The first insurgent territory was Polesine (the land near the Po around
Rovigo) where the upraising broke out in Vaccaro, Fiesso, and other
villages (March 25). The French Navy commander, Sybille, who led the
flotillas from the Garda, through the Rivers Mincio and Po, sunk the
7 gunboats, which were still in the Po navy yards of Pontelagoscuro. On
March 31st, a Croat detachment occupied Mesola, while 24 seamen of
the Dalmatian flotilla, together with the Argenta town insurgents,
assaulted Ariano capturing one French gunboat, 20 artillery pieces
and 54 prisoners (leaving 5 dead and 3 wounded on the battleground).
After that raid, the K.K. Seeflotille organized a new gunboat squadron
which was stationed at Migliavacca and Primaro. The day after Magnano
the Austrians passed over the Po by a ford between Crespino and Cologna
(25 Km northeast of Ferrara). On April 8, the “wounded” General
Anton Liptay crossed the river at Polesella, entrenching his detachment
at La Zocca.
In the Mantuan territories were many insurgent bands, which fought
hard against the Montrichard’s “mobile columns” and
often defeating them (on April 9 at Finale against Fratacchio;
on April 16 at Nonantola against Liebault [ii] and
Salimbeni). On April 17 the insurgents occupied Cento, which was regained
by the Chef-de-brigade Trippault with 900 Cisalpine National
Guards. Finale returned to French hands and there, the insurgent
chief Costanzo Vandolini, was shot. Many other insurgents were operating
in the Ferrara and Ravenna territories, along the Rivers Po and Reno
and in many villages, supported by small detachments of the Klenau’s
troops. But the most important city to capture, in order to gain the
complete control of the territory, was Ferrara.
French III Battalion: 5th Line Infantry
Demi-brigade
| 700
| Cisalpine Infantry
| 2019
| L Company Brescia Infantry Guides Captain
Carlo Gerardi
| 60
| Legione Civica Cispadana (capolegione
Carlo Bentivoglio) or National Cispadane Mobile Guard
| 1959
| Piedmontese artillery brigade “de
bataille”
- Detachment
| 40
| Guns
| 90
| Canoniers de Marine
| 26
| 1st Piedmontese Dragoons Regiment [iii] (4 Squadrons )
| 308
| 3rd Piedmontese Dragoons Regiment [iv] (4 Squadrons )
| 260
| 1st Cisalpine Hussars Regiment II Squadron
| 46
The fortress was constructed by Pope Paul V on the site
of the castle called "Castel Tedaldo", at the south-west
angle of the town. In the Ferrarese territory the rebellion took,
as a symbol, a tree-branch with leaves and an image of Holy Maria,
Christ’s Mother, carried on the hat. In the town of Cento, near
Ferrara, the pillage of the Jewish ghetto was avoided thanks to the
participation of the parish priest, don Sante Bezzi. Ferrara
was then besieged by an Austrian column, part of the Left Wing of the
Austrian Armée, consisting mostly of General Klenau’s
Corps, plus four thousand armed peasants. From April 19,
Klenau patrolled the Po River, capturing Lagoscuro, Borgoforte and
the small fortress of Mirandola (April 21) leaving a detachment to
siege the Ferrara fortress. The besieged troops resisted until May
24, when they surrendered after being weakened by the disease.
By April 15, Klenau had ordered Ferrara to surrender,
but the Fortress, defended by Cisalpine Commissioner Bertelli and the
French Chef-de-brigade Lapointe with 700 regular, 1959 Civic Guards,
and 10 hostages. On 19 April the city was blocked by Colonel Danilo
Oreskovich and his 1300 Croatians of the 2nd Banal battalion (and of
the Szluiner battalion) together with 4000 Ferrarese “auxiliary
troops” under the Count Antonio Gardani) and the Sermide insurgents
under Major Angelo Pietro Poli. The frontal assaults against
the fortress were carried against Saint Paul’s Door, where
already from April 21, the garrison had made a sortie, which cost them
42 prisoners. The rebels repelled sorties on April 27 and 30, and on May
5, 14 and 19.
On April 25, Melas installed, in Pontelagoscuro, the temporary Imperial
Royal Ferrarese Regency, whose only task was to assure the logistic
supply for the Austrian armies. In the meanwhile the insurgents had
created some bridgeheads over the Po pressing the Cisalpines towards
Bologna and the Romagna. Another Republican attempt to rescue Ferrara
occurred on April 24, when a Modenese column of 400 men carried out
a third attack on Mirandola and Finale, without being able to close
and destroy the Mantovane bands.
On April 29, Montrichard tried to re-supply Ferrara by forcing the
Austrians to raise the blockade. He movedg from Bologna with
4,000 men, 111 cattle and 29 flour wagons. But at Cento, despite being
assisted by Republican sharpshooters (Franchi Tiratori), the column
was stopped by 800 Croatians and rebels. The French lost 58 dead
and several prisoners. At last, threatened on the flank by bands coming
from Modena, Montrichard withdrew to Bologna, cutting the bridges over
the Reno. Only the column of the Adjudant-general Pierre Augustin Hulin,[v] forced
the passing of the Gallo and, after conducting a reprisal at Santa
Maria (near Battifreddo) where they killed three, they reached and
resupplied Ferrara.
From there they formed a “mobile column” in order to resume
the control of the lower Po.
War in Romagna – the Surrender of Ferrara
On May 1st, fearing a disembarkation of forces at Primaro, the Romagna
garrison returned to Bologna, leaving small Piedmontese garrisons at
Imola, Ferrara, Lugo, Faenza, Rimini, and Ravenna. After some days, the French
left Modena in order to recover in Fort Urbano. On May 12, 40 Piedmontese
of the II Demi-brigade, took control of Cesena from
rebels with a clever stratagem. On May 17, Lugo was occupied
by Antonio Corelli, with his 150 rebels from Alfonsine. But the day
after, the Jacobin chief Giuseppe Bertazzoli returned with 400 patriots
and some regular soldiers. The insurgents evacuated the village, deploying
themselves in the woods, and Hulin came to Lugo. The town was put in
defensive mode, capturing again Massalombarda and Monselice and pushing
horse patrols to control the Po crossing at Primaro, held by 400 insurgents
of Argenta and 33 hussars of the Nauendorff Regiment.
On May 19, while the Austrians disembarked crews and ammunitions at
Comacchio, 2000 regular Austrians reached Pontelagoscuro (Italian light
battalions Am Ende #3 and Bach #4 and a battalion of Banal Grenzers
) with 12 guns and 7 mortars. On May 21, Klenau again asked Ferrara
to surrender. On May 22, Chef Lapointe left the city, closing himself
in the old Citadel. However the garrison capitulated on May 24, after
three hours of bombardment which left 62 dead. The surrender condition
were mutually exchanged and the treatise was conducted by Oberst Skal,
of the Engineers, who had reached Ferrara as volunteer, after having
left Legnago. Klenau took 2017 (or 1534) prisoners, 90 guns and rich
warehouses); 150 Piedmontese and others, plus some Cisalpine troops,
were made prisoner (80 at Ravenna) on 27 May. He organized, in Ferrara,
another Imperial Royal Regency, but left the logistics to that one
of Pontelagoscuro. The Jews of Ferrara were ordered to pay 30000 ducates,
and this sum avoided the city’s pillage. The sum was utilized
to pay the
“auxiliaries” wages (a daily intake of 21 “Baiocchi” in
cash and 4 in bread). Finally Bishop Mattei re-entered the city. The
fall of the citadel was described in the Austrian reports:
“Vienna June 3
General Baron Kray has sent Lieutenant Disorisky, of the Regiment
of Nauendorff, with the intelligence of the capture of the Citadel
of Ferrara, on the 22nd of May. Major General Count Klenau states,
in his report, that, not having succeded in his endeavours, when he
took possession of the town, to make the enemy evacuate the citadel,
a regular pentagon, in perfect repair, abudantly supplied with artillery,
ammunitions and provisions, he was induced to direct Colonel Oreskovich
to order Captain Victora of the artillery to erect two batteries: which
work was carried on with so muche activity and spirit that they finished
in the evening of the 22nd.
On the 23rd, at three o’clock in the morning, the enemy had
already evacuated the town, which General Klenau garrisoned with the
light battalion of Bach. At eight o’clock Count Klenau summoned
the commandant of the fortress to surrender, but a negative answer
was returned. The batteries being ready, and the artillery and ammunition
having been conveyed into them at daybreak, General Klenau ordered
shells to be thrown both from mortars and howitzers into the citadel.
Two magazines in the fortress having caught fire, the commandant was
summoned a second time, and after some delay, a flag of truce was sent
about nine o’clock in the evening with proposal of capitulation,
which were concluded at one o’clock in the morning. The enemy’s
fire killed two privates of the artillery and wounded an artificier.
On the 24th, in the morning, the copies of capitulation were exchanged,
hostages mutually delivered up, and the gate of Soccorso was occupied
an hour after. Seventy-two new brass cannons, with thir ammunitions,
and six months provisions, were found in the fortress. The hospital
stores alone are estimated at one million five thousand French livres.
“ [vi]
On May 27 Lieutenant Grill, who had embarked at Chioggia with part
of the Bohemian Regiment Graf von Stuart (IR 18), disembarked at the
Primaro, marching on Ravenna, while the Dalmatian sailors with a naval
gun, forced the Alberoni town-gate. General Nagant escaped being captured;
but so for the garrison (80 Piedmontese, 20 Gendarmes and 6 artillerymen).
Lugo was abandoned, Hulin withdrew till Imola and the 80 Piedmontese,
remained in the Lugo castle, surrendered, after short resistance, to
150 rebels and 60 hussars.
Another report of the capture of Ravenna, the main Romagna’s
town:
“Whilst this operation was carried on against Ferrara citadel,
Lieutenant Grill was ordered upon another expedition against Ravenna.
According to his report of the 26th to General Kray, he embarked on
the 24th, with 4 companies of the Stuart regiment, and entered Porto
di Goro on the 25th.
On 26, he landed his troops at Primaro with two 3 pdrs. Guns, having
previously concerted upon the mode of attack with the Major Pooz, commander
of the river flotilla, and with Jacobi, chief of the Comacchio insurgency.
Major Pooz entered the canal of Ravenna with his flotilla, and landed
his sailors. Lieutenant Grill marched to Ravenna through Pozzolo, with
3 companies and 3 pieces of artillery; 300 of the insurgents marched
at the same time from Sant’Alberto. On his approach the enemy
shoot his gates and defended themselves, but the gates were soon forced
open, and, after a short resistance, they retreated by the way of Lugo.
They lost, in their retreat, one piece of artillery, a lieutenant-Colonel,
an officer, and about 100 prisoners. Major Pooz was very active in
the landing and came to the assistance of Lieutenant Grill with 60
armed sailors.Lieutenants Stromada and Frankenbusch, of the Stuart
regiment, distinguished themselves particularly. To support the expedition
against Ravenna, General Kray also detached a squadron of hussars,
two infantry companies, and a battalion of light infantry from Ferrara.
The capture of this place secured the whole road along the coast, and
the subsistence of the troops in the province of Ferrara.“
All the Romagna region became free from Republicans, the southern
part and Rimini excluded. Rimini was taken with an audacious naval
incursion of lieutenant Carl Martinitz, who entered in port with a
single sloop and 24 Dalmatian sailors. Adjudant-général
Fabert [vii] tried to block the landing, but he
was attacked, from his rear, by the citizens, under chief Giuseppe
Federici, and forced to withdraw. The day after, Martinitz, the
Fabert’s counterattack, brought by 200 Piedmontese and 2 guns.
Then he surprised the republicans at Santa Giustina, with a “frank
coy” of 60 riders, taking all guns and 50 prisoners; 20 dead
and wounded were left on the battlefield. After having
cleared the Romagna, the Austrians gathered the republicans, deporting
them in Hungary and to the Sibenik’s Castle (Sebenico in dalmatia).
On 31 surrendered the 80 men of the Lugo garrison. At least many of
the Klenau corps detachments re-united and marched forward to besiege
Bologna.
Notes:
[i] Cispadane
(in opposite of Cisalpine) was the adjective regarding the territories
lying south of the Po (Padus) river (cis = beyond; padane = the Po),
actually the Emilia and the Romagna regions.
[ii] Montrichard’s Adjudant-général Charles
Antoine Lièbault (1771-1811) was an Adjudant general in
the armée de Naples and was promoted to the rank of Général-de-brigade
on October 19, 1799. That promotion was very unlucky, being mortally
wounded on November 6, 1799. Not to be confused with Chef François-Augustin
Liebault, who was Chef-de-brigade, on September 1799, in the place
of Mathieu Gardane at the 9e Chasseurs a cheval.
[iii] (Former Dragoni
del Re and Dragoni della Regina merged together)
[iv] (Former
Dragoni di Piemonte and Dragoni della Regina merged together)
[v] Pierre-Augustin Hulin (Count)
was born in Paris on September 6, 1758. He entered the service in 1771,
in the Infantry regiment of Champagne, passing, on 1772, to the régiment
des Swiss Gardes, where it was named sergeant on August 7, 1780. Having
taken service, in 1794, in the army of Italy, he accepted, from Bonaparte,
the rank of adjudant-general. In year II, he was at Nice, Leghorn;
in year III at Klagenfurt, in year IV in Milan, and in year V at Ferrara.
In Genoa garrison he took a great part during the hard defense of this
city. Sent on mission by the Consuls, he followed Bonaparte to the
Reserve army and was named chief of staff of Wautrin division. After
the battle the Marengo, he led again the place of Milan. He was also
the chief of staff of division Richepanse in 1800, senior palatine
officer in 1801, and chief of the staff of Rivaud division in Spain
(1802).
Hulin was promoted in year 1804 with the commander rank of Legion-d’Honneur
and was envoyed with the Grande Armée, becoming the responsible
for the command of Vienna. He made, in 1806, the Prussian campaign
accepting the command of Berlin. On his return in Paris, in 1807, Hulin
was named general of division (August 9), with the command of the 1st
military territorial division. Created count of the Empire in 1808,
the general count Hulin ordered the Paris military place and the first
division at the time of the Mallet conspiracy in 1812. In April 1814,
after the abdication of Fontainebleau, he sent to the provisional government
his adhesion with the recently adopted measures. The Restoration removed
him the command of the lst division, which was returned to him during
the Hundred Days. Banished by the ordinance of July 24, 1815, Hulin
withdrew himself in Belgium and from there in Holland. When the ordinance
of the 1st December 1819 reopened the doors of France he returned in
his fatherland, lived few years in France, near Nevers, then at Tail-in-Brie
(Seine-and-Oise), where he lived the retirement. The count Hulin, who
had lost the sight in the last years, died in Paris, on January 9,
1841.
[vi] From “A
Collection of State Papers Relative to the War against France” Vol. VIII,
London, Debrett ed. 1800.
[vii] After the surprise of the Martinitz night-raid, between the
fugitives, fleed also the Adjudant-général Fabert, who,
disguised in a large mantle and guided by a Jacobin of Rimini, surnamed “Gironda”,
was able to reach San Leo fortress in the Apennins. There he was captured,
on July 12, when the fortress surrendered after 44 days of siege, by
the insurgent bands of the Montefeltro.
Placed on the Napoleon Series: March 2008
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