The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-06-27
T II f. w A Ri
iATERESTING TCIDENTS-STORIES OF
TIE BATTLES-FRENCH CAMP LIFE.


PRINCE NAPOLEON AND HIS FRTKs IN FLOR
The Florence correspondence Of the London
Express, dated June I'd, says:
Last evening on the third day after the ar
rival of Prince Napoleon. the Florsntnes
seemed all OF a sudden to recollect that they
owed nm some demons tration of respect and
gratitude for the trouble he has taken in bring
ing over an army to fight their battles, and
Their feelings for him broke out in ''sponta-
heous' illumination. do not know to whose
zeal this absnrdly late show of enthusiasm
may be owing; but IL was Mt any rate uncali
ed for and prepOSterous.
On the very evening OF his arrival, the
rrlhce had presented himself at the balcony
OF the palace he occupied, and after thanking
the people for their warm and friendly recep-
ton, he reminded them that this was no time
TOR vain clamor and clappng of hands, that
tney should think Of tho war they had on
their hands, and turn all their earnest efforts
10 secure lis success Those were honest and
brave words at any rate, and the Florentines
ought to have taken the lesson TO heart: but
There are always in all towns Wretched crea-
lures who must crawl in some manner and
before some person, and it il owing to these,
suppose, that more money has been thrown
away In OIL and broken glass, last night, than
might have been sufficient to arm and equip
troop OF horse. Some people here attribute
the demonstration ~ they call il, TO the
ertions Of the French Embassy.
The French troops are entering Florence
daily, and but few Of the earlest arrivals
leave us. Yesterday we went to see The alri-
val OF cavalry regiment and two fine bat
terles. 1t is pleasing TO mo, who shall have
SorroWs and miseries enough 10 tell OF the
war now just beginning, to be- able hitherto TO
bear witness to the admirable conduct of the
French troops in this country They come
hero ~ friends, allies and lib-rators are well
coined as such, and truly behave a. such
Tho determination OF HusSarS ChaSsrurs de
Nlncennns, and other troops with the people
OF the lower classes, IN instantaneous AZ well
fts spontaneous, and not little amusing con-
sidering that both French and Tuscans have
great opinion OF their respective idioms and
pay little attention to tho study Of other
peoples LIMOGES. They keep bandyins "crps-
c." against academic the choicest Dorc Of
Mefcato ecchio against the most exquisite
mlncIns dipthongs OF the Halles and then
thoy grim TO each other and lock their arIn
into their now friends arm; and the French
man, after ALL Is never so dull but lie can east
ly be made to understand a glass of brandy or
cigar nod, wink, and the jingling OF
giassos suftlces to establish the sstsHfs cordias.
The camp at the Cascinc presents u sccno of
unspeakable variety, frolc and fun at the time
or tho promenade towards evening. Imagine
green Held with eight or ten thousand men
and five or six hundred horses, encamped with
tents, arms and accoutrements, and all the ap-
purtenancss Of life, in the open air; the men
cooking bivouacing, dining sleeping drilling,
playIng-engaged, i'll short, in all the pursuits
that dnty imposes, or free will, yhm and
pleasure suggcstS-imagi say, this camp, in
all this show and dishabille, invaded by Nifty
from The high dressed court lady is her cha
not dispensing smiles and cigars to the lihe-
rators OF Italy, to the tattcrad mendicant snd
Yagabond, hobbling after the smoking soldier,
win hope to come in for The stump Of the
cigars aforesaid.
The French had portioned ont the ground
amongst them. Each regiment had its own
camp, each camp its line of tents each line #
tents its long row OF fniScsdKr of muskets or
rifles, and to each row OF rifles or riuskctx
certain number OF scniricS 10 protect the pri
Nacy OF their quarters, and keep back the Flo
rentInGs-prOVerbi&lly the most curious p.u-
pie on earth. Talk Of keeping back FloTen-
tines, indeed The poor sentries had no sine
cure of it. The people peeped i'll at ten ihou-
sand chinks, crannie. and corners; the tide
threatened here ii swaysd there Ii broke ii
here and there Al every point; the crowd
peeped in under the tents, round tho bivouac
hres IN the very pans and pots where the vic
tuais were cooking. The soldiers showed un-
oonquerahle good humor. Some of the chas-
seurs were determined, ~ the people had come
IN TO see something, that they would get mp
show for the people
A game of blind mans buff was proposed
Three or four of the soldiers are blndloIded
and armed with a ropes end--a formidable
lash. Several Of their comrades. and by de-
grres the boldeSt amongst the populace, step
forward to pinch. and snub and prick and by
all manner OF contriyances, tease and worry
them. They are blind, and helpless, devoted
victims, butts for the malice of the multitude.
An, but they have the lash Beware of the
lash Every hit OF the formidable lash raises
y shout frCm the admring multitude. These
are our pastmes in Florence every afternoon
tins Is camp life.
THK BATTLB OF LAGHNTA-BY AN ACTOR * 1t.
The following letter, the first directly COM
ing from the battle field of Magenta and writ
ten the morning after by an officer who took
part III the battle, is published i'll The Pays
The writer naturally only describes what he
witnessed himself. and gives no idea of the ge-
neral character OF the engagement: but from
what Il lf
must have been OF = most desperate descrip-
tion:
BATTLE FIHLD OF MAGENTA, June 5-4 in
the morning.-I hasten 10 inform you that in
the great victory which the French arms have
gained m this place have escaped without
scratch, although L was in the very midst OF
the fight, from one in the afternoon 10 half
past nine in the evening, in company with my
brave cbmrades the Zouayes OF the Guard
On the 2d, the Noltigeurs OF that arm had re-
ceired orders TO advance 10 the Ticino, and
cross the river below Bufialora, ON the left OF
Turbigo, TO support General dc McMahons
corps The next day, the first brigade OF in
ftntry of the guard (Zouayes and Grenadiers.)
commanded by General Cler, received orders
10 encamp at Trecate on the NJ Ian road; and
on the 18th, early in the morning the brigade
received orders 10 crosss tho Ticino and adj
vance on Magenta. On arriving at the banks
Of the river we saw the Emperor who, after
reaching Novara, had transferred his head
quarters to the bridge itself over the Ticino.-
In the distance on the left bank were to be
seen clouds of smoke accompanied by the
thunder of cannon al intervals. When we
reached tho bridge, the troops were ordered
Immediately to put down their haVresacks,
and advance rapidly TO the right of the road TO
Magenta, in order TO attack 4 redoubt of earth
work which the Au-trians had established TO
sweep the bridge of the Ticino and the road to
Milan.
The brigade was divided into two columns.
Thai of the Sd Grcnadiers WAS designated to
form the first column of the attack, anddhc
n
Zouaves of the Guard were 10 support tho
movement. / formed pnrt of these companies.
We had TO cross vast open meadows, where
the enemy could sweep us with grape. When
the word was given the column dashed for
ward at full speed. and i'll Il few minutes after
the Grenadicrs and Zouaycs were climbing up
the redoubt, which we took with the cry of
'Five fEmpereur - The movement was so
sudden, that heencmy had scarcely timo to
fire their guns. The Austrians, driven from
tho redoubt, returned Immediately after with
great accession OF force, to attack us in 1t
We were about two hundred Iouaves, and IN
spite of our small number, we made four sue
cessive sorties, crying TO each other Use
the bayonett - Each time the enemy were
forced to retire with considerable loss. We
were not really one to ten, but we made up by
the dash and rapidity OF our attack for our
want of number. In the course OF the lour
sorties we had unfortunately lost consider
able portion OF our force, and at last we were
unable TO continue the offensive with any hope
of success The Austrians, seeing that we were
not supported, returned TO the charge NTH
time, and their numbers were enormous, We
we're obliged to retire in our turn. We with
drew in good order beyond the railway bridge
and deep canal. There, being for the moment
secure from attack, caused my men to take a
little rest, which they much wanted, for du-
ring three hours they had been engaged.
We soon after received the support OF di-
vision Of Marshal Canroberi's corps, arriving
in all haste from Novara, and of a brigade OF
Gen. de Nc Mahon, which had passed tho Tici-
no at Turhigo. With these reinforcemcnts our
troops resumed the offensive, and regained all
the positions which we had previously occu-
pied Towards 9 O'Clock had just proceeded
h. haa tars Of (xar Rcnna aftli da