The Alpine Hunters, commanded by Garibaldi, crossed the Ticino River at Sesto Calende, where the river flows out of the lake. A well-executed maneuver allowed them to surprise and capture the entire (small) enemy garrison while they were asleep. The Alpine Hunters were a negligible force in the traditional sense: they numbered only 3,000 soldiers, with no cavalry, artillery, or engineers. But Garibaldi’s almost guerrilla-like techniques made them a real unknown quantity for the Austrians, who therefore committed an entire division to keep them under control.
