The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-03

The News by the ADMINISTRATION OF the
Armies In ItaIy-A Battle at Hand.
The latest advices from the seat of war brought
by the America represent the Austrian army as
still betraying the same mysterious hesitaucy
which has characterized their movements since
they crossed the Ticino. We learned by prev
GUS intelligence that their headquarters were
established at Mortara, and that they occupied
VercelN with an advance guard. 1t appears
that they have now removed their headquarters
from Mortara to Garlasco, which is nearer the
Ticino, and abandoned Vercelli which is in pos
session of the Allies
When Austria resolved upon the invasion of
the Pitdmontcse territory three plans of action
were presented: one by the Emperor Francis
Joseph, another by Baron Hess, and third by
General Gyulai. The plan of the latter was
adopted, and accordingly the army was ordered
to cross the Ticino on the 26th Of April. Lord
Malmesbury, however, demonstrated against this
hasty action, and offered the mediation Of EGG
land to settle the difficulty, apart from the action
of the proposed Congress This offer was ac-
cepted by Count Buol and the order to advance
was countermanded. Subsequent events, how
ever-the refusal of the mediation by Napo-
leon, and the news that the French had
already passed the western frontier of Sar-
dinia-iDduced Francis Joseph to carry out
his original design, and consequently on the
goth Of April he issued his proclamation
declaring his intention to join his soldiers, aud
ordered bis army to advance into Piedmont. To
this circumstance, perhaps, more than any other,
may be attributed the fact that Count Buol not
only retired from the Cabinet, but from the en-
pire, to take up his residence ON the Rhine
where he now is.
On the same day, April the 29ih, the passage
Of the Ticino was commenced, and in three days
the whole corps darmee had crossed, at three dif.
ferent points. One body, after making demon
stralion at Buffalora, made the passage at Bere-
guardo, and took up position at Gambolo
Three other bodies crossed in succession at
Pavia, and advanced, respectively, one through
Garlasco to the Terdoppio river another to Gar
]asco, and the third to Mortara, where Gen.
Gyulai established his headquarters. On the LIST
Of May the line extended along the Agnona
river-ffom Vespola on the north to San Naz-
faro, and eastward alopg the Po-thus occupy
ing the whole country north of that river from
Craglia on the northwest to Dora Baltea in the
west. From this time the army continued to
advance until the 9Th of May, when Gyulai oc-
cupied VeTcell and made that point his head
quarters, but subsequently, removed to Mortara,
where he was on the 10th, but has since retired
to GarIasco.
The original design of the AustIians saame.'
to have been to march on 1urln ny INC nor'n'
ern route of Lake Maggiora. and on Hehoa,
y "~y Pavia, Tortona and now,
and take possession of those TWO strong
points before the Allies could make juno
ton in any formidable force; but the delay
occasioned by the acceptance of the profered
mediation of England destroyed this brilliant
plan. Between the 26th and 29th Of April he
heavy rains set in, the rivers overhowed their
banks, The French had landed over fifty thousand
men at Genoa, Napoleon began to pour his
troops over the Alps, and that splendid military
movement was prev ented, and thus the invading
army lost an opp M,uuity for a brilliant opening
campaign which it cannot nov recover. lad
they taken Genoa the French would have been
compelled to enter Sardinia by the slow process
of passage across the Alps and the still
slower one of bombarding Genoa, the base of
the present operations Of the Allied army.
Meantime, the Austrians have been compelled
to make the retrosade movements which have
puzzled everybody so much, and now they hay.
abandoned Verceli and Mortara, aud have
drawn nearer the Ticino. While Gen. Gyulai is
thus maneuvring, apparently uncertain what to
DO, the Allies are daily approaching the boun-
dairy line Of Lombardy and taking possession of
the abandoned posts Of their enemy.
Thus it will be seen that the hostile armies
were in pretty close proximity to each other, and
though in their present position some brisk out
post work may have been DONE it was probable
that no decisive battle would have occurred
until the first week in June. The campaign Is
now probably opened in earnest.