The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-07-21


Of the shoulder, under the epaulette.
Several Of the officers of His Msiesty's
etdt-mcjor were also wounded, and
from all that / can learn the casualties
among the officers on the French side
were numerous. 4 H. y AA-A
If anything were wanting to prove
that the French were the most admlra-
BE soldiers in the world, as well on the
field of battle as when wounded
twas surely manifested on this memo-
rable day. With the exception of a
few men who were dying as they were
jolting along the streets in the carts,
and from whom escaped the involun-
tary groans of the dying hour, not a
word of complaint was uttered and I
saw officers and men,. on whom the
blood was oozing from CHASTITY wounds,
calmly smoking their pipes as they
passed along on their way IN search of
an ana6uld,ach and surgeon. Alto
gether it was a fearful sight, and excl
ted the pity of the most hard hearted.
The women who had remained in the
town of Castiglione, shed tears, appar-
emily at the utter hopelessly of render
ing assistance to such q number. of
brave and suffering men. Yet every
house was thrown open, and every
hand was ready to aid in alleviating
their pains. For the most part, they
asked but for wine or water, for the loss
of blood created thirst, and the fatigues
of the day must have been great, from
the length of the battle and the extent
of ground to fight over. Many of the
soldiers were naked to the waist, their
coats having been torn to pieces in the
bayonet and hand to hand fights, and
their shirts torn up to staunch the blood.
All were covered with dust, and had
their clothes more or less torn, both
officers and men, and presented, even
in the absence of blood-stained clothes,
the most pitiable appearance. But all
who were not suffering had stamped
upon their countenance that quiet, de-
termined look which soldiers acquire
in battle, and which is called in the
French army the professional air."
The air of resignation, and the quiet,
respectful manner of these brave fell
lows, rendered the scene more touch
ing, more sympathetic. A noisy, bra
vado air would have seriously detract-
ed from the sympathy and the horror
OF the scene. But all this, as the
wounded men said, was nothing to the
field of battle they thought neither of
their own wounds, nor of their dead
comrades over whose bodies they were
obliged to march. / have heard no es-
innate of the number of the dead. -
We saw about three thousand Aus
strian prisoners brought in. How
many were taken during the day could
not be ascertained. / saw one crowd
of 900, another of $50, and many
smaller squads. The Austrian wound
ed were piled into the carts sometimes
Unfortunately with the French. The
largest gang / saw were brought in by
the Turcos. They were obliged to
stop on account of the crowding at the
point where / stood, and | thus had an
occasion to take a good look at them.
A considerable proportions of these
were Lombards, fact which large
and savage-looking Turco of the escort
evidently did not know, for he explained
to US ridiculing them, that they fred
but once and then laid down their
guns. Poor fellows, they were no
doubt glad to remain on their own soil
even as prisoners, and one only won
ders at the blind egotism of the Aus
trian rulers in placing reliance upon
men who have no love for them, and
who are compelled to fight against their
brethren and their own fresides. The
Hungarians also were in considerable
numbers, and some of these were large
and magnificent physical men. But
theywere not quick enough nor pow
erful enough for our Turcos and Zou
ayes, who, while rendering justice to
the goodwill and obstinacy with which
they fought, merely talked of their in
feriori:y as matter of course, and Of
their own success as equally sure
thing.
In and about Castiglione, there were
10000 soldiers in charge of the enor
nous train of the army, while in the
rear of the town there remained re
serve of 10000 men, to support the
army in case of disaster Add to this
10000 or Is, 900 wounded men in Gas
tiglione, and several hundred thousand
men scattered over the plain in confic
and dead on the ground, and you have
scene encompassed in space of eigh
miles diameter, such perhaps, as thi
land of great battle scenes never saw
before. From the high peaked blut
from which we watched the last hour
of the battle, all this scene could b,
taken in and comprehended at on
glance. 1t was great battle, an,
surely ought to decide, once for all, tn
vast superiority of the French owe
Austrian arms.