The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-07-09
Prom che n, Y, Tribune,
A Soldiers Account or tho Battle Of
MontebellO,

We translate below the letter ni French
non-oommissioned officer 10 his inenda, Civ
I ing en- account Of the battle Of Montebello'
| ID Il piotuTesqe and spirited 10 the extreme,
and reproduoes for us tho fight as Il seemed
/ 10 those engaged in To-
/ Yesterday morning AZ eleven We we're IN
our camp, a couple Of gun'shpla Ia font of
/ Noghera, sitting around huge copper IN
which few sliue1 Of pork were boiling In q
| great deal Of water for lhe breakfast Of the
Z squad, when suddenly we heard brisk firing
of musketry toward the beighta Of Casteg-
! gio
We jump up, you should see how quickly :
/ We leap 10 our arm sand-WaiL
/ For two mnutea, nothing the firing con-
tinussi We notice much movements among
our yauguards,
/ We we're only two companies there no.
/ thing. you know la case Of attack, Our cap
i tain went aud camel the firing seemed 20
approach, and yet nothing from our van
| guarda nothing from Noghera,
We didn't understand H.
! We listened grasping the barrels Of our
oarbnes. Suddenly we heard the gni rice of
our sentnola, and then that Of the van
guards
A horseman gnllops by covered with mud
and blood, he wears the uaifogm Of All officer
oi the Sandman cavalry bending over the
name Of HE horse, he was beahOrlnR the
beast with his spunI his saber was drawn
and hung 10 his right wdstI he cried out
"To arms The Austrians" Aud he de
appeared at turn IN the road.
We we're anxious too some had started
the captain took his stand In the middle Of
the road, threatening 10 run the first man
through who moved.
And he would have done Il
We came into order, IL was not five min
utes AFTER the Sandman officer had passed,
that We heard the drums beating the roll
call and almost the same instant Gen. Forey,
With aidcs.de-eamp psssrd behind ealloping
NJ full stretch the lIth ChaMeuTs followed
in a gymnnstie quiok.slepi they rallied us,
and IN iteen minutes we're posted ~ rifle
men along little river, forget 10 name.
Our business was to protect the establish
mcnt Of ha,iery which Was 10 NOV down
the head Of the Austrian column. My doz-
en- men and we're posted by the Lieutenant
behind q ridge, which completely masked
our Gre and covered u.s.
We bad not nin down 10 the mud, when
handful Of Tyrolese. hid among the trees on
the len, opened flfg on our comrades, who
were much more exposed than We, In less
time than IL takoa one 20 write u, they had
knocked over Gilccn of our men That made
us mad my men had without consent, with
out saving q word 10 each other, jumped in.
to the water and charged hayoucts on the
thirty or forty Chaweurs that We saw, be-
hind whom there were many more TO bc
seen. Our example led an three companies,
and soon q battalion of the 7ith. We got
the worst of IL, received by a well sustained
Gre, we were obliged 20 full back, Tor IL Was
no longer an affair Of few hundred Iyrol'
csc, but an enormous column At least 5000
strong. which was advancing hY the cause
way uf the railroad.
We we're hindering our artillcryi Com.
mandant I.acrctellc sounded the retreat; We
tremble with rage. Fortunately were not
obliged TO retreats We we're posted near the
Cassinh Nova. with orders to Gre At di-efe-
ton.
Then for two hours, standing, knecling, hi
ding. going to the right, running to the lef,
but keeping our position, We burned the first
cartridges. We were not 500 yards from
the enemy.
The officers kept US back, because there
were not enough Of Us TO pitch.fork them.
Besides il was most prudcnti this fusilndc
was murdcrous for white uniforms, but il did
us very little harm. Every one Of our conf
cal balls penetrated into these deep masses
/ the Austrian balls whistlcd in our ears, but
respected US personally.
This was the first time ever saw FIRE, and
! was not the only one. Well, / am not
ashamed of myself True, made my bow
| To the first balls, but Henry w., they say,
did as much at the beginning Of every battle
! Besides, il is physical effect, and has
nothing to do with the will.
! But when this tribute is paid, do you know
] how every discharge electrizes youP Ii is
! like whippin. ~" legs Of a raee.horse.
/ The balls Nhls.ie in your ears, knock up
dust about ,ou, kill one, wound another i
you can hardly give them the slightest atten-
/ ton. You are grimy the smell Of powder
! upI - hal
/ Your eyes are blood-shoi, your look fixed
stifened upon the enemy all the passions
are combined in this terrible passion
which the sight OF blood and the noise of
battle rouses in the soldier.
But az was telling you, our company had
not much to suffer from this target practice
My sub.lieutenant Mr.. RI, was wound
ed just as he was popping over his third
! Austrian with the rife of Mr.. Sergeant-ma-
jor, who was knocked stiff by two balls one
| in the head and one in the neck.
Our ertilery, meantime, was doing won
ders their balls showed us daylight through
| the ranks OF the enemy, who were, however,
answering in good round terms.
All this finished where, perhaps, il should
have commemorate Col. Du Mesnil falls from
his horse, wounded we surround him, shout
" a Ia 6dioHRette !" aud throw ourselves on
the Croats.
They receive us firmly, which increases the
general ruge Lieutenant +. shouts, d" Club
'em. my boys !" and we handle our muskots.
Disorder spreads in the ranks Of the enemy J;
we use our bnyonets now and then, and es-
oort them back to Montebello. There il was
n very different thingj they hid in the houses,
shot throughthe windows, and we had to
get upon one another's shoulders to get at
them.
i saw General Beuret, intrepid, everywhere
at once, Drawing the bullets, saber in hand.
He went through the streets giving his or
ders, active yet calm. / have him still be-
fore my eyes. At the corner Of n house,
surrounded by fourteen chasseurs, captain
had been shot he falls General Beuret
leaps to him. He is raised up, but be falls
again lie Is dead" says the General. Cen.
eral Forey was advancing, trumpeter at