Editing Battle of Fleurus (1794) (section)

=== The surrender of Charleroi ===
At 7&nbsp;am on 25 June, seeing that no relief appeared to be forthcoming after a week and that the French were about to begin their third parallel (a trench line close enough to launch infantry assaults from), Reynac asked for terms of surrender.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|p=309}} 

When presented with Reynac's request for terms by a major from his staff, it was refused by the Representative of the People [[Louis Antoine de Saint-Just|Louis-Antoine Saint-Just]], who was in charge of negotiations. Saint-Just demanded an immediate surrender instead. Armand de Marescot, the chief engineer of the forces on the Sambre at this time, was present at the negotiations and recorded the following exchange in his campaign report:

<blockquote>SAINT-JUST: I don't want this piece of paper (i.e. Reynac's note with proposed terms of surrender), I want the place itself.

MAJOR: But if we surrender at discretion (i.e.unconditionally), we will be dishonoured.

SAINT-JUST: We can neither honour or dishonour you, just as it is not in your power to honour or dishonour the French nation. There is no connection between you and us.

MAJOR: But can we not obtain some form of capitulation (i.e. terms)? 

SAINT-JUST: Yesterday we could have listened to you; today you must surrender at discretion. I have spoken; I have used the powers entrusted to me; I will take back nothing. I count on the courage of the army, and mine.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Marescot|first=Armand Samuel de|title=Relation des trois attaques de la place de Charleroy|publisher=Archives du Service Historique de l'Armee|year=1795|volume=B1 34|location=Vincennes}}</ref> </blockquote>Saint-Just's threat was just a bluff; the French were not actually ready to assault Charleroi. It would have taken at least another eight days for the French to have taken the fortress by assault if resistance had continued under a resolute commander.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|p=322}}  However, Saint-Just needed to intimidate Reynac into surrendering as soon as possible because the French had been aware for some days that the Allied main army was already nearby and their attack to relieve Charleroi was imminent.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

In fact, the Allies were already getting dangerously close; on 25 June itself, as Reynac was negotiating his surrender, a detachment from Coburg's army was already trying to get to the ridge of Heppignies to fire rockets, an agreed-upon signal that the relief army had arrived. However, they were driven away by Championnet, whose division occupied the ridge, before they could get close. They were only able to launch their rockets from Frasne (modern Frasnes-lez-Gosselies), too far away to the north to be seen.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|p=320}}  Around midnight on the day of the battle, an Austrian cavalry officer, [[Joseph Radetzky von Radetz|Count Radetzky]], did manage to infiltrate the French lines and actually reach the walls of Charleroi to discover it was already captured, but was then injured and chased by a French patrol on the way back later in the morning, and did not make it back to headquarters with his news until the afternoon, when the battle was already in full swing.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|p=321}} 

Despite the fact that the French were clearly not ready to assault the fortress yet, Reynac had been discouraged by the apparent lack of any relief, and was intimidated by Saint-Just's posturing and threats. Seeing no point in further resistance, he agreed to surrender unconditionally that very afternoon. Forces from Hatry's division, which had been besieging Charleroi, then marched in to take possession of the city.{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|p=311}} 

Reynac's surrender had come in the nick of time for the French. The very next morning, the Allies would commence the battle of Fleurus to relieve Charleroi–just half a day too late. Hatry's division, freed up from siege duties, would make an important contribution as a reserve force during the battle.{{cn|date=March 2023}}