Italian Campaign
Kilmaine found himself there at the epoch of the insurrection of the 22nd May, 1795, and with much zeal and valor he seconded General Pichegni in the struggle made by that officer to defend the National Convention against the excited mobs of the Parisian fauxbourgs. Amid a thousand dangers Kilmaine continued to fight for the Convention until the 13th Vendemaire of the year following, actively co-operating with Bonaparte and the revolutionary party.
Early in 1796 he set out with Bonaparte on the Italian campaign, and at Lodi (Lombardy), contributed to the great victory by a brilliant cavalry charge. Later in September of the same year he was appointed to the onerous position of commander of all northern Italy. This campaign increased his high reputation throughout Europe as a truly brilliant officer,
In October, while in action before the Austrians, who were commanded by the former French soldier turned Austrian veteran Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser, the bravest of all brave men. Kilmaine had his horse killed under him, and a rumor was spread through France and British Isles that he was killed. Wurmser made several furious sallies, and on one occasion was severely routed by Bonaparte. In the Courier du Bas Rhiuy we are told that the French repulsed him with the loss of eleven hundred men and five pieces of cannon, and that "their dispositions were made by great General Kilmaine, commander of the siege of Mantua." Bonaparte, in his dispatch to the Directory, dated the firat day of October wrote thus,
Le General Kilmaine who commands the two divisions which press the siege of Mantua, remained on the 29th ultimo in his former position, and was still in hopes that the enemy would attempt a sortie to carry forage into the place, but instead they took up a position before the gate of Pradello, near the Carthusiaii convent and the chapel of Cerese. The brave General Kilmaine made his arrangements for an attack, and advanced in two columns against these two points, but he had scarcely begun to march when the enemy evacuated their camps, their rear having fired only a few muaket-shots at him. The advanced posts of General Vaubois have come up with the Austrian division which defends the Tyrol, and made one hundred and ten prisoners"
Early in December, Wurmser led an army, sword in hand, against Kilmaine. The Imperialists sallied out of Mantua before seven in the morning, and almost in the dark, under a furious cannonade, which lasted all day. Bonaparte noted
"But Kilmaine made him return, as usual, faster than he came out, and took from him two hundred men, one howitzer, and two pieces of cannon. This is his third unsuccessful attempt."
So energetic were the measures, and so able the precautions of Kilmaine, that Wurmser, seeing all hope of success end, surrendered, after a long, desperate, and disastrous defense, at ten o'clock on the morning of the 3rd February, 1797, giving up his soldiers as prisoners of war. The following is a translation of Kilmaine's brief letter on this important acquisition,
Kilmaine, General de Division and Commandant of Lombardy, to the Minister of War. Milan, 17 Pluviose, 1797
Citizen Minister,
I avail myself of a courier which greneral Bonaparte sends from Romagna (in order to announce to the Directory the defeat of the Papal troops), to acquaint you with the capture of Mantua, the news of which I received yesterday evening by a courier from Mantua itself I thought it necessary to announce this circumstance, because General Bonaparte, who is occupied in Bomagna annihilating the troops of his Holiness, may probably have been ignorant of this fact when his courier departed. Tho garrison are our prisoners of war, and are to be sent into Germany in order to be exchanged. I have not yet received the articles of capitulation, but the commander-in-chief will not fail to send them by the first courier.
Kilmaine.
The capture of Mantua was celebrated in Paris by the firing of cannon and the erection of arches in honour of Bonaparte and Kilmaine 'the Irish Commandant of Lombardy', and a grand joy was diffused through every heart in the city on the fall of what they styled the Gibraltar of Italy, while Bonaparte, loaded with the diamonds of the vanquished corrupt Pope, and the spoils of our Lady of Loretto, pushed on to seek fresh conquests and new laurels.
Celebrated Kilmaine remained for some time in command at Mantua after its capitulation before returning to Paris where he was duly appointed the title of Baron de Kilmaine Jennings.
Read more about this topic: Charles Edward Jennings De Kilmaine
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