Napoleon made another narrow escape, in one of these skirmishes, at Arcola.

He was surrounded for a moment, and had just galloped off, when Wurmser coming up and learning that the prize was so near, gave particular directions to bring him in alive! Buonaparte, after making himself master of some scattered corps which had not been successful in keeping up with Wurmser, re-appeared once more before Mantua.

The battle of St.George--so called from one of the suburbs of the city--was fought on the 13th of September, and after prodigious slaughter, the French remained in possession of all the causeways; so that the blockade of the city and fortress was henceforth complete.

The garrison, when Wurmser shut himself up, amounted to 26,000.

Before October was far advanced the pestilential air of the place, and the scarcity and badness of provisions, had filled his hospitals, and left him hardly half the number in fighting condition.
The misery of the besieged town was extreme; and if Austria meant to rescue Wurmser, there was no time to be lost.
[Footnote 10: Vallette was cashiered.