The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-07-21
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE BATTLE OF
SOLEERINO

as do not yet know them fyive II sketch of
the Facts that know, for time will not let me
describe th-m at length.
When ut Brcscia, on the 20 and 2lst, we
learned that the enemy had abandoned Monte
chiaro and Castigli lone Consequently we ad.
rnnced with the Emperor 10 occupy their pos;.
lions. On the oath, we reached Castiplione at
a. m, and found Il column prepared FOR battle
ahalf lcngue thence, with the Austrinns, com.
nandedby their Emperor in person, who, they
SAY. had promised to take them the same evening
10 dine ai Milan aud the next day to drown
us all in the Tcino. / need not say that their
army was Formidable
The attack. which was begun ut Soferino,
situated near Casiiglione and Lake Garha, one of
tho Manelon forts Of tho chnin Of tho Tyrol
mountains. was not made without sensible losses
on our side for the two regiments Of the line
tho 9lst and eSth, well as the 7ih bnrtalion
OF chosseurs. tlst corps. had tocnntenl against
force ten times superior in number and more adj
vantageously placed on this hill, and entrench-
cd in strong town which crowned its crest
Our mon began to fall back. overwhelmed bv
numbers when the battalion Of Chasseurs CT The
Guard and the two first regiments Of Voltigeurs,
forming together tho First Brigade of the Second
Division, came l." their support. In full view Of
us they rushed upon the enemy, who wns beaten
down and driven away from his position. We
followed, nt n charge, with The buyonet to the
foot of Il rayinc, where there was another vii
lag".
The firing began frcm the windows and roofs.
and II was here that we lost tho most men
Nevertheless we drove iiie Austrians from this
village and from six eight fine positions,
which they occupied. the hills that stretch
along Lake Garda. Several villages were also
taken.
Finally. from constant firing, we had used Ill
our ammunition, and we had nothing for dctsn ce
hut our bayonets and tho stones that fell in our
" q n,l,a r,ff . H.
my percciving this, took advantage of it to stop
his retreat for n moment
Then the Grenadiers and Zouaves came up Ia
join us. and sustained the fire with their ortiI.
lrry. while We got fresh ammunition This was
soon done. and We pushed on Mt Il charge. an,l
tis"5 Hiihhrcw 10 the strong village Of Cuvrann
IlIrr" they placed themselves in the houses an 4
the chnrch-towcrs, whence they fired on us with
important effect. But som ne we got on the
hlil on which the village is situated, we mad. II
horrible slaughter among them, and drove the II,
back towards Peschicra.
hi" the intantry o. the Guard were parform
ing such fine feats on the mountain, the whole
cavalry force, which only joined us withia a f. w
daya. was equally active on the plain at on.
right, where they fought with the Austrian cnv.
airy The Emperor was in the mids, Of u.s. 90
ing from one point to another, without fear of the
fiTlng or the bullets Of the enemy, which were nI
around him. lie encouraged us the whole day
and we had need Of it, for we were exhaust -
with climbing and descending nt running
ing, mud that in tropical heat, without nny.
thing I" eat or drink the whole time.
To-day, az at Magenta. there is 4 suspension
OF hosiIht'cs. TO bury the dend and remove the
wounded. Wo have taken great quantity OF
PRISONERS aud many cannon. Moreover, we have
all the best PORTIONS and we are on tn. Mincio
One or two more blows like this, and think they
will have had enough
The AUSTRIAN accounts of Solfcrino-The
Austrian accounts admit loss of q, 600 killed
wounded and missing. The right wing of their
amy OCCUPIED l},zzolengo, Soferino and Cnvrin
ma. The left wing marched on the Gath 10 Gurdi.
za'o aud Cns,elG otfredo, and repulsed the ndyau
eng enemy. AS the Imperial army continuc)
to advance towards the Chies the French, whu
had also assumed the offensive, with their whole
force. pushed forward such large bodies of trnnp.
That there WINS "a general engagement between
The tw" armies, at 10 O'Clock, on the m,rni,,u o
the 9ith. The right wing was formed of the
second army. under Count Schlick, who ma in.
talned the I'sition first occupied until . o'clock
p III, and The left wing, composed Of the Fl r.,
army under cunt " impssen. continually gained
ground III the direction "f the Chiesc Toward,
s o'clock, the enemy made vehement attnck on
on'ter'n", and after several hours, hard fsi,tiu
obtained possession Of tho place which had been
her"c"liy defended by til. 5th corps darnec
lh"y then attacked Cavriann, which Was cnura
Geou>lv defended until evening, hv the ISt and
'lh corps. but eventually left in the hands of the
enemy. While the struggle for Solferno an.
|"Fr'hnn WIS going Oh, The 6rl, corps-whic,
WINS on the outer flank of the right winp-a,l.
vanced and repused the Sardiniun lroops bu,
The advantage did not enable the Imperial Ar.
my to recover the positions they had lost in tho
cr'sTe. The Sd and 9th corps, which support
ell ny the I'm corps, were engaged OH the left
wing. and reserved for cavalry attacks, made
several brilliant attacks. The unusually heavy
losses. and the fact that the left wing of lhe rs
army was unable to make progress on the right
Hank and the centre agast Volta, led to the re.
treat of the f'"pernl Army. 1t began early il,
the epenngr during violent storm.
An English AecounL-A correspondent Of
The London Herald says so little did the French
eXpec! battle. that OH the previous night a
message, received from the King Of Sardinia
asking for support in case he should he attacked
met with refusal, on the ground that un attack
ny the Austrians was not probable. At day.
break, however, the corps of DIIilIiers came in
sight ot Soiferino. and was Immediately set upon
by largo Austrian force and fought desperately.
lhe Alarshal resisted 10 the best Of bis pnver an d
sent off for support but moi before three hours o
dreadful carnage bad Passed. did Nes corps
mako its appearance. The Austrans were
then slowly driven back and the French contin
ued to gnin ground. heaps of corpses marking the
fluctuations Of tho fight.
The Austrians were thus slowly driven out oil
Soferino. but all of sudden they made ire
mendious burst forward md The French were
driven down the hill. They were adm irably
supported by their artillery, however, an6 made
a stand and commenced once more advancing
1t were like hail storm Of bullets and balls
and whole files were moved down by n single
discharge.
in the meanwhile the right and left wings oi
the Austrians were decidedly getting the best OF
IT. The Pedniontese were slowly driven back.
Canrobert's corps was also heavily punished,
and had there been a skilfnI general in the Aus.
trinn army, 10 collect and concentrate their
forces against a weak point in the enemy's lines,
matters would have assumed very different
aspect. The French commander sent forward
the Imperial Guard and strong division Of in.
fantry into the line against ;he Austrian centre
and succeeded in breaking it, Instead Of bring.
ing up forces to repeI this formidable attack, the
supports were sent to tile left and righ, wings,
which did not need lhem. Desperate attempts
Were made 10 recapture Solferino. but The French
held il. aud presently tho Austrian bugles com.
monced sounding a general retreat. An attempt