er
persons and property. Meanwhile Dumouriez was occupied with an ambitious
plan of reaction. Instead of remaining neutral between the contending
factions composing the national convention, as was the duty of a
general, he proposed to establish the constitutional monarchy of 1791.
But first he intended to deliver Belgium from the rule of the Jacobins,
to secure Holland by aid of the Batavian republicans, and to unite
those two countries into a single state. With this end in view,
Durnouriez moved from Antwerp and attacked the Dutch towns of Breda,
Kiundert, and Gerbruydenberg, all which capitulated, after little more
than a show of resistance from the garrisons. His plan was to penetrate
into the heart of the United Provinces; but he was brought to a pause
at the fortress of Williamstadt, That fort was occupied by the
Dutch general Botzlarr, with some Dutch troops, who held no Jacobin
principles, and by a strong detachment of English guards, who made an
obstinate resistance; and while the French troops were still engaged
in the siege of this fortress, intelligence arrived from the eastern
frontier of the Netherlands, which materially changed the aspect of
the war. Durnouriez had sent General Miranda, his second in command, to
reduce the important town of Maestrecht, on the Maes or Meuse. On the
1st of March General Clairfait having suddenly passed the Roer in the
night, attacked the French posts on that side, and compelled them
to retreat, with the loss of 2,000 men; and this was followed by two
successive victories over the French, on the 2nd and 8th of March; the
one gained by the Archduke Albert, brother to the Emperor of Germany,
and the other by the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg, who obtained a singular
advantage over the main body of the French, in front of Aix-la-Chapelle,
driving them from thence with the loss of 5,000 men, and twenty pieces
of cannon. On hearing of these events, General Miranda gave orders for
retreating to Tongres, whence the French armies were again compelled
to fall back to Saint Tron. At Saint Tron Miranda was joined by General
Valence, who had evacuated Liege and its territory, and they then moved
towards Tirlemont, where Durnouriez soon after arrived to take the
command in person, leaving the conduct of affairs on the northern
frontier to General de Fluers. Dumouriez was attacked by the Prince of
Saxe-Cobourg, at Tirlemont, with great spirit; but he kept his ground,
and obliged the Austrians to f