The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-07-11

the historic square ot which So mucn has
been written, and the reader will be much In
tcrested, as well as instructed relative to fu-
tnre operations, by the following descriptions
| OF the locality
| THE GERMAN VIEW.
| - From the Kolner Zetunsl
| The country between the Ilcino anu the
| Mincio is not adapted to defensive operations.
| In all modern struggles for the possession OF
| Italy, the decisive blow was never struck upon
| the plains OF Lomhardy. The lines OF me
Adda, from it's source in the lago Oil Leec;i,
the easternmost bay of Lake Como, TO us con-
nuence with the Po above Cremon;t, and OF the
| Oglio, which rises in Lago disco and flows
| into the Pc south of Mantua, are TOO exten-
| siNe aud accessible for position of defence. F.
Better adapted for defensive purposes Is the
| lower AIDA, with Loda and Pizzlghettohe, in
| connection with PiaoenZa on the 20; but
| even this position would not be safe against
an energetic attack.
| The Miucio, rising in the Lago di Garda,
] near Peschiera, flows with numerous wind
ings in southern direC tion until 1t reaches
| the upper lake at Mantua, and after leaving
the lower lake runs southeasterly, until II
| connects with the Po. 1t is amoderates stream,
| but is nevertheless fordabe at few points
only in very dry seasons. II is, however, dot
| ted with numerous islands, facilitating the
! construction of bridges which connect lis
shores Mt Peschiera, Borghero, (opposite Va
/ lesgio,) Colt and Rivalto, while at Mantua
bridge crosses the lakes. Mantua ana Peschl-
! era, however, are tortresses. and RIValta lies
! almost beneath the guns OF Mantua; hence the
/ extent of the river outside of the range OF the
! ortresses is, in a direct line, only about four
German miles. Below Mantua, its course to
| The Po is only one and a half German miles.
| which distance Is commanded by the southern
| tort OF Mantua, PletoiI.
1t thus appears that the strategic importance
I of the MincIo consists in its being the shortest
! hne across between the Alps and the 20,
| measuring from its source to its mouth only
| SIX and Il half German miles; whilst in ftct,as
| L defensive
! German miles. On the left bank elevations
| occur al distances OF one or TWO leagues, al
| lording the army in possession OF that side IA
| cIlt!es Tor observing every movement OF Inc
| enemy and taking advantage of any talse
| steps. Then, too, the army defending the left
| bank possesses facilities for a safe retreat,
| while the attacking army in ease OF dsfeai,
| must retire 10 the open country whence II
! came. The time is considered almost lmpres-
| nable, and cannot be turned being guarded on
| the north by the Alps, and the south by
| The sWampS and morasses of the Po.
| PeschIera is a small town OF hardly Two
| thousand inhabitants, situated on an islund 1t
! the head OF the Mlncio, near Lake tfarda- In
| former times its defancpS consisted of only 4
| bastion wall and a ditch. Under the French
| rule the heights of Mandella, upon the LETT
| bank, were covered with fortiiications, aud the
| Austrians have since secured the approaches
| TO the right bank by the construction OF fort
| SalVi. and have erected extensive delenceS
| outside the town, comprising eight luhettes,
| with bomb proof redoubts These constitute
/ SAFE fortress, CoIllbit OF udTbOTIliS iolIt
| sufficient to prevent any of the enemy =
| troops from crossing at this point. The steam
| fleet of Lake Garda finds 4 safe harbor at Pes
! chiera and can convey troops to either shore
| without hlndrance. Moreover, since 1919 4
| mum Der of flood gates have been constructed,
| by means of which a flood can be effected IN
| the river, extending TO the lakes 1T Mantua,
| and of sufficient force to sweep away all pom
| toon or other temporary bridges which il may
meet in IT'S course. The railroad from Brescla
| 10 Verona crosses the Minicio at this point.
| The southern stronghold, Mantua or Man
| toVa, has long been famous both as a clly ana
| fortress The city has population OF thirty
| two thousand, and is likewise built upon an
| island which is, however, about l75 Prussian
! acres in extent, and lies contiguous TO another,
| sill larger island, ii Te which is also forti-
iled and capable of affording shelter To & large
| body of troops Wurmser, IN 1876, stationed
twenty mine thousand men mere. The lake
| completely surrounds these stronglOlds, TO
| The north and east consisting of deep water,
| and to the south and west of an immense
marsh, the consequence OF an unsuccessful at
| tempt made in the last century 10 drain the
place. The marsh, OF course, is an unsur-
| mountabIe obs tacle 10 an attacking army. The
distance from the island 10 the shores averages
| some , 400 German feet. Five causeways con-
stitute the only apprOacheS-three from the
right and TWO from the left bank. One of these,
built of stone and rttIlnlng eastward 10 the
suburb OF Borgo di san Giorgio, is 2,d0 feet III
| length, and Is protected by the fort San GIor-
go; another, running northWard TO Gorge dl
GorteZZa Is l,35U feet III length. and is covered
| by the large Cltadelle di Porto those in the
| west and south are commanded by the bat
;erles OF Pradelia and the strong fort Pietoll,
while at the southern extremity OF III lie, the
brras tWork NJ EllUretto is likewise within gun
shot and is provided with immense flood
gates Tor InundatIng The SurroV ndlng country
Its position in the midst of all these detences,
natural rs well as artificial, is supposed to
render Mantua impregnable, and SO long as II
occupied by the Austrlans 1t Will fetter the
movements of the allies. This stronghold
sod R,,nannrfp whoa seldom
1bstructed by fortresseS, t. engage in more
than q dozen battles and skirmishes, which,
despite his successes, were merely moral We
tories, as, with Mantua IN his rear ana on MS
flank he was ever compelled to allow the Aus
,rians time to collect new force with which
lyain TO offer him battle upon the same held.
After a close siege OF eight months the city ca
,itulated III February, 1795, and not until
then was Bonaparte enabled To cross the Jun
an Alps and force the Austrians to terms. "A
single decided defeat at that time would lnevi-
tabIy have compelled him, as II did Charles
| Albert at Il later period, 10 return into Pied
mont But the War Department at Vienna al
| ter each battle generously sent hlm 1resh
corus instead of furnishing at once an over
whelIning force. Such was the experience OF
he greatest military chief before Mantuai and
| vet neither Mantua nor Peschiera, nor even
| Verona was at that time shadow Oh Wh'it IL
| is at present
| THE ENGLISH VIEW.
| A VIENNA correspondent of the London
Times, thus writes ;,
| The NJ lncIO, when HOWS from 1-'Eo III
| Garda TO Mantua, is at times river OF con-
| siderable size and depth, but IN summer II is
often SO shallow that ii can be wadtd through
! without difficulty. There are bridges across
| the Mincio Peschiera Borghetto, Golto,
| Rjyali and Mantua, the dis tance between tne
| tirst-named place, which lies on the Iarda
! Lake and Mantua being about sixteen EhgIlsh
| miles The distance between MaHtua ana the
spot at which the Mincio falls INTO the efo, may
! ba abnnt seven miles. Thus the line which
| the Austrians have TO defend IS but little more
than twenty miles inlenfth, and at each end
| is "a fortress, which it's exceedingly dllicui IL
| to turn as the one (Peschiera) is on the Garda
Lake and the other Mantua) lies IN the midst
| Of boys and mars hes which extend to the po.
! Peschipra il small town on an lsland IS de-
| Tended by extensive outWorks ana eiSht "lu-
! nettc." with bomb proof quarters Tor the
| troops. These ''iunetteS'' form aklnd OF fortl-
fed camp In addition to the fortifications
already mentioned, there are Two forts, one OF
which commands the right and the other the
| left bank of the river. The garrison of Pes
| chiera has also the power of lnundating the
| country for some miles round by closing
! sluices which are between the lake and the
| river.
Mantua, which also lies on an island has a
| fortified camp tor 10000 men. The approaches
| To Mantua are across five dams or dykes three
! of which are in connection with the right and
! two with the left bank OF the lake formed
! by the Minco. The principal approaches on
the left bank are in the direction OF the sub
! urbs San Giorgio and Porto, the former being
/ protected by Fort San Giorgio, and the latter
! Gy the great citadel of Porto. The dy kes on
! the right bank are protected by the "houwork''
! PradelIa by Fort Pretoli, and by the redoubt
| Miggioretto. The garrison of Mantua has
/ also the means of effectnaliy inundatiny he
surrounding country. If Napoleon is resoly-
| ed to have Mantua, he must be prepared 10
sacrifice 80, 900 100000 men, for his renowned
uncle did not get possession of II until after
| lie had besieged it eight months and fought
| Ia no IA artil h