Memoirs of the Marchioness de La Rochejaquelein; Tr. from the French (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1827 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIV. PASSAGE OP THE LOIRE--MARCH BY INGRANDE--CANDE, CHATEAU-GONTIER, AND LAVAL. I Was at this dreadful period too much overcome by grief and apprehension, for the passing events to leave any distinct impression on my memory. Many of the details have been related to me since. MM. de Talmont and d'Autichamp had succeeded in their attack npon Varades; they had driven away the Blues, and the passage of the Loire was secured. From the 17th, a crowd of soldiers had fled, without stopping, as far as St Florent. During the whole night the Vendcens marched upon this point. Our Breton soldiers, and the people of the right bank, had brought some boats. They called to the fugitives, " Come, friends, come to our country, you shall want for nothing; we will help you; we are all aristocrats." The Vendeens precipitated themselves in crowds into the boats. Thus when, on the morning of the 18th, the officers arrived, the passage was begun. We had left Chaudron during the night. M. de Lescure was carried on a bed, which they had covered as well as they possibly could; he suffered dreadfully. The soldiers of Brittany. I travelled by his side. I was three months gone with child; my situation was shocking. We arrived early at St Florent, and then I saw the greatest and the saddest sight which can be imagined; a sight which never can be effaced from the memory of the wretched Vendeens. The heights of St Florent form a kind of semicircular boundary to a vast level strand reaching to the Loire, which is very wide at this place. Eighty thousand people were crowded together in this valley; soldiers, women, children, the aged, and the wounded, flying from immediate destruction. Behind them, they perceived the smoke rising from the villages the republicans were burning. Nothi...