The Express.
London, England, 1859-06-11 00:00:00

4
THE FIELD OF MAGENTA:

MOON MI 1111CLIL CollantOli DOR.)

MARIN FA, J, se T.
Yeeteedsy evening, set without great difficulty
I eneceedvd in getting ben, to inspect the neld of
the g.cowee
w battle totterein Someday loot. My pen
et adequate to be the heartrending scene
which surrounds me. Trees thrown down by the
dreadful *Beet of smithery; heap* of dead bodies,
Inman limb. scattered about, osrviagee broken,
larsa-bosses burnt, erops trampled, vineyard, devas-
tated, houses plundered--such is the deplorable
sight which has met my eyes since my arrive! in this
lawn. Town, however, Magenta is no more.
The small inn whence I am now wilting thew
/ma hears marks of the tremendous straggle,
•r it was thrice takes and retaken during thi;
sales. Net a piece of furniture is to be found, net
even • chair to sit upon. Some of the details I sent
yea on &today were not quite correct. The field
gam captured by. our troops were not twenty bat
Mar. 1 warn led into an error, by a man who showed
me some other guns which were carared at Palestro
sad Borgo Vereellt. The battle of Msgeota woe sot
bugle by our troops but by the Austrians, who,
altaough in full retreat towards Pavia, were
ordered to change their front and attack our
advanced guard which had crossed the Ticino)
Butfilora. One battalion of the Zouaves and
two companies of the same regiment, together with
two regiments of Grenadiere, all belooging to
the Imperial Guard, were suddenly attacked by
16,000 Austrians under the order of General lobed.
Our gallant silica had three batteries with them, bat
esly two Held pieces were brought to play upon the
advancing columns of the enemy. Yoe must not
forget that the country which lies between this vil-
lage and Abbiate Grasso is intersected by neat-
hitless canals which supply the water to the ties
Gelds of the district All these fields had been of
mem inundated for agricultural purposes, so the
gua of oar advssioed guard could not be placed es-
apt on the main rued, which by the bye is very
marrow, and by which the Austrians were advancing.
The right wing of the French advanced guard, thus
attacked, was formed by the above-mentioned
troops. Five ether companies of Zooaves of the
Imperial Guard were marching on the left. This
heroic column, which gallantly disputed the leases
of Y. 'betas corps d'arnite for five long bouts scarcely
asembered 4,000 men. The rolling of mueketry, the
pounding of field guns, the crash of steel—l have
lasi told by an actor of the bloody draina--were
deafening. The Austrians advanced, halted, ad-
yawed again, received and retained a close and
deadly fire; bet the bayonet is the queen of weapons
—Magenta proved it. The brave band of our allies
were vainly clinging to their guns. After two
boors of a fearful straggle, three of them were
captured by the enemy. It was then that brave
kind-hearted General Clef fell dead from his
hers,. The calomel of the Ist Z 3134•0111 soon followed.
• minute later the lieut-oolonel and 12 °Some: the
ear regiment were no more. The battalion—if yes
ems designate by such a word the 300 left—was now
lighting for life ; it was surrounded by a divides of
the enemy—there was no help viable. But "Lea
Zotaavee sont lee Zotaves," said my icf‘irmant, who
has the honour to belong to this famous corps. The five
osespantee on the left, seeing the peril of their ODIN.
✓an, rushed with such impetuosity against the
enemy's division that the 300 were left alone, and
all the force of Croatians and Bohemians was brought
to bear against the new comers. This lest hand-to-
hand fight heated two hours. The dieproportioa
of 'umbers was, however, too great—the French
mere exhausted with fighting—but at last came the
help. About 111 &clock the reinforcements appeared
as their left—a joyful sight to our draggling regi-
ments. The three field guns already captured by
thi seemly were soon recooquered at the point of
the hermit. %obeli corps d'art's% was easily routed
by the Imperial legions, and obliged to retire. The
sedan the became general, and lasted three hoes
hare, till the bold assault of MacMahos decided
visteiy. The effect of this gallant general's
ism was that of cutting the Austrian army into
two Masa. Threatened on all sides, forced in his
prides, menaced with being surrounded, General '
Gyulai gave faders to retreat. Hosted as they
11101., they sow ran pell-mell, Dome towards Geste I
Visecati, some towards Roaster, Vernet', and Pavia. '
Coroner their hasty and disordered retreat by '
lodise of horse and by a tremendous fire of artillery,
Me Asetrians fell hack upon their es trenebed finesse
immanseesahmien. The battle of Magenta had been
was. Oesteral Oyulai had brought iato action 120,000
mat be left nearly 20,000 of them wounded and I
dead ea the battle-held, 7,000 were taken primmer's;
I legs, 4,000 knapsacks, 12,000 muskets, and 4 guns
boo fallen into our bands. Besides these dill-
asitiee, Geseral Gyulai knows that Marshal Baregaay
dilation i• marching feet towards the Adds, sad I
that be may succeed is intercepting the main read, '
whit! from Codogne Seeds to Cremona.
AJtse the battle of Magenta bed hewn won Victor I
lienuanwel slept as the talk and best morning no- I
Weed the deputation of the lowa enmeeil of Milan, I
which came to cam his Majesty the arum of Lam- a
lardy. As ems as the new el thereat victory had I
leached Milan the Austrians fled. The potpie, who I
had barricaded the street@ Imam the atgitt, began
Se meet on the Pieusa del &alma, asking foe the eat I
of 1144't to be proclaimed. Tetve as forgotten that a
In virtue et that act, called 111111111, Lombardy was I
united to Piedmont. It wee apresseiortiornewto that
le spite of the Massiniana the whole of the Lombard t
peopie, then free, had made. A deputation was I
seat to the town couscillore, but when introduced is
the real hall of the Hroletto those gelatinises were I
told that the mayor of Milan, a Count Sebregeadi,
had run away. Signori De Ham, D• Lava, Mme- 1
gwita, Übeldi, Boretti, sad Rosier, all awesoori I
mensicepele, west to the balcony, and after having I
proclaimed Victor Emmanuel king, started together i
with Marquis Guerrieri Goarags, Count Global, ad
when
e Corretsti for the headquarters of the King.
the deputation armed at the camp I
it was soon introduced into the royal test. ,
His Majesty was standing up, the Emperor
es his right. The presence of Napoleon 111. •
ea such a solemn occasion sufficiently proved that 0
be realty means what he said in his generous pm- •
isialmatiou—" France desires nothing but that Italy
shall be free from the Alp, to the Adriatic." The cow
munteitioes with the capital have not yet been re-
established, and I hear from a good source that even
Count Cavar has not yet received a true account of
the great victory.