The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1859-07-15

EHtLhuafHIAf July lAs-- ~ ne MeW AufA
Times publishes a letter from the battle
field Of Solferino, giving the first accurate
details. The battle commenced little be-
fore B o'clock In the morning, not far from
sunrise. Just back Of Castiglione rises a
hiah range Of hills, which projects q mile
or thereabouts in the plain, and then breaks
of towards the leit into a wide expanse
of smaller hills, and 90 into the rolling
surface which makes that portion Of the
plain. The Austrians had taken position
upon these hills, planting cannon upon
those nearest 10 Castiglione, which they
could Lot approach, as the French army
was in full force around that little village
and had stationed their immense array all
over the surrounding plain. As nearly
as we can now learn, the Emperor Fran
cis Joseph had collected here not less
than 225,OO0 troops and commanded them
in person. His evident purpose was to
make a stand here and risk the fortunes
Of the war upon the hazards Of the day.
Napoleon promptly accepted the chal-
lenge aud commenced the attack Rs soon
as Il was light this morning, by placing
cannon upon the hills still nearer to Cas-
tiglione than those held by the Austfions
and opening fire upon them on the height
beyond. He took his own stand upon
the highest Of these, a steep sharp-backed
ridge which commands a magnificent
view of the entire circuit Of the plain, and
from that point directed the entire move
ments Of his army during tho early por-
ton Of the day. The French very soon
drove the enemy out Of the posts they
held neareot TO the town and followed
them into the small villagoa of the plain
below. The FIRST Of these was Solferino
where they had a sharp and protracted
engagement. The Austrians disputed ev-
cry inch Of the ground and fought here
as they-did throughout the day, with the
utmost desperation. They were three
times driven out Of the town before they
would stay out The people Of the viii
lage, moreover, took part against the
French, upon whom they fred from their
windows, and the French were compelled
in self-defence TO burn the town.
When the Austrians found It impossi-
bic TO hold their ground any longer they
fell back slowly aud steadily until they
reached the village of Volta, directly
southeast from Castiglione, and is only
about a mile from the river Mincio, from
which however, It is separated by range
of hills. Upon these hills, in the rear of
the town, and overlookingit completely
on the south and east sides, the Austri-
ans had planted very formidable batteries
when arrived upon the field, and went
at 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 10 follow his victorious troops, their
batteries were blazing away upon the
French, who were stationed upon the
plain below. The generalresult was soon
made evident by the Stacking of the Aus
trian fire, by the falling back of their
smoke, and a corresponding advance on
the part ofthat which rose from the French
artillery. The cannonading at that point
lasted for over an hour, but in precisely
what direction the Austrians retreated it
was not possible, from the position oc-
cupied to see. Part of the Austrian force
probably crossed the Mincio river, which
flows southwark from the lower end of
Guarda and empties into the Po.
But tie battle continued to rage all
over the region northwest of line con-
Meeting the towns of Castiglione, Solferi-
no, and Volta. At one point after anoth-
or a sharp cannonading would arise, and
continue for half or three-quarters of an
hour, and after each successive engage
ment Of this kind, the result became ap-
parent in the retreat of the Austrians and
the advance of the French forces. Dur
ing all the early part of the day the sky
had been clear and weather hot, but
clouds began to gather about noon, and at
five o'clock, while the cunnonading was
at its height, tremendous thunder storm
rolled up from the northwest. The storm
lasted for about an hour, and the cannon
aiding, so far as we could distinguish,
was suspended. Then the rain ceased,
the clouds blew away, the sun shone out
Ps.'',' .',' ''-S, -'- syas cool and perlpctlv
delightful. Though cannon may have
ceased for time to take part in il, the
fight had meantime gone on, and when
again resumed my post of observation,
from which the storm had expelled me,
the cannonading commenced quite on the
extreme left of the entire field, on the
very borders of the lake northeast from
Castiglione, and west Of Pescheira, The
Piedmontese troops, under the King, who
commanded them in person, had been
posted there and received the Austrians
as they came around.
From about o'clock until after night
fall, an incessant and most terrible COM
bat was here kept up. The batteries of
the two armies were apparently about
half a mile apart, and at the outset they
were both served with nearly equal and
effective vigor, but the Austrians gradu-
ally slackened their fire and several times
took up new positions, while the Sardini-
ans poured a rapid and uninterrupted
shower of balls upon them, suspending
only fof fcw minutes at a time and
then renewing i again with redoubled
fury.-The wind had now gone down, the
air was still, and the sound Of muske;.y,
as well as of cannon, was distinctly heard
Sometimes only single flash would be
seen, then two or three at once, and some
times half dozen would break forth in
instant succession. Il was beginning to
be dark when / turned to descend the
hill, and all the way down / still heard
the roar Of the cannon and the clattering
of the guns of the infantry.
The Austrians have sustained an over
whelming defeat and it seems to me not
unlikely that the Emperor may now be
induced, by the representations of the
neutral powers, to accept the peace
which Napoleon will be very likely to
tender him. am afraid to venture upon
any conjecture as to the number Of killed
and wounded in this battle, but from the
nature Of the case il must be enormous.
am confident that not less than 10000
wounded have been brought into this vii
lage alone during the day, 70 say nothing
of those that were leit on the field or Ia
ken TO other places.
TWENTY THOUSAND Wmows. - Sir
Walter Scott admits that the battle Of
Waterloo created in the British empire