Montebello where Marshal Lannes
obtained a victory in 1800. The allies were completely successful in
this first battle, the honours of the day falling to the Sardinian
cavalry, which showed great gallantry. The Austrian forces were
considerably superior in strength.

Almost at the same time as the engagement of Montebello, Garibaldi
with his diminutive army (which through the weeding-out of men unfit
for service was reduced to about 3,500 before it took the field),
crossed the Lago Maggiore, and advanced boldly into the heart of the
enemy's country. The volunteers had no artillery, and by way of
cavalry only some forty or fifty were mounted on their own horses and
dignified with the name of 'guides.' They were badly armed and worse
equipped; the only good thing they had was an excellent ambulance
organised by Dr Bertani, Garibaldi's surgeon-general from Roman days
downwards. But they formed a picturesque sight as they marched along
gaily to the everlasting song, 'Addio, mia bella, addio'; and a
physiognomist would have been struck by their intelligent and often
distinguished faces: nobles and poets, budding doctors and lawyers,
bristled in the ranks, while the officers were the still young
veterans of 1848-1849: Cosenz, hero of Venice; Medici, the defender of
the Vascello; Bixio, Sirtori, Cairoli--all the Knights of the Legend.

Moving swiftly from place to place, and appearing where and when he
was least expected, Garibaldi took the entire country of the Lombard
lakes. Gyulai, who at first looked upon the Garibaldian march as a
simple diversion intended to draw off his attention, now became
concerned, and dispatched Urban with 10,000 men to destroy the
volunteers, and stem the insurrection which everywhere followed in
their wake. On the 27th of May Garibaldi drove Urban from his position
near San Fermo, and that commander had his mission still unfulfilled
when he received the order to retreat after the battle of Magenta. The
volunteers were free to pursue their way to Brescia and the
Valtellina, where they performed many feats in the latter period of
the war, winning the admiration of Hayn, the Austrian general opposed
to them, which he was generous enough to express in no measured terms.

The great war was meanwhile approaching its climax. After Montebello
the whole French army executed a secret flank movement, changing its
position from Voghera, where Gyulai believed it to be, and whence he
expected it to move on