The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-25 00:00:00

TILE ARMY.

His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-
Chief will hold a levee at one o'clock on Friday next.
Much activity prevails in Chatham garrison, in
bringing forward the young troops who are to
embark for India with the next draughts. The
officers and troops of the line are occasionally prac-
tised in escalading operations in the' trenches which
surround Chatham, in conjunction with the men of
the Royal Engineers.
The depot of the 2d Battalion 4th (King's Own)
Foot, consisting of 6 officers and 130 men, will
arrive in Portsmouth garrison to-morrow from
Aldershott.

The depot of the 22d Regiment (6 officers and
100 men) will arrive at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight,
to-morrow, from Aldershott.
The depot of the 77th Regiment (700 strong) will
proceed to-morrow from Parkhurst to Chatham.

On Monday evening the City of Dublin Militia
Artillery marched into Colchester camp, to take
charge of the two batteries of guns now stationed
at that garrison for the protection of the coast.
The regiment, in strength 337 rank and file and 15
officers, left Dublin on Thursday, and landed at
Tilbury Fort on Monday morning, where 110 men
and five officers were left for garrison duty, and the
headquarters, consisting of 227 men and nine offi-
cers, proceeded to Colchester. The officers accom-
panying the regiment are, the Hon. Robert F.
Handcock, Lieut.-Col. Commandant ; Captains
Henry Shaw, Arthur A. Pelly, and William James
Magell ; Lieuts. Alan G. W. Gardner, John
Albert Vincent, J. De Montmorency Armstrong,
and Robert M. Alloway ; Captain-Adjutant
Charles M'Callam, Quartermaster W. MgAdam ;
Surgeon E. Howell Scriven. The regiment
was met at the railway station by Colonel H.
K. Bloomfield, Commandant of the Camp, and ac-
companied to its quarters by the music of the
fifes and drums of both depot battalions.

PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris
is about at par, and the short exchange on London is 25.10
per £1 sterling. On comparing these rates with the Eng-
lish Mint price of £3 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standard gold,
it appears that gold is about 3-10ths per cent, dearer in
Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg the
price of gold is 420 per mark, and the short exchange on
London is 13.1} per £1 sterling. Standard gold at the
English Mint price is therefore about 6-10ths per cent.
dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of ex-
change at New York on London for bills at 60 days'
is about 110 per cent., which, when compared with the
Mint par between the two countries, shows that the ex-
change is in favour of England ; and, after making
allowance for charges of transport and difference of inte-
rest, the present rate leaves a profit on the importation of
gold from the United States, sight

(From the Correspondent of the Drag News.)
TURIN, MAY 21.
The first victory has been won—may it be a good
omen for the allied armies. This morning, as I was
returning from Osti, I gleaned some important de-
tails, which, I am happy to say, enable me to give
you a fair, if riot a complete, description of the
battle which was fought yesterday, and which will
be recorded in the annals of the present struggle as
the battle of Montebello.
Since Thursday night it had been rumoured in
our camp that the Emperor of Austria had arrived
at Pavia, in:company with the Field-Marshal Hess.
Our informants, who had come from Argino to the
head-quarters of Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers
through the bushy paths of the Casatisma country,
had also reported that a great deal of warlike bustle
and marching had been noticed in the Austrian
camp, near the bridge of La Hella. The telegraph
has informed you that on Thursday an Austrian
corps coming from Stradella attacked the position
of Casteggio, chiefly defended by the people of that
place. After a brilliant stand made by Piedmon-
tese cavalry, in which Captain Piola was slightly
wounded, the Austrians were obliged to retire. As
soon as Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers got wind of
the fact that the Austrians were plotting mischief
for next day, he gave his orders to General Forey
to be on his guard with his division. This distin-
guished officer moved his forces, therefore, in the
direction of Montebello, as it was Ilought that,
after the retreat of Thursday, the enemy would
perhaps again attack the advanced guard of our
army.
You will not have forgotten, that from the time of
the Gallic and Punic wars down to the last great
European conflict Montebello and Casteggio have
been important military positions. This last-men-
tioned place was besieged by Hannibal, who did
not really conquer it, but bought it from Publius
Darius. A remarkable memorial of the Cartha-
ginian General still exists—a spring of very pure
water, called by immemorial tradition " The Fon-
tana d'Annibale." It was near Casteggio that on
the 9th of June, 1800, the great battle between the
French and the Austrians was fought. This battle,
so wonderfully described by Tillers, is usually
called the Battle of Montebello, from the village
where the French finally routed the corps de reserve
of the enemy. Fifty years ago the fortune of the
day was there decided by Victor ; yesterday it was
decided by the bold assault of General Beuret, who
paid with his life the victory obtained by the Forey
division, a brigade of which he commanded, and by
the Sardinian cavalry under the orders of Colonel
De Sonnaz.
At 11 o'clock yesterday 15,000 Austrians, under
the orders of General Zabel, were seen to move
towards the Piedmontese positions of Montebello,
which were occupied by 800 Sardinian horsemen,
supported by two batteries. The Austrians were
marching in echelons, their right wing bent in the
direction of Branduzzo, their left flank, supported
by a large artillery, on Casona, whilst their columns
of attack of the centre advanced, by Piazale, to-
wards
our lines of Montebello.
As soon as General Forey was roused by roll
after roll of musketry on the left, and by the sharp
report of Austrian and Piedmontese guns, he
marched with the 2d brigade of his division in the
direction of Montebello to support the Piedmon-
tese cavalry, which by this time had already
advanced to meet the enemy.
The battle of Montebello scarcely admits of de-
scription. It was a series of dreadful deeds of
daring, hand-to•hand fights, of sanguinary encoun-
ters, of desperate charges and assaults. The shells
and bullets of the Austrians burst so thickly among
our troops that our centre, already engaged, was
obliged to fall back on the right of our lines, re-
tiring from Montebello, protected by a ravine filled
with brushwood which descended towards the main
road of Voghera. As General Beuret led on his
men to support our centre, it was observed that a
body of the enemy had gained the top of a hilly
ground behind the French division on cur right.
A deadly volley was poured into them, and, pro-
tected by the fire, both Piedmontese and French
came out from the ravine and went boldly to meet
the enemy. The effect of the new French guns,
carrying their bullets to a distance of more than
two English miles, was so great, that the centre of
the Austrians was soon obliged to fall back on its
reserve, and Montebello was again occupied by
our men. By this time the 3d and 4th brigades
of General Forey's division had reached the
scene of the action. This distinguished officer
had left in support of a small band of
the national guard—who, by the bye, fought
bravely—his Ist brigade, sending an orderly officer
of his staff to Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers, asking
support if need be. Having thus given his orders
he came on with his Zouaves at the pas de charge.
One battalion of Chasseurs d'Orleans rushed by,
" the light of battle on their faces." It was accom-
panied by two battalions of the line, commanded
by Duchef and Lacretelle. The shock was terrible ;
Lacretelle fell dead from his horse, Major Duchef
fell dead after him ; our men still advanced a /a
bayonette. An Austrian colonel and 200 Croats
were made prisoners. Assailed in front by the
French ; broken by the impetuosity of the charge
of the Sardinian Monferrato light horsemen, led by
the brave Colonel Morelli; attacked on the right
by the 2d brigade, and by our artillery all along
the line, the Austrians began to retire after a
struggle of six hours. At five o'clock p.m. they
_

.ere driven pell-mell down the hills towards Stra-
della on one side, and towards Casatisma on the
other, leaving mounds of dead behind them. We
had won the day. The Austrians were therefore
unable to force our positions, though they were
15,000 strong, with a powerful artillery, thus out-
numbering us by 6,000 men. Forey's division
numbered scarcely 8,000 fighting men, and was
supported by 900 Sardinian horse. You must not
forget that this brave cavalry, led by young Col.
De Sonnaz, sustained for an hour the first shock of
the enemy, thus giving time to the French to come
up. _ _

The last charge made by the Sardinians was fatal
to Colonel Morelli, who fell mortally wounded from
his horse. Besides this loss, we have to deplore 200
dead and 300 wounded. Amongst the last the
names of Colonels Griot, Les Barre, Je Bellefonds,

iusmeuil, and Major Ferussal, all French superior
officers, are to be noticed. General Forey and the
Sardinian cavalry colonel, De Sonnaz, behaved
nobly. It is impossible to ascertain the loss sus-
tained by the enemy, because the official report has
not yet arrived in Turin. According to the ac-
counts of my informant, the Austrians have lost
1,500 men, dead and wounded, to say the least.
It has been noticed that their men could not
stand the impetuosity of Zouaves' and Chasseurs'
bayonets and of Sardinian swords. As soon as they
were assaulted by the deadly weapomi they were
always driven pell moll from their poisitions, and
the village of Montebello was thus taken and
retaken thrice during the action. I make no pre-
tension whatever to send you a correct description
of the battle. As I have already said, t'his brilliant
exploit admits of no description; it is c.inly a sketch
that I present to your readers.
Now that the Austrians have left 'trercelli and
Tortona, we have the full details of the. it barbarous
exploits. It would occupy some columns of your
paper were I to record the endless list of their
atrocities. What is more shameful Cts, that these
outrages of Croats and Lancers am I Bohemian
infantry were encouraged by generals s,nd officers.
At Vercelli, the chief of the Austrian c. )mmissariat
actually stole a carriage and two horses belonging
to Count Mela. The poor coachman who had driven
him to Montaro thought it was his dut, y to remon-
strate. He was threatened with the bastinado.
The coachman then asked to have his clo uk restored
to him, and the answer was " Mantello star buono