Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-07-21
famiiIg Giirtlt,
THE CARNAGE on Tai

ded and missing, In the late battle OF Sci
%ferino, at 40, 000-and widowed and or.
phaned at least 100, 900 more. Horrible +!
The details of all the battles are carefully
suppressed from the French by the EN-
peror, and no correspondents of the press
are allowed with the army. Henry j.
RAYMOND, the Editor Of the New York
Times, is now at the seat of war, and
was an eye witness to the closing part OF
the late battle. We extract the follow.
ing from his graphic description of the
incidents of the day. He says
81 am afraid to venture upon any con-
lecture as to the number Of killed and
wounded in this battle: but from the ma
ture of the case it must be enormous. |
am confident that not less than ten thous
and wounded have been brought into this
village alone during the day-to say
nothing Of those who were left on the
field or taken to other places. The first
~intimation we received Of an engagement
having tanen place. was from meeting
three or four carts, drawn by oxen, and
filed with wounded-before we reached
IMontechiaro on the road from Brescia.
As we had heard of no battle, we natu
rally supposed that these wounds had
been received in some skirmish. Soon
after we met a one-horse carriage, in
which was laid at full length an officer of
rank. whose face wore so ghast!y a look
as to make it evident he ~was'dyiag. On
reaching Montechiaro, and stopping for a
moment to rest our horses, we were told
that a great battle was then going on in
the plain before Castiglione; and going
at once to the summit of some old forti
fcations which once defended the town,
we could see With our glasses the smoke
of the engagement. We lost no time in
pushing forward, although we were told
we could not reach Castiglione because
the roads were completely occupied by
artillery held in reserve. We went on,
however, continuing to. meet carriages
and carts laden with wounded, and pass
ing the French camps of the previous
night, came to a point, at about half a
mile from the town, where a park of ar
tillery wagons was deGling from their
camp into the road. Watching our
chance, we drove in between two Of the
wagons, and so entered to town under
CONGE I'll GklC ChO1 tuOUO NkO00- VI 0uOl
which they raised.'
: The main street was densely crowded
carts, carriages horses, donkeys,
oxen, soldiers, suffers and persons and
animals Of every description. We push
ed our way, WITHOUT h%indrance, directly
past the house marked as the Quartiere
Generate, or headquarters of thsEmperor,
and we're thus within the camp. We had
gone but a short distance when we came
to where the great procession of the
wounded was turning down a cross street
to a church which had been taken for a
hospital. 1t was certainly the most
dreadful sight I ever saw. Every con-
ceiyable kind of wound which can be in
hicted upon men was here exhibited. All
who were able to do SO, were obliged to
walk-the wagons and animals at COM
n,and, being oil raqnirnd for those who
could not otherwise be moved. Some
walked along, their faces completely COW
cred with blood from sabre cuts upon
their heads. Many had their arms shat
tered-hundreds had their hands tied up
and some carried most CHASTITY wounds
upon their faces. Some had tied up their
wounds-and others had stripped away
the clothing which chafed and made them
worse. | saw one man walking along
with a firm step and a resolute air,-na
ked to his waist, and having a bullet
wound upon his. side, an ugly cash along
his cheek, and a'deep bayonet thrust, Re
ceived from behind, in his shoulder
Most of those who were walking wore a
serious look. ConverSing but little with
one another, though they walked two
and two and few Of them carried upon
their faces any considerable expression
of pain.
Those who were more severely injured
rode upon donkeys or in carts-and a
few were carried upon mattresses on mems
shoulders. But these were mostly Off
GERS, and nearly all saw carried in that
way were so badly wounded that their
recovery is scarcely possible. One had
both his legs crushed by a cannon ball.
Another had received a ball in his thigh
and was evidently suffering the most in
tense agony. Many Of those whose
wounds we're in the legs were seated in
chairs swung across a donkey-one be
ing upon each side. Several who were
thus carried. and supported by soldiers
waking by their side, were apparently
unconscious, and seemed to be dying
Then would come carts, large and small,
carrying three, five, and some of them
ten or fifteen each. A steady stream of
these CHASTITY victims of the battle of the
day poured through the town. l stood
i'll the crowd by the sides Of them as The
sad procession passed along, and watched
it at this point for over an hour. 1t was
not interrupted for a moment, except
now and then by q crowd of prisoners,
and it continued thus from about ten in
the morning, when it began to flow, I'm
Ill | left the street, lofg after dark. Ev-
cry church, every large hall, every pri-
yate house in the town has been taken
for the service Of the wounded. Those
whose wounds are slight after having
dressed, pass at once into the ranks and
.mingle with their comrades. / looked
into the church as I passed by. All the
seats ratings &c, had been removed;-
mattresses Of hay had been spread upon
the floor and were completely filled with
wounded men, in every stage of suffering
and peril, lying side by side. The sur.
geons were dressing their wounds,-Sis
tiers Of Charity and. other women were
giving them wine and otherwise minister