The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-04 00:00:00

4 grout id with much difficulty.
..,mperor ordered Forey's
brigade on the side of the
these troops gaine,... s •,,
he height against the vii,
At this moment the
division to advance, one
plain, and the other on t
lage of Solferino, and can yea it to be supported by
Canton's division of light infantry of the Guard.
L He caused to advance with these troops the artillery
of the Guard, which under tho command of General
de Sevelinges and General lebceuf, took up an un-
covered position at about 300 metres from the,
enemy. This manoeuvre decided the success in the
centre. Whilst Forey's division seized on the
cemetery, and General Bazaine dashed his troops
forward into the village, the light infantry and •
riflemen of the Imperial Guard climbed up to the
foot of the tower commanding the chateau and pos-
sessed themselves of it. The little hills near Sol-
ferioo were successively carried, and at half-past
three the Austrians evacuated the position, under
the fire of our artillery placed on the crest, and left ,
in our hands 1,500 prisoners, 14 pieces of cannon,
and 2 colours. The share of the Imperial Guard in
this glorious trophy was 13 guns and one colour.
"Whilst this conflict was going on, and whilst
the fire was the heaviest, four Austrian columns,
advancing between the King's army and the corps
of Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers, endeavoured to
turn the right of Piedmontese. Six pieces of artil-
lery, however, ably directed by Gen. Forgeot, had
opened a very heavy fire on the flank of these
columns, and forced them to retrace their steps in

disorder. •
Whilst the corps of Marshal Barag,uay d'Hil-
llers was sustaining the conflict at Solferino, the
corps of the Duke de Magenta had deployed in the
plain of Guidizzolo, in aduance of the farm Casa
Marino, and his iine of battle cutting the road to
Mantua, directed its right towards Medola. At
nine o'clock in the morning he was attacked by a
strong Austrian column, preceded by a numerous
artillery, which placed itself in battery at 1,000 or
1,200 yards in advance of our front. The artillery
of the first two divisions of the 2d corps, advancing
immediately on the line of skirmishers, opened a
very sharp fire against the front of the Austrians,
and at the same instant the horse batteries of
Desvaux's and Partouneaux's divisions took the
enemy's cannons en echarpe, reduced them to
silence, and soon forced them to fall back. Imme-
diately after Desvaux's and Partouneaux's divisions
charged the Austrians and took 600 prisoners.
" Meantime a column of two regiments of Aus-
trian cavalry had endeavoured to turn the left of
the 2d corps, and the Duke de Magenta directed
against it six squadrons of light dragoons. Three
successful charges of our cavalry repelled that of
the enemy, who left in our hands a great number
of men and horses.
"At half-past two the Duke de Magenta assumed
the offensive in his turn, and ordered General de la
Mottorouge to advance on his left, on the side of
Solferino, order to carry San Cassiano and the
other positions occupied by the enemy.
The village was turned on both sides, and carried
with irresistible vigour by the Algerian riflemen
and the 45th. The riflemen were immediately
after sent against the principal counterfort, which
unites Cavriana with San Cassiano, and which was
defended by considerable forces. A first height,
crowned by a kind of redoubt, speedily fell into the
possession of the sharpshooters, but the enemy, by
a vigorous oansive return, succeeded in dislodging
them. They took it again with the aid of the 45th
and 72d, and were driven out once more. To sup-
port this attack, General de la Motterouge was
obliged to march up his brigade oof reserve, and the
Duke de Magenta advanced his whole corps.
" At the same time the Emperor gave orders to
Maneque's brigade of voltigeurs of the Guard, sup-
ported by General Mellinet's grenadiers, to advance
from Solferino against Cavriana. The enemy was
unable any longer to resist this double attack, sup-
ported by the fire of the artillery of the Guard,
and, about five in the evening, the voltigeurs and
Algerian sharpshooters entered at the same time
the village of Cavriana.
" At that moment a fearful storm, which burst
over the two armies, obscured the sky and sus-
pended the struggle; but as soon as the rain had
ceased the French troops resumed the operations
commenced, and drove the enemy from all the
heights commanding the village. Soon after the
fire of the artillery of the Guard changed the re-
treat of the Austrians into a precipitate flight.
" During this affair the horse chasseurs of the
Guard, who flanked the Duke de Magenta's right,
had to charge the Austrian cavalry which threatened
to turn it.
• "At half-past six the enemy was retreating in
all directions.
" But though the battle was won in the centre,
where the French troops had never ceased to gain
ground, the right and left still remained behind.
However, the troops of the 4th corps had also taken
an important and glorious part in the battle of
Solferino.
"Leaving Carpenedolo at three o'clock in the
morning, they were marching on Medola, sup-
ported by the cavalry of the Desvaux and Partou-
neaux divisions, when, at about two kilometres
from Medola, the squadrons of chassenrs which
preceded the corps met the hulans. They
charged them with impetuosity, but were
checked by the enemy's infantry and artil-
lery, which defended the village. General
de Luzy immediately took measures for an attack.
Whilst he sent two columns to turn Meals on the
right and left, he advanced on the front himself,
preceded by his artillery, which• kept up a fire on
the village. This attack, executed with great
vigour, was entirely successful ; at seven o'clock the
enemy retired from Medola, leaving two pieces of
cannon and a good number •of prisoners in our

hands.
" Vinoy's division, which followed Luzy's, marched
from Medola in the direction of an isolated house
called Casanova, which stands in the plain on the
road to Mantua, about two kilometres from Guidiz-
zolo. The enemy was in considerable force on that
side, and a desperate conflict took place, while
Luzy's division was marching towards Ceresara on
the one hand, and towards Rebecco on the other.
" At this moment the enemy attempted to turn
the left of Vinoy's diviSion i i tile interval left be-
tween the 2d and 4th. corps ; .they _came up within
200 metres of the front of our troops, but were there
stopped by the fire of 45. pieces of artillery, directed
by General Soleille.• The enemy's cannon then
came and took part.in.the struggle, and kept on for
a great part of the day, although with manifest
inferiority.
" Failly's division came up in its turn, and
General Niel, reserving the second brigade of that
division, directed the first between Casanova and
Rebecco, towards the hamlet of Baeta, to connect
General de Luzy with General Vinoy. General
Niel's' intention was to march towards Guidizzolo
as soon as the Duke de Magenta should have taken
Cavriana, and he hoped by that means to cut off
the enemy from the road to Volta and Goito ; but,
to execute that plan, it was necessary for the troops
of Marshal Canrobert's corps to replace at Rebecco
those of General de Luzy.
" The 3d corps, starting from Mezzana at two in
the morning, had passed the Chiesa at Viseno, and
arrived about seven o'clock at Castelgoffredo, a small
town surrounded by walls, and still occupied by
the enemy's cavalry. While General Jannin was
turning the position to the south, General Renault
attacked it in front, sent sappers to burst open the
gates, and entered the town, driving the enemy's
cavalry before him.
" About nine o'clock in the morning Renault's
division, having arrived abreast of Medola, puf its
left in conjunction with General de Luzy, on the
side of Ceresara, and on its right faced Castelgoff-
redo, so as to watch the movements of the detached
corps, whose departure from Mantua hail been an-
nounced.
" That apprehension paralysed, during the
greater part of the day, the corps d'artnee under
Marshal Canrobert, who did not think it prudent
in the first instance to lend the 4th corps the sup-
port demanded by General Niel. Nevertheless,
about three o'clock in the afternoon, being reas-
sured as to his right, and having of himself judged
General Niel's position, Marshal Canrobert sent
Renault's division towards Rebecco, and ordered
General Trochu to carry his first brigade between
Casnanova an a Baeta to the point on which the most
formidable attacks of the enemy were being di-
rected. This reinforcement of fresh troops per-
mitted General Niel to send in the direction of Gui-
dizzolo part of Luzy's and De Failly's divisions.
This column advanced up to the first houses of the
village ; but, finding before it superior forces estab-
lished in a good position, was obliged to stop.
" Generil Trochu then advanced to support the
attack with Bataille's brigade of his, division. ITe
marched on the enemy in close battalions en echi-
quier, the right wing in advance, with as much
order and calm as in a field of manoeuvres. He
took from the enemy a company of infantry and
two pieces of cannon, and he had arrived half-way
from Casanova. to Guidizzolo when the storm broke
forth which put an end to this terrible conflict
which the co-operaticn of the 3d and 4th corps was
threatening to render so fatal to the enemy.
" In the midst of the incidents of this combat of
hours' duration the cavalry was of powerful assist-
ance in checking the efforts of the enemy on the
side of Casanova. On several occasions Partou-
neaux's and Des' aux's divisions charged the Aus-
trian infantry and broke its squares. But it was
our new artillery which produced the most terrible
effects on the Austrians. Its balls went to distances
which their guns of the largest calibre could not
respond to, and strewed the plain with dead.
" The 4th corps took from the enemy 1 colour, 7
pieces of cannon, and 2,000 prisoners.
" On its - part the Piedmontese army, placed on
our extreme left, had also had a rude and splendid