HISTORY OF EUPtOPK. 



I6i 



time, to meet the combined Russiaa 

 and Austrian forces. 



Under these circumstances it bc- 

 canae a matter of great importance 

 that he should give full occupation 

 to the archduke, and press forMard 

 with the utmost diligence, in order 

 to execute the plans of co-operation 

 assigned to him. 



Accordingly he commenced, on 

 the 30th, a very vigorous attack 

 upon the whole line of the army op- 

 posed to him. The division of jMo- 

 litor formed the left, the centre was 

 commanded by general Gardanne, 

 and the right by general Duhefme. 

 The action beg^n upon the left, and 

 the three successive attacks were 

 bravely resisted by the Austrians, 

 who were, however, at length, forc- 

 ed to retire to the adjacent heights. 

 The battle was renewed on the part 

 of the Austrians. Twenty.four 

 battalions of grenadiers and some 

 other regiments were ordered, by 

 the archduke, to advance against the 

 enemy. Both armies fought with 

 great fury. The French cavalry at 

 length made some impression, and 

 being well supported by several bat- 

 talions of grenadiers, who fought 

 with the bayonet, the Austrians, 

 after a desperate resistance, in which 

 they were assisted by the fire of 

 thirty pieces of cannon, were final- 

 ly driven from the field, with the 

 loss of above three thousand pri- 

 soners. In so obstinate an engage- 

 ment the carnage must have been very 

 great, so much so indeed as to induce 

 (lie archduke to demand a suspen- 

 sion of arms, for the purpose of 

 burying the dead. This was not 

 the only loss sustained by the Aus- 

 trians in this affair. A column of 

 five thousand men, which it should 

 ppcar was detached from the corps 

 "I Uoscnburgh, with the view of 



falling upon the rear of the French 

 army, was, by the issue of the battle, 

 completely cut off. General llil- 

 linger, who commanded it, at first 

 manifested an intention to defend 

 himself, and even compelled a re- 

 ginjcnt of light infantry, sent against 

 him, to take shelter under the walls 

 of the castle of San Felici. Mas- 

 sena then repaired in person to the 

 spot, and ordered four battalions of 

 grenadiers to surround the column. 

 General Hillinger, perceiving no 

 chance of escape, entered into a ca- 

 pitulation, and laid down his arms. 



Although the army under Mas- 

 sena had been successful, it had 

 not made any very considerable 

 progress. The archduke, however, 

 for a variety of reasons, came to the 

 determination of making a positive 

 retreat. He seems to have been 

 principally actuated by the desire 

 of relieving the Austrian capitar, 

 now imminently in danger, while 

 he could have little hopes of con- 

 tending successfully against the ar- 

 my of Massena, which was now 

 reinforced by twenty-five thousand 

 additional troops, under general St. 

 Cyr, which had evacuated the 

 kingdom of Naples, in conformity 

 with the terms of a convention en- 

 tered into with his Sicilian majes- 

 ty. 



The archduke began his march 

 on the night of the 1st, with great 

 caution, so that it was not discover- 

 ed by the enemy before the next 

 morning. lie was then pursued by 

 the French light troops, and har- 

 rassed during the day. The Au- 

 strians had about 500 men made 

 prisoners. 



On the day following, the main 

 body of the French army advanced 

 in pursuit of the Austrians. After 

 haltirig a short time at Monte Bel- 



M 2 lo. 



