The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1859-06-10
Thr Theatre Of che war.


Piedmont--its principal mass--in tho cen
ter, the ancient province Of Savoy In the
northwest and the maritime territory OF
Genoa In the southeast, is not above 100
miles in breadth from its western 10 ito
eastern frontior On the former Of these
frontiers il is conterminous along its en-
tire length with France, is ally; but on
the latter Il ia only partly cont,rmlnoul
with Austria, its emmy, In tho north
portion the SWiss territory, aud IN the ,
South the Duchy Of Parma supply the bor-
der line. leaving only central portion.
perhapa about half Of che entire lenEth, TO /
be formed by the territories Of Austrian .
Lombordy. The line IN question, az eve /
rybody Il now aware, 10 constituted by the /
River Ticno and BY the LaNo Maggiuro, /
through which that river flows, Us the
Rhone dors through the Lake Of Geneva.
On the French side the border Is formed |
by the Aps, SO that the scat Of war may
be regarded IN a general ospcctus q broad
piece oftcrritory between a chain Of noun
tains and river. Tho French had 20
cross tho mountains, tho Austrians the
stream and the distance between thom, Hs
We have said, was ehuut 100 miles.
The features Of Piedmont itself, howev.
or, deserve particular attention, as they
are regulating the present distribution Of
the oontcnding armies. Piedmont is trav-
ersed in lis breadth by the windings of the
| River Po, and the division Of the country
thus affected correspondence nearly with
the division Of the eastern frontier between
Lombordy aud Parmoj 80 that 10 the south
Of the str am Piedmont borders ON Parma,
and 20 is north only on the hostile terri
tory Of Lomhardy. These two divisions
Of the Sardinlan Kingdom differ totally IN
their natural characters. To tho north Of
the rlver-thc district Immediately expos
ed TO the Anstrans-Oll Is a lcvol plain
up 70 the foot Of tho Swiss Alps, whereas
on the southern side all Is mountainous,
and the whole space Is filled with the
shoots or the spurs of the Ligurian Apcn-
mines sloping away from Genoa. In this
division Of the kingdom lie the strong pla-
cos Of the Sardinlans Alessnndria, Cassalc
and Toronto, and on It's western edge
stands Turin itsolf, the capital Of tho State.
Within OF around these fortrnsses the Sar-
dinians have collected the bulk Of their
army perhaps some 10000 mon, leaving
the plains Of the North comparatively OPP
en- % incursions Of the enemy.
, Before the actual commencement OF
D hostlitioB the Austriuns at Milan stood
just about as far from the river as the
> French at BriOncon did from the noun.
, tains, and line drawn from one Of these
{ points TO the other would pass through the
= common mark Of both nrmics--the Royal
city of Turin. Turin, however, Is about
as far again from Bufl6lota, whoro the
Austrions crossed the river as it Is from
Susa, where the French halt on crossing
a the Alps, tho distance being about 10 mile
J., IN the former case against 80 in the latter
But this enequalty was moro than com
pensnted by the relative difficulties of the
= two roads, for, whereas the Austriani
I, have plain country TO traverse the Frenol
3 can only reach Susa by passing the Alps
In reality, the advantage of ground 40 ia
II was on tho side Of tho Austrians, but thoi
operations have been Influenced by mrth
. or considerations, orising from the posi-
s. ton Of the Sandman army before doserib
q ed. The French, as they descend upo
m t5uss sssad push forward 10 Turin, are n
/, recty confronting tho Austrians ON tb
, march towards the same point from Milan
= and IL this was oil, and there were no Snr
j. dinians except what were In the capital
d the shock Of battle would be antlcibate,
N with great facility Sooner or laterLi
lAct, very soon indeod-the belliporent
. would meet, and an engagement on a larg,
}. scule would ensuo. ?
= IL will be observed, however, from wha
/, we have said, that the Austrians in thei
! advance across Piedmont from east I,
u west, would have on their ri hi flank In,
4 whole concentrated strength of the Sardi
e nian army, resting on It's finest fortresses
4 What the chain Of the Tyrol, indeed, Is I,
Austria in the plains Of Lombardy, tn,
u chain OF tho Ligurian Apennines iB I,
= Sardinia in the plains Of Piedmont, AMI
the parallel can be carried still further
o Tor exactly as Germany lies in reserve be
= hind the Tyrol, SO does second Froncl
force gather IN strength behind the Ap
e ennnes, On the sea-boerd Of thost
c mountains stands Genoa, which, as Franc,
+ Commands the sea, can be reached from
I. Toulon with the greatest facility. TIN
: Sardinians, therefore, while they ouste
o in force about citadcls 20 the south of N,
t Pc, have in their rear the support of
Il large French army within 90 miles dis
tance. af r.I.r
The Austrians are thus opposed by tw,
bodies of the enomy-one directly faeini
them at Turin and drawing daily reinforce
ments from the pusses Of the Alps; AM
another at Casalo and Alessandria, aank
ing their march and receiving succor
Il from distinct base Of operations at &c
( noa. BY crossing their frontiers al IL
northern extremity, as they have done
they might occupy the northern district
. OF Sardiniai or, II they descended theme
y upon the Po, they might get the Sardini
~ an army in front Of them, but they woul
y then have the army Of the Alpsupon thei
+ right. They must, in short, advance in an
e case dgainst two lines of foes posted q
D. right angles TO each other; and, for sim
4 plicity's sake, we may consider these line
e to be represented BY the river Dora Bait
p On, running from north 90 south by Ivres
= aud the Po, running from west TO east b.
. Casale-Tprin being pretty nearly at tn
+; angle. ...-.
q All the places named, be il understoo,
Y lie within a comparatively small compas;
ID From Aroma, the point occupied BY th
. Austrians in the north, to Genoa, on th
l. seaboard Of the south, the dlstanceis is abou
y no miles, or very nearly the sumo as fror
4 Susa 10 Budalora. From Genoa 10 Alea
Is sandaia IL h only 40 miles, and from Alei
sandaia toTunn Is less thnn go miles
p From Susa 70 Turin, again, tho distance
q is but 22 miles 80 that in their two prin
"a cipal positions Of Turin and Alessandri
Is the Sardininns arc, In the one case, Will
20 a. ,vN fr