The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-07-23
THE WAR IN ITALY.

THE WAR IN ITALY.
Thc Greas Battle OF solfcrino s-.Fea
i W scenes ON the Field.-Vass Trai
French Camp.
Mr. henry J. Raymond, editor of the N. :
Times, and !" Malakoff," its Paris corresponds
eejoyed the rare fortune of witnessing Il
great battle Of Sclferno from an eminence o,
capled by the Emperor Napoleon during Il
early part Of the day, and after the battle of o
cnpying positions in the French camp at Cas,i
hone. Our readears have already seen Mr.. l.a,
monds description Of go much Of the conili,
a. ne wAsenabled to see. We sutjoin his &C
count Of the terrible scenes witnessed anon
the wounded while the battle was in propres
end after the darkness had separated the com
batants:
On reaching Hontechiaro, and stoping for
moment to rest our horses, we were told that
great battle vas then going on In the plain be
fore Casiigliore and going at once to the sum
init OF some old Notifications which once de
Tended The town, We could see with our elasse
the smoke OF the engagement. We lost n,
time IN pushing forward, although we were tol.
that We could not reach Castiglione because th,
roads we're completely occupied with artller,
held in reserve. We went on, however, con-
tinnng to meet carriages and carts laden witt
wounded, and passing the French camps Of the
previous night, came to a point about half a
miie from the town, where park Of artillery
wogons were dehled from their camp into the
road. Watching our chance We drove in be-
tween two of the wagons, and so entered the
town under cover of the enormous cloud of dus,
which they raised. The main street was dense
~ crowded with carts, carriages, horses, don
keys, oxen. soldiers, suttlers and persons and
annimals OF every description. We pushed our
way, without hindrance, directly past the house
marked az the Quarter Generate, or head.quar-
ters oil the Emperor, and were thus within the
camp. We had gone but short distance when
we came to where the great procession of the
wounded was turning down cross street to
church which had been taken fer hospital It
was certainly the most dreadful sight | ever
saw. Every conceivable kind of wound which
can be inflicted upon men was here exhibited.
All who were able to do SO, were obliged to
walk-the wagons and animals at command be-
ing all required for those who could no: other
wise be moved. Some walked alone, their faces
completely covered with blood from the sabre
cuts upon their heads. Many had their arms
up-and some carried most ghastly woudns upon
their faces Some had tied up their wounds
and others had stripped away the clothing
which chafed and made them worse. | saw
one man walking along with q firm step and a
resolute air-naked to the waist, and having a
bullet wound upon bis side, an ugly cash along
bis cheek, and a deep bayonet thrust received
from behind, in his shoulder. Most of those
who were walking wore a serious look-con-
versed but little with one another though they
walked two and two-and.. few carried up
on their faces any considerable expression of
pain.
These who were more severely injured rode
upon donkeys or in carts,-and q few we're car
ried upon mattresses and mems shoulders But
these were mostly officers, and nearly all saw
carried in that way were SO b 4dy wounded that
heir recovery is scarcely possible. One had
both his legs crushed ay cannon ball. Anoth-
,r had received ball in his thigh, and was evi
iently suffering the most intense agony. Many
't those whose wounds were in their legs were
seated in chairs swung across a donkey-one
'eing upon each side. Several who were thus
:arried and were supported by soldiers walking
~ their side, We're apparently unconscious and
eemed dying. Then would come carts. large
md small, carrying three, five, and SOME of
hem ten or fifteen each A steady stream of
hese ghastly victims of the battle OF the day |
poured through the town. | stood in the crowd |
" the side of them the SAD procession pass |
ID along, and watched it at this point for over |
n hour. 1t was not interrupted for moment, /
except how and then by crowd of prisoners, |
-and it continued thus from about 10 in the |
morning, when 1t began to flow, until left the |
treet, long after dark. Every church, every |
arge hall, every private house in the town has
een taken for the service of the wounded. -
hose whose injuries are slight, airer having |
hem dressed, pass at once into the ranks and |
liug lie with their comrades. | looked into the
hurch as passed by. All the eats, railings,
&C., had been removed: mattresses Of hay had I
psn spread upon the floor, and we're complete
: filed with wounded men, in every stage of
nffering and Of peril, lying side by side. The
nrgcons We're dressing their wounds; Sisters
i Charity and other women were giving them
ae and otherwise administering to their com
,rt; but morning l am sure will dawn up
q large portion of them relieved forever
ON their pain. II any thing can be more hor.
bic than q soldiers life, it certainly is SOL
er's death.
We were unable to arrive at an approxi-
ation OF the casualties Of the day. Ali the
tcers who might have been able to furnish US
,rfeet information continued In the pursuit of
'e enemy, and We were obliged TO rely upon
hat We saw with our own eyes and could OBJ
in from the wounded themselves. From these
ata We feel arranted in saying that the French
ust have had 25,OG0 men hors de combat. We
ertalnly saw ourselves 10000 wounded men
,me from the fields on carts, wagons, mules and
tiers. The procession OF the wounded was
,ntinued during IL hours that we remained
'ectatOrs Of the scene, and now, in the morn.
G hours, the stream is pouring Oh, seeking a
sstiBg place in the churches OF the surround
z villages and hamlets towards Brescia, all OF
hich have been seized by the surgeons for
,spital purposes.
Six or eight times while stood upon the
rect watching she wounded, there came along
uads of prisoners taken at various stages of
e action. Sometimes there would be only
rec or four,-then twenty, fifty or hundred,
I'd in one company over 400. They walked
osely together six or eight deep,-the officers
ling generally in the middle,-and were guard
by single file Of troops walking on each
de. As general thing they were not bad
oking men. Very many of them were very
'ung-not over l6 certainly-snd only now
ID then you would see particularly brutal
ID stupid countenance. There was nothing
.e anger or shame on their faces; they seemed
,nerally wholly indifferent to their position,
1t looked about with coed deal of curiosity
ION the crowd which surrounded them. They
ere generally silent, though now and then they
ould talk and laugh with each other as they
Issed along. The officers were, with scarcity
exception, handsome, manly aud intelligent
llows. All were without arms. The uniform
the men was q very coarse brown stuff, made
fax, very plain, and with scarcely any at
mpt at ornament. Towards night, carts be.
IN to come in laden with wounded Austrians,
lndreds Of whom passed along while l stood
ere, and we're taken directly to the hospitals,
ere they received precisely the same treat
eht as the French. Most Of them seemed to
very badly hurt. Among the number, both
the wounded and the prisoners, were many
ungar;ans.
The most horrible wounds to look at, kowev.
, were those OF the face. Two Zouaves of the
Ist Regiment had the whole VI der jaw carried
Ray, and yet these brave fellows walked be.
nd the carts OF their comrades more danger
isiy woualed than themselves. Some bad
cir eyes closed from blows with the butts OF 1:
c muskets, Others had their cheeks or mouth
nging in fd.ibeaar from sword cuts, others
e checks swollen TO enormous Dimensions from
ills that had pierced their faces through and