COMPARATIVE NUMBERS OF THE RIVAL ARMIES.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 188, 9 August 1859, Page 3

COMPARATIVE NUMBERS OF THE RIVAL ARMIES.

With respect to the strength of the armies, a point of much interest, it is not eaay to obtain accurate information, as -the numbers vary from day to day. If we state the Piedmontese at 80,000 c\Tective men, it is a very lihcral estimate; and in thescare included the volunteers, about 10,000 or 12,000, who enlisted in the regular-army..- It very probably would also include Garibaldi's corps, which is 3GOO on paper, or about 3000 effective. There is another corps in progress of formation, which was to have been Ulloa's, and which will probably be about 3000 more. As regards the French, all that I can tell you as positive, derived from official sources, is, that up to and on the Gth instant, G4,000 men had landed at Genoa. The date is rather remote, and there have been many arrivals since then, to say nothing of those troops that came over Mount Cenis, and whose numbers it is scarcely possible to estimate, even approximately. The general belief seems to be that there are now 130,000 French in the Sardinian States. There may be more, hut I do not think there can be many less. They are still deficient in cavalry, artillery, and camp equipage. At Lyons, a tremendous siege-train is preparing, destined, of course, for the Lombard fortresses. With respect to the Austrians, information on which I place reliance, and which ia up to the most recent date, states their whole force in Italy at about 220,000 men, distributed as follows :—At Ancona, 7000; Ferrara, 4000; Venice, 12,000 to 15,000; Legnago, 1000; Mantua, 4000; Verona, 6000; Peschiera, 2000; Piaceuza, 5000; Brescia, Milan, Bergamo, Cremona, and other places in that district, 20,000 to 25,000. Besides these, within the last day or two, about 20,000 men have been concentrated about Piacenza. Non-combatants and sick are set down, at 20,000. Including the 20,000 men that have just been.drawn from it and assembled round Piacenza, and 4000 to ,5000 that are in Pavia, the effective strength of the Austrian army in Piedmont is about 180.000 men.:. I have strong reasons for believing the above figures- to be substantially correct.-— Correspondent of the Times. May 21. The Paris correspondent of the Times of the 21st of May writes as follows :— " The- orders of the day and proclamations that : have hitherto been addressed to the army of Italy suffer a good deal by contrast with these of the First Empire. That published I>y Prince Napoleon at Genoa has not, it ia said, given-satis-faction among-.military men, wilio think that the recommenda'ion to French soldiers about 'courage' is quite superfluous; and, indeed, so it is. Who ever doubted the impetuous courage of the French soldier? I have heard some remarks made on the proclamation, hj.it 1 think the persona who made thorn are critical overmuch. Speaking of the Prince, it appears his friends at Genoa make no secret of the fact that his imperial Highness's 'Programme' is not merely !h> expulsion of the Austrians from Lombardy, but likewise the emancipation of all the States of Italy. An ex-functionary, who has been sent en mission to Italy, is also instructed to inform the various populations that a liberal and enlightened Government, such as that which France enjoys, is to be established iv each Italian State. '" In their ' ignorant impatience'- of victory people here are wondering that some signal feat of arms has not as yet been performed, with the hostile forces in such close vicinity to each other. No intelligence of any importance has been received from the theatre of war, or, at least, suffered to transpire. A letter described as coming from Valenza, dated the 14th, says :— '"Up to the present nothing has taken place but affairs of outposts, and for the greater part of the time the French do not reply to the shots of the Tyrolese Rifllemen. The two divisions which form the. extreme advanced guard are those of General Renault, who has got the name " General Avaut-Garde," and that ofßourbaki. Some of these regiments occupy "various, positions on the right bank of the Po ; others are in position on the left, bank of the Tanaro. The-head-quarters ; of Bourbaki are at a small village called Monto, which commands the Po. The Austrians who are only a few hundred metres from, the French advanced posts, are throwing up works of defence on the left bank of the Po, and seem disposed to dispute the passage. They are still in considerable numbers at Mortara.' "The army, .at Lyons is now composed of seven regiments of infantry —-viz, the 19th, 22nH, 27th, ; 50th, 54th, GBth, and 69Hi, and two regiments of cavahy, the 2nd and 4th Dragoons. The camp of Sathony is occupied by detachments from these .corps.' Rear-Admiral Dupony has received a command, which comprises.the Imperial.yaclus, the .gunboats,..the floating batteries, "and some, small steamers; and it is expected that the Em-peror-will"'with this flotilla, soon make an armed reconnaisance on the coa?ts of Italy. ': - . "The French squadron gif Venice is not to attack the town, but merely to blockade it, for the, present. : ''The last accounts received in Paris from Turin announce that Tuscan troops have been despatched to the assistance of the inhabitants of Massa and Carrara. The French troops had advanced as far as Voghera. They had likewise advanced to the walls of Vercelli. A battle appeared to he imminent. "A ;letter received in Paris from Turin, dated the 17th instant, says :■ — ■■ \ l\ 'The news received from Vercelli is lamentable. The Austrian occupation of the town is se-; verely felt by the inhabitants. The price of bread is excessively high, and articles of the first, necessity are not to be procured at any cost. The inhabitants are waiting the hour of their deliverance with an anxiety more easily imagined than' .described. . The Austrians carry their hatred of the, Sardinian, Government to ;.sueh a pitch, that., wherever they see the cross or Savoy painted on a signboard* they replace, it with the double-' headed eagle. lam informed.thai another legion of volunteers is to be formed, and that it is to -bey commanded by General Griffini. The General distinguished himself in the war of Lombardy, in 1848,' when lie commanded a corpsvof'volunteers, who defeated the Austrians at the battle of De Geito. The Zouaves of the, 2nd Regiment, of the; Imperial Guard left Genoa yesterday, amid cries'v for the -;■" Emperor," "Italy," snd , It was remarked ab Pavia that, in the hospitals; and colleges Were many wounded Austrian soP diers. Accounts from Lombardy state that the

rorps of Wimpffen, 41,000 strong,, is marching: towards the Ticino; A great quantity of hombsVHs find TOO pieces of heavy nrtUlery have been sent fo Piaceuzn. The . i i<:isenmf<id" writs of P<schiera ' have been mended. A number of volunteers left Rome witiiisi the Lot1 forhiijiht. Some volunteers who ' arrived lately .tuiin, Pf.lcrmo state that tho ft el ing in, favor of Ihe imU-pi-nrieico^of Itnly is pmlommani: in S'u-ily. Prepara'ions are beiW made for a public manifestation a favor of Franco-Sardinian alliance,'"