The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-07-16
The Great battle of solferino.

The steamers from Europe last week
brought intelligence of another great bat
tie in Italy, near the banks of the Mincio,
and not ar..from Perschira, but gave no par
ticulars-not even the place from which
to name the battle was distinctly given.
Later accounts, however show that the
battle occurred at and around village
named Soiferino, whence it takes name.
A correspondent of the New York Tines
who was an eye witness of the struggle,
furnishes for that paper the following ex-
cellent description of it:
The battle commenced a little before
o'clock in the morning, not far from sun
rise
Just back from Castiglione rises high
range of hills, which projects mile or
Whereabouts into the plain, and then breaks
off towards the lett into IA wide expanse of
smaller hills, and SO into the rolling sur
face which makes that portion OF the plain.
The Austrians had taken position upon
these hills, planting cannon upon those
nearest to Castiglione, which they could
not approach, as the French army was in
full force around that little village, and
had stationed their immense army all over
the surrounding plain
As nearly as we can now learn, the En-
peror Francis Joseph had collected 225 900
troops, and commanded them i'll person.
His evident purpose was to make a stand
here and risk the fortunes Of the war up
on the hazards of the day
Napoleon promptly accepted the chal-
lenge, and commenced the attack as soon
as it was light thi. n m. by placing cannon
L.. 70 tr1i
than those held by the Austrians, and
opening fire upon them on the heights be-
! yond He took his own stand upon the
/ highest of these, steep, sharp backed
/ ridge. which commands a magnificent
view of the entire circle of the plain, and
/ from that point directed the entire move
ments of his army during the early portion
of the day.
The French very soon drove the enemy
/ out OF the posts they had nearest to the
( town, and followed them into the small
villages of the plain below. The first Of
these was Solferino, where they had a
sharp and protracted engagement
/ The Austrians disputed every inch Of
/ the ground, and fought here. they did
throughout the day, with the utmost des-
/ peration. They were three times driven
out of the town before they would stay
! out The people Of the village, moreover,
/ took part against the French, upon whom
/ they fred from their windows, and the
| French We're compelled, III seli-dctense, to
/ burn the town
/ When the Austrans found it impossible
l to hold their ground any longer, they fell
/ back slowly and steadily, until they reach
ed the village of Volta, directly southeast
from Castiglione and only about mile
y a r,y "
ever. it is separated 10y range of hills.
Upon these hills, in the rear of the town
and overlooking it completely on the south
{ and southeast sides, the AustrIans had
planted very formidable batteries, and
when | arrived upon the field and went al
once to the height where the Emperor
had stood at the opening OF the engage
ment but which he had left an hour be
fore to follow his victorious troops, these
batteries were blazing away upon the
I French, who were stationed on the plain
/ below.
The general result was soon made evi
dent by the slackening OF the Austrian
fire, by the falling back of their smoke
and a corresponding advance on the part
Of that which rose from the French ar;ll
lcry
The cannonading at that point lasted
for over an hour but IN precisely what III
rcction the Austrians retrcatcd, II was not
possible, from the position / occupied. L
see Part of the Austrian force probably
crossed the Mincio river which flow:
southwark from the lower end OF lax,
Garda and empties into the Pc.
But IT,. battle continual To- rage al ot,
the region northwest of a line conneciiIt
the towns OF Castiglione, Soiferino ana
Volta. At one point after another, "a ~hari
canroradiug would arise and continue fol
half or tnr,e-quarters Of an hour, aud al
ter each successive engagement OF thh
kind. the result became apparent an th'
retreat of the Austrians and the advance
of the French forces
During the carly part Of the day TIA,
sky had been clear and the weather hot
but clouds began to gather about noon
and at ) clock. while the CannOuadc wa!
at its hight 4 tremendous thunder storm
rolled up from the northwest. The storm
lasted for about an hour, and the cannon
adine. so far as we could distinguish, wa
suspended Then the rain ceased, th'
clouds blew away, the sun shone out again
and the air was cool and perfectly delight
full.
| Though the cannonading may have ceas
ed for time to take part III It, the high
had meantime gone on, and when | agar
resumed my post of observation, iron
which the storm had expelled me, tn
cannonading commenced quite on the ex
IRENE left of the entire field, on the Yer.
borders of the lake, northeast of Casti
lone and west OF Pischiera.
, The Piedmontese troops, under the King
/ who commands them III person, had beer
, posted there, and received the Austrian
as they came around From about o clocl
till after nightfall an incessant and mos
, terrible combat was kept up here. Til
: batteries of the two armies were appal
emily about half mile apart, and a
the outset they were both served wit
nearly equal and effective vigor, but tn
Austrians gradually slackened their fire
$ and several times took up new positions
, while the Sardinians poured rapid an
, uninterrupted shower of balls upon then
suspendin. only for few minutes at
time, and then renewing again with r.
!, doubled vigor.
The wind had now got down; the al
was still. and the sound OF musketry, 4
: well as of cannon, was distinctly heard
D sometimes only single flash would b
a seen, then two or three at once, and som'
times half dozen would break forth
! instant succession. 1t was beginning
= get dusk when | turned to descend tn
r hill and all the way down ! still hear
1 the roar of cannon and the CHATTER of til
l. guns of the infantry
The Austrians have sustained an owe
whelming defeat, and it seems to 1ne -
unlikely that the Emperor of Austria ma
4 now be induced, by the representatives
the neutral powers, to accept peace, whic
Napoleon will be very likely to tender
~ him.
~ am afraid to venture upon any co
e lecture as to the number of killed al
l. wounded in this battle, but from the II
n ture of the case. it must be enormous.