Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-07-20
The Battle of Solferiuo.

The intelligence of the victory of the French and
Sardnians over the Austrians, is fully confirmed
The Austrians have retreated, and the French have
followed them across the Mincio A Paris cores
pondent of the New York Times thus speaks of the
battle and Of the reception of the news in Paris:
" At once Paris became exultng. The salvos of
artillery had not ceased to echo throughout che City
ere flags and banners of every description were
waving to the breeze. All day long the excitement
grew apace, and towards evening the pride and Joy
of the Parisians became almost delirous No sooner
had night thrown her dark mantle over the earth
than Paris became Respondent with light garlands
of fire, and patriotic devices flaming in the eyes of
the excited population drew from them the loudest
cheers Vire Empereurr' i" Vipe Armee,"
were to be heard on all sides. From the Madeleine
to the Bastile the Boevards were as light as day.
All the public buildings were beautifully illuminat
ed, and it matter of special notice that
in the poorest quarters of the city every window
had its farthing rushlight All alike rich and poor
were rejoicing. Two hundred and forty thousand
Austrian troops, commanded by their Emperor and
burning to retrieve the disastrous defeats Of Monte
bello, Palestro Magenta and Maegnano, crossed the
Mincio, and, conscious of their numerical SUPERIOR
ty and better knowledge of the ground, as well as
their more favorable POSITIONS attacked with great
ardor and courage the allied armies. From four in
the morning until eight in the evening desperate
struggle took place. but French elan and enthusiast
tic courage proved too much for Austrian logged
| ness and persistence, and once more the Aus
TRAN army defeated, and most terribly so. The
Austrian eagle again trailed his wings in the DUST
and how great must have been the humiliation of
the hotheaded and obstinate young Emperor, who
had felt of success that he had promised his
soldiers victory for the first day, and the drowning
of the French in the Ticno for the next as sort
of Gaping the climax That the Austrians were
! mr. &c Tho .ot of
they acknowledged they were so. For them to have
done this they must have indeed, been discouraged.
They in their bulletin sent to Vienna say that their
loss was immense, and that owing to storm and
other unfortunate circumstances, they were forced
to retreat. We have even as yet no official state
ment of the losses either side but we know Off
cially that the Allies have taken 1000 prisoners
80 cannon and three standards
l have received letter from young French off
Ger, whom am well acquainted with, and who took
part in the engagement. He assures me that the
Austrians have lost 80 900 troops by the terri
| bic defeat. The French lost great many men, but
nothing to compare with the losses of the Ausrians
who took no prisoners. The Allies took all the
positions occupied by their enemies. who were en-
trenched, and under cover of walls and in houses
TWAS in attacking these sheltered positions that the
French suffered their greatest losses But before
the fatal bayonet the weapon that most terrified
the Austrians who cannot, it seems get accustomed
to its use. Thousands of them persisted in valley
into which they had retreated. A regiment of
Chasseur de Vincennes had got beyond them and
turned to charge them, at the same time some Vol
tigeurs of the Imperial Guard came upon them from
the opposite direction Between the shocks of these
regiments of elite the Austrians went down like
grain before the sickle. Their bodies actually in
numbered the advance of their enemies, who in this
place made most dreadful slaughter of them. All
accounts from the battle field agree in speaking OF
the great courage and GOODNESS evinced by the En-
peror Napoleon during the whole of the dreadful
combat. Far in advance, among the foremost ranks,
he moved about from place to place, encouraging the
soldiers, who, fighting under their soveregn's eye
performed prodiges of valor. Bullets raining
around His Majesty; men were wounded and killed
near and around him; DR.. Larry, his physician who
kcptn him the entire day. hadtwo horses killed un
def him. and above ALL His Majesty had one of his
epaulettes shot off; but still he moved about as
unconscious of danger. My informant writes mt
that the soldiers would clash their weapons together
as they passed by the Emperor, who would smile
and bow to them, pointing to the enemy. Onward
would dash these brave fellows, the wounded ant
dying crying with their last breath, Tire Empe
reur!' At last the victory gained and thu
Austrans crushed and beaten forced to retreat
One thing is clear-the Austrians well prepared
for the struggle, for they commenced the attacl
themselves and as they kept up from o'clock il
the morning until o'clock the evening, it is evi
dent they fought with determination. So confden
Austria in her military position, that (as is nov
generally KNOWN her emissaries solicited the neutra
Powers to abstain from interfering with the progres
7 of the campaign. But, as l said above French en-
t thusiasm and elan, added to the moral weight of
E just cause gained the victory, and most glorou
one it is, for the Austrians candidy their dc
(; feat History records no bulletin in which disas
] ter is more openly acknowledged"