The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-06-22
The important Battles of the Century.

Although it is, of course, MS yet, impossible
! to enter upon any detailed criticism Of the tre-
mendous battle fought at Magenta on the 4th
and 5th Of June, yet the kilograms already re-
ceived shadow forth the proportions of the
conflict in form so imposing that to find any
parallel for this "dance of death" we must 20
back far beyond the memories of most men
now living in the prime of life. The things of
which we have read with mingled wonder, hor-
ror and admiration, in the history of the great
wars of the Empire, are now almost literally
re. e.enacting under our own eyes.
The war of tho Crimea itself, though 1t
startled the world from the repose of years,
and indicated what war on the old battle fields
must be were it ever opened there again, was
yet but sort of overture to the great struggle
of which the bitter earnest has now begun. In
tho annexed comparative list of the forces en-
gagged in some of the most remarkable actions
of the present century, the reader will find
the means Of estimating the stupendous char
acter which the present war promises to assume.
In comparison with the forces engaged at
Magenta, at the lowest unofficial estimate
CT their numbers, the armies which contested
some of the hardest-fought fields of mod
ern history, were but divisions and brigades.
The combined troops of Bonaparte and Melas
at Marengo, amounted to hardly more than
half of the Austrian army at Magenta. The
great field Of AHsterlitz, that miracle of bat
ties, as IL has been called, was fought and won
by rival hosts numbering in all lG0, 900 men.
The battle Of Magenta must have arrayed at
least a quarter of n million of men in hostile
arms. 1t is only in the Napoleonic campaigns
Of 1909 and 1872, that we can find any armies
comparable, in numerical importance, with
those now contending to decide the fate Of
Italy.
The most hotly- fought fields Of the Peninsu-
lar war and of the Crimea seem small in the
presence of those masses of desperate and de-
termined valor. Iukerman was fought and
won by an allied force hardly more numerous
than the French divisions which defended
Montebcllo on tho goth of May. MAZDA, that
famous British battle, which did so much to
cheer the dispirited British troops, and to re-
assure them in the prospect OF meeting the
Continental armies, was contestsd by forces in
ferior to the armies engaged in our victory of
Buena Vista.
1t is true that the moral significance of con-
flcts is frequently out of proportion with the
numbers engaged. The victories of Maren-
60, Mazda and New Orleans are signal illus
trations of this fact. But the magnitude of
the interests at stake in the present Italian
war, involving as they do the triumph of alb
solutist reaction or progressive independence
on the Continent of Europe, is notunworthily
represented in this gigantic scale of the op-
posing armaments and if anything could
reconcile us to such terrible scenes as are
brought before the imagination by the tidings
of Magenta, it should be the consideration
that out Of all this carnage and calamity we
may reasonably look for the restoration of
great people to permanent peace, honorable
industry, and the cause of civilized progress
MARENGo-(June Il, lsOO)
French, under Bonapnrte, $4,000.
Austrians commanded by Melas, 10000.
Killed and wounded, ,.."....".... 5000 5000
Prisoners ................... 1000 1000
French under the Emperor Napoleon 10000.
Russians and Apstrians commanded by Gen. Kutu-
son. the Emperor being present. $1,000 $1,000 ,r,o,
Killed, wounded and prisoners 1900 $1,000
The British, commanded by Sir John Stuart, 5,675.
French and Neapolitans, commanded by Regnier,
$500.
Killed, wounded and prisoners;327 2,45O
JENA-(Oct. u, 1909
=, French, commanded by the Emperor Napoleon,
Prussians commanded by the Duke of Brunswick,
10000.
French. Prussians.
Killed, wounded and prisoners 400 5000
EYIAU, (Feh. 8, lS07.)
French commanded by Emperor Napoleon, 5000.
$4,000.
French. Russians.
Killed, wounded and prisoners, $1,000 2j,0OO
FRIEDLAND, Dune IL lS07)
French commanded by the Emperor Napoleon,
Russians, commanded by General Benningsen,
66,OOO.
French; Russians;
'.'- ' XsPERS, Iilay Fl and g. iSoe) .'''V'
French, commanded by the Emperor Napoleon,
$4,000.
Austrians, commanded by the Archduke Charles,
$4,000. ..'
Killed, wounded and prisoners, $4,000 10000
Frencb WAGRAM SJSiy ply "a, and @ g. @s0s1 N.no,oon
10000.
Austrians, commanded by the Archduke Charles,
100000. ...
French. Austrians.
Killed, wounded and prisoners, 1900 5000
NEW ORLEANS, (Jan. 8. lSlj.)
Americans, under Gen. jackson, 1000.
English, under Gen. Pakenham, $500
, Amer. Eng.
Killed and wounded ".... "."... ."........l3 1900
:. French, commanded by the Emperor Napoleon,
5000
The Allies under Wellington and BluGher, 10000.
. French. Allies.
Ae' "nq BTGsa SasTx. yFcb ss~ss iSis 2''OO
Americans under Gen. Taylor, 900.
Mexicans, under Gen. Santa Anna, 1900. ,.
Killed and wounded. 2,IO0
ALMA, (Sept. 20, 1850
Allies, under Marshal st. Arnaud and Lord Rag
Ian, 81 900, yiz 25OOO French and 1000 English.
Russians, under Prince Mentschikof, 10000.
Allies. Rus
''' ''''' INKERM%N"jYov.. J, is5J 'O
Allies under General Canrobert and Lord Raglan
1900, viz: 500 English, and 5,0OO French.
Russians under Gen. Dannenberg, 5000, .,,n.
KILLED a nd vounood Alliss. iSs Russians; ~ .So
NIoSrEBELLo,-i Stay 20, 1881
Allied French and Sardinians, under Gen. Forey,
Austriang, under Count stsdioh; 20 0OO ....
, -. Allies. Austrisns; nnss;;
Killed and wounded,..;,.."..... 900 1000
Allies under Napoleon III, 10000 (a)
Austrians' under Marshal Hess it9OCO (l ,.u,,-
Killed, wounded, and prisone ,OOO(?) 10000 CO
.. N. y. Times.