Page 142 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

140 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

Alessandria, had taken the supreme command of the French-Sardinian Army,
at that time concentrated between Alessandria, Valenza, Voghera and Tortona
to take the offensive from Vercelli and through Novara and Magenta flank
the enemy’s right pointing to Milan.
But the battle of Montebello, that took place that day, had given the
impression that the imperials would attack from the south, and so the plan
was suspended. But on May 26 – when Garibaldi was already fighting in
Varese – once the difficulty of carrying out the plan to attack the imperials
from the south, on their left, or on the centre was clear, the Emperor clung
definitively to the early plan of a mass movement to the north, on Vercelli,
that the Sardinians protected by lining up on the Sesia.

The imperials despite having to deal with bold operations in the north by
Garibaldi’s men - who pretending to retreat – stayed where they were and
continued to think that they would be attacked from the south until the 29 th
– two days after Garibaldi’s occupation of Como – when, from the informa-
tion received, begun to fear a strong attack on Vercelli.
The morning of the 30 th – while the Hunters of the Alps marched from
Varese to Laveno – the Sardinian Army crossed the Sesia in Vercelli to better
cover the mass outflanking movement of the French and continue to deceive
the enemy about the real intention of the allies with a raid on Mortara: the
th
result of this were the glorious battles of Palestro and Vinzaglio on the 30 ,
st
of di Palestro and Confienza on the 31 , battles that allowed the French to
march to the north, come out of Vercelli and go to Novara without attract-
ing the attention of the enemy who, having fought almost only with
Sardinian troops, remained more and more confused about the real inten-
tions of the allies.
On June 1, the French finished crossing the Sesia and arrived in Novara
with three Army Corps, where they concentrated with all the forces on the
rd
3 , getting a solid foothold on the left of the Ticino with the battle of
Robecchetto (Turbigo).
rd
When, that same day of the 3 , General Gyulai was finally informed that
strong French-Sardinian masses were marching on Novara, ordered the
troops to retreat behind the Ticino, while Urban, having learned of the cross-
ing of the Ticino by the allies, moved to Gallarate leaving in Varese a Brigade
with detachments in Somma and Tradate.
The Brigade of the Hunters of the Alps stayed in Como until June 5, the