Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-02-11

litters for the wounded, and soup for tn,
brave soldiers, and urging them into thei
houses-proud of the honor of shelierins
one of the defenders of the city. Allow.
ing only one day 10 intervene, Nlassenr
on The 9th of April sailed forth on the
west side oil the city, IN order TO cut tho
Austrian army in TVS, and effect juno
ton with Suchet Word had been sent Il
the latter general Of the premeditated at
tack, with orders TO rush on the Austrian
forces on the opposite side, and cut hi,
way through. Massena took len thousanc
men with him, leaving the remainder t,
protect the city. Gazan's division he pu
under Sout, with orders to keep along the
ridge of the Apprentices, while he, al the
head Of Gardanne's division, kept along
the sea.coast below, the junction to take
place at Sasselo. Ten thousand French
were on the march to meet forty thousand
Austrians, under Melds. SouIt, reaching
Aqua Santa, made brilliant charge on a
superior body of Auslrians, which threat
ened TO cut off the retreat 10 Genoa. Bu,
this fierce battle prevented him from be-
ing at Sassello when Alassena expected
him, which would have proved the ruin Of
almost any other man than Massena. -
Marching unmolested along the beautiful
riviera or sea-coast the frs, day, he came
the second day upon the enemy. His
force was divided into two columns, one of
which he led in person. Surprising Soult
TO be at Sassello, and wishing to establish
communication with him, he had pushed
on with only twelve hundred men, relying
on his right column. now far in the rear,
and Soult, 10 sustain him.
In this position, nearly ten thousand
Austrlans moved down upon him, and en-.
deayored to enclose and crush him. Then
commenced one of those desperate slrug.
giles for which Massena was so remarka.
BILE. With his 1900 men, he kept the
whole 10000 at bay, while he slowly re-
treated in search of his lost column
Charge after charge of the overwhelmn-
ing force Of the Austrans was made on
his little band; but he held them BY his
presence to the shock, with frnacss tha,
perfectly surprised the enemy. Now il,
would be perfectly envoopod and lost in
The cloud Of the enemy that curalned II
IN, and the next moment il would emerge
from the thick masses o. infantry, and
appear unbroken with It's indomitable chief
at It's head Unabe to find The column,
which had Jagged lar behind, on account
OF the lardy distribution OF provisions, he
scaled, with has little band, preciplees,
plunged into ravnes, and cast himself
among bands Of hostile peasantIy, fighting
all the while like lion. Having at length
found il, he rallied his troops, and delerm.
ned TO scale the Apprentices, and reach
Sout, also. But his men were worn out
with the desperate fighting Of the day, and
could not be rallied soon enough TO make
the attempt successful So, sending of
all that were ready 10 march, as a rein
forcement TO Sout, who was struggling in
the mountains against the most desperate
odds. he fell back along the sea coast To
protect the entrance to the city. His
company now being dwinded 10 mere
handful, il seemed as if every charge oil
the mighty force that rushed on it must
sweep it away. But still Massena, host
in himself, lowered unhurt at its head. All
length, however, his overthrow seemed in.
eytable. A sudden charge OF Austrian
hussars had surprised one of the baiallions.
and il was just laying down is arms, when
Massena, seeing the danger, rsIhed with
incredible rapidly thirty hqrsemen about
him, and fell like a thonderboli on tho en-.
tire company. Stunned and driven back,
they lost their advantage, and the battalion
was saved. At length Soult, after proving
himself fifty times hero, joined him; and
together, cutting their way through The
enemy, they re-entered Genoa with four
prisoners more than hall the
number of the whole army that led them
captive. When the Genoese saw him re-
turn with bis handful of men, preceded b.
such column Of prisoners, their admira
ton and wonder knew no bounds, and
Massena's power at once became supreme.
But now he was fairly shu, in. His ar
my of $4,000 had become reduced to about
10000 fighting men. These, and over
5000 prisoners and the population, were
to be fed from the scanty provisions which
The city contained. In the midst of the
darkness that now hung over his prospects,
Massena walked with calm and resolute
demeanor, looking the suffering that await.
ed him and his army full in the face, with
out one thought OF surrendering. All
length, one morning about fortnight af- |
Ter this last sally, general cannonading
was heard all around the city, even from
The gun-boats on the sea, telling Of some
decisive movement Of the enemy. A ge.
neral assault was making on For Ola.
mond, which, iftaken, would shut up Mas.
sena 10 the inner wall of The city. The
plateau in front Of the fort was carried BY
hem, and the fort itself summoned to sur.
render. The Austnans were gaining
prOund every fnnnenf and Threatened Ia