122] 
defended it, while general Massena, 
with the left wing, after defeating 
the right of the Austrians, united 
with the centre, and both, with 
general Augereau on the right, ad- 
vanced on the causeways leading to 
it, when it was earried. The Au- 
strian army was Closely followed till 
night put an end to the pursuit. 
This was the most obstinate bat- 
tle that had yet been fought between 
the French and the Austrians. Va- 
Your and skill were conspicuously 
displayed on each side, but the ge- 
nius and good fortune of Buonaparte 
overcame all obstacles, and gave 
him a victory, of which, on the first 
onset, he had évery reason to doubt. 
The losses of the Austrians, in this 
terrible battle, were truly ruinous. 
It was computed that eight thousand 
of them were killed and wounded, 
and near five thousand taken, be- 
sides an immense quantity of war- 
like stores. The loss of the French 
was also very considerable, espe~ 
cially in officers, who felt themselves 
obliged, on this critical occasion, to 
expose their lives in the brunt of 
the battle, the gain of which may be 
chiefly ascribed to the personal intre- 
pidity displayed by the commander- 
in-chief and his other generals. In 
a letter to the directory, Buénaparte 
acknowledged, that, what with slain, 
or disabled, he had hardly @ general 
left him fit for duty. 
Early in the morning of the eigh- 
teenth, Buonaparte set his army in 
motion to prosecute the success of 
the foregoing day. It was foreseen 
that Alvinzi would retire either to- 
wards the Piava, on the frontiers of 
the Austian dominions, or endea- 
vour to strengthen himself by a junc- 
tion with the forces under general 
Davidovich, who had been more for- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
tunate than himself, ‘and still kept 
the field in considerable force. 
Celerity in his movements was. 
now become more indispensible than: 
ever to the French general. The- 
continual supplies of reeruits arriving. 
from the Tyrol, and the parts con=: 
tiguous toit, enabled the Austrians, 
however frequently defeated, to re- 
turn, as it were, immediately to the: 
charge ; and such was theirstrength, 
that, had it been concentrated in the 
late actions, there was little doubt: 
but the French must have yielded: to. 
its superiority. 
Buonaparte had now been com-~ 
pletely victorious over four hostile: 
armies, composed of troops equal 
at least to any in Europe. The in- 
ference naturally was, that his own: 
troops, and those who. commanded 
them, were superior in military ta- 
lents to those whom they had de- 
feated; but the Austrians were not> 
of this opinion; and such was the’ 
confidence they reposed in their 
own prowess, that they attributed 
the successes of the Freneh to for-: 
tunate casualties, and neither to 
bravery nor better tractics. The 
subjects ofthe emperor, particularly. 
those of the counties usually styled, 
hereditary, were so fully of this per- 
suasion, that they entertained no 
doubt of being able finally to chace 
the French out of all their Italian 
conquests. Hence they readily re« 
paired to the Imperial standard, 
eager to recover the reputation they 
had, in some degree, lost, by the 
continual advantages of the French 
over them. 
The inhabitants ef the Tyrol 
were remarkably zealous im testify-. 
ing their readines$ on this occasion. 
They felt themselves greatly offend=' 
ed by the proclamation that Buona~ 
: parte: 
