The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-06-21
THE HORRORS OF AUSTRIAN WAR.
FARE

The horrors committed by the hordes of savages
under the command of Gen. Gyulai are only to be
equalled in the accounts Of the invasion by Attila
At 81 in the morning, or thereabouts, a numerous
band of Austrians, in dirty and torn ATTIRE entered
the city of Tortona and took up their position in
the castle. Other bodies followed that the town
was soon overrun with these beings, more like wild
beasts than men. Two superior officers called
upon the municipal fInctionaries to demand food
aud forage to the amount of $4,000 rations but
their conduct was not unbecoming; on the contrary
they seemed olerably polite and even the behavior
of the soldiers at first gave no cause to suspect
that they secretly meditated plundering the town.
Whatever our first hopes may have been, they
were not destined to last long, for very shortly
company of Houlans issued from the castle, and
dividing, spread through the town. An alarm
spreading through the population, each shop-keepcr
fastened to secure his goods; but before they had
even time to shut their shops and stores, bands Of
eight and ten soldiers presented themselves at
different points in the city, some sezing upon all
the goods they could arrive at, others preventing
the tradesmen from closing their doors by main
force At the time the sergeants and corporals
entered the shops and by threats forced the owners
to bring out all the best things they had for the
soldiers to carry off. f
The first goods plundered were those of Madame
Scott, modste, and of merchant named Gallarati;
after these came those of the silversmiths then
some provision stores and taverns The general
bakehouse was pundered also, and several hundred
sacks of the -four and wheat, besides sum Of
money, were carried off; the stables we're all
robbed, and in every street you saw Croat with
a horse which he was leading off to the
encampment, with cool impudencc which
persuaded ono that they never had followed any
other trade than thieving Meanwhile, certain
number Of them wended their way to the suburb
of st Bernardino, and entered the farm of Signor
Stassano who gave them as much food and drink
as they wished for In fact, the libations were SO
copious aud frequent that at night they all returned
in state Of intoxication, bowling like demons,
interspersng their howls with the epithet of 'porca
Piemontesa" Gas a welcome to any inhabitant they
might mcct) firing their muskets into the windows
of the houses, and occasioning general belief
that the town would be inevitably set on fire.
The citizens had no to resist, even had they
been disposed, and now have no food, and the
place is cleared out completely. The Bishop was
assessed at 10000 francs, say $4,000, for his
share of the war contingent. IN the suburbs Of
the town the same horrors took place. every house
was sacked and plundered by these ferocous brutes
who are styled the defenders of public order,
sustainers of our nationality and our religion"
Now that this band of savages has satisfied its
appetite, it is leaving US. An order of recall has
arrived from headquarters, and they are going off.
We hear that at Castelnuova-Scrivia Viguzzo,
and Prossecurone, the outrages were committed
and by that threat of firing the town these bandits
extorted whatever they wanted from the poor
terrified trades-people .-.