North, which was now reduced to about thirty thousand
rank and file, and these remained in a disorderly state, without a
proper chief, and without aim or object--its manoeuvres committed to
chance or directed by ignorance; for, with the exception of Kilmaine,
its leaders were destitute of skill, experience, and energy. Quitting
the camp of Caesar, they returned to their fortified position at
Famars, three miles distant from Valenciennes, the approach to which
it covered. Here they were attacked on the 23rd of May, driven back,
and obliged to abandon the city to its own garrison under General
Ferrand; a success which enabled the allies under the Duke of York
to lay immediate siege to Conde and to Valenciennes, the two most
important barrier towns upon the northern frontier. While the army of
the North continued in full retreat towards the Scheldt, the British
commander-in-chief briskly attacked Valenciennes, which General Ferrand
first laid in ashes, and then delivered up; his garrison, as the reward
of their obstinate defence, being permitted to march out by the gate of
Cambray, on the 28th of July, with all _the honours of war_. Conde had
already fallen on the 10th of the same month.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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