Declaration of the Austrian War Ministry

Innsbruck, June 4. The sixth bulletin that has just appeared contains the report of Field Marshal Lieutenant Baron Welden on the advance of his army corps from May 24 to June 1. It supplies the details of the war events there, for the most part already known. The Field Marshal Lieutenant holds the whole tract of land between the Piave and the Isonzo, keeps the fortress of Palma invested in order to compel it by hunger, and has already begun to cross to the right bank of the Piave. In all the villages the white flag has been hoisted, and under the protection of our posts the country people, terrified by the wretched invaders (!), are tilling their fields (!). Treviso is said still to harbour 3 to 4,000 crusaders, but the inhabitants desire their removal (!!). The same bulletin reports: “Field Marshal Count Radetzky communicates the following from his headquarters at Rivalta on June 1: The day before yesterday I caused an attempt to be made to attack Goito by the first army corps; since, however, this bridgehead was very strongly entrenched and armed with 16-pounder guns, and the enemy accordingly offered great resistance, and the army, moreover, was not yet sufficiently concentrated (!) to be able to continue the attack with vigour, I broke off the engagement, because I wished to spare the lives of the brave troops and of so many distinguished officers who, given the scant prospect (!) of a favourable result, would have been sacrificed in vain. The suburb of Goito was indeed taken for a moment by the troops of the division of Prince Felix Schwarzenberg, who received a bullet in the right arm, but it could not be held owing to the superiority of the enemy’s artillery fire (!! 46 Italian against 120 Austrian cannon). The enemy was over 15,000 men strong in his entrenchments, and even launched offensive attacks on his right wing. Opposite him, however, the first army corps (30,000 men strong!) maintained itself with the most commendable resolution in the position it had taken up. On the previous day I united the whole army at Goito, and I intended today to commence my operations forward, when yesterday afternoon and during the night rain fell incessantly and in such torrents that in the low-lying water regions of the Po and Mincio here all communications have been reduced to such a bottomless condition that I am compelled to suspend the continuation of operations for today and perhaps tomorrow as well, since the guns would not get through, and movements are impossible for friend and foe alike. Thus, I and my troops await with impatience the moment that will permit us to renew our offensive movements (!).” (Tyrolean Messenger.)