The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-09 00:00:00

2'HE BATTLE OF MAGENTA.

The Emperor's despatch from Magenta, dated at
4.15 last evening, represents the loss of the Austrians
as greater by 5,000 men than was announced in the
first despatch. It would now appear that the Aus-
trians lost in killed and wounded (hors de conzbat)
20,000 men, and 7,000 prisoners "at least." Though
so well acquainted with the loss of the enemy, the
French, as usual, know their own not so certainly
—" about 3,000 men." In the first despatch it was
stated to be " about 2,000." What it will be
found when the detailed official accounts come in I
cannot say. The Emperor states that the debouclies,
or issues, " on passing by the bridges thrown across at
Turbigo," were narrow,an d that the Austrians offered
the greatest resistance. Under such circumstances,
20,000 Austrians killed and wounded to 3,000
French seems a disproportion. The spoils, too,
figure poorly by the side of such enormous loss :
only three guns and two standaids captured by the
French! At Marengo, of which M. Thiers says,
" General Bonaparte staked his whole fortune on
that day," the Austrian loss was 8,000 killed and
wounded, and 4,000 prisoners ; the French, 6,000,
and 1,000 prisoners. According to other accounts,
7,000 killed and wounded on each side. But eight
standards and 20 pieces of cannon were taken by
the French ; while the other results were the com-
plete reconquest of Piedmont and of the Milanese,
the cession of 12 fortresses with 1,500 pieces of can-
non, and the advance of the French to the Mincio. _
At the great battle of Austerlitz, the battle of
the Emperors,
Austrians lost 15,000 killed, wounded, and drowned,
20,000 prisoners, 180 guns ; the Frenchaiaticocnosdiimg.
when three were on the field, thed
to M. 'Phi er s
i,aobnoofutaes7t, Ohoeo. ''
posed by Napoleon were—the
complete the kingdom
family alliances with
of
immediatelee Tr\dsirl,e ewntcer
rooeo p s consequence.
generengaged a
the German houses,
Austrianoof
Baden
andS u a
va
ut or
taegmg
ohr
uaornttd i; soeooßavaria,
money,
t the
induchies
addi-
tion
Ito;ritery ; and the rupture of
to the loss
ler: captured in the field 40 Aus-
trianse of the Imperial Guard of
io
mtheortehoivsrtedarn,cdtoianieid.id.ie
were
Wounded, and
missing.
l
o
We do not yet know the exact numbers actually
aotffiTe Russia,
totaleardo lossawillotllnfgt
2ht2eh,
3eN 1813 or l eks alliednl
engaged at Magenta, but the carnage was dreadful,
and the fact of the Austrians having saved their
artillery and their standards, with such a loss, shows
how desperately they fought. MacMahon being
the only general officer spoken of in the Imperial
despatch, leads Ale to infer that to that gallant
Irishman the chief merit of the victory, is to be
ascribed. The Imperial Guard, too, having alone
supported the shock of the enemy for two hours,
must have done wonders. There is little doubt that
MacMahon will now receive the baton of Field;
Marshal, which was said to be retarded on account
of his having opposed the passing of the famous
Public Surety Bill after the attentat of the 14th
January. I hear that the telegraphic despatcheli
from Italy for the Paris papers were stopped for
some time to-day, no doubt to prevent incorrect.
re
Austriansos
reportsßeports odf theci
r e
nblaatttel,e however,a n d
f sferlforemtr
eh circulating;.
r csuelsa ttihnat
we may form some notion of
that
those mentioned. From the lossth at.°
victories gained at
and it is certain, moreover, of the French
such a price cost very dear.- L etter from Paris.