Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-07-17

Fight---Fifteen Miles of Fighting ---Tht
Greatest Battle OF Modern TImesE
The Hon. H1NRY J. RAYMOND. editor # the Nev
York Times, who asat the battle of Slferino, write.
10 his paper the following account Of that bloody
contest.
/ CAsrIdLIOsE, Ilaly, Friday night,
June "A, 1853.
came from Brescia early this morning, and ar.
rived just in time TO witness the last half Sf What
have very little soubt will turn 10 have been the
greatest battle the modern world has 8 en-. You will
get the tttioial summary ef its results by teIe-
graph before this letter reaches you and will be pre-
pared, therefore, for this statemento its magnitude
cannot describe it with any precision as yst-for
it has lasted al day, aud extebded over circuit OF
not less than fifteen miles, the noise Of tie cannon
ade, and even of the muske ry moreover is still in
my ears ard none Of those engaged in it excspt the
wounded have returned 70 give US any dist net and
connected report. But not less than 450, 900 men
have been engaged in it, and of these not less than
so 000desd or dissbled-lis, on this bright starry
night upon the bloody field.
The blitle commenced at little before i've clock
N the morning-not far from sunrise. Just back
Of Casliglions rises high range OF hills-whieh
projects mile or theresb0utJ into the plain, and
then breaks of towards the lef into wide expanse
of smaller hills. and into the rolling SUI see
which makes that portion Of the pain The Aus
triaHs he'd taken position up n these hilis,-plant
ing upon these nearest to Clstiglions which
they could approach, as the French army was in
full force in and around that little vilage-aud had
stationed their immense array sill over the surround
ing plain. As nearly as We can now learn, TIE En-
peror FraRsis Joseph had collected here not le7s
than 225, 900 troops, and commanded them in per-
son. His evident purpose was 10 make stand here
and risk the fortunes Of the war upon the hazards
o! the day Napoleon promptly accepted the chsl-
lenge, and commenced the attack as so6n as it was
.aa.
still Eearer to Casuglone 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-baeked ridge, which CON-
mSnds magnificent view Of the entire circuit Of
the plain, and from that psint directed the
entire movements Of his army during the
early 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 SOlferino, where they had q sharp and
protraeted engagement. The Austriaus disputed
every inch Of ground, and fought here as they did
throughout he day, with the utmast desperation.
They we're three times driven out Of the town, before
they would stGy out. The people of the village
moreover took part against the French, upon whom
hey fred frcm .heir windows, and the French we're
compelled in sef-defence, to burn the town. When
they found it impossible to hold their ground any
longer, they fell back, slowly and steadily, until
they reached the village of Volta, which you will
see by the map, lies directly southeast from Cas-
tigione and is only about mile from the river Min
clio, from which, however, it is separated by range
of hills. Upon these hills in the rear of the town,
and overlooking il completely on the south and
southeast sdes the Austrians had planted very for
midsble batteries; and when l arrived upon the
field and went at to the height where the Enpe-
ror had stood at the opening of the engagement but
which ne had left hour before to follow his victo-
rous troops these batteries 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 distinctly
see the troops stationed upon the broad plain, and
moving up in masses towards the front, where the
artillery was posted, their services were required
But as soon as they reached this point they were
speedily enyeloped in the smoke ef the cannon and
disappeared from observation. Bat the general re
suit was soon made evident by the slackening Of the
Austrian fire. aud by the falling back Of their smoke
and q corresponding advance on The part of that
wheh rose from the French artillery. The can
nonadng a. that point lasted for over hour; but
in precisely what direction the Ausirians rereated
il was not possible, from the position occupied to
see. | was afraid to change IT, moreover, because,
althougA mi ght easily have gene directly aud
clos ly upon the field, could not have found any
Cminenee upon the plain from which could have
lad So sweeping and complete view. Part Of the
Austrian force probably crossed the Mincio nver,
which flows southwark from the lower end Of Lake
Guaris, and empties into the Po.
But the battle continued TO rage all over the re-
gion northwest of q line connecting the towns
of Castiglione, Solferino aud VOLTA. At One
| point after another a sharp csnnonading would
/ arise and continue for half or thres-quartCrs Of
/ an hour-and after each successive engagement
of this kind, the result becsme apparent in
the retreat of the Austrians and the advance
/ of the French forces. During ell the early
/ part of the day the sky had been clear and the
! weather hot. But clouds began to gather at abou
/ noon, and at D o'clock while the canncnade vas a
its height IL ndous thunder storm rolled up from
| the northwest the wind came first, sweeping from
the parched streets enormous cloud of dust, anC
/ was soon followed by heavy fall Of rain, accom-
I panied by vivid lightning and rapid explosions o.
/ rattlng thunder. The storm lasted for about al
! hour, and the cannonsding. so far as we could dis
! tinguish, was suspended Then the rain ceased, th
clouds blew away, the sun shcne out again. and hi
air was cooled and perfectly delightful. Though tn
| cannon may have ceased for time to take part IL
| it, the fight had meantime gone on,-snd when
again resumed my post Of observation, from Whici
the the storm bad expelled me, the esnnonadnl
commenced quite on the extreme left Of the entir
field aud on The very borders of the lake, north
east fran Cssjiglione and west Of Persehiera Tn
Piedmontese troops, under thel King who com
mands them in perscn, had been posted ther
sud received the Austrians as they came around
From about : O'clock until after night fall al
| lncesspnt ana most terrible com pat was mere KEEP
up The batteries Of the two armies we're appsrt n.
ly about half mile apart,-and at the outset the
we're both served with nesrly equal aud efsctiv
vigor. But the Austrians gradually slacke"ed thei
fire, and several times took up new positiOns,-
while the SardiniaBs poured q rapid snd uniEteT
rupted shower of balls upon them,-suspending on
for few minutes at time, and then renewing
again with redOubled fury. The wind had now gOD
down. the air was still, and the sound Of muskeiry
as we'll as Of the cannon, was distinctly heard. Tn
former was continuous sharp and incessant, sound
ing like the constant and irregular paterDg Of ha
| upon roof while the latter was occasionally su!
pended, bat while it lasted was overwhelming
grand and terrible. Over the Sardinisn par
rose dense white cloud of smoke, directly uI
wards, its sides perfectly upright and we
defined, and spreading outward both ways
the top like an enormous sheaf of Whes
The sun was making glorious setting in Il
west, and as his light gradually departed, ia
vivid flashes at each discharge Of the cannon CLEAN
ed through the smoke like sharp lightning lhroug
the breast of an enormous cloud. Sometimes on
single flash would be seen, and then two or thr'
at once and sometimes hslf-a-dozeu would bres
forth in instant succession. II was begInniT
to be dark when turned to descsnd the hill, an
all the way down still heard tbs roar of the cal
non and the cattering of the guns of the infantr
But the Austrisns were clearly Telling back, al
could scarcely have failed to sustain total rout
II is possible they may be in condition to nal
one more struggle in the morning. but judging fro
my own observation, it certainly is not probsbl
. They have SUSTAINED an overwhelming defeat, al
: il seems to me not unlikely that the Emperor m