CHAPTER II.
COUNCIL OF WAR.
The taking of the fortified town of Saumur, and the total dispersion ofthe large army which had been collected there by the Republic, was anenterprise of much greater magnitude than anything which had previouslybeen undertaken by the Vendeans: it gave them great advantages, itsupplied them plentifully with arms, ammunition and clothes for theirsoldiers, and greatly inspirited the peasants; but it made theConvention feel that it had no contemptible enemy to deal with in LaVendee, and that the best soldiers of France would be required to crushthe loyalty which inspired the peasants of Anjou and Poitou.
The Vendean leaders felt that their responsibilities were greatlyincreased, and that very much depended on the decision to which theymight now come as regarded their further operations. A general councilof war was accordingly held in Saumur, at which the matter was debatedamong them. Twelve of the Vendeans were admitted to this consultation,and all others were strictly excluded; they were Cathelineau, Bonchamps,who though badly wounded, had caused himself to be brought thither fromDoue, de Lescure, who had remained in action for eight hours after hisarm was broken, and had consequently suffered much from it,Larochejaquein, d'Elbee, Stofflet, Adolphe Denot, Father Jerome, Foret,M. Donnessan, Lescure's father-in-law, Marigny, and the Prince deTalmont.
The first question was the selection of a chief officer. Cathelineau hadbeen named before the battle of Saumur; but, as he himself alleged, hiscommand was to last only during that siege; he had been, he said,selected for a special purpose, which purpose, by the grace of God, wasaccomplished, and he was now ready to resign his commission into thehands of those who had given it to him.
"I am not so foolish," said he, "as to suppose that I am qualified totake the command in the war which we have now to carry on. No; oneprivilege I beg to exercise on retiring from my command. I will name asuccessor; let any one who pleases name another; we will then put it tothe vote, and let him who has most votes be our General."
"So be it," said Henri. "Nothing can be better."
"I name M. de Lescure," said Cathelineau. "Some of us are beloved by thepeople, but are not educated; others are highly educated, but are notyet known to the peasants. We are all, I am sure, brave men: but M. deLescure is beloved by all; his knowledge fits him for his high position,and his cool, constant, determined courage, no man who has seen him inthe hour of battle will doubt. I name M. de Lescure."
De Lescure was about to rise, when Henri put his hand upon his friendsarm, and said:
"Let me speak, Charles. We all know that what Cathelineau has said ofmy cousin is no more than the truth. Be still, Charles: when I havespoken you can then say what you please, but I am sure you will agreewith me. Nevertheless, I will not give my vote that he be our chiefGeneral. Cathelineau has desired that any one differing from him shouldname another, and that the question should then be put to the vote. Idiffer from him, and, therefore, I name another. I name the goodCathelineau, the Saint of Anjou."
"Now let us vote," said the Prince de Talmont. "Come, Bonchamps, do youbegin."
"I never heard of deposing a Commander-in-Chief in consequence of acomplete victory," said Bonchamps. "The Convention murders theirGenerals when they are defeated, but even the Convention rewards themfor victory. I vote for Cathelineau."
"And you, Foret," said the Prince.
"I say Cathelineau," said Foret: "the peasants generally would bedisappointed to see any put above him."
"I certainly vote for Cathelineau," said Father Jerome, who came next.
"We should be offending our Creator," said M. d'Elbee, "were we toreject the great and good Commander, whom His gracious providence hassent us. I vote for Cathelineau."
"And you, M. Denot," said the Prince. Adolphe Denot especially dislikedCathelineau: he was jealous of his reputation and popularity: he couldnot bear to feel himself in any way under the control of a man so muchhis inferior in rank; he fancied, moreover, that Cathelineau regardedAgatha Larochejaquelin; he had been quick enough to perceive that theineffable grace and beauty of his mistress had filled the heart of thepoor postillion with admiration, and he feared that his own rejectionhad been caused by some mutual feeling in Agatha's breast, which futureevents might warm into love. Adolphe, therefore, hated Cathelineau, andwould have delighted, had he dared to do so, to express hisdisapprobation of the choice; but, after pausing for a few moments, hefound that he did not dare; so he merely said:
"Oh, Cathelineau, of course. When you are all resolved, what's the useof voting about it?"
"To show that we all are resolved," said de Lescure; "to makeCathelineau understand that it is positively his duty to take theposition we wish him to fill."
And so, one after another, they all recorded their votes thatCathelineau should be the Commander-in-Chief of the Vendean army; andthey all declared that they would, without reserve, obey any militaryorders, which he might give them.
"Well, gentlemen," said he, again seating himself at the head of thetable, "I should pay but a bad compliment to your understanding, wereI any further to insist on my own unworthiness. I will not, at any rate,be wanting in zeal for the good cause, and I will trust to Him whodirects us all, for assistance in the difficult duties which you haveimposed on me."
They then debated on the all-important question of what should be theirnext movement, and on this subject there was much difference of opinion.Bonchamps was again asked to speak first, and he advised that theyshould at once proceed to Paris.
"We can do nothing," said he, "while the present Convention sits inParis; it has but one head, but it has ten thousand bloody hands. Therecan be no peace, no rest in France, while Danton, Robespierre andBarrere are omnipotent. Let us at once start for Paris: Brittany willjoin us, and parts of Normandy; the Southerns will follow us; the menof Bordeaux and of the Gironde: have not their own orators, the leadersof the Revolution, been murdered in their seats, because they were notwilling that all France should become one Golgotha? Lyons, even, andMarseilles, are now sick of the monsters who have crawled forth from thehaunts of the Jacobins to depopulate the country, and annihilatehumanity. There is now but a small faction, even in Paris, to whom therestoration of order would not be acceptable. The intensity of theircruelty is the only strength of the governing faction; the extent oftheir abominations alone makes them terrible. Hundreds will fly from oneIndian snake, so potent is its venom, so sure to inflict death: but letone brave man set his heel upon its head, and the noxious animal isdestroyed for ever: so it is with the party who now rules theConvention. Now that we have with us the all-powerful prestige ofvictory, let us march at once to Paris; hundreds will join us on theway, and what force can at the moment be collected to stop us? Let usproceed at once to Paris, and proclaim at the door of the Convention,in the gardens of the Tuilleries, in the Place Louis Quinze, where oursainted monarch so nobly shed his blood, that France again submitsherself to her King."
"Would that we could!" said de Lescure; "would that the spirit ofrevolution was yet sufficiently quenched in France to allow us to followyour advice; but there is much, very much to be done before a royalistarmy can march from La Vendee to Paris; unthought of sufferings to beendured, the blood of thousands to be sacrificed, before France will ownthat she has been wrong in the experiment she has made. We must fightour battles by inches, and be satisfied, if, when dying, we can thinkthat we have left to our children a probability of final victory.Normandy and the Gironde may be unwilling to submit to the Jacobinleaders, but they are as yet as warmly attached to the Republic as Parisitself. And, Bonchamps, you little know the dispositions and characterof the men, who at our bidding have left their homes and come to Saumur,if you think that at our bidding they will march to Paris; they are evennow burning to return home, to recount to their wives and children whatthey have done.
"Not half the number that came to Saumur would leave the town with us onthe road to Paris; and before we could reach Tours, the army would havemelted away from us like snow from a mountain
top, when the sun beginsto shine. It is here, in our own locality, that we should endeavour toextend our influence. In Southern Brittany the people, I believe, arewith us, but the towns are full of the troops of the Republic. Let usdrive them out of Angers, Ancenis, and Nantes, as we have driven themfrom Saumur. Let us force them from the banks of the Loire, and becomemasters of the coast of Southern Brittany. Then we may expect men andmoney from England. Then we may fairly hope for such foreign aid as mayenable us to face the Republic; but at present, if we march to Paris,we march to certain destruction."
"M. de Lescure is right," said Stofflet, "our men would not go far fromtheir homes; we must remember that they are not paid, nor have we themeans of paying them; if we had English gold, we might perhaps make ourway to Paris."
"Our men are not so mercenary, Stofflet," said Bonchamps, "I do notthink they have shewn any great desire for plunder."
"No," said Stofflet, "but they must live; if they are to have neitherpay nor plunder, how are they to get to Paris?"
"I agree with you, Bonchamps," said Henri, "come what, come may, I wouldmake a dash at Paris; we shall be cut to pieces here, while we arewaiting for English aid; some of the men would follow us--most of themI believe; where we meet with friends, they will give us provisions;where we find enemies, we will take them, and pay the owners inrepublican assignats; they would get no other payment in themarket-towns. I am sorry to disagree with you, Charles, but my voice isfor Paris."
"And mine also, certainly," said Adolphe, "let our career be short, atany rate let it be glorious; let us march to Paris and strike terrorinto the tyrants of the Convention."
"It is difficult to strike terror into tyrants," said de Lescurequickly, "when the number of their supporters is ten times greater thanthat of their opponents."
"Well, Cathelineau," said Bonchamps, "what do you say? it is for you tosettle the question between us; are we to go forward to Paris, or marchback to Nantes?"
"I would wish to hear what others say; for myself, I fear that M. deLescure is right. I fear the peasants would not follow us so far fromtheir own homes. What does the Prince de Talmont say?"
"I will have no voice in the matter," said the Prince. "I have joinedyou but lately, and as yet am only fit to follow where others lead."
"And you, M. d'Elbee?" said Cathelineau.
"I hardly know how to speak," said d'Elbee, "where the subject is soimportant."
"M. d'Elbee is not wont to be so modest," said Stofflet; "does he nottrust that Providence will inspire him with wisdom, when he opens hismouth to give his opinion?"
"Certainly, Stofflet; I trust in that all-seeing eye, at which you areso willing to scoff; but I do not expect that I am to be allowed to seefurther into futurity than another; however, if I am to express anopinion, I think we should endeavour to march on Paris; if we find thatthe men desert us, and that others do not join our standards, we mustreturn."
"And how are we to return," said de Lescure, "and to whom? think youthat we can collect another army in La Vendee, when one has deserted uson the road? will the peasants again trust in us, after they have onceleft us? Never If the army dissolves itself in despair, you will neverbe able to establish it again."
"Who talks of despair, Charles?" said Henri, "you did not despair whenyou were thundering against the gates of Saumur with four republicansto one royalist opposed to you; why should you despair now; or whyshould the army despair; I believe they would go anywhere at the commandof their priests, and with the hope of restoring the King to histhrone."
The question was then put to the vote. De Lescure and four others, votedfor attacking Nantes. Bonchamps, and five others, declared forproceeding at once to Paris, with the view of arresting the presentleaders of the Convention. Cathelineau was then called on to express hisopinion, which would of course be decisive.
"I think M. de Lescure is right," said he, "I think we are not in aposition to advance to Paris. I have not the heart to ask the men tofollow me into a strange country, so far from their own homes."
The numbers were now equally divided, but as Cathelineau was theCommander-in-Chief, his voice turned the scale; and the expedition toParis was postponed.
"So be it," said Bonchamps; "let us prepare then for Nantes; it is notfortified like Saumur, but the troops there are very numerous."
It was then decided that Cathelineau should name six lieutenants underhim, to take command of the different districts from which the army wascollected, and to which the men would be sure to return; and alsoappoint an officer in command of the artillery, and another in commandof the cavalry. Cathelineau would have willingly dispensed with the taskof selecting his officers--a work in which he could hardly fail to giveoffence to some, and in which he might probably give entire satisfactionto none; but it was to be done, and he felt that it was useless for himto shrink from it.
"M. Bonchamps," said he, "will of course take the command of the men ofAnjou, and M. de Lescure of those from the southern parts of the Bocage,and they will assist me, I hope, in selecting the others. It is verydifficult to select, where so many are fit."
"Rather say," said Henri, laughing, "where so many are equally unfit.Why, Bonchamps and Marigny are the only soldiers by profession we haveamong us."
"You'll all be soldiers shortly," said Father Jerome. "You are at anyrate going the right way to learn the trade."
"Marigny of course will take the artillery," said Bonchamps. "We arevery lucky in having so good an artillery officer among us."
"There is no one, at any rate, to dispute your claim, Marigny," said deLescure.
"So he's president over 'Marie Jeanne' and the gunpowder," said Henri;"that's settled, isn't it Cathelineau?"
"Unless M. Marigny refuses," said Cathelineau.
"I am not modest enough for that, General," said Marigny. "Do youfurnish me with guns, and I'll fight them. Do you collect the gunpowder,and I'll consume it."
"And the Prince de Talmont will take the cavalry?" said Cathelineau.
"No, indeed," said the Prince. "I will not interfere with HenriLarochejaquelin."
"Henri Larochejaquelin is much obliged to you, Prince," said Henri, "buthe is not ambitious of making a fool of himself; nor does he wish to bemade a fool of. Moreover, Henri Larochejaquelin does not wish to quarrelwith an old friend like you, Prince; but he might be tempted to do so,if you take any liberties with his name."
"But, Cathelineau," said the Prince, "Henri has been at the head of thecavalry all through."
"Don't set a bad example, Prince," said de Lescure. "Let every mancoincide with Cathelineau's directions without a word; so shall we bespared the ill effects of over modesty, and of too much assurance."
"Besides," said Cathelineau, "M. Larochejaquelin will be much wantedelsewhere. As a matter of course, he will be the leader of all theparishes round Chatillon; I doubt if the men would follow any one else."
"Dear Cathelineau," said Henri, "if you will take my advice, you willnot make leaders of us youngsters at all. Adolphe and I will be wellcontented to be hussars for awhile. Let these grey-headed seniors beour leaders," and he pointed to d'Elbee whose hair was grizzled.
Henri had seen that the spirit of jealousy was already rising in AdolpheDenot's face. No allusion had been made to his services; his advice hadnever been asked in the council; there was no probability that he wouldbe named as one of the leaders; he had hardly spoken a word since theyhad assembled in the council-room. Henri, though his own heart was astranger to the jealousy and dread of neglect which tormented Adolphe,sympathised with, and felt for his friend; and he thought that if theywere both together excluded from command at his request, the blow wouldbe less keenly felt. They were the two youngest in the room, and theiryouth was a good reason why they should not be named; but Henri was theyounger of the two, and he knew that if he were selected as one of thechiefs, Adolphe would be miserable at finding himself left out.
De Lescure, however, would not allow of this. He had promised that hewould not disgrace D
enot, by telling of the cowardice he had shewn atthe Bridge of Fouchard, and he was determined to keep his word; but hewould not allow his cousin, his pupil, his bosom friend, the man whomhe loved with the affection of a brother and a father, to sink himselfto the same level as a coward.
"How absurd is this!" said he, angrily. "I wonder, Henri, that youshould be the first to create such foolish difficulties, when our veryexistence depends on perfect unanimity. In proportion as our means ofenforcing obedience is slender, should our resolution be firm,implicitly to obey the directions of those who are selected as ourleaders. We have made Cathelineau our General, and desired him to selecthis officers, and when he selects you as one, you object. If you objectfrom a proper modesty, it argues that those who accept, shew an improperdegree of assurance. You should think of these things, Henri."
"I resign myself to my dignity, and am dumb," said Henri laughing. "Goon, Cathelineau, and if the men you name, say but one word, one syllableagainst your choice--I'll slay them."
Cathelineau knew that all his difficulty still lay before him; thosewhom he had already chosen would as a matter of course be among thenumber; but who were to be the other three?
"M. Donnissan," said be, in a whisper to de Lescure, who was sittingnext to him. "I do not know what his wishes might be."
"My father-in-law feels himself too old," answered de Lescure; "d'Elbeewould be a much fitter person; he is thought so much of at Beauprieu."
"And the other two?" asked Cathelineau.
"Name one yourself, and ask Bonchamps to name the other."
"M. d'Elbee," said Cathelineau, aloud, "you will not, I am sure, refuseto take your portion of our labours."
"You will find," whispered Stofflet to his neighbour, "that asProvidence has called upon him, he will be willing enough."
"I will do my best," said d'Elbee "as I am called upon; and may the Lorddirect me, that I may fight His battle so as to do honour to His name."
"I think I will name Stofflet," said Cathelineau, consulting withBonchamps and de Lescure; "he is a brave man, and though rude in hismanner, he will make perhaps the best soldier among us; already the menobey him almost more implicitly than any one."
"Do--do!" said Bonchamps; "you cannot do better."
"I think you will be right to do so," said de Lescure, "though I do notlike the man; but the peasants know him, and he is one of themselves.Yesterday morning I had ample proof of his courage. As you say, he isa brave man and a good soldier."
Stofflet was then informed that he had been named, and though hemuttered some expressions as to his own want of the necessaryqualifications, he was evidently well pleased that the choice had fallenon him.
And now the last of the lot was to be chosen. As the two last names hadbeen mentioned, Denot's brow had grown blacker and blacker. HenriLarochejaquelin, during the whole proceeding, had been walking about theroom, sitting now in one place, and now in another. At the presentmoment, he was sitting next to Adolphe, who, when Stofflet's name wasmentioned, whispered to him, but almost audibly:
"Gracious heaven! Stofflet!--the whole affair is becoming discreditable.How can any gentleman serve under such a man as that?"
"You think too much of rank, Adolphe," said Henri; "we should entirelyforget all distinctions of person now; unless we do so we can neversucceed."
"But do you think we are more likely to set the King upon his throne,by making such a brute as that a General? I wonder whom ourCommander-in-Chief will choose next--Foret, I suppose."
After having again consulted for some time, Bonchamps said toCathelineau: "I do not think you can do better than name Adolphe Denot."
This was said in a low voice, but Adolphe's ears were not slow to catchhis own name, and he was once more happy. Though he was named last, hewould be equal with the others.
"Not so," said de Lescure, who had no idea that Denot had overheard themention of his name, "Adolphe is not yet sufficiently known to thepeople; besides we have hitherto forgotten one, who though absent, wemust not forget--one who was the first in the field against theRepublic, who is already at the head of an army, and who has on variousoccasions shown himself capable to lead an army. We must not forgetCharette."
The last words were spoken out loud, and though they were eagerlyresponded to by every one else, they fell with a heavy sound on AdolpheDenot's ear. To know that he was excluded after he had been named, tofeel that he had been proposed merely to be rejected; it was more thanhe could bear; and as soon as Cathelineau had formally announced thename of M. Charette as one of their leaders, he started abruptly fromhis chair and said:
"Oh, of course, gentlemen, if you prefer Charette, so be it! He,doubtless will be better able to assist your endeavours than I should;but you might have spared me the mortification of putting my name onyour list of officers, merely to scratch it off again."
"What matters it, Adolphe," said Larochejaquelin, blushing for hisfriend, "will you not share my command? Will not your word be asinfluential in the parishes of Chatillon as my own?"
"I sincerely beg your pardon, M. Denot," said Cathelineau, "if I havehurt your feelings, but you are as much aware as we are that we shouldbe very wrong to neglect the merits of M. Charette; his achievementsclaim from us this distinction, and his power and influence wouldprobably be lost to La Vendee, if we did not now incorporate his armywith ours."
"I have nothing further to say," said Denot. "I must own I do notaltogether admire the selection which has been made; but I have nothingfurther to say on the subject."
"I am sorry, Adolphe, that you have said so much," said de Lescure.
"You would have been apt to say more yourself if you had been passedover," said Adolphe, forgetting in his passion how he had disgracedhimself before de Lescure at the bridge of Fouchard.
"I fear you misunderstand the purpose, which has collected here inSaumur so many men in arms," said he. "I fear that you think thepeasants of our country have turned themselves into soldiers, that wemight become generals, and play at being great men. Indeed, such is notthe case; if personal ambition has brought you here, you had betterleave us. We have come here to fight, and very probably to die for ourKing and our religion; and, being called upon to act as leaders, we mustbear a heavier share of the burden, and undergo greater perils thanothers; but we seek no especial dignity, we look for no otherpre-eminence, than that of suffering more than others. I fear these arenot the feelings that influence you."
"My feelings, Sir, are as pure as your own!" said Denot.
"If so," said Father Jerome, "you had better teach us all to think so,by taking care that your conduct is also as pure as M. de Lescure's."
"Oh, Father Jerome, do not anger him," said Henri. "Come with me,Adolphe, and we will quietly talk over this; they don't exactlyunderstand what you mean yet."
"But they shall understand what I mean," said Denot, whose anger was nowbeyond control, "and they shall know that I will not remain here to berebuked by a priest, who has thrust himself into affairs with which hehas no concern; or to make myself subservient to men who are not fit tobe my equals. I will not deign to be a common soldier, when such a manas Stofflet is made an officer."
And he got up from the chair in which he had again seated himself, andstalked out of the room.
"He has at any rate proved to us," said Bonchamps, "that I was wrong tonominate him, and that you were right not to accept the nomination."
"I grieve that he should be vexed with me," said Stofflet; "but I didnot seek to put myself above him."
"Time and experience will make him wise," said de Lescure: "let us pityhis folly and forgive it."
The council was then broken up, and the different officers went each toperform his own duties. When Denot left the room, Henri immediatelyfollowed him.
"Adolphe," said he, as he overtook him in the market-place, "Adolphe,indeed you are wrong, no one meant to show you any indignity."
"And have you also followed me to tell me I am wrong--of course I amwrong--I am wrong becau
se I will not submit, as you and Charles do, toignorant boors like Stofflet and Cathelineau, because--"
"Like Cathelineau! why, Adolphe, you are mad," said Henri, "why youyourself voted that Cathelineau should be our General."
"Voted! Why, Henri, what a child you are! Do you call that voting whenall was arranged beforehand? You are blind, I tell you. You will votenext, I suppose, that your great General's valour shall de rewarded withyour sister's hand!"
"My sister's hand! what is it you are speaking of?"
"Yes, Agatha's hand! think you that when you make a General of such ashim, that his ambition will rest there? if you are content to belieutenant to a postillion, I presume you will feel yourself honouredby a nearer connexion with him."
"Denot, you are raving mad! Cathelineau looking for my sister's hand?"
"Yes, Agatha's hand, the postillion looking for your sister's hand; and,Sir, you will find that I am not mad. Before long, Cathelineau will lookfor Agatha's hand: her heart he has already," and without waiting forany further answer, he hurried away.
"He must be raving mad," said Henri, "unlucky in love, and thwarted inambition, he is unable to bear his griefs like a man. What a phantasyhas jealousy created in his brain But Agatha was right; a man who couldspeak of her, even in his madness, as he has now spoken, was not worthyof her. Cathelineau! were he ten times lower than a postillion by birth,he would still be twenty times made noble by achievements and bycharacter, and yet I would not wish--but nonsense! he thinks no more ofwedding Agatha than I of Diana."