Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

ARMY OF ITALY—French Accounts.

Buonaparte, gen. in chief of the army of Italy, to the executive directory.

Head-quarters at Trent, 20th Fructidor, Sept. 6.

"Citizens Directors,

"The division of general Massena, passed the Adige, on the 16th, (Sept 2,) at Calliano, and arrived at the Alps on the 17th, following the great road of the Tyrol; the same day, at two in the morning, our cavalry, abreast the advanced posts of the enemy, and took from them six pieces of cannon. The division of general Augereau quitted Verona at the same time, and bore upon the Heights that separate the Venetian states from the Tyrolese.

"The division of general Vaubois departed at the same time from Storo. By the left side of the lake of Garda, his advanced guard arrived at Torbole, where he was joined by the brigade of general Guerenne, who had himself embarked at Salo, on the lake of Garda; his advanced guard, commanded by the gen. of brigade St. Hilaire, met the enemy at Sarca, routed them and took fifty prisoners.

"On the 17th, at night, general Pigeon, commanding the light-infantry of general Massena's division, informed me, that the enemy in force had retained the village of Seravalle, that he had received orders to attack it; that he had forced the enemy, and made 200 prisoners.

"On the 18 (Sept. 4), at day-break, we found ourselves in the presence of the enemy; one of their divisions occupied the impregnable defiles of Marco: another beyond Adige, protected the entrenched camp of Mori. General Pigeon, with a part of the light-infantry, attacked the enemy with his riflemen; brigadier general Victor, with the 18th demi-brigade of infantry, pierced by the great road; this instant gen. Vaubois attacked the camp of Mori; after a vigorous contest of two hours, the enemy every where fell back.

"Citizen Marois, my aid-de-camp, carried an order to gen. Dubois to advance the 1st regiment of Hussars and pursue the enemy. This brave general put himself at their head, and decided the affair; but he received three balls, which mortally wounded him. One of his aids de-camp had just been killed at his side, an instant afterwards I found the general expiring—“I die (said he) for the republic—Would that I had time to know whether the victory is complete," He immediately expired.

"The enemy retired to Roveredo. I ordered general Rampon to pass with the 32d brigade, between that town and the Adige; general Victor, in the mean time, entered at full charge, the main street; the enemy again fell back, leaving a great number of dead and prisoners. During this time gen. Vaubois forced the entrenched camp of Mori, and pursued the enemy on the other bank of the Adige. It was one in the afternoon, the enemy profited of the difficulties of the country to front us in all the defiles, and effected their retreat to Trent. We had then only taken three pieces of cannon, and 1000 prisoners.

"General Massena caused all the half-brigades to rally, and give a moment's repose to his division, during which we went, with two squadrons of cavalry, to reconnoitre the movements of the enemy in their retreat. They rallied before Calliano to cover Trent, and give time to their head-quarters to evacuate the place. Though beaten all the day, their position before Calliano was inattackable. The Adige almost touched the steep mountains, and formed a pass of 40 toises broad, closed by a village, and elevated castle, and a good wall, which joined the Adige to the mountain, where they had placed all their artillery. New dispositions were necessary.

General Dammartin began a cannonade with eight pieces of light artillery. He had chosen a position which commanded the narrow parts of the mountain. Gen. Pigeon passed with the light-infantry upon the right: 300 riflemen threw themselves upon the shore of the Adige to commence the fusilade; and three demi-brigades, in a close column, and in battalions, passed the defile; the enemy harassed by the lively fire of our artillery, and the boldness of our soldiers, did not resist the mass of our columns, but abandoned the entrance of the pass. Terror spread through all their line. Our cavalry pursued. Citizen Marois, with 50 hussars, gained their rear, and stopped the whole column of the enemy. He crossed it, and was himself surrounded, thrown upon the ground and wounded; a part of the enemy's force marched over his body; he is severely hurt, but none of his wounds are mortal. The chief of the 1st regiment of hussars is killed. Citizen Flissier, captain of my company of Guides, saw two pieces of cannon, on the point of escaping; he flew upon them with five or six guides; and, notwithstanding the efforts of the enemy, stopped the pieces.

"Six or even thousand prisoners, 25 pieces of cannon, 50 caissons, even standards—such are the fruits of the battle of Roveredo, one of the most successful of the campaign. The other loss of the enemy must have been considerable.

"On the 20th, at 8 in the morning, general Massena entered Trent. Wurmser had quitted it in the evening, to take refuge by Branzoll. General Vaubois, with his division, soon marched in pursuit of the enemy, whose rear-guard was entrenched at Levico, behind the river Lavio, and guarded the bridge which it was necessary for us to pass.

"General Dellemaxne, not without much difficulty, passed, under the fire of the enemy, at the head of the 25th demi-brigade. General Murat passed at the head of a detachment of the 10th chasseurs, carrying an equal number of infantry. General Leclerc, with three chasseurs, and citizen Desaix, chief of the brigade of Allobroges, accompanied by twelve carabiniers, had been able to turn the enemy, and place themselves in ambuscade, about half a league in advance. The enemy's cavalry, as they were saving themselves at gallop, found themselves stopped. Leclerc was lightly wounded. The enemy endeavoured to open a passage, but the 12 carabineers crossed their bayonets, and formed an inattackable rampart. The night was already dark; 100 of the enemy's hussars, and 3 or 400 infantry, with one standard of Wurmser's hussars, were taken.

"You may soon expect a more bloody and decisive battle.

(Signed)
"BUONAPARTE"