The Second War of Coalition—Volume 2: the Campaigns of Marengo and Hohenlinden 1800-1802

The victorious march to two momentous battles of the Napoleonic Age

George Furse was a colonel of the Black Watch regiment and an accomplished military historian and author. His writing was never less than serious, well researched and comprehensive. For ‘The Second War of Coalition’ (originally published under the inadequate title ‘Marengo and Hohenlinden’) Furse has referenced source material originally published in the French language including first-hand recollections and official documents. This Leonaur edition is being published in two unique volumes to enable us to include, for the first time, numerous illustrations of the events described.

Volume two focusses on the invasion of Italy as French forces advanced from Ivrea to Milan and the Passage of the Po to the Battle of Montebello. Then followed the Battle of Marengo in June, 1800, fought near Alessandria in northern Italy, which is described in detail and depth. This volume concludes with the French victory at Hohenlinden in southern Germany, fought in December, 1800, in which the French army, under Moreau, decisively defeated the Austrians and Bavarians and brought about a victorious end to the war for the French.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

ecourbe had foreseen that he might very soon expect the Austrians to come up from Donauwörth, and to descend the Danube from their positions of Gundelfingen, Günzburg, and Ulm. Having made a personal inspection of the neighbourhood, and having recognised that it was by Schwenningen on the Donauwörth road that any Austrian troops ascending the Danube would appear, he ordered his infantry and a few platoons of cavalry to occupy that village. The moment was critical, and on holding Schwenningen depended the success of this bold enterprise.
The wisdom of his dispositions was soon apparent, for it was not long before an Austrian force of 4,000 infantry, 500 cavalry, and six guns appeared in sight. General Devaux, who commanded at Donauwörth, marched on Schwenningen as quickly as possible, and attacked it.
The village was attacked, captured, and recaptured several times in the space of two hours. The numerical superiority of the Austrians was on the point of telling, when Lecourbe brought a timely reinforcement to Puthod’s brigade, some squadrons of carabineers, and his own escort of the 8th Hussars. All the available cavalry then rushed on the Austrian infantry, which was widespread in the open ground about the river. A vigorous and timely charge overthrew the Austrians, who abandoned the field, leaving their guns and 2,000 prisoners in the enemy’s hands. Two battalions of the Würtemberg contingent attempted to resist by forming square. They fought desperately, but nothing availed; they were broken, their colours were taken, and their colonel was captured. In fact, they did not fare any better than the rest.
Thus, the Austrians marching up the Danube were disposed of and pursued by Laval’s brigade along the Donauwörth road. Still, it was to be expected that others might be soon coming from the opposite direction—from Dillingen, Gundelfingen, and Ulm. By this time the bridges of Kremheim and Blemheim had been fortunately repaired, so that the other divisions were able to get across the river.
When Laval had been well started in Devaux’s pursuit, Lecourbe marched in the direction of Hochstadt with the divisions of Gudin and Montrichard’s and d’Hautpoul’s reserves.
Starray, warned by the distant cannonade, had collected some 3,000 or 4,000 men at Hochstadt, some five or six miles below Dillingen. He had besides asked for reinforcements, but deeming himself unequal to a contest with the French, kept falling back on Dillingen, where he had left three battalions in reserve. The 37th half-brigade and a squadron of the 9th Hussars followed him step by step.