The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-06
The Military Operations Las sardinis-fsesf"s
Positions Of the Fsrcef.

| The Military Operations Las Sardtnta-Ffesf"t
Positions OF the Ferces.
When the campaign n Italy dct opened it
looked YER much as ihoug, he Austtiaa' were
going to make brilliant coup. aud from their
great pr,pondcrarce OF force gain possession Of
the whole Of Piedmont driving the Sardinians
into some corner Of their kin. dem before the
French could come to their aid. A short review
of the military movements Will show how this
result has been prevented.
1t will be remembered that three plans for the
campaign in Sardinia were submitted to the En-
peror Of Austria, Of which that OF Gen. Gyulai
was adopted. According TO this plan, 10000
men were to be thrown into Sardinia in three
columns One of these was to eros Lake Mag
giore, turning the extreme lef of the Sandman
line Of operations, and advancing through Bella
down the valley of the Dora Baltea through
Santhia, march upon Turin. The main column
TO cross the Ticino and advance through Novara
to Vercelli, where the Austrian headquarters
we're finally established, within three days march
| OF Turin and two days from Alessandria- A third
column was to cross the Pc at Pava and advance
through Voghera to Tortona, within one days
march OF Alessandria on one side, or Of Now On
the other; which latter movement would have cut
! of the communication between AIessandria and
Genoa, and brought the Austrians within two days
march of that port. To oppose this invading
force, bad the movement been suddenly made,
| the Sardinians would have had only about 10000
men distributed along the long line of operations
from Gravellona on Lake Maggiore to Genoa
and no French troops to support them Ia
these straits, which only partially occurred,
the Sandman army avoided a battle by
retiring before the superior forces of Austria,
and as these advanced towards Turin, Victor
Emanuel and his Court withdrew to the strong
fortress Of Alessandria to wait there the issue of
q siege and succor from the French.
Had the plan of General Gyulai been carried
out with the rspidity of movement contemplated
in its conception, Turin must have fallen at once
into the hands of the Austrians affording them
supported corps of French which were to cross
Mount Gents, and giving to the invaders posses
sion of the whole of Sardinia, with the exception
of the isolated fortress of Alessandria, and the
port of Genoa. But this was prevented by the
course of events. First came the presenting of
the ultimatum of Austria, on the 23d of April,
giving Sardinia three days to disarm Next
came the preferred mediation of England
on the 25th, which delayed the advance of
the Austrians until the 29th. Louis Napoleon,
as soon as he was advised by telegraph of the
sending from Vienna of this ultimatum,
did not wait for the expiration of its
term, or the reply of Sardinia. He ordered
the immediate embarkation of his troops, and on
the 29th of April, the day the AustHans crossed
the Ticino, had already placed $4,000 men in
Genoa. Then came the rains and the swelling Of
the rivers, which greatly interfered with and
retarded the movements Of the Austrians, and
gave the Allies still more time to perfect their
own concentration. The Alpine division of the
French crossed the mountains and established
their base at Susa, within two days march of
Turin and within three weeks time Louis Nape-
leon had thrown 10000 men into Sardinia, the
first body landing at Genoa on the 9th of April
The Austrian advance was thus stopped, and
the Increased forces of the Allies defeated the
success of the original plan As tho Fronch aud
Sardinians concentrated their forces, a like ne
cessity attended the Austrians, and instead of
pursuing their offensive movements, they were
now obliged to prepare for defence. The left |
wing Of the Sardinians, being now strengthened,
was pushed forward, causing the northern CO.
lumn Of the Austrians, which had advanced as
far as Santhia, to retrace its steps. According
to the advices we published yesterday, General
Chialdini had forced the passage of the Sesia,
and Gen. Garibaldi, belonging to his division,
had entered Gravellona- This forces the north
ern column Of the Austrians to retreat across
Lake Maggiore and re-enter Lombardy The
retreat Of the right wing Of the Austrans left its
central column uncovered on that flank, aud
forced General Gyulai to withdraw his
headquarters from Vercelli, first to Mortara, and
then to Garlasco, which is within ten miles of
the Ticino. The right of the Sandman line of
operations, having received the strongest rein
forcements through Genoa, has exhibited the
scene Of most active movement. The third Aus
trian column was obliged to fall back from Tor.
tona towards the Pc, and yesterday we received
the accounts Of its defeat at Montebello, and of
its recrossing the river into Lombardy
Thus it will be seen that almost without bat
tle-for the small affairs that have th Us far taken
place at Monticello and Sesia are only the encoun-
tiers of the advanced corps-Sardinia has been
saved. If Louis Napoleon has not exhibited the
lightning rapidly Of bis uncle in his movements,
he has shown energy in action and wisdom in
combining his operations. Only one of the three
Austrian columns that invaded Sardinia now
remains on the Sandman bank of its riverine
boundary. We may expect to hear that that has
returned to Lombardy, and that Gen. Gyulai is
concentrating his forces for the defance of Milan