Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-07-22

the superior numbers and impctuosity Of
the Austrians. But this retrogade
movement was not a repulse, and the
ground lost was Immediately regained
1t was the 1st regiment of Zouaves that
suffered most at this moment. At one
o'clock saw two cart loads of wounded
men of this regiment as they came off
the field, on their way to the hospital at
Castiglione, and they told me that at
that moment not single commissioned
officer of their regiment was on his feet
The brave Colonel, who had been pro-
NOTED only three days before, in place
of their Colonel killed at Magenta, had
achieved three wounds, and in effect l
saw him carried from the field soon after
wards on litter, covered with blood and
dust, and apparently suffering deeply
from his wounds.
The two villages on the line of hills
held by the Austrians offered the great
est resistance to the advance of the
French. One of these, Salferino, was
taken and retaken three times by Canro-
berts division, and it is said that at this
point the dead bodies actually concealed
the ground from view
Another village nearer to Castiglione,
in which, strange torelate, both the men
and women of the town fired upon the
French, was totally burned down by
Marshal Canrobert's orders, who was ma
turally indignant at such conduct l
had this detail from different persons en-
gagged in the battle; but the burning
took place early on the day before we
arrived on the ground, and We did
not, therefore, see this incident.
The Austrians were gradually driven
back over the plain, and from their strong
position on the hill-sides, till o'clock
they made their last obstinate stand at
the town of Volta, six miles east of
Castiglione. An hours work dislodged
them from this place, and then, at five
o'clock, violent rain storm coming up,
attended with Lightning and thunder,
the retreat of the Austrians commenced
During this storm, which lasted nearly
an hour, we took refuge in one of the
division headquarters of the town, and
there assisted in dressing the wounded
as they were brought in. The storm,
which was but burst, and which seemed
to have been sent expressly to cool the
hot air and to lay the dust, had no soon
er ceased than the thunder of the artil-
lery was again heard, but this time around
anG to the north Of the point of hills in
the direction Of Peschiera The battle
had been renewed, or perhaps to us at
the village, only drowned By the storm
We FASTENED to a high hill half mile
east Of the town, to point near where
the Austrian right rested at daylight in
the morning, and at the very place on
which Napoleon had stood during the
first hours of the battle, and from this
point we could see distinctly what was
going on. Away to the northwest, to-
wards Pesehiera, which was clearly in
view, and apparently near the borders of
the lake of Garda, the battle was raging
with renewed fury. The Piedmontese,
$4,000 strong, commanded by the King,
who had stopped the night of the Odd in
advance of Sonvto, and who had come
to the field of action in the rear of the
Austrian morning position, had attacked
the Austrians in the flank as they re-
treated. We could see each discharge
Of the cannon as they vomited forth in
rapid succession their death dealing mis-
siles, and when we shaded our ears be-
hind the crown of the hill on which we
stood, could hear distinctly, not only the
discharges of the cannon, but the sharp,
rapid cracking Of The rifed muskets Of
the infantry.
The scene at this moment was one long
to be remembered Ten miles north Of
us, and on the eastern and western shores
of the lake, the Alps reared their snow
covered tops above the clouds. The
storm had cleared away, and the sunset
was never more beautiful in this country
Of lovely skies. Nearer to us, on the
south side Of the lake, where the shore
is nearly level, the battle was raging,
and the movements Of the batteries from
point to point could be perceived The
rays Of the setting sun, Illuminating tho
snow-clad tops of the mountains, rem
dered their sides dark and sombre, and
threw shade upon the water beyond
the contcnding armies, which brought
these into strong relief. The Austrians
could be seen steadily reccding; the
batteries Of artillery on both sides were
constantly shifting from one hillock TO
another, and as soon rs placed in posi-
ton a regular rolling discharge could be
heard, and line Of fire seen like a con-
hagration. The scene was alike pic
turesque and terrible
The Austrians continued to reeode TO-
wards the Mincio at Peschiera, and il
was reported in the French army that
the bridge at that place had been cut
some said by Garibaldi, some by the
peoplc--and that the Austrian retreat
being thus cut of, they would be all sur
rounded Others pretended that Carl
baldi was on the other side Of the lake,
awaiting the Austrians on their retreat
but all these statements may have been
mere surmiscs. At 9 o'clock VIC left our
lookout to hunt corner in which to
write you these details; and as VIC do
scondcd tho ravine on the side Of the
town, VIC still heard though we could
no longer sec, the dhchqreos Of nc
guns, and knew that tho gglh q sea1ii
was going on Wo arc naturally ang-l
ious TO learn the result Of this closing
scene 10 the long and bloody day'swofk !
AT Mantua which could be seen N
the distancc..a the sonsheasf. there vas
~,,srost asltJfr ~ smcke. which Ter
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