It
was true that he could not have again put his ten thousand men in
marching order, and have returned with his whole force the next day from
Bressuire as far as Clisson, but Westerman himself did not go back
beyond Amaillou, and he detained there with him a small detachment of
mounted men, whom he had commanded at Valmy, and whom he well knew. He
kept no officers but one cornet and two sergeants, and with this small
force he determined, if possible, to effect that night what his army of
ten thousand men had so signally failed in accomplishing.
About half a mile from Amaillou there was a large chateau, the owner of
which had emigrated; it had been left to the care of two or three
servants, who had deserted it on the approach of the republican army,
and when Westerman and his small troop rode up to the front gate, they
found no one either to admit them or to dispute their entrance. Here he
bivouacked for an hour or two, and matured his project, which, as yet,
he had communicated to no one.
He had entrusted the retreat of the army to General Bourbotte, who, in
spite of their quarrel at Angers, was serving with him; and without
staying even to ascertain what was the amount of loss he had sustained,
or to see whether the enemy would harass the army as it retreated, he
had separated from it at Amaillou, and reached the chateau about ten
o'clock in the evening.
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