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HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
unexpected attack, so far discom- 
posed them, that they were thrown 
into disorder, and compelled to 
abandon their post, after having 
thrice endeavoured to retake it. 
_ More than half of the day had 
_ been spentin these fruitless attempts, 
when Buonaparte, auxious to reco- 
ver a post, without which, the ad- 
Vantayes gaiied by his two victories 
would have been frustrated, imme- 
diately gave orders for a large body 
to form in front of the enemy, and 
occupy their attention, while ano- 
ther charged them on their left, 
“posted. at Dego. The intrepidity 
with which the French generals and 
officers hearted their men, decided 
the fatewt the day. After a vigor- 
ous defence, the Austrians were in 
their turn obliged to give ground,and 
leave the field to the French, with 
the loss of near two thousand men, 
“of whom, about fifteen hundred 
were made prisoners: on the side 
‘ofthe French, numbers also fell, 
“and among these general Caussa, 
one of their best officers. 
Thus, in the space of five days, no 
Tess than three battles were fought, 
in every one of which the French 
i e vidtorious. ‘The Austrian and 
Piedmontese armies had,in the course 
Bree engagements,been separated 
rom eachother: which enabled Buo- 
Maparte to effect a junction with a 
considerable body of his army, be- 
fore which the Piedmontese division 
_ had retired, not daring to oppose it 
in combination with the corps under 
neral Augercau who, bad joined 
, After dislodging the Piedmontese 
their redoubts, at Montezimo, 
this officer followed them to their 
famp before the townof Cava. It 
Was strongly fortified, but Augereau 
attacked it with such vigour, that, 
after defending it the whole day 
[89 
with great courage,the Piedmontese 
withdrew in the night of the six- 
teenth, abandoning Cava, which sur- 
rendered to the French. After some 
retrograde motions, wherein they 
were closely pressed by the French, 
who met however with some checks, 
a general engagement took place near 
Mondovi on the twenty-second. 
General Colli, who commanded 
the Piedmontese, had drawn up his 
army. to great advantage; his centre 
being covered by a strong redoubt, 
which was resolutely defended for 
along time against all the ettorts 
of the French, who lcst numbers ia 
itsattack. Itwas carried at length 
after repeated assaults: upon which 
general Colli thought it prudent 
to retreat. His loss amounted to 
about twelve hundred men, of whom 
a thousand were taken. Of these, 
three were generals, and four colo- 
nels. One general was slain, and 
eleven standards fell into the hands 
of the French, who lost also one of 
their generals, and a cansidegable 
number of men. 
The Piedmontese army, after its 
defeat, crossed the riven Stura, and 
took a strong position between Conk 
and Cherasco. Here. it was attacks 
ed, on the 25th, by the French, who 
compelled general Colli to retire 
from the post he occupied atF ussano. 
They made themselves. masters, of 
Cherasco, where they, took a quan- 
tity of cannon. and large magazines, 
and the Piedmontese withdrew to 
Carignano, in order to be nearer 
to Turin, fer its protection against 
the I'rench army, which was now 
advanced to within nige leagues of 
that city. 
The defeat of his,army, at Mon- 
dovi, had already determined the 
king of Sardinia to make, overtures 
of peace to Buonaparte. General 
Colli 
