Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-02-04

repuDIEan army set out in lt00 to crush
the Austrian power in Italy. The odds at
arms we're two to one in favor of the Aus
TRAN allies. Napoleon himself was on
| trial tie was now appointee, with no
| past successes as general to bolster up his
cause. After passing the Alps and enter
ing no:thern Italy by rare strategy he
found himself approaching two strong Aus
trian armies, separated only by the dis
lance between Mantua and Milan and
having the shorter line for marching to a
junction.
To meet the French invasion both armies
marched toward each other, and the army
from Milan had just crossed the AIDA
river ut Lodi when the head of Napoleon's
column reached that point. To beat the
Milan army before it should be REINFORCED
was the French problem; to keep Napoleon
on the hither side of the Adds the Austrian
problem. A stone bridge across the AIDA
20O yards in length was the key to both
problems. The Austrians didn't destroy it
after crossing because they hoped to use it
later in retracing their steps to Milan, and
in order to prevent Napoleon from crossing
it they made ready to fight. A battery of
fourteen cannon-say some accounts, others
thlrty-Was planted on their side to play
upon the structure, aud to support these
were two lines of troops 5000 strong. On
the TANKS and in rear were supports
amounting to several thousand.
The walled town of Lodi extended to the
river on the side where the French APP
preached, and gateway in the high in
closure wall along the river bank opened
upon the bridge. After driving the Aus
tran rear guard out of the town Napoleon
placed artillery on the heights in rear of
a LridUR nd ha lad ho {,io
The Austrians in turn bombarded Lodi to
drive out the French. The head Of Napo-
Icons column consisted Of $500 grenadiers
and 1000 cavalry, and massing these troops
behind the river wall and in the streets
near by he awaited the arrival of his main
army, the divisions of Massena and Auge-
rfau, each 5000 strong, and following him
On separate roads.
Meanwhile the young leader made plans
to cross the bridge in spite of everything
In order to do that he must first preserve
the bridge, for the Austrians might take
alarm and destroy it. The fact that it
seemed to them so extremely improbable
that Napoleon would attempt to cross and
their wish to let it stand for future use,
had kept them from sacrificing it. TO add
to their reasons for letting it alone Napo-
leon went to the front and personally
trained several guns to fire upon the Aus
trian entrance to the structure, so that his
enemies could not reach it without heavy
loss of life.
1t is said that when the republican gen
erals with Napoleon saw that their leader
was bent upon an attack they opposed it
strongly, and that he responded with
spirit: I'VE must cross, let it cost what it
may. 1t must not be said that the tributary
AIDA stopped those heroes who had forced
the Po."
But there was no parallel between any
thing previously encountered along the
river Pc and the situation at Lodi Alex
ander the Great used some such phrase on
finding his passage of the Granicus dis
puted by a Persian host after he had
crossed the Hellespont. No doubt some
annalist put these words in the mouth Of
the modern Alexander as being good it.
But Napoleon had sterner work at Lodi
than the coming Of fine speeches
Massena's division reached the scene and
was ordered to take rest, and the entire
day was passed in getting ready to make
assurance doubly sure" in an enterprise
which if it was rash in conception was not
to be so in execution Inquiry among the
inhabitants led to the discovery of ford
across the river some miles above the town,
and Napoleon detached Beaumont's cav
airy column, with some cannon, to attempt
the ford and try to give the Austrians
little fire In the rear This move he meant
to follow up by vigorous assault across
the bridge, and after careful study formed
a column and gave orders for the assault,
His plans were based upon certain fine
points in the game that his old school an