Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

BRUNSWICK. 299
sian army, and issued at Coblentz, July senburg, and his attempt to draw nearer
15, 1792, the famous manifesto, drawn to Landau. In order to gain anothel
up in a very harsh and haughty style by strong point of support, he ventured, on
a Frenchman, IDe Limon. It certainly the night of Nov. 16, to make an assault
did more injury to the allied forces than upon the mountain-fortress of' Bitsch,
a hostile army could have done. It in- which is the key of the Vosges, as the
flamed the French nation almost to fury roads from Landau, Pirmasens, Weissenagainst the insolent conquerors, who in- burg and Strasburg unite at that place.
tended "to make every city, that dared to This attempt miscarried. Between the
resist, level with the ground, and to cut 28th and the 30th ofNovember, however,
their way to Paris." The emperor Fran- he defeated a division of the army of the
cis approved it, and so did the king of Moselle, at Lautern, which was pressing
Prussia; but the duke considered the ex- through the mountains, under the compressions too strong. The severest pas- mand of Hoche, with the intention of resages were expunged; but its tone was lieving Landau. But the daily attacks of
still very insolent. The duke designed to Hoche and Pichegru, without regard to
press forward from Lorraine to Paris, to the sacrifice of men, and the successful
cut off its supplies, and thus to force it to attempt of the latter to break the Austrian
surrender by famine. Aug. 23, 1792, lines near Froschweiler, Dec. 22, forced
Longwy was taken, and, Sept. 2, Ver- the Austrians to retreat beyond the Rhine,
dun. But, in Champagne, a country of and occasioned the retreat of the duke
itself unproductive, the transport of pro- also. As some difficulties had already
visions for the army from the frontiers risen between Austria and Prussia, he
was rendered difficult by mountains and laid down the chief command of the
forests. Dumnouriez was encamped in army in the beginning of the year 1794.
the vicinity of St. Menehould, and skir- Mollendorf was his successor. The
mishes took place daily; but Dumouriez, duke continued to labor for the welfare
not willing to hazard the fate of France, of his country until the fatal year 1806.
and foreseeing that the Germans would Although he was now of such an age that
be forced to retreat by want and disease, he might have retired without reproach
avoided a decisive action, notwithstand- from public life, yet he assumed burthens
ing the efforts of the enemy to provoke beyond his powers. At the beginning of
him to it. The Germans were, therefore, the year 1806, commissioned by the king
obliged to conclude an armistice, and to of Prussia, he made a journey to Petersevacuate Champagne. Custines took burg relative to the war that soon broke
Worms and Spire during this retreat, out with France. He was then placed at
and, Oct. 21, captured the fortress of the head of the Prussian army. But his
Mentz, and soon afterwards Frankfort, physical strength was not equal to his
which latter city, however, was retaken moral energy, as was proved by the batby the Prussians and Hessians Dec. 2. tles of Jena and Auerstiadt. (q. v.) He
The endeavors of the Germans, therefore, was mortally wounded, and closed his
were principally directed to the recapture life at Ottensen, near Altona, Nov. 10,
of those places. To this end the duke, in 1806. As a civil ruler, he was distinconjunction with the Austrians, opened guished for good intentions; yet the want
the campaign on the Upper Rhine in of consistency, which is evident in most
1793, took the fortress of Konigstein actions of his life, may have been the
March 7, conquered Mentz July 22, cause of the many failures of his benevoand prepared to attack the strong fortress lent purposes. The duke's subjects were
of Landau, then in the power -of the also offended by his foreign partialities,
French. The French, on the other particularly his fatal inclination for the
hand, Sept. 14, made a general attack French nation, which had been instilled
on the duke and Wurmser, from Stras- into him by Frederic II.
burg to Saarbruck. On that day, the BRuNswIcnK, Ferdinand, duke of, born
duke had a sanguinary engagement with at Brunswick, Janl. 11th, 1721, fourth son
Moreau, in the vicinity of Pirmasens, a of duke Ferdinand Albert, was educated
town belonging to the landgraviate of for the military profession. In 1739, he
Hesse-Darmstadt. The French were entered into the Prussian service, was
driven firom their camp near the village engaged in the Silesian wars, and became
of Hornbach, as far as'to the Saar. A one of the mos. eminent generals in the
month later, the duke, having formed a seven years' war. Ile commanded timhe
union with IWurmser, succeeded, Oct. allied army in WV'estphalia, where, alxways
13th, in his attack on the lines of Weis- opposed to superior forces, he displayed