ed and imprisoned many
of their persecutors; and re-revolutionized everything. They committed
themselves so deeply that they felt they had nothing to expect from the
republicans but destruction; and as they were victorious at Marseilles,
the counter-revolutionists concluded their treaty with Lord Hood; and
thus the most important maritime place of the kingdom, with immense
magazines, and with a fleet of seventeen ships of the line and five
frigates, fell, without a stroke of the sword, into the hands of the
English. Lord Hood, however, had scarcely put the port in order and
taken possession of the town, before General Cartaux arrived with his
victorious army from Marseilles, and cantoned himself in the surrounding
villages and bastides. He was subsequently joined by volunteers and
other corps; and Lord Hood, sensible that the most desperate efforts
would be made to recover the place, and that his sailors and the French
royalists would be unequal to its defence, applied in all directions
for assistance. He was joined by the Spanish Admiral Langara, by some
Neapolitan and Sardinian troops, and by other ships of the line and
frigates from England, and subsequently by some troops from Gibraltar.
Before active operations commenced General Cartaux was succeeded in the
command of the republican forces by General Dugommier. But there was
one in his army who was more skilful than Dugommier himself. This was
Napoleon Buonaparte, who had served at Nice during the summer as a
young officer of artillery, and in whom Dugommier placed the greatest
confidence. Buonaparte was also in favour with the Jacobin commissioners
of the convention; and though but a youth, he obtained the command of
the whole besieging artillery. The executive at Paris sent a plan of
attack to Dugommier, and the commander-in-chief assembled a council upon
it. Dugommier thought the plan a good one, but Buonaparte suggested
a better. He remarked: "All that you want is to force the English to
evacuate Toulon. Instead of attacking them in the town, which must
involve a long series of operations, try and establish batteries which
shall sweep the harbour and the roadstead. If you can only drive away
the ships, the troops will not remain." Buonaparte contrived to conduct
the works according to his own plan, and his genius decided the fate
of Toulon. After a series of operations, Lord Hood was compelled to
evacuate the town, and its wretched inhabitants were left to the me