The Kentucky Gazette

April 25.

The General in chief of the army in Italy to the Executive Directory.

Head Quarters at Carcare, 25th Germinal.

The campaign in Italy has commenced. I have to give you an account of the battle of Montenotte.

After three days movement to deceive us, General Beaulieu attacked, with a division of ten thousand men, the right of the army supported by Colli.

The General Cervoni, who commanded there, having under his orders the 70th and 60th half brigades, sustained the fire with the rapidity which characterizes the soldiers of liberty. I was not deceived with respect to the true intentions of the enemy. The instant I was informed of the circumstances of the attack on the right, I ordered General Cervoni to wait the night, and to fall back, by a forced march, and conceal his movement from the enemy, upon my centre, which was supported by the heights of Madonna di Savona.

On the 11th, at four in the morning, Beaulieu in person, with 15,000 men, attacked and beat in all the positions by which the centre of the army had been supported: at an hour after mid-day he attacked the redoubt of Monte Legino, which was behind the entrenchment. The enemy returned several times to the charge, but this redoubt, guarded by 1500 men, was rendered impenetrable by the courage of those who defended it.

The chief of the brigade Rampon, who commanded there, by one of those strokes which characterize a soul great and formed for brilliant actions, made his troops, in the midst of the fire, take an oath to die to a man in the redoubt.

The enemy passed the night within pistol shot.

During the night, Gen. Laharpe, with all the troops of the right, took post behind the redoubt of Monte Legino. At an hour after mid-night I departed with the Generals Berthier and Massena, the Commissioner Salicetti, and a part of the troops of the centre and the left. We moved by Altare upon the flank and the rear of the enemy.

On the 12th at break of day, Beaulieu, who had received a reinforcement, and Laharpe, attacked and fought with vigor and different success, when General Massena appeared, sowing death and terror on the flank and rear of the enemy, where M. Argenteau commanded: the rout of the enemy was complete; two of their generals, Rocavini and Argenteau, were badly wounded. The loss of the enemy was between three and four thousand men, of whom more than two thousand five hundred were made prisoners; a colonel, eight or ten superior officers, and several colours were taken.

When I shall have received all the reports, and shall be less engaged, I will send you a detail account, which may make known to you those to whom their country owes a particular acknowledgement.

Generals, officers and soldiers, all supported, in this memorable affair, the glory of the French name.

(Signed)
BUONAPARTE."

The success of our army in Italy has not stopped here. In the sitting of the Council of Five Hundred of yesterday, the following message was read by the President, from the Executive Directory:

"Citizen Representatives,

The fortunate battle of Montenotte, which we informed you of by our message of the 2d of this month, was only, for the invincible army of Italy, the prelude to successes still more brilliant. We have to-day to announce to you a victory, decisive and most memorable, gained by that army at Monte Legino over the united Piedmontese and Austrian armies.

The enemy lost ten thousand five hundred men, of whom eight thousand were made prisoners. They lost likewise forty pieces of cannon, with horses, mules, and ammunition waggons, fifteen standards of colours, all their baggage, and several magazines.

Our troops, generals, officers, soldiers, all are covered with glory, & have shown themselves worthy to defend the name of Liberty.

The General in Chief, Buonaparte, again directed this attack. The other Generals who seconded him in the most distinguished manner, are Laharpe, Augereau, Massena, Cervoni, Rusca, Menard, and Joubert. This last was wounded in leaping into the entrenchments of the enemy. Two generals were killed at the head of their columns, performing prodigies of valor.

The General Provera, who commanded the Austro-Sardinian army, was made prisoner, after having evinced the most gallant resistance, with some regiments which were taken with him.

You will declare, without doubt, that the army of Italy has not ceased to deserve well of its country."