Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-02-17

republican army set out In iTpd 10 crush
the Austrian power la ITALY. The odds at
arms wer. two TO one In favor Of the Aus
trian allies. Napoleon himself WINS on
trial. He was a new appolntee, with NJ
past successes NJ n general to bolster up his
cause After passing the Alps and enter
Ing northern Italy by rare strategy h,
found himselfnpproaohing two strong Aus
trign armies, separated only 10y the dis
tanoc between Mhntua and Milan and
having tho shorter line for marching To y
junction.
omect the French invasion both armies
marched toward each other, and the army
from Milan had Just crossed the Ada
river NJ Lodi when the head Of Napoleont
column reached that point. To beat tn,
Milan army before II should be REINFORCED
was the French problem, 10 keep Napoleon
ON the hitbar side u tho AIDA the Austrian
problem. A stone bridge across the AIDA
800 yards IN length was tho key to both
problems The AuStriana didn't destroy II
after crossing because they hoped to use II
later In rutraelng their steps TO Milan. and
In order to prevent Napoleon from crossing
II they made ready to fight A battery Of
fourteen cannon say some accounts, other
thirty-was planted on their side 10 PLAY
were two lines Of troops 600 strong. on
the tanks and In rear were supports
amounting TO several thousand.
Tho walled town Of Lodi extended 10 tn,
river on the side whero the French ap
preached. and gateway In the high IN
closure wall along the river bank opened
upon the bridge After driving the Aus
trian rear guard out Of the town Napoleon
placed artillery on the heights In rear OF
the bridge and bombarded tho AustriAns
The Austrian. In tgrn bombarded Lodi 10
drive out the French. The head Of Napo
Icons column consisted OF 800 grcnhdlcn
and ZOO cavalry, and niasslng these trooi
behind the river wall and Ia tho stree,
near by he awaited ia. arrival OF his main
army, tho divisions of Mi.ssena and AuRe
reau. each 5000 strong. and following him
on separate roads
Meanwhll. the young leader made plnns
20 cross tho bridge la spite Of everything.
In order 20 do that he must flrst presery,
the bridge, for the AustriAns might tax,
alarm md destroy H. The fact tina, II
seemed 10 tAeia ~ extremely improbable
that Napoleon would attempt ~ cross and
their wish 10 let It stand for future use
had kept them from sacrificing H. 10 add
TO their reasons for letting Il alone Napo
leon went 10 tho front aud personally
trained several guns to flro upon the Aus
trian entrance " the structure, 80 that hi
enemies could not reach II without heavy
loss Of life.
It Is said that when tho republican gen
erals with Napoleon saw that their leader
was bent upon an attack they opposed II
strongly, and that he responded With
Hplrit Eve must eross, lot It cost what II
may. II must not he aid that the tributary
AIDA stopped those horoOs who had forced
the po"
But thoro was no parallel between any
thing previously encountered along the
river po and tho situation at Lodi. Alex
andcr the Great used some such phrase on
finding his passage Of the Granlcus dis
puted by a Persian host after he had
crossed the Hellespont, No doubt some
nnnaliI pat these words In the mouth OF
the modern Alexander as leiug good III.
But Napoleon had sterner work at Lodi
than the oolning of tue speeches
MASsona'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 u II was rash In conception was moi,
20 be 40 In execution Inquiry among the
Inhabitants led to the discovery Of ford
across the river some miles above the town,
and Napoleon detached BoAumont's cav.
airy column, with some cannon, 20 attempt
The ford and try to give the Austriaas u