The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-06-18
Moral I'D the nattle of Montehello.

4 Moral Of the Battle Of Montoboiio.
/ Wednesdays New York Courier 4. Enquirer
speculates as follows upon the influence which
will be eXerted upon the war ln Italy by the
result Of the frat battle &C.,
A. the details of this battle have been re-
ceiyed, IL IN somewhat interesting 10 glance
90 toe manner In which Il was fought, for
then there may be found in IL some indira-
lions Of the system Of modern warfare. The
improvements lately made IN small arms and
in cannon have led some 10 believe that 4
thorough change IN military tactics would be
fueurmury fhry thuuEitt tt,ut stt'i-s- ss's.1d
not he dIawn up on the field Of battle az the
old distances, and that cavalry would become
almost useless. As both the French and
Austrian armies are supplied with improved
arms, there has been no little curiosity mani
tested as to what would be their effect in a
c0utrst Although Il was acknowledged that
the French forces were armed 40 well as any
troops can be, still Louis Napoleon did not
appear 10 place ns much reliance upon these
ab upon the old weapon Of the French the
bayOnct lie knew hia opponents were arm
cd with Minnie rifles and improved guns
and in his proclamation 20 the army
he said, "the new rifle arms are only
dangerous at distance they will not pre-
vent the bnyonel from being ~ heretofore
the terrible arm of the French infantry"
He thus foreshadowcd the system upon
which the battles in the present campaign
are 10 be fought by the French but, Judging
from the fight ut Muntcbcllo il IL not only
ON the woll-known impctuosty Of his soldiers
that his reliance II 10 bee placed. The ar-
counts state that the new cannon did terrible
execution among ,ho ranks Of the Austriaus,
causing their centre al one time to fall back
on their reserve and placing Moutehello in
the possession Of the French. IL was then
that the picdmontesc cavalry charged break.
the Austrian ranks, and doing such cxccu-
ton az led the French general 10 remark
LhaL LG .Hll nlAEE- n-al--l.la-il- -4..-+a.ls-i!aa
field without sdfh admirable troopers by his
side" IL was when the Austrian ranks we're
broken hy these charges that the Zouaves
and the Chnsscurs advanced with the terri.
BILE arm Of the French Infantry" and com.
plctcd the discontinue Of their opponents.
The Austrinns are stated o. have stood the
attack well, but they were unable 10 resist
the impctuosty with which the bayonet
charge MAS made. IL will thus be sceu that
-trr-Tcw cannon have already been used with
efficiency, that cavalry are not yet useless,
and that the bayonct IA AtlH a most irresisi,
blc weapon.
/, was not only at Montcbello that the nj.
lied forces were successful but also in the
-suhrrqurut -rugurrmrnt ut Sr-fa.-Fi--- ne
counts say that the Austrian artillery was Nj.
fenced in every part This, together with the
facts aforementioned, would 70 To prove
that the Austrinn guns are not equal TO the
French and IL t&is be So the latter will
have an ndvautlA during tile campaign
which must tell terribly against their oppo-
ncnts.
The French and Surdinians having won
the HTst engagements, Will enter into the next
contest With prestige that IA everything 60
fl ID. .s..I
will exert is immense. The battle of Palo
Alto and Rcsacn de Ia Palma, which proved
our soldiers that they could contend with
icrccs several times as large as their
own, gave our army confidence which
rrVrt fofsook it and which carried Il sue
ccsslully through the Mexican campaign.
The battle at Mmtcbello,,in which Ianucs,
with 5000 men, met the Austrians with lS,-
600, and completely routed them, paved the
way for the glorious field of Marcngo, where
10000 defeated 10000 Austrians. Judging
from the past then, there is every probabii.
~ that whenever the French and Austrians
meet again, the result must be simular TO
that just obtained, uirss the disFfgffBFtiHFF
between the forces be too great. No people
are so easily elated as the French, and the
effect Of the late victory upon the French ar
my can only be realized by those who know
the material OF which il is formed. What
ever cannot be- gained by the use of the inn
proved arms, will be gained by the charge
OF the bayoneti and when this is made, il
will be found as effective as Il was during
the late contest. The Austrians may have
more real endurance than the French, they
may recover more readily from the effects Of
a defeat, but these qualities will hardly avail
them in the present campaign. They will
probably be beaten whenever they encounter
the French on the plains, and when beaten
here, they shall retire to their fortresses, n
like fate will doubtless await them. Seba-
stopol has shown us what the French
can do when stone walls are opposed to
them. They will remember the taking Of
the Malakof, and those regiments which
were not in the Crmea will be desirous of
distinguishing themselves. From those who
were there we know what to5-cxpect The
falling back Of the Austrians on their for
tresscs, then, will only tend TO prolong the
war, not to change its issue.