the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

elegated command to General Victor, who, unfortunately, remained near Piacenza. 34 As
a result, the French attack was uncoordinated and without unity of command. After a
brief engagement, Ott began fighting retreat, hoping Suvorov would arrive in time to save
him. 35
Receiving the news of the French attack across the Tidone, Suvorov decided to
lead Bagration’s advance guard to the battlefield and gain time until the main forces
joined him. 36 He ordered Prince Peter to take his four Cossack regiment and move to the
Tidone. Grand Duke Constantine replaced Bagration as advance guard commander and
was ordered to rush the infantry to the battlefield, while Bagration and Suvorov rode
some fifteen miles with the Cossacks. 37 Thus, after exhausting forced marches of
previous two days, Bagration had to advance at full speed again. Though Suvorov
ordered him to leave at 4.00 a.m., Bagration was unable to march his wearied troops until
around 10.00 a.m. The weather was already unbearably hot and it increased the sufferings
of the troops. Soldiers asked for water and rest; many stragglers were left in the wake of
army. 38
34 Macdonald to Victor, 16 June 1799, in John Weinzierl, The Military and Political Career of
Claude-Victor Perrin, Ph.D. diss., Florida State University, 1997, 118. (based on Service
Historique, Correspondance: Armée des Alpes et d’Italie, Carton B 3 62)
35 Rostunov, Suvorov, 397; Miliutin, Campaign of 1799, II, 245; Bogoliubov, Suvorov’s Art
of War, 90-91.
36 There is confusion on the movement of the Allied troops. Russian sources indicate that
Suvorov ordered Rosenberg to advance to the Trebbia, and march “through the Austrians troops
if necessary.” However, Austrian and French documents acknowledged Chasteler and Melas
leading the Austrian advance guard to join Ott near Sarmato, where the Austrians held ground
until Suvorov arrived. A.V. Suvorov: Documents, IV, 154; Gachot, Souvarow en Italie, 233;
Duffy, Suvorov in Italy and Switzerland, 92; Orlov, Study of Suvorov’s Military Operations, 196;
Bogdanovich, Suvorov’s Campaigns in Italy and Switzerland, 61; Clausewitz, Die Feldzuge von
1799, V, 443-44; Victoires, Conquêtes, X, 341-42.
37 “Journal of Military Actions of the Allied Armies,” in Correspondence of Bagration, 27;
Orlov, Study of Suvorov’s Military Operations, 198; Miliutin, Campaign of 1799, II, 249; Orlov,
Gryazev’s Notes, 48; Buturlin, Campagne de 1799, 87; N. Orlov, Suvorov na Trebbii v 1799 g.
[Suvorov on Trebbia in 1799], (St. Petersburg, 1895), 111.
38 Mikhail Presnukhin, Bitva na Trebbii, 1799 g., [Battle on the Trebbia, 1799], (Moscow,
2001), 16-18.
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