The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-07-27
The Procession of the wounded

Mr.. Raymond, Of the New York Times, in
another OF his graphic and intensely interest
ing letters from the battle field of Solferino
OR near there at Castiglione-on the day
after the great battle, describes the sad pro.
cession of the wounded, thus
AS fast as their wounds could be dressed
they were removed to the next town beyond
which is Montechiaro, FIVE miles distant--
and from thence to Brescia, twelve miles
further, that being the first town of any con.
siderable size and at all adequate to the care
of such an immense number OF persons.
was at MontechiOro when the great process
sion began to arrive. At the entrance OF
the town stands large building used us a
hospital, fronting upon a small open space
and being placed at the angle Of two diverg-
ing roads. AS the wounded arrived, those
of them who could go no further were taken
off the carts and left here, while the rest
moved on to Brescia. | never saw go heart
rending sight as was presented in front of
that hospital. Everything for miles around
had been called into requisition. For the
most part they consisted OF the rude, heavy
| oX-carts of the farmers, made to carry stone
or other ponderous articles over the fields.
Each of them had fiat platform six or eight
feet wide and twelve or fifteen long. Some
hay was spread upon this, and upon it the
wounded soldiers were placed as thickly as
they could be laid-without shelter of any
kind. or pillows for their heads, or blankets
Tor their limbs, except such as they might
happen TO have upon them. The weather
hes been excessively warm-the storm on
the day OF the battle being the last rein that
has toIIen-and yesterday and to-day the sky
hos been perfectly clear, and the air heated
with the warmesi rays OF an Italian Sun
The roads are perfectly hard and very dirty;
and il was utterly impossible for well per
sons 10 travel along them with any com Fort
without protection OF some kad from the
heat.
You can Judge then of the intense suffer.
ing which these thousand Of MANNED and
mutilated creatures must have endured dur.
ing the fearful journey of ten or Fl teen miles
performed at the slowest pace Of heavy
oxen, and compelled constantly TO stop by
some interruption Of the procession. 1t was
enough to melt the most obdurate heart to
see the state in which they nrrived. The
peasants who drove them seemed not to have
the slightest sense Of their condition, or to
take 'ha least pains to alleviate their agony.
Some OF the soldiers themselves--w hose
wounds were least serious and permitted
them to move about--had cut branches from
the willows and other trees that border on
the road, and made OF them a slight shade
tor some of them who could only lie upon
their backs, their faces turned to the brazen
and burning sky. As far as the eye could
see, dense cloud of white dust marked the
approach Of the advancing train. AS the
carts came into the town, many of the poor
wretcheS stretched out their hands, piteously
crying for water, or for wine, as they were
periShing OF thirst. The people of the vii.
lage had prepared, so far as possible, for
their reception. Committees had been sp-
pointed, quantity Of soup had been prepar.
ed, and the young women and men OF the
place went to work to supply the most pres
sing necessities of the poor creatures who
were suffering on their behalf. They went
about from cart TO cart asking what each
needed, and provided for them to the best Of
their ability.
y
lfyou can imagine the open area in front
OF the City Hall filled with carts, upon every
one of which lay from FIVE to ten or twelve
men in soldiers uniform, so far as they were
dressed at all-nearly all bareheaded, their
faces, clothes and hands clotted with blood.
groanng and writhing in pain-and then
conceive Broadway, as far as the eye can
see, to be filled with on unbroken procession
Of just such carts laden in the same sad style
the cattle believing, the drivers shouting,
and with the usual accompaniment of:a great
and hai-reguIated crowd, you may form
/ some idea OF the character and magnitude OF
this dreadful scene. As general thing the
wounded made but little noise. Many Of
them were tho much exhausted-none of
them cried aloud, and comparatively few
could be heard to groan. But there was no
mistaking the expression of their faces. which
spoke of intense agony, in spite Of all their
effort to suppress and conquer it.