43 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 43 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is Napoleon Bonaparte by Alan Schom. This part could be called Napoleon: The Early Years.

Facing Napoleon were the combined forces of the Austrian and Piedmontese armies, about fifty-two thousand men. His aim was first to sever all communications between the two allied forces, then defeat them one at a time, beginning with the smaller, less formidable Sardinian army, led by the fifty-eight-year-old general Baron di Colli-Marchi. The septuagenarian Belgian general, J.P. de Beaulieu, commanded the Austrian army, including General Colli.

When Beaulieu received word of Napoleon’s impending invasion, he was much alarmed and quickly set out from his GHQ at Milan down to Novi, ordering two divisions to move north and west to link up with him. The Austrian army was divided into three columns: a right wing, under General di Colli, was ordered to defend Stura and Tanaro; a center force, under Count d’Argenteau, was to cut off the left flank of the French army along the cornice at Savona; while Beaulieu himself headed the left wing en route for Voltri. From the outset, however, Beaulieu had problems with greatly dispersed troops, rarely in communication with one another or even with their own headquarters. Nor did the mountainous terrain help matters.

Acting quickly while Napoleon and his main force were still along the cornice, Argenteau reached Montenotte on April 9, 1796, catching the French off guard the next day and attacking them – unsuccessfully – at Monte Legino. Meanwhile, the same day, Beaulieu reached Genoa and set off for Voltri, where he attacked a surprised Laharpe, who was forced to retreat to Savona.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.