Left Wing – III Kolonne -  Generalmajor Carl Peter Ott de Batorkéz

6617

Avant-Garde Brigade Generalmajor Friedrich Freiherr Gottesheim           

Jäger Korps Freiherr Constantin d'Aspre - 6 companies      

705

VI Battalion  Grenzregiment Banat   4 companies  

412

Hauptkolonne Generalmajor Graf Ferdinand Johann Morzin

K.K.  IR 39 Regiment Graf Thomas (Támas) Nádasdy I II and III Battalions

2036

K.K.  IR 40 Regiment FZM Graf Joseph Mittrowsky I and II Battalions                

1254

K.K.  Light Battalion . Nr. 15 Oberst Bonaventura Mihanovic (Croat-Slavonian) 

704

K.K.  2nd Hussar Régiment Erzherzog Joseph Anton - (3 divisions - 6 squadrons)                       

1090

Don Cossacks Regiment Semjornikov         

416

The French begun the day advancing towards the Tidone and concentrating their artillery in small detachments hidden in the villages. The cavalry, usually at the head of the columns, was kept in the rear, as a Reserve. It is important to note, thus, Tidone and Trebbia (with almost all the rivers, which flowed from the Apennines into the Po, were actually of a rather considerable width, but fordable in summer, in several places,   for both the infantry as well as the artillery, with the difference, however, the artillery could operate only with difficulty off the main roads, and cavalry out of the beds of these rivers, because of wood, ditches, channels and vineyards, which bordered the two banks.

Brun, with his detachment of French troops and the 1st Polish Battalion under Konopka, returned by Campremoldo-di-Sopra to the division, covered the left wing of the army. On 18, at dawn, he was in position. The 2nd Polish Battalion and the French cavalry, under Chlopicki, passed the Trebbia and occupied Casaliggio. Victor, on the same day, took the command of the left wing of the army, made up of the divisions of General Charpentiers, Rusca and Dąbrowski. About midday, Dąbrowski  had orders to pass the Trebbia, with his division, and to occupy Casaliggio, Tuna and Gazzola. He decided the 8th Demi-brigade, the 1st Polish Battalion and part of the Polish cavalry were to occupy Gazzola; the grenadiers, the chasseurs and the 3rd Battalion, with the remainder of the cavalry under  Forestier, with whom was general Dąbrowski, had to occupy Tuna, the 2nd Chlopicki battalion, with the French cavalry, being already in position at Casaliggio. The Polish Division assumed a three columns formation, crossing the Trebbia, in sight of the enemy, where it was more fordable. Some enemy outposts were cleared, but, hardlyhad the Poles arrived in the positions of Tuna and Gazzola, when the Austro-Russian army moved against them. The Avantgarde of Prince Bagration approached   cautiously, hidden in  some little woods of Acacia trees, when suddenly they engaged the Polish ouposts.[4]

It was 2 p.m. when the storm arrived. Brun, with his demi-brigade and the 1st Polish Battalion of Konopka, tried to reach Tuna, but found it already occupied and he was obliged to withdraw towards the mountains, leaving a gap in the French line. The detachment, which had occupied Casaliggio, having also been attacked by superior forces, had been withdrawn slowly behind the Trebbia and had taken position there. Thus seeing itself again preceded by the enemy, the men threw themselves towards the Trebbia.  The grenadiers and the 3rd Battalion defended there with greatest obstinacy, but, surrounded by the enemy, a great part were made prisoners of war, and the remainder withdrew towards the 2nd Battalion. The chief of the cavalry division, Forestier, Majors Zawadzki and Malachowski, as other officers, were made prisoners by the enemy. General Dąbrowski was almost captured, and, though wounded, he cut through a path at “coups de sabre”.

The unexpected assault of the Polish outposts alarmed the whole French line. Adjudant-général Gauthrin called to arms the two divisions of Victor and Rusca. The danger was real, as 15 enemy columns had passed the Tidone, advancing between the two rivers. They were turning gradually right, so that Gauthrin saw the enemy’s intentions: hit the left wing of the French and surround them, pushing the Republicans towards Piacenza, in a more and more narrow space. After having sent the couriers to Macdonald and other generals, the Adjudant launched the Dragoons of 16th Regiment and the 1st Battalion of the 97th Demi-brigade in a charge against the foremost units of the Austro-Russian right wing, some Russian grenadier battalions. The French counterattacks were more than one, and during these actions died the old colonel of the dragoons, Leblanc.

Rusca and Victor were at least ready to fight and closed the ranks of the battalions on a line that was 3 kilometers wide. Their intervention should have permitted to Gauthrin a little rest, but General Derfelden, leading the Shvejkowsky lines, attacked the French center, causing some disorder. The Russians were blocked thanks to the fire of three batteries. Now it  was Rusca’s turn to take the initiative. Under  strong musket fire, Calvin rallied the Rusca units and ordered them to charge with bayonets. The Russian infantry wavered, when on the flanks appeared the Cossacks, supported by Austrian heavy cavalry. The intervention of the cavalry allowed Derfelden to rally his shocked troops and to advance on Gragnano, where Rusca’s second line stopped them. A third Russian attack hit the 78th Demi-brigade, which repulsed them.

The Late Afternoon Attacks – the French Center and Right wings

The battle raged against the French center and the right wing from 5  p.m. Victor was slowly repulsed back by the advance of the Förster’s Division . It was an ordered to retreat and was protected by the cavalry, which fougth off  several charges by Cossacks and Levenehr Dragoons.

From 2  to 2.30 p.m., Montrichard had arrived at Sant’Antonio, followed by Olivier. They were ordered to take Victor’s former positions. Macdonald sent them immediately forward ordering them  to guard the right wing. Right of the Piacenza road,  not much happened.  Gottesheim’s avantgarde had cleared Santimento and disordered the Salme outposts. Ott had limited his troops in order to control the link with the center column and, observing the Montrichard and Olivier troops which deployed a “pas de course”, thought it more convenient to wait superior orders. Around 5 p.m., Ott was reached by Mélas, who took command of the wing. By 6 p.m., Mélas attacked some French units deployed, in disorder, among the vineyards. The thick vegetation, which had caused the French disorder, became also an impenetrable cover, so much that the Austrian reserve (grenadiers) were sent in to sweep away the Republicans. This episode caused also the French right wing to withdraw. Montrichard deployed on the right bank of the river, where was Olivier since his arrival, finally having some rest after the forced marches ended in a battle. The dusk, which was announcing the night, saw Dąbrowski, shocked and motionless, in Valera, right of the Trebbia. Also General Rusca had been forced back across the river, in search of better positions to defend himself.

When night had fallen, some French grenadiers, in search of revenge, approached an Austrian battalion, camped in 8 ranks of sleeping men. They were resting on piles of grass, completely dressed, when they were awaken by the musketry. Taken by surprise they left the camp in search of covers\. Mélas, having heard the noise, rallied two companies and  behind a ravine.  Heled them, with drums beating against the raiders. The Austrian Field Marshal was slightly wounded during this advance. So he ask Förster for a support and, when the reinforcements arrived, Mélas formed them in line and repulsed the French until they reached the river. There French Chasseurs à Cheval charged the Austrian flanks and went towards the Russian infantry. Also the guns of both opponents began again to fire. All lines alerted themselves realizing perhaps a new battle was beginning.

At 10.30 p.m., Prince Liechtenstein advanced with his 4 squadrons and countercharged the French cavalry. A close struggle followed, a melée between streams and ditches, which stopped the French advance. For a short time the fire was ceased and the opponents watched each other. At 11 p.m. all abandoned the idea to continue that night battle and returned at their respective camps. The last French movement of the night was the detachment of the 78th Demi-brigade, sent near San Rocco, where recently had camped the last unit of the Naples Army: Watrin’s Division, which had to be reinforced.

So, after the musketry had completely ceased (11 p.m.), in the warm and bright night, Prince Bagration was reinforced with Chubarov’s Jäger, from the siege of Tortona. He silently went ahead, passed the Trebbia, undisturbed,  and slipped ahead until Settima where, alone and without orders, he was in fear of becoming isolated. So he gave the order to retreat, at 3 a.m. in full night, in front of the Polish sentinels, who did not shoot at all. Bagration stopped the march in front of Casaliggio, where his soldiers at least could sleep a few.  

The French Forces