the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

shouting, ‘Soldiers of Ismail, are you afraid to attack?’ 66 and rallied them behind the city.
He deployed two licornes to engage the French artillery. Although the Russian gunners
silenced two guns, the French soon directed another six-gun battery against them, forcing
Bagration to withdraw his cannon. 67 Meantime, one of the French columns threatened
Bagration’s right flank and forced him to withdraw under the cover of thick skirmisher
screen. 68 He appealed to General Rozenberg for reinforcements and was soon supported
by Major General Mikhail Miloradovich, 69 who marched with Dendrygin’s Grenadier
Battalion and two battalions of General Rozenberg. 70 Bagration rallied his troops and
launched an assault. After a fierce fighting, Bagration finally took Lecco at 8:00 p.m. but
he failed to secure the crossing. 71 The French gathered boats and moved to the opposite
side of the river. Both sides fought ferociously in this twelve hours battle at Lecco.
Bagration was wounded in the right thigh 72 and reported 145 killed and 227 wounded. 73
66 Gachot, Souvarow en Italie, 130. Bagration referred to Suvorov’s famous assault on the
fortress of Ismail.
67 Bagration to Suvorov, 27 April 1799, Bagration’s Journal, 2.
68 Suvorov to Paul, 1 May 1799, A.V. Suvorov: Documents, IV, 42.
69 Miloradovich was senior to Bagration since he was promoted to major general earlier.
However, he let Bagration continue to command, telling him “Now is not the time to argue about
rank.” Suvorov to Paul, 1 May 1799, Correspondence of Suvorov, 227; A.V. Suvorov:
Documents, IV, 42; Miliutin, Campaign of 1799, I, 288; Petrushevsky, Generalissimo Prince
Suvorov, 541.
70
Suvorov to Paul, 1 May 1799, Correspondence of Suvorov, 227; Petrushevsky,
Generalissimo Prince Suvorov, 540; Bogoliubov, Suvorov’s Art of War, 65.
71 Bagration to Suvorov, 27 April 1799, Bagration’s Journal, 4-5.
72 Bagration’s Record of Service, Correspondence of Bagration, 18; Suvorov to Paul, 1 May
1799, A.V. Suvorov: Documents, IV, 42.
73 There is a difference in casualties in Bagration’s reports. His letter to Suvorov admitted 228
wounded, while he described 223 wounded to Rosenberg. Furthermore, Bagration finished both
reports with a summary, where he acknowledged 224 wounded. In his letter to Rosenberg,
Bagration changed casualties for his Jager Regiment (56 instead of 59), and for Lomonosov’s
Battalion (71 instead 73). Shveikovsky reported 146 killed and 239 wounded. Suvorov reported
136 killed and 91 wounded. Considering Bagration’s report to Suvorov, the casualties were
distributed as follows:
32