The same day the Russian general divided his troops into three strong columns, corresponding to the three principal points in the French line, each column numerically more than double the strength of those to whom they were opposed.  The right column, led by General Wukassowich, advanced towards Lake Lecco, where General Serrurier awaited it.  The left column, under the command of Melas, took up its position in front of the Cassano entrenchments; and the Austrian division, under Generals Zopf and Ott, which formed the centre, concentrated at Canonia, ready at a given moment to seize Vaprio.  The Russian and Austrian troops bivouacked within cannon-shot of the French outposts.

That evening, Foedor, who with his regiment formed part of Chasteler’s division, wrote to General Tchermayloff: 

“We are at last opposite the French, and a great battle must take place to-morrow morning; tomorrow evening I shall be a lieutenant or a corpse.”

Next morning, 26th April, cannon resounded at break of day from the extremities of the lines; on our left Prince Bagration’s grenadiers attacked us, on our right General Seckendorff, who had been detached from the camp of Triveglio, was marching on Crema.

These two attacks met with very different success.  Bagration’s grenadiers were repulsed with terrible loss, whilst Seckendorff, on the contrary, drove the French out of Crema, and pushed forward towards the bridge of Lodi.  Foedor’s predictions were falsified:  his portion of the army did nothing the whole day; his regiment remained motionless, waiting for orders that did not come.

Souvarow’s arrangements were not yet quite complete, the night was needed for him to finish them.  During the night, Moreau, having heard of Seckendorff’s success on his extreme right, sent an order to Serrurier commanding him to leave at Lecco, which was an easy post to defend, the 18th light brigade and a detachment of dragoons only, and to draw back with the rest of his troops towards the centre.  Serrurier received this order about two o’clock in the morning, and executed it immediately.

On their side the Russians had lost no time, profiting by the darkness of the night.  General Wukassowich had repaired the bridge at Brevio, which had been destroyed by the French, whilst General Chasteler had built another bridge two miles below the castle of Trezzo.  These two bridges had been, the one repaired and the other built, without the French outposts having the slightest suspicion of what was taking place.

Surprised at two o’clock in the morning by two Austrian divisions, which, concealed by the village of San Gervasio, had reached the right bank of the Adda without their being discovered, the soldiers defending the castle of Trezzo abandoned it and beat a retreat.  The Austrians pursued them as far as Pozzo, but there the French suddenly halted and faced about, for General Serrurier was at Pozzo, with the troops he had brought from Lecco.  He heard the cannonade behind him, immediately halted, and, obeying the first law of warfare, he marched towards the noise and smoke.  It was therefore through him that the garrison of Trezzo rallied and resumed the offensive.  Serrurier sent an aide-de-Camp to Moreau to inform him of the manoeuvre he had thought proper to execute.