The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-25
THE DISPATCH.
wEpNEspAY MosNINe...............M
rn. Expcc,ed FIGHT Mt srnrcnso.

The Expected r}9ht NJ ""''~
We Yesterday alluded TO the probao'i''y
Suggested by the London Times, that new
battle likely 10 be decisive OF the iate OF
Italy fol-, many years to come woaio DE
touebt ON tho world-renowned plains of
Marengo. From the proximity of the con-
tending hosts and the certainty tina, the
Austrians are making Alessandria the main
object Of their movements, this probability
is acquiring strength at each successive de
yelopment. Should matters turn out as
anticipated, it seems that the new battle
will be attended by the singular crcnm-
stance of an entire reversal of the ground
occupied by the contending forces, and that
Austria will hold the position formerly
held by France, while France will stand
upon that portion of the field on which
were formerly mustered the forces OF Aus
tria. This results from the fact that the
hosts approach each other in the reverse d.
rection in which they formerly approached
and that France holds Genoa and Alessan.
dria now, whereas on the former occasion
they were held by Austria, while Austria
is now in possession Of Lombardy, whence
her troops are 10 come, whereas France in
vaded the southern portion of Sardinia
from Lombardy in 1900.
In 1900, while the Austrians were en-
gagged in the siege of Genoa, the First Con-
sui Bonaparte crossed the Alps By the Great
ST. Bernard, marched down the valley of
Aosta, took possession of Turin, pushed on
&C, oss the Ticino, seized Milan, ove-ran the
whole of Lombardy, and all of Sardinia
that lies north of the Pc, almost without
resistance, the Austrian army being en-
gagged in the siege Of Genoa, and the demon
stration against the south of France by way
of Nice. Having secured these great adj
vaatages, the First Consul Immediately
turned his face southwark, being resolved
TO save G.noa if he could, or, if he could
not, TO entrap and destroy the Austrian
army upon the plains of Southern Pied
mont. He crossed the Pc at Belgioioso,
and pushed forward strong detachment
under Lannes, to occupy the famous pass
of Slradella, between which and the Pc the
road which led from Genoa to Lombardy,
and thence to Austria, passed. He knew
that the Austrians whether they succeeded
in capturing Genoa, or were compelled to
raise the siege, in order to come in pursuit
of him, would be obliged to move along
that road, for there was none other pract-
cable over the mountains, and he saw that
a strong detachment stationed there would
bar the passage. He was not deceived in
his calculations. The Austrians took Genoa,
and turned simultaneously upon the force
that had gained their rear, aud cut them
off from their base of operations
They came to Alessandria, at that time one
of their garrisons, reinforced the troops
stationed there, and pushed forward by the
road along the Pc, in order to gain one of
their towns lower down, where they might
cross over to Lombardy. They found the
route barred at the Slradella by Lannes,
who drove them back to Alessandria after
defeating them at Monticello, q village
which lies just at the western opening OF the
pass. The First Consul arriving few days
after, the whole army marched due west,
towards Alessandria, in pursuit of the Aus
trians who had retired behind that fortress.
On the morning of the l4th June, 1900,
they issued from that city, crossed the Bor-
mida, which washes its eastern side, and
attacked the French army, which was lying
on the eastern bank of that river. The
battle of Marengo was then fought. On this
occasion the French faced west, the Aus
TRANS east
Genoa being now the basis of the French
operations, as it was the basis of the Aus
trian operations in 1900, and Alessandria
being one of their fortresses now, as it was
an Austrian fortress at that time, if the
Austrians cross the river at Casale, and
other places above it, the battle will take
place to the west of it, and not on the field
of Marengo, although in its neighborhood.
II, on the contrary, they retrace their steps,
return TO Lombardy, cross the Pc below
Alessaudria, pass the Stradela, and march
upon that fortress, it seems more than prob
able that the battle will be fought on the
very same ground. In that case the French
will come from -Alessandria, as the Aus
,rians did before, and the Austrians will
come from the banks Of the Scrivia, as the
French then did. Their positions will thus
be reversed.
Marengo is little village, not important
enough to have been put down on any map,
until the battle made it immortal. 1t lay
on the left of the French line, whose right
rested on Castle Ceriolo. 1t was the point
from which the French commenced their
famous pivot retreat Castle Ceriolo on the
right, being the pivot. The men at this
point stood firm, and all the rest of the ar
my turned upon it, as door turns upon
hinge, until, from being on their right
flank, they had brought the Pc on their
rear In this position, their left then rested
on San Julano, where it was reinforced by
Desaix, who came up from Ncvi. This
pivot movement is one of the most famous
military operations recorded in history