The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-06-09
L Ill f DISP ATCH
f onoDAf aohNiNa..........,. ..,.....-JUNn .. 1883.
THE FIRST BATTLE IN
EUROPEit
Details of Engagement
THE FRENCH REPORT OF THE
BATTLE,
GARIBALDI IN L0MRARDY.
ENGLISH OPINIONS OF TIM VICTORY. /.

pears TO bs the French account of the battIs.
From the time OF the Gslic aud Pupic war.
down TO the last European conflict, MoutebaIo
and Casteggo have been important military pos;.
iions This last mentioned place was besiegsd by
Hannibal, who did not really conuuer h, hr,
bought II from Puelius Darius. remark sbIs
memorial Of the Carthagenian General stili eYis,s
IA spring OF very pure water, called by imme.
mortal tradition "The Fontana dArnibale" II
was nesr Cssteggio that on the 9th of ,June 1904
| the great battle between the French and the Ar,
triaps was fought This battle, so wouderfulJv
described by Thiers is usually called the tattie
OF MoDtebello. from the village where the French
hoally routed the corps de Teserre of the enemv
Fifty years ago the fortune OF the day was there
decided by Victor; yesterday il vas decided by
the bold assault Of General Benret who paid with
bs life, the victory obtained by the Forey division
brigade OF which he commsndet and by the
Sardinian cavalry under the orders Of Colonel De
Sonasz
At IL o'clock yesterday, Is coo Austriaps. upder
the orders of Geaeral Z)bel, we're seen to move
towards the Piedmontese posiNAs of Montebello.
which were occupied by 500 SR6iDau horsemep
supported by two batteries The Austriaps wers
marching in ectetons, their right wing bent in the
direction Of Brauduzso their left lsuk, Supported
by large artillery, on Casona, whilst their col.
umns of attack cf the centre advanced by Piaz a.
towards our lines of Montebello.
As soon as General Forey was aroused by roll
after roll OF musketry On the left, and bv the
sharp report of Austrian and Piedmontese guns.
uS luhrCntu Win Tue beCOuQ brigade of his diyia~
sion in the direction of Montebelio to support the
Piedmontese cavalry, which by this time had al.
ready advanced to meet the enemy
The battle Of MoDtebello scarcely admits OF de-
scripsioD. 1t was a series of dreadful deeds of
darit z, hand to hand fights, of sanyuiuary en-
counters, of desperate charges and assaults The
shells and bullets of the Austrians burst so tbicy
among our troops that cur centre, already en-.
gagged, was obliged 10 fall back the right of our
lines, retiring from Montebello prote ctei by a
ravine fi'led with brushvood, which descended
towards the main road of Voghera
AS General Beuret led on his men to support
our centre, 1t WAS observed that q BODY OF the
enemy had gained the top of q billy ground behind
the French division on our right A deadly vol.
ley poured into them, and, protected by the
FIRE, both Pedm0ntese and French came ous from
the ravine AID went boldly to meet the enemy
The effect of the new French guns, carrying their
bullets to a distance Of more than two English
miles was great that the centre of the Austrj,
aus was soon obliged to fall back on it's reserve
and MoDtobello was agein occupied by our men. BY
This time the third and fourth brigades of General
Forey's division bad reached the scene of the &C
tion. This distinguished officer had left in sup.
port of a email band of the national guard-wbo
by the bye, fought bravely-his first brigade.
sendiag an orderly officer OF his staff to Marshal
paraguay d'Hilliers, asking support If need b.
Having thus given his orders. he came on with
his Z1uaves at the pas dc change. One battalion of
ChssteUrs d'Oreans rushed By, "the light of hat
tie on their faces" 1t was accompanied by two
Lscretele. The shock was terrible; L.cretelle fell
dead from his horse, Major Dgchef fell dead after
him; cur men still advapced q Ia bayOnette. An
Austrian Colonel and 200 Croats were made pris-
oners. Aesailed in front by the French; broken
by the impetuosity of the charge OF the Sardinian
Monferrato light horsemen led by the brave Col
Moreii; attacked on the right by the sesend
brigade, and by our artillery all along the lire
the Austrians began to retire after struggle OF
six hours. At five o'clock, P. NJ thay we're driven
peli-mel down the hills towards StradelIa on ona
side and towards Casatisma on the other, leaving
mounds of dead behind them.
We had won the day The Austrians were
therefore unable to force our positions, though
they were $4,000 strong, with powerful artillery.
thus outpumbering us by 5000 men. Forsy's d.
vision numbered scarcely 5000 fighting meu, and
was supported by 900 Sandman horses You must
not forget that this brave cavalry, led by youug
Colonel De Sonnaz, sustained for an hour the first
shock Of the enemy, thus giving time to the
French to come up.
The last charge made by the ssrdi mans was fatal
to Colonel Norsili, who fell mortaly wounded
from his horse. Besides this loss, we have to de-
pore 200 dead and 800 wounded Amongst the
last the names of Colonels Griot, Lea Barre, De
Bellefonds, Dusmeuii and MajAr Ferrusal, all
French superior officers, are to u- noticed
Gen. Forey and the Sardinan Cavalry colonel,
De SonnsZ, behaved nobiy. 1t is impossible to as.
certain the loss sustained by the ensmy, because
the official report has not yet arrived In Turin
According to the accounts of my informant, the
co say the least. It has been noticed that their
men could not stand the impotuosity of the Zou-
ayes and Chasseurs' bayonets and Of Sardnan
swords. As soon as they were assaulted by the
deadly weapons they were always driven pell
m ell from their positions, and the village Of Mon.
tebello was thus taken and retiken thrice during
the action.
Geu Beuret, whose death at Montebello is re-
corded by the Koalteaty, commanded the frat bril-
gads of General Forey's division, composed of the
74th luot 73) and Slth line regiments. He fought
With distinction in the CTimea, where he was Col,
ouel of the 39tb regiment, and be was promoted
t. the rank Of Brigadier General on January 10,
1855 He afterwards commanded q brigade In the
army Of Paris. The bloody nature of the combat
1t Montebeilo may be Inferred from the fact that
besides the loss of one brigadier general out OF
two, 10 lees than three out OF the four colonies
iu Gen. Forey's brigade were wounded.
IL seems that the Austrian General Benedick is
dead from a wound he got in the affair at Verceii.
The Emperor Of the French went yesterday, only
attended By an aid-ds camp, to inspect the famous
battle field of Marsngo This morning he has
gone to Voghera, to visit the men wounded during
yssterday's hard fight.
In his official repor of the battle, Gen. Forey
says:
The 18th battalion of chasseurs, supported by
the Saith and I4th, disposed in echelons moved on
towards the south side Of Montebello, where the
enemy had entrenehed himself.
A hand to haud combat then ensued In the
streets Of the village, which had to be carried
house after house. 1t was during this tight that
General Beuret Was mortaliy wounded by my
side.
After obstinate resistance, the Austrians were
forced to yield to the vigor of our troops, and
although strongly entrenched In the churchysrd,
shis position they saw saasched from them at the
point of the bayopet, amid cries OF "Ftce PEmpe-
relT," q Thousand times repeated.
1t WAS then half past six. l deem 1t prudent
GOT 10 push the success ofthe day any farther aud
halted my troops behind the rising ground on
which the churchyard is situated, covering the
1row with four suns and numerous sbarpshootsrs,
Who drove back the last austrian columns into
Cssteggio.
Shortly after this / saw the Austrian columns
evacuate Cssteggo, leaving in i. rear guard, ana
hey retired aoug the Casatisma road.
THE AUSTRIAN ACCOUNTS OF TIE BATTLE
VIENNA, May %, 59.-The official austrian COR
respondencc of yesterday evening contains the ol'
loving communication respecting the battle ai
Montebeio. On the Goth inst, General StadioD
sent out resonnoitring party to learn the
.trengih and position Of the enemy's right wing
rhe Austrians advanced towards Teglio aud Monte-
bello, where they met the enemy in superior
force. After q very severe conflict Gen. Ssadiun
irew back his troops in perfect order 10 the lef,
bank OF the Po, after haying, however, forced the
enemy to employ his - hole strength.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN .-On the 10th inst, General
Stallion pushed forward 9 reconnaissance by q
forced marched towards Teglio and Montebellc; but
after not fight with French force of superior
strength retreated behind the Po.
DISPATCH FROM PATS.
PARIS, May %, ls59.-The Fatrie says that at the
battle of Montebelio, the troos engaged the side
If the allies consisted Of 009 French only and Que
sandman cavalry regiment. The Austrian force
vas composed OF picked men Of the infantry regi-
uepts. the Croats regiments, and the Tyroiess
chassehrs. A private letter says that among the
Austrian prisoners are one wounded colonel aud
twenty wounded pTivates.
SHr siapryrAH VICTORY AT yILLArA
The Sandman government bad issued the fols
lowing bulletins In regard to second battle:
TUKIs, May Il, 1s59.-ro-dsy the extreme left
of our army, under General Cialdini, forced pas.
sage over the Sssis, near yerceiI, in 40 admirable
manner. The enemy was put TO htgbt, leaving
Ulcers and privstss as prisoners, together with
arms, wagons and horses 10 our bands.
TURIN, May 20, 1859 General Cisidini, wishing