Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-05-18
From the London T FINES.
The Seat Of War-Dispositlon of the Bel,
hgerents on NAV 2d

10 the north Of the river Po, the district
Immediately exposed to Austrians, all il n
level plain up to the foot Of the Swiss Aims
whereas on the Southern side all i, noun,
famous, and the whole space is filed with
tho shoots or spurs Of the Ligurun Appen-
ines, sloping away from Genoa. In this di.
vision Of the Kingdom, lie the strong places
of the Sardinians-Alessandri Cassel and
Tortona--and on its western edge stands
Turin itselfthe capital of the State Within
or around these iortreeses the Sardinians
have collected the bulk Of their army-per,
haps some 10000 men--leaying the plains of
the north comparatively open 10 the incur,
sions of the enemy Before the actual com.
mencement Of hostilities, the Austrians at
Milan stood just about as far from the river
as the French at Briancon did from the
mountains, and line drawn from one of
these points TO the other would pass through
the common mark of both armes--the row
al city of Turin. Turin, however, is about
as far again from Buhalora, where the Aus
trians crossed the river, as il is from Susa.
where the French halt on crossing the Aims
The distance being about seventy miles in
the former case, against thrty-three ia the
latter. But this inequality was more than
compensated by relative difficulties of the
two roads, for whereas the Austrians have a
plain country to traverse, the French can
only reach Susa by passing the Alps In
reality the advantage of ground so far, was
on the side OF Austrians, but their opera,
tions have been influenced by further con-
sderations arising from the position of the
Sandman army before described The
French, as they descend upon Susa and push
forward to Turin, are directly confronting
the Austrians on their march towards the
same point from Milan and if this was nil
and there were no Sardinians except IN the
Capital, the shock Of battle could be precip.
itated with great facility Sooner or later.
in fact very soon indeed, the belligerents
would meet and an engagement ON a large
scale would ensue.
1t will be observed that the Austrians in
their advance across Piedmont IRON cast TO
west, would have on their left flank the whole
concentrated strength of the Snrdinian army
resting on its finest fortresses. What the
chain OF the Tryol is to Austrian in the plains
Of Lombardy, the chain of the Logurian An,
pennies is TO Sardinia in the plains of Pied
mont, and the parallel can be carried still
further. Exactly as Germany lies ia reserve
/ behind the TryOl, 20 does second French
force gather strength behind the Appenines.
On the seaboard OF these mountains stands
Genoa, which as France commands the sea,
can be reached from Toulon, with the great.
est facility.
The Sardinians, therefore while thew
cluster in loice about their citadels 10 the
south Of the Po, have in their rear the sup>
port of a powerful French army, within
fifty miles distance. The Auslrians are thus
opposed by two bodies oEthe enemy, one di,
rectly facing them at Turin and drawing
daily reinloroements from the pnsses of the
Alps, and another at Cassel aml Allessan.
dria fanking their march aud receiving sue,
cors from distinct base of operations at
Genoa. BY crossing their frontier at its
northern extremity, as they have done, thew
might occupy the northern districts of Sar-
dina and if they descended thence upon
the Po they might get the Sardinien army
in front of them, but they would then have
the army of the Alps upon their right. They
must advance in any case against two lines
Of foes, posted at right angles to each other.
and for simpliety's sake we may consider
these lines to be represented by the rivers
/ Dora and Baltea, running from north TO
south, and by lurea ard the Po, running
/ from west to cast by Cassel, Turin being
pretty nearly at the angle All the places
named lie within comparatively small COM
pass, From Aroma, the point occupied by
, the AusiFians in the north, to Genoa on the
seRboard Of the south, the distance is about
7 ITO miles, or yeFy nearly the same as from
/ Susa to BuHaloru. From Genoa TO Allessan,
dria it is only 46 miles aud from Alessan,
dria to Turin il is less thsG 60 from Susa
to Turin again the distance is but SO miles
80 that 10 their two principal positions, Of
Turin aud Allessandria the Sardinians are
ip one case 40, aud in the other within Glty
miles Of their powerful allies The Austri.
sources Novora is about 5 miles, Mortaro
about ten miles and Ncrceli but some TWEEN,
ty miles from the lombard frontier aud
these are the points at which the first coils.
sion may be anticipated
The great feature of the campaign Is the
double base OF operations, from which the
Sardinians and their allies are proceeding
and if the Austrians find themselves in
strength sufficient for such a plan, il il moi
improbable that they may divide their forces
so that the troops now said 70 be at Mortaro
may advance toward the South, and those Of
Novora tQward the West It will not have
escaped notice that the Austrians are said
to be particularly strong at Mortaro, while
the Imperial Guard, the select corps of che
French army, is at Genoa These disposi.
tions would seem 10 indicate that the hard.
est struggle is expected on the line to Geno
rather than on the line 70 Turin bat this
is point which eau hardly remain long in
the dark In the interval We can only be
too sure that aWar in so narrow ileld, and
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