North Wales Gazette

SUBSTANCE OF THE STATEMENT OF THE TYROLEAN DEPUTIES. The country of Tyro! and the seven Princi- } palities of Voralberg have, for a series of centuries, constituted an hereditary portion of the Imperial house of Austria. The people inhabiting these countries distinguished them- selves in every war by such undaunted valour, that the Emperors successively conferred upon them very considerable privileges.—During the seventeenth and the last centuries, when the Swedes, French, and Bavarians made such rapid advances in the German Empire, these provinces always repulsed the enemy with considerable loss. In the year 1703, particu- larly when the Bavarian army had penetrated into the Tyrol, it was so ill received, that scarcely a few remained to attend their Elector back. The attachment of the Tyroleans and Voralbergers to their Emperors was always firm for they governed them with signal and maternal mildness, faithfully preserving their privileges. Thus, though not blessed either with a delicious climate, or a fertile soi!, these pastoral nations, not aware of their poverty, led a very contented and happv life in their cottages, until the war of the French Revolution broke out. The valleys were in- habited by thousands of persons, who, before that period, had never seen a soldier; but thenceforward whole armies traversed their country, some proceeding to the interior of Germany, and others going to italv. The poor inhabitants furnished them gra- tuitously with provisions and all sorts of ne- cessaries, and (hereby put themselves to great inconvenience. Still, they not only refrained from murmurs, but evinced their loyalty by Hie erection of a corps of Tyro! and Voralberg clov-uirs, called" the Tyrol Fieldyagers." III of and natives; who, in addition to their pay, were allowed by their country nine cteilIzcxs each man daily. It is to be observer, t'iuvt t-be maie population in those mountains is. f rotM it» eightiiyear, train- ee; 10 the use of the gun, by hunting, as well as by firing at targets. Snch superior marks- men, as this ancient practice .makes of them. must, it may easily be supposed, proveagreni addition to any army, In fact, they have ever uncommonly .signalized tlumselves in ail Aus- trian wars, yet they could not stem the current of disaster which overwhelmed the arms o' their Government, and in 1794 the enemy approached their frontiers. The Emperor now summoned his brave and beloved Tyrol or Vorralberg subjects, remind ing them.of their ancient fame for sharpshoot- iug. But they had anticipated the summons by organizing, of their own accord, a levy ev masse. They hastened to the defence of the frontiers, and thus preserved their countries free from invasion. In 1798, the enemy again attempted to make inroads from Italy, Switzerland, the Grisons, and Swabia. 41 e only succeeded on the side of the Grisons, where the passes were but weakly guarded, as the main force had been dispatched towards Swabia and Italy, where the enemy likewise was strongest. Still the invaders kept only four days possession of the Pfinischgau, when they were vigorously the Pfinischgau, when they were vigorously driven back t, upon the Orisons and the Enga II dine, though in their retreat they pillaged and burnt the towns of Mais and Glurens. War having again broke out in 1199, their I frontiers were also menaced. The inhabitants immediately repaired thither to guard them and in 1800, when Marshall Massena had crossed the Rhine near Feldkirk, in the Vo- ralberg, with a very superior and victorious force, he was there, as well as near the al- most impregnable mountain fortress of St. Luciensteig, so completely defeated as to lose several thousands in killed and prisoners, be- sides a great quantity of field-pieces and am- munition. They also dispossessed him of the GriSons, and pursued him, in company with other troops, as tar as Zurich. After a few years quiet, the flames of war rekindled more furiously than ever in 1801. The inhabitants of the Tyrol and Voralberg were at once attacked on every side, so as to be rendered dubious whither to carry relief first. Notwithstanding-, the enemy was va. lourously checked at every point, and suffer- ed, especially on the banks of the Seharnitz, a dreadful discomfiture, Unfortunalely their a dreadful discomfiture, Unfortunalely their individual bravery could not retrieve the ge- I neral cause. By the terms of the armistice entered into alter the baite of Hohenlinden, I dle"Tyrol and Voraiberg countries, that had constantly bid defiance to the victorious troops of France, were surrendered as pledges! it was then the real hardships of these poor mountaineers began. Their barren countries, even before drained of their little pittance, were now obliged to maintain a body of French troops, in addition to a corps of Austrians. The savage foreigners were desti- tute of every thing, and all their wants were to be supplied. The dreadful calamity lasted three month, a calamity which the ever un subdued Tyrolese and Voralbergers imagined to have little deserved by their firm attach- ment to their Emperors. Buonaparte's insatiable ambition having stirred up war once in 1805, he ordered the Ty rolese and Voralbergers to be attacked in every point. Marshal Ney, on the banks of the Scharnitz, repeated his attacks thrice. He was driven back with immense slaughter. The same fate shared the Bavarian Generals Deroy and Siebhem, who made vigorous as- sault upon Kufstein and the pass of Strub. These efforts, however, were unable to counterpoise the disastrous surrender of Ulm by General Mack, and the calamitous, issue of the engagement of Austerlitz in conse- quence of which, Buonapartc, in the peace of Presburg, made the cession of the Tyrol and Voralberg an express condition. It is tiot in the power of language to de- scribe the feelings of the honest Tyroleans and Voralbergers at the receipt of ihis melanchoiy intelligence. Ever since 1794, when the re- volutionary war began, their brilliant victo- ries had not been sullied by any defeat. They were an heroic people in the literal sense of the word. Yet tfie reward of their loyalty was a fate which usually falls to the lot of the dastardly. To render" their calamity more poignant, these indigent shepherds found themselves involved in the immense debt of twemj millions of florins. The Emperor of Austria did what he could to alleviate this heavy misfortune; he stipu lated, mat the privileges of the yroiese and Voralbergers should remain entire. But is I there any one so credulous, or so uninformed of the grand events of the day, as to suppose that Bonaparte could be bound by any en- gagement? Faithful only to his usual treache- ry, he no sooner had the invincible Tyrolese and Voralbergers in his grasp, than he imposed upon them contributions of every kind, with- out remitting a single creutzer and, having taken this barbarous revenge, he surrendered them to his recently created King of Ba- varia. This Prince, in his turn, made a point of impoverishing and oppressing his new ac- quisitions. Mot satisfied with raising heavy contributions, he overthrew their ancientcon- stitution, which they had observed for a series of ages abolished the representative States, in order to obstruct the way to all popular remonstrances, and seized the provincial, pu- pillary, and credit-funds, He moreover con- hscated ail ecclesiastical properly, abolished the prelacies and convents, and sold all public buildings to replenish his empty coffers.- What proved more painful to the inhabitants than all these oppressions, was the disposal of the ancient and original castle oHhe Counts of the Tyro!. Every successive month was marked with a list of "new exactions and taxes that were le- vied with the utmost rigour. Coin had be- come uncommonly scarce, and the Bavarian Government enhanced the embarrassment arising from this circumstance, by depreci- alihg'the Austrian bauk~5i!is, which were still in circulation, to one half of their nominal value. This operation caused to the countries I in questioji a fresh loss, amounting it) at least twenty millions of florins. To crown all these oppressive measures, Baval ill had it contemplation to change every name of the provinces of the Tyrol and Voralberg, bv calling them after the principal rivers, and incorporating them with her own dominions. hardships lasted three years. Petitions and complaints were not only re- jected, bat by an express law absolutely pro- hibited. When, therefore, in the beginning of the current \ear, it appearcùèerfain that a new contest between Austria and France was in- evitable, the intelligence was greeted by the poor Tyro eansand Voralbergers as the rising UB is hailed by the shepherd. Scarcely bad fhey received the news of the actual move- ments of the two hostiieÜrmies, before they rose in a mass. Thesr outset was hrilliant be- yond expectation. The troops of the army sent against them consisted of 21,000 men, whom"they resolutely attacked in all points. Their victory was complete; those of the enemy who escaped with their lives being eiiher wounded or taken prisoners. Among the latter were two Generals the sharp-shoot- ers took, besides a. quantity ot cannon, ammu- nition, arms, and several stand ot colours.— This memorable battle was fought on the 10th nnd 11th of April last. The merit of it be- longed solely to the valourous inhabitants of the''Tyrol and Voralberg for regular Austrian array, hastening 10 their relief, did not join them before the 13lh of April; it was received by the conquerors with dibsus beaiiutr and colours flying, while shouts of, iov, and long live our behoved Empeie. Francis," rent the air. Those who knew the mildness of Bona- parte's temper will-be able to conceive an idea Those who knew the mildness of Bona- parte's temper be able to conceive an idea I of the impression which this news made upon him, lie instantly directed Marshal Lelebvie supported by the Bavarian Generals Wrcdc, Deroy, and Sibbein, at the head of 24,000 men, to march against the Tyrolese by the way of Salzburg General Rusca, with 8000 men, was ordered to advance irom Italy, while General Ferran approached from Carinllun, and Genera! Marmout from Basshria and Su- abia, with from S to 7000 troops more. This was certainly a formidable force, which woiiid have conquered, and even annihilated any other two nations of equal numbers. The conflict, indeed, was obstinate and terrible-- Put the enemies were defeated, all but Lefe- Inre, whose force was too large, and whose devastations and cruelties were such as to spread terror every where. He burnt towns I and villages, and gave quarter to no one. The aged were suspended from trees, and then shoi. The pregnant women were even ript I' up, and had their breasts cut oft, while their embryos were crammed down their throats to put an end io the shrieks and moanmgs of the ■wretched victims It a Tyrolese or oral- berger, bearing arms, had the misfortune to1 full into !heir hands,-they immediately tore hi* tongue. J i i child res. ecntdown i \(V, iwd ,*}!It }|> carried A number of from school, were met with and driven by these monsters into some barns, and burnt alive. Lefebvre and his cannibals imagined to be able to intimidate I he Tyrolese and Voralberg- ers by such cruelties; but they had the very opposite effect. The Tyrolese sharp-shooters now resembled blood-thirsty lions.. they rushed upon Lefebvre, and totally defeated him thousands of the enemy were slain and the General, accompanied only by a few rem- nants of his g-reat force, sought safety in all ignominious flight, directed towards Vienna. The result of this victory was, that Ihe Tyrol and Voralberg, being now free from tlw-if invaders, served as an asylum to those Austrian prisoners who had been taken by the French at liatisbon, Aspern, and Essiingen, and who found little difficulty in making their escape. About ten thousand profited by this opportunity they were nearly naked, and the expente of clothing and arming them anew proved no small burden to their hospitable iriends. Another advantage of this victory displayed itself in the superior courage with which it inspired the conquerors. They now sallied forth UJond their frontiers to seek the enemy. in Bavaria they advanced as far as Munich, the capital city. In Sualna they took Kemp- fen, pushing on beyond Meiumingen and Ulm. In Italy they proceeded too within a few miles of Verona; and some corps overran Carinthia and Salzburg, then already in the power of the enemy, so as to become to a great degree masters of those countries Notwithstanding these successes, the con- querors were guilty of no cruelties or acts of querors were guilty of no cruelties or acts of oppression. Not a single house was pillaged by thero, not a barn laid ia ashes. No pea- y sant was ever taken prisoner or insulted. The wonded enemies were particularly taken care of. It was the most usual practice to carry them on shoulders into some house. The Tyrolese and Voralbergers acted throughout t, t3 from an honorable ambition. To shame their cruet enemies, and convince them of the supe- rior humanity of poor German mountaineers. —Neither France nor any of her allies can adduce a single instance of their prisoners having been ill treated, either in the Tyrol or i Voralberg, though the prisoners from either country were tortured, murdered, or ill used by the French. At! these glorious achievements, however, could not arrest the progress of the enemy in other quarters. In fine, an armistice was again concluded. The corps of Austrian troops lea in the Tyrol, and consisting for the most part of the itioic mentioned refugees, was suddenly recalled, and carried away all the ordnance and ammunition which the Tyrolese had taken. Thus the latter found themselves compelled to abandon their conquests, and satisfy themselves with guarding their own frontiers. Lefebvre, Rusca, Ferran, and other Gene- ra! penetrated once more as far as the capital of the Tyrol, repeating their for. mer devastations and cruelties. But the in- dignation excited by the. re-appearance of those inhuman chiefs was such, that the very women, whose business had hitherto been confined to conveying the prisoners to places ofsafCtv, assembled in numbers, and put to death 640 of the enemy near Landeck and though the whole force of the enemy amount- ed to about thirty thousand, they were attack- cd by the Tyrolese and Voralbergers, who had risen en masse, with such irresistible fury, that those who saved themselves by flight were pursued to a great distance, so as to be unable, during the space of twenty-four hours, to allay their thirst with a draught of water. It was in vain that Bonaparte, in hearing this new disaster of his arms, detached Mar- shals, Macdonaid and Bessieres, with picked troops, against the Tyrolese. They were routed, and obliged to return. From the concurring accounts in the Dutch, German, and French papers, which are copied into the daiiy prints of London, it is placed ¡' beyond all doubt, that the Tyrolese and Vo- ralbergers persevere in their obstinate resis- tance to the French and her Allies. They arc indeednow free, but at the ex- pense of very uncommon sacrifices. Num- i bers of them morn their fathers, brothers, I and sons, not slain in battle, but for the most I, part murdered in the most inhuman manner. Four towns and twenty-six flourishing villages are reduced [0 heapgofashes-not to mention I the destruction of a large number of del ached cottages. These calamities are felt more sen- sibly in a climate which is very far from being mild. The mountains ol the Tyrol and Vo- ralberg have ever since October been covered with snow and ice. The inhabitants though accustomed to subsist upon the hardest fare, can, after so many devastations, pillages, conflagrations, and hardships of every kind, scarcely get wherewithal to satisfy the cravings of nature. Multitudes at this moment are bppyin being allow ed some little covncr a a crowded bans, sSabic or huL lu spite of till these sufferings, they are fu Jlydeterrnincd never to listen to any ac- commodation with Bonaparte, or consent to be again governed by iron sceptre of ¡' Bavaria. This determination, though it may appear rash, can be satisfactorily accounted for, from the above stated cruelties, exac- tions and oppressions. All, to a man, trained to the most skilful use of the rifle; inured to the inclemencies of the seasons; defended by huge mountains, accessible to none but them- selves; surrounded in every direction by and allied to mountaineers that are animated with the same love of independence reared up and liappv in poverty religious; virtuous from habit"; utter strangers to luxury; preferring their barren mountains to the most fruitful soils, and above all, remembering the horrible outrages committed by the order of Bonaparte, to whom they have to oppose onehundred and fifty thousand sharpshooters, in a country where no regular armies can act, and where thev, and they alone, know the paths to pro- cure supplies," if they had but the means to purchase them. Such a hardy, stubborn, and athletic race of men are very formidable ene- mies. Such they have certainly proved to France, and no peace which their beloved Prince may have been compelled to enter into will induce them to become a party to it. They are firmly resolved either to conquer or die. SCHOENECHER. London, Nov. 13, 1808. Muixer, Major.