bank, Bonaparte made all possible use of the stream
as a natural fortification, and concentrated the remainder of his
forces on the same side. Alvinczy came up and occupied Caldiero,
situated on a gentle rise of the other shore to the south of east; but
the French division at Rivoli, which, by Bonaparte's drastic methods,
had been thoroughly shamed, and was now thirsty for revenge, held
Davidowich in check. He had remained some distance farther back to the
north, where it was expected he would cross and come down on the left
bank. To prevent this a fierce onslaught was made against Alvinczy's
position on November twelfth, by Massena's corps. It was entirely
unsuccessful, and the French were repulsed with the serious loss of
three thousand men. Bonaparte's position was now even more critical
than it had been at Castiglione; he had to contend with two new
Austrian armies, one on each flank, and Wurmser with a third stood
ready to sally out of Mantua in his rear. If there should be even
partial cooeperation between the Austrian leaders, he must retreat. But
he felt sure there would be no cooeperation whatsoever. From the force
in Verona and that before Mantua twenty thousand men were gathered to
descend the course of the Adige into the swampy lands about Ronco,
where a crossing was to be made and Alvinczy caught, if possible, at
Villanova, on his left flank. This turning manoeuver, though highly
dangerous, was fairly successful, and is considered by critics among
the finest in this or any other of Bonaparte's campaigns. Amid these
swamps, ditches, and dikes the methodical Austrians, aiming to carry
strong positions by one fierce onset, were brought into the greatest
disadvantage before the new tactics of swift movement in open columns,
which were difficult to assail. By a feint of retreat to the westward
the French army had left Verona without attracting attention, but by a
swift countermarch it reached Ronco on the morning of November
fifteenth, crossed in safety, and turned back to flank the Austrian
position.

The first stand of the enemy was made at Arcola, where a short, narrow
bridge connects the high dikes which regulate the sluggish stream of
the little river Alpon, a tributary of the Adige on its left bank.
This bridge was defended by two battalions of Croatian recruits,
whose commander, Colonel Brigido, had placed a pair of field-pieces so
as to enfilade it. The French had been advancing in three columns by
as m