five o’clock a.m.
The President of the Council was coming from Florence , and , after stopping a few hours at the villa of Cicognolo , where Victor Emmanuel and the royal household are staying , he drove to Torre Malamberti to confer with General Lamarmora and Count Pettiti . The presence of the baron at headquarters is too important an incident to be overlooked by people whose business is that of watching the course of events in this country . And it should be borne in mind that on his way to headquarters Baron Ricasoli stopped a few hours at Bologna , where he had a long interview with Cialdini . Nor is this all ; for the most important fact I have to report to-day is , that whilst I am writing -LRB- five o'clock a.m. -RRB- three corps of the Italian army are crossing the Oglio at different points -- all three acting together and ready for any occurrence . This reconnaissance en force may , as you see , be turned into a regular battle should the Austrians have crossed the Mincio with the main body of their army during the course of last night . You see that the air around me smells enough of powder to justify the expectation of events which are likely to exercise a great influence over the cause of right and justice -- the cause of Italy . MARCARIA , July 3 , Evening .