al
general, Latour, who had not above 24,000 men. Latour, pressing on
Moreau's rear too closely, suffered a defeat; and the French reached the
banks of the Rhine in safety. Here, however, the Archduke Charles was
ready to meet them with a force equal, or, perhaps, superior to their
own. Moreau was compelled to fight two battles, in both of which he was
defeated; and nothing but a violent storm saved the wreck of his army.
This, and the pitchy darkness of the night, prevented the Austrian
cavalry from acting, and enabled him to get his broken columns on
the safe side of the Rhine. The archduke Charles had therefore saved
Germany.

In Italy the republicans were more successful. The command of the
army there was given to Napoleon Buonaparte; and he arrived at his
head-quarters at Nice on the 26th of March. His army, which was in a
wretched state of discipline, amounted to about 50,000 men, while that
of the Austrians and Piedmontese amounted to about 60,000 men. The
imperial army was under the command of Beaulieu, and was stretched
along the ridge of the Apennines, at the foot of which the French were
advancing. On leading his troops to the Alpine frontier, Napoleon made
the first of his remarkable appeals to his troops:--"Soldiers" said he,
"you are almost naked and half-starved; the government owes you much,
and can give you nothing. Your patience and courage in the midst of
these rocks are admirable; but they reflect no honour on your arms. I am
about to conduct you into the finest plains on earth; fertile provinces,
opulent cities, will soon be in your power; there you will find rich
harvests, honour, and glory. Soldiers of Italy, will you fail in
courage?" Without waiting to be attacked Beaulieu descended from the
heights, and met the advanced guard of the French at Voltri, near Genoa,
which he repulsed. D'Argenteau, who commanded Beaulieu's centre, at
the same time traversed the mountains of Montenotte, in the hope of
descending upon Savona, and thus take the French in flank; but, when
more than half of his march was completed, he met a French division of
1500 men, who threw themselves into the redoubt of Montelegino, and thus
shut up the road of Montenotte. D'Argenteau attacked this post, but he
was unable to take it; and in the meantime Buonaparte marched round by
an unguarded road to his rear, and attacked and defeated him. This was
the first of a series of victories on the part of the French. Before the
end of A