3.1 Outline of events
Upon Wurmser's letter "that he would cross the Mincio that day and operate against the enemy back" reaching him noon 2nd August FML Quosdanovich decided to support the operations of his commander in chief: General Ott was reinforced and ordered from Goglione to advance upon Ponte San Marco in two columns. General Ocskay should march for Desenzano and join Ott at Ponte San Marco next morning. Together they were intended to attack Brescia still in before noon. To support the attack Lieutenant-Colonel Vogel from Caino was to advance against Brescia. - Colonel Count Klenau with his force from Caino had reached Gavardo. With him and brigades Reuss and Sporck, Quosdanovich wanted to march to Monte Chiaro the next morning and there to await further orders from the Feldmarshal.
Yet only general Ocskay would march to Desenzano because in the night at 22.30 a report of Ott from Goglione reached Gavardo: "At 4 o'clock in the afternoon I have been told that a strong enemy column is advancing through the mountains from Lonato to Salo. Having reconnoitred it I judge its strength at 4.000. Till dusk I expected it to bump into general Ocskay's position at Sojano. Yet it remained totally silent in that quarter, no combat ensued, no shot was heard. I thereby divine that general Ocskay has already changed his position, that thereby Salo has been exposed and my position at Goglione as well as yours (FML Quosdanovich's) at Gavardo has already been turned".
This report was confirmed by scouts and returning patrols making FML Quosdanovich cancel the advance planned for next day's morning. By midnight he had general Reuss with 2 bns Klebek and 1 sqn Wurmser hussars leave the camp at Gavardo ordering him to "advance against this French column, attack it wherever met and restore and keep the connection between brigades Ott and Ocskay". General Ott was ordered to more concentrate his brigade.
This column between the Austrian brigades was division Sauret with which General Guyeux according to his orders had left Lonato to take Salo and attack the Austrians at Gavardo together with d'Allemagne and Despinois. Guyeux had chosen a rarely used and almost forgotten causeway leading over the heights between lake Garda and the Chiesa river. He had not noticed General Ocskay's column moving south to Desenzano to his right nor had this column realised his march. As it happened also general Reuss on his search for Sauret had taken a different route so that these French and two Austrian columns must have passed quite close without noticing each other.
At daybreak Wednesday 3rd August GM Prince Reuss with his column reached a hill over which ran the direct road from Desenzano to Salo. During the night he hadn't encountered any enemy forces. Only a French army surgeon was taken prisoner. Yet his testimony and those of the Italian farmers correspondingly said that some French troops had been in the environs the evening before yet had withdrawn again. Napoleon had Augereau keep the Austrian advance guard under Liptay at Castiglione busy. While division Sauret was heading for Salo, division Despinois and brigade d'Allemagne against Gavardo Napoleon ordered Massena to attack the enemy at Desenzano. GM Ocskay anticipated him by attacking first advancing against Lonato. As already mentioned this town was occupied by Massena's rearguard brigade Pigeon having retreated from the Mincio thither now forming Massena's advance-guard.
This general was defeated by Ocskay and taken prisoner along with part the 4th legere. 3 guns were taken and Lonato was occupied. The remnants of this demi-brigade fortunately found shelter behind the Fossa Lonata, an irrigation canal, and other obstacles presented by the terrain which prevented Ocskay's further advance.
Now Napoleon arrived with part of Massena's division. Immediately, he had 18th and 32nd demi-brigades de ligne advance en colonnes serrès par batallions supported by the 15e Dragons. General Ocskay deployed his few troops in one line to envelop the French columns and get into their flanks.
But Napoleon had some battalions deploy on each side (4e legere on the left, 18e legere on the right) of the columns which with their tirailleurs' fire held the advance of the overlapping Austrian wings. In the meantime the two columns continued their advance, 11e demi-brigade de ligne and 25e Chasseurs a Cheval following in support. The shock of this superior force threw back Ocskay's line abandoning Lonato to the French. 15e Dragons attacked the Ulans and retook the 3 guns lost by Pigeon. Ocskay saw his left flank threatened and fell back to Desenzano with the intention then to retreat North to Salo.
To prevent this Austrian brigade from disquieting Sauret in his rear Napoleon ordered adjutant GB Junot with the Guides sqn, 15e Dragons and 4e legere to anticipate Ocskay at Desenzano. When Ocskay approached this village he in fact found the heights to the north occupied by Junot's troops while 18e and 32e de ligne were following on his heels. After a useless defence - Junot being severely wounded by an Austrian Ulan - Ocskay had to lay down arms with the greatest part of his command.
In the meantime GM Reuss had continued his march to Desenzano when he suddenly heard intensive yet brief firing from the direction of this village. He forced his march but when he arrived at Rochetta he found the rest of Ocskay's brigade totally dispersed. To support it as far as possible, he quickly attacked the French (Junot's force), overwhelmed them, entered Desenzano, took some twenty horses and freed many of the Austrians. For almost an hour he occupied Desenzano. Again Napoleon himself was approaching with Massena's troops which had beaten Ocskay at Lonato.
GM Furst Reuss with his some 1,800 men was not in the position to engage such an superior enemy and started retreat. He was pursued and lost considerably. - Major Maelcamp at Castel Sirmione by 8 a.m. had heard the firing from Lonato and Desenzano. Immediately he sailed off to the sound of the guns. He was approaching the coast at the moment when Reuss started his retreat. He fired into the right flank of the pursuing French and when the fighting ended he boarded some 120 stragglers taking them to Castel Sermione. - His report to Wurmser was to give the Feldmarschall the first idea of the misfortunes that befell the Austrian right wing on 3rd August.
3.2 Original French document:
Report of 4e demi-brigade legere by the chef de brigade Destaing
March to Brescia. - The 14 Thermidor (August 1) the army was put into motion and directed against Brescia of which the enemy had taken possession. She arrived there during the day and the enemy had chosen not to await it. The next day (August 2) she returned in her tracks to take position of the heights of Lonato, Salo and Castiglione. Battle of Lonato and Castiglione. - The 15 Thermidor the former rearguard and now the advance-guard of division Massena solely composed of the 4e legere and the carabiniers of the 11e legere, as the rest of this brigade had been taken prisoner, went to Lonato, the division stopped at San Marco. Unfortunately we were no longer headed by general Jouvbert; we were commanded by the general Pigeon.
During the night from 15 to 16 our outposts and patrols reconnoitred enemy preparations for an attack. A column filed past our left and two attack columns formed up and bivouacked within cannon range from our front. I had all these movements detailed to general Pigeon who probably didn't fail to report to general Massena. Yet in the meanwhile day dawned and the beautiful line of Lonato onto which we were dispersed remained without defence. Finally day broke and the attack began; the enemy developed imposing forces against us; about 15,000 men attacked our front; only four carabinier companies in front of Lonato denied them the road. Their column had artillery advance to drive away that handful of braves from their hill. Yet this artillery achieved nothing.
On the big plateau to the left of Lonato two companies of carabiniers defended with success the road which climbs up between the plateau and the castle and the three battalions of the 4e legere too weak to occupy the extended range of this plateau following the movements of the enemy showed up wherever he tried to mount it and repulsed him with a loss.
The enemy then gave up his frontal attack and fairly distant to our left made file one half of the force he had deployed. I was well aware that he was going to attack our left and that there was no means to resist unless the division did not hasten to arrive; yet in vain I turned my eyes back to the high road: I did not make out any dust. That would have made me believe that there were orders to retreat if I had not seen the terrible fire of Castiglione.
I looked for the most appropriate position to cover our flank: there I placed twelve companies and for no good tried to drive a piece of light artillery there. I dispersed four companies to the front and placed the eight others with the artillery in a second line to support the twelve first ones.
About 6.000 Austrians actually mounted the slope at a certain distance; one half came upon us by the crest; the other one with cavalry descended to the plain to cut our retreat. Soon the fire engaged with tenacity: the column halted to fire instead of further advancing; thus they wanted to have the one enveloping us to attack my second line which as weaker. This column was received with grapeshot and musket fire which threw her into disorder and onto my first line whereto she carried the same disorder. Thus a melee followed which first was to the advantage of my twelve companies but which made the column halted on the crest decide to fonder upon them. Thus they could not resist any longer and had pains to cut their way through leaving back o good number of prisoners; they went to rally behind my second line and both alternately sustained the retreat always forcing the enemy to try to turn them before being repulsed on the front.
It was now that I began to make out some dust on the high road what made me presume that the division finally had disposed to march after five hours of combat and we undertook new efforts to await her but it was not feasible any more. Having exhausted their cartouches the carabinier companies who defended the road in front of Lonato retreated after having barricaded the gates. The enemy In the meanwhile I arrived at forming a column serree with which I hoped to rejoin the division; at a short distance we were charged by cavalry but our fire covered the road with men and horses and routed it. As the 15e dragons didn't hesitate to arrive and to finish their dispersing we made a halt and awaited the division. We were told that the 32e had refused to march unless having received bread.
Now it was necessary to retake from the enemy that same position instead of defending it. We departed en tirailleurs; the division en colonne: she deployed au pas de charge under the grapeshot of the enemy and did not need more time to topple him than to reach him. I traversed Lonato with a large part of the tirailleurs and took many prisoners in the vicinity. On a hill I saw the men who previously had been taken from me the escort of which was protected by a squadron of cavalry and which was ready to enter Desenzano.
I ran to join some 50 cavalry on the high road, they were the guides of the general in chief, with citizen Junot, aide de champ, at their head. I proposed to him to charge the hussar peleton which blocked the road to us. We put them into flight; Junot injured two of them. We took some 20 tirailleurs.
The 15e regiment de dragons didn't hesitate to arrive. In addition we entered Desenzano where we made further prisoners. There I heard that the 150 of the 4e legere who had been captured from me were boarding the shore of the lake controlled by 100 foot and 200 Erdödi hussars. We didn't waver to pursue them and started by taking possession of six guns with their caissons which they abandoned on our approach. A little bit farther away we realised the column of French prisoners and fell on their guard. While Junot attacked the Erdödi Hussars I with a dozen dragoons made lay down their arms the escort of the prisoners who rearmed themselves. Returning I found Junot on the shore, injured by several sabre blows. He urged me to continue the pursuit of the hussars the head of which was blocked by our infantry. This I actually did and in a melee I was injured by four blows from sabres.
Then I withdrew with the sole some 20 remaining dragoons; we rejoined the group on the high road to Deszenano whereto the enemy had retreated leaving the retreat free to the Erdödi hussars. Several were captured by the prisoners he had freed yet not one of them should have escaped. My 150 ex-prisoners to Lonato brought in 63 horses. This day the demi-brigade had six officers and some hundred men killed or wounded. The general Pijon was not among the freed prisoners having been taken further away from the field of battle. The enemy lost some 2,000 killed or wounded and 3,.000 prisoners; he retreated by Salo and very few by Peschiera. The 4e first took position at Desenzano and then returned to Lonato.
The 17 Thermidor (4 August!) the enemy column which the day before had passed our left returned to Lonato by the high road from Brescia (doesn't combine with what the Austrians actually did!) and summoned the troops under general Victor, of which the 4e legere were part of, to surrender. The general in chief arriving this very moment sent the enemy parlementaire back to summon the commander of the enemy column with that energy and presence of mind which are too well known to repeat the details here.
Yet that what has not appeared in any report and which deserves to rest with history is that Bonaparte having sent back the parlementaire, and taking but two men with him, went alone into the midst of the enemy column and made it lay down its arms. There were 1,200 men at Lonato; the enemy column was of 4,000: It was that column which returned general Pijon to us."
2nd Lonato
16 Thermidor
(Wed. 3rd August 1796)
Austrian force at Lonato: Gen.Maj. Ocskay (3 bns, 2 coys, 1 1/4 sqns)
- Ist & IInd Esterhazy No.34 (2,077), IIIrd Jellacic No.53 (1,008), 2 coys Mahony Jäger (337), 1¼ sqns Ul. No.1 (169)
3 bns, 2 coys, 1 ¼ sqns. Approximate strength: 3,422 infantry, 169 cavalry, ??? artillery, 18 pieces
situation of rest of Austrian 1st columm 3 August FML Quosdanovich
at Caino: Obr.-Lt Vogel (2 bns, 2 sqns):
- 3/ Jordis No. 59 (647), 1 Lattermann No.45 (789), 2 sqns Wurmser Hus. No.5 (360)
at Paitone: Gen.Maj. Ott (4 bns, 3 coys, 2 sqns):
- 1/ Devins No.37 (996), 1/2/ Kheul No.10 (2,099), 1/ Jellacic No.53 (1,008), 2 coys 3rd Karlstädter, 2 sqns Erdödi Hus. No.2 (328)
Obr. Graf Klenau reinforcing Ott (2 bns, 2 sqns):
- 1/2/ Erbach No.42 (1,935), 2 sqns Wurmser Hus. No.5 (360)
at Gavardo: Gen.Maj. Graf Sporck (3 bns, 2 coys, 5 sqns)
- gren. bns 1 1/2 Aisne 3/4/46 (551), Gavasini 23/24/49 (492) & Kottulinsky 14/50/59 (642), 3 sqns Wurmser Hus.No.5 (540), 2 sqns Erdödi Hus. No.2 (328)
in search of Ocskay: Gen.Maj. Fürst Reuss (2 bns, 1 sqn)
- 1/2/ Klebek No.14 (1.880), 1 sqn Wurmser Hus.No.5 (180)
13 bns, 5 coys, 11 ¼ sqns. Approximate strength: 15,272 infantry, 2,349 cavalry, ??? artillery, 18 pieces
Massena's Division
Staff: Monnier, Chabran, Basset
GB Pigeon*
- 4e dbl 1,294
3 coys carabiniers of 11e dbl 300
GB Victor
- 18e db 2,616
GB Beaumont
- 15e rd 224
GB Rampon
- 32e db 2,546
25e rch 260
IInd 11e db 907
GB Lorcet
- 18e dbl 2,784
Total: 14 1/3 bns, 7 sqns. 15,282 (10,447 infantry, 484 cavalry, 321 artillery, ? pieces)
* to follow Pigeon's report note that he had 3 elite carabinier companies of the 11e legere, 3 elite carabinier companies and 24 normal chasseur companies of the 4e legere!
Note: Both orders of battle show units strengths at the start of the campaign: Losses due to the combats of 29, 30 July were disregarded!
More Lonato:
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