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light infantry, and appeared in the morning on the heights of Montebaldo, which commanded Corona; while the Auftrians, who were pofted there, were vigorously attacked in front by general Joubert. Perceiving, therefore, their retreat cut off, they were, after fome refiftance, thrown into the utmost confufion, and almoft the whole party were either drowned in attempting to fwim across the Adige, or made prisoners. In these engagements (which are denominated by the French the battle of Rivoli) the conquerors took 13,000 prifoners and 9 pieces of cannon.

The column of general Provera, ten thousand ftrong, in the mean time continued their march, and forced the paffage of Anguiari. General Guyeux had rallied and united all the forces which were pofted in his vicinity, which, however, did not exceed 1,500 men; with fo inadequate a power he was not able to force the enemy to recross the river, but he harraffed and impeded their march for fome time, and made nearly 300 prifoners. As Mantua was the object of general Provera, his advances were rapid; and general Angereau, who had collected his forces with the defign of falling on the column of Provera, between Anguiari and Roverquier, could only come up with the rear of his divifion. After a warm conflict, however, he fucceeded in cutting off the whole of the rear guard of the Auftrian column, and took 2000 prifoners, with 16 pieces of cannon.

Notwithstanding thefe impediments, general Provera arrived on the 15th of January at the head of 6,000 men, at the fuburb of St. George, one of the pofts where Mantua was blockaded. The force at this poft, under general Miolis,

was greatly inferior to that of the affailants; but the French general was well entrenched. He, therefore, received the fummons of Provera with no other reply, than that "he would fight, but not furrender." The Auftrian general attacked the poft, but found it impoffible to carry it by force. Thus baffled in his main defign, Provera next turned his attention to another poft, La Favorita, which (feconded by a fortie from the garrifon, which he had concerted with Wurmfer) he expected to force, and by that means make good his entrance into Mantua. The defign did not escape, however, the penetration of Buonaparte, and to prevent the junction, he saw no other means than to furround the column of Provera, and force it to furrender. He had previously dispatched general Serrurier to La Favorita, with all the forces that he could haftily withdraw from the other pofts of blockade; and he now ordered reinforcements from different divifions of his army, who, by the moft rapid movements that are re. corded in hiftory, arrived in time to effect their purpose. An hour before day-break, on the morning of the 16th, the Auftrians attacked La Favorita, and general Wurmfer, at the fame moment, ordered a fpirited fortie from the garrifon, to fupport the affailants, and divert the attention of the enemy. The detachment from the garrifon, however, met with fo difcouraging a reception from the column of general Victor, one of the detachments which had marched during the night, that it was compelled to return to the fortrefs without being able to effect a junction with Provera, after leaving the field covered with dead and with prifoners. At the fame moment Serrurier ad

vanced in order to block up Provera between this poft and St. George's. Disorder and terror now pervaded the enemy's ranks, and the general folicited a capituThe prifoners who furrendered amounted to 6,000 infantry and 700 cavalry, with 22 pieces of cannon. Thus perifhed the fifth great army detached by Auftria for the fupport of its Italian territories, and to avert the destruction which now feemed to impend over the capital itself.

The refpective divifions of the French army continued to harafs the defeated and difperfed remnants of the Auftrian force. The divifion of Matena repaired, on the 23d, to Vicenza, and from thence to Baffano in pursuit of the enemy, who had retreated to the other fide of the defiles of the Brenta. A detachment from this divifion, under general Menard, came up with them at Carpenedolo, and, after a warm conteft, made 800 prifoners. On the 27th, the divifion of general Joubert alfo came up with the rear-guard of the Auftrians, and, after a flight fkirmish, made 300 prifoners. The Auftrians, after this, retreated towards Mory and Torbole. But here they were affailed by general Murat, who embarked with 200 men, and landed at the latter place; general Vial, alfo, at the head of the light infantry, after a most severe march through the fnows and over the steepeft mountains, turned their position, and obliged 450 to furrender. General Joubert, about the fame time, entered Roveredo. The Auftrians had entrenched themfelves deeply in the defiles of Calliano, and appeared difpofed to difpute the entrance of the republicans into Trent; but, preffed by the generals Beliard and Vial, they were com

pelled to yield, with the lofs of 300 prifoners. Trent fubmitted to the republicans with little or no refiftance; and, in purfuing the flying enemy, the French made at St. Michael 800 prifoners.

The fall of Mantua was an inevitable confequence of the total defeat of the Auftrian armies. It furrendered on capitulation, the 2d of February. The terms were honourable, as the valour and good conduct of the veteran Wurmfer and his brave garrifon deferved. The garrifon were prifoners, but marched out with military honours; and the old marechal himfelf, and his fuite, were excepted from the humiliating condition of appearing as prifoners of war-he was then upwards of 70 years of age. It was afferted, that upwards of 5,000 horfes had been devoured by the garrifon in the course of the blockade; and thus far is certain, that the French found exceedingly few remaining, on taking poffeffion of the fortreis...

Another immediate confequence of thefe victories of Buonaparte was the invafion of the papal territories. The court of Rome could not be expected to be extremely favourable to the French interefts, but it had adopted a timid and wavering plan of policy, consistent at once with its own weakness and hoftility to the French. Confident, however, in these latter exertions of the Auftrians, the pope, it is afferted, had even fent fuccours into the field, to the army of Alvinzi, and had ftrained every nerve for the expulfion of the invaders. The divifion of general Victor was, therefore, ordered to penetrate to Rome previous to the furrender of Mantua; and the capitulation was fcarcely figned before Buonaparte fet off in perfon, to fuperintend the operaR 2

tions

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tions of this army. The invaders flept at Imola, the firft town within the papal dominions, on the 1ft of February. The refiftance of the papal troops was feeble, and they were overpowered with but little lofs on the part of the French. In a few days the French proceeded to Loretto, and took poffeffion of the famous Madonna, which was only a wooden image; they found alfo in that place a treasure of about three millions of livres. The whole marche of Ancona fubmitted with very little fhew of refiftance; and on the 19th Buonaparte had his head-quarters at Tolentino. The pope, now reduced to the loweft extremity, and deprived of his allies by the fortune of war, addreffed a fubmiffive epiftle to the victorious general, in which he folicited earneftly an amicable termination of the conteft; and dispatched two ecclefiaftics, with full powers to conclude a treaty. By the terms of this treaty, his holiness renounced all connection with the famous coalition of crowned heads; engaged to difband the troops which had been raifed for the fupport of the war; and to shut his ports against all the powers at war with the repubJic. He agreed, without referve, to the annexation of Avignon, and the county of Venaiffin to the French, and alfo transferred to the republic the legations of Bologna, Ferrara, and Romagna. In conclufion, 'he confented to pay to the conquerors the fum of 30 millions of livres, 20 of them in fpecie, and the reft in diamonds and other valuables, with 16,000 horfes, as the ranfom of that remnant of his dominions of which he was ftill permitted to enjoy the precarious poffeffion.

To the exertions of Auftria in making fresh preparations, the pope was probably indebted for the

reprieve which was granted him on this occafion. For while the French commander was advancing towards Rome, the emperor, by exertions almoft incredible, was re-inforcing his difcomfited army, or rather the remnants of it; and the command was given to the archduke Charles, whofe victorious career on the Rhine had infpired the court of Vienna with the warmeft hopes of his fuccefs, even when oppofed to fo confummate a mafter of the military art as Buonaparte. In the beginning of March, the French army occupied the banks of the Piave and Lavis; and that of the emperor, under the command of the archduke, the oppofite fhore of the Piave, with its centre behind the Cordevoli, and fupported on its right by the Adige from the fide of Salurne. On the approach of general Maffena on the roth of March, however, the Austrians thought proper to evacuate the line of Cordevoli, and to march to Bellurne. On the 12th, the divifion of general Serrurier croffed the Piave at day-break, and the Auftrians immediately evacuated their camp of La Campagna. On the fame day, general Guyeux paffed the Piave at Ospedaletto; on the 13th, he fell in with the rear-guard of the enemy, and, after a flight conteft, took 100 prifoners. The divifion of Maffena, in the mean time, having arrived at Bellurne, purfued the Auftrians on their retreat towards Cadore, completely hemmed in their rear guard, and took 700 prifoners, among whom was the general Lufignan, who com manded their centre divifion.

On the 16th, the divifion of general Guyeux proceeded from Por denove, that of general Bernadotte from Sacile, and that of general Serrurier from Pafiano, all of them

directing

directing their march towards Valvafone. These forces arrived on the banks of the Tagliamento at 11 o'clock the fame day. The Auftrians were pofted on the oppofite fide, and seemed determined to difpute the paffage. After fome time spent in the necessary preparations, the republican troops plunged into the river, and completely routed the enemy, after a feeble refiftance, chiefly from the Auftrian cavalry. The village of Gradiska was immediately attacked by general Guyeux, and carried, notwithftanding the latenefs of the hour and the darkness of the night-the archduke Charles had barely time to effect his escape. In the whole of the day's engagement the Auftrians loft from 4 to 500 prifoners, among whom was one general and feveral fuperior officers; they, alfo loft 6 pieces of cannon.

The energy and activity of Buonaparte left no time to his fpirited antagonist to rally and collect his forces; but on the 18th, a part of the French army took poffeffion of Palmanova, while general Maffena advanced to Ofopa and Gemona, and pushed his advanced guards into the defiles.

On the following day, general Serrurier blockaded the town of Gradifka, which was taken on the 20th, with 5,000 prifoners, the flower of prince Charles's army.

In the mean time, the divifion of Maffena advanced to the bridge of Cafafola, drove the enemy from their entrenchments by the force of the bayonet, and took 600 prifoners. On the 21ft, the French entered Goritz, where they found four hofpitals, containing 1,500 of the fick and wounded, with all the magazines of the enemy, which the archduke had not time to remove. On the 23d, general Guyeux en

countered the Auftrians, who were strongly entrenched at Pufero, de, feated them, and took 100 prifon ers and two pieces of cannon. On the fame day, another divifion entered Trieste.

On the 24th, the divifion of general Maffena was at Tarvis, where a ftrong column of the enemy was hemmed in between his forces and thofe of general Guyeux. On the following day, however, the Auftrians having received confiderable reinforcements from Clagenfurt, the head-quarters of prince Charles, were encouraged to hazard an engagement, and attacked Maffena. After a fevere battle (which, as the French commander ftates, was fought above the clouds, on a height that commands Germany), the Auftrians were defeated with confiderable lofs. Three of their general officers and a number of men were taken prifoners, and the emperor's curaffiers, who had juft arrived from the Rhine, were almoft annihilated.

In the mean time, general Guyeux drove the column which he had defeated at Pufero, as far as Auftrian Chinfe, a poft well fortified, but which was carried by affault, after an obftinate engagement. The Auftrian column, perceiving the Chinfe taken, precipitated its march, and fell into the middle of Maffena's divifion, who, after a flight conteft, made the whole of them prifoners. Thirty pieces of cannon, 400 waggons loaded with the enemy's baggage, 5,000 prifoners, among whom were 4 generals, fell into the hands of the conquerors, by the event of this day.

While uninterrupted fuccefs thus attended the operations of the main army, the left wing, or the divifions of the Tyrol, as thofe of JouR 3

bert,

bert, Baraguey D'Hilliers, and Delmas were termed, were advancing from the Adige, the Lavis, and the Brenta, in order to form a junction with the commander in chief. In their progrefs, they furrounded a corps of the enemy on the banks of the Lavis; and, after an obstinate conteft, took 4,000 prifoners and 3 pieces of cannon, leaving 2,000 of the Auftrians dead on the field. The Auftrians, under geneneral Laudon, after this, retired to the right bank of the Adige, where they were again attacked, and again defeated, on the 22d of March, by general Joubert, who took 600 prifoners. The army of the Tyrol then entered Botzen: but Joubert did not reft there; after leaving a fufficient force to purfue the flying army under Laudon, he marched direct to Clauzen. The enemy availed themselves of the pofition, and put themselves in the best state of defence. The action was fome time doubtful, but victory at length declared in favour of the French, and 1,500 Auftrians laid down their arms as prifoners of war. General Joubert, immediately after this, took poffeffion of Brixen.

Buonaparte allowed fcarcely a moment's reft to his army, while he found an enemy in the field to oppofe him; and to the rapidity of his movements no inconfiderable fhare of his fuccefs must be attributed. After the battles of Tarvis and La Chinfe, three divifions of his army paffed the defiles which lead from the Venetian ftates into Germany, and encamped at Wilbach, on the banks of the Drave. On the 29th of March, general Maffena advanced upon Clagenfurt, which had been the head quarters of prince Charles. At about a league from the place he encountered the enemy; but

they were too much difcouraged to make a formidable refiftance; after lofing 200 prifoners and two pieces of cannon, they abandoned Clagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, which the French entered the fame evening. Thus, the Auftrians were already, in the course of this fhort campaign, driven from the Venetian ftates, from the higher and lower Carniola, from Carinthia, and from the whole of the Tyrolefe, with the lofs of 20,000 men as prifoners of war, independent of thofe taken before the archduke affumed the command.

In the midst of this career of victory, Buonaparte addressed a letter, containing overtures of peace to his brave but unfortunate adverfary. If we except an unjust cenfure on the English nation, which it contains, it is certainly not lefs remarkable for elevation of fentiment and excellence of compofition, than for the polite and even modeft terms in which it is couched. Whatever may be the character of the writer, the letter deferves to be tranfmitted to posterity, and we flatter ourselves that our readers will be gratified by its infertion

The General in Chief of the Army of Italy, to His Royal Highness M. Prince Charles.

11th Germinal, 5th year of the Republic (March 31).

M. general in chief, Brave foldiers make war, and defire peace. Has not the war lafted for fix years? Have we not killed men and committed evils enough againft fuffering humanity? Such are the exclamations used on all fides. Europe, who had taken up arms against the French republic, has laid them down. Your nation alone remains; and yet blood

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