The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-29

II " N III .-.--s> outcome OF {
---S~Sll,hS= rash, haphazard
blow. In the
first place the French had everything
against them when their little repub-
lican army set out in 1896 to crush the
Austrian power in Italy. The odds at
arms were two to one in favor of the
Austrian allies. Napoleon himself was
on trial. He was new appointee,
with no past successes as a general to
bolster up his cause. After passing the
Alps and entering northern Italy by
rare strategy he found himself ap-
proaching two strong Austrian armies,
separated only by the distance between
Mantua and Milan and having the
shorter line for marching to a junction.
To meet the French invasion both ar
mics marched toward each other, and
$ the army from Milan had just cross
ed the AIDA river at 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 AIDA the Aus
trian problem. A stone bridge across
the AIDA 200 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 IA
cannon-say some accounts, others 80
was planted on their side to play
upon the structure, and to support
these We're two lines of troops 5000
strong. On the TANKS and in the rear
were supports amounting to several
thousand.
The walled town of Lodi extended
to the river on the side where the
French approached, and a gateway in
the high Enclosure wall along the river
bank opened upon the bridge. After
driving the Austrian rear guard out of
the town Napoleon placed artillery on
the heights in rear of the bridge and
bombarded the Austrians The Aus
trians in turn bombarded Lodi to drive
out the French. The head of Napo-
Icons column consisted of $500 grena-
diers 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 Augereau, each 5000
strong and following him OH 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 de-
stroy it. The fact that it seemed to
them so extremely improbable that Ma
poleon 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 Napoleon went to the front and
personally trained several guns to fire
upon the Austrian entrance to the
structure, so that his enemies could not
reach it without heavy loss of life
1t is said that when the republican
generals with Napoleon saw that their
leader was bent upon an attack they
opposed it strongly, and that he re-
sponded with spirit: I'VE must cross,
n let,it cost what it may. 1t must not be
said that the tributary AIDA stopped
those heroes who had forced the POI
Massena's division reached the scene
and was ordered to take rest, and the
entire day was passed in getting ready
to make assurance double sure" in an
enterprise which If it was rash in ION.
ception was not to be SO in execution.
Inquiry among the inhabitants led to
the discovery of a ford across the river
some miles above the town, and Napo-
leon detached Beaumont's cavalry col
umn, 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 as
sault across the bridge, and after care
full study formed a column and gave
orders for the assault. Els plans were
based upon certain fine points in the
game that his old school antagonists
failed to note. In the first place the
Austrian artillery was planted along
the river heights as if to stay and was
z patiently firing upon the French posi-
ton to make, it hazardous for assail
ants to reach the bridge from the
streets of Lodi.
This fire, however. was chiefly aimee
at the French end OF the bridge neal
the gate, the rest Of it being untouched
The French battery, carefully trained
by Napoleon. was doing the same fol
the Austrian end. SO that the latter
could not station guns or ridemen tt
sweep the whole course of the bridge
Hence a storming column would mo-
be in danger except at the very en-
trance to the bridge, few feet a
most, and If !. sudden dash We're mad,
Sthrough that narrow belt of fire til,
loss would be comparatively light ant
the worst would be over until til,
bridge was crossed. But once across
the bridge, what then? What of th,
6,cO0 Austrians stationed on the hill
+.