New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-18


called an inprorem,nt--of which so much 10 said
hss hardly bad the effect on tie field that was an
ticpsted Cannon are doubtless more unerripg in
their aim. and carry shot longer distances. than at
the beginning Of the century. The lighter guns
are handled by skilliul men and trained horses,
with FAY greater celebrity The rifle can be ffed
FIVE times rapidly, can reach its mark with more
certainty, and can Hill at fearfuy long distance.
Pistols of the Colt and cogbste styles, have be-
come an sppalhngly destructive weapon in close
combat Infantry are now trained to fence, thrust
and strike with the bsyoDet uIerringly aud efiec
lively as bussars ever did with their swords. Aud
yet tho slaughter at Monticello, Paestro, Magenta
and Solferino would SEEM Judging from the imper-
feet returns, to fall much behind, in proportion 10
the numbers engaged, the great battles fought in
Europe in tie first fifteen years Of this century Tie
London Times estimates the cOmbatants at Solierno
at 800, 600 This is undoubtedly too small an essl-
mate, but taking il for a basis the number Of
killed and wounded, measured by the standard
Of Wagram. would be 81 ,OOO measured by thst Of
jena, 81, 900, and by that Of Eyl.u, 122, 900. We
have seen no statement Of the loss at Solferino
which reaches even the lowest of these terrible
figures. The accounts which place $4,000 hOrs da
combat, fla the number engaged at 430, 000-a loss
less than two-thrds as great, proportonally, as
that at Wsgram, which was one Of the least
sanguinary Of Napoleon's grand conflicts. One
cause of this discrepancy is doubtless found in the
fact--not yet satisfactorily explained-that in
the italian campaign victory has in no case been
followed By one Of those remorseess pursuits that
usually marked the triumphs Of the first Emperor
aiding to swell into gigantic proportions the heaps
Of dead and dying.
But, though speculation on this point can with the
imperfect data yet received, only approximate to
certainty; enough is known to warrant the asser-
ton, that the demon of war has not yet assumed so
grim yssge on the plain Of Italy as he used to
wear when following the eagles Of the elder
Napoleon.
Topics grow upon us, and We will mention but
one more Were an American to visit the French
army in Italy, his attention would be arrested by
the variety of troops of which it is composed. The
Grensdiers and Voltigeurs of the Imperial Guard,
the Chasseurs de Yincenres, the Turcos, the
Zouayes, and other strangely costumed and
uniquely equipped corps, 80 like variegated and
versatile France herself would rvet his eye And
foremost among these would stand the world-re-
nowned Zouayes. Composed of men OF all classes,
colors and cmes, their hall. Turkish haltMoor-
;sh dress, and general Oriental men ard aspect,
befit a corps which is seeming cross between
Don Caesar De Bazan and Rob Roy, between
modern Alpine brgand and an ancient Knight of
the Holy Sepulchre OF dus, they are gay and
volatile as Parisian but in the din OF
battle, as brave and bloody a, North American
Indian or an Algerine cOrsair. They usually go
through their eyolutiOns on the run, and their ia
yorte wespon is the cold steel Of the bayOret
The world does not afford their match for hand to-
hand street-fghts; to mount the walls of loop
holed houses under shower of rife. balls, and clear
them Of the enemy; to stand and be plowed by
cannot shot till the trumpet sounds the onset to
charge up to the mouth Of a spoutiDg battery, or
receive a ealoping squadron of cavalry on their
bayonet points; to leap moat OF swim river or
scale hill in the face of tempest of grape; or to
meet and master the most desperate exgeneies that
the bloody god can devise. AT Paestro, we think 1t
was, a battalion of them was ordered to silence
distant Austrian battery. AS the trumpets sounded,
they tore off their knapsacks took the "gymnastic
:. step" hich means a rum swan an intervening
stream, holding their firearms high in air TO keep
their powder dry, dashed at the flaming throats OF
the guns with the yell of ComaDches, aud, bounding
clear over them, like Bedouin Arabs, firing one
shot as they went they transfxed half the gunnerS
with their bsyonets, and Drained the rest with the
butts of their weapons. No wonder the Austrian
colonel who witnessed the scene said, " These
care not men-they are tigers" From Monte
bello to Solferino, the Zouayes have left double
their share of dead on every field, as Testimonials
that they pay with their hearts blood for the title
of "the crack corps of the French army.