wounded, and the city taken and delivered up to the troops for pillage during three hours. A proclamation was then issued, ordering all arms to be surrendered, on pain of death to those who retained them; and threatening to set fire to places where Frenchmen should be murdered. The reduction of Lugo took place on the sixth of July. Mantua was, in the mean time, closely besieged, and hard pressed. The garrison made several vigorous sallies, but Buonaparte, who had by this time collected, from the many strong towns he had taken, a numerous and formidable artillery, gave no respite to the besieged, and constantly repelled them. He erected batteries for the firing red hot balls, and several parts of the city were flames: but the governor was resolved to hold out to the last extremity, and refused to listen to the summons to surrender.

Powerful reinforcements having joined marshal Wurmser, since the check he had received in the mountains of the Tyrol, he resolved to repair this by raising the siege to Mantua; by effecting which he would at once undo all that had been done by Buonaparte. Animated with this hope, he assailed the French at Salo, on the western side of the Lake of Garda, and at Corona on the east. He had the good fortune to dislodge them on the twenty-ninth of July, from both of these positions: those at Salo retired to Peschiera, and those at Corona to the city of

Verona.

Buonaparte, who perceived the criticalness of his situation,assembled all his forces to oppose the Austrian general, who, after seizing Brescia, In consequence of the capture of Salo, on the one side of the lake,

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and Verona on the other, which the French were compelled to abandon, was moving with the division under his command towards Buonaparte, while the other was advancing with all expedition to place the French between two fires.

Conscious that his strength was not equal to an encounter with the Austrian general's united divisions, Buonaparte came to the determination to attack them singly before they could form a junction. This, indeed, seemed the only expedient left to extricate him from his present danger. It was not, however, without the deepest concern, that he saw himself reduced to the necessity of abandoning the siege of Mantua, now almost destitute of provisions, and on the point of surrendering.

He raised it on the thirtieth of July, and, in pursuit of his plan, marched with all expedition to Brescia, where he joined the divisions of his army. They had gained several advantages over the Aus trians, particularly at Lonado, a town which these had seized; but from which they were expelled, after being completely defeated in an engagement, the last of July, wherein they lost great numbers.

From Brescia, where the Austrians were again totally routed, on the first of August, they withdrew in disorder towards the Tyrol, where they took refuge in the mountains. On the third, marshal Wurmser, who,apprised of the ill fortune that had attended his other division, had advanced with all speed to its assistance came up with Buonaparte, who, expecting him, was prepared for battle. The Austrians had some advantage at first, through the rash impetuosity of an advanced corps of French,

which

which was surrounded and taken; but the centre, forming into a compact body, charged them with such vigour, that they soon gave way, and were broken on every side. A division of them endeavoured to make good its retreat to Salo: but that place was already occupied by the left wing of the French, and this division, in attempting to gain the mountains, towards the Tyrol, fell mostly into the hands of the French. General Augereau, who, commanded the right wing, assailed the left of the Austrians, posted at Castigliona. Here a furious fight was maintained the whole day between both parties. The French at length prevailed, and the Austrians sustained an entire defeat. Between two and three thousand fell in the field, and about four thousand were made prisoners, among whom were three generals. The French also lost a considerable number, and some officers of great note.

On the fourth, a division of the French attacked a large body of Austrians, who were posted at Gavardo, towards the western side of the lake. The conflict was warm, but the Austrians were again worst ed, with the loss of near two thousand men.

Notwithstanding the successes of the third and fourth, Buonaparte was not yet assured of a fortunate termination of this obstinate dispute. Marshal Wurmser had drawn together all the troops that could be rallied, to which he added a part of the garrison of Mantua, now relieved from the siege, and every other corps within reach. When assembled, they formed an army formidable enough to renew the contest with Buonaparte, who was fully convinced that the most dan

generous and difficult part of the business still remained to be decided.

He collected the whole of his force, and made the most advantageous arrangements to meet the enemy, whose attack he hourly expected. He visited every post, in order to ascertain the numbers that could be spared to reinforce his main body. Repairing for this purpose to Lonado, he found it occupied by no more than twelve hundred of his troops, while a division of the Austrians, consisting of four thousand men, had encompassed it, and sent an officer to summon the French to surrender. Buonaparte concluding, from certain circumstances, that this body of Austrians belonging to the defeated part of their army, and was endeavouring to make good its retreat, with remarkable presence of mind, told the officer, that he was mistaken in thinking that he had met only with a detachment of the French army, the main body of which was there with Buonaparte himself, who now spoke to him, and required him immediately to return to his general, and require that he should surrender instantly. The commander of the Austrians, struck with astonishment, requested a parley to settle conditions. But Buonaparte, aware of the danger attending the least delay, insisted that they should directly surrender themselves prisoners of war. On their still demanding time to consider, Buonaparte gave orders for a body of chosen grenadiers and artillery to advance against them. This decided the matter, and they all laid down their arms, without attempting to make the least resistance.

Escaped from this imminent peril, in so extraordinary a manner, the French

French general determined to lose no time in bringing the contest to a final issue. Feigning to be desirous of avoiding an engagement with Wurmser, he ordered a retrogade motion to be made by his army, in order to induce him the more readily to advance. This order was executed on the morning of the fifth, with such dexterity, that while the Austrian general, deceived by appearances; was approaching the French army to attack it, the right wing of the French, under general Serranier, an officer of great ability, turned the left of the Austrians, and assailed its rear, while another division attacked a redoubt in its front. The left of the French, in like manner, moved with unexpected rapidity against the right of the Austrians, and their centre was charged at the same time with such impetuosity and vigour, that, surprised at movements so contrary to their expectation, they were, in a manner, taken unawares. They made, however, a resolute defence, but fortune declared for the French. The Austrians were thrown into confusion; and, notwithstanding the skilful dispositions of Wurmser, were not able to stand their ground. They retired with all expedition, after losing two thousand men, and would certainly have lost many more, had not the French, from the excessive fatigue of so many successive conflicts, been disabled from a pursuit.

This victory was completely decisive of the contest between these two rival generals. The battle might be said to have lasted five days, as there was no intermission of fighting during that time.

The losses of the Austrians precluded all hopes of keeping the field. They

amounted to seventy pieces of can. non, all the carriages belonging to his army, more than twelve thousand prisoners, and six thousand slain.

But the principal loss was that of reputation. The troops thus beaten were chiefly veterans. Those who came with Wurmser were deemed the flower of the Austrian army, that had so obstinately contended with the best troops of France upon the Rhine. Wurmser himself was reputed an officer second to no one in the Imperial service, nor indeed in Europe, for valour, skill, and experience, and was, in a manner, the last hope of Austria, for the recovery of Italy.

All these were circumstances deeply mortifying to the court of Vienna, and proportionably productive of triumph and exultation to the French republicans, and their well-wishers.

The first intelligence of marshal Wurmser's marching against Buonaparte, at the head of so selected an army, had revived the expectations of all the enemies to France, and not a little alarmed the directory itself. But those who were able judges of the military talents of. Buonaparte, never felt a moment's despondency, and it is but justice to acknowledge that he fully answered their utmost expectations. Throughout the whole course of this arduous trial, his abilities astonished both friends and foes. Surrounded by difficulties of every sort, he acted with a clearness of penetration that foresaw and obviated them all. He removed impediments as fast as they arose, and took his measures with so much prudence and sagacity, that he could not be charged with having committed one false step. His body

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occupied the strong line along the Mincio, and a fortified camp before Peschiera. But the French attacked them on the sixth, forced their camp and lines, and compelled them to withdraw to the other side of the Mincio, with a great loss of men and cannon. They pursued them to Verona, where the Austrians, through the connivance of the Venetians, endeavoured to make a stand: but they were driven from this city, and fled in disorder towards the Tyrol. This action com pleted their route, and the garrison of Mantua excepted, no Austrian troops remained in Italy on the southern side of the Adige.

CHAP