Few words were spoken, as the group of officers returned to the
town. When they reached Cathelineau's quarters Leigh would have
gone on, but the general said, "Come in, if you please, Monsieur
Stansfield," and he followed the party in.
"This has been a trial, gentlemen, a heavy trial," the general
said. "When I entered upon this work, I knew that that there were
many things that I should have to endure. I knew the trouble of
forming soldiers from men who, like ours, prize their freedom and
independence above all other things; that we might have to suffer
defeat; that we must meet with hardships, and probably death; and
that, in the long run, all our efforts might be futile.
"But I had not reckoned on having to deal with treachery. I had
never dreamed that one of my first acts would have been to try and
to sentence a Vendean to death, for an act of the grossest
treachery. However, let us put that aside; it was, perhaps, in the
nature of things. In every community there must be a few scoundrels
and, if this turns out to be a solitary instance, we may
congratulate ourselves, especially as we have escaped without
injury.
"That we have done so, gentlemen, is due solely to Monsieur
Stansfield; who thus twice, in the course of a single day, has
performed an inestimable service to the cause. There are few indeed
who, on hearing the braggadocio of a drunken man, would have given
the matter a moment's thought; still less have undertaken a night
of watchfulness, after a day of the heaviest work, merely to test
the truth of a slightly-founded suspicion that might have occurred
to them. It is not too much to say that, had not this act of
treachery been discovered, our defeat tomorrow would have been
well-nigh certain. You know how much our people think of their
guns; and if, when the fight began, the cannon had been silent,
instead of pouring their contents into the ranks of the enemy, they
would have lost heart at once, and would have been beaten almost
before the fight began.
"We have no honours to bestow on you, Monsieur Stansfield, but in
the name of La Vendee I thank you, with all my heart. I shall add,
to my order respecting your fight of yesterday, a statement of what
has taken place tonight; and I shall beg that all officers read it
aloud to the parties that follow them."
"I agree most cordially with the general's words," Monsieur
Bonchamp said. "Your defence yesterday would have been a credit to
any military man, and this discovery has saved us from ruin
tomorrow, or rather today. I will venture to say that not one man
in five hundred would have taken the trouble to go out of his way
to ascertain whether the words of a drunken man rested on any
foundation."
There was, then, a short conversation as to the approaching fight.
The number of men who had arrived was much smaller than had been
anticipated, owing to the fact that the simultaneous invasion, at
so many points, had the effect of retaining the peasants of the
various localities for the defence of their own homes. Leigh
learned that a mounted messenger had been despatched, shortly
before he brought the prisoner down, to beg Monsieur d'Elbee to
bring the force he commanded, at Chollet, with all speed to aid in
the defence of Chemille; for if that town fell, he would be exposed
to the attack of the united forces of Generals Berruyer and
Leigonyer.
"Now, gentlemen, I think we had better get a few hours' sleep,"
Cathelineau said. "They will not be here very early, probably not
until noon; for they may wait for a time before starting, in hopes
of being joined either by Leigonyer or one of the other columns,
and it is not likely that any news of the sharp reverse that
Leigonyer has met with has reached them."
It was now two o'clock in the morning, and Leigh slept heavily,
till roused at eight.
"You should have called me before, Andre," he said reproachfully,
when he learnt how late it was.
"I thought it was better that you should have a good sleep,
captain. Of course, if there had been any message to say that you
were wanted, I should have woke you; but as no one came, and there
is still no news of the enemy, I thought that it was better to let
you sleep till now."
Pierre had started with his party, at five, to scout on the road by
which the enemy was advancing. Leigh first hurried down to the
river and had a bath, and then felt ready for any work that he
might have to do. He then went to the house where Jean was lodged.
The latter, who had not returned from his outpost work till day
broke, was just getting up.
"Well, Leigh," he said, "I called in at Cathelineau's quarters to
report. I found him already up. He told me the work that you had
been doing, and praised you up to the skies. It seems to me that
you are getting all the credit of the campaign. Really I feel quite
proud of you, and we shall be having you starting as a rival leader
to Cathelineau."
Leigh laughed.
"One does not often have two such opportunities in the course of a
day, and I don't suppose I am likely to have such luck again, if
the war goes on for a year. Where are you going to be today?"
"I am going to act as aide-de-camp to Bonchamp."
"And what shall we do, do you think?"
"Well, I should say you had best keep out of it altogether, Leigh.
You and your band did much more than your share of fighting
yesterday, and your pistols will be of no use in a fight such as
this will be. Seriously, unless Cathelineau assigns you some post,
I should keep out of it. Your little corps is specially formed to
act as scouts and, as we are so extremely badly off in that
respect, it will be far better for you to keep to your proper
duties, than to risk your lives."
"How do you think the fight is likely to go, Jean?"
"It depends, in the first place, upon how the Blues fight; if they
do well, they ought to beat us. In the next place, it depends on
whether d'Elbee comes up in time. If he does, I think that we shall
hold the place, but it will be stiff fighting."
It was not until noon that Berruyer's force was seen approaching.
As soon as it was in sight the Vendeans poured out, and took up
their station by the hill on which the guns were placed. In spite
of what Jean had said, Leigh would have placed his band with the
rest; had not Cathelineau sent for him, half an hour before, and
given him orders which were almost identical with the advice of
Jean.
"I wish you and your band to keep out of this battle, Monsieur
Stansfield. Your force is so small that it can make no possible
difference in the fortunes of the day and, whether we win or lose,
your lads may be wanted as messengers, after it is over. They have
done extremely well, at present, and need no further credit than
they have gained. I beg, therefore, that you will take post with
them somewhat in rear of the village, away on the right. I shall
then know where to find you, if I have any messages to send; and
moreover, I want you at once to send off one of your most active
lads with this note to d'Elbee, urging him to come on at full
speed, for the fight is likely to go hard with us, unless he comes
in time to our assistance; and telling him I wish him to know that,
even if I have to fall back, the church will be held till the last;
and that as soon as he arrives I shall, if possible, again take the
offensive, and beg that he will attack the enemy in flank or in
rear, as he sees an opportunity. Upon the belfry of the church,
half a mile on our right, you will be able to see how the battle
goes; and can send off news to d'Elbee, from time to time."
"Very well, sir. I will despatch your letter at once, and then
march out to the church, which I noticed yesterday."
"Here is a telescope," Cathelineau said. "We are well provided with
them, as we took all that we could find, at Chollet and Vihiers. I
think that, with its aid, you will be able to have a good view of
what is going on."
In twenty minutes, Leigh had taken up his post in the belfry of the
village church that Cathelineau had indicated. Andre and Pierre,
whose party had returned an hour before, were with him. The rest of
the band were in the story below them, from which a view was also
obtainable. The three most severely wounded had started for their
homes, early that morning. The others were fit for duty.
The fight began by a discharge of the guns of the assailants. Leigh
could see that the defenders' guns had been somewhat withdrawn from
their position on the top of the rising ground, where they would
have been too much exposed to the enemy's fire; and their muzzles
now only showed over the brow. During the course of the morning an
earthwork had been thrown up, to afford protection to the men
serving them. They did not return the fire until the enemy were
within a distance of a quarter of a mile, then they commenced, with
deadly effect.
The Blues halted, and Leigh could make out that a considerable
number of men in the rear at once turned and ran. In order to
encourage them they had been informed, just before they marched, of
the plot that had been arranged to silence the guns; and this
unexpected discharge caused the greatest consternation among the
young levies. A body of cavalry were at once sent off in pursuit,
and drove the fugitives back to their ranks, the troopers using the
flats of their swords unstintingly.
Then the advance was resumed, covered by the fire of the guns and
by volleys of musketry. These were answered but feebly by the
firearms in the peasants' hands, and the Blues pressed on until,
just before they reached the foot of the slope, the peasants
charged them with fury.
The regular troops and a regiment of gendarmes had been placed in
front. These stood firm, poured heavy volleys into the peasants as
they approached, and then received them with levelled bayonets.
In vain the Vendeans strove to break through the hedge of steel.
Cathelineau and his officers on one side, and the French generals
on the other, encouraged their men, and for a quarter of an hour a
desperate conflict reigned. Then the peasants fell back, and the
Blues resumed their advance.
Three times Cathelineau induced his followers to renew the attack,
but each time it was unsuccessful. The Blues mounted the hill, the
cannon were captured, and the Vendeans fell back into the town.
Here the ends of the streets had been barricaded and, in spite of
the artillery and the captured guns now turned against their former
owners, the assailants tried in vain to force their way into the
town.
From every window that commanded the approaches, the men with
muskets kept up an incessant fire. The mass of the peasants lay in
shelter behind the barricades, or in the houses, until the enemy's
infantry approached to within striking distance; and then, leaping
up from these barricades, and fighting with an absolute disregard
of their lives, they again and again repulsed the attacks of the
enemy.
Berruyer, seeing that in spite of his heavy losses he made no way,
called his troops from the assault and, forming them into two
columns, moved to the right and left, and attacked the town on both
sides. Here no barricades had been erected and, in spite of the
efforts of the peasants, an entrance was forced into the town.
Every street, lane, and house was defended with desperate energy;
but discipline gradually triumphed, and the Blues won their way
into the square in the centre of the town, where the principal
church stood. As they entered the open space, they were assailed
with a rain of bullets from the roof, tower, and windows.
As soon as the flanking movement began, Monsieur Bonchamp, seeing
that the town was now certain to be taken, had hurried, with the
greater portion of the men armed with muskets, to the church; which
had already been prepared by him, on the previous day, for the
defence. A great number of paving stones had been got up from the
roadway and piled inside the church and, as soon as he arrived
there with his men, the doors were closed, and blocked behind with
a deep wall of stones.
Berruyer saw that the position was a formidable one and, ignorant
of the number of the defenders, sent back for his guns, and
contented himself for the time by clearing the rest of the town of
its defenders. These, however, as they issued out, were rallied by
Cathelineau and his officers. They assured the peasants that the
day was not yet lost, that the church would hold out for hours, and
that d'Elbee would soon arrive, with his force from Chollet, to
their assistance.
Leigh, anxiously watching the progress of the fight, had sent
messenger after messenger along the road by which d'Elbee would
come. His heart sank, as he heard the guns open in the centre of
the town, and knew that they were directed against the church.
Still, there was no abatement of the fire of the defenders. An
incessant fire of musketry was maintained, not only from the church
itself, but from every window in the houses around it.
At last, he heard that d'Elbee's force was but a quarter of a mile
away and, running down from his lookout, he started to meet it. It
was coming at a run, the men panting and breathless, but holding on
desperately, half maddened with the sound of battle.
"All is not lost yet, then?" d'Elbee said, as he came up.
"No, sir. The church holds out, and I could see that the peasants
who have been driven out of the town have rallied, but a few
hundred yards away, and are evidently only waiting for your arrival
to renew the attack. I think, sir, that if you will run up to the
belfry of the church with this glass, you will be able to
understand the exact situation."
The officer ran up the tower, and returned in two or three minutes.
Then he led his men down towards the southeastern corner of the
town.
Leigh, on hearing that d'Elbee was close at hand, sent off two
messengers to Cathelineau to inform him of the fact; and he now
sent off another, stating the direction in which the reinforcement
was marching.
"I am going to attack at that corner, instead of in the rear,"
Monsieur d'Elbee said to him; for now that the duty assigned to him
had been performed, Leigh thought that he would be justified in
joining in the attack, with what remained of his band. "If I were
to get directly in their rear they would, on finding their retreat
cut off, fight so fiercely that I might be overpowered. Even the
most cowardly troops will fight, under those circumstances.
Therefore, while threatening their line of retreat, I still leave
it open to them. It is a maxim in war, you know, always to leave a
bridge open for a flying foe."
In a few minutes they reached the town. None had observed their
approach, the troops being assembled round the church. These were
at once thrown into confusion, when they found themselves attacked
with fury by a large force, of whose existence they had no previous
thought.
The Vendeans fought with desperate valour. The new levies for the
most part lost heart at once and, in spite of the efforts of
Berruyer and his officers, began to make for the line of retreat.
The movement was accelerated by an outburst of shouts from the
other side of the town, where Cathelineau's force poured in,
burning to avenge their former losses; and as they fell upon the
enemy, Bonchamp led out the defenders of the church, by a side
door, and joined in the fray.
Berruyer saw that all was lost. By great efforts he kept together
the gendarmes and regular troops, to cover the retreat; and fell
back, fighting fiercely. Bonchamp and his musketeers pressed hotly
upon them. The peasants made charge after charge and, as soon as
the force issued from the town, many of the peasantry set off at
full speed in pursuit of the fugitives, great numbers of whom were
overtaken and killed. Berruyer continued his retreat all night, and
entered Saint Lambert before morning; having lost the whole of his
cannon, and three thousand men, in this disastrous fight.
The joy of the Vendeans was unbounded. The stones were speedily
removed from the shattered doors of the church, mass was
celebrated, and the peasants returned thanks for their great
victory.
The gains were, indeed, considerable. Three thousand muskets had
fallen into their hands. They had recaptured the guns that they had
lost, and taken twelve others. Their own losses had been
heavy--eighteen hundred men had been killed, and a great number
wounded. But of this, at the time, they thought but little; those
who had died had died for their country and their God, as all of
them were ready to do, and how could men do more?
On the Republican side, General Duhaus had been very dangerously
wounded, and most of Berruyer's principal officers killed.
A council of war was held the next morning, at Chemille. For the
moment, the victory had secured their safety; but while the
peasants believed and hoped that the war was over, their leaders
saw that the position was scarcely improved. They had, indeed,
captured guns and muskets; but these were useless without
ammunition, and their stock of powder and ball was quite exhausted.
Already the peasantry were leaving in large numbers for their
homes. Berruyer might return reinforced at any time, and effect a
junction with Leigonyer; while the column that had captured Saint
Florent would doubtless advance. It was therefore decided that
Chemille must be abandoned, and that the officers should retire to
Tiffauges until, at any rate, the peasants were ready to leave
their homes again.
By evening that day the greater portion of the army had melted away
and, on the following morning, the leaders also left the town they
had so bravely defended. On the following day, indeed, Berruyer,
having learned the position of Leigonyer, returned to Chemille and,
two days later, was in communication with Leigonyer's force. The
latter had occupied Chollet, which had been left devoid of
defenders since the day they marched away.
On the other hand Quetineau had, on the thirteenth, been attacked
at Aubiers, and had been forced to evacuate the place, leaving
three guns behind him, retiring to Bressuire. The capture of
Aubiers was the work of Henri de la Rochejaquelein. He had ridden
to join Cathelineau, and met him and the other leaders retiring
from Chemille. They were gloomy and depressed. They had won a
battle, but they were without an army, without ammunition. Almost
all the towns were in the possession of the Blues. It seemed to
them that the struggle could not be much longer maintained.
The young count was too energetic and too enthusiastic to be
seriously moved, and rode back to the residence of an aunt, at
Saint Aubin. There he learned that Aubiers had been taken by the
enemy. The peasantry around were in a state of extreme excitement.
They had hoisted the white flag on their churches, and were ready
to fight, but they had no leader.
Hearing that Rochejaquelein was at his aunt's house, they came to
him, and begged him to take the command, promising him that in
twenty-four hours ten thousand men should be ready to follow him.
He agreed to the request. The church bells were set ringing and,
before morning, almost that number were assembled. Of these, only
two hundred had guns.
With this force he attacked Aubiers. The resistance of the enemy was
feeble, and they were chased almost to Bressuire. Rochejaquelein
was very anxious to capture this town, as his friends, the Lescures,
had been brought from Clisson and imprisoned there; but he saw that
it was of primary importance to carry assistance to Cathelineau, and
he accordingly marched to Tiffauges. The church bells again rang
out their summons; and Cathelineau, in twenty-four hours, found
himself at the head of an army of twenty thousand men.
"I told you at Clisson that I should soon meet you again, Monsieur
Martin," La Rochejaquelein said when, as he rode into Tiffauges at
the head of his newly raised force, he met Jean in the street, "and
here I am, you see. I am only sorry that I am too late to take part
in the brave fight at Chemille."
"Right glad are we to see you, count," Jean replied. "This is my
wife's brother, of whom I was speaking to you at Clisson.
Cathelineau will tell you that he has been distinguishing himself
rarely."
Henri held out his hand to Leigh, and said warmly, "I am glad to
know you. It would be a shame, indeed, were any Vendeans to remain
at home, when a young Englishman is fighting for their country. I
hope that we shall be great friends."
"I shall be glad, indeed, to be so," Leigh replied with equal
warmth, for he was greatly struck with the appearance of the young
soldier.
Henri de la Rochejaquelein was but twenty-one years old, tall, and
remarkably handsome. He had fair hair, and a noble bearing. His
father had been a colonel in the army, and he himself was a cavalry
officer in the king's guard. He was the beau ideal of a dashing
hussar, and his appearance was far more English than French. He was
immensely popular, his manner frank and pleasant, and he was
greatly beloved by the peasantry on his family estates.
At this moment Cathelineau with his two generals came up, and Leigh
retired from the circle. The arrival of the young count, with his
strong reinforcement, at once altered the position. The leaders who
had, since they fell back from Chemille, been depressed and almost
hopeless, beamed with satisfaction as they talked with Henri, whose
enthusiasm was infectious.
La Rochejaquelein accompanied them to his quarters. Hitherto he had
only heard rumours of the fighting at Chemille, and Cathelineau now
gave him a full account of the affair. Jean Martin had, at his
invitation, accompanied him; and when Cathelineau had finished,
Henri turned to him and said:
"Indeed you did not exaggerate, Monsieur Martin, when you said that
your brother-in-law had already distinguished himself. In fact,
there can be no doubt that the splendid defence he made at that
little river, where he held Berruyer's whole force in check for
upwards of three hours--and so forced him to halt for the night on
the way, instead of pushing forward and attacking Chemille at
once--saved the town, for it gave time to Monsieur d'Elbee to come
up. Scarcely less important was his detection of the treachery of
the man in charge of the artillery. I cannot but regret that so
gallant a young fellow is not my countryman, for I should have felt
proud of one so daring, and so thoughtful.
"When you do not want him for scouting work, Monsieur Cathelineau,
I shall get you to lend him to me. I should be really glad to have
him by my side. His face pleased me much. There was something so
frank and honest about it and, after what he has done, I am sure
that I shall always respect his opinion."
There was another consultation as to what should be their first
operation, and it was resolved that Leigonyer should be attacked at
once, before he could make a complete junction with Berruyer. The
next morning, at daybreak, the whole force moved off. They were
only just in time, for Berruyer had already ordered General
Gauvillier, who commanded the force that had captured Saint
Florent, to advance to Beaupreau. Berruyer was to march to Vezins,
and he himself to Jallais, and to join Leigonyer at May.
On the previous evening Henri had, after the termination of the
council, requested Jean Martin to take him to the house where Leigh
and his little party were quartered.
"I have been hearing of your doings," he said, "and feel quite
jealous that you, who are, I hear, four years younger than myself,
should have done so much; while I, with all my family influence and
connection, should as yet have done nothing but chase the enemy out
of Aubiers. How is it that you, who have had no training as a
soldier, should have conceived the idea of arresting the march of
Berruyer's army, with a force of only two or three hundred
peasants?"
"It was a mere matter of common sense," Leigh said, with a smile.
"I knew that it was of the utmost importance that Chemille should
not be attacked, until Cathelineau received reinforcements. At
first, I had no thought of doing more than breaking down the
bridge, and of perhaps checking the advanced cavalry; but when I
found that the peasants who came along were quite willing to aid,
it seemed to me that by cutting down the trees, so as to block the
road and make a shelter for us, we might be able to cause the enemy
considerable delay. I hardly hoped to succeed in holding out so
long, or in inflicting such loss upon him as we were able to do. It
did not require any military knowledge whatever, and I should not
have attempted it had I not seen that, thanks to the forest, we
should be able to retreat when we could no longer hold the
barricade of felled trees."
"Well, you could not have done better if you had been a general. I
have Cathelineau's permission to ask you to ride with me, when you
are not engaged in scouting."
"I should be delighted to do so, but at present I have no horse.
However, I can send one of my lads back to the chateau, to fetch
the one that I generally ride."
"I have brought a spare animal with me," the young count said. "I
brought it in case the other should be shot, and I shall be glad if
you will ride it tomorrow, and until yours arrives; but I would not
send for one until after tomorrow, for likely enough we may make
some captures before nightfall.
"We are to march at three in the morning, and to attack Leigonyer.
The great thing that we need is powder. Cathelineau says that there
is scarcely a charge left among his men. Mine are not much better
off. We should have had none with which to attack Aubiers; but I
sent off during the night to a quarry, a few miles from my aunt's,
and succeeded in getting forty pounds of blasting powder. It would
not have been of much use for the muskets, but the fact of its
being powder was sufficient to encourage the peasants; and the
Blues made such a feeble resistance that its quality made no
difference to us. It enabled those who had muskets to make a noise
with them, and was just as effectual in raising their spirits in
attacking the Blues as if it had been the finest quality. We got a
few hundred cartridges when we took the place, but that will not go
very far, and I hope that, tomorrow, we shall be able to obtain a
supply from the enemy."
Before the hour for starting, the force had swelled considerably.
The news that Monsieur de la Rochejaquelein had retaken Aubiers,
and had come with twelve thousand men to assist Cathelineau, spread
like wildfire. The peasants from all the country round flocked in
and, when they started in the morning, the united force had swollen
to over twenty thousand men.
As soon as the young count left him, Leigh sent all his band, under
his lieutenants, with orders to proceed towards Vezins; to
ascertain the progress Leigonyer had made, and the position of his
forces, and to send back news to him. Just as the army was starting
one of the boys returned, and said that a party of twelve cavalry,
and a detachment of infantry, had just entered the chateau of
Crilloire. Leigh at once informed Cathelineau, who sent off a
hundred and fifty men to capture the place. They were ordered to
travel at the top of their speed, and Jean Martin was in command of
them.
The expedition was crowned with success. The infantry, who had been
stationed outside the chateau, fled at once. Their commandant
Villemet, Leigonyer's best officer, charged the Vendeans with his
little body of cavalry. He was received with a volley. Two of his
men were killed, and he himself and nine of his men were wounded.
He managed, however, to burst through the Vendeans, and to overtake
his flying infantry. These he rallied and led back to the chateau,
which he found deserted; for Martin, as soon as he captured the
place and cleared it of the enemy, had gone off with his men to
join the main body.
Berruyer had also started early, and sent five hundred men to May,
where he expected Leigonyer to arrive in a few hours; but before he
reached the town the Vendeans attacked the advanced guard of the
latter general, which consisted of two companies of grenadiers.
These old soldiers fought well, and threw themselves into the
chateau of Bois-Groleau.
Leaving fifteen hundred men to surround and attack the chateau, the
main army pressed forward. Leigonyer, hearing of the disaster, sent
forward two thousand men to succour the besieged force; but the
Vendeans fell upon them and, after a short resistance, they broke
and fled into Vezins.
The arrival of the fugitives caused a panic among the whole of
Leigonyer's force assembled there, and they fled precipitately; two
hundred and fifty men of the regiment of Finisterre, alone,
remaining steady; and these, maintaining good order, covered the
retreat of the guns, repulsing the attacks of the peasantry who
pursued them. Fortunately for the Vendeans, a waggon laden with
barrels of powder was left behind, in the confusion caused by their
approach, and proved of inestimable value to them.
Had the Vendeans pursued the fugitives with vigour, the force would
have been almost annihilated; but Cathelineau, learning from
Leigh's scouts that Berruyer was already approaching Vezins, feared
to be taken in the rear by him, and therefore fell back to May and
Beaupreau.
The garrison that defended the chateau of Bois-Groleau repulsed the
repeated attacks made upon them, but surrendered on the approach of
the main army, their ammunition and the food they had brought with
them in their haversacks being entirely exhausted.
Berruyer, on his arrival at Jallais, heard of the defeat of
Leigonyer; and marched back in all haste to Chemille, where he had
left his magazines. On hearing however that Leigonyer, on his
arrival at Vihiers, had been deserted during the night by the whole
of his troops and, finding himself in the morning with but a
hundred and fifty men of the Finisterre regiment, had evacuated the
town and retreated to Doug, Berruyer wrote to him to endeavour to
gather his forces together again, and to return to Chemille.
But the news of another disaster convinced him that he could not
maintain himself there. The Vendeans had marched, without delay,
against Beaupreau, and attacked Gauvillier. That general had
already heard of the defeat of Leigonyer, and the retreat of
Berruyer. His force was greatly dispirited at the news, and offered
but a feeble resistance to the fierce assault. The Blues were
driven out of the town with the loss of their five cannon, and were
hotly pursued to Saint Florent, losing a large proportion of their
numbers on the way.
The news of this fresh disaster convinced Berruyer that he must
fall back without delay, and he accordingly retreated with his
whole force to Saint Lambert, whence he wrote to the Convention to
declare the impossibility of doing anything without large
reinforcements of regular troops, as no dependence whatever could
be placed upon the National Guards and volunteers and, if the
insurgents marched against him, he would be obliged to march to
Ponts-de-Ce in order to cover Angers, where the alarm of the
inhabitants was intense.
Thus the invasion that was to crush the Vendeans failed altogether,
except that some advantages had been gained by the Blues along the
line of coast, the troops being assisted by the fleet. At all other
points, misfortune had attended them. Quetineau had been driven
from Aubiers and, a great proportion of his force having deserted,
he held Bressuire with so feeble a grasp that he could not maintain
himself, if attacked. Leigonyer's army had practically ceased to
exist, as had that which had advanced from Saint Florent. Berruyer
had lost three thousand men, and was back again at the point from
which he had started. Chollet and Vihiers had been recovered
without a blow.
As the result of his failures, Berruyer was recalled to Paris,
tried for his conduct, and narrowly escaped the guillotine.
As soon as Berruyer retired, Cathelineau advanced against
Bressuire. News of his coming at once scared the Blues from the
town, and they retreated to Thouars. They did not even wait to take
their prisoners with them and, as soon as they had gone, the
Marquis de la Lescure with his family rode off to their chateau, at
Clisson. They had scarcely arrived there when la Rochejaquelein
arrived, and acquainted them with the general facts of the
insurrection.
"Cathelineau's army," he said, "consists of twenty thousand men
and, on any emergency, it would swell to nearly twice that number.
Twelve thousand Bretons had crossed the Loire, and were on their
way to join him. In lower Poitou, Charette had an army of twenty
thousand; and besides these, there were many scattered bands."
Lescure at once agreed to accompany la Rochejaquelein to Bressuire;
and the Marquis of Donnissan, Madame Lescure's father, arranged to
follow them, as soon as he had seen his wife and daughter safely
placed in the chateau of de la Boulais.