The Armée du Nord crossed the border on 16 February, and already began planting liberty trees in villages near Breda two days later. A first skirmish took place on 21 February, after which the French, with 3,800 men under the command of François Joseph Westermann, closed all access roads to the city and started constructing the siege works. On 23 February, the artillery batteries were in place and the beleaguers began to bombard Breda with four mortars and four howitzers. During a ceasefire, Colonel Philippe Devaux de Vautray ordered the city to surrender, but this demand was rejected, leading the attackers to resume the bombardment. The next morning, between 3 and 6 o'clock, the French fired the last of their ammunition, although the defenders did not know this. 90 bombs and 100 grenades had been launched over the walls, destroying approximately 60 houses and three times causing fires that were soon extinguished. There were only few casualties on either side. However, when colonel Devaux again demanded the city to surrender in the early morning of 24 February, using threatening words, it was accepted under the condition that the Dutch States Army garrison would be granted a withdrawal with full military honours. The next day, the French occupied the gate to 's-Hertogenbosch, and on 27 February they entered the city while the States soldiers marched out.
Aftermath
The next day Dumouriez himself arrived in Breda. A liberty tree with a Phrygian capon top was planted in front of the town hall, and Dumouriez and his officers danced around it whilst singing "La Marseillaise". A gallows was later placed next to it, to maintain order. A Batavian Committee was appointed to form a new governance. However, when Dumouriez suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Neerwinden, commander Flers prepared the city's defences. On 29 March, a States officer ordered the fortress to capitulate in the name of the Prince of Orange, while Dumouriez sent Flers a letter ordering him to evacuate Breda. After several days of negotiations, the French handed the city back to the States without firing a single shot. In September 1794, the French returned and there were several skirmishes in the environs of Breda, leading people to fear a new siege. This would not happen, however: the French besieged 's-Hertogenbosch, Grave and Nijmegen, crossed the frozen rivers, advanced through the Bommelerwaard and occupied Utrecht and Amsterdam in January 1795. While the stadtholder and his family and entourage fled to England, the Batavian Revolution in Amsterdam occurred and the Batavian Republic was proclaimed on 18 January. This rendered further resistance futile, and Breda surrendered without a fight on 27 January 1795.
