The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1859-07-21
THE PROGRESS OF WAR.

They have now come to stand
They have reached the real Difficult.
ties Of the enterprise, and nothing but
great and decisive victory will al
low them to get forward any further.
The last accounts say that the allies
have laid siege to Manla, and that il
decisive battle is soon expected. But
it is evidently not the Austrian policy
to fight general battle while they
can hold their position, Of which Man.
tua is key. Two hundred thousand
men are now within that area, which
the Great Napoleon, who, entering
Lombardy from the east, occupied the
territory which the Austrians now
hold, pronounced it to be an imprcg.
nable position for military defcnce.- -
The allies will not be able to force a
general action while Mantua is in
possession Of the Austrlans, and the
capture OF Manlua is no easy lask.--
1t took the first Bonaparte eight
months Of siege to get the city-and
it was not then fortified with great
care, which has been bestowed upon
it since. An the other hand, the force
which the allies can bring against the
city is four times as great as that OF
1896, and the improvements in anil-
lery and military science within few
years have been enormous. The
siege trains Of the present day are
many times more powerful than those
of the last century, and the means OF
attack are at least as muck increased
as those of defence could be. The
allies are stopped until they take
Mantua, and the Austrians in the in
terror can choose positions within
reach of the whole resources of the
empire by the numerous railroads and
other roads connecting their rear at
Verona with Vienna and the noun
tains in their flank. The greatest
struggle yet will be for the possession
OF Mantua, and the forcing of the line
on hich it rests; and it is no easy
work the French have undertaken.
Mantua has been frequently describ.
ed since the war commenced. 1t lies
within lake formed by the spread
ing Of the river Mincio, which is part
ly natural and partly artificial, caused
by the damming of the river. 1t is
connected with the main land bv long
causcways, which are protected by
walled citadels Of great strength
On the north the approaches are coy
cred by reeds, and on the west and
south by marshes, which may be put
under water at pleasure. 1t has a
population Of about thirty thousand,
exclusive of the garrison. We have
not heard what Austrian troops are
in the city, but they must be numcr-
Gus and well supplied. Austria has
had plenty of time to supply Mantua
for any length of siege.
The celebrated square within which
the Austrians are now entrenched,
has about the following dimensions
From Peschiera, at the outlet of Lake
Garda, along the Mincio, TO Mantua
is twcnty.one miles, from Peschicra
10 Verona, the northern boundary, at
the foot of the mountains, is fourteen
miles. Verona is position of ordi.
nary strength, andi is fortified in the
most powerful manner. From Vero.
ma to Legnano is twenty-lour miles,
and from Legnano to Mantua, abou.
eighteen or twenty. Lake Garda and
the mountains prevent it from being
turned from the north, and the marsh.
es of the 20 from being turned from
the South. The only practicable pas
sage is along the line of twenty-one
miles, guarded by two hundred thou.
sand men, and with such immense
fortresses as Mantua and Peschiera,
and when these shall be passed, there
n