cupied its northern frontier, including Piedmont, Milan, and the countries of Bergamo and Mantua; and fifty thousand, ready for active service," were in cantonments on the banks of the lake of Garda, of the Mincio, and of the Po." The Austrians occupied the parallel line of the Adige. It was the allotted task of the army of Italy, " to pierce through the 'ine of the Adige, and to drive the Austrians beyond the Brenta." The republican forces assaulted the entrenchments of the imperial army, (26th February,) and the battle was very obstinate the whole day. A Polish legion was exterminated" with the bayonets of the Austrians and the butt ends of their muskets." So numerous were the slain, that within three days "the air began to be infected ;" and the only suspension of arms was for the burial of the dead, (February 29.) On the succeeding day, ten thousand men, commanded by Moreau, having passed the Adige, and advanced within half a league of Verona, were attacked by the Austrians with such resistless fury, and yet fought with such determined resolution, that "their retreat was nothing but a continued engagement;" but on approaching the bridge, they were driven from it by two battalions of Austrian grenadiers, who, without firing, and using only the bayonet, overcame all resistance, seized the bridge, and thus all who had not already passed were cut off." "On the first of April, General Sheerer, abandoning all his posts which he occupied between the Adige and the lake of Garda, and placing a strong garrison in Peschiera, took a position with his left and centre, beyond the Tartaro, at Magnan, between Villa Franca and Ysola-della-Scala, his right wing being before Lignano. On the following day the Austrians encamped on the right bank of the Adige, before Verona, and on the road to Villa Franca. These first days of the campaign cost the French the immense loss of ten thousand men in killed, wounded, taken, or deserted; and that of the Austrians amounted to half the number."* * Annual Register, Lond. 1799, vol. xli. pp. 277-280. |