to the attack, each time being reinforced by fresh troops, always led on
and encouraged by Melas, who had to avenge his former defeats. At
length, having been attacked for the fourth time, forced from their
entrenchments, and contesting the ground inch by inch, the French took
shelter behind their second fortifications, which defended the entrance
to the bridge itself: here they were commanded by Moreau in person.
There, for two more hours, a hand-to-hand struggle took place, whilst the
terrible artillery belched forth death almost muzzle to muzzle. At last
the Austrians, rallying for a last time, advanced at the point of the
bayonet, and; lacking either ladders or fascines, piled the bodies of
their dead comrades against the fortifications, and succeeded in scaling
the breastworks. There was not a moment to be lost. Moreau ordered a
retreat, and whilst the French were recrossing the Adda, he protected
their passage in person with a single battalion of grenadiers, of whom at
the end of half an hour not more than a hundred and twenty men remained;
three of his aides-de-camp were killed at his side. This retreat was
accomplished without disorder, and then Moreau himself retired, still
fighting the enemy, who set foot on the bridge as soon as he reached the
other bank. The Austrians immediately rushed forward to capture him,
when suddenly a terrible noise was heard rising above the roar of the
artillery; the second arch of the bridge was blown into the air, carrying
with it all those who were standing on the fatal spot. The armies
recoiled, and into the empty space between them fell like rain a debris
of stones and human beings. But at this moment, when Moreau had
succeeded in putting a momentary obstacle between himself and Melas,
General Grenier's division arrived in disorder, after having been forced
to evacuate Vaprio, pursued by the Austro-Russians under Zopf, Ott, and
Chasteler. Moreau ordered a change of front, and faced this new enemy,
who fell upon him when he least expected them; he succeeded in rallying
Grenier's troops and in re-establishing the battle. But whilst his back