Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-07-27
The Staqaato.
Correspondence of the New York Times.
THE BATTLE OF SOLFERlNO.
CAsTIGLIoNE, ITALY, FRIDAY NIGHT,
Innn d 1870

came from Brcscia early this morning, and ar
rived lust in time to witness the last half of what
have very little doubt will turn out to have been the
greatest battle the modern world has seen. You
will get the official summary of its results by tclc-
graph before this letter reaches you, and will be
prepared therefore. for this statement OF Its nagnl-
tude cannot describe it with any precision as
vet for it has lasted all day, and extended over
circuit of not less than fifteen miles; and noise of
the cannonade, and of the musketry, moreover,
is still in my ears and none Of those engaged in 1t,
except the wounded have returned to give us any dis
tinct and connected account i'ntno less than 4oo,-
0OOmen have been engaged init; andof thcsen
than SO, 0OO-dcad or disabled--lie, on this bright
starry night, upon the bloody field.
The battle commenced at little before five o'clock
in the morning-not far from sunrise. Just back
of Castigione rises high range OF hills which pro-
jects mile or Whereabouts into the pain and then
breaks off towards the left into = wide eXpanse of
smaller hills, and so into the rolling surface which
makes that portion of the plain The Apstrians
had taken position upon these hills-planting can
non upon those nearest to Castglone, which they
could approach, as the French army was in full
force in and around that little vage-and had sta
toned their immense array all over the surrounding
plain.
As nearly as We can now learn the Emperor
Francis joseph had collected here not less than
225, 900 troops, and commanded them in person.
His evident purpose was to make stand here and
risk the fortunes of the war upon the hazards of
the day. Napoleon promptly accepted the challenge
and commenced the attack as soon as it was light
this morning by placing cannon upon the hills still
nearer to Castiglione than those held by the Aus
TRANS, and opening fire upon them on the heights
beyond. He took his own stand upon the highest
of these, steep, sharp-backed ridge, which com
mands a magnificent view of the entire circuit of
the plain, and from that point directed the entire
movements of his army during the carly portion of
the day.
The French very soon drove the enemy out of
the posts they held nearest to the town, and follow
cd them into the small villages of the plain below
The first of these was Solfcrino where they had
sharp and protracted engagement The Austrians
disputed every inch of the ground, and fought here,
as they did throughout the day, with the utmost
desperation They were three times driven out of
the town before they would stay out The people
of the village, moreover took part against the
French, upon whom they fired from their windows
and the French were compelled in sclfdefcnce to
burn the town.
When the Aus trians found it impossible ohold their
ground any longer they fell back, slowly and stead
ily until they reached the village of Volta which,
as you will see by the map, lies directly southeast
from Castglione and is only about a mile from the
by a range of hills Upon these hills, in the rear
of the town. and overlooking it completely on the
u n and southeast Sides the AustIians had planted
very formidable batteries; and when | arrived upon
the field and went at once to the height where the
Emperor had stood at the opening of the engage
mcnt, but which he had left an hour before to fol-
low his victorious troops the batteries were blazing
away upon the French who were stationed on the
plain below.
Was too far off to observe with any accuracy
the successive steps of the action, but could dis
tinetly ste the troops stationed upon the broad
plain and moving up in masses towards the front,
where the artillery was posted, as their services
were required. But as soon as they reached this
point they were speedily enveloped in the smoke of
the cannon and disappeared from observation. But
the general result was soon made evident by the
slackening of the Austrian fire, and by the falling
back of their smoke and corresponding advance
on the part of that which rose from the French ar
tlery. The cannonadng at that point lasted for
over an hour; but in precisely what direction the
Austrians retreated it not possible from the
position | occupied, to see. Part of the Austrian
force probably crossed the Mincio river which flows
southwark from the lower end of Lake Guarda, and
empties into the Po
But the battle continued to rage al! over the
gion northwest Of line connecting the towns of
Castiglione, Soferino, and Volta At one point af.
ter another sharp cannonading would arise and
continue for half or thrce-quarters of an hour and
after each successive engagement of this kind the
result became apparent in the retreat of the Aus
TRANS and the advance of the French forces.
During all the carly part Of the day the sky had
been clear and the weather hot But clor'S began
to gather at about noon and at o'clock, while the
cannonade was at its height, a tremendous thun-
derstorm rolled up from the northwest; the wind
came first sweeping from the parched streets an
enormous cloud of dust and was soon followed by
heavy fall of rain, accompanied by vivid lightning
and rapid explosions of rafting thunder. The
storm lasted for about an hour, and the cannonad-
ing, so far 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 it, the fight had meantime gone on
and when again resumed my post of observation,
from which the storm had expelled me, the cannon
aiding commenced quite on the extreme left of the
entire field and on the very borders of the lake,
northeast from Castigone and west of PcSchcra.
The Piedmontesc troops under the King, who COM
.nds them in person. had been posted there d.
received the Austrians as they came around From
about o'clock until after nightfall an ncessant and
most terrible combat was here kept up. The bate
ries of the two armies apparently about half
mile apart, and at the outset they were both served
with nearly equal and effective vigor; but the Aus
TRANS gradually slackened their fire and several
times took up new positions, while the Sardnians
poured rapid and uninterrupted shower of balls
upon Them suspending only for few minutes at
time, and then renewing it again with redoubled
fury.
The wind had now gone down, the air was still,
and the sound of musketry, as well as of the can.
non, was distinctly heard. The former was contn-
uous, sharp, and ncessant, sounding like the con-
slant and irregular pattering of hail upon roof
while the latter was occasionally suspended, but
while it lasted was overwhelmingly grand and terri
BILE. 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 enormous sheaf of wheat
The sun was making glorious setting in the west
and as his light gradually departed the vivid flashes
at each discharge of the cannon cleaned through
the smoke like sharp lightning through the breast
OF an enormous cloud. Sometimes only a single
flash would be seen, then two or three at once and
sometimes half dozen would break forth in instant
succession
1t was beginning to he dark when t,,rned IN a.