There they introduced the rule of terror in its worst form, and with it, of course, confusion unspeakable. They fought with the Generals, they fought among themselves; and in the midst of this chaos St. Just took upon himself the supreme direction of the operations
May 18, 20, 22, 24. whereby the Austrians were to be crushed. Four several times he ordered the army to pass the Sambre, wasting the lives of his troops with obstinate imbecility.
May 24. Finally he gave Kaunitz the opportunity for a counter-*attack, in which, with inconsiderable loss to themselves, the Austrians routed the French completely, killing and wounding two thousand men, and capturing three thousand more, besides fifty pieces of cannon.
This heavy blow to the French right wing offered a fair occasion for the Allies to renew the offensive in Western Flanders; and the Duke of York urged this step upon his colleagues with all his might. The British Government too, reckoning that the troops, promised by Prussia in return for a British subsidy, must be nearly ready, decided to send out Lord Cornwallis to concert operations with Möllendorf, and directed him also to consult the Emperor and the Duke of York on his way to the Prussian Headquarters. But, as has already been told, King Frederick William was occupied rather with Poland than France at the moment; and he had also been much irritated by certain dispositions which had been proposed for his army by Mack in the middle of May. "I am astonished at the fashion in which Mack thinks to make use of my troops," wrote the King. "Does Mack imagine that we can live on air?" echoed Möllendorf;[1] both of them being secretly delighted with so good an excuse for remaining inactive. Then suddenly, on the
May 29. 29th of May, the Allied Camp at Tournai was thrown
- ↑ Witzleben, iii. 168-169.
