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Valady is executed at Perigueux, Dechezeau at Rochefort, Grangeneuve, Guadet, Salle and Barbaroux at Bordeaux, Coustard, Cussy, Rabout-Saint-Etienne, Bernard, Masuyer, and Lebrun at Paris.
The road which the royalists intended to take ran from Cholet, through Coron, Vihiers, and Doue, to Saumur. The republicans, who were now in great force at Saumur, under Generals Coustard and Quetineau, had sent small parties of soldiers into the town of Vihiers and Doue, the inhabitants of which were mostly republican.
Come and meet the brave men of Fontenay, who trampled on the dirty tricolour, and drove out General Coustard from his covert, like a hunted fox. He is now at Saumur; we will turn him out from thence." "We will! we will! We will hang up Coustard by the heels."
In the evening Generals Coustard and Berthier, who had been sent by Biron to act under Menou's orders, arrived in the town; and Santerre, the brewer of Paris, who had been the leader of the mob there and was now a general, arrived next morning. Cathelineau's army was astir early.
Decrees are passed on the 18th of July accusing Coustard, on the 28th of July against Gensonne, La Source, Vergniaud, Mollevaut, Gardien, Grangeneuve, Fauchet, Boilleau, Valaze, Cussy, Meillan; each being aware that the tribunal before which he must appear is the waiting room to the guillotine.
They were under the command of General Coustard, who kept his position during the whole attack, inactive and unmolested; had he attacked M. d'Elbee's army in the rear, when that officer advanced to support de Lescure's division, the Vendeans would probably have been destroyed between the two republican armies.
Santerre commanded the force which was to defend the intrenchments at Nantilly, and Coustard the troops who occupied the heights of Bourlan. At four o'clock the skirmishers on both sides were hotly engaged. The Vendeans advanced in three columns the central one against the post occupied by Berthier, the left against Nantilly, and the right threatened to turn the position at Beaulieu.
The Vendeans had now possession of all the works in the centre of the defenders' line. Coustard, seeing that the centre was lost, and that the Vendeans were moving towards a bridge across the Dives, by which alone they could enter the town, ordered two battalions with two pieces of cannon to hold it.
He was not only disobeyed but, with shouts of "Treason!" they rushed upon him and, with difficulty, he escaped with his life. The Vendeans seized the bridge, and established a battery for its defence. Coustard saw that it must be recaptured, as the town was now open to the enemy; and ordered a detachment of cuirassiers, commanded by Colonel Weissen, to carry the bridge.
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