massacres of the south-第37章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


death　of　the　latter；　one　of　their　stores；　containing　more　than　eighty
sacks　of　corn；　had　been　taken　at　Toiras。　　The　next　day；　Catinat；　who；
with　a　dozen　men；　was　in　hiding　in　a　vineyard　of　La　Vaunage；　was
surprised　by　a　detachment　of　Soissonnais；　eleven　of　his　men　were
killed；　the　twelfth　made　prisoner；　and　he　himself　barely　escaped　with
a　severe　wound。　　The　25th　of　the　same　month；　a　cavern　near　Sauve；
which　the　rebels　used　as　a　store；　and　which　contained　one　hundred　and
fifty　sacks　of　fine　wheat；　was　discovered；　lastly；　Chevalier　de
Froulay　had　found　a　third　hiding…place　near　Mailet。　　In　this；　which
had　been　used　not　only　as　a　store　but　as　a　hospital；　besides　a
quantity　of　salt　beef；　wine；　and　flour；　six　wounded　Camisards　were
found；　who　were　instantly　shot　as　they　lay。

The　only　band　which　remained　unbroken　was　Ravanel's；　but　since　the
departure　of　Cavalier　things　had　not　gone　well　with　his　lieutenant。

In　consequence　of　this；　and　also　on　account　of　the　successive　checks
which　the　other　bodies　of　Camisard　troops　had　met　with；　Ravanel
proclaimed　a　solemn　fast；　in　order　to　intercede　with　God　to　protect
the　Huguenot　cause。　　On　Saturday；　the　13th　September；　he　led　his
entire　force　to　the　wood　of　St。　Benazet；　intending　to　pass　the　whole
of　the　next　day　with　them　there　in　prayer。　　But　treason　was　rife。
Two　peasants　who　knew　of　this　plan　gave　information　to　M。　Lenoir；
mayor　of　Le　Vigan；　and　he　sent　word　to　the　marechal　and　M。　de
Saville；　who　were　at　Anduze。

Nothing　could　have　been　more　welcome　to　the　governor　than　this
important　information：　he　made　the　most　careful　disposition　of　his
forces；　hoping　to　destroy　the　rebellion　at　one　blow。　　He　ordered
M。　de　Courten；　a　brigadier…colonel　in　command　at　Alais；　to　take　a
detachment　of　the　troops　under　him　and　patrol　the　banks　of　the　Gardon
between　Ners　and　Castagnols。　　He　was　of　opinion　that　if　the　Camisards
were　attacked　on　the　other　side　by　a　body　of　soldiers　drawn　from
Anduze；　which　he　had　stationed　during　the　night　at　Dommersargues；
they　would　try　to　make　good　their　retreat　towards　the　river。　　The
force　at　Dommersargues　might　almost　be　called　a　small　army；　for　it
was　composed　of　a　Swiss　battalion；　a　battalion　of　the　Hainault
regiment；　one　from　the　Charolais　regiment；　and　four　companies　of
dragoons　from　Fimarcon　and　Saint…Sernin。

Everything　took　place　as　the　peasants　had　said：　on　Saturday　the　13th；
the　Camisards　entered；　as　we　have　seen；　the　wood　of　St。　Benazet；　and
passed　the　night　there。

At　break　of　day　the　royals　from　Dommersargues　began　their　advance。
The　Camisard　outposts　soon　perceived　the　movement；　and　warned
Ravanel；　who　held　his　little　council　of　war。　　Everyone　was　in　favour
of　instant　retreat；　so　they　retired　towards　Ners；　intending　to　cross
the　Gardon　below　that　town：　just　as　M。　de　Villars　had　foreseen；　the
Camisards　did　everything　necessary　for　the　success　of　his　plans；　and
ended　by　walking　right　into　the　trap　set　for　them。

On　emerging　from　the　wood　of　St。　Benazet；　they　caught　sight　of　a
detachment　of　royals　drawn　up　and　waiting　for　them　between　Marvejols
and　a　mill　called　the　Moulin…du…Pont。　Seeing　the　road　closed　in　this
direction；　they　turned　sharp　to　the　left；　and　gained　a　rocky　valley
which　ran　parallel　to　the　Gardon。　This　they　followed　till　they　came
out　below　Marvejols；　where　they　crossed　the　river。　　They　now　thought
themselves　out　of　danger；　thanks　to　this　manoeuvre；　but　suddenly　they
saw　another　detachment　of　royals　lying　on　the　grass　near　the　mill　of
La　Scie。　　They　at　once　halted　again；　and　then；　believing　themselves
undiscovered；　turned　back；　moving　as　noiselessly　as　possible；
intending　to　recross　the　river　and　make　for　Cardet。　　But　they　only
avoided　one　trap　to　fall　into　another；　for　in　this　direction　they
were　met　by　the　Hainault　battalion；　which　swooped　down　upon　them。
A　few　of　these　ill…fated　men　rallied　at　the　sound　of　Ravanel's　voice
and　made　an　effort　to　defend　themselves　in　spite　of　the　prevailing
confusion；　but　the　danger　was　so　imminent；　the　foes　so　numerous；　and
their　numbers　decreased　so　rapidly　under　the　fierce　assault；　that
their　example　failed　of　effect；　and　flight　became　general：　every　man
trusted　to　chance　for　guidance；　and；　caring　nothing　for　the　safety　of
others；　thought　only　of　his　own。

Then　it　ceased　to　be　a　battle　and　become　a　massacre；　for　the　royals
were　ten　to　one；　and　among　those　they　encountered；　only　sixty　had
firearms；　the　rest；　since　the　discovery　of　their　various　magazines；
having　been　reduced　to　arm　themselves　with　bad　swords；　pitchforks；
and　bayonets　attached　to　sticks。　　Hardly　a　man　survived　the　fray。
Ravanel　himself　only　succeeded　in　escaping　by　throwing　himself　into
the　river；　where　he　remained　under　water　between　two　rocks　for　seven
hours；　only　coming　to　the　surface　to　breathe。　　When　night　fell　and
the　dragoons　had　retired；　he　also　fled。

This　was　the　last　battle　of　the　war；　which　had　lasted　four　years。
With　Cavalier　and　Roland；　those　two　mountain　giants；　the　power　of　the
rebels　disappeared。　　As　the　news　of　the　defeat　spread；　the　Camisard
chiefs　and　soldiers　becoming　convinced　that　the　Lord　had　hidden　His
face　from　them；　surrendered　one　by　one。　　The　first　to　set　an　example
was　Castanet。　　On　September　6th；　a　week　after　the　defeat　of　Ravanel；
he　surrendered　to　the　marechal。　　On　the　19th；　Catinat　and　his
lieutenant；　Franqois　Souvayre；　tendered　their　submission；　on　the
22nd；　Amet；　Roland's　brother；　came　in；　on　October　4th；　Joanny；　on　the
9th；　Larose；　Valette；　Salomon；　Laforet；　Moulieres；　Salles；　Abraham
and　Marion；　on　the　20th；　Fidele；　and　on　the　25th；　Rochegude。

Each　made　what　terms　he　could；　in　general　the　conditions　were
favourable。　　Most　of　those　who　submitted　received　rewards　of　money；
some　more；　some　less；　the　smallest　amount　given　being　200　livres。
They　all　received　passports；　and　were　ordered　to　leave　the　kingdom；
being　sent；　accompanied　by　an　escort　and　at　the　king's　expense；　to
Geneva。　　The　following　is　the　account　given　by　Marion　of　the
agreement　he　came　to　with　the　Marquis　Lalande；　probably　all　the
others　were　of　the　same　nature。

〃I　was　deputed；〃　he　says；　〃to　treat　with　this　lieutenant…general　in
regard　to　the　surrender　of　my　own　troops　and　those　of　Larose；　and　to
arrange　terms　for　the　inhabitants　of　thirty…five　parishes　who　had
contributed　to　our　support　during　the　war。　　The　result　of　the
negotiations　was　that　all　the　prisoners　from　our　cantons　should　be
set　at　liberty；　and　be　reinstated　in　their　possessions；　along　with
all　the　others。　　The　inhabitants　of　those　parishes　which　had　been
ravaged　by　fire　were　to　be　exempt　from　land…tax　for　three　years；　and
in　no　parish　were　the　inhabitants　to　be　taunted　with　the　past；　nor
molested　on　the　subject　of　religion；　but　were　to　be　free　to　worship
God　in　their　own　houses　according　to　their　consciences。〃

These　agreements　were　fulfilled　with　such　punctuality；　that　Larose
was　permitted　to　open　the　prison　doors　of　St。　Hippolyte　to　forty
prisoners　the　very　day　he　made　submission。

As　we　have　said；　the　Camisards；　according　as　they　came　in；　were　sent
off　to　Geneva。　　D'Aygaliers；　whose　fate　we　have　anticipated；　arrived
there　on　September　23rd；　accompanied　by　Cavalier's　eldest　brother；
Malpach；　Roland's　secretary；　and　thirty…six　Camisards。　　Catinat　and
Castanet　arrived　there　on　the　8th　October；　along　with　twenty…two
other　persons；　while　Larose；　Laforet；　Salomon；　Moulieres；　Salles；
Marion；　and　Fidele　reached　it　under　the　escort　of　forty　dragoons　from
Fimarcon　in　the　month　of　November。

Of　all　the　chiefs　who　had　turned　Languedoc　for　four　years　into　a　vast
arena；　only　Ravanel　remained；　but　he　refused　either　to　surrender　or
to　leave　the　country。　　On　the　8th　October　the　marechal　issued　an
order　declaring　he　had　forfeited　all　right　to　the　favour　of　an
amnesty；　and　offering　a　reward　of　150　Louis　to　whoever　delivered　him
up　living；　and　2400　livres　to　whoever　brought　in　his　dead　body；　while
any　hamlet；　village；　or　town　which　gave　him　refuge　would　be　burnt　to
the　ground　and　the　inhabitants　put　to　the　sword。

The　revolt　seemed　to　be　at　an　end　and　peace　established。　　So　the
marechal　was　recalled　to　court；　and　left　Nimes　on　January　the　6th。
Before　his　departure　he　r