The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-07-15
The Battle of salferino- The French
Victory Confirmed.

The news received by telegraph last
night from Quebec, at which point the
Hungarian hnd arrived, puts as in pos
session Of important details of the late
grand battle in Italy on the oath Of June.
The victory Of the allied armies is con-
firmed, and the defeat and terrible loss
of the Austrians is admitted by their own
bulletins. The Allies took 6,O0O prisoners,
thirty cannon and three hegs from the
enemy. SO much for the general facts.
The battle occurred at tile village Of Sol
ferino situated about eighteen miles
northwest of Maniua ON the western sidP
Of the Mincio; so that the contest took
place before the Allies had entered tho
strategic square, and was evidently pre-
cipitated by the Austrians, who crossed
the Mincio at four different points, and
attacked the Allies, who would seem to
have been moving towards the Mincio in
the direction Of Goito. 1t is notable
fact that Napoleon the First defeated the
Austrians at this same village of Solferino
in 1876, previous to the capture of Mantua.
Thus the incidents of the present cam
paien arain present a remarkable SINH
larityto those OF the great Napoleon.
While the French were engaged at Sol
ferino, the Sardinians bore the brunt Of
the battle bravely at San MARITIME, viii
laee to the south Of Solferino, taking and
losing. with an admitted heavy loss of
men, several formidable positions, which
they could not hold owing to severe
tempest, but finally driving the enemy
from San Martno. The battle of Solfe-
rino occupied line of about fifteen miles.
encompassing some three or four towns
and villages, such as Volta, Cariani the
French headquarters Guidezzolo, and
Solferino, each of which seemed to have
formed an important point during the
twelve hours lighting. R
There can be no doubt. We think, that
the battle ended favorably for the Allies,
the Austrians having Withdrawn to the
east side OF the Mincio, blowing the bridge
at Goito in their passage, and taking up
their position at Villa Franco, the former
headquarters Of Francis Joseph. The
loss on both sides must have been ire
mendous. Ii was said that the Austrians
had 35, 900 men put hors dc eomJat; while
/ Napoleon. in his despatch to the Empress
from Cavriana, says that the loss of the
| Allies was less than that of the enemy,
but does not give the numbers. 1t was
believed in Paris however, that the French
had between ten and twelve thousand
| killed, and that the troops suffered so
severely as to be unable to resume the
offensive for two days. Among the wound
ed were Generals Forey, Anger, Diem and
L'Admirault. The Emperor himself is
represented to have been in the hottest
| fire throughout the engagement This is
the first battle of the campaign in which
both Emperors and the King of Sardinia
met upon the same field, and though
bloody in its results and disastrous to
Austria, it can hardly be considered as
the decisive action of the war. for it is
only now that the Allies have entered
that famous square, where another bat
tie in the open field may only precede a
succession of protracted sieges. Four
days after the affair of SolieFino the
| French followed the Austrians across the
Mincio without opposition.
Meantime, the Austrians were expect
| ing % strong reinforcement to sustain
| them-a reserve sorce of ZOO men,
represented as the flower of the army, not
a man of whom has seen less than eight
years service being on the march to
Italy
The French troops Fastening to out
flank the Austrian position on the east
seem to have made considerable Roadway,
| Prince Napoleon's army having arrived
at Parma, where they were received with
| immense enthusiasm by the people, while
/ a rumor was prevalent in Paris that the
| French feet was actually in possession of
| Venice. This rumor, however, lacks con-
| firmation; but from the disposition of
the inhabitants as well as the force
brought 10 bear against that city, it is
quite probable that it would soon be in
the hands of the Allies.
The position which the Austrians %.
cupied in the Stelvio Pass was seriously
menaced by the advance of 5000 Pied
montese troops and 100 volunteers (pro-
badly some of Garibaldi's heroes,) who
had reached Tirano, and were pressing
on towards Bormio to attack them.
Such are the general features of tho
battle of Solferino, an engagement almost
unprecedented as to the numbers in ao-
ton, and doubtless characterized by a ter
rible loss of life +; but we can hardly look
upon this terrible conflict otherwise than
as preliminary merely to those which are
| yet to come.