After insuring the regular succession of troops and stores, Bonaparte himself began the ascent on May 20th.  He wore the gray overcoat which had already become famous; and his features were fixed in that expression of calm self-possession which he ever maintained in face of difficulty.  The melodramatic attitudes of horse and rider, which David has immortalized in his great painting, are, of course, merely symbolical of the genius of militant democracy prancing over natural obstacles and wafted onwards and upwards by the breath of victory.  The living figure was remarkable only for stern self-restraint and suppressed excitement; instead of the prancing war-horse limned by David, his beast of burden was a mule, led by a peasant; and, in place of victory, he had heard that Lannes with the vanguard had found an unexpected obstacle to his descent into Italy.  The narrow valley of the Dora Baltea, by which alone they could advance, was wellnigh blocked by the fort of Bard, which was firmly held by a small Austrian garrison and defied all the efforts of Lannes and Berthier.  This was the news that met the First Consul during his ascent, and again at the Hospice.  After accepting the hospitality of the monks, and spending a short time in the library and chapel, he resumed his journey; and on the southern slopes he and his staff now and again amused themselves by sliding down the tracks which the passage of thousands of men had rendered slippery.  After halting at Aosta, he proceeded down the valley to the fort of Bard.

Meanwhile some of his foot-soldiers had worked their way round this obstacle by a goat-track among the hills and had already reached Ivrea lower down the valley.  Still the fort held out against the cannonade of the French.  Its commanding position seemed to preclude all hope of getting the artillery past it; and without artillery the First Consul could not hope for success in the plains of Piedmont.  Unable to capture the fort, he bethought him of hurrying by night the now remounted guns under the cover of the houses of the village.  For this purpose he caused the main street to be strewn with straw and dung, while the wheels of the cannon were covered over so as to make little noise.  They were then dragged quietly through the village almost within pistol shot of the garrison:  nevertheless, the defenders took alarm, and, firing with musketry and grenades, exploded some ammunition wagons and inflicted other losses; yet 40 guns and 100 wagons were got past the fort.

How this unfailing resource contrasts with the heedless behaviour of the enemy!  Had they speedily reinforced their detachment at Bard, there can be little doubt that Bonaparte’s movements could have been seriously hampered.  But, up to May 21st, Melas was ignorant that his distant rear was being assailed, and the 3,000 Austrians who guarded the vale of the Dora Baltea were divided, part being at Bard and others at Ivrea.  The latter place was taken by a rush of Lannes’ troops on May 22nd, and Bard was blockaded by part of the French rearguard.