Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-06-23
The Lonaon rime. on me iattls Of uagenta

NIenCn report OF tne OaAuc OF MaANNNf Notn oA
which we publish to-day, are documents for
which we need not ask attention. The hrtt,
somewhat out Of date, is important as showing
how entirely the Austrians had been deceived
by the French; how completely they had been
outaanked; how little expected was the enemy
at the moment they came upon themi or were
prepared for the French enterprise Of following
them across the Ticino.
The French account published in the Moni-
teur entirely conirms the view we took of the
tactics which led to the battle at BufIalora, and
claims the credit which we had already accor-
ded to the French Emperor, of having deceived
his enemy by rapid concentration Of forces on
the French lef. Il describes also the details Of
the embarrAssments which could not but occur
in the movement Of the personal and baggage
Of so large an array, along narrow causeways
and over a swollen river, end re-produces, in al
most similar terms, but with less description Of
the character of the country in which the battle
was fought, the circumstances related by our
correspondent from the allied camp in the letter
which we published yesterday
The strategic character Of the battle of Ma.
gents is, however, now for the first time before
US in an authentic description. We already
knew that Gen. McMahOn had passed the river
at Turbgo and repulsod a feeble attack there
made upon him by the Austrians, and we now
learn that the General had been strengthened
in his position by the grenadiers of the Imperial
Guard. The passage of Marshal Canrobert's
corps d'drmee, by the bridge at Buffalora, was
arranged to correspond with the lateral move
ment which was intended TO be made by Gen.
Mcmahon, TO support this passage. while McMa-
hon alrnnHW an fha V.nr,,har1u eide 81 e.,
attack the Austrians posted at Magenta and
Buffalora, but whose strength and position seem
to have been underrated
The Emperor, with the Zouaves Of his guard,
was TO fOrse passage at BuifalOra, supported
by the corp d'armee Of Canrobert, and BY other
divisions which were to follow in continuous
columns. The force which was to have efiec-
ted operations at Bufloars, did not arrive at the
appointed time, and when McMahon's division
appeared on the left bank of the Ticino, and
attacked the Austrians on the Turbigo side of
their position, the Emperor found himself at the
head of a smaller number of men than he anti
cipated
Canrobert had been delayed, AMI the Aus
trians had, according to the French account,
found means to concentrate a force Of 1875 900
men at the spot where Mcmahon was now at
tacking. The Emperor, with the Zouaves,
! seem TO have crossed to McMahOn's assistance,
and an unequal combat of four hours duration
ensued. At the end Of this terrible period Can.
robert came up, and the other troops had sue.
ceeded in disentangling themselves from the
Confusion of the choked causeways in the rear
McMahon, whose attack from the Turbigo
side had been interrupted by the necessity of
uniting his columns, returned to the charge
when he heard the fusilade upon the Buffalora
side of the Austrian position. The Austrians,
who had been for some time in superior force,
and had taken prisoners and guns from their as
saiants driving them back--we are not told
how far-were now in their turn assailed by a
superior, or at least an equal force, aud were
hard pressed, both on the centre and left, and
compelled to evacuate Buffalora in order to
make head against Mcmahon, who was attack.
ing them from Magenta.
This diversion enabled the Emperor to vigor-
ously resume the offensive, and it is an incident
OF great importance in estimating the future
chances of the war, that large bodies of Hun
garian troops laid down their arms, as it woull
appear, for no very pressing necessity. While
the Austrians were thus vigorously attacked
on both sides, and were experiencing some
thing very like detection in their ranks, General
Augen had succeeded in getting forty guns in
position on the railway embankment, which
fianked the Austrian position. From this bat
terry he poured into their masses destructive
fire, which must have told with fearful effect,
and may account for the fearful carnage which
the Austrians are said to have suffered
Meanwhile, General Mcmahon had pushed
his attack successfully and drove the enemy
from Magenta, putting more than ten thousand
Austrlans hors de combat, and taking five thou
sand prisoners. This village, however, was so
desperately disputed that it was taken and re-
taken no less than seven times, reiniorcements
of the allied troops continually arriving upon |
the field and, as it would appear, forming at |
last continuous line along the Lombardian |
bank of the Ticino.
The battle lasted until halfpast eight o'clock |
in the evening, and as we hear nothing of the |
Austrian guns, we must suppose they were |
very inferior in artillery, and of course labor |
ing under dreadful disadvantages, while forty |
pieces of cannon were playing on them from |
the railway embankment.
AT this hour, we are told the Austrians |
withdrew, leaving in the hands of the viotors
four guns and two flags, as moderate trophies |
OF this obstinately fought battle.
The allies were undoubtedly victors, for they |
held the field and position, and also had taken |
seven thousand prisoners but as some Of these |
were taken in regiments, and as they are, for |
the most part. Hungarians and Italians, it may
perhaps be doubted whether the bulk of the
Austrian soldiers, now in the hands of the AL. |
lies, should be more correctly characterized as
prisoners or deserters.
The estimate of killed and wounded can
hardly be received with confidence, when made
so Immediately after the battle but if $4,000
men really were killed, wounded and taken,
some of them must have been but lightly armed;
for only $4,000 muskets were found on the
field. Such is the French account of the bat
tie of Magenta, and in all its stratagetic points
it is doubtless in the main correct That it
passes lightly over the events of those terrible
four hours, when the Emperor and his guards
were committed TO a contest with superior mum
bers, is but natural. We must wait an Aus
trian version to supply this deficiency
That it speaks somewhat indefinitely of the
French losses, was equally to be expected We
still require the opportunity of comparing an
Austrian and French account, or reading an
account Of an impartial eye witness, before we
can see the battle of Magenta as history will
write it. In one respect, however it is honest
and candid. There is no fight and no pursuit
mentioned or invented. The enemy fought
WELL suffered grevious losses and withdrew
There are none of those narrowing scenes
which followed such battles as those Of Auster.
itz and Watterloo-when havoc ragged among
the crowd of helpless fugitives, throwing away
their arms and shouting for quaretr 10 the pur
suing Frenchmen, or the yengeful Prussian -
II is a contest where the vanquished fight tiIl
night, and then reluctantly yielding the point
Of honor, quietly retire taking with them their
guns and standards, and taking up a position
convenient for the prosecution of their prede
termined plan of continuous retreat
That object the Austrian commander con
tinues to carry out, He fell back, first TO the
Abbiate GTssso, but a short distance from the
field Of battle; and the French, holding so OBJ