Editing Battle of Marengo (section)

==Battle==
===Austrian attack===
[[File:Michael von Melas.jpg|thumb|left|[[Michael von Melas]] led the centre of the army during the attack, but he mistakenly believed that the battle was over before the arrival of Desaix.|alt=Half-length portrait of General Melas dressed in a white Austrian general's uniform with a decoration on his chest. Melas has white hair and keeps his right hand on his belt and his left one on a table, while looking to the right.]]
The Austrian troops advanced from Alessandria eastwards across the river Bormida by two bridges [[debouch]]ing in a narrow bend of the river (the river being not easily crossed elsewhere). Poor Austrian staff work prevented any rapid development of their attack and the entire army had to file through a narrow bridgehead.<ref>Arnold, p. 146</ref> The movement began about 6&nbsp;am with the first shots fired around 8&nbsp;am, but the attack was not fully developed until 9&nbsp;am.<ref name="Hollins606"/>

The 1,200-man Austrian advance guard, under [[Colonel]] (''Oberst'') [[Johann Maria Philipp Frimont]] and a division of 3,300 men under FML O'Reilly, pushed the French outposts back and deployed to become the Austrian right wing, driving the enemy from Pedrabona farm, then
heading south to tackle the French at La Stortiglione farm.<ref name="Hollins606"/> The Austrian centre (about 18,000 under Melas) advanced towards Marengo until halted by GdD Gardanne's French infantry deployed in front of the Fontanone stream.<ref>Arnold, p. 149</ref> On the Austrian left, 7,500 men under FML [[Peter Karl Ott von Batorkez|Peter Ott]] waited for the road to clear before heading for the village of Castel Ceriolo well to the north of the French positions. This move threatened either an envelopment of the French right, or a further advance to cut the French line of communication with Milan.<ref>Benoît, p. 119</ref>

Gardanne's men gave a good account of themselves, holding up the Austrian deployment for a considerable time. When Gardanne's division was exhausted, Victor pulled it back behind the Fontanone and committed his second division under GdD Chambarlhac (this officer soon lost his nerve and fled). The French held Marengo village and the line of the Fontanone until about noon, with both flanks in the air. First, at 8&nbsp;am, Melas hurled FML [[Karl Joseph Hadik von Futak]]'s division (four battalions) at Victor's defenses, supported by Frimont's advance guard battery along the stream.<ref name="Hollins606"/> Forced into a funnel by the bad ground and Fontanone stream, Hadik's attack came under fire from two sides and failed, with Hadik being killed. The Austrian commander then committed FML [[Konrad Valentin von Kaim]]'s division but this attack was also thwarted by 11&nbsp;am. Finally, as the French position was reinforced by [[François Étienne de Kellermann]]'s cavalry and [[Jean Lannes]]'s formation was on the way, FML [[Ferdinand Johann von Morzin]]'s elite [[grenadier]] division was sent in to attack Marengo village.<ref name="Hollins607">Hollins, ''Encyclopedia'', p. 607</ref> Melas also committed a serious tactical blunder, detaching ''[[Generalmajor]]'' (GM) Nimptsch's brigade of 2,300 [[hussar]]s and two artillery batteries back over the Bormida bridge to block the corps of General [[Louis Gabriel Suchet]], which was mistakenly reported around 9&nbsp;am from [[Acqui Terme]] to be approaching Alessandria from the south.<ref>Arnold, p. 151</ref> Besides delaying the crossing of the Austrian left wing, this also meant that, being 30 kilometers away, Nimptsch's brigade would play no part in the battle.<ref name="Hollins607"/>

====Stalemate in the centre around Marengo====
[[File:Kellermann, Francois Etienne.jpg|thumb|[[François Étienne de Kellermann]] played an important role during the battle.|alt=Painted portrait of Kellermann while wearing his French blue general uniform with yellow epaulettes, a red sash, and high collar. His hair and eyes are brown and he gazes to the left of the viewer. Kellermann wears three decorations on his chest.]]
It took Bonaparte (5 kilometers away from Marengo) until about 10&nbsp;am to recognize that the Austrian activity was not a diversionary attack to cover the anticipated retreat by Melas.  His subordinates had brought their troops up in support of Victor's corps. Lannes's corps had deployed on the crucial right flank. GM [[Friedrich Joseph Anton von Bellegarde]]’s part of Kaim's division had crossed the Fontanone north of Marengo and occupied La Barbotta farm. Lannes directed Watrin's infantry to drive Bellegarde back. They briefly crossed the Fontanone before Austrian reserve guns drove the French back. Kellermann's heavy cavalry brigade and the 8th Dragoons took up a covering position on the left, smashing an attempt by GM Giovanni Pilatti's light dragoon brigade which attempted to cross the steep-sided Fontanone at its southern end to envelop Victor's flank.<ref name="Hollins607"/> On the right, [[Brigadier General|GdB]] Pierre Champeaux was killed trying to stop the progress of Ott's column. A small part of the 6<sup>ème</sup> Légère (6th Light Infantry Regiment) occupied Castel Ceriolo to the north, but soon Ott's lead units took it around 11:30&nbsp;am and began putting pressure on the French right flank. Ott could not see any sign of the expected main French advance from Sale (to the northeast), so he sent GM [[Friedrich Heinrich von Gottesheim]]’s reinforced advance guard to outflank Lannes north of Marengo.<ref name="Hollins607"/> By 11&nbsp;am Bonaparte was on the battlefield. He sent urgent recalls to his recently detached forces and summoned up his last reserves. As they came up, GdD [[Jean-Charles Monnier]]'s division and the [[Consular Guard]] were committed to extend and shore up the French right, rather than to try to hold Marengo where Victor's men were running short of ammunition.<ref>Arnold, p. 158</ref>

====Austrian breakout across the Fontanone====
Toward 12:30&nbsp;pm Lannes moved the rest of his force to face Gottesheim in a hook shape, while Kaim attacked again, but this time against Victor's wings. A ''Laufbrücke'' (small bridge) was thrown over the Fontanone and supported by reserve artillery. GM [[Christoph von Lattermann]]’s grenadiers crossed to engage [[Olivier Macoux Rivaud de la Raffinière]]’s two demibrigades defending Marengo village, while Bellegarde and Frimont's four squadrons split Watrin off. Although Rivaud retook the village, O’Reilly had taken Stortiglione by 2:00&nbsp;pm, and in the north, Ott prepared to send FML [[Joseph von Schellenberg]]’s column to support Gottesheim. After securing the Fontanone bridge, Pilatti's cavalry crossed but were again charged and defeated by Kellermann. However, Victor could no longer hold his positions and withdrew southeast to the main vine belt ([[Vitis|grape vines]] slung among [[mulberry]] trees), Lannes mirroring the move. The Marengo farm garrison was abandoned and at around 2:30&nbsp;pm Melas led two cavalry squadrons to capture them.<ref name="Hollins607"/>

[[File:Johann Maria Philipp Frimont.png|thumb|left|[[Johann Maria Philipp Frimont|Johann Frimont]]'s troops destroyed the Consular Guard infantry.|alt=Black and white half-length portrait of General Frimont wearing a full hussar-style dress. His black strands of hair conceal his early baldness. He looks to the left of the viewer and keeps his right hand on a table and his left one on the hip, covered by the pelisse. He has multiple decorations on his chest.]]
At about 2:00&nbsp;pm the French attacked Castel Ceriolo and delayed the advance of Schellenberg's column by attacking its tail.<ref name="Hollins607"/> Aided by Frimont, Ott defeated Monnier and forced two-thirds of his command to retreat to the northeast. About the same time, Marengo had fallen to the Austrians, forcing Napoleon's men into a general retreat.<ref>Arnold, p. 162</ref> As Austrian troops crossed the Fontanone, their guns bombarded the French infantry in the vines. In a bid to further delay Schellenberg's advance, Bonaparte committed his main Guard battalion and its artillery, which moved to flank the column. After driving off Austrian [[dragoon]]s with the aid of GdB Champeaux's remaining cavalry (under [[Joachim Murat]]), they engaged the head of the column. After a 15-minute firefight around 4:00&nbsp;pm the Guard were surprised and destroyed by Frimont's cavalry.<ref name="Hollins607"/>

The French fell back c. 3&nbsp;km and attempted to regroup to hold the village of San Giuliano. With the French outnumbered and driven from their best defensive position, the battle was as good as won by the Austrians. Melas, who was slightly wounded, and 71, handed over command to his chief of staff, General [[Anton von Zach]], and Kaim. The Austrian centre formed into a massive pursuit column in order to chase the French off the battlefield, with the advance guard commanded by GM [[Franz Xaver Saint-Julien]]. The column formed up around Spinetta, southeast of Marengo, and advanced down the New Road. However, delays in the flanks led to the Austrian army forming a crescent shape with a thinly stretched central sector.<ref name="Hollins607"/> On the Austrian right wing, O'Reilly wasted time hunting down a 300-man French detachment led by Achille Dampierre (which was finally captured) and moved southeast. This took his troops out of supporting distance from the Austrian main body.<ref>Arnold, p. 160</ref> On the Austrian left, Ott hesitated to press hard against the French because GdB Jean Rivaud's small brigade of French cavalry hovered to the north.<ref>Arnold, p. 173</ref>

===French counter-attack===
However, Desaix, in charge of the force Bonaparte had detached southwards, had hastened his advance and reached a small road junction north of Cascina Grossa (3&nbsp;km west of San Giuliano).<ref name="Hollins607"/> Shortly before 5:00&nbsp;pm, he reported to Bonaparte in person with the news that his force (6,000 men and 9 guns of Boudet's division) was not far behind. The story goes that, asked by Bonaparte what he thought of the situation, Desaix replied: "This battle is completely lost. However, there is time to win another."<ref>Chandler, p. 269</ref>

The French were fast to bring up and deploy the fresh troops in front of San Giuliano, and the Austrians were slow to mount their attack. Boudet and the 9<sup>ème</sup> Légère ([[9th Light Infantry Regiment]]) were quickly moved on to the exit from the main vine belt, where they surprised the head of Saint-Julien's column. As the Austrian infantry deployed on the south side of the road, the 9<sup>ème</sup> Légère conducted a steady withdrawal for 30 minutes back to Desaix's position. There he had placed GdB Louis Charles de Guénand's brigade on the north side while most of the remaining French army (Monnier and Lannes) were forming up north from there. The Austrians deployed three artillery batteries on the north side of the road supported by a dragoon regiment.<ref name="Hollins607"/> GdB [[Auguste de Marmont]] massed the remaining French cannon against the Austrians as they advanced. Boudet's division advanced in line of brigades against the head of the Austrian column, defeating Saint-Julien's leading Austrian brigade. Zach brought forward GM Lattermann's grenadier brigade in line and renewed the attack. Faced with a crisis, Napoleon sent Desaix forward again and ordered a cavalry charge requested by Desaix. The 9<sup>ème</sup> Légère halted to face the main Austrian advance and Marmont's guns blasted the Austrians with grapeshot at close range.<ref name="Hollins607"/> Further back, an Austrian ammunition limber exploded. In the temporary heightening of confusion, Lattermann's formation was charged on its left flank by Kellermann's heavy cavalry (ca. 400 men) and disintegrated. At the decisive moment of the battle, Desaix was shot from his horse.<ref name="Hollins607"/> Zach and at least 2,000 of his men were taken prisoners.<ref>Arnold, pp. 177–180</ref>

[[File:Jean Broc - "Death of general Desaix".jpg|thumb|left|250px|Napoleon is presented the body of Desaix|alt=Oil painting featuring Napoleon in the foreground being presented by a soldier the body of Desaix. Desaix is wearing a white shirt and his chest is exposed to show the wound. Numerous and curious bystanders surround the scene.]]
Murat and Kellermann immediately pounced on the supporting Liechtenstein Dragoons who were too slow to respond and routed them as well.<ref name="Hollins607"/> The fleeing Austrian horsemen crashed into the ranks of Pilatti's rattled troopers and carried them away. As the mob of terrified cavalry stampeded past them, the exhausted Austrian infantry of the main body lost heart, provoking a wild rush to the rear. The gun teams fled, pursued by French cavalry, while their whole infantry line advanced westward.<ref>Hollins, ''Encyclopedia'', pp. 607–608</ref> The second grenadier brigade under GM [[Karl Philippi von Weidenfeld]] and some unpanicked cavalry delayed Boudet's advance long enough for O’Reilly's cavalry to return, and together with Frimont, they mounted a last defense around Marengo village as night fell, allowing the Austrian centre to reach safety behind the Bormida.<ref>Arnold, pp. 180–181</ref> Ott with the Austrian left failed to intervene and found his retreat through Castel Ceriolo blocked by French troops advancing northwest from the centre, but managed to fight his way back to the Bormida bridgehead.<ref name="Hollins608">Hollins, ''Encyclopedia'', p. 608</ref>

The Austrians fell back into Alessandria, having lost about half the forces they had committed. The Austrians had lost heavily in the 12 hours of fighting: 15 colours, 40 guns, almost 8,000 taken prisoner, and 6,500 dead or wounded.<ref>Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. ''The French Revolutionary Wars'', Routledge: New Edition, 2001, {{ISBN|978-1-57958-365-1}}, p. 56, gives 6,000 casualties and 8,000 prisoners, 40 guns. Similarly, Chandler and Asprey.</ref> French casualties (killed and wounded) were on the order of 4,700 and 900 missing or captured, but they retained the battlefield and the strategic initiative.<ref name="Benoit122"/> Desaix's body was found among the slain.<ref>Benoît, p. 137</ref>