Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-05-20


Sardinia, composed ofPicdmout-its principal
mass-in the centre. the ancient province of
Savoy in the northwest, and the maritime
territory of Genoa in the southeast is not a.
bovc one hundred miles in breath from its
western to its eastern frontier. On the
former of these frontiers it is conterminous
along its entire length with France, its ally,
but on the latter it is only partly contcrminous
with Austria, its enemy. In the north ii
portion Of the Swiss territory, and in the
south the Duchy ofParma. supply the border
line, leaving only a central portion-pcrhaps
about half the entire length, to be formed
by the territories of Austrian Lombardv.
The line in question, as every body is now
aware, is constituted by the river Ticino
and by the Lago Magriore, through which
that river flows, as the Rhone does through
the Lake of Geneva. On the French side the
border is formed by the Alps 50 that the se't
Of war may be regarded in general aspect
as broad piece # territory between chain
OF mount ms and a river. The French had 10
cross the mountains. the Anstrians the stream,
and the distance between them, as We have
said, was about 100 miles
The features Of Piedmont itself however,
deserve particular attention. ms they are re-
gulating tho present distribution Of the con
l''lllIllp iTHlfS. lit'lullnl IL lTNN'T>'u Ill
its breadth hv the windngs Of the river Po.
and the division of tho country thus effected
corresponds very nearly with the division Of
the Eastern frontier between LON hardy and
Parma: 50 that to the south Of the stream
Piedmont borders on Parma and to its north
only ON the hostile territory If Lomhardv,
These two divisions of tine Sandman king
dom differ totally in their natural characters.
To the north Of the river-thc district imme-
diatcly exposed to the .tustrians-all is a
level plain up to the foot Of the Swiss Alps.
whereas on the southern side all is mountain
Gus, and the whole space is filled with the
shoots or spurs of the Iigurian Ap"nnincs
sloping away from Genoa. In this division
Of the kingdom lie the strong places of the
Sardinians -Alessandria. Casalc and Tortona
and ON its western edge stands Turin itself.
the capital of the State. Within or around
these fortresses the Sandman, have collected
the bulk of their army, perhaps some ! 900
men, leaving the plains of t. north com
parativcly open to the incursiona Of the enemy
Before the actual commencement of hosti
lities the Austrians ut Milan stood Just about
rs far from the river rs the French at Bri
ancon did from the mountains; and line
drawn from one of these points to the other
would pass through the common mark OF
both armies-thc royal city of Turin. Turin,
however, isabout as far again from Buiialora,
where the Austrians crossed the river, as it
i from Susa, where the French halt on cross
ing the Alps, the distance being about seven
ty miles in the former case against thirty
three in the latter But this inequality was
more than compensated by the relative diff
cultes Of the two roads, for, whereas the
Austrans have plain country to traverse,
the Ergp IN ppn only rnonh Susl nv tp .ip
the Alps 1t will he observed, from what we
have said that the Austrans in their advance
across Piedmont from cast to west, would
have on their left flank the whole concentrated
strength of the Sandman army. resting on
its finest fortrcsscs. What the chain of the
Tyrol, indeed. is to Austria in the plains of
Lomblrdy the chain of the Ligurian Appen-
mines is to Sardinia in the plains of Piedmont,
and the parallel can be carried still further,
for exactly rs Germany lies in reserve behind
the Tyrol, 50 docs n second French force
gather in strength behind the Apennines lOn
the seaboard of these mountains stands
Genoa, which, as France commands the sea,
can b. re lchcd from Toulon with the greatest
facility The Sardlnans, therefore, while
they cluster in force about their citadels to
the south of the Pc, have in their rear the
support of Il powerful French army within
fifty miles distance.
The Austrians are thus opposed by two
bodies of the enemy--one directly facing
them at Turin and drawing daily reinforce
mcnts from the passes of the Alps; and an
other ut Casale and Alessandra, thanking
their march, and receiving succors from a
distinct base of operations at Genoa.
All the places named, be it understood,
lie within Il mparatively small compass.
From Aroma, the point occupied by the Aus
trians in the north, to Genoa, on the sea-
board Of the south, the distance is about
Ito miles, or very nearly the same as from
Susa to Buiflora. From Genoa to Alessan-
dria it is only AZ miles. and from Alessan-
dria to Turin less than 60. From Susa to
Turin, again, the distance is but 80 miles
50 that in their two principal positions of
Turin and AlcssandIia the Saydinians are,
in the one case, within 40, and in the other
within 80 miles of their powerful allies. The
Austrians, too, would be equally near their
resources. Novara is about ) miles, Mortara
about 10 miles, and Nerceli but some 20
miles from the Lombard frontier, and these
are the points ut which the first collision
NAV lao nntigipntal