home and the battle-ground of the Protestant combatants, who, as mountaineers, were known as the Cevenols, and as warriors were nicknamed the Camisards. Determined to be rid both of the Inquisition and of the Dragoons, they did wonders under Roland and Cavalier (of the personal history and achievements of the latter I shall give a separate memoir). The Marquis de Miremont’s enthusiasm was again aroused, and his Queen and the government gave him encouragement, and substantial aid to the amount of £15,000. He issued appeals to his brother refugees in England and Ireland, and entered into negotiations with the States-General of Holland. The Dutch were to send their contingent under the command of Belcastel. From Cavalier’s book on the War in the Cevennes, we learn that in the beginning of 1703, Miremont communicated with Roland, who brought his letter to Cavalier. The substance of this letter was:— “The Queen being informed of your deplorable condition is resolved to send you some succours, and I myself will come to help you; and desire you in the meantime to behave with prudence.” Cavalier adds, “We sent him an answer with an account of the present state of our affairs, and in a short time after we received a second letter, which confirmed what he had written to us before. Afterwards he sent us an express, called Flotar, to know what measures he could take to come and succour us; having conferred together, we sent back the express with all the necessary instructions we could give him; he arrived safe in England, and gave the Queen an exact account of his journey, and we were assured by a third letter of speedy relief.”[1]
As to the year 1703, we are informed by the annals, that of all the persons sent either by England or Holland, only Mr. David Flotard, the Marquis de Miremont’s messenger, penetrated into and returned from the Cevennes. He staid six whole days with the Cevenols — formally met the chief officers in a council, delivered Miremont’s message, and instructed them as to the signals which the British fleet would make, and how to answer them by other signals. Three French refugees accompanied Admiral Shovel’s fleet, and witnessed by their presence and signatures all the projects for aiding the Cevenols — namely, Messieurs Charles Portales, Paul la Billiere, and S. Tempié.
On receiving Miremont’s letters the Camisards resolved to stand on the defensive. But as the promised succour never came, this resolution did them harm.
“The third letter,” says Cavalier, “proved very prejudicial to us afterwards; for it was then that we were beginning to get the better over our enemies, and our remissness gave them time to take measures to stop our progress; the Court of France learned the secret, and stopped the communications. I do not pretend to blame Monsieur Miremont’s slowness, for I believe it was not his fault. Being inexperienced in such affairs, he was under the necessity of taking advice. And all his projects were as well known in the Court of France as m England, and this through some persons whom he had chosen for his counsellors. This is what is incident to princes who communicate their secrets to several persons. All our hopes of the fair promises the Marquis made us for the Queen vanished after delay of eighteen months; I believe it was not his fault, as I said before; for had he been able to fly with ten thousand men to the place we were in, I am sure he would have given no quarter to his relation’s [His Bourbon Majesty’s] troops.”
It was found impracticable to send succours to the Cevennes either by Holland and thence by land, or by landing troops on the coast of France. The Camisards blamed the calculating hesitation of the English, and the proverbial slowness of Dutch military counsels, and the winds, storms, clouds, and mists on the coasts, and in such remarks there was truth, more or less. As we candidly report this, it is only fair that we should also mention that some blame was considered due to the refugee warriors who had enlisted. The Right Hon. Richard Hill observed, “One Camisard in the Cevennes is worth a hundred of them out of France” (p. 491); “there is a great difference between the zeal of a Camisard in the coffee-houses of London and on the frontiers of Languedoc” (p. 386). The Marquis De Miremont was, therefore, destined to take his men to Piedmont, and there, under the orders of the Duke of Savoy, to watch his opportunity. Belcastel was to raise recruits in Switzerland, and thence to join the same Duke.
Miremont was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General. Mr. Tucker wrote to Mr. Hill from London, 25th July 1704, “The Marquis De Miremont is like to have a commission to raise some Vaudois for you, wherewith he is not a little pleased, as you will easily believe.” The following appeared in the News-Letter of the 28th:[2] — “Her Majesty has been pleased to sign a commission appointing the Marquis De Miremont Lieutenant-General of her Armies, and Commander-in-chief of her Forces,
