The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-07-16
Correspondence of tho n. Y. Times.


Later .foom Co,tiehonc on the Day ofMe Bat
lie n So!jenne-Dctaiis Of tie action.
CAsTlGIIoNE, Friday, June "a.
i On the night OF the ODD the
whole Austrian army moved up to the vicinity
of Castiglione, within nlc Of the advanced
camp Of the French army. They came up
so nolselessly that the French supposed it TO
be their intention to sweep around and
encircle the town. No such attempt, how.
ever, was made, and at 5 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- II was an under
stood thing, no doubt, in both armies, that
the moment had arrived for the decisive trial
Of strength. and it mattercd little who fired
the first gun. Both armies were eager to
begin the struggle, and only awaited the
signal Of attack.
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 conccn-
tlatcd form.
During the first hours of the battle the
French were twice driven back by the superior
numbers and 'he impetuosty of the Aus
TRANS. But this retrogradc movement was
not rcpulse, and the ground lost was i'm
medlately regaincd. 1t was the first rcgi.
mcnt OF Louaycs that suffered most at this
moment At one 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 Castiglone, and they told Inc that
at that moment not single commissioned
officer oil their regiment was on his feet
Their brave colonel who had been promoted
only three days before. in place of their
colonel killed at Magenta, had received three
wounds, and in fact | saw him carried from
the field soon afterwards on litter, covered
with blood and dust and apparently suffering
deeply from his wounds. .
The two villages on the line of hills held
by the Anstrians offered the greatest resis-
lance to the advance of the French. One of
these, Solterino, was taken and retaken three
times by Canrobelt's division, and it is said
that at this point the dead bodies actually
concealed the ground from view.
Another village nearer to Castiglione, in
which, STANCE to relate, both the men and
women of the town fired upon the French,
was totally burnt down by Marshall Canro.
ber!'s orders, who was naturally indignant at
such conduct
The Ausrians were gradually driven back
over the plain and from their strong position
on the hll-sides, till at 4 O'Clock they made
their last obstinate stand at the town Of Volta,
six miles east of Castglione. An hours work
dislodged them from this place, and then, at
5 o'clock, violent ran-Storm coming up,
attended with lightning and thunder, the
retreat OF the AustrIans commenced.
During this storm, which lasted nearly an
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 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 NJ, til Of the point of hills in the direction
of le chera. he battle lad been rer ewed:
or, perhaps to us at the village, only drowned
by the storm. We FASTENED t, high bill halfa