Washington telegraph., 1855-10-03

afraid to retreat-ten thousand deaths in
frOnt-ten thousand more bchind-help and
hope nowhere
They paused for few seconds. seemed
to hesitate, but we're speedily relieved from
all embarrassment as to the course thev
should pursue by the advance of the French,
whose cheer rang merrily through the MORN
ing air as they leveled their bayonets and
rushed to the charge The Russians gave
one hurrah, as if they intended to come up
to the scratch, but instead of suiting the az
ton to the word, they wheeled about and
flung themselves down the hillside in com
plete disorder, the Sandman artillery again
playing upon them as before. Some hum
dreds threw down their ans and surrender
ed to the French sooner than run the eaunt-
let once more across the acqueiuct and the
river. The remnant of the column cot un
der cover on .be other side of the stream.
and remained there for some minutes. until
two battaliOns of Piedmontese came out up-
on the plain, and throwing out skirmishers.
advanced upon the river The Russians
now retired IN haste. and not in very good
order, sklrmlshlng as they went until they
reached the high ground on which their
cavalry and the reserve of their artillery
we're stationed. During the pursuit the
Piedmontese made some prisoners The
moment was propitious for charge Of cav
airy, who might have cut them up COM
pletely.
Major Grovac, the second on the Sardin-
ian etat-maior, accordingly brought down
their four squadrons, but the Colonel object
ed to charge in the face of the Russian cav
airy force, fully five thousand in number
unless be were supported by French Or
English. A message was accordingly sent
to General Maurice the French General
commanding the cavalry, requesting him to
push forward body Of his men in the rear
of the PiedmOntese, but be declined alleg-
ing that he had positive orders not to pursue
having returned a similar answer to a SINH
lar request on the part of General Er-
billion, who commanded ON the heights
This is extraordinary, bu, true and the on
ly thing one can say about it is to express
hope that there was some good reason for it
not visible at first sight The greater part
of the Russian artillery now retired. follow
cd up for short distance by the French
Chasseurs de VincenneS. The cavalry then
advanced in an immense line, forming
crescent from out Of which issued three
guns, which fred away TO protect the re-
treat, till the last column had wound its wea-
~ way up the road to Mackenzie's farm, or
disappeared among tie hills towards ChiOn-
lion
Nothing now remained but to visit the
field of battle, on which the Zouaves had
already descended Ike vultures, and were
removing everything portable The scene
which presented itself on the banks of the
river below the canal, was something more
fearful than the ordinary horrors of a battle
field The canal itself was ehoked with
dead-most of whom had doubtless fallen
into it living, after rolling down the hill
side, and found repose in Its muddy waters
broken muskets. bags of bread, cartridg-
es: one dark red stain. on the white chalky
gravel. often alone marked the spot where
the men first fell, and in moment tumbled
back TO perdition. Many had fallen after
scrambling up to the brink of the aqueduct,
and ere they had time TO cross ii, and if not
caught in the bushes rolled into the plain.
breaking their bones in the descent, and
law there as we passed shrieking in agony,
and imploriug US to kill them and thus put
an end to their suffering
Never did eye rest upon humanity in
forms so mutilated, defaced, and disigured
as these unhappy wreteles, who lay wrlthing
there in their bloody rags. their faces 50
plastered over with gore and dust that nei-
ther wife nor mother would ever have re-
cognized son or husband in those hideous
e Int boI
were a small minority, sought to drag them
selves 20 the shade of few bushes that
sl,irted the river; some sought to hide their
heads from the fiery heat Of the midday sun
under their tattered garments, and others
Law with faces upturned and ghastly, their
limbs still trembling in the last quiver, and
the flies already burrowing in their wounds.
Men shot down by any sort of missile. and
living where they fell. CORY and mutilated
though they may be. Is a sight to which
one soon gets babituated, but wounded men
who have been rolled over rough soil. and
their bones broken in their progress. Is one
of those sights that one rarely witnesses,
and which be who has once seen it never
wishes to see more. On toward the bridge
the dead lay thicker and thicker:
On the banks of the river, about it, and
irf the river itself. they were ''heaped and
Piled mostly fine men, in the prime of
lifc-many with a cieu1 gr0snard air,
which bespoke long years Of service. Near
" every one had brandy bottle either ae-
tually in his hand. or lying near him or
broken under him in his fall was riding
with Polish officer, who conyersed with a
great many of the wounded who informed
Us that large quantities of brandy had been
served out to the soldies before the action,
except the artillerymen- There were great
many small platforms lying about, some
resembling ladders with the rungs very close.
and carried by rope slings attached to each
end, as bridges to be thrown across the