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"When I was returning from Holland along with the Empress Maria Louisa we stopped to rest at Givet. During the night a violent storm of wind and rain came on, which swelled the Meuse so much that the bridge of boats over it was carried away. I was very anxious to depart, and ordered all the boatmen in the place to be assembled that I might be enabled to cross the river.
On the 27th of April, Lafayette, who had moved his camp to Givet, received despatches from Dumouriez detailing the plan of campaign against Belgium. According to this plan, Lafayette, with ten thousand picked men, was to advance by forced marches upon Namur.
Thirty-five thousand foot and twelve thousand horse had, by the middle of July, advanced through the province of Namur, and were assembled at Givet under the Duke of Savoy, who, as Governor-General of the Netherlands, held the chief command.
But I must investigate this case farther. Captain Bassil, you will go immediately to your quarters and consider yourself under arrest." As the captain saluted and turned to leave the tent, Chester, who had been silent thus far, exclaimed: "One moment, please, Captain Bassil," and then turned to General Givet.
At the turning of a sharp corner, we met the gendarme who had supplied O'Brien with a map of the town of Givet. "Good morning, comrade," said he to O'Brien, looking earnestly at him, "whom have we here?" "A young Englishman, whom I picked up close by, escaped from prison." "Where from?" "He will not say; but I suspect from Givet."
Stealthily he descended the stairs, opened and went out the front door, closing it softly behind him. Then he darted down the street as fast as his legs could carry him. After rounding several corners, he finally slowed down to a walk. He felt now that he was safe from pursuit, and he set about finding his way to the headquarters of General Givet.
He was within a gunshot of the fortress of Charlemont, on the left bank, and in the vexation which the delay occasioned he dictated the following decree: "A bridge shall be built over the Meuse to join Little Civet to Great Givet. It shall be terminated during the ensuing campaign."
After resting for two days at Duesseldorf, Napoleon and Marie Louise went on to Cologne, when they visited the Chapel of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, and a grand Te Deum was sung in the famous Cathedral, They returned by Liege, Givet, Mezieres, and Compiegne, reaching Saint Cloud after an absence of nearly three months, the longest visit that the Emperor had made in the provinces of either the old or the new France.
Some of the men were taken prisoners and some were drowned in trying to swim across the river. This was all that Martin told me; he had no news from home. That same day we passed through Givet; the battalion bivouacked near the village of Hierches half a league farther on.
She secretly engaged, also, in negotiations with Russia, Austria, and Spain, to form a quadruple alliance. The Duke of Brunswick having advanced to the confines of Holland, sent some of his officers to Givet, to reconnoitre the state of things there, and report them to him.
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