620 
and the division under “Victor having 
becn forced toi give: way after a firm re- 
sistauce, was) thrown into» the utmost 
disorders: ©The plain) on the left) was 
coyered with our fugitives, who spread 
alarm wherever they went, and many 
were even exclaiming in dismay, ‘‘ AdZ 
is lost.” 
The corps of General Lannes, a little 
in the rear of the right of Marengo, was 
engaged: with the enemy, wio, after 
taking that place, deployed upon its left, 
and formed) its line opposite our right, 
beyond which it already extended. ‘The 
First Consul immediately despatched 
his battalion of the civalry gnard, con- 
sisting of eight hundred grenadiers, the 
best troops in the army, to station them- 
selves ai five hundred toises distance 
from Lannes, on the right, in a good po- 
sition, in order to keep the enemy in 
eheck..| Napoleon himself, with the se- 
venty-second demi-brigade, hastened to 
the support of Lannes, and directed the 
division of reserve of Cara Saint-Cyr, 
upon the extreme right, to Castel-Ce- 
riolo,| to flank the entire left of the 
enemy. 
~ Jn the mean time the army perceived, 
in the middie of this immense plain, the 
First Consul, surrounded by his staff, . 
and two hundred horse grenadiers with 
their fir caps: this sight proved suf- 
ficient to inspire the troops with hopes 
of victory ; their confidence revived, and 
the fugitives rallied upon San-Juliano, 
in the rear of the left of General Lannes. 
The latter, though attacked by a large 
proportion of the enemy's army, was 
effecting bis retreat through the midst 
of this vast plain, with admirable order 
and coolness. This corps oceupied three 
hours. in retiring three-quarters of a 
league, entirely exposed to the grape- 
shot of eighty) pieces of cannon; at the 
same time that by an inverse movement 
Cara Saint-Cyr advanced upon the 
extreme right, and turned the left of 
the enemy. 
» About three o’clock in the afternoon 
the corps of Desaix'artived: the Virst 
Consul! made him take # position on the 
yoad in advance of San-Jaliano. Melas, 
who. believed the victory decided, being 
overcome | with fatigue, repassed’ the 
bridges, and entered Alessandria, leaying 
to General Zach, the head of his staff, 
the care of pursuing the French army. 
The latter, thinking: that this army was 
eficeting. its retreat’ by the road from 
'Tortona, endeavoured to reach this road 
- behind San-Juliane ; but the Virst Con- 
sul had altered his line of retreat at the 
Napoleon's History of France, 
commencement of the: action; and had 
directed it between Sala and ‘Tortona, 
so that the) high:+road from ‘Tortona 
was of no consequence to ‘the’ French 
army. Mo1s 
Lannces’ corps in its retreat constantly 
refused its left, thus directing its course 
towards the new point of retreat; and 
Cara Saint-Cyr, who was at ihe! ex- 
tremity of the right, found himself almost 
upon the live of retreat, at the very time 
that General Zach imagined the: two 
corps were intersected. 
The division of Victor had, in the 
mean time, rallied, and burnt with im- 
patience to recommence the’ contest. 
All the cavalry of the army was con- 
centrated in advance of San-Juliano, on 
the right of Desaix, and in ‘the rear of 
the left of General Lannes. Balls and 
shells fell upon San-Juliano ; its left was 
already gained by a column of 6000 of 
Zach’s grenadiers. The First Consul 
sent orders to General Desaix to charge 
with his fresh division ‘this column’ of 
the enemy. Desaix immediately 'pre- 
pared to execute these orders according- 
ly; but, as he advanced at the head of 
two hundred troopers of the ninth ight 
demi-brigade, he was shot! throughtlie 
heart by @ ball, and fell dead at the very 
moment that he had given the word to 
charze: by this stroke the Emperorwas 
deprived of the man whom he esteemed 
most worthy of being his lieutenant, 
This misfortune by no means discon- 
certed the movement, and General 
Boudet easily inspired the soldiers with 
the same lively dcsire of instant revenge 
for so beloved a chief, which acttiated his 
own breast. The ninth ‘light “demi- 
brigade, who did, indeed, on. this '‘occa- 
sion, deserve the title of Zncomparable, 
covered themselves with glory. General 
Kellermann, with 860 heavy horse, at 
the same time charged’ intrepidly’ the 
middle of the left flank ef the column: 
in Iess than half an hour, these 6000 
grenadiers were broken, overthrown, 
dispersed, and put to flight, ~ General 
Zach and all his staff were made pri- 
soners. [OTSA S 
‘General Lannes immediately charged 
forward. Cara Saint Cyr, who was on 
our right, and ex potence with the left 
flank of the enemy, was’ much neater 
than ihe enemy to the bridges upomthe 
Bormida. | The Austrian army “was 
thrown into the most dreadful confusion 
in a moment: From: 8 to’ 10,000) ac- 
valry, which were spread over thetfield, 
fearing that Saint-Cyr’s infantry might 
reach the bridge befure them, retreated 
at 
eS 
