Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-07-22
The Battle of soIferino--Det5ilsB By
AN Eyo-witnoss-
Especial Dis, pitch t. the Cincinnati Caz,ttc.1
BALTIMORE. july

1
from C;lssfgIione, under date of June 9th l
I'M.
[ came from Brcscia carly this morning, m
farrived just in time to witness the last half {
| what | have very little doubt will turn out t
have been the greatest battle the modern worl
has seen. You will get au official summary be
fore this letter reaches you, and viii be prcpar
ed for this statement of It's magnitude. | can
not describe it with any precision, as yet, 70
it has lasted al day, and extended over a cir
cult Of not less than 5 miles. The noise of tn
eannonadc and musketry Is still in my ears, anc
none of those engaged in it, exccp. the wound
ed, have returned to give us any distinct, con
nccted report; but not less than 1J0,000 mcr
have been engaged in it, and not less than 80,
000 dead or disabled, lie, on this bright, starry
night, upon the bloody field.
The battle commenced at little before 5 O.
clock in the morning, not far from SUNRISE
just back of Castiglionc rises high range Of
hills, which projects mile or so into the plain
and breaks off towards the left into wide ex
panse of smaller hills, and so into the r r,lIine
surface which makes that portion of tho plain
The Austrians had taken their position upon
these hills, planting cannon on those nearest
Castigiione, which they could not approach, MS
the French army was iii full force in and around
that little village, and had stationed their i'm
mense army all over the surrounding plain
AS nearly as we can learn, the Emperor Fran
els Joseph collected here not less tlal 225 900
troops and commanded them in person. His
evident purpose WAS TO make stand here and
rels fba f0rfunn- of tho .vor IN Tho a yzar,Ic n:
the day. Napoleon promptly accepted the
challenge, and commenced the attack as soon
as it was light, by placing cannon on the hills,
still nearer to Castiglionc than those held by
the Austrians, and opened fire upon them on
the nights beyond he took his own stand up
on the highest of these, steep, sharp-backed
ridge, which commands view Of the circuit of
the plain, and from that point directed the en-
tire movements of bis army, during tha carly
portion of the day.
The French very soon 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 Solfcrino,
where they had sharp engagement The
Austrians disputed every inch of ground, and
fought with the utmost desperation. They
were three times driven out of the town before
they would stay out. The people of the village
took part against the French, upon whom they
fired from the windows, and the French were
compelled to burn the town.
When the Austrial.s found it impossible to
hold their ground any longer, they fell back
slowly and steadily until they reached the VII
Iage of Volta, which lies southeast from Casti-
glione, and about mile from the river Mincio,
ftom which it is separated l'y range of hills.
On these hills in the rear of the town, the Aus
trians had planted very formidable batteries,
and when arrived on the field, and went to
the height where the Emperor Lad stood at the
opening Of the engagement, l4ut had left ar
hour before to follow his troops, those batter
les were blazing on the French Rho were III
the plain below.
l was too far of to observe with accuracy The
successive steps of the action, but could sec the
troops stationed upon the broad pl;,in and
moving up towards the front where The arti'-
lery was posted us their services were required.
But as soon as they reached This point, they
were envelopcd in smoke and disappeared, but
the general result became evident from the
slackening of the Austrian fire and the falling
back Of their smoke, and a corresponding adj
vance on part of that which rose from the
French artillery. The cannon; ding ut that
point lasted over an hour, but in what direc-
ton the Austrians retired, could not be possibly
seen. l was afraid to change my position, be
cause could not have found any emilfence or
the plain, from which I could have had so com
plete a view Part of the Austrian force prob
ably crossed the Mincio which flows southwark
into the Po. But the battle continued to rag,
over the region northwest of Castiglione, Sol
fcrino and Volta.
AT one point after aDotlicr, 4 sharp cannon
aiding would arise and continue for half an hon
| and after each successive engagement OF tbi
kind. the result became apparent III the fetrea
! Of the AustriaHs and advance Of the French
During all of the early part of the day, the SIX.
| had been clear and the weather hot, but cloud
began to gather about noon, and at 5 O'Clock
while The cannonade was at its height ire
mendous thunder storm rolled up from the north
west. The wind came first sweeping from tn
streets clouds of dust, and was soon followe
by heavy rain and vivid lightning and rapi
explosions of rattling thunder. The storm las
ed about an hour, and the cannonading Wa
suspended. -
Then the rain ceased, the clouds biew aws1
the sun shone and the air was cool and deflgll'
full. The cannonading commenced fhlte ON IN
extreme left of the entire field, siid on TIC Dor
lers of the lake, northeast from Cast'g''ont
and west of Peschiera. The Fiedmontes
troops under the King, bad been posted there
and received the Austrans as they came arounc
From about Z O'Clock till after night-fall, an ii
cessant and rrost terrible conflict was her
kent up The batteries of the two armies wer
almost half mile apart, and at the outsid
, they were both served with nearly equal an
effective vigor but the Austrians gradual
slackened their fire, and several times took u
new positions, while the Sardinians poured
rapid and uninterrupted shower of balls upc
them, suspending only few minutes at tim
and then renewing it again with redoubl'
, fury. The wind had now gone down. III
air was still, and the sound of musketry a'
cannon was distinctly heard. The former W
continuous, sharp and inccsscnt, sounding III
the constant and irregular pattng of hail up
roof, while the latter was suspended oecaslo
ally, but while it lasted, was grand and ter
q ble.
- Over the Sandman Park, arose der
&c white cloud of smoke, directly upward. its SIC
perfectly upright, and we'll defined, spread'
N outward both ways, at the top like an en-
=. nous shcaf of wheat. The sun was setting
c. the west, and as his light gradually depart
ID the vivid flashes at each discharge Of the G.
in non CLEANED through the smoke, like sh'
ne lightning through the breast of an enorm
r cloud. Sometimes only a single flash would
h seen-then two or three at once, and sometH
ne six would break forth in an instant, in suct
ne sion. II was beginning to be dark, when
e- scendcd the hill, and all the way down,
sh heard the roar of cannon and chatterlng OF q
at but the Austrians were clearly falling ha
L. and eould scnreeiv have failed to sustain u Il