The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-07-09
Battle of Magenta.


The strategetic character Of the battle
Of Magenta is now for the :;rst time before
us IN an authentic description We alrea-
dy knew that Gen. McMahol, had passed
the river 1T Turbigo, and repulsed feeble
attack there made on him by the Austri.
as, and we now lea.n that that General
had beun strengthened i'll hi: position by
the Grenadiers Of the Imperial Guard
The passage Of Marshal Canrobcrt5 : corps
d orr,r, by the bridge at Buiiaioya was ar
ranged to correspond with lateral move
nent which was intended 10 be made by
Gen. M"Mahnn 70 support thi. passage. -
While McMahon already on the Lonioar-
dy side, moved To the attack Of the Aus
trianS posted at Magenta and Dutlalora.
but whose strength and position seemed
to have been uaderrated, the Emperor,
with the Zouaves OF his Guard, was TO
force the passage at Buiialola, supported
by the corps d armec Of Canrobcrt. and by
other divisions, which were 70 Follow in
continuous columns. The force which was
to have effected the operations NJ But.alora
did not arrive at the appointed time, and
when McMahon's division appeared on the
left bank of the Ticino. and attacked the
Austrians Oh the Turb;go side Of their po-
sition, the Emperor found himself at the
head Of Il smaller number OF men than he
anticipated CanrobeIt had been DELAYED
and the Austrians had. according 10 the
French account, found means 10 conceu-
trate a force Of l25.OJJ men Il: the spo.
where Mcmahon was loyT attacking The
Emperor, with the Zouav-S O.: his Guard.
seems 10 have crossed l. NcMahon assis-
tance, and an unequal combat Of four
hours duration ensued
At the end Of this terrible period Canro-
bert came up, and other troops had sue
ceeded in dIsentangl:ng themselves from
the confusion of TIE ch0ted causeways in
the rear Mcmahon, whose attack from
the Turbigo side had been interrupted b,
aeccs=..; Of uniting his columns, return
ed to the charge wnen he heard the fu.ii-
a3e upon the Eufilora side Of the AuStYi-
an position. The AE.ti.aus, who had been
some time III superior force and had taken
prisoners and guns from their asSa:lants.
driven them back. we are not told how
far. We're now in their turn aSsailed by n
superior or ut least all equal force, and
were hard pressed both on their centre and
LETT, and compelled to eydcuate Butfilora
in order to make head AGAINST Mcmahon,
attacking him from Magenta. This diver
sion enabled the emperor 10 vigorously
resume the offensive, and it Is an incident
Of great importance in estimating the fi-
ture chances Of the war that large bodies
Of Hungarian troops now laid down their
arms. under as il would appear no very
pressing necessity While the Austrians
were thus vigorously attacked on both
sides, and were experiencing something ve-
~ like detection in their ranks. Gen Au-
CUR had succeeded in getting ~ guns into
J.. l.
which fsnkcd the Austrian position
From this he poured into their masses a
destructive fire, which must have told with
fearful effect and may account Tor the
great carnage h.ch the Austr!aGs arc said
II have suffered.
Meanwhile, Mcmahon had pushed his
attack successfully, and had driven the
enemy from Magenta putting NOR than
1000 Au-trIans horS 4. combat, and max
ing 1000 prisoners. This VILLAGE, howe
Yer, was d sreratelv disputed, and j, was
taken and rctaSca 10 less ;l,an seven
times, reiniorcements of the allied troops
continually arriving upon the field, and. as
il would appear, forming AZ last cont!nu-
Gus line along the LoG2b4rdy Ia ks o. the
T!ciDo. Tie battle lasted until :; 0 clock
at night, and, as we hear nothing OF the
were yerv interior in af}iif2fv. si'}lif an Of
course al a dreadful disadvantage while
the forty pieces OF cannon were playing
upon them from the railway embankment.
Al ,hi> hour. we are told. the Austrians
withdrew. leaving in the hands of the
victors four guns and two flags as the mo-
dara;e tropA.e, OF tAi, obstinate fought
field The allies We're undoubtedly the
victors, for they held the field and the po-
si,ion. They also had taken 100 prison
ers but as some of these were taken III re-
yiments. and as they are for the most part
Hungariaus and Italians. it may perhaps
be doubted whether the bulk Of the Aus
trian soldiers now in the hands OF the al
les shou!I be more properly characterized
as prisoners or as deserters. The estimate
Of killed and wounded can hardly be re-
ceivcd with perfect conilance when made
so Immediately after the battle; but if -.
900 men We're really killed. wounded. and
taken, some Of them must have been but
lilhily armed, for only li,00J musi>etS
were found upon the field.