Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-06-08
The Military Operations in Sardinia Presep,
Positions Of the Forces.

. IL 'hhiIt'Sh III ''"iN hiS 'IfI'l .
looked very much as though the Austrian.
were going to make Il brilliant coup. and
from their great prcpcndcramce of force gam
possessions of the whole OF Piedmont. dri,in.
the Sardinians into some corner of thr.r
kingdom before the French could come T.,
their aid. \ short review of tie mili;ar.
movements will show how thi, result h,.
been prevented.
1t will be remembered that three plan, p
the campaign in Sardinia were submitted r.,
the Emperor of Austria, Of which that often
Gyulai was adopted. According a. Tin.
plan. 10000 men were to be thrown int.
Sardinia in three columns. One Of rhr,.
was to cross Lake Maggiore. turning the ~,
IRENE left Of the Sandman line ufoprr.ri.,,
and advancing through Bella. down the SAL
lev of the Dora Baitea through >Infb,g
march upon Turin. The main column =.
cross the Ticino and advance through ~.
ra to Nercelli. where the Austrian headug,r
ters We're finally established. within thr.,
days march of Turin aud two DAYS from A.
essandria. \ third column was 10 cross Ill.,.
20 ut Pavia and advance through Nughcra =,
Tortona, within one days march Of Ale,,an.
VITA vi bit slut. vi VI -NbNlb h lit lIltI W me-.
latter movement would have cut of the CON.
munication between Alessandria and Cen.
and brought the Austrians within two day,
march of that port. To oppose this invad.n,
force, had the movement been sudden
made. the Sardinians would have had ou.
about $4,000 men distributed along the iua,
line of operations from GravcllOna on Il.
Maggiore To Genoa, aud no French troop,
support them. In these straits, which nl.
partially occurred. the Sandman army ayu..
ed q battle by retiring before the super.
forces of Austria, and as these advanced
| wards Turin, Victor Emanuel and his Cour
withdrew to the strong fortress OF Alessandr.
to wait there the issue of Il Seige and >ucr
from the French.
Had the plan of General Gyulai been Ear
! ried out with the rapidity OF movement cl.
templated in its conception, Turin must ha,.
| fallen at once into the hands OF the AUSTRIA,
affording them an excellent base from wM#
To cut up the unsupported corps OF frcnn
which were 10 cross Mount Gems. and giyi,.
TO tie invaders possession OF the whole
Sardinia. with the exception of the I>n.a',
fortress of AleSsandria, and the port Of 10
noa. But this was prevented by the coa-,
of events. First cam the presenting Of r.
ultimatum of Austria, on the 23d ci App
giving Sardinia three days to disarm
Next came the proffered mediation of Eu.
land on the 18th which delayed the adyau.
| of the Austrians until the the 10Th. Loa.
| Napoleon, rs soon as he was advised by t..
graph of the sending from Vienna of d.,
ultimatum, did not wait for the cXpir
ton of its term, or the reply of SARDINIA
He ordered the immediate cmbarkation Of l,
troops, and on the 29tI OF April. t
day the Austrians crossed the Iicr
had already placed 10000 men in ur
noa. Then came the rains and the Swr
ling of the rivers, which greatly l]ntcrtcrra
with and retarded the movements Of q
Austrians, and gave the Allies still Nor
time to perfect their own concentration Tbs
Alpine division of the French crossed Ii.
mountains and established their base a Susa
within two days march of Turin, aud within
three weeks time Louis Napoleon had throw
10000 men into Sardinia, the first boig
landing at Genoa on the 9th of April.
The Austrian advance was thus stoppc.
and the Increased forces Of the Allies dci"a'
ed the success Of the original plan. A>tn'
French and Sardinians concentrated tie"
forces, a like necessity attended the Au.
TRANS, and instead Of pursuing their U+cr
siye movements. they were now Obliged ,
prepare for defence. The left wing Of 10
Sardinians, being now strengthened, W
pushed forward, causing the northern e
lumn Of the Austrians, which had adyancr
NJ far M Santhia, to retrace its steps. \
cording to the advices we published ycstr'
day, General Chialdini had forced the pa
age of the Sesia, aud Gen. Garibaldi, hclon- |
ing to his division, had entered GrayelIona
This forces the northern column Ot the Au'
TRANS to retreat across Lake Maggiorc al
r~e-enter Lomburiv. The retreat ot thcr-.
wing Of the Austrlans LETT It's central coium
uncovered on that flank. and forced GrIra
Gyulai to Withdraw his headquarters igu
N%ercelli, first Ia Mortara, and then 10 thH.
lasco, which IL within ten miles Ot the Ten
The right of the Sandman line Of Opea
! tons, having received the strongest relnioro
ments through Genoa, has exhibited q
scene Of most active movement. The thr.
Austrian column was obliged to fall hae
from Tortona towards the 20, and y%esteria'
We received the accounts of its defeat at VI
tehello, and Of its rccrossing the river 10.
LOmbardy.
Thus it will be seen that almost without
battla-for the small affairs that have lhu' |
far taken place at Montebcllo and Sr-Ia Or
only the encounters of the advanced corp
Sardinia has been saved. II Loans Nay
leon has not exhibited the lightning rapni'
of his uncle IN his movements, he has >ll""
energy in action and wisdom IN comhinh-
his operations. Only one of the three A.
trian columns that invaded SARDINIA no" =
mains on the Sandman bank of It's rlyeri'
boundary. We may expect to hear that u
has returned to l>nbardy, and that oi
Gyulai is concentrating his forces Tor the y
fence Of Milan. The active movements Oh b
French will now commence. and Their IT.
step will be to cross the PO or thc'Iln'
either by strategy or by torc;nga pa~'l-'
Thus far, the French troops have been o.:
en- rOute to the scene of the campaISM
Both in the march and in passage
train or sea, they have shown II wond'i'
CELEBRITY of movement. This is OWING ~ h
provision of their leader in many point
detail, and to their own facility Of aIaP,ati..
to circumstances in others. The act 81 p
ting into and packing themselves and 'Nr'
arms away in a railroad car, and Of emtaN
ing in and disembarking from boat' a"'
ships, has been made a part Of their custom
ry drill. Then, too, every Frenchmah
cook by nature; officers and men can g'ta...-
without suffers and servants, and when '.
camp, can find resources and get up 4 'a'.'.
- e II ~. A.. .--... rr.HI i' |