It was on the evening after Montebello, that General Dessaix, whom Napoleon considered as second only to himself in military genius, arrived at headquarters.  Buonaparte had, as we have seen, on leaving Egypt, ordered Kleber to send Dessaix to France in the course of November.  He had accordingly landed at Frejus shortly after the establishment of the new government, where he found letters from the Chief Consul, urging him to join him without delay.  In these letters there were some melancholy phrases, and Dessaix, who really loved Napoleon, was heard to say, “He has gained all, and yet he is not satisfied.”  A hundred obstacles rose up to keep Dessaix from joining his friend so speedily as both wished.  He was yet in France when the news of St. Bernard came thither, and exclaiming, “He will leave us nothing to do,” travelled night and day until he was able to throw himself into his arms.  Napoleon immediately gave him the command of a division; and they spent the night together in conversing about the affairs of Egypt.

The First Consul was anxious to tempt Melas to attack him at Stradella, where the ground was unfavourable to cavalry movements; but, after lying there unmolested for three days, he began to fear that the Austrian had resolved, either on moving to the left flank, crossing the Ticino, occupying Milan, and so re-opening his communications with Vienna;—­or, on falling back to Genoa, overwhelming Suchet, and taking up a position where the British fleet could supply him with provisions—­or even, in case of necessity, embark his army, carry it round to the other side of Italy, and by that means place him once more between his enemy and the German states.  Buonaparte, being perplexed with these apprehensions, at last descended into the great plain of Marengo, on which he had, not without reason, feared to abide the onset of Melas and the Austrian horse.  He was at Volghera on the 11th, and the next day at St. Juliano, in the very centre of the plain; but still no enemy appeared.  On the 13th, he advanced to the village of Marengo itself, and finding nothing even there but a scanty outpost, which retreated before him, concluded certainly that Melas had given him the slip, and marched either to the left on the Ticino, or to the right on Genoa.  In great anxiety he detached one division under Dessaix to watch the road to Genoa, and another under Murat towards the Scrivia.  Dessaix was already half-a-day’s journey from headquarters, when Napoleon received intelligence which made him hastily recall all his detachments.  The Austrian general, after a long hesitation, had at length resolved to let a fair field decide once more the fate of Italy.  On the evening of the 13th, his whole army mustered in front of Alessandria having only the river Bormida between them and the plain of Marengo; and early in the following morning, they passed the stream at three several points, and advanced towards the French position in as many columns.