The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-12-17
Rivers rs Lines Of UsCence.


/, hss haen conceded, ws bausve, hy military
men, ths1 rivers In general. form bGt Indifferent
lines os defence. II u alco; impossible to pre- vea'
an enemy from crossing q. some point on ions
river. because If be susrded he may turn it, and
succeed by flank movement, mhere &c could Let
effect the passage By assault "a "a Temporary bar
rier sad good plscs 10 make stand rivers new
er.he.eEs answer good purpose. 6at the in
stances la history Ia which great commanders sue
eesd III crossing rivers with little Ioss although
20 serfuily defended sEs innuuerable The sslee
tlon of The Adige fog his bne by Naroeon IN
1895, may appear 10 conflict with This tteosg:-
That. kowerar, was al eEcep;;orSi case. 1ba
Adise empt,ei into ih4 sea, snd tbs Aust-;ara
had naval force, 1t eos!5 uat ts tnrced IN ;hs.
direction Assshes IN gsssab.e Gos troops with mn
millions of wsr extended from the Cali Of Venice
wi.hin very few mI'ea CT Vero7a, where sore
Napo.sons headquarters ami the grs-,sr part 81
his troops. Abovo the Ad,go flows through tvs,
men1ous mountains, aa6 ,hs5e extend % sit1;a
few miles of Verona, camns &osy2 u th5 vsrE
river, siong which SAD bolA iices run t7s mar
row. difficult no1atsip roads which ID was essay to
guard. Oh tie ctasE side OF the giYe1-tha. i, CT
the same side with yaEo2a--w2s ths Veactia7 tar
y. =
space of ,he rlUAr-- not mora THAI dczec Enlss--
10 guard On his left he was prctec. ed By TIC
mountains, sni On mis- right oy ths MARCHES 4
wss difficult, therefore, 10 :rTn lis petition. e! II
was turn I'd b. portion Of he Austrian ermy ~
der WaEmer ia August. who cams around Leke
Guads willie Warmer IN peFscr crossed il iovgec
do.a with the huiS Of his army The BEETLES Il
soaaso anu Castig iione followed. with Eova:2 coG
bats, which IL wesk reduced Warner 10 ihe IL.
esssiiy CT flying tom Italy with the loss Of haf OF
his nien Napoleon never conceived thst TIE river
Could not os crossed. or lis peslsi Z turned, Bus
lie ssw that IL eifeeiiug thoss opsFeioaa az eremy
must divide his forces as 70 expose Neln 10 de-
s.ruc,ion II detail Events amps justified his 5c.t-
sight Taere were fogr different stfarpts 10 !e-
Heve aAnias, srd il oos, Two i=rge s.rIaies.
L. strikes Us tbs. Gen Les guade the falns saIe1
iEtien "a sr:estang the a.iyanc. OF Bur.si e. at
fredericksburg. Eg knew tls1 Ue coa,d Lsl ~,
vent hin fsoIn crossing, bat Ii kpe.> a-c lhst his
position 50 sGeh that If he passage was g.ada
In froas C! h:ll - could make hi. suffer severely
II il ~ere made elsewhere lie you'd u compelled
to soanioa is line of Communication es.st.4leti
with greas labor or DIVIDE his forces, AID thu. ca
pose them 10 Destruction. Once on Ills ei5s hl
wocld be compelled 10 isAt him rpon his o7~a
chosen ground, with dezea ether Positions, 81
perfectly studied end undarg:Joi, il lii rear Il
Is hardly probable that he could have prevented
Eim, if lie would and no: cor,aia that be yrould
have prevented him, # he could I'll te probably
could do or wished &c Do, was 70 make him pay for
his lsssage. IL be wished 10 fight BURNSIDE which
weprssuaas hs did-it vas surely mach better TO
make Burnside come eita- him than fer lin 10 90
acrosg ,he river alter Burnside.
We Deserve tia. the Yankees ALREADY begin to cen
paIe Burn SIDES xpoi 18th The passages CT the
Dannba ny Napoleon In 1863 The first resulting
10 tns bsstis Of Essiing Ohe 2lst gad 22d Ray J
aodtke second in the battle Of WagTam, 10Th july
There il considerable difference however we
venture 10 susgess. Che tfst crossing, in Bay,
wss not opposed at al. Half she French hrns la.
gotten over, wheG tna bridges were aasroyeG-the
French say by rse IL tie Danube, tie acstrizns
Aay by fTeships launched by or3ers c. tas Arab
duke Chsrlss-and they we're attacks, 7Tith a. =
backs 70 the river, by austrian goree Ehree te4
as numerous as they were. II was he bCc,ltes.
contest Ia which Napoleon hsd ever tosu engage.
II lasted two days and ras1lted il tbs ree.ca5:ag
Of the Fra aeh into the Island of LoSa1 III the
night This aastls YVES called the battle OF Ess-
ling By the French, and by the Austrl&as tao tat
tie of AgpeYa. IL Eapoleoa was not beaten, he
came very meas - oeing He says ae rsareated
beesss, the bridges vera dssGfoysl, and h. could
cot receive reiDiorecz-sa;g The AUstrisns say ho
retssated hscaase Be eca.l a.. es&e.157 asVs his
army. Be that a. ii Tecy, shae VS.. a,aak 20 little
cpposi ion to the sseon Ssssssso - tAo5 was 70
the frs. The French wet5 u IA iss # Echsu
They had built several brIdgas s.lsse she; lad
crossed before. The Austrian sto2l aontiag tIsa5
bridges and the river on the hiiz of tho oppose
shore, prepared to assault TIE French and
drive them into khe rivsr 81 econ ~ thsY should
past over Napoleon, In TIE ns2atuaa. Gs3 secretly
prepared floating bEidGes owe. down. a2d IA tae
night Of the Al Of JAY. cpeaia8 4 tgsal end jus
Ere On the Austriana 81 Abe poiat waeTo tie iirat
bridges constructed, Ls caused sham TO tufn
their whole s;teotioa th.rs. while re launched ns
A,ating bridges below and lsgGed q heavy fo-ca Ok
their extreme left cauaiEg them entirely 60 chsage
thsis lice Of battle, which now fac! aoyga the
stream, nsisad Of fronting the ssrea-a itssl:. In
neither OF these there nlash Fesl opp0si-
ton, or many u,en killed whereas Burnside suffered
severely IN the passage. again, 1t was Hay aad
July whsa Napoleon passed thu Dauube whereas
bcrnsids has passed tie Danube Ia December