The Federal mirror — Concord, N.H., 1796-10-25 00:00:00, page 2

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fence open, and the remain! much
exposed, moved, that the Executive;
Directory be desired to remove them;
to the Pantheon ; which wasimme
diately agreed to.--- To Lavoifeur,the
celebrated chymift, who periled du
ring the reign of terror, the honors of
• funeral foiemnity has lately been a
warded. The rebellion in La Ven
ice, is entirely foppreffed ; the Exec,
utive hit declared that the northern
, departments are no longer in a state
of liege $ the army of rhe Ocean has
marched to reinforce that of Buonap
arte, Notwithstanding the severe
laws made to inforce the circulation
of Mandats, their depreciation is ac
knowledged by the government, and
the Executive Diredory issue a fade,
ever, fifth day, of their value in fpe
cie,— The 18th Aug. the value of
one hundred dollars in Mandate, Was
two dollars in specie; and as fitver
was daily increating io circulation, the
extin&ion of paper was Shortly antic
ipated. The commerce of France,
isllmoft entirely carried on by neu
tral vessels ; and by sea, they have
experienced the reverse of their land
operations. During the war, they've
loft 34 fail of the line from no to 74
guns; 37 frigates, from 44 to 32
guns, and 109 of 20 guns and unden
O This lift was made for Aage#
which we toe in pofleffion, with the
yeffeb' tames, b, whom, whet and
where taken. On their fide, they've
greatly distressed the commerce of the
coalition. The French government
is turning its attention to in marine ;
and measures are in train to reanimate
and incresfe it. The Council of Five
Hundred has lately given celebrity to
a jork, just presented them, intitled,
" The relations of the battles & mar
itime events of the war of 1778, ite
terftrfed with reflexions of the manen
vres of the Admirals, preceded b, an
address to the seamen, on the disposi
tion of foips for aßion ; and terminal ,
ed b,a precise view of the present w%
the conies of the deflrnXion of the ma
rine, and the means to be nfed for its
re-efablifoment—B, Yves Joseph
Kercu ELEN,aacm/ Rear-Admiral."
IMPORTANT!
Buonaparte's Letter.
S, A summary of the following letter was
published in our last—we new give it wire.
Army of Italy.
Bvom APARtE, Commander in Chief es &
Arm, ^ Itai,, „ the Executive Dittany.
'ft?^% '^ Headquarters et CeJFglioitt,
igtb Tbermmr, dkg. 6.
CITIZEN DIRECTORS, ~
THE military events have succeeded with
filth rapidity fence the 28th July, that it is
not pogible to derail the particular has.-—
<For many days, the 20,000 men; which had
been fen: fr<^ the army otthe Rhine to re
inforce the iffy of Italy, had arrival.=
These, with a very considerable number of
battalionsfrom the interior parts of Aultria,
rendered this army very lormidable,.l&ery'
general opinion prevailed that io a very ffiort
time, the Austrians would be in Milan.'
% On the 29th, at thryeintte nmming, the
division of Gen. Maffena was attacked by a
very numerous body of troops, & was obliged:
to quit the important post of Corona. At
the fame iriftdrf^frdivifibn of ik,boo Auf
trials furprized the division of Gen. Soret,
at Salo, and gained this necessary post The
Brigade Gen. Guieux, with 600 men of the
1601 b demi brigade of light infantry, took
refuge in a great house ot Sato, and there
travels!! the efforts of the enemy, who for
rounded them,Brigadier Gen Rufea was
wounded... While one part of this division
ftirrounded Guieux at Salo, another part
made a defeent upon Brefeia, furprized the
French who were there, took four companies
which had been left there, of rhezgh regi
ment of Chaffeufr. two Generals, and some
feff officers who were left there tick.
AThe dfrifien of Gen, Soret; which ought
t a retreat
difficult fitiiation, crowd
fewest tad&^'^^X
it was necefiry to adopt an extensive plan
of operation. The enemy, in their defeent
from Tyrol, by Brefeia and the Adige, sur
rounded me. If the Republican army had
been too weak to face the two division; of
the enemy, ft would have been necessary to
defeat each separately, and by my pofitionT
Ihould have been between them. It then
remained for me, by retreating rapidly, to
surround the division of the enemy, which
had made a defeent upon Brefeia, and to
take them prisoners, or route them entirely,
and then to return upon the Mincio, to at
tack Wu.-mfcr, and to oblige him to retire
into the Tyrol ; but to execute this purpose,
it was, necessary, in 24 hours, to raise the
,siege of Mantua, which was upon the point
of neing taken, for it no means to hold out
fix hours longer It? was necessary for the
execution of this proja, to repafs instantly
the Mincio, and not to give time to the two
divisions of the enemy to surround me. For
tune favored this profea, and the anions of
Defenzana, the two actions at Salo, the bat
tle of Lonado, and that of Caftiglione, were
the conference of it.
On the 29th in the evening, all the divis
ions sere on the march for Brefeia. Though
the Austrian division had not reached Bref
eia, but had arrived at Lomado, 4 ordered
Gen. Storet to throw himfelf into Salo, to
relieve Gen. Guieux, and Gen. Dallemagne
to attack and take Lonado, at all events. —
Storet succeeded completely to relieve Gen.
Guieux at Salo, lifter haring defeated the
enemy, having taken their standards, two
pieces of cannon, and 200 prisoners. Gen.'
Guieux and the troops under his orders,'
were 48 hours without provisions, in con
stant adion dgainft the enemy.
Gen. Dallemagne had not rime to attack
the enemy, he was attacked himfelf. An ob
stinate engagement ensued. A long time
he was undecided, whether to engage, but I
was calm, for the brave 32d demi brigade
was there. By a bold effort, the enemy were
completely beaten, and left 600 dead upon
the field of battle, and 600 prisoners.
Oh the jothat noon, Angereau entered
Brefeia, we found all our magazines, which
the enemy had not time to take, and the
sick, which they had not time to remove.
On the Ift of Aug the division of
Gen. Angereau returned to Monte
Chiaro. Maffena took a position at
Lonado, and at Ponte Saint Marco.
I had left at Caftiglione Gen. Valette,
with 1800 men. He Was to defend
that important position, and thereby
to keep conrinuill, the division un
der General Wurmfer, far from me.
However, in the evening, Gen. Va
tetce abandoned this village with half
of hit troops only, and came to Mon
te Chiaro to carry the alarm, and to
announce that the rest of hit troops
were prifonen. But abandoned by
their General, these brave men found
resource, io their courage, and effe&-
ed their retreat to Ponte St. Marco.
Instantly, before these troops I fuf
peoded this Gen. from his office, at
he had already betrayed hit want of
courage in the attack upon Corona.
Gen. Satet had abandoned Salo. 1
then ordered the brave Gen. Guieux,
to go and take this necessary post.
On the 2d August, at break of day,
we found ourfelvea in fight of the en
emy. Guieux, who wu on pur left,
to attack Sato, Gen. Maffena was in
the centre, to attack Lonado, Geo,
Angereau, who wai on the right, to
attackat Caftiglione. The enemy,
infod of waiting for an attack, at
tacked the Advanced guard of Mafi
fena, who wn at Lootdo; it was fur-:
fended, and Gen. Pigeon was a
prisoner. The enemy took three
Apiece# of field artillery. 1 instantly
formed the 18th demi-brigade, & the
gad, in close columns by battalion#,
and during the time that we prepar
ed to charge, and penetrate the ene
my, they extended themfeta to sur
round ^ Thia appeared to me, a
sure proof of viaory, Maffena lent
only some of hie worst troopi upon
the winga of the enemy, 10 retard
their march. The firft column reach
ed Lonado, and forced the enemy
back. £ The #,h rigiment of Ara
gona charged and retook our niecea.
In an instant the enemy found them
(elves fa disorder, tod attempted a
retreat upon the Mincio. I ordered
mv aid de camo, brigade mainr
not, te put himfelf at the head of my
company of Guide#, to porfue the en
emy, to gain as quick at poffibte De
frnzano, and to oblige them to re
treat towards Silo. Arrived at Def
enz:no, he met Co!; Bender, with a
part of his regiment, wh& Charged
him, but jabot not wilbiog co attack
in the rear made off co the right, ook
the regimeoti in front, wounded the
Colonel, whom he wished to take a
priloner, till he was himfelf fyrround
ed, and after having killed fix men
with his own hands, he was thrown;
into a ditch, after having received fix
strokes with a fibre, neither of which,
Itruft will prove mortal. The ene
myeffeaed a retreat toSalo. Sato was
found in our hands, Q" division,
wandering io the mountain#, h?s al
most entirely fallen into our handi.
During the time, Angereau marched
to Caftiglione, gained the place, ahd';
for the whole day, he attacked, or de
fended himleff, in obstinate adiop, a
gainst forces double to his own. Ar
tillery, Infantry, Cavalry, all did their
duty perfectly. And the enemy on
this memorable day, were complete
ly defeated in every quarter. They
loft on this day, 20 pieces of cannon,
from 2 to 3 thousand men killed, or
wounded, and 4000 prilonen, amocg
which are three General,. We have
loft General Beyrand. This loss,
much felt by the army, is particularly
felt by me. I put the highest value'
upon the military talents, & the mor
al qualities of this brave man. fife
chief of the fourth demi brigade of
infantry, Pouraillier, the major of the
brigade of the firft regiment of buf
fers, Bouchoo, the major of the bri
gade of the aid regiment of chaf
feurs, Marmet, have allo been killed-
The 4th demi brigade, at the head
of which was adjutant general Ver
diere, have gained the greatest hon
or.
Gen. Dommarcio, commanded of
the field artillery, hat Ihown as great
courage at talents.
On the 3d of August, 1 gave or
ders to Gen. Defpiooy to penetrate
into the Tyrol, by the way of Chiefs,
to do which, he must drive five or
fix thousand of che enemy, who were
at Gavardo. Adjutant general Her
bin had great foccefs, he drove two
battalions of the enemy, which he
found in his route, and reached as far
as St, Ozeto. Geo. Daltemagne, at
the head of a battalion of the 11th
deari-brigade, marched to Gavardo,
dispersed the enemy, and took a great
number of prifooers. But not hav
ing been fopported by the rest of the
division, he was forrounded, & could
not effea his retreat but by forcing
through the enemy.
I feat General Saint Hilaire to Sa
lp, to id in concert with general
Gfa&and to attack the column of
the enemy, which was at Gavardo,
in order to open the passage to the
Tyrol. 4 Alter a warm engagement
with small arms, we defeated the e&
emy and cook tßoo prifonen.
During this whole day of the 3d,
Wurmfer employed himfelf to col
led the remains of his army, to bring
uphi, reserve to get what he could
from Mantau, and to arrange them
in the plain between the village of
Scanello, where he fopported hit
{|jght, and Chiefa, where he fopport
ed bis left. The fate of Italy was
not yet decided. He again united in
one body 25,000 men, a numerous
cavalry, and hoped yet,o retrieve his
circumftaocefr On my fide, 1 gave
orders co reunite all the columns of
the army. / Itfteptote:
ado, to fee the troops, which I could
bring there : But I farfarprifed up
^alAlt fit'ta&^tfl
fommona to furreeder Lortado, b'
cause, as is laid, ii ore terrounckd.
The countries had a^Qty notified v
that different columns had advanced
to our main guards, and that already
the route from Brefeia co Lonado was
intercepted at far as the bridge St.
Marco. I then found that theft
could be only remains of the divifion#
which had been dispersed, and which
after hiving wandered abort, & hiv
ing united, intended to force a pas
sage. The circumstance was not a
little rmbarre fling. 1 had at Lons
do, no more than 1200 men. I sd
mhted she man who brought thefum
mons, and bid him uncover his eyes,
and told him, that it his general had
the prefab,(loo to take the com
mander in chief of the arm, of Italy,
he had nothing to do, but to ad
varce, th^t be might be assured that
I was at Lonado, ficce'it was known
that the republican army was there,
and that alt the general officers, and
sass often bf the division would be
refporjible for the personal insult be
had offered me, I declared to him,
that if, in eight minutes his division
did not lay down their arms, I would
givequaner to no man. The man,
who bore the summons, appeared as
tonished to find me there, and in an
inftanv after, all this column laid
down their arms. I: was 4,000
ftiong, had two pieces of cannon, &
fifty cavalry. I came from Gavardo,
and was in search of feme Way to
save itfelf, not having hope to reach
Salo in time, it attempted to pass by
Lonado.
Aug. 4.— At day break, we found
ourselves in fight of the enemy, but it
was fix o'clock, and nothing Birred,
I then made a retrograde motion with
the whole army, to draw the enemy
to us, at the time that the division of
General Serrurier, whom I expected
ever, moment, came from Marcaria,
sod thence,, turned the whole left of
Wurmfer. This movement h*d in
part, the effe& I expe&ed. Wurm
fer extended his force# on the right,
to observe bur rear. At the inftsoc
that we perceived the division of G.
Serrurier, commanded by general Fio
rella, who attacked the left, I order
ed adjutant general Verdiere to attack
a redoubt, that the enemy had raised
in the middle of the plain, to guard
(heir left, I charged my aid de camp,
M^jor of battalions, Maremont, to
direst 20 field piece# to oblige, by hit
fire alone, the enemy to abandon this
important post. After & brisk can
nonade, the left of the enemy were
io full retreat
Angereau attacked the centre of
the enemy, fopported in turn by Sca
guello. Mazepa attacked the right.
Adjutant general Leclerc, at the head
ofthe fifth demibrigade marched to
the support of the fourth demi-bri- -
gade. , AH the cavalry under the or
ders of general Beaumont, matched
upon thd right, to support the light
artillery and infantry. We were ev
ery where yiaor tout, every where we
obtained &most complete success.
We have taken from the enemy it!
pieces pf cannon, andiao carriages of
amtoum'ion. 't enemy test 2000
men, killed and prisoners. The,
were completely routed. % But our
troops harraffed by fatigue, could not
pursue them farther than 3 Iqgum
Adjutsnt general Frontin was killed.
This brave man died in the face est
'pity' O' '' ''
See .then, in five days, another f
campaign finite •Wwmfefta loft
lin five days, 70 pieces of field artil
lery, all hi# intewf waggon, from
IQs¥ ffmitf CTW
^khe troops which • camfrlftWbMte ~
Rhto'lWeptfodeftyof Nidify #^