when no other alimenl was left but meal, wilhoul the enemy being able lo oblige them to do iL. The posts, which Lhe absolute want of every kind of means of subsislence and preservation, obliged Lhem to abandon, are by nature so insignificant for stratagem or tactics, that should tl1e enemy remain in them, they would afford us a certain and easy vie tory in another campaign, because they really are not suslain- ahle as military posls. AJlow me, your Excellency, lo do away with the error, in believing that the presence of any force whatsoever, can in any manner contribute to the safely of the life of his Excellency, the man deserving of his country, and general-in-chief. For men who have committed to the flames every thing that was most dear to them, in order lo retire, and determined to abandon the country, and all their property forever, the presence of hostile forces would be attended with no other result than the more speedy abbrevia- tion of the precious days of his Excellency, and of the generals, chiefs and soldiers, in their hands, and whose lives have only been spared by a cold calculation. His excellency, in my humble opinion, in the treaties that he agreed upon, and that l had the honor to send your Excellency, acted with entire liberty, and had nothing more in view than the interest of his country. He was well aware of the situation of the army, and all that it was able to perform under the circumstances in which he had left it: so thal he was willing to become the only victims of his ever Lo be lamented misfortune, without ever sustaining the ugly imputation of selfishness or weakness of mind in his proceedings. As regards myself, I do not pretend to fly from the responsibilities which rnay result lo me from my operations; I am firmly convinced of having acted with the sincerest desires for the welfare of the nation, and of being guided by no other rules than those prescribed in the ordinances for similar cases; nolwithstand• ing that in them, in vain may one seek for a precept applicable to the situation in which I was. There has been neither forces, your Excellency, nor valor wanting, in the present campaign, for we have had sufficient of both; there has indeed been wanting~ good organization of these forces, a better and more fit employmenl of the valor, plan, system, order, union, and sustainable points well understood ror the operations; means of subsistence and preservation fur thrse
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