The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-13
From the Neao York Times
L E,TTER AE IL / RAYMOND.

rived lust in time to witness the last half OF what
have very little doubt will turn out to have been the
greatest hattie the modern World has seen. You
will get the official summary OF its results by tele-
graph before this letter reaches vou and will be
prepared. therefore, for this statement of its mag
nitude I cannot describe it with any precision as
vet-for it has lasted all day, and extended over
circuit of not less than fifteen miles, the noise of
the cannonade, and even Of the musketry, moreover
is still in my ears, and none of those engaged In it,
except the wounded have returned to give us any
distinct and connected report. But not less than
$50, 900 men have been engaged in it, and of these
not less than 30,000-dead or disabled-ie, on this
bright, starry night, upon the bloody field.
The battle commenced at little before o'clock
in the morning-not far from sunrise. Just back
of Castgione rises high range of hills-which
projects mile or Whereabouts into the plain and
then breaks off towards the left into wide expanse
of smaller hills, and into the rolling surface
which makes that portion of the plain. The Aus
trans had taken position upon these hills,-plant-
ing cannon upon those nearest to Castigone which
they could approach, as the French army was in
full force in and around that little village had
stationed their immense array all over the sur
rounding plain. As nearly as we can now learn the
| Emperor Francis Joseph had collected here not
less than 225,0 900 troops and commanded them
| in person. His evident purpose to make a
stand here and risk the fortunes of the upon
the hazards of the day. Napoleon promptly ac-
cepted the challenge and commenced the attack as
soon as it was light this morning, by placing can
| non uron the hills still nearer to Castgione than
those held by the Austrians, and opening fire upon
| them on the heights beyond. He took his own
| stand upon the highest of these-a steep, sharp
BACKED ridge which commands magnificent view
| of the entire circuit of the plain and from that
| point directed the entire movements OF his army
during the early portion of the day. The French
very drove the enemy out of the posts
| they held nearest to the town, and followed
| them into the small villages of the plain below
| The first of these was Soerino, where they
| had a 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 selfdefence, to burn the
town. When they found it impossible to hold
their ground any longer. they fell hack slowly and
steadily, until they reached the village of Volta,
which, as you will see by the map, lies directly
southeast from Castigiione and is only about mile
from the river MinciO, from which, however, it is
separated by range Of hills. Upon these hills, in
the of the town. and overlooking it completely
the south and southeast sides, the Austrans had
planted very formidable batteries; and when | ar
rived upon the field and went at once to the height
where the Emperor had stood at the opening of the
| engagement. but which he had left an hour before
to follow his victorious troops, these batteries
| were blazing away upon the French who
were stationed on the plain below. I was
! too far off to observe with any accuracy the
successive steps of the action, but could distinctly
see the troops stationed upon the broad plain, and
moving up in masses towards the front, where the
| artillery was posted, their services re-
| uuired. 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
sackening of the Austrian fire, and by the falling
| back of their smoke and corresponding advance
on the part of that which from the French ar
tillery. The cannonading at that point lasted for
over an hour; but in precisely what direction the
| tad, FROM,
position occupied to see. ] was afraid to chang
| it, moreover, because, although might easily have
| gone more directly and closely upon the field. |
! could not have found any eminence upon the plain
! from which l could have had sweeping and COM
I plete view. Part of the Austrian force probably
| crossed the Mincio river, which flows southwark
from the lower end of Lake Guarda, and empties
| into the Pc.
But the battle continued to rage all over the re
| gion northwest of line connecting the towns OF
Castiglione, Solferino and Volta. At point af-
ter another sharp cannonading would arise and
continue for half or three-quarters of an hour-and
after each successive engagement of this kind, the
result became apparent in the retreat of the Austr
and the advance of the French forces During
all the early part of the day the sky had been clear
| and the weather hot. But clouds began to gather
at about noon, and at oclock, while the cannonadt
was at its height tremendous thunderstorm rolled
up from the northwest; the wind came first, sweep
ing from the parched streets an enormous cloud O
dust, and was soon followed by a heavy fall of rain
of rafting thunder. The storm lasted for about
hour, and the cannonading, so far as we could dis
tingush, was suspended. Then the rain ceased
! the clouds blew away, the sun shone out again, anC
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 observa
ton, from which the storm had expelled
me, the cannonading commenced quite OF
the extreme left of the entire field and on thu
very border of the lake, northeast from Castiglon
and west of Peschiera. The Piedmontese troops
under the King who commands them in person
had been posted there and received the Austrian
as they came around. From about 7 o'clock unit
after nightfall an ncessant and most terrible com
bat was here kept up The batteries of the two
armies were apparently about half mile apart
and at the outset they were both served with near
ly equal and effective yigor. But the Austrian
gradually slackened their fire and several time
took up new positions-while the Sardinians pour
ed rapid and uninterrupted shower of balls upoi
them-suspending only for few minutes at time
and then renewing it again with redoubled fury
The wind had now gone down, the air still
and the sound of musketry, as well as of the can
non, was distinctly heard. The former was con
tinuous, sharp and incessant, sounding like tn
constant and irregular pattering of hail upon
roof, while the latter occasionally suspended
but while it lasted was Overwhelmingly grand an
terrible. Over the Sandman park rose deus
white cloud Of smoke, directly upwards, its side
perfectly upright and well defined, and spreading
outward both ways at the top like an enormou
sheaf of wheat. The sun was making glorious Sc,
ting in the west, and as his light gradually depart
ed the vivid flashes at each discharge of the canno
cleaned through the smoke like sharp lightnn,
through the breast of an enormous cloud. Sometime
| ~ 80 ia sorat;nos boIf Ido,an ,,ouid boa
Sortb IN instant snccass;on II was ber;nn;nr 70 h
i Al. 80 7 trna5 ~ dosoond tba Iii I'D iii 81
ua,r doun 7 st;r beord tho roar Of tba conron an
H. lt.arinn nf tba [r,ns If tho infant Ri -
| Anstrians were clearly falling back and coni
scarcely have failed to sustain a total route II
nossiblc they NAV be in condition to make one NOR
strngole in the morning Int iudpinp from NV o,v
obserTation. II certainly is NOT probable They hav
sustained on overwbaIming defaat and II saens |,
NC ,o+ ,,nIiksiy that tho Anstrion E,,neror n, a.
now he induced by the renresentations of the na,;
| trsI Powers to accent the peace which Nanoleo,
will be yery likely to tender him.
Just before nightfall tremendous canuonadine
was distinctly visible in the direction of Mantua
and il was supposed by one or two French officer
that Prince Napoleon was assaultino that fortres
as part of the general plan of the days operations
while the Emperor was engaging the enemy in tn
omen field But see no reason to suppose that thi
is true, as Prince Napoleon could scarcely hav
reached Mantua by this time as he was in Florenc
, | only week ago f
have thus given YOU a very general outline g
this great battle as it came under nv own observa
finn have mentioned no names of subordinat
officers because have had M onnortunitv to lea rl
a. soc;tc yort ,,b;oh ;nd;r;5nafs too - tba an
f rarement All that mnst Iaaye for snbsennsn
! k.ttnn ~ - 90 CO. - ~ ~ rs 80. -,
VI - So ~
miicn we ,bI;shnJ &c vi iou' uay
ai1er Iney aas unntnra ~ ,,ro al o.,
am 70 I;,od IA Pnnndd q.
tne nuihpei VI hiie" ~ "ou .es III tiiis oattie