Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-14
FROM CASTIGLIONE ON THE DAY or
THE BATTLE OF SOLFERINO.r.sr-
Details Of the Aetfou. e~ ..l1rss

J.
Details Of the Action. ..1aass
Correspondence Of the New York Times
CAsrIGLToNE, Friday, June 24th.-Francis
Joseph has commanded and lost to-day his arst
battle His army, concentrated at leisure
within the last fortnight was the most formid-
able IN number Of modern times 1t was sta
toned at point chosen by himself, where he
mad the advantage of q superior position, and
yet he was beaten completely from the field by
the French army. -.'.-~-s 20 :
We were fortunate enough to arrive on the
ground in the early part Of the fight, and du-
ring portion of the time were stationed on
hill, at the very spot occupied by the Emperor
Napoleon during the first few hours of the day
From this point we could take in with the eve
the whole field, and notwithstanding the ex-
tent the ground fought over, were able to
comprehend the ensemble Of the battle
The two armies had been gradually approach
ing each other for several days, and il was gem
orally understood, as well in the army as in
the country near the scene of the great con-
fict, that field battle was imminent. The
army OF the. Emperor Of Austria, which had
gradually retreated from the fatal field of Ma
genta, halted, demoralized, at the Mincio
The Emperor, who had been collecting rein
forcements-one might call 1t new army-at
Verona, advanced week ago with this force,
and, joining with the army which had fallen
back from Magenta, moved to the encounter of
the French. to seek revenge for the defeat of
Gyulai- The French were only too well pleased
to meet their enemy thus and the encounter
on the plain Of Castigiione was as if by mutual
agreement. ..'-.-- -
The Emperor's headquarters on the 23d were
at Montechiaro. A part of the army, however,
camped the same night at CastigliOne, and on
the 23d the whole army was encamped. a DOR
tiOn at the farther border of the town Of Cas-
tigliOne, and the balance along the road to
Moltec hiaro> A body of four hundred and
fifty Austrians had been captured on the 22d
on the road to Castiglione, and the advanced
posts OF each army were constantly in the
neighborhOod Of one another. r
Caslglione, a compact town of perhaps two
thousand inhabitants, and almost two thousand
years old, is built upon slight elevation,
which IS actually the termination at that place
OF the LOmbardian Alps. To the south and
west Of tho town extends as far as the eve can
reach, the level and highly-cuItiyated country
for which this part Of Italy is celebrated
To the east Of the town there extends a series of
hills, three or four hundred feet high, in cir
cular form, presenting their concayity to the
south, and terminating at distance from the
town Of six miles. Around this tongue of hills
the plain extends to the north where it termi-
mates at the strongly-fOrtifed town Of Paschie-4
ra ..
On the night of the 23d the whole Austrian
army moved up to the vicinity of Castiglione,
within n mile of the advance camp of the
French army. They came up so noiselessy
that the French supposed it to be their inten-
ton to sweep around and encircle the town
No such attempt however was made and at
o'clock this morning the battle commenced
but by which army the first gun was fired no
one thus far has been able to inform me- 1t
was an understood thing, no doubt, in both
armies, that the moment had arrived for the
decisive trial Of strength. and it mattered little
who bred the hrst gun. Both armies were eager
to begin the struggle, and only awaited the
signal of attack
The Austrian centre was on and toward the
extremity of the long tongue Of hills to which
have referred; their right on the same range
OF hills, close up to the town of Castiglione and
their left extending directly out across the
plain TO the south of the termination of the
tongue of hills. On these hills were two vii
lages occupied by the Austrians, and q high
old tower overlooking the plain and the whole
country around. The Austrian position was in
a crescent (as at Magenta,) about eight miles
long; and was exceedingly strong in every
point OF view, since the French were Obliged
to attack from the plain, in full view, and IN
concentrated form.
During the first hours of the battle the
French were twice driven back by the supe-
riOr numbers and impetuosty of the Austrians.
But this retrogade movement was not a re-
pulse, and the ground lost was Immediately
regained. 1t was the lst regiment of Zouaves
that suffered most at this moment. At l
o'clock / saw two cart loads Of wounded men
OF this regiment as they came off the field, on
their way to the hospital at CastigliG ne, and
they told me that at that moment not a single
commissioned officer of their regiment was on
his feet. The brave Colonel, who had been
promoted only three days before in place of
their Colonel killed At Magenta, had received
three wounds and In effect saw him carried
from the field soon afterwards on litter COW
cred with blood and dust, and apparently suf-
feTing deeply from his wounds.
The two villages on the line of hills held by
the AustriaDs offered the greatest resistance
advance of he Of
oolferino, was taken and retaken three times
by Canrobert's division, and it is said that Mt
this point the dead bodies actually concealed
the ground from view.
Another village nearer to Castiglione, in
which, strange to relate. both the men and
wImen Of the town fred upon the French, was
totally burned down by Marshal Canrobert's
orders, who was naturally indignant at such
conduct. had this detail from different per.
sons engaged in the battle; but the burning
took place early on the day before we arrived
on the ground, and We did not, therefore, see
this incident. ---- :
The Austrians were gradually driven back
over the plain, and from their strong position
on the hill sides, till at o'clock they made
their last obstinate stand at the town of Volta,
SIX miles cast Of Castiglione. An hours work
dlslodged them from this place, and then, Mt 5
o'clock, violent rain storm coming up, at
tended with lightning and thunder, the re-
treat OF the Austrians commenced.
during this storm, which lasted nearly au
hour, we took refuge in one Of the division
headquarters Of the town, and there assisted
In dressing the wounded as they were brought
IN The storm, which was but q burst and
which seemed to have been sent expressly to
cool the hot air and to lay the dust, had no
sooner ceased than the thunder Of the artillery
was again heard, but this time around and to
the north Of the point Of hills in the direction
OF Peschlera. The battle had been renewed,
or perhaps to us at the village, only drowned
by the storm. We fastened to a high hill half
mile east Of the town, to point near where |
the Austrian night rested At daylight in the |
morning, and st the very place on which Ma |
pOleOn had stood during the first hours of the |
battle, and from this point we could see dis. |
tinctly what was going on. Away to the north
west, towards Peschiera, which was clearly in
view, and apparently near the borders of the
lake OF Garda, the battle was raging with re-
neWed fury. The PiedmOntese, 80, 900 strong,
eommanded by the King, who had stopped the
night % the 23d in advance of Sonato and who
had come to the field Of action in the rear of
the Austrian morning position, had attacked
the Austrians in the flank as they retreated.