With the exception of several lateral valleys which divide it into sections difficult of access to one another, the Argonne, covered with thick forests, and for long roadless, presented an all but insuperable obstacle to military operations. These valleys, or defiles, considered from north to south, are: the passes of Chesne Populeux, Croix-aux-Bois, Grandpré, Chalade, and Les Islettes. These five passes, famous since the campaign of 1792, which ended in the French victory of Valmy, have often been disputed.
THE DEFILES OF THE ARGONNE
The Argonne Campaign of 1792
At the end of August, 1792, General Dumouriez—in face of the rapid advance of the Prussians, who were besieging Verdun, and of the Austrians, who were drawing near Stenay—was forced to abandon his proposed offensive in Belgium, and continue on the defensive. Divining the intentions of the enemy to reach first the Aisne and then Châlons, in order to march on Paris, he decided to block the roads from Lorraine into Champagne by a defence of the Argonne. On September 1, he marched from Sedan on Grandpré, whence on the 3rd he despatched a detachment against St. Juvin. With his right resting on the Plateau de Marcq, his left on Grandpré, and his artillery parked at Senuc, he took up his headquarters at the Château of Grandpré, the property of one of his friends, Semonville. His lieutenant, Dillon, occupied Les Islettes and the course of the Biesme as far as Passavant-en-Argonne, with headquarters at Grange-aux-Bois. General Kellermann was marching to join Dumouriez, and arrived by the Toul-Bar road. At the call of Dumouriez, the inhabitants of the districts of Clermont and Bar retired to the forests of the Argonne with all the provisions and supplies which they could carry with them.
On September 7, the Duke of Brunswick and the King of Prussia viewed the Pass of Les Islettes and the high ground of the Biesme from the summit of Clermont Hill. Judging their capture impossible, or too costly, they preferred to turn the position by forcing one of the three other passes held by Dumouriez: Grandpré, Croix-aux-Bois, or Chesne Populeux. Their choice fell on the Croix-aux-Bois defile, whose capture was entrusted to the Austrian General Clerfayt. Meanwhile feint attacks were made on Briquenay and Marcq, before Les Islettes and Grandpré, in order to deceive Dumouriez. On the 12th, Clerfayt took the Croix-aux-Bois pass. One of Dumouriez’s lieutenants, Chazot, recaptured it on the 14th, but lost it again on the same day, and was obliged to retire. Threatened with having his position turned and his army surrounded, Dumouriez decided to retreat immediately, and occupied Termes, Olizy, and Beaurepaire, in order to protect himself against a possible advance by Clerfayt. Brunswick sent a messenger with a flag of truce to propose a parley. Whilst the bearer was vainly waiting in the French outposts at Marcq for permission to proceed to Dumouriez’s headquarters, the latter, who had waited till nightfall in order to conceal his movements from the enemy, struck his camp. At 8 a.m. on the 15th he crossed the Aisne over the bridges of Senuc and Grand-Ham and marched towards Cernay, thus saving his army. Chazot’s Division alone, which had received orders to proceed from Vouziers to join the army at Montcheutin, arrived too late. Attacked by the Prussian Hussars in the Plain of Montcheutin, it retreated in confusion, the panic spreading to the rest of the army, with the exception of the vanguard which held the Prussian Hussars’ advance. Dumouriez, without resorting to extreme measures, endeavoured to restore the morale of his troops: a few deserters, after having their heads shaved and having been deprived of their uniforms as unworthy to wear them, were publicly dismissed the service. The army quickly pulled itself together, and hastened to make good its previous weakness.