moreover, losing faith in Austria, and growing
well disposed toward France. Many of his garrisons were, therefore,
called in; and deducting eight thousand men destined for the siege of
Mantua, he still had an army of nearly forty thousand men wherewith to
meet the Austrians. There was, of course, some disaffection among his
generals. Augereau was vainglorious and bitter, Massena felt that he
had not received his due meed of praise for Bassano, and both had
sympathizers even in the ranks. This was inevitable, considering
Bonaparte's policy and system, and somewhat interfered with the
efficiency of his work.

While the balance was thus on the whole in favor of the French, yet
this fourth division of the campaign opened with disaster to them. In
order to prevent the union of his enemy's two armies, Bonaparte
ordered Vaubois, who had been left above Trent to guard the French
conquests in the Tyrol, to attack Davidowich. The result was a rout,
and Vaubois was compelled to abandon one strong position after
another,--first Trent, then Roveredo,--until finally he felt able to
make a stand on the right bank of the Adige at Rivoli, which commands
the southern slopes of Monte Baldo. The other bank was in Austrian
hands, and Davidowich could have debouched safely into the plain. This
result was largely due to the clever mountain warfare of the Tyrolese
militia. Meantime Massena had moved from Bassano up the Piave to
observe Alvinczy. Augereau was at Verona. On November fourth, Alvinczy
advanced and occupied Bassano, compelling Massena to retreat before
his superior force. Bonaparte, determined not to permit a junction of
the two Austrian armies, moved with Augereau's division to reinforce
Massena and drive Alvinczy back into the valley of the Piave. Augereau
fought all day on the sixth at Bassano, Massena at Citadella. This
first encounter was indecisive; but news of Vaubois's defeat having
arrived, the French thought it best to retreat on the following day.
There was not now a single obstacle to the union of the two Austrian
armies; and on November ninth, Alvinczy started for Verona, where the
French had halted on the eighth. It looked as if Bonaparte would be
attacked on both flanks at once, and thus overwhelmed.

Verona lies on both banks of the river Adige, which is spanned by
several bridges; but the heart of the town is on the right. The
remains of Vaubois's army having been rallied at Rivoli, some miles
further up on that