Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-07-14
The Battle of Solferino;

iiohi sPc'ihi correspondents III SaSlSio"''
detailing the events Of this great battle
! There were two Americans in the vicinity ut
the time namely, Judge Forsyth, of Troy.
and Ii. j. Raymond, esq, of the New York
Times, from whose letter We condcnse the
following descriptions
The battle commenced ut little before five
o'clock III the morning not far from sunrise.
Just back of Castiglone rises "a high range ot
| hills-which projects mile or thereabouts
into the plain aud then breaks off towards
the left into il wide expanse Of smaller hills,
and 81 into the rolling surface which makes
that portion of the PLAIN. The AustrIams
had taken positions upon these hllls-piant-
ing cannon upon those nearest to Castigli"ne
which they could approach. rs the French
army WAS in full force in and around that little
village-and had stationed their immense ar
ray all over the surrounding plain. As
nearly ~ we can now learn, the Emperor
Francis Joseph had collected here not less
than 225 900 troops, and commanded them III
person. His evident purpose WAS Ia make "A
stand here aud risk the fortunes OF the war
upon the issue.
Napoleon prompty accepted the challenge
and commenced the attack H. snon AS 1t was
light this morning, by placing cannon upon
the hills still nearer 10 Cnstig lione than those
held 10y the Austrans, and opening fire up
on them ON the heights beyond. lie took
his own stand upon the highest Of theae-a
steep sharpbacked ridge, which commands
u magnificent view Of the entire circuit OF
the plain, and from that point directed the
entire movements Of his army during the
early portion Of the day. The French very
SOON drove the enemy out ut the posts they
held nearest to the town, and followed them
into the small villages ot the PLAIN below
The first of these was S",terlno, where they
had sharp and prntractei engagement
The Austrians disputed every inch OF the
ground, and fought here, as they did through
out the day, with the utmost desperation.-
They We're Mrrr tunes driven out ui the town,
before they would stay ont. The people ut
the village, moreover, took part against the
French, upon whom they fired from their
windows, and the French were compelled, IN
selt-defence, to burn the town.
The battle continued To rage all over the
region northwest of Il line connecting the
towns OF Castiglione, Soltrrlno and Volta
AT one point after another sharp cannon
aiding would arise and continue for hal or
three-quarters of an hour aud after each
successive engagement Of this kind, the re-
suit became apparent in the retreat OF the
AustrianS and the advance of the French
forces. During all the early part Of the day
the sky had been clear aud the weather hot.
But clouds began to gather ut about noon,
and at 5 o'clock, while the cannonade WAS at
ts height, Il tremendous thunderstorm rolled
up from the northwest the wind came first,
sweeping from the parched streets IN enor-
NOUS cloud of dust, and was soon followed
by II heavy fall of rain, accompanied by vivid
lightning and rapid explosions OF rafting
thunder. The storm lasted for about al
hour and the cannonadlng, 50 lar rs We
could distinguish, was suspended. Then the
rain ceased, the clouds blew away, the sun
shone out again, and the air was cooled and
perfectly delightful Though the cannon
may have ceased for time to take part in 1t,
the fight had meantime gone on, and when
| again resumed my post Of observation, from
which the storm had unceremonlOusly expel-
led me, the cannonading commenced quite on
the extreme left of the entire field and on the
very borders of the lake, northeast from Cas-
tiglcne and west of Peschiera. The Pied
montese troops, under the King who COM
maIlds them in person, had been posted there
anu TcCcNcu tIlc HuSlIiiiiS ~ lity sah''
around From about I o'clock until after
night-tall an incesSant and most terrible com
bat WAS here kept up. The batteries of the
two armies were apparently about halfa mile
upart--and ut the outset they were both serv-
ed with nearly equal and effective vig"r.-
But the Austrians gradually slackened their
fire and several times took up new positions
while the SardnianS poured II rapid and
uninterrupted shower Of balls upon them,-
suspending only for few minutes at time,
and then renewing il again with redouhled
fury. The wind had now gone down, the
air was still. and the sound Of muskctry, "a
well rs of the cannon. was distinctly heard.
The former WAS continuous, sharp and III
cessant, sounding like the constant and ir-
regular patterng Of hail upon II roof, while
the latter was occasionally suspended, but
while it lasted was overwhelmingly grand
aud terrible. Over the Sandman park rose
dense white cloud Of smoke directly upwards,
its sides perfectly upright and well defined,
and spreading outward both ways at the top
like an enormous sheaf of wheat. The sun
was making Il glorious setting i'll the west,
and as his light gradually departed, the vivid
flashes at each discharge Of the cannon gleam-
cd through the smoke like sharp lightning
through the breast Of an enormous clouJ. -
Sometimes ou single fash would be seen,
then two or three at once, and sometimes halt
dozen would break forth in instant success
sion. 1t was beginning to be dark when
turned 10 descend the hill, and all the way
down | still heard the roar Of the cannon and
the Gathering of the guns Of the infantry
But the Austrians were clearly falling back,
and could scarcely have failed to sustain a
total rout.
When we drove into town, We were warned
by French gentleman, who had arrived n
little before III, that unless we placed our car
riage in the stable or grounds OF some private
citizen, it would certainly be seized Tor the
services Of the wounded, as his had been-
ASH was all We could rely on tor bedroom
as well as means of locomotlon, we were
unwilling thus to lose it. On going to PR
vate house. therefore, to make such an al
rangement, We found it had been taken for
hospital, and among its inmates was "a ctc"tt'
dere, a woman Of perhaps 30, dressed In the
style Of our Bloomers, who had received IA
ball in her hand while following her occupa-
ton of carrying water aud WINE t" soldiers
in the action Tw" surgeons from the En-
peror's family were dressing her wound
and though pale from loss OF blood she was
conversing cheerfully and even gally with
them. Some had tied up their wounds