[Illustration]
The chain of Monte Baldo divides the lake of Garda from the Adige. The
high road winds between the Adige and the foot of the mountains, to the
extent of some leagues. At Incanale the river washes the very base of
the mountains, leaves no room whatever for proceeding along its bank.
The road then leaves the banks of the river, rises by a zig-zag
direction round the sides of the mountain, and debouches upon an
extensive elevated plain, which is that of Rivoli. It overlooks the
Adige on one side, and is encompassed on the other side by the
amphitheatre of Monte Baldo. An army in position of this _plateau_
commands the winding road by which the ascent to it is made, and sweeps
by its fire both banks of the Adige to a great distance. It is very
difficult to storm this _plateau_ in front, since you must climb up the
narrow zig-zag road before you can reach it. Therefore no one would
attempt to attack it by that single way. Before arriving at Incanale,
other roads lead to Monte Baldo, and ascending its long and sloping
acclivities terminate at the _plateau_ of Rivoli. They are not passable
either for cavalry or for artillery, but they afford easy access to foot
soldiers, and may be made available for carrying a considerable force in
infantry upon the flanks and rear of the body defending the _plateau_.
Here the star of Napoleon was destined to shine with new glory. Alvinzi
commanded the principal attack on the Tyrolese side, at the head of
fifty thousand men, and advanced his head-quarters from Bassano to
Roveredo. General Provera took the command of the army on the lower
Adige, which was twenty thousand strong: its head-quarters were at
Padua. A great many troops appeared on different points, and some
spirited actions also took place in the course of the 12th and 13th; but
the enemy had not fully unmasked his plans, so that the moment for
adopting a decisive course had not yet arrived. On the 13th it rained
very heavily, and Napoleon had not yet resolved in what direction to
march, whether up or down the Adige. At ten in the evening, the accounts
from Joubert, at La Corona, determined him. It was plain that the
Austrians were operating with two independent corps, the principal
attack being intended against Monte Baldo, the minor one on the Lower
Adige. Augereau’s division appeared sufficient to dispute the passage of
the river with Provera; but on the Monte Baldo side the danger was
imminent. There was not a moment to lose; for the enemy was about to
effect a junction with his artillery and cavalry, by taking possession
of the level of Rivoli; and if he could be attacked before he could gain
that important point, he would be obliged to fight without artillery or
cavalry. All the troops were therefore put in motion from the
head-quarters at Verona, to reach Rivoli before day-break; the
general-in-chief proceeded to the same point, and arrived there at two
in the morning.
The weather had been rainy for several days. But now the sky was without
a cloud. The moon and stars shone with a brilliancy peculiar to their
light in this region. The air was keen and bitter cold. The French
general, accompanied by his aids and the faithful Guides, proceeded to a
projecting rock on the heights of Monte Maggone, to gain a complete view
of the enemy, previous to fixing the plan of battle. And now behold the
group, dismounted, and collected near the fire, Bonaparte being in
advance, with glass in hand, surveying the positions of the enemy.
Duroc, Lemarois, Murat, Berthier and Bessieres stood together just
behind him. The whole horizon was in a blaze with the Austrian fires,
and the red glare contrasted strangely with the pure white light of the
moon. Bonaparte observed and talked with his customary precision and
rapidity.
“Alvinzi has at least forty-five thousand men under his command. We have
but twenty-two thousand; while the brave Joubert, who has so nobly
maintained his position at Rivoli, has but ten thousand. The enemy has
divided his force into three columns, although I see no less than five
camps. The principal column, will proceed along the high road between
the river and Monte Baldo, and will debouch by the winding road of
Incanale. Three divisions of infantry have climbed the steep mountains,
and will get to the field by descending the steps of the amphitheatre
formed by this chain of heights. Another division will wind round the
side of the mountains and attempt to gain our rear.
“But yonder seems to be another camp on the other side of the Adige,”
said Murat, pointing to a line of fires.
“True,” said Bonaparte, “but that can do no damage. It can only fire a
few balls across the river. It is clear, we must keep the plateau at all
events. Posted there we prevent the junction of the different divisions
of the enemy. We may play our artillery upon the infantry which is
deprived of its cannon, and drive back the cavalry and artillery which
must be crowded together in a narrow, winding road. The other divisions
will not trouble us much.” Thus, with lightning-like rapidity, did this
matchless general conceive the plan which was to give him a glorious
victory.
“I suppose we are to begin the battle at daybreak,” said Duroc.
“At daybreak! Now! now is the time!” replied the French general,
sharply. “Duroc! Joubert’s troops have been fighting forty-eight hours,
and they are now taking a little repose. They must be aroused
immediately. Tell them for me, that they must not let Massena’s division
surpass them in endurance, and his troops have marched by night and
fought by day. Order General Joubert to attack the advanced post of the
Austrian infantry, drive them back, and extend his force more widely
upon the plateau.”
Duroc immediately spurred away to communicate the order to Joubert.
“Joubert has done well; but he should not have abandoned yonder St.
Mark’s Chapel. At all events, I do not believe the enemy have occupied
it. Duroc is rapid in movement. The battle of Rivoli will soon
commence,” said the French general.
“I wish Massena was nearer the field,” observed Murat.
“He will be up in time, never fear. He is indomitable. Besides, if the
battle should assume a critical aspect, I will go myself to hurry up his
division. Ha! Joubert is up like a roused lion, and in movement. Who
leads the column? Vial—a brave officer,” continued Bonaparte. At this
moment, a rattling fire of musketry rang on the air, and from the height
where Bonaparte stood, could be seen the rapid advance of Joubert’s
troops, as well as the long line of D’Ocksky’s column of Croats against
whom the attack was directed. Then the thunder of the artillery was
heard, and clouds of smoke curled up from the plateau.”
“St. Mark’s Chapel is recovered,” said Bessieres.
“The Austrian infantry cannot stand against the artillery, and they are
falling back in a semicircle, with the heights at their rear,” remarked
Bonaparte.
At this moment, Liptai’s division which kept the extremity of the
enemy’s semicircle, fell upon Joubert’s left, composed of the 89th and
25th demi-brigades, surprised them, broke their lines and compelled them
to retire in disorder. The 14th coming immediately after these
demi-brigades formed _en crochet_ to cover the rest of the line, and
bravely stood their ground. The Austrians now put forth all their
strength and almost overwhelmed this little band of heroes. They made
desperate efforts to capture the artillery, the horses of which had all
been killed. They had even reached the pieces, when a brave officer
rushed forward, and exhorted the grenadiers not to allow their guns to
be taken. Fifty men immediately rushed forward, repulsed the enemy,
harnessed themselves to the pieces, and drew them back.
In the midst of this terrible struggle, the day began to dawn upon the
field of Rivoli. Bonaparte who had watched the progress of the fight
with the keenest interest, repeatedly making exclamations of surprise or
admiration, now perceived the critical position of affairs. Turning to
Berthier, he said quickly,
“General Berthier, I leave you in charge of my troops at the point where
they are threatened. I know you and General Joubert can hold that
position, no matter what the number of the enemy may be. I am going with
all speed after Massena. Come, aids—Bessieres, mount and forward!” The
whole party was quickly in the saddle, and away, leaving the watch-fire
to smoulder and die, as the lurid blaze of battle arose upon the plain.
Massena’s first troops had scarcely come up, after marching all night.
Bonaparte took the 32d, already distinguished by its exploits during the
campaign, and brought it to bear upon the left, so as to rally the two
demi-brigades, which had given way. The intrepid Massena advanced at its
head, rallied behind him the broken troops, and overthrew all before
him. He repulsed the Austrians, and placed himself by the side of the
14th, which had not ceased to perform prodigies of valor. The fight was
thus kept up on this point, and the army occupied the semicircle of the
plateau. But the momentary check of the left wing had obliged Joubert to
fall back with the right; he gave ground, and already the Austrian
infantry was a second time nearing that point which Bonaparte had such
an object in compelling him to abandon; in fact, the Austrian infantry
was about getting up to the outlet by which the winding road of Incanale
led to the plateau. At this moment, the column composed of artillery and
cavalry, and preceded by several battalions of grenadiers, ascended the
winding road, and with incredible efforts of bravery, repulsed the 29th.
Wukassovich, from the other bank of the Adige, sent a shower of cannon
balls to protect this kind of escalade. Already had the grenadiers
climbed the summit of the defile, and the cavalry was debouching in
their train upon the plateau. This was not all. Lusignan’s column, whose
fires had been seen at a distance, and who had been perceived on the
left, getting to the rear of the position of the French, were now coming
up to their rear, in order to cut them off from the road to Verona, and
to stop Rey, who was coming from Castel-Novo with the division of
reserve. Lusignan’s soldiers finding themselves on the rear of the
French army, already clapped their hands, and considered it as taken.
Thus, on this plateau, closely pressed in front by a semicircle of
infantry, pressed on the rear, on the left by a strong column, sealed on
the right by the main body of the Austrian army, and galled by the
cannon balls which came from the opposite bank of the Adige in the
direction of this plateau, Bonaparte was alone with Joubert’s and
Massena’s divisions, in the midst of a cloud of enemies. In fact, he was
with sixteen thousand men, surrounded by forty thousand at least.
At this anxious moment, Bonaparte was not shaken; he retained all the
fire of inspiration. On seeing Lusignan’s Austrians, he said, “_Those
are ours!_” and he allowed them to engage without giving himself any
concern about their movement. The soldiers, conjecturing what their
general meant, experienced the same confidence, and also repeated to one
another, “_They are ours!_” Bonaparte did not concern himself with more
than what was passing before him. His left was protected by the heroism
of the 14th and the 32d. His right was threatened at once by the
infantry which had resumed the offensive, and by the column that was
scaling the plateau. He immediately directed decisive movements to be
effected.
A battery of light artillery and two squadrons, under two brave
officers, Leclerc and Laselle, were ordered to the outlet of which the
enemy had taken possession. Joubert, who, with the extreme right, had
this outlet at his back, suddenly faced about with a corps of light
infantry. All charged at once. The artillery first poured a discharge
upon all that had debouched; the cavalry and light infantry then charged
with vigor. Joubert’s horse was killed under him; he got up nowise
daunted, and rushed upon the enemy with a musket in his hand. All that
had debouched, grenadiers, cavalry, artillery, all were hurled pell-mell
headlong down the winding road of Incanale. The confusion was awful;
some pieces of cannon firing down into the defile, augmented the terror
and confusion. At every step, the French killed and made prisoners.
Having cleared the plateau of the assailants who had scaled it,
Bonaparte again returned to his attacks against the infantry which was
ranged in semicircle before him, and set Joubert upon it with the light
infantry, and Laselle with two hundred hussars. On this new attack,
consternation seized that infantry, now deprived of all hope of
effecting a junction with the main body; it fled in confusion. The
French semicircular line then moved from right to left, drove back the
Austrians against the amphitheatre of Monte Baldo, and pursued them as
far as possible into the mountains. Bonaparte then returned, and
proceeded to realize his prediction upon Lusignan’s division. That body,
on witnessing the disasters of the Austrian army, soon perceived what
would be its own fate. Bonaparte, after firing upon it with grape-shot,
ordered the 18th and the 75th demi-brigades to charge. These brave
demi-brigades moved onwards, singing the _chant du départ_, and drove
Lusignan back by the road which Rey was coming up with the reserve. The
Austrian corps at first made a stand, then retreated, and came full butt
upon the advanced guard of Rey’s division. Terrified at this sight, it
sought the clemency of the conqueror, and laid down its arms, to the
number of four thousand men. Two thousand had been taken in the defile
of the Adige.
It was five o’clock. The Austrian army was almost annihilated. Lusignan
was taken. The infantry which had advanced from the mountains, was
flying over the rugged declivities. The principal column was pent up on
the bank of the river, while the subordinate division of Wukassovich was
an idle spectator of the disaster, separated by the Adige from the field
of battle. The French general had had several horses killed under him,
and had received several slight wounds, but in spite of his constant
activity and exposure, he was still ready to follow up his victory
immediately. The battle of La Favorita ensued, in which the army of
Provera was annihilated. In three days, twenty-three thousand men were
captured. Massena’s troops had marched and fought four days and nights,
without any considerable intermission. The intrepid general himself,
afterwards received the title of Duke of Rivoli. Mantua was at the feet
of Bonaparte, and Italy was won.
[Illustration]
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[Illustration: BONAPARTE CROSSING THE ALPS AT TARWIS.]