Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-20
From the London Tnrs May
Tho Theatre of War Relative Position OF
% Ralliuarnnfu

In tho ohscurity which clouds NIL intelligence
from the seat of war, we cnn hardly do better than
furnish readers with some preliminary know
lc lge of the extent and features oftho scene,
proceeding which be all the more acceptable NJ it
admits Of being made both simple and precise
Whether the war cnn, indeed. be confined to those
territories, is II very different question but as
long gas it is limited by the Boundaries now AS
signed to il, there can he no renson why tho ex-
net import Of every telegram should not be imme-
dIntply comprchcndcd
The Kingdom of Sardinia, composed of Pied
months pincpal nass--in the centre, the an
cicnt province nt Savoy in the northwest, mud tho
maritime territory of Genoa in the southeast, is
not above 100 miles in breadth from its western
to its eastern frontier. on thu former OF these
frontiers it IL eontcrminouS along its entire length
with France. its nlly; but on the latter it is only
partly contcrninous with Austria, its enemy. In
the north n portion Of the Swiss territory nnd in
the south thclu,chy Of Parma supply tho borderlinc
leaving only central portion perhaps about
halfof the entire length to be formed hy the ter
tories of Austrian lIombnrdy. The line in qucs-
ton as everybody is now aware. is constituted by
the River 'ricino and by the Iagn Maggiore.
through which that river flows, IA the khone does
through tie Lake If Geneva. On the French side
the border is formed by the Alps, that the seat
Of wnrmay be- regarded in general aspect M
broad piece Of territory between n chain OF noun
tains and river. The French had to cross tho
mountains. the Austrinns the stream, md the dis
tal,cc between them, ms we have said, was about
100 miles.
The fcntnres Of Piedmont itself, however, de-
serve particular attention, as they are regulating
the present distribution Of the contending armies.
Piedmont is travcrscd in its breadth by the wind
ings OF the River Po, and the division of the conn-
try thus effected corresponds very nearly with the
division ul the eastern frontier between Iombardy
and Parma 20 that to tho south of the strcnm
L., ID, ,,,I ia, itun nnlv
ON the hostile territory of I.ombnrdy. These two
divisions of tho Sardininn Kingdom differ totally
in their natural characters To the nortl, Of tho
rivcr-thc district Immediately exposed to the
Aus,rans--nll is level plain up to the foot of
the Swiss Alps whereas on tho southern side all
is mountains. and tie whole space is fllel with
the shoots Or spurs of the l.iguran Aponnes slo-
ping away from Genon. In this division If the
kingdom lie tho strong places the Sardininns-
Acssandria, Cas sale and Toit,na, and on its wcs-
tern edge stands Turin itself. the capital Of the
State Within around these lortrcsses the Sur
dnians have collected the bulk Of their army per
haps some - 600 men, leaving the plains OF the
North comparatively open to tho ncursions of the
enemy.
Before the ,ua commencement of hostilitcs
the Austrans at Milan stood Just about .as far
from the river a. the French at Brinncon did from
the mountains and line drawn from one of these
points to the other would pass through the com
rim. Turin however is about ns Far again from
Bntfalnra where the Austrans crossed Sbe river,
rs il is from Susn where the French halt on cross
ing the Alps, the distance being about 20 miles IN
the former ease n.an 81 in the latter. Bnt this
inequality was more than compensated by the re-
la,ive difficulties of the two roads. for, whereas
the Austrians have pain country to traverse,
the French can only reach susa by passing the
Alps. In reality, the advantage OF ground 30 far
was on the side of the Ausrians, but their opera
tions have BEEN influenced by further considera-
tions. arising from the position OF the Sandman
army before described. The French, ~ they des-
cend from Susa and push forward to Turn, are
directly confronting the Austrinns on their march
towards the same point from Milan, and it this
was ALL and there were Snrdinians except in
the capital the shock of hattie cpnld be anticipa-
ted with great facility. Sooner or later-in fact,
very soon indccd-the bclligcrents would meet.
and an engagement on q large scale would ensue.
1t will I've observed. however from what we have
said that the Aus,rinns in their advance across the
Piedmont from east to west would have their
left flank the whole concentrated strength Of the
Sandman nrnly resting on its finest fortresses.
What the chain Of tho Tyrol, indeed is to Austria
in the plains of Lombardy, the chain of the Ligu-
rim Appenincs is to Sardinia in the plains OF
Piedmont. and the parallel cnu be carried still fur
ther for exactly as Germany lies in reserve be-
hind the Tyrol SO does second French force gath
er in strength behind the Apennincs. On the sea
board Of these mountains stands Genoa: which, as
France commands the sea. can be roiche1 from
Toulon with the greatest facility, Ths Surdinans
therefore while they cluster in force about their
citadcs the south Of the Po, have in their rear
the support of a powerful French army within so
n lies distance.
The Austrans are thus opposed by two bodies
of the enemy, ,--one directly facing them at Turin
and drawing daily reinforcements from the passage
of the Alps and another at Casale and Alessan-
drn, hanking their march and receiving succors
from distinct base of operations at Genoa. By
crnssinp their frontiers at its northern extrcmtY