four o’clock in the morning
These forces amounted to about twenty-five or six thousand men , not counting the divisions Monnet and Boudet , ten thousand men in all , commanded by Desaix , and now , as we have said , detached from the main army to cut off the retreat of the enemy to Genoa . Only , instead of making that retreat , the enemy were now attacking . During the day of the 13th of June , General Melas , commander-in-chief of the Austrian army , having succeeded in reuniting the troops of Generals Haddich , Kaim and Ott , crossed the Tanaro , and was now encamped before Alessandria with thirty-six thousand infantry , seven thousand cavalry , and a numerous well-served and well-horsed artillery . At four o'clock in the morning the firing began and General Victor assigned all to their line of battle . At five Bonaparte was awakened by the sound of cannon . While he was dressing , General Victor 's aide-de-camp rode up to tell him that the enemy had crossed the Bormida and was attacking all along the line of battle . The First Consul called for his horse , and , springing upon it , galloped off toward the spot where the fighting was going on .