d of the Revolution, and the disproportionate
amounts of the coalesced army, discouraged resistance. Dumouriez, left
to himself by the inhabitants, could only rely on his own troops. His
sole hope was in forming a junction with Kellermann. If that could be
effected behind the forest of Argonne before the troops of the Duke of
Brunswick could force the natural rampart, Kellermann and Dumouriez,
uniting their troops, would have a body of forty-five thousand soldiers
to ninety thousand Prussians, and might then with some hope hazard the
fate of France on a battle.

Kellermann, who was worthy to understand and second this grand idea,
served without jealousy Dumouriez's design, satisfied with his share of
the glory if his country should be saved. He marched to Metz, at the
extremity of the Argonne, informing Dumouriez of every step he took. But
their superior intelligence was a mystery for the majority of officers
and soldiery. Provisions were scarce and bad, the general himself eating
black bread. Ministers, deputies, Luckner himself--influenced by his
correspondents in the camp--wrote perpetually to Dumouriez to abandon
his position and retire to Chalons.

Slight skirmishes with the advanced guard of the Prussians, in which the
French were always victorious, gave the troops patience. Miaczinski,
Stengel, and Miranda drove back the Prussians at all points. Dumouriez,
in his position, deadened the shock of the one hundred thousand men whom
the King of Prussia and the Duke of Brunswick collected at the foot of
Argonne. Chance nearly lost all.

Overcome by fatigue of body and mind, he had forgotten to reconnoitre
with his own eyes, and quite close to him, the defile of Croix-au-Bois,
which had been described to him as impracticable for troops,
particularly cavalry and artillery. He had placed there, however, a
dragoon regiment, two battalions of volunteers, and two pieces of
cannon, commanded by a colonel; but in consequence of the recall of the
dragoons and the two battalions before the troops ordered to replace
them had come up, the defile was for a moment open to the enemy. A great
many volunteer spies, whom the emigres had in the villages of Argonne,
hastened to point out this weakness to Clerfayt, the Austrian general,
who instantly despatched eight thousand men, under the command of the
young Prince de Ligne, who seized on the position.

A few hours afterward, Dumouriez, informed of this reverse, placed
General Chazo