Middletown transcript., 1877-03-10
Select Storp.
THE BATTLE OF MARENGO.
BY FRANCIS A. DUElvAeE.

One DAY, says the historian Ihlers
before setting out for the immorta
paign Of 1900. Napoleon. leaning
over bis maps, and placing upon then
marks Of different cOlors to distinguish
the positions Of the French and Aus
lrian corps, said in the presence of his
secretary, who listened with surprise
and curiosity, This poor Melas will
pass through Turin and fall back to-
wards Alexandria | shall pass the
Pc. and join him on the Placenza road
in the plains Of la Scrivia, and | shall
beat him there-and there 7 And as be
uttered these words, be placed one of
his marks on San Giuliano. We can
now appreciate the extraordinary char
acter of this sort of prophetic vision !"
The plaB of this extraordinary cam.
paign. which ended in the victory Of
Marengo and the treaty Of Alexandra,
is well known. To raise the blockade
of Genoa to throw back De Kray BY
means Of Moreau's army on Ulm and
RatisboR to pierce at the same time
the line Of operations Of the two Aus
trian armies to traverse Switzerland,
cross the Alps. aud fall unexpestedly
on Upper Italy, on the tanks Of one
and the rear Of the other; to envelope
and crush the latter BY an extension TO
the right wing of Moreau-such was
The First COnsul's gigantic conception,
executed with certainty Of perception.
a precision and audacity, to which the
military annals Of all nations, and all
ages, does not, perhaps, furnish a par
allsl.
Napoleon set out from Paris on the
9Th Of May. reviewed at Dijon the re-
serves and the depot Of the imaginary
army so successfully combined to mark |
the real force. was at Genoa On the
18th. crossed Mount St. Bernard on
the Goth, turned the fort Of Bard, and,
on the 22d, Ivree was 10 the power Of
Lannes. On debouching upon the
plains, the First Consul directed bis
army to the right bank of the Pc, as if
to cross the river TO penetrate
into Piedmont, and BY this second
stratagem deceived Melas, who msrched
to the Pc, while. BY a sudden wheel,
Napoleon fell back on the Ticino, and
on to Milan, which he entered
On the I'd of June. The Austrian gen.
sral then had no other resource but to
bis forces, which he did at
.wo points, Alexandra and Placentia.
Napoleon, meanwhils, seized on the
Ords of the Pc. and established him
Ielf in the important central position of
Stradella, whence be could radiate, ac-
'srding to the plan adopted by the
enemy, in all directions. Ou the 9th
If June. Lannes won the glorious vic
ory Of Montebello over the Austrian
,orps Of OFT, which was returning from
Genoa. Ou the same day be marched
himself to Stradella, BY the road from
to Plaeentia, which, ac-
,ording to bis calculations, or rather
he superior intuition Of bis genius,
delas must take. On the 10th be con-
entrated his army, and ordered it to
epose, while observing the movements
i the enemy On the 11th the illus
rious Desaix, bis confidential lisuten-
nt and most intimate friend, reached
is headquarters, and be Immediately
ave him the command Of the united :
visions Of Boudet and Monnier. On {
be 18th. becoming impatient at the I
on-appearance Of the Austrians, and
caring that his enemy would escape /
i'm, be left Stradella and advanced as I
lr as Tortone. On the 18th be cross
d the Scrivia and Bormida, at the |
lace Row universally denominated the
lain Of Marengo, and th' same where {
e had foreseen, two months before, a
nat be should beat Melas. Two vii G
lges are situated on the road which |
mite the Scrivia and Bormida-the a
rst is San Giuliano, and the second
Iarengo. Farther un, the same road
-osses the Bormida and ends at the 9
'rtress of Alexandria Reaching this
oint, the First Consul caused the
,untry to be secuted in every direc- :
we're the AustriaBs to
, encountered. Napoleon thought v
Ielas had escaped. On the suppOsi- f
on that be might have gone to Genoa !,
J way of Novi, be detached Desaix in h
lat direction with the Boudet division d
He himself wished to regain bis a
at Voghera to get news Of 0
oncey and Duhesme, who we're ma v
auvering. one on the Pc, and the II
her on the Lower Ticino; but the Il
,rivia being OverHowsd, be was OBJ Il
ged to halt at GarifoIs. after having I
# Victor at Marengo with two divi- a
DDS. and Lannes with one only. in the a
ain. Il
During this time confusion and de- ii
air we're rsigning in Alexandria, the "
'adquarters Of the Austrian army - q