he French line,
each column numerically more than double the strength of those to
whom they were opposed. The right column, led by General Wukassowich,
advanced towards Lake Lecco, where General Serrurier awaited it. The
left column, under the command of Melas, took up its position in front
of the Cassano entrenchments; and the Austrian division, under Generals
Zopf and Ott, which formed the centre, concentrated at Canonia, ready
at a given moment to seize Vaprio. The Russian and Austrian troops
bivouacked within cannon-shot of the French outposts.

That evening, Foedor, who with his regiment formed part of Chasteler's
division, wrote to General Tchermayloff:

"We are at last opposite the French, and a great battle must take
place to-morrow morning; tomorrow evening I shall be a lieutenant or a
corpse."

Next morning, 26th April, cannon resounded at break of day from the
extremities of the lines; on our left Prince Bagration's grenadiers
attacked us, on our right General Seckendorff, who had been detached
from the camp of Triveglio, was marching on Crema.

These two attacks met with very different success. Bagration's
grenadiers were repulsed with terrible loss, whilst Seckendorff, on the
contrary, drove the French out of Crema, and pushed forward towards the
bridge of Lodi. Foedor's predictions were falsified: his portion of
the army did nothing the whole day; his regiment remained motionless,
waiting for orders that did not come.

Souvarow's arrangements were not yet quite complete, the night was
needed for him to finish them. During the night, Moreau, having heard of
Seckendorff's success on his extreme right, sent an order to Serrurier
commanding him to leave at Lecco, which was an easy post to defend, the
18th light brigade and a detachment of dragoons only, and to draw back
with the rest of his troops towards the centre. Serrurier received this
order about two o'clock in the morning, and executed it immediately.

On their side the Russians had lost no time, profiting by the darkness
of the night. General Wukassowich had repaired the bridge at Brevio,
which had been destroyed by the French, whilst General Chasteler had
built another bridge two miles below the castle of Trezzo. These two
bridges had been, the one repaired and the other built, without the
French outposts having the slightest suspicion of what was taking place.

Surprised at two o'clock in the morning by two Austrian divisions,
which, conceale