eral Cervoni, commanding the French division which sustained
the attack of Beaulieu, was compelled to fall back on the main body of
his countrymen; and had the assault of D'Argenteau been equally
animated, or equally successful, the fame of Bonaparte might have been
stifled in its birth. But Colonel Rampon, a French officer, who
commanded the redoubts near Montelegino, stopped the progress of
D'Argenteau by the most determined resistance. At the head of not more
than fifteen hundred men, whom he inspired with his own courage, and
caused to swear to maintain their post or die there, he continued to
defend the redoubts, during the whole of the 11th, until D'Argenteau,
whose conduct was afterward greatly blamed for not making more
determined efforts to carry them, drew off his forces for the evening,
intending to renew the attack next morning.

But on the morning of the 12th, the Austrian General found himself
surrounded with enemies. Cervoni, who retreated before Beaulieu, had
united himself with La Harpe, and both advancing northward during the
night of the 11th, established themselves in the rear of the redoubts of
Montelegino, which Rampon had so gallantly defended. This was not all.
The divisions of Augereau and Massena had marched, by different routes,
on the flank and on the rear of D'Argenteau's column; so that next
morning, instead of renewing his attack on the redoubts, the Austrian
General was obliged to extricate himself by a disastrous retreat,
leaving behind him colors and cannon, a thousand slain, and two thousand
prisoners.

Such was the Battle of Monte Notte, the first of Bonaparte's victories;
eminently displaying the truth and mathematical certainty of
combination, which enabled him on many more memorable occasions, even
when his forces were inferior in numbers, and apparently disunited in
position, suddenly to concentrate them and defeat his enemy, by
overpowering him on the very point where he thought himself strongest.
He had accumulated a superior force on the Austrian centre, and
destroyed it, while Colli, on the right, and Beaulieu himself, on the
left, each at the head of numerous forces, did not even hear of the
action till it was fought and won. In consequence of the success at
Monte Notte, and the close pursuit of the defeated Austrians, the
French obtained possession of Cairo, which placed them on that side of
the Alps which slopes toward Lombardy, and where the streams from these
mountains