Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-08-03

mattresses extended lengthwse on the stone floor,
as closely as they could lie, the wounded were
placed All whose injuries would permit their re-
moval had been taken away and sent on to Monte
chiaro, Bresca and other towns, and only those
were left who seemed very near their end. In one
side chapel lay eight Austrians two or three gasp.
inc for breath and in the very act of dying-and
not one of the whole eight could possibly as 1t
seemed to me, live hour. The entire floor was
covered with the poor victims OF war, nearly all
rapidly approaching the same extremity. Men and
women, charged with the care of them, We're pass
ing to and fro-not to soothe or comfort the dying
for there was no time for thatbut looking for those
who might still be saved And the altar, look
| ing down upon this horrid scene was an immense,
well-panted lfe-lke picture illustrating the Sermon
on the Mount and representing the Redeemer say
ing to those about him, y" Blessed are the pace
uake,s for they shall he called the children Of God"
| What an awful comment did that scene present up
| on that sacred text!
EARLY on Sunday morning l was awakened at
| Montechiaro by loud singing under my window,
which opened directly on the street. Looking out,
l saw flock of Austrian prisoners who had arrlv-
ed from Castiglone, and were on their way to Bres-
cha and Milan. They were driven along precisely
like flock of p-hafa-dozen French dragons
leading the way-a single file inclosing them on
each side of the road and ten or a dozen bringing
up the rear Their uniform wasvery simple-t,ght
| blue pantaloons, and brown coarse linen jackets,
| with blue German caps. Each one carried his
blanket or overcoat rolled up and slung over his
shoulders, like large lfe-preserver. They were
generally in good spirits, and when first saw them
| were singing in full force some song of which
| could not catch the words There were Hungarians
and Lombard Italians among Them and now and
then one of them would shout Fira FItalld, which
of course would elicit cheers from the surrounding
crowd There were about 5000 of them in ALL and
as soon as they had passed. the train of the wound
ed again came on.
In the afternoon again rode out upon the field
of battle Taking the Mantua road which leads d''
recy across the plain, we drove through the middle
of the fields upon which the first and fiercest OF the
combat had been waged. For over four miles IN
length and at least two in width the telds-aiter-
nately mulberry orchards, corntelds and fields OF
wheat were strewn with the dead and with the rel
les and remnants of the horrid contest. More than
half the dead had already been buried, as the IN
tense heat had compelled the peasants in self-dc-
fence to lose time in performing this office But
STILL here and and there, the fields very near
the road dead bodies were lying, and they grew
thicker and thicker as went back towards and
among the low bushes at the back of the field,
where the early part of the bloody struggle had
been waged This was just the point which the
battle had reached when had our first view of it
from the heights of Castg lione. 1t was just there
that the French infantry were massed, and exposed
immova'e for the moment. to the terrible cannon
atle of the Austrian battery which poured its nces
SAINT storm of ball and shot upon them, until dead
" charge of bayonet drove them back towards the
hills, which they held until the last. The bodies of
Austrians and French were mixed thicklv together
as each in turn had occupied the ground. They lay
Just as they had tallcn-somc upon their backs,
some on their faces. nearly all at full length and
very few with any indications of muscular contor-
tons, or of special pain. One Austrian, quite by
himself Law fiat upon his back with both hands
raised as if in suppicaton-a cannon ball had utter
ly crushed into ShapeleSs mass of flesh both his
legs just above the ankle. Another lay in the
same position with the whole of his face completely
shot awav Not one whom observed had his hat
on--a were harchealed, and many were without
their coats. MuSkets, some broken but most of
them quite uninjurcd lay scattered all the field
Cartridges unused, in immense quantities, were
Strcwn about balls of all kinds could be picked up
everywhere, though many had sunk into the Garth
ranrods, bayones, printing tubes, and all the lit
tie utensils of war lay round bits of torn clothing,
gloves, belts. pocket combs, such soldiers carry,
and great quantities Of letters strewn about in
every drection and at least hundred dead horses
could be seen from any point where you mis- ht
choose to stand.-Some torn almost asunder by can
non balls, pierced in the side by grape shot,
and others with their legs completely shot away
\ surface of level ground. embracing according to
the best estimate | could make, not less than sir
squire miles, was dcnSely covered with these
CHASTITY relics of the fight. | could not spend much
time in travcrsng the field, for the bodies owing to
the intense heat in advanced stage of decom-
position and the stencil overpowcrinE But rs
went along picked up a cannon ball and hayo-
net, which hope MAY in due time reach the Times
f Office and memorials of the day 1t would
have been easy to collect carloads of both.
OF the mulberry trees in the orchards which form
considerable portion of the field, probably more
than half escaped without being touched at ALL
Some were cut down entirely by large balls
~, hot, hor
saw one tree about six inches in diameter in which
underground shot had completely Embedded itself
the wood of the tree having closed over the ball.
leaving only small part of its surface visible anC
leading to wonder how so large ball coulC
: possibly have found admission through so small s
n hole.
: At one point the side of the road ten or filteer
. peasants were burying the dead. They gatherct
, them from the field upon hand-ba,rows from which
they were rolled into the hollow places on the road
side from which gravel had been taken to repair
n the track and after five or six, many thu
space would hold had been tumbled in, foot two
n of dirt was shoveed over them. No attempt wa
>. made to remove any of their clothing to lay then
side by side in any particular position. They wer
# tumbled in just it happened-and were covered
"a up Just as they CHANGED to fall. In many they
y were laid engthwise in single file and then covere,
u over-a second row being next put in,-then
~ third a fourth, &c. In this way over 200 had bccl
J. buried in single place 1t will take long. tim
# to dispose of all the dead and the of tn
- horses also and if this excessively hot weathe
Il continues, the health of the vncny cannot fail
n suffer-
r. We made hasty visit to day to the headquarter
! of the Piedmontese army at Desenzano, plcasan
! little town on the shores of Lake Guarda. Thei
- wounded were still arriving, and could not he'll
Il noticing the superior accommodations provided 70
5 them. They were brought in ambulances, bu
- somewhat like omnibus, with springs, cushions
Z, mattresses and pillows, and an awning to protec
v them from the Not one solitary vehicle of tn
If kind have | seen in connection with the Frenc
4. army. Their wounded to be left to such cas-
NJ ua comfort be bought of the surroundin
n peasantry; and nothing excuse the barbarou
cruelty which attended the removal of the tens