The Virginia Gazette

Italy. The many heavy Rains, and the melting of the Snow on the Apennines, somewhat retarded the Operations in Italy. The Piedmontese invested Valentia on the 13th of April. Marshal Maillebois having been considerably reinforced, made a bold Push to relieve the Place; but was stopped, in his March, by the breaking down of a Bridge upon the Tanaro. Mean while General Leutrum carried on the Siege with such Vigour, that the Garrison, consisting of 1400 Spaniards, French, Neapolitans and Genoese, were obliged to surrender upon the following Conditions: 1. To deliver up the Gates to Baron Leutrum on the 23d. 2. To march out through the Breach with all the Honours of War; but all (except the Officers, who were allowed to keep their Swords) to lay down their Arms in the Ditch of the Town. 3. The whole Garrison to return to their respective Countries; and not to serve for the Space of a Year against the King of Sardinia, the Empress, or any of their Allies. 4. The Baggage to be transported, the Sick and Wounded to be taken Care of at the Expence of the Garrison, and the Deserters delivered up. Baron Leutrum lost 400 Men in the Siege. He found in the Town 25 Pieces of Cannon, great warlike Stores, 6000 Sacks of Corn, and 200. According to several Accounts, the Misunderstanding between Marshal Maillebois and Count Gages is made up, that this, joined to the other occasioned the French General to
M. de Castellar having thrown himself into Parma, with a considerable Body of Spaniards, Count de Gages made some forced Marches to relieve him, and Count Brown did the same on the other Side to prevent such Relief. This brought the Armies of these two Generals (the latter having been joined by General Bernclau and Prince Lichtenstein) in Sight of each other, on the opposite Sides of the Taro, at a Time when that River was impassable. By some Accounts, the Austrians had 33,000 Men, and the Spaniards 30,000; but according to the Gazette, the former 46,000, and the latter 22,000. -On the 19th of April, M. de Castellar ordered 1000 armed Peasants to make a Sally out of the Guastalla Gate, to draw the Attention of the Austrians to that Side; and in the Night he abandoned the City (marching out of the Porta de Secours) with the whole Garrison, consisting of 4000 regular Foot, 3000 Peasants, and 2000 Horse, Part of which took the Road towards Monte Chiarugolo, and Part marched between the River Trema and the Hills on the right of Parma : In their Way, they surprised and defeated some Picquets and advanced Posts of the Austrians. Early next Morning, General Nadafti, who was near the City with his Hussars, was detached with 8000 Men in Pursuit of them, and overtook and defeated several of their straggling Parties : The Spaniards however (tho' they had lost a great many Men by Skirmishes, Desertion, and Fatigue) avoided a close Action. and wearied out Nadafti's light Troops with the Pursuit. Nadafti, on his Return to the Army, was sent in Pursuit of Count de Gage's Rear, who retired upon the Spaniards preparing to pass the Taro. On the 22nd of April, the City of Parma surrendered, and the Garrison that had been left in it, consisting of 506 Men and 150 Sick, were made Prisoners of War, being permitted, however, to retain their Baggage. The Austrian Army passed the Taro in the Night between the 3rd and 4th of May, and on the 5th, the Head Quarters were at Fidentiola ; the same Day, the Enemy encamped under the Walls of Placentia : In the Night of the 5th, a Body of 9000 Spaniards passed the Po, under the Command of General Pignatelli, in order to attack the Corps of Austrian Troops at Codogno; and at break of Day, surprised their Picquets and advanced Guards, except 100 Horse that escaped to Milan : They then proceeded to Codogno, which they entered at three different Parts, before the Austrians had Notice of their coming ; however, they defended themselves bravely for 4 Hours, and drove the Enemy twice from the Town. The Enemy lost 2 Generals, 2 Colonels, 30 subaltern Officers, and had about 300 Men killed and wounded. Of the Austrians few were killed, but 1200 Foot and 200 Horse were made Prisoners ; and 6 Pieces of Cannon, 11 Colours and 2 Standards were taken ; General Gros, who commanded, is made Prisoner. The Enemy carried off with them a large Quantity of Flour and Forage, of which both Armies are in great Want, and returned to Placentia on the 8th in the Evening. By the last Accounts the two Armies were very near one another, General Nadafti having advanced as far as St. Lazaro, within less than two Miles of Placentia. On the 9th, the Enemy were sending away their Baggage and heavy Cannon to Tortona, near which Place they have marked a Camp.

The freshest News we have of the Operations in Italy. are from Prince Lichtenstein's Army, of the 17th Instant, when all M. de Gage's Army was gathered and posted close under the Walls of Piacentia, where M. Castellar, with the Residue of the Garrison of Parma was also arrived. The Austrians were busy in straitening and cutting off their Means of subsisting, and in that View, after a gallant Opposition on the Part of the Spaniards. had made themselves Masters of Usilippo, a Castle situated on the Trebia. And likewise that Prince Lichtenstein had succeeded in his Attack on the Convent at St. Lazaro, which is a large Seminary built by Cardinal Alberoni, a small Italian Mile from Placentia. The Prince thought the Spaniards would, in order to support it, have engaged in a general Affair, while he cannonaded it; but they abandoned it upon the falling of some of the Out-Walls, and are now all retired upon the Glacis, under the numerous Cannon of the Town, the whole Spanish Artillery, which was designed for the Siege of the Citadel of Milan, being mounted round the Ramparts of Placentia.