Piedmont.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume v, Issue 421, 15 August 1849, Page 4

Piedmont.

An official statement of the events of the late short and disastrous campaign, has been published here, signed Rattazi, Minister of tbe interior, dated Turin, March 26. It begins thus, — " From the head quarters of the army, whence no news had been received for several days past, we have. received to-day the following; 'On the 23rd instant, a pitched battle was fought ; the troops were tired with long marches and counter-marches, performed on two preceding days, but the battle could not be deferred as the enemy came on to the assault. The line of battle extended from Bicesca, a small hamlet, or rather group of buildings, situated on the road to Mortara, as far as the canal lying a little behind the small country-house called Corta Nuova, on the Vermicelli Road.' " The document goes on to describe the different corps of the army. The Ist division commanded by General Durando, formed the right wing. The 2nd division was next cqmposed of the brigades of Casale, the Parmanese. The 3rd, division, composed of the Savona and Savoy brigades, was commanded by General Peronne. The Savoy regiments .behaved best throughout the successive engagements. The king himself was. at the head of the first, with the rank oft Colonel. The Duke of. Genoa was behind commanding the reserve division. The document then continues : '"The Duke of Savoy-, supported, the right-wing with the brigades of i

Cuneo and that of the guards. He was at a short distance from Vercelli, on the low plains that extend beneath its walls, and thence to the roads. At 11 a.m. the Austrians began the attack at La Bicoser — onr extreme left. The engagement began at this point and soon extended all along the line. The Savona regiment, placed in the first line, gave way, and the brigade of Savoy advanced to replace it. Soon these two brigades together retook the last position, and advanced as far as the coun-try-house called, * Lavinchi,' on the left of the old buildings called 'La Citadella.' At this moment the fire of the AusTirians seemed to slacken on our left, and it appeared that they directed all their efforts upon our centre at La Citadella, which was taken and re-tak-en several times by the brigades of Casale, Aqui, and the Parmanese, commanded by General Bes. Here the assault of the euemy was felt strongest on our left. The brigades of Savoy and Savona began to give way, falling back upon La Bicesca. This last posi- ! tion was soon lost, and with it the fortune of the day. The Duke of Genoa, with the reserve, was sent to support it, but though he fought most bravely, and had several horses killed under him, and was obliged to continue the fight on foot, all his efforts were fruitless. The Austrians then brought all their forces to bear on our centre. The action was hottest on our right and centre, but our battalions falling back one on the other, towards night we were obliged to retreat. The day was lost for us. The centre and right wing reforming under the walls, of the city continued to resist till night put a stop to the attacks of the enemy." M. Bois le Comte and Mr. Abercrombie left Turin at the request of the Sardinian Government, and repaired to the camp of Radetzki, who received them with due respect, and consented to grant an armistice, one of the conditions of which is, that the Austrians are not to pass the Sesia, a river near Vercelli. Turin is thus saved from military occupation. Among the Generals and other officers killed around Charles Albert and his sons, were Generals Durando and Passalaqua, and General Doperron, a French officer who commanded at Lyons under Louis Philippe. The last was mortally wounded, and died at Novara, whither his wife went to him, passing through the midst of the Austrians. There was not one Lombard killed in the action. A letter from Turin, dated March 27, sa y S : — "The Duke of Savoy, the eldest son of Charles Albert, was yesterday proclaimed here under the name of Victor Emanuel, and the troops in the garrison took the ,oath of fealty in the presence of the Prince of Carignan, Lieutenant-General'of the kingdom, as will also to-day the National Guard. Probably the King himself will be present at this solemn, but (under existing circumstances) sorrowful ceremony, Bis Majesty arrived here last night late, and was saluted by numerous " vivas " on his alighting at the palace, where a crowd awaited his arrival notwithstanding the lateness of the hour (halfpast twelve). The English and French Ambassadors came back with him from the camp of Radetzki." Marshal Radetzki has consented to two very important stipulations — first, not to enter Turin ; and secondly, to accept in principle the proposed armistice, of which the ulterior stipulations will be " fixed under the auspices of the representatives of France and England. It appears that one of the first conditions, proposed on the one side and accepted on the other, is the immediate recal of the Sardinian fleet, now cruising in the Adriatic. Austria reserves to herself the right of at once commencing the blockade of Venice both by sea and land, in order that she may, with the least possible delay, resume possession of the provinces in Upper Italy, secured to her by the treaties of 1815. The following is the first Ministry of Victor Emanue^ the new King of Sardinia. It was appointed on the 27th : — MM. Delaunay, Foreign Affairs ; Pinelli, Interior ; Christiani, Justice ; Nigra, Finances ; Manielli, Public Works ; La Bormida, War. The armistice has been ill received in Turin, but it is inevitable. — Bell's Life, April 8.