BATTLE OF MAGENTA, June 4, 1859—Letter from A.S. Marshal VAI - Lot 633

BATTLE OF MAGENTA, June 4, 1859—Letter from A.S. Marshal VAILLANT (Jean-Baptiste-Philibert; 1790–1872) Major General of the Army of ITALY, Aide-de-Camp to Emperor Napoleon III—Headquarters in MILAN, June 9, 1859, 2:00 p.m., to General d’AUTEMARE in MAGENTA—2 folio pages: “General, the Emperor orders that, before coming to MILAN, you proceed from MAGENTA—where you are spending the night—to ABBATE GRASSO, which lies south of Magenta and 9 or 10 kilometers from that location. From Abbate Grasso, you will send out a reconnaissance party to survey the Ticino River in the section of its course opposite Vigevano. Tomorrow, Artillery General MAZURE will be at the point I have indicated to you with a pontoon bridge crew (the crew of the Sardinian bridge that was used at the TURBINO bridge). If the enemy is not in the vicinity of VIGEVANO, General MAZURE will build a bridge across the TESSIN. It is said... that an Austrian column is said to have crossed the Ticino at PAVIA and that it intends to advance toward VIGEVANO. The Emperor has sent people to PAVIA to ascertain the truth of the enemy’s crossing of the Ticino. On your side, gather as much information as possible on the right bank, send out small reconnaissance parties of a few men a short distance away, and if the enemy is reported, order the bridge to be pulled back to the left bank. Maintain frequent contact with the Emperor via the telegraph at MAGENTA. He says there are provisions at MAGENTA.” - (Twenty days later, on June 24, 1859, the Battle of SOLFERINO took place.)