Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-13
MANUSCRIPT SPEECH OF NAPOLEON
poNaPARTE.

me The advantage of passing rapidly either into
Germany or ;n,o I,aly. as The case might require.
| The season somewhat favored me: The monks oil
| 81 BERNARD assnred me that The snow had dis
| solved Tins wear twenty days sooner than usual !
they received cur army, which was lille la
tisued by The passage OF The Alps, extremely well;
| had prenformed Them Of our ARRIVAL ihaa SEM
them money, and they furnished us WIN P.ovi-
sons and very good wine: Inc MONKS 81 o !, !.
Bernard arc an order lhhhhey iesPec'ao'e, ~ |,
ono OF those institutions which governments ought
never 10 destroy. bu; should project and encour'
age by all The means in their power.
al arrived in Italy: found myself behind Inc
enemy and master l all his magazines and equl-
paees: | had Obtained great advantages, and
once arrived al Slradella, had right to consider
the campaign as finished. II Genoa had held
on. | remained firm in my entrenched camp al
S,radeIla. The strongest military position in Italy
had five bridges over the Pc, which rendered
my communication easy with me DIVISIONS,
! Chabran, LapeyIe, Turreau ana Moncey' ~
case OF necessity could either summon them 10
nv aid if attacked, or aid them in case they were.
M. de Meas, in short, was forced, IN order 10 &c
able 10 open his communications, 10 come and
offer me battle, on a ground which myself mad
chosen; extremely intersected, covered win WOOL,
very favorable 10 my infantry, and The reverse
for his cavalry; and where had the disposal oil
all my troops.
aThe capture of Genoa changed The face OF
everything; henceforward The enemy possessed a
sure retIeai, and very strong positions: ne could
either relirs into Genoa and defend himself there
in. deriving his provisions from The sea- or line
the heights OF Bobbo with artillery, and retire. IN
spite OF MI efforts TO oppose him. into placen'ia,
regain Mantua and Peschiara, put himself INTO
communication with Austria, and reduce me 10
vi nj he
would have been frustrated. great chance
presented itself 10 me; risked it. set out from
Milan apc lraversed ihiry-two leagues in seven
hours. | commanded the battle OF Montebelo;
we gained it, and this victory caused the enc
my's retreat from G, noa but this same VIC
tory weakened my army was obliged 10
leave two divisions on The other SIDE oil Inc
Pc, 10 close the entrance Of The States oil MI
Ian; they were not, 10 say Inc truln, distant
from me above three leagues, but they would re-
ouire three DAYS 10 effect them in; they must
have passed by Placenla or by Slradella. ! had
also against me another disadvantage: the coun-
lry. from Monlebelo TO Alexandria, is nothing
but an immense plain, most advantageous Tor
the Austrian cavalry. | nevertheless resolved
10 offer pitched battle, because was IN So e1-
traordinary situation, that risked litileto gam
much. Beaten, should relire INTO my enllencn.
i
INV five bridges, projected by my batteries, with
Out the possibility of The encmy's army being able
10 hinder it, should unite my second division
with The corps OF Money, Lecchy and Turreau.
suffered one corps OF MelaS 10 pass The 20
(and he desired no bel;eT) then, superior in num-
beers. could attack him with all my forces, II
beat him. Conqueror, Obtained The same re-
suits. His army, penl up between US and The RI
YER would have been forced 10 have laid down
their arms or 10 have surrendered all their forts.
Had been beaten, which believe impossible,
brough. myself 10 regular war; and had swift
zerland for my support
"Determined TO give battle, ordered an ac-
count Of the effective strength oil my army 10 be
rendered 10 ne. | bad in al Twenty six thousand
men. NJ de Melas had forty thousand eighteen
thousand ofwhich were cavalry. Al o'clock
IN the morning they came 10 iaiorm me that the
enemy had fallen on our advanced guard, and
that our troops gave way. The French like not
10 be attacked Or troops el back somewhat
in disorder; some betook themselves 10 h'sh'; the
enemy took some prisoners; we had tciIeaied a
l.,rn.. and ban The Ccnsraln of the advanced
guard, Lanncs, Mura, and BerIhier, sent me-
courier after courier; they told Inc that their
loops were in flight haI they could not stop
Them. They asked Tor support. and requested me
10 march with my reserve ! replied 10 all:
tack perceived that The enemy had mol yet
EMPLOYED his reserve; and in these kind OF affairs
The great object is To make the enemy employ all
his forces in managing your own, and 10 make
him al ack al right and al left as long as you
cannot be deceived; the difficulty being TO make
him employ his reserve. He had thny-four
thousand men, against al most twenty thousand
who we're in a obi; he had but 10 pursue his ad-
vantage | repaired 10 The first line in an elegant
uniform; attacked them myself win demi-
brigade; broke their order OF balllei pierced
their line M. de Nelas, who saw me al The
head OF the army, and his lines broken, ina.
eined thai had arrived with the reserve 10 REIN
force the combat. lie advanced on This point with
his own, six thousand Hungarian grenadiers The
flower Of hi, Infantry; this corps filled up the va.
cancy, and attacked Us 10 our turn. Seeing this
| gave way; and, in retreat OF half league
exposed To their cannon, rallied all The army,
| anc reformed il in order OF battle: arrived near
nv reserve, which was composed Of six thousand
men and fifteen pieces OF artillery, and Dessai1
for general and rh,ch was my ae.t-oacaor,
opened, by an extremely rapid movement, The
whole army. formed the two wings oil Dessai1
| and showed hem six thousand fresh troops. a
tremendous discharge OF artillery, and despe-
rate charge al the point OF The bayonel, broke The
line. and cui his Two wings then ordered KEEL
and. as cavalry march quicker than infantry;
they cut of from The rest OF their army si1 thou
sand Hungarian gIenadiers, in sight Of The Aus
TRAN cavalry; but this was hall a league ch
| lhey rronired quarter OF an hour 10 arrive, and
| Ihavc al,1au obss,ved0at ,ts these quarters Of an
hour ph,eh decade The iate ri battles Kellermann's
HOODS threw him toward our infantry; they were
all made prisoners In moment The Austrian
cavalry then arrived but our infantry vas IN
line its cannon in The front: line discharge and
barrier OF bayoneis prevented their attack; they
retired, somewhat in disorder: ! pressed them
with three regiments which had just Joined me- /;
,bey deployed; and, in seeking to pass the bridge
Of Bornnda, which is very narrow, great many
were drowned in The river. They were pursued
ill night.
81 learnt after the battle, from several general
officers prisoners, that in The midst OF their sue
cess they were not without nquieude; they had
| secret presenimenl OF their defeat During
| the fight they questioned our prisoners, asking
them wv here is Gen. BonaparIe}' lie is IN me
rear lhey replied; and those who had already
fought against me in Italy, who knew my Gus
tom 10 rs,erre mw,if for The end, exclaimed, our
davis 1rork is not uet dorle' They confessed also
that when | showed myself al the first line they
were completely deceived, and that they believed
all nv reserve were engaged. In battles there is
always a momcn, when all the brave men have
done their best, when they seek nothing better
than TO run away; bu, these are mseivings OF the
heart; they want prc;exl; the talent is 10 give
them one.
"At Arco,e | gained the battle with twenty
five horsemen. perceived The critical moment
of lassilude in each army; | saw that the Aus
TRANS, in spite of their being old soldiers, would
have been well content to find themselves IN their
camp; and Ina, my Frenchmen, all brave as they
were, had wished 10 be in their tents; all my
forces had been engaged; more Than once had
been forced 10 re establish The oa'lle. There re-
manned 10 me but five and-twenty guards sent
hem ON the tanks of the enemy with three rum
pcls. sounding a charge very loud. Here The
French cavaIryp was the cry; and they were in
flight. |, is true that one must seize The moment;
a mumenl sonner or laler il had bsen useless, had