XC. 1815. CHAP. having issued a general order, apprising the soldiers that in marching through the dominions of an ally to the respective sovereigns of the union, they were to observe the strictest discipline. This order was so well obeyed, that the inhabitants of the country on the route acknowledged that the British paid more respect to public and private property than had ever marked the conduct even of their own troops. Cambray surrendered on the 24th to a detachment under general Colville; soon afterwards, the king of France made his public entry there, and was received with great rejoicing. The strong fortress of Peronne was reduced on the 26th by a a force under general Maitland. In the delay occasioned by the capture of these two towns, Blucher gained a day's march in advance. At Villars Čoteret, the corps under Soult and Grouchy made a desperate attack on the Prussian centre, in the hope of breaking through and forcing their way to Paris. The attack miscarried, with the loss of six guns and a thousand prisoners; but the French generals, by a rapid movement to the right, eluded the attempts made to intercept them, and crossing the Marne, gained the road to Paris through Méaux. About this time commissioners were sent from Paris by the provisional government, to announce to the Prussian and English generals, the abdication visional go- of Bonaparte, and to solicit an armistice. They were directed to repair to Haguenau, where the allied sovereigns, at the head of a large army, held their head-quarters. Three Austrian armies had crossed the Rhine, at Manheim, Philipsberg, and Grenzach; a fourth had crossed the Arve near Geneva, and a part of the forces which had defeated Murat, were advancing from Italy, under general Bubna. The grand Russian army, with many Prussian, Austrian, and other German troops, at the head of which were the emperors of Austria and Russia and the king of Prussia, had crossed the from the French pro vernment. XC. vested. Rhine at Spires, and were advancing by the route CHAP. of Haguenau and Saarebourg. The duke of Wellington crossed the Oise on the 29th and 30th, and 1815. marshal Blucher, passing the Seine at Saint Germain, advanced to the heights of Meudon, having his left wing at St. Cloud, and his reserve at Versailles. Paris inBy a combined movement, the duke of Wellington also passed the Seine, near Argenteuil, and thus Paris was completely invested on its defenceless side. He might have increased the alarm and distress in the capital by intercepting provisions; but to the grateful astonishment of the Parisians, the usual supplies for their markets reached their destination in safety, after having been permitted to traverse the hostile camp. The corps of Vandamme and Girard, consisting of about 25,000 infantry, and 10,000 cavalry, lay in the plain of Montrouge, the cavalry occupying the Bois de Boulogne. Grouchy, with a part of the troops brought from Laon, continued to garrison Montmartre. By a combined operation of generals Excelman and Piré, the French obtained possession of Versailles; but they were speedily expelled by a superior force of Prussians. A general council of war was held in Paris on the night of the 2d of July; the result of which was, that a deputation was sent the next day to St. Cloud, to treat with the commissioners of the allied generals for the surrender of the city. It was Capitulaagreed that the capitulation should be a military tion. convention without any reference to political questions. Its principal terms were, that the French army should on the following day commence its march to take up a position behind the Loire, and completely evacuate Paris in three days; that all the fortified posts and the barriers should be given up; that public property, with the exception of that relating to war, should be respected; that private persons and property should be equally respected; and that all individuals in the capital, should XC. CHA P. should continue to enjoy their rights and liberties, without being disturbed or called to account, either as to situations held by them, or as to their conduct or political opinions. 1815. Return of Louis XVIII. Bonaparte board the Bellerophon. On the 7th of July, the national guards at the several barriers of Paris delivered up their posts to the allies, and their various forces of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, to the number of about 50,000 men, were distributed with all the precautions necessary to prevent insurrection in a captured town. The chambers, which had continued to deliberate after the signature of the convention, were obliged to separate, and their hall was closed by order of the commander of the national guard. On the 8th, Louis XVIII. made his public entry, attended by a large body of the national guard, and the royal volunteers, as well as by his household troops. In the rear of these soldiers came a numerous état major, among whom were marshals Victor, Marmont, Macdonald, Oudinot, Gouvion St. Cyr, Moncey, and Lefebvre. The monarch was received with acclamations by a great concourse of citizens, and was once more installed in the palace of his ancestors. He had now to enter upon the difficult task of conciliating a people, who, however disposed to venerate his mild and amiable qualities, could not forget the humiliating disasters which preceded his restoration. On the same day, Bonaparte, urged by general received on Beker to hasten his departure, embarked at Rochefort, on board la Saale, a small French frigate, which with the Medusa was destined to convey him to America. The wind was fair, but a British man of war, the Bellerophon lay in sight, and rendered escape impossible. After devising and relinquishing various schemes to get to sea, he sent a flag of truce to the commodore of the British squadron, requesting permission to pass, which was positively refused. He then sent two officers of his suite, Las XC. 1815. Las Casas and Lallemand, to make proposals to CHAP. сарtain Maitland; whose reply was that he had no authority to grant terms of any sort, and that all he could do was to convey Bonaparte and his suite to England, to be received in such manner as his royal highness the prince regent should deem expedient. On the morning of the 15th, Bonaparte left the isle of Aix, and presented himself, with his suite, on board the Bellerophon, which immediately sailed for Torbay. The decision of the British government in concert with the allies was, that the captive should be conveyed to the island of St. Helena in Conveyed the Southern Atlantic, to reside there as a state- as a state prisoner to prisoner under the inspection of commissioners ap- St. Helena. pointed by each of the confederate powers. He and his attendants were accordingly transferred on the 7th of August to the Northumberland, and next day that ship proceeded on her destined voyage. XCI. 1815. Parlia mentary proceedings. CHAP. XCI. Parliamentary proceedings.-Subsidies to the allies.Budget.-Parliamentary and national rewards for the victory of Waterloo. Marriage of the duke of Cumberland, and rejection of the bill for increasing his income. -Prorogation.-Works of art and other trophies at Paris reclaimed by the allies. Conditions of peace granted to France.-New ministry on the restoration of Louis XVIII.- Ordinance against officers guilty of defection.- Change in the cabinet.-Execution of marshal Ney.-Fate of Murat.- Suppression of revolt in Martinique and Guadaloupe.- Constitution of the kingdom of the Netherlands. Great Britain protectress of the Ionian republic. Duchy of Warsaw united to Russia. - Acquisitions of Prussia from Saxony and Denmark.- German confederation.-Affairs of Spain.- Unsuccessful revolt of Porlier.-Change in the cabinet of Madrid. - East India affairs. -War in Nepaul. - Annexation of Ceylon to the British dominions. CHAP. IN reverting to the proceedings in parliament, we find that little opposition was made to the measures rendered necessary by the sudden renewal of war. On the 22d of May, a message was delivered to both houses from the prince regent, followed by documents relative to the engagements concluded with the allies. When the subsidies came under the consideration of the house of commons, lord Castlereagh stated that Austria, Russia, and Prussia, were all prepared to contribute to the common cause a much larger force than they had engaged for, and that several of the inferior powers were also to furnish very considerable contingents. The proportions were: Austria, 300,000; Russia, to the allies. 225,000; Prussia, 236,000; states of Germany, 150,000 Subsidies 10 |