Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-06-28
AsOLDIER's ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE
OF MONTERELLO.

nOn-cOInUiSSlOneQ Ufncer 10 nfS 1TleDuS giving
an account of the battle Of MOntebello IN i
picturesque and spirited in the extreme. and
rsproduces for vs. the fight rs il seemed TO those
Yesterday morning at eleven we were in our
camp, a couple Of gun shots in front of Vog-
hera, sitting around huge copper, in which
few slices Of pork were boiling In a xreat deal
Of water for the breakfast of The snssd. when
suddenly we heard a brisk firing Of musk etry
toward the heights Of CasteggiO
We jump up, You should see how quickly
We leap TO our arms and--wsit
For two minutes, nothing; the firing con-
tuaes; We notice much movement among our
vshguArds.
We were only two companies there: nothing
yuu know, In case Of attack. Our captain went
and came; the firing seemed to approsch and
yet nothing from our yanguards, nothing from
VOghera.
We didn't understand it,
We listened, grssping the barrels of our car
bines- Suddenly we heard the gnt wire of our
sentinels, and then that Of the vanguartis
horseman gallOps by covered with mud
ana blood; he wears the uniform of an officer
OF the Sandman cavalry. Bending over the
name OF his horse, he was belaboring the beast
with bis spurs; his sabre was drawn and hung
To his right wrist; he cried out, ITO arms
The Austrians,'' And he disappeared at n
turn in the road -
We were anxious 10 60; some had started.
the Captain took his stand in the middle of the
road threatening to run through the first man
who moved.
Aud he would have done it, We came into
order IL was not five minutes after the Sar-
dinisn officer had passed, that VIC heard the
drums beating the rOll-call and almost at the
same instant Gen. FOrey, with three aid es de-
camp passed behind galloping ut full stretch:
the lfth Chasseurs followed at a cymnsstic
quIoksteP; they rallied us and in fifteen min
utpS a
liver, | forget its name. =
Our business was to protect the establishment
OF battery which wa5 to NOW down the head Of
the Austrian column My dozen men and |
were posted by the Lieutenant behind a ridge.
which completely masked our fire and covered
We had not lain down in the mud. when
handful Of TyrOlcse, hid among the trees on
the left, opened fire on our comrades who
were much more exposed than we In less
time than Ii takes one to write il, tbey had
knocked over fifteen of our men. That made
US mad; my men had, without consent, without
saying a word to each other jumped into the
water and charged bayonets on the thirty or
forty Chasseurs that we saw, behind whom
there were more to be SEEN Our example led
on three companies, and soon a battalion of
the 18th We got the worst of it; received by
Well-Sustalned IRE, we were obliged to fall
back, for it was no longer an affair of a few
hundred Tyrolese, but an enormous column at
least :, 900 strong, which was advancing by tho
causeway Of the railroad
We were hindering our artillery; Comman-
dant Laeretelle sounded the retreat; we trem-
oled with rage. Fortunately we were not
Obliged to retreat; we were POSTED near the
CasSIna Nova, with orders to fire at discretion
Then Tor two hours, standing, kneeling hid
Ing, going to the right, running to the left, but
Keeping our position, we burned the first car
tridses- We were not three hundred yards
from the enemy.
The officers kept us back because there WAS
not enough OF US to pitch-fork them Besides,
1t was the most prudent; this fusilade was
murderous for white uniforms but il did Us
very little harm. Every one of our conieaI
balls penetrated into the deep masses The
Austrian balls whistlsd in our ears, but re-
spected Us personally.
This was the first time ever saw fire. and
was not the only one Well am not ashamed
ct myself. True, / made my bow to the first
balls, but Henry ". they say, did as much at
the beginning Of every battle.
Besides il Is physical effect, and has MOTH
ing to do with the will
But when this tribute is paid, do you know
how every discharge electrizes you? 1t is like
whipping the legs of race horse
Ihe Dalls whistle in your ears knock up a
dust about you, kill One wound another. Won
hardly give them the slightest attention You
are grImy; the smell of powder enters your
throat and rises to your brain Your eve is
blOod-shot, your look is fixed, stiffened upon
the enemy; all the passions are combined in
this terrible passion which the sight of blood
and the noise OF hattie rouses in theSoldier
But, as was telling you, our company had
not much 10 suffer from this target practice
My sub-lieUtenant, NJ. R, was wounded
just ss be was popping over his third Austrian
with the rifle of my Sergeant-msjor, who was
knocked sflt by two ballS-one in the head
and one in the neck
Our artillery, meantime, was doing wonders;
their balls showed US dsylight through the
ranks Of the enemy, who were, however. an
sWering in good round terms. ~
All this finished where, perhaps, 10 should
have commenced; Col. Du MesnII falls from his
horse, wounded; we surround him, shout "a In
bHtOHette :" and throw themselves ON the
Croats >A'
They receive US firmly, which increases the
general rage. Lieut.. +. shouts, 'sCIub en- NV
boys. and we handle our muskets Disorder
spreads in the ranks Of the enemy; we use our
bayonets now and then, and escort them back
70 Montebcllc. There il was a very different
thing; they hid in the houses, shot through the
Windows, and we bad to get upon one another s
shoulders 10 get ut them. T..,..
L saw Gen. Beuret, intrepid, everywhere at
once, brHving the bullets, sabre in hand He
went through the streets giving orders, active
yet calm have him still before my eyes At
the corner Of house, surrounded by fourteen
chasSeurs a captain had just been shot; he falls:
Ien Beuret leaps TO him. He is raised UP, but
falls again. g. He is dead" says the General.
Gen. FOrey was advancing, a trumpeter atesch
side, behind him a staff officer. Our psor Cen
eral meets him; they grasp hands and exchange
few words ''All goes well, ;" say they; they
60 ten steps Ave fugitive Tyrolese flying before
them; suddenly they turn; we are close upon
them; they shoot; Gen Beuret drops the reins,
iaiters, and, held up by mis- soldiers, breathes
his last. r..
We throw ourselves upon these Tyrolese and
cut them TO pieces; the S4th becomes exaspera-
,ed. gives quarter no longer, and the enemy
begin 10 beat a retreat. They sacrifice 300 men
VINO protect their fight by n terrible fire from
oehlnt the intrenchmcnts which they have i'm
PTovlsed IN the cemetery. p
was not at this attack, which was the most
lnurderous of the day; they sent us in pursuit of
'ne iuSitIves whom we drove to Cssteggio
%, If we had had cavalry.
They tell me the Sardinians behaved admira-
nly 1 believe il, for their dead covered the
ground. riddlcd with wounds and mutilated
by Austrian bayonets. t.
was fortunate enough TO get how of II "a