Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-07-13

PHILADELPHIA, July l2-The n. Y. Tines
publishes letter t:0m tae battle field of Sal
f.riEo, giving the hrSt accurate details
The battle commenced at little before five
oc!ocG y. NJ, not lar ro;a sun rise. Just back
Of Castigiione there rises high range Of hills
which projects mile thercabouts into the
plain and then breaks off towards the left
into 4 wide eXpansc Of smaller hills and SO into
the rolling surface which makes that portion of
tile plain. The AuStEiaus mad taken position
upon these hills, painting canton upon those
nearest GastiglI1ne which they could approach
As the French army was III full force and aroGr.,
that ii1tie vl.llagc and had stationed their u.-
measc army ell over the surrounding palm
as nearly Us We can now learn the Emperor
Francis Joseph had collected here not l,ss than
225,Ou0 troops aud Commanded them in person
His evident purpose make stand here
and risk the fortunes of the war upon the h4Z-
ards of the day. Napoleon promptly accepted
the challenge ana commenced the attack as
soon it was light this morning by placins
cannon upon the -sts still nearer CAST -lIol.e
than those held by the Au TRANS aud oyenius
fire upon thcai tie heights beyond.
He took his Own stand upon the highest Of
these, steep, sharp backed ridge, which cou.-
r.ads magnificent view OF tue entire circuit of
the plain, and from that point directed the en-
tire movements Of his army. During the early
portion of the day, the French very soon drove
the cHeuIy out o.. the posts they held into the
town and followed them into the stuaIl villages
CT the plain bel5w. The first of these was Sal
tetiuo, where they had sharp ard protracted
engagement. The AuStrians disputed eyery
inch Of the ground aud fought here, as
they did throughout the day, with the utmost
desperation. Iaey were three times driven out
vi the town before they would stay out The
people of the village, IN recover, took part
against the Erench, upon whoi. they fired
from their windows and the French were com
PEELED III seli-defence, To Uuru the town: when
they found-n impossible to hold their ground
any longer, they fell back slowly and steadily
Until they reached the village OF Volta, directly
southeast irem CaStSionc and is only about a
mile FROM the river Mincio, from which. h.w-
ever, 1t is separated by a range of hills; uuon
these hills in the rear of the iown and overlook
lug it completely UH the south and southeast
sides, the Austrians had planted very forrni,!a-
bic batterieS AMI when arrived upon the
field, and went at once to the sight where the
Emperor had o ID at The ops mug OF tie e.
gagement, bat which he nad Left i tlotIr before
to follow his victorious troops, these batteries
were blazing away upon the French who were
stationed on the plains below.
Tie battle continued to rage ali over the re-
glen northwest CT sine connecting the towns
ct Castiglione, Salferino aiId Volta at once At
one point afleT another sharp canaoaadiag
would arise ard continue for half or three GiI.r.
tiers Of an hour After each successive engage
ment ,g this hind the result became apparent
in the retreat of the Au>traus and the advance
of the French force. Curing III the carly part
of the day the sky had been clear and the
weather Eot, tut the clouds began to gather
about noon and at live o'clock, while The car
nonadc was at its height, tremendous thunder
storm rolled up from the northwest. The storm
lasted tor about an hou: aud the cannonadiag,
lar as one could distinguish, was suspended
Then tine rain ceased, the clouds blew away.
the sun Shore out again and tie air was cool
and perfectly delightful. Though the cannon
nay have ceased tor time to take part in it.
the fight had meantime gone on, and when |
again resumed my post of observation from
which the storm had expelled ne the cannon
aiding commenced quite on tic extreme left of
the entire battlefield and on the very borders Of
the Lake, northwest from CaStiglione and west
IF Pe>chiera. The Piedmontese troops, under
the King who commands them in person. had
been posted there and received the Austrians as
they came around. From about Z o'clock until
after nightGal incesSant and most terrible
combat was here kept up. The batteries or the
tao armies were app arently about half mile
apart and ct the outset they were both served
with nearly equal and efectire y1gor, but the
AuStrans gradually slacEeHed their Eres and
eVeral times took up new positions, bile the
SAL din!nnS poured rapid and unlpterrupted
shower of balls upon them, suspeuding only
for few minutes at time and then renewing,
t9dF VIIk IL v-afNr,g IL