Italy. August 2, 1848
Italy.
* In yesterday’s issue of this paper we published the victory bulletin of the provisional government in Milan, and then mentioned the contrary victory bulletins from Bozen in the ‘Augsburg paper’ and from Trieste. We considered the former more credible for the reason that the news in the bulletin which reached us directly from Milan was confirmed at the same time by reports from two different towns in Switzerland, Zurich and Basle, which are in manifold commercial and geographically rapid connection with Milan. Quite particularly, however, the decisive circumstance in forming our judgment had to be that the Austrian victory reports were dated earlier and spoke of the fighting on the 23rd, whereas the Milan bulletin dealt with the 24th and the beginning of the 25th of July. These coinciding circumstances left us in no doubt as to the correctness of the Italian victory. Added to this was the fact that the Austrians had previously issued victory reports, for example, about a victory at Curtatone, which later proved to be precisely a defeat for the Austrians, and that it was precisely the ‘Augsburg paper’ which glorified that alleged victory. A comparison of the reports of both parties shows that the Italians did indeed carry off a victory, which, however, was wrested from them by the fresh advancing Austrian troops. If anything could have misled us, it would have been the ambitious but utterly incapable personality of Charles Albert, on whom we have repeatedly expressed our opinion earlier. Despite all the bad qualities of this ‘Sword of Italy’, there nevertheless remained the possibility that at least one of his generals, favoured by such extremely advantageous positions, might have possessed the military skill to bind victory to the Italian cause. Reality shows that this is not the case. Charles Albert’s fate is thereby sealed. Even his present throne, let alone the visionary one of all Italy, must collapse within a short time. As victor, he could for a time have hoped for the satisfaction of his ambition; vanquished, he will very soon be cast aside by the Italians themselves as an unfit instrument. Italy, after many bloody sacrifices, will nevertheless conquer and show that it does not need the wretched personality of the king of Sardinia to attain its freedom and national independence.
* Milan, July 27. Afternoon. To yesterday’s victory bulletin another has followed today, from which it emerges that the struggle between the two hostile armies was renewed. The Austrians were reinforced by fresh masses of troops, and after an engagement truly murderous for both sides, the Italians had to withdraw to Goito. The bulletin just issued by the provisional government reads:
‘We receive official reports of the battle fought over the last three days. The enemy, reinforced by fresh troops, attempted an attack along the whole line, relying on the three fortresses of Mantua, Legnago and Verona. On Sunday (July 23) the forward detachments at Rivoli and Sommacampagna, overwhelmed by numbers, had to evacuate these strong positions after an honourable resistance. On Monday (the 24th) King Charles Albert hastened up from Marmirolo to Villafranca, and our troops recaptured the positions of Sommacampagna. The engagement was protracted and bloody, the enemy’s losses greater than ours, and the day ended with prospects of a complete victory for the next day. But on Tuesday, while our artillery thundered down from the heights of Sommacampagna, a fresh enemy corps, which had set out under Radetzky’s command from Verona, where it had assembled from Legnago and Vicenza, arrived and fell upon our rear. After a resistance that was murderous for the enemy, it was recognised as dangerous to hold these so exposed and extended positions, and the army withdrew to Villafranca, from where it retired to Goito during the night, taking with it 2,500 prisoners, without the enemy daring to pursue, in order to recover from the extraordinary exertions of this three-day battle and to reunite with the reserve corps on the line of the Mincio. Peschiera is bravely defended by the left wing of the army under the command of General Sonnaz.’