The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-07-29
The Wounded of solferino.

Mr.. Raymond, of tho New York Times,
was in the vicinity of the battle of Solferino,
during that memorable conflict, and visited
tho battlefield, when it was over. Ina lettor
writton from Castiglioni, near solferino, ho
thus describes the procession of the wound
cd:
As fast as their wounds could bo dressed
they were removed to the next town beyond
which is Montechiaro. five miles Distant
and from thence to Bruscia, twelve miles
further, that being tho first town of any
considerable size and at all adequate to the
caro- of such an immense number of persons.
was at Montcchiaro when tho great pro-
cession began to arrive. At tho entrance of
the town stands largo building used as u
hospital, fronting upon small opon space
and being placed at the angle of two di-
yerging roads. As tho wounded arrived,
those of thum who could go no further
were taken off the carts aud lott hero, while
| the rest moved on to Bresca | never saw
so heart rUnding sight US was presented
| in front Of that hospital. Everything tor
milus arround had been called into requi-
sition. For tho most part they consisted Of
! tho rude heavy OK carts of the farmers,
madc to carry stuno or other pondorOu5 ar
| ticIes over tho fields Each of them had II
fiat platform six or eight feet wide and
twelve or fifteen long. Some hay was
spread upon this, and upon that tho wounded
soldiers were placed as thickly as they could
be laid-withUut shelter OF any kind, or
pillows for their heads, or blankets for their
limbs, except such us they might happen to
havo on them. Tho wUathOr has boon rX
ccssively warn--the storm on tho day OF
the baltic being the last rain that has fallen
and yesterday aud to day the sky has
been purtecrv cluar, aud tho air heated
with tho warmest ravs of an Italian SUM-
The roads arc perfectly hard and very
dirty and it was utterly impossible for well
persons to travel along them with any com
fort without protection of sono kind from
the heat.
You can Judge then Of the intense sulfcr
4 ing which these thousands of MANNED ant
v mu iated creatures must have endured du
n ring tho fearful journey Of ten or fifscel
milrs-performod at the slowest paco o
heavy oxen, and compelled constantly t.
= stop by sotno interruption of the procession
r 1t was enough to mUlt the most obdurat,
, heart to sec tho state in which thoy ar
rived. Tho peasants who drove thUn
seemed not to have tho slightest sense o
their condition, or to take tho loast pain
: to alleviate their agony. Some of th
soldiers thomsclvus-whosc wounds wcr
least serious and permitted them to NOV
about-had cut branches from tho willow
u and other trucs that border on the road
. and madc of them slight shade for som
of those who could only lie upon thei
,, backs, thoir faces turned to tho brazon an,
u burning sky. AS far us tho eye could sct
e ia dense cloud of whito dust marked the au
r prouch of tho advancing train. AS tn
- carts camo into the town, many of the poo
wretccs stretched out their hands, piteous
ly CRYING for water, or for wine, us the
II were pcrishing of thirst. The people of til
@ village had prepared, so far as possible, fo
/. their reception. Committees had been az
:, pointed, II quantity Of soup had boon pr,
% pared, and the young women and men {
10 tho place went to work to supply tho mo-
o. pressing necessities of tho poor creature
h. who woro suffering on their behalf Tn,
went about from cart to cart, asking VIII
'" zach needed, and provided for them to II
TO best Of their ability
,r lfyou can imagine tho open area in fror
of tho City Hall filed with carts, upon ovol
ono OF which lay from five to ton or twcl,
VI mon in soldiers uniform, so far as tbr
O. werc dressed at all--nearly all bareheude
II. their faces, clothes and hands clotted wit
n blood, groaning aud writhing in pain-ar
tEon conceive Broadway, as far rs tho oN
Vi can SEQ, to be filled with an unbrokcn pr
IN cessiOn of just such carts laden in tho san
t. sad stylc-tho cattlo believing tho drive
y. shouting, aud with tho usual accOmpau
monts of great and half-rcgulatud crow
~ you may form some idea of tho charact
10 and magnitude of this dreadful scene.
n, II general thing tho wounded made but lit
to noise. Many of them were too much G
=, haustod-none of them cried aloud, al
" cnmnn rnI vnlu fn,u nnnll hn hnnrl In Irrnn