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emigrants, together with 300 British marines. Fort Penthièvre, situated on a commanding eminence on the northern extremity of the peninsula, being invested on the other side by the Comte d'Hervilly, at the head of about 8000 royalists and emigrants, and having a garrison of only 600 men, surrendered. Stores and provisions were here landed in abundance ; and the emigrants, royalists, and Chouans, fared sumptuously. On the night of the 16th of July the Comte d'Hervilly, at the head of about 5000 men, including 200 British marines, made an unsuccessful attack on the right flank of General Hoche's army, strongly posted on the heights of St.-Barbe. In this affair, the comte, a brave and active officer, was badly wounded; and the emigrant troops were only enabled to make good their retreat to the fort, in consequence of the unremitting fire kept up by five British launches, armed each with an 18 or 24 pounder carronade, and stationed close to the beach. Desertion now daily thinned the royalist ranks, and treachery was at work in every quarter of the garrison. Matters continued growing worse until the night of the 20th ; when, amidst the howling of the storm and the pelting of the rain, and amidst a darkness, too, as black as the deeds that were agitating, a party of emigrant soldiers who were on guard deserted, and quickly conducted back to the fort a large body of republican troops. In an instant all within was confusion. While the faithful were staining the ground with their blood, the timorous laid down their arms and joined the assailants in the cry of Vive la république ! and the traitorous turned round and massacred their officers, and such of their comrades, too, as did not at once re-echo the republican war-whoop. About 1100 troops, led by Puisaye, hastened to the shore, and there awaited the return of daylight to escape to the shipping. Others, headed by the brave Sombreuil, resisted to the last, and finally obtained terms of capitulation. In direct violation of those terms, however, the whole of the officers and men that had surrendered were marched as prisoners to Nantes. There, after being tried by a military tribunal, the young and amiable Comte de Sombreuil, the Bishop of Dol, and several other emigrants of distinction, were shot : the remainder, being chiefly privates, sought refuge in the ranks of the inhuman General le Moine. Early on the morning (the 21st) succeeding the reduction of the fort, the British frigates, which on account of the gale and extreme darkness had been unable to approach the shore during the night, worked up to the south-east point of the peninsula, and there received on board, by means of the boats of the squadron, under the able direction of Captain Richard Goodwin Keats of the Galatea, the Comte de Puisaye and his 1100 troops, besides about 2400 royalist inhabitants ; leaving behind, however, for the use of the republicans, 10,000 stands of arms, ^ back to top ^ |