Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-07-19

was setting in the west, and as his liphI
gradually departed, the vivid flashes al
each discharge of the cannon cleaned
through the smoke, like sharp lightning
through the breast of an enormous cloud
sometimes only a single flash would be
seen-then two or three at once. and
sometimes six would break forth in an in
slant, in succession. 1t was beginning to
be dark, when | descended the hill. and
all the way down, l still heard the roar OF
cannon and Gathering of guns, but the
Austrians were clearly falling back, and
could scarcely have failed to sustain u to-
tai tout. 1t is possible they may be- in
condition to mako one more str uggle in
the morning. but judging from my obser-
v~ations, it is not probable. They have
sustained an overwhelming defeat, and it
seems not unlikely that the Emperor may
now be induced by the representations of
the neutral powers to accept the peace
which Napoleon will be likely to tender
him.
Just before nightfall, a tremendous can
nonading was distinctly visible in the di.
r%ection of Mantua, and it was supposed by
one or two French officers that Prince Ma
polean was assaulting that fortress, as a
part of the general plan of the days ope-
r%ations, while the Emperor was ENGAGING
the enemy in the open field; but L see no
reason to suppose this to be true, as Prince
Napoleon could scarcely have reached
Nantua by this time. as he was in Florence
only a week ago.
L am afraid to venture on any c~oniec-
ture as to the number killed and wounded
in this battle, but from the nature of the
case it must be | am conf
dent that not less than ten thousand woun-
ded have been brought to this village alone
during the day, to say nothing Of those
left on the field.
The first intimation of an engagement
having taken place, was from meeting three
or four carts drawn by oxen, and filed
with the wounded. AS we had heard of
no battle, we supposed these wounds had
been received in som skirmish. Soon
after we met a one-horse carriage, in which
was laid at full length, an officer of rank,
whose face wore so CHASTITY a look as to
make it evident that he was dying.
On reaching Mont Echiaro, and stop
ping to rest the horses, we were told that
a great battle was then going on in the
plain before Castiglione, and going to the
summit of some OLD notifications, which
once defended the town, we could see with
our glasses he smoke Of the engagement.
We lost no time in pushing forward, al
though we were told that we could not
reach Castiglione, because the roads We're
So completely occupied with artillery in
reserve. We went on, however, and, pas
sing the French camp of the previous
night, came to a point at about a mile
from the town where a park of artillery
wagons were defiling from their camp into
the road. Watching our chance, we drove
between two wagons and entered the town
under cover of a cloud Of lust.
The main street was crowded with carts,
horses, oxen, soldiers, suffers and persons
and animals of every description. We
pushed on directly past the house marked
as the headquarters of the Emperor, and
were in the camp. We had gone but a
distance when we came to where
the great procession of the wounded was
turning across a street to a Church, which
had been taken for a hospital. 1t was the
most dreadful sight l ever saw. Every
conce ivable kind of wounds are here ex-
h bited. All who were able were obliged
10 walk. The wagons and animals at COM
being required for those who could
not otherwise be moved. Some walked
thei! faces completely covered with
blood, from cuts on the head. Many had
heir arms shattered, hundreds had hands
led up, and some most ghastly wounds on
heir faces, some had tied up their wounds,
'thers stripped away the clothing, which
,hafed and made them worse. | saw one
nan, walking with firm step and resolute ,
ir, naked TO his waist, and having a bull
et-wound on his side, an ugly cash along {
lis cheek, and a deep baydnet-thrust, re-
from behind, in his shoulder. Most $
# those who were walking wore serious 5
ooks, conversing but little with one d
mother, though they walked two and two, p
nd few of them carried upon their faces c
ny considerable expression of pain. Six +
+ eight times, while 1 stood upon the
treet watching the wounded, there came
long squads Of prisoners taken at various
of the action.
Sometimes there would be only three r
T. four, then 90, SO, or 100, and in one
ompany over. 400. They walked closely
ogelher, 6 or 8 deep. The officers were [
e~nerally in the middle, and were guarded = =
y a single file of troops, on each side. o
IS a general thing, they were not bad q
men,, very many Of them very o
oung-not over Is. e
81