The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1859-07-23
From the Batu..Field of solfcr,"o.
CAsrnL1oNE, ITALY, Friday night, !
Junn oath 1879. [

came from Brescla early TINS morning I, a'''
arrived Just in time to witness the last hall 0
what | have very little doubt will turn out t.
have been the grpa,esbbattle the modern wo"lt
has seen. cannot describe it with any pre-
cisiorAas yet, for it has lasted all day, ard ex
tended over a circuit Of not less than ffleei
miles j; the noise of the caDnonade, and even 0
the musketry, moreover, is still in my ears, an!
hone Of Those engaged in it, except the wound
ed. have returned to give US any distinct ant
coz ,ected report. But not less than 100000
me6 have been engaged in it and of these no
less than 10000 dead or di,ahied) lie. On thi
bright starry night, upon the bIoody field.
me battle commenced at a little before
o'clock in the mornirg-not for from sunrise
Just back of Castiglione rises a high range O
hills, which projects a mile or thereabonts int
the plain. and then breaks off towards the LET
into a wide exl,anse of smaller bills, and so int
the rolling surface which makes that portion
of the plain. The Austrians had taken posi-
tion upon these hils-p'anling cannon npol
those nearest to Castiglione which they coul'
approach, as the French army was in full fore
in an around that little village and had sta
toned their immense array u over the sur
rounding plain> AS nearly US we can nos
learn the Emperor Franeie Joseph had col
lected he e not less thnn 225.O00 troops, ant
commanded them in person. His evident pnr
pose was to make a stand here. and risk thu
fortunes If the war upon the hazards Of ths
day. Napoleon promptly accepted tile chal
lenge, and comm 'ced the attack as soon as i
was light this morning, by placing cannon
upon the hills still nearer to ('astiglione thai
those held by the Austrians. and opening fr'
upon them on the heights beyond.
He took his W sand upon the highest o
these-a steep. s%harp-backed ridge. which com
mands a magnificent view Of the entire circni.
of the plain. and from that point directed The
entire movements of his army during the early
portion of the day. The French very soor
drove the enemy out q the posts they held
nearest TO the town, and followed them into
the small villages of the plain below. The
first of these was Snlferino, where they had a
sharp and protracted engagement. The Aus
trans disputed every inch of the ground. and
foeht here. as they did throughout the day
with the utmost desperation. They were three
times driven out Of Ike town, before they wonld
stag ont. The people of The village, moreover,
took part against the French. upon whom they
from their windows. and the French were
compelled. in self defense, to burn the town.
When they found it impossible to hold their
ground any longer. they fell buck, slowly and
until they reached the village of
Volta, which. as yon will see by the map, lies
southeast from Castiglione. and is only
abont a mile from the river Mincio. from
Which, however, it is separated by a range ofhiils.
Upon these hills, in The rear of the town, and
overlooking it completely on the south and
southeast sides, the Anstrians had planted very
formidable batteries ; and when | arrived upon
The field and welt at once to the height where
Inc Emperor had stood al the opening of the
but which he had left an hour be-
to follow his victorious troops, these bat
'eries we're b!azing away upon the French who
stationed on the plain below. was too
lar of to observe with any accuracy the sue.
,es>ive steps Of the action. but | could dis
|inctIy see the troops stationed upon the broad
and moving mp in masses towards the
'ront, where the artillery was posted, as their
were required. But az soon as they
this point they were speedily developed
n The smoke Of the cannon, and disappeared
rom observation. BIT the general result was
loon made ev dent by the slackening of the
fire, and by the falling back Of their
imoke. aud a corresponding advance on the
'ort oftbat which rose from the French artillery
The cannonading at that point lasted for
'ver an hour but in precisely what direction
he Anstrians retreated, it was not possible,
rom the position | occupied. to see. was
frald to change it, moreover, because, although
might easily have gone more directly and
lGSeiy upnn tho Ea'I T a,ull ,nt .. -1
ny em'ience upon the plain from which |
o"Id have had so sweeping and complete a
lew. Part Of the Austrian force probably
rossed the Mincio river, which flows eastward
rom The lower end of Lake Guarda. and
mPties into The Pc. But the battle continued
o rage all over the region northwest of a line
onnecllng the towns Of C~astiglione. Solf4riDo
nd Volta. AT one point after another a sbarp
Announcing wonld arise and continue for half
r three-quarters of an hour-and after each
engagement of this kind, the result
ecame apparent in the retreat of the Anstrians
nd the advance of the French forces. Durino
u the early part of the day the sky bad been
lear. and the weather hot.
But clouds began to gether at about roon
at five O'Clock, while the cannonade was at
s height, a tremendous thunderstorm rolled
from the northwest the wind came first,
from the parched streets an enormous
'ond of dust. and was soon followed by a
eaVy fall of rain, accompanied by vivid lieht-J
ing and rapid explosions of rafting thunder.
he storm lasted for about an hour, and the
lnnonadlng, so far as we could distinguish.
as suspended. Then the rain ceased. The
onds blew away, the sun shone out again. and
re air was cooled and perfectly delightful.
h"ngh the cannon may have ceased for a time
take part in it. the fight had meantime gone
land when | had again resumed INV most If
oservation, from which the storm had ey'
s'led me. the commanding on the extreme lief,
the entire field and Oh The very borders Of
,e lake. northeast from Castiglione and ives,
Pcschiera.
The Piedmontese troops under the King.
commands them in person. had BEEN nostp]
ere. and received The Austrians as thew cama
'"n'id From about seven o'clock mill after
sh'fali an incesSant and most terrible combat
here kept up. The batteries of the ,w,
mes were apparently about half a mile apart
ID at The ontsft they were both served with
'arIy equal and effective vigor. Bnt ,ba
nstr ans gradually slackened their fire and
Vera' times took mp new positions, while The
ard'n'ans poured a rapid and uninterrunted
nwer OF balls upon them. snspending onlv far
Jew MINUTES at a time. and then renewing !,
am with rcdonbled fury. The wind had
w gone down, the air wasstiIl, and the sonnd
mnsketry, as well as of the cannon wa'
heard. The former was continuous
arp and incesSant. sounding like ,bes,an",n'