light infantry, and appeared in the morning on the heights of Montebaldo, which commanded Corona; while the Austrians, who were posted there, were vigorously attacked in front by general Joubert. Perceiving, therefore, their retreat cut off, they were, after some resist ance, thrown into the utmost confusion, and almost the whole party were either drowned in attempting to swim across the Adige, or made prisoners. In these engagements (which are denominated by the French the battle of Rivoli) the conquerors took 13,000 prisoners and 9 pieces of cannon. The column of general Provera, ten thousand strong, in the mean time continued their march, and forced the passage of Anguiari. General Guyeux had rallied and united all the forces, which were posted in his vicinity, which, however, did not exceed 1,500 men; with so inadequate a power he was not able to force the enemy to recross the river, but he harassed and impeded their march for some time, and made nearly 300 prisoners. As Mantua was the object of general Provera, his advances were rapid; and general Augereau, who had collected his forces with the design of falling on the column of Provera, between Anguiari and Roverquier, could only come up with the rear of his division. After a warm conflict, however, he succeeded in cutting off the whole of the rear guard of the Austrian column, and took 2,000 prisoners, with 16 pieces of cannon. Notwithstanding these impediments, general Provera arrived on the 15th of January, at the head of 6,000 men, at the suburb of St. George, one of the posts where Mantua was blockaded. The force at this post, under general Miolis, was greatly inferior to that of the assailants; but the French general was well entrenched. He, therefore, received the summons of Prevera with no other reply, than that "he would fight, but not surrender." The Austrian general at tacked the post, but found it impossible to carry it by force. Thus baffled in his main design, Provera next turned his attention to another post, La Favorita, which (seconded by a sortie from the garrison, which he had concerted with Wurmser) he expected to force, and by that means make good his entrance into Mantua. The design did not escape, however, the penc tration of Buonapate; and to prevent the junction, he saw no other means than to surround the column of Provera, and force it to surrender. He had previously dispatched general Serrurier to La Favorita, with all the forces that he could hastily withdraw from the other posts of blockade; and he now or dered reinforcements from different divisions of his army, who, by the most rapid movements that are recorded in history, arrived in time to effect their purpose. An hour before day-break, on the morning of the 16th, the Austrians attacked La Favorita, and general Wurmser, at the same moment, ordered a spirited sortie from the garrison, to support the assailants, and divert the attention of the enemy. The detachment from the garrison, lowever, met with so discouraging a reception from the column of general Victor, one of the detachments which had marched during the night, that it was compelled to return to the fortress without being able to effect a junction with Provera, after leaving the field covered with dead and with prisoners. At the same moment Serrurier ad vanced in order to block up Provera between this post and St. George's. Disorder and terror now pervaded the Austrian ranks, and the general solicited a capitulation. The prisoners who surrendered amounted to 6,000 infantry and 700 cavalry, with 29 pieces of cannon. Thus perished the fifth great army detached by Austria for the support of its Ita. han territories, and to avert the destruction which now seemed to impend over the capital itself. pelled to yield, with the loss of 300 prisoners. Trent submitted to the republicans with little or no resistance; and, in pursuing the flying enemy, the French made at St. Michael 800 prisoners. The fall of Mantua was an inevitable consequence of the to al defeat of the Austrian armies. It surrendered on capitulation, the 24 of February. The terms were honourable, as the valour and good conduct of the veteran Wurmser and his brave garrison deserved. The garrison were prisoners, but marched out with military honours; and the old marechal himself, and his suite, were excepted from the humiliating condition of appearing as prisoners of war-he was then upwards of 70 years of age. It was asserted, that upwards of 5,000 horses had been devoured by the garrison in the course of the blockade; and thus far is certain, that the French found exceedingly few remaining, on taking possession of the fortress. The respective divisions of the French army continued to harass the defeated and dispersed remnants of the Austrian force. The division of Massena repaired, on the 23d, to Vicenza, and from thence to Bassano in pursuit of the enemy, who had retreated to the other side of the defiles of the Brenta. A detachment from this division, under general Menard, came up with them at Carpenedolo, and, after a warm contest, made 800 prisoners. On the 27th, the division of general Joubert also came up with the Another immediate consequence rear-guard of the Austrians, and, of these victories of Buonaparte after a slight skirmish, made 300 was the invasion of the papal terriprisoners. The Austrians, after tories. The court of Rome could this, retreated towards Mory and not be expected to be extremely faTorbole. But here they were asvourable to the French interests, sailed by general Murat, who em- but it had adopted a timid and barked with 200 men, and landed wavering plan of policy, consistent at the latter place; general Vial, al- at once with its own weakness and so, at the head of the light infantry, hostility to the French. Confident, after a most severe march through however, in these latter exertions of the snows and over the steepest the Austrians, the pope, it is assertmountains, turned their position, ed, had even sent succours into the and obliged 450 to surrender. Ge- field, to the army of Alvinzi, and had neral Joubert, about the same time, strained every nerve for the expulentered Roveredo. The Austrians sion of the invaders. The division had entrenched themselves deeply of general Victor was, therefore, in the defiles of Calliano, and ap- ordered to penetrate to Rome prepeared disposed to dispute the envious to the surrender of Mantua; trance of the republicans into Trent; but, pressed by the generals Beliard and Vial, they were com and the capitulation was scarcely signed before Buonapate set off in person, to superintend the operaR 2 tion's tions of this army. The invaders slept at Imola, the first town with in the papal dominions, on the 1st of February. The resistance of the papal troops was feeble, and they were overpowered with but little loss on the part of the French. In a few days the French proceeded to Loretto, and took possession of the famous Madonna, which was only a wooden image: they found also in that place a treasure of about three millions of livres. The whole marche of Ancona submitted with very little show of resistance; and on the 19th Buonaparte had his head-quarters at Tolentino. The pope, now reduced to the lowest extremity, and deprived of his allies by the fortune of war, addressed a submissive epistle to the victorious general, in which he solicited earnestly an amicable termination of the contest; and dispatched two ecclesiatics, with full powers to conclude a treaty. By the terms of this treaty, his holiness renounced all connexion with the famous coalition of crowned heads; engaged to disband the troops which had been raised for the support of the war; and to shut his ports against all the powers at war with the republic. He agreed, without reserve, to the annexation of Avignon and the county of Venaissin to the French, and also transferred to the republic the legations of Bologna, Ferrara, and Romagna. In conclusion, he consented to pay to the conquerors the sum of 30 millions of livres, 20 of them in specie, and the rest in diamonds and other valuables, with 16,000 horses, as the ransom of that remnant of his dominions of which he was still permitted to enjoy the precarious possession. To the exertions of Austria in making fresh preparations, the pope was probably indebted for the reprieve which was granted him on this occasion. For while the French commander was advancing towards Rome, the emperor, by exertions almost incredible, was reinforcing his discomfited army, or rather the remnants of it; and the command was given to the archduke Charles, whose victorious career on the Rhine had inspired the court of Vienna with the warmest hopes of his success, even when opposed to so consummate a master of the military art as Buonaparte. In the beginning of March, the French army occupied the banks of the Piave and Lavis; and that of the emperor, under the command of the archduke, the opposite shore of the Piave, with its centre behind the Cordevoli, and supported on its right by the Adige from the side of Salurne. On the approach of general Massena on the 10th of March, however, the Austrians thought proper to evacuate the line of Cordevoli, and to march to Bellurne. On the 12th, the division of general Serrurier crossed the Piave at day-break, and the Austrians immediately evacuated their camp of La Campagna. On the same day, general Guyeux passed the Piave at Ospedaletto; on the 13th, he fell in with the rear-guard of the enemy, and, after a slight contest, took 100 prisoners. The division of Massena, in the mean time, having arrived at Bellurne, pursued the Austrians on their retreat towards Cadore, completely hemmed in their rear-guard, and took 700 prisoners, among whom was the general Lusignan, who com manded their centre division. On the 16th, the division of general Guyeux proceeded from Pordenove, that of general Bernadotte from Sacile, and that of general Serrurier from Pasiano, all of them directing directing their march towards Valvasone. These forces arrived on the banks of the Tagliamento at o'clock the same day. The Austrians were posted on the opposite side, and seemed deterrnined to dispute the passage. After some time spent in the necessary preparations, the republican troops plunged into the river, and completely routed the enemy, after a feeble resistance, chiefly from the Austrian cavalry. The village of Gradiska was immediately attacked by general Guyeux, and carried, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour and the darkness of the night-the archduke Charles had barely time to effect his escape. In the whole, of the day's engagement the Austrians lost from 4 to 500 prisoners, among whom was one general and several superior officers; they also lost 6 pieces of cannon. The energy and activity of Buonaparte left no time to his spirited antagonist to rally and collect his forces; but on the 18th, a part of the French army took possession of Palmanova, while general Massena advanced to Osopa and Gemona, and pushed his advanced guard into the defiles. On the following day, general Serrurier blockaded the town of Gradiska, which was taken on the 20th, with 5,000 prisoners, the flower of prince Charles's army. In the mean time, the division of Massena advanced to the bridge of Casasola, drove the enemy from their entrenchments by the force of the bayonet, and took 600 prisoners. On the 21st, the French entered Goritz, where they found four hospitals, containing 1,500 of the sick and wounded, with all the magazines of the enemy, which the archduke had not time to remove, On the 23d, general Guyeux en countered the Austrians, who were strongly entrenched at Pufero, defeated them, and took 100 prisoners and two pieces of cannon. On the same day, another division entered Trieste. ge On the 24th, the division of neral Massena was at Tarvis, where a strong column of the enemy was hemmed in between his forces and those of general Guyeux. On the following day, however, the Austrians having received considerable reinforcements from Clagenfurt, the head-quarters of prince Charles, were encouraged to hazard an engagement, and attacked Massena. After a severe battle (which, as the French commander states, was fought above the clouds, on a height that commands Germany), the Austrians were defeated with considerable loss. Three of their general officers and a number of men were taken prisoners, and the emperor's cuirassiers, who had just arrived from the Rhine, were almost annihilated. In the mean time, general Guyeux drove the column which he had defeated at Pufero, as far as Austrian Chinse, a post well fortified, but which was carried by assault, after an obstinate engagement. The Austrian column, perceiving the Chinse taken, precipitated its march, and fell into the middle of Massena's division, who, after a slight contest, made the whole of them prisoners. Thirty pieces of cannon, 400 waggons loaded with the enemy's baggage, 5,000 prisoners, among whom were 4 generals, fell into the hands of the conquerors by the event of this day. While uninterrupted success thus attended the operations of the main army, the left wing, or the divisions of the Tyrol, as those of Jou bert, bert, Baraguay D'Hilliers, and Delmas were termed, were advancing from the Adige, the Lavis, and the Brenta, in order to form a junction with the commander in chief. In their progress, they surrounded a corps of the enemy on the banks of the Lavis; and, after an obstinate contest, took 4,000 prisoners and 3 pieces of cannon, leaving 2,000 of the Austrians dead on the field. The Austrians, under general Laudon, after this, retired to the right bank of the Adige, where they were again attacked, and again defeated, on the 22d of March, by general Joubert, who took 600 prisoners. The army of the Tyrol then entered' Botzen: but Joubert I did not rest there; after leaving a sufficient force to pursue the flying army under Laudon, he marched direct to Clauzen. The enemy availed themselves of the position, and put themselves in the best state of defence. The action was some time doubtful, but victory at length declared in favour of the French, and 1,500 Austrianslaid down their arms as prisoners of war. General Joubert, immediately after this, took possession of Brixen. Buonaparte allowed scarcely a moment's rest to his army, while he found an enemy in the field to oppose him; and to the rapidity of his movements no inconsiderable share of his success must be attributed. After the battles of Tarvis and La Chinse, three divisions of his army passed the defiles which lead from the Venetian states into Germany, and encamped at Wilbach, on the banks of the Drave. On the 29th of March, general Massena advanced upon Clagenfurt, which had been the head-quarters of prince Charles. At about a league from the place he encountered the enemy; but they were too much discouraged to make a formidable resistance; after losing 200 prisoners and two pieces of cannon, they abanded Clagenfurt, the capital of Carin thia, which the French entered the same evening. Thus, the Austrians were already, in the course of this short campaign, driven from the Venetian states, from the higher and lower Carniola, from Carinthia, and from the whole of the Tyrolese, with the loss of 20,000 men as prisoners of war, independent of those taken before the archduke assumed the command. In the midst of this career of victory, Buonaparte addressed a let ter containing overtures of peace to his brave but unfortunate adversary. If we except an unjust censure on the English nation, which it contains, it is certainly not less remarkable for elevation of sentiment and excellence` of composition, than for the polite and even modest terms in which it is couched. Whatever may be the character of the writer, the letter deserves to be transmitted to posterity, and we flatter ourselves that our readers will be gratified by its insertion The General in Chief of the Army of Italy, to His Royal Highness M. Prince Charles. 11th Germinal, 5th year of the Republic (March 31). M. general in chief, Brave soldiers make war, and desire peace. Has not the war lasted for six years? Have we not killed men and committed evils enough against suffering humanity? Such are the exclamations used on all sides. Europe, who had taken up arms against the French republic, has laid them down. Your na tion alone remains; and yet blood |