Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-06-10

French lines, close to Parma on the east, and
not far from Lonbardy to the north. II Is
ne,rlv in the direction Of Milan from AlesSan-
dria. and a little less than half way, the whole
distance being only sixty-fve miles. 1t would
seem. therefore, as if the French were pushing
on their right to strike at the capital Of Lom-
hardy.
While these operations are going forward.
on the extreme right, we learn that the lett OF
the Sandman army. at the northwest, under
i:hialdini. one OF the Italian revolutionary
leaders of lslS-'?, had forced 4 passage over
the Sc,ia. near the Austrian frontier, and put
the .lust-ians 10 flight, while still further ives;
and north. at the very foot OF the Alps, on the
very extreme Of the allied lines, Garibaldl had
entered the town Of Gravcllona. on the Pied
mon,osc side of the Lake Maggiore, which Sc
paratcs Piedmon. from Lombardy, with o,ooo
men. intpuiing tn advance into the Austrian
dnminioas IN order TO kindle the flame oil refo-
luton: and from Bcrnc, in switzerland, We
learn that revolutionary movements are re-
porrel in Lomba-iy, and 10 doubt the SWISS
strongly svmpathisc with the revolutionlsts
acoin,, their ancient enemy. the House OF laps
b,,rr ,;aribaidi was, therefore, where the
Swiss Austrian and Sandman frontiers mee'.
From this news it would seem that the Aus
TRANS are now nearly driven back over the
Tic;no into their own territory. whittier the
French would he sure 10 follow them.
Gcr. Guylia had removed his headquarters
h,,l, n Gariasco. almost on the very frontier OF
I ominrly. and in L straight line between Ales-
sondria and Milan. 1t is quite evident that the
A,strians arr gradually retrcatins to Their own
stron.holds. The AUSTRIAN General, as II deS-
ncr,,c had ordered the Sardinians to give up
their arm, on pain Of being shot.
Meantime Prince Napoleon was with q force
a, L.eshorn. IN Tuscany. II was runorcd ila'
six En.lish men-ot.war had entered the .ldria'
tic, but As they are neutral. the news does not
seem to be of much Importance, even II true.
Bv this arrival the first victory in favor OF
Inc French is the great and important fact, and
that agoin.t odds, which shows that the GaulS
have not dc-cncratcd since the time the elder
S,nolcon ledthem from victory to victory over
the Austrian hosts.
Il * \ curious historical coincidence that the
b,,tlc of Montebcllo was the first fought sy the
troops Of Napoleon | after crossing the Great
- BERNARD in $500. 1t was one Of the blood.
ies, and Gercest ever fought. In disparity OF
numbers the resemblance i also remarkable
N,nolcon had then oaly $1,000 men, two.
thirds Of whom were new soldiers, VINO iiad
rcy,r seen a shot fired. and with tne6c he was
10 arrest the desperate march 81 an army 81
10000 veteran .AustrianS. II was necessary
for him to divide this little band 10 save it from
being cut to pieces before he could receive ie-
Inducements. With characteristic rapldlty lac
moved from point To point through l.ombaruy'
viii, lightning glance his eagle eye per
cciycd the movements and combinations
Of the enemy under sielas. He knew that \
great and decisive battle must soon take place.
lor M,claS was rapidly concentrating his army
from all points. 10 Ianne' AMI M"rat he Is
the following brief but remarkable order:
.t,nther your forces at the river Stradeila. TN
the Sth. or 9Th at the latest. YOU will have on
your hands IS. 900 or $4,000 AustrianS. Meet
them and cut them to pieces; it will be so
many enemies less upon our hands OH inc day
Of the decisive battle W. are to expect with the
entire army Of Mclas."
The prcdis;iou turned out true. In Austrian
force $4,000 strong advanced and posted them
selves strongly on the heights of Montebeiio.
with batteries planted upon the hill sides which
swept the plain. 1t was Of the greatest mo-
m.nt that this body should be prevented from
combining with the other vast forces OF the
Ans,rians. L.anncS met them with only 5000
men. Yet they rushed on the foe with a shout
Of enthusiasm. Their ranks were swept with
a storm of grapeshot. Said Lanncs, Il could
hear the bones crash in nv division like glass
in a hail,,orm." For nine hours from eleven
in the dav till eight at night-the carnage coH-
tinucd. Again and again the mangled columns
Of the French rallied to the charge; and It was
not till three thousand Of their men lay dead
on the field that the Austrians broke and lied,
also leaving three thousand dead behind them,
with six thousand prisoners.
Napoleon, fastening to the aid OF his general.
arrived Just in time to see the battle won. lie
rode up TO ~I.annes, surrounded by the dying
and the dead, his sword dripping with blood,
his face blackcned with powder, and his uniform
soilcd and torn By the long strife. Napoleon
smiled in silence, but did not forget the heroiSn
of Lanncs, whom he afterwards created, from
this battlefield, Duke OF Montebello'-a title
which has descended to his family to thiSd day.
II was the same hero who had before saved the
fight on the terrible bridge Of Lodi, when the
French were moved down 10y the Austrian cam
non ike grass, and Napoleon'S generals said it
was impossible to advance Impossible is not
French" said Bonapar;r. As he seized 4 standard
and rushed forward, shouting. Follow your
general" L.aaacs. however, was the hrSt to
cross the bridge. lie dashed past his leader,
pluu.ing his horse into the very midst Of the
| Austrian ranks. and graspcd one Of their ban
ncrS. At that moment. his stccd fell dead be-
meath him. and half 4 dozen swords glittered
above his head. With IIcrc,llcan strength and
agility he cxtricated himself from his fallen
stecd, lcaped upon the horse of all Austrian
behind the rider, plunged his sword into the
BODY Of the rider. and hurled him from his sad
de. He fought MS way back to his followers,
having slain six OF the .AuStrians with his own
hand. The bridge and the battle were won.
For this deed of terrible energy, Napoleon pro-
NOTED L.anncs on the spot.
The Lattlc Of Montcbc!io was not without its
influence on the immortal victory Of Marcngo,
which was fought Immediately after. cJune l4J
and was closely connected with il. There
20. 900 Frcnchmcn under Napoleon met 10000
Austrians. including 1000 cavalry AMI 300
pieces Of cannon. which irresiStibly swept Ma
%polcon's troops before them till Dcssaix, so
anxiously expected with his reserve OF 5000
men. arrived. and charged when the battle was
deemed lost. The tide was turned. The Aus
triaus were oyerthrown with terrible slaughter.
Twenty thousand men Of both sides lay deal
ON the field. DeSsaix, the greatest general
NAPOLEON ever had, was among them. The
First Consul wcpt. and said the battle was
dearly bought. No doubt another MarenSo, or
another Sanguinary and decisive battle OF some
other name will soon be fought, when we shall
probably know something Of the qualities Of
Napoleon Ill. as \ general.
LATER FROM EUROPE.
New York. June The steamship City
Of Washington from Liverpool. with dates to
the 26th of May. has arrived. llerlatest news
comes by way Of Queenstown.