FRA 
divided it into two weak parts, placing Bonaparte be¬ 
tween them. The error was inftantly difcerned, and 
taken advantage of by their antagonift. On the night of 
the 30th, he l'uddenly railed the fiege ot Mantua, and 
on the firft of Auguft retook Brefcia, with the magazines 
and hofpitals. Having the mafs of his army united, Bo¬ 
naparte furpafled his antagonifts in numbers wherever he 
encountered them. He prepared to attack the imperialifts 
on the 3d at Salo, Lonado, and Caftiglione, but was anti¬ 
cipated by them. Having formed a large body of his 
troops into clofe columns, the Andrians, who were not 
aware of his mode of taffies, extended their line to fur- 
round them ; a movement which enabled the republican 
columns to penetrate the imperial army in all direffions, 
and throw it into complete diforder. The French took 
4000 prifoners and twenty pieces of cannon. 
On the 5th and 6th of Auguft, Bonaparte attacked 
general Wurmfer, and drove him from Pefchiera and the 
nverMincio. On the 7th, the Andrians were compelled 
to quit Verona, and to retire once more to the mountains 
of Tyrol. This conted, which had laded fix days, cod 
the imperialids 20,000 men, 15,000 of whom were made 
prifoners. 
The prefent fugitive king of France, happened to be 
at Verona only a diort period before it was affailed by the 
French. The fenate of Venice was conftrained to order 
him to quit their territories; and the podeda or melTen- 
ger was difpatched to Verona with this decree. Preferv- 
jng dill his magnanimity and dignity in adverdty, he in¬ 
formed the podeda, that, as a Venetian nobleman, he had 
an incontedible right to redde at Verona : but that he 
would leave the town, as foon as the fword fhottld be re- 
ftored to him which Henry IV. had prefented to the 
republic, and the golden hook brought to him, that he 
might erafe his name from the lid of citizens. The po¬ 
deda replied, that the fenate, at his requed, would with¬ 
out liedtation erafe him from the lid : but that, twelve 
millions being due to the republic from Henry IV. his 
fword would be kept in pledge until the reftitution. 
From Verona, Bonaparte thus wrote to the directory. 
—I am jud arrived at Verona, but intend to depart to¬ 
morrow. It is a large and line town. 1 leave a garrifon 
in it, to remain maderof the three bridges which it has 
over the Adige. I have not concealed from the inhabi¬ 
tants, that, had the king of France not evacuated the town 
before my palfage of tire Po, I diould have fet fire to a 
city fo audacious as to think ilfelf the capital of the French 
empire. I have juft feen the amphitheatre : this remain 
of the Roman people is worthy of them. I could not 
but feel humbled at the comparative paltrinefs of our 
Champ de Mars, Here a hundred thoufand fpeffitors 
fat conveniently, and could eafily hear an orator addrelT- 
jngthem. The emigrants are dying from Italy. More 
than fifteen hundred withdrew five days before our ar¬ 
rival. They are hurrying into Germany with remorfe 
and rnifery.” 
The French now commenced the fiege of Mantua 
anew. The garrifon in their abfence had deftroyed 
their works, and carried into the city 140 pieces of heavy 
cannon, which the French had left behind them, and had 
alfo procured a confiderable quantity of provifions. The 
blockade was renewed ; but Wurmfer, having received 
reinforcements, was again enabled to attempt the re¬ 
lief of the place. Bonaparte, having information of his 
approach, left fufficient troops to keep up the blockade, 
■while he advanced to meet him. On the 4th of Septem¬ 
ber he came up with and drove the Andrians from the 
pafles of St. Marco, and the city of Roveredo, to the 
pals of Calliano, where they made their principal Hand. 
Here a battle enfued, in which the French took 6000 pri¬ 
foners, and entered Trent as conquerors. 
Upon fuffering this defeat, Wurmfer adopted a mea- 
fure, which, in military manoeuvres, cannot be too much 
applauded. Inltead of retiring before the conqueror, 
■who might have driven him to Infpruck, and arrived at 
¥01.. VII. No. 471. 
MCE. 821 
a critical moment on the Danube, where Moreau had juft 
commenced his retreat, he fuddenly threw himfelf with 
his vanquilhed army into Baftano, upon the flank of Bo¬ 
naparte, and then advanced by forced marches towards 
Mantua. He made a (land at Balia no on the Sth, but 
was defeated, and 5000 of his men were taken prifoners. 
But he had Hill a confiderable body of troops. With tbefe 
he pulhed forward ; and having encountered different di- 
vifionsof the French at Cerea, Caftellano, and Due Caf- 
telli, he effe&ed the palfage of the Adige at Porto Leg- 
nano, and entered Mantua with the wreck of his army, 
amounting to about 4000 infantry and 4500 cavalry. Itt 
this enterprife he loft all together 20,000 men ; but the 
effect of it was, that it fixed Bonaparte in Italy, where 
he was obliged to remain watching and blockading the 
numerous garrifon of Mantua. He hoped that its num¬ 
bers would foon reduce it by famine to the neceftity of a 
capitulation ; but in this lie was deceived, as the flelh of 
thehorfes carried into it by Wurmfer afforded fubliftence 
to the troops during a very long period. 
The emperor now fent into the field a new army to at¬ 
tempt the relief of Mantua. In the beginning of Novem¬ 
ber a part of it marched under the command of field-mar- 
Ihal Alvinzi, towards Vincenza on the eaft, feconded by 
general Davidovich, with another divifion from Tyrol. 
Alvinzi croffed the Piava ; but was met by the French, 
and compelled to repafs that river. Davidovich, in the 
mean time, having fucceeded in driving the French down 
the Adige towards Verona, Bonaparte was under the.ne- 
ceffity of concentrating his forces. He now adopted his 
ufual expedient of keeping one divifion of the enemy irs 
check, while he contended with the main body of his 
forces againft the other. He left Vaubois with fome 
troops to amufe Davidovich, while lie advanced in per- 
fon againft Alvinzi, who was haftening towards Verona. 
He met the Auftrians at the village of Arcole. Tofeize 
this poft, which could not be eafily turned on account 
of a canal, the French were under the neceftity of palling 
a narrow bridge in the hotted fire of the Auftrians. They 
made the attempt without fuccefs. Their officers rulhed 
to the head of the column, and in vain attempted to rally 
the troops. General Verdier, Bon, Verne, and Lafnes, 
were carried off the field. Augereau then advanced with 
a (tandard to the foot of the bridge, but the troops would 
not follow him. At laft Bonaparte, who in the mean 
time had fent Guieux with 2000 men to turn the village 
at two miles diftance, haftened to the bridge himfelf. 
Seizing a ftandard, he advanced at the head of the grena- 
diers, crying, “ Follow your general.” They followed 
him to within thirty yards of the bridge, when they were 
intimidated by the terrible fire of the Auftrians, and their 
leader found it neceffary to retire. Attempting to mount 
his horfe to rally the column, left the Auftrians Ihould 
advance, he was thrown into a morafs, wliiie Hi 11 under 
the fire of the troops in the village; but here he again 
efcaped, as the Auftrians did not attempt to follow up 
their advantage. While Bonaparte was thus holding the 
imperial army in check, the detached divifion fucqeeded 
in crofting the Adige lower down ; they made an exten- 
five circuit, attacked the village on a weak point during 
the night, and made themfelves inafters of it, with five 
pieces of cannon and four hundred men. 
Alvinzi, advancing with all his forces on the points 
menaced, promoted the views of Bonaparte, by remov¬ 
ing Hill further from Davidovich; the French, oh his 
approach, evacuated the village of Arcole, and during 
the two following days fevere and bloody battles were 
fought, which Hill terminated to the difadvantage of the 
Auftrians, who were compelled to retire in diforder to 
Bonifacio. The conflict was fo obftiftate, that fifteen 
French generals were killed or wounded, and all had 
their clothes pierced with bullets. 
The Auftrians retired to Vincenza, but the French 
were too much enfeebled to purfue them witft vigour; 
and Davidovich fpeedily deprived them of many qdvan- 
9 £ " ragefc 
