Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1859-08-03
The Battle of SOLDERING.

: came from Brescia early this morning, an,
h arrived just in time TO witness tho last half o
what have very little doubt viii tuln out IA
l. have been the greatest battle the modern world
II has seen. You will get the official summary OF
its results by telegraph before this letter reach
es you, and will be prepared therefore, for this
statement Of III. magnitude. | cannot describe
: It with any precision as yet-fOr IL has lasted
all day, and extended over circuit OF not less
l. than fifteen miles; the noise of the cannonado,
and even al the musketry, moreover, is still in
my ears, and none of those engaged in it., except
: tho wounded, have returned to give us any dis.
: tinet and connected report. But not less than
10000 men have been engaged in it and oi
these not less than 3G000--dead or disabled-le
on this bright, starry night, upon tho bloody
field.
The battle commenced Mt little before five
O'Clock in the morning-not far from SUNRISE
Just back of Castiglione rises high range Of
hills, which projects mile or thcreabouts iuto
the plain, and then breaks of towards the left,
into n wide expanse Of smaller hills, and 30 into
the rolling surface 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 approach,
as the French army was in full force in and
around that little village, and had stationed their
immense array all over the surrounding plain
AS nearly as we can now learn, the Emperor,
Francis Joseph, had collected here not less than
225 900 troops, and commanded them in person.
His evident purpose was to make stand here,
and risk The fortunes of the war upon the haz-
ard of tho day. Napoleon promptly accepted
the challenge, and commenced the attack rs SOON
as it was light this morning, by placing cannon
upon the hills still nearer to Castigone than
those held by the Austrians, and opening fire up
on them on the heights beyond. He took his
own stand upon the highest of thesc-a steep, |
sharpbacked ridge, which commands magnif.
cent view of the entire circuit of the plain, and
from that point directed the entire movements of
his army during the early portion OF the day.
The French very soon drove the enemy out of
the posts they held nearest to tho town, and fol-
lowed them into the small villages of the plain
below The first of these was Solforino, where
they had sharp and protracted engagement
The Austrians disputed every 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 village,
moreover. took part against the French. upon
whom they fired from their windows, and the
French were compelled, in sclf-defence, to burn
the town. Whom they found it impossible to
hold their ground any longer, they fell back,
slowly and steadily, until they reached the vii
lage of Volta, which, as you will see by the
map, lies directly southeast from Castiglione,
and is only about mile from the river Mincio,
from which, however, it Is separated by range II
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 at once to the height where
the Emperor had stood at the opening of the en-
gagcment, but which he had left an hour before
to follow his victorious troops, these batteries
were blazing away upon the French who were
stationed on the plain below. was too far of
to observe with any accuracy the successive steps
of the action, but | could distinctly see the
troops stationed upon the broad plain, and mov-
ing up in masses towards the front, where tho
artillery was posted, rs their services were re-
quired.
But as soon as they reached this point they
were speedily enveloped in the smoke Of the can
non, and disappeared from observation. But the
general result was soon made evident by the
slackening of the Austrian fire. and by the fall
ing back of their smoke, and corresponding
advance on the part of that 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 I occupied, to see
was afraid to change it, moreover because, al
though might easily have gone more directly
and closely upon the field, | could not have found
any cminence upon the plain from which | could
have had so sweeping and complete view. Part
of the Austrian force probably crossed tho Min ;
clio river, which flows southward from the lower
end of Lake Garda, and empties into the Pc. ;
But the battle continued to rage all over the ;
region northwest of line connecting the towns :
of Castiglione, Solferino and Volta. At one !
point after another sharp cannOnading would 4
arise and continue for half or three-quarters of 4
IN hour-and after each successive engagement l.
Of this kind, the result became apparent in the +
retreat of the Austrians and the advance OF the a
French forces During all the early part of the d
lay the sky had been clear and the weather hot. "
But clouds began to gather at about noon, and at
O'Clock, while the cahnonade was at its height, a
tremendous thunderstorm rolled from the a
northwest; the wind came first, sweeping from "
he parched streets an enormous cl ,ud of dust, :,
md was soon followed by a heaty fall Of rain, w
by vivid lightning and rapid explo- b
ions of rattlng thunder. The storm lasted for .,
bout an hour, and the cannonading, SO far as W v,
We could distinguish was suspected Then the n
ain ceased, the clouds blew away the sun shone :,
ut again, and the air was cooled and perfectly ey
delightful Though the cannon may have ceased n
or time to take part in 1t, the fight had mean Of
ime gone on-and when | again resumed my
,ost of observation, from which the storm had m
EXPELLED me, the cannonading commenced quite ey
n the extreme left of the entire field and on the n
orders of the lake, northest from Castigione az
nd west of Peschiera. nc
The Piedmontese troops, under the King, who dfs
opmands them in person, had bccn posted there,
nd received the Austrfans as they came around u,
rom about O'Clock until after nghtfail an in tb
.ssant and most terrible combat was here kept oJ
N The batteries of the two armies were appa- m,
5n,,v ahout half mile apart and at the on tset If
Iev ware both served with equal and effective ne
;eor. But the AustTians gradually slackened ON or,
5eir fire, and several tiFues took up new posi- pe
ons"vb;le the Sardiniaus poured rapid and q,
n;nterrunted shower of bills upon them-sus- in
anJ;ng opIv for few minutes at time, and ,ro =,
zen chewing it again with redoubled fury tb, I
he wind had now gone down, the AR was stlil' ex,
i'd the sound of musketry, as Well VI tHO SoH- m