Napoleon Bonaport and the Siege of Toulon (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Dugommier?Maeescot?Council Of War?Bonaparte's Plan?Marescot's Influence Upon The Siege?AtTack On Convention?Artillery Before Final AtTack?Attack On Eguillette?Council Of War? Departure Of Allies?Destruction Of The Ships? Entrance Of Republicans?Bonaparte And The Massacres. On Nov. 17 Dugommier arrived. He was far a bettergen- eral than Carteaux, Lapoype, or Doppet. Fifty-five years old, he had seen some service. He was formally an officer in a marine battery; he took part with some distinction in the Seven Years War, and also in the American War of Independence. Then he retired to his estate in the West Indies, from whence he had been sent as a deputy to Paris; later he re-entered the army, was made brigadier general in Oct. 1792. In the Italian army he likewise distinguished himself, became general of division: in short he was a good soldier. An old artillery general, Du Theil, arrived two hours after Dugommier. Doppet and Albitte had brought him to take charge of the artillery, but he was forced to remain a few days in Marseilles, and consequently did not arrive with Doppet. About this time a decided and continual improvement took place in the condition of the besieging army. Reinforcements, artillery and ammunition arrived in great quantity: these came principally from Lyons. The taking of this city had a great effect upon the attack of Toulon, as it permitted about all the forces employed there to be turned against the Allies in Toulon. There was however difficulty in finding provisions for the Republican army, and toward the end of the siege this question became one of great importance.1 On Nov. 24 the chef de bataillon, Marescot, a friend of Carnot's arrived, " pour diriger le genie ." The next day he 1 Lettres de Salicetti. Nov. 9 to 13. R. A. wr...