The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-08-03
the starm haa exneIled me the cannonadin,

the starm had expelled me, the cannonading
commenced quite on the extreme left of the
entire field and on the very borders Of the
Peschiera. The Pie5montese troops, under
the king, who commands them in person, had
been posted there, and received the Austrians
/ as they came around. From about o'clcc ok
until after nightfall an incessant and most
terrible combat was here kept up. The bat
teries of the two armies were apparently
about half mile apart, and at the outset
| thy were both served with nearly equal and
effective vigor. But the AuStrians gradually
slackened their fire, and several timcs took up
new positions-while the Sardinians poured
Ia rapid and uninterrupted shower of balls
upon them-suspending only for few minutes
| at a me, and then renewingit again with re-
doubled fury. The wind had now gone down,
the air was still, and the sound of musketry
as well as of the cannon, was stinctly heard
The former was continuous, sharp and inces-
SAINT, sounding like the constant and irregular
pattering of hail upon roof while the latter
was occasion lily suspended, but while it
lasted was overwhelmingly grand and terri
BILE. Over the Sandman park rose a dense
white cloud Of smoke, direc ly upwards, its
sides perfectly upright and well denned, and
spreading o tward both ways at the top, like
an enormous sheaf Of wheat The sun was
making glorious setting in the west, and as
his light gradually ceparted, the vivid flashes
at each discharge of the cannon CLEANED
through the smoke like sharp lightning
| through the breast of an enormous cloud.
Sometimes only single fash would be seen,
then, two or three at once, and sometimes
half q dozen would Il eak forth in instant sue
cession 1t was BEGINNING to be dark when
turned to descend the hill, and all the way
down still heard the roar of the cannc and
the Gathering of the guns of the infantry.
But the Austrians were clearly falling back,
and could scarcely have failed to sustain
total rout. 1t is possible they may be in con-
dition to make one more stTuggle in the MORN
ing, but, judging from my own observation,
it certainly is not probable. They have sus-
taiaed an Overwhelming defeat, and it seems
to me not unlikely that the Emperor may
now be induced, by the representations Of the
neutral Powers, to accept the peace which
Napoleon will be very likely to t. nder him.
just before nigEtfall tremendous cannon
aiding was distinctly visible in the direction of
Mantua, and it was supposed by one or two
French officers that Prince NAPOLEON was as
saulting that fortress as part Of the general
plan of the days operations, while the Empe-
ror waa engaging the enemy in the open field.
But l see no reason to suppose that this is
true, as Prince Napoleon could scarcely have
reached Mantua by this time, as he was in
Florence only week ago.
have thus given you very general out
line Of this great battle as it came under my
own observation. i have mentioned no names
of subordinate officers, because have had no
opportunity to learn the specific part VIII ch
individuals took in the engagement All that
| must leave for subsequent letters, or refer
you for it to the official reports which we
here shall not see for three or four days after
they are published in Paris.