Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-07-18
THE BATTLE OF CUsTOzzA.
Description by an Eye-Witness-Ae-
role struggle of the Italian Army
They are Beaten by Overwhelming
Odds.
correspondence of b London Daily News.l
CAsrIGLIoSE DELE STIvIERE, !

AneJ aH0
Odds.
Correspondence of the London Daily Eews.l
CAsTIGLIoEE DELE STIvIERE,
Wednesday, June ~.
arrived this morning on my way back
from the village of Volta, where Prince
Amadeus, the second son of Victor En-
manuel, was taken IN the oath, after ne
had been ingloriously wounded at the
head of his brigade, charging the Aus
trians. Csstiglione is a pretty city on the
slope of a hill. Monte Belvedere erects
its barren top over it on the left. In the
center, the old Gonzaga Castle frowns
above the houses, with its strongly-oullt
round tower. ] purposely indulge IN this
short description of Castiglione dele
Stiviere, because from this place may be
said to begin the chain of those small hills
which, stretching toward the Mincio as
far as Volta, encircle the lower part OF
the ground where the engagement on
Sunday last took place. The line OF bat
tie of the two armies was on the left bank
of the hills, which, sloping down from tine
northwest in q southerly direction at Gas
tiglione, make q bend and strike the
Mincio in a southeasterly line.
The Mincio, proceeding from the Lake
of Garda, at Peschiera, runs due south,
with numerous curves, as far as Rivalta,
where it widens and assumes the charae-
ter of a lake. The hills 1 have spoken Of
above, from Castiglione to Volta on one
side, and from Tomato to Peschiera on the
other, present the form Of a psrallelogram
the four angles of which are Tomato, Pes
chiera, Volta and Castiglione dele Stl-
Were, and run on both banks almost at
right angles towards the Mincio. The
area OF the parallelogrsm is intersected
by small valleys, approached by gentle or
steep slopes, and occasionally cultivated
according to the more or less fertile nature
of the soil, which is perhaps the most
stony in Lombardy. The d~eclevities of
the hills and fields into which the valleys
are divided-felds Astounding in corn,
vines and mulberry trees-are marked by
low walls of large stones, separating the
small holdings of the numerous land own
| ers. The table land of the higher ridges
is sometimes covered with reddish heath,
sometimes with oak. Farms, hamlets,
villages, and country seats add, more es-
p~ecially on the Veronese part of the par
allelogram, to the beauty of that pictures
que country, the interest of which is still
further increased at Ponti, ValeggiO, Sal
ionze, Borghetta, and Volta, by the many
isolated churches and chspels erected by
/ the devotion of some rich nobleman Of
old, or some meRastie corporation, amidst
evergreen groves of cypress. The posi-
tion occupied by the LIST Division of Du'
rando's corps, on the 24fh, was that which
from Salionze extends to the village Of
Oliosi. General Sirtori was placed with
the 9Th Division between MOnzsmbanC
and Salionze, while PANEL I'D Division
of the corps) had been directed to march
from Ponti, following the Pezzolengo an6
Monzambano road, and to try to effect hi
junction with the rest efthe lstarmy corps
This corps had been ordered to occupy
C~astenuoyo. and cut the railway above
the Strade Lugana, with the object OF in
tercepting the communication between
Verona and Pesehiera. 1t seems that the
Austrians had SO closely watched thu
movements ofthe Italian army during thu
23d and oath, that they were enabled X
occupy the village of Castelnuovo with
division of infantry, two battalions of Ty
rolese Jagers, and a large number of ar
tillery, which they had placed on the hill
between .Castelnuovo and Oiosi. Thi
hill is fsnked on the left by a road; OF
the right by the valley of the Tegione
The Austrian reserves were besides read
to support the main body on the strong
positions of Somma and Somma Campag
ma, from which they could easily hasten t
throw the weight Of their battalions wher
aid was required.
Csrale's Division, which began its for
ward movement at half-past three in thu
morning, unfortunately thought it unne
cessary to reconnoitre infinitely thu
ground. Once arrived at the outskirts o
Castelnuovo, this division found itself al
most surrounded by an Austrian corps
four Hungarian regiments and three bat
talions of sharpshooters-and it wa
obliged to fight, unsupported, for severa
hours, against terrible odds. The 10Th
3Oth, 18th and 9Th Regiments composing
this division were decimated by the pow
erful artillery, the Austrians brought Il
play from the commanding positions they
had occupied the evening Of the previous
day. In spite of the terrible firing brough-
to bear against their right flank, these tive
brave regiments succeeded at last in car
carrying the hills close by, which wert
defended both by the artillery and by the
Tyrolean sharpshooters. While thu
fighting Gen. Ceralt wa dangerously
wounded by a bu;tet and taken othe am.
bulance in an almost dying state. Duran.
do, galloping to the front of the charging
columns, soon took the lead, and succeed.
ed in forcing the mass of the Austrian!
into the valley. But Durando's exertion:
led to nothing, because the Austrian:
were sending fresh battalions to the res.
cue, and he was himself wounded in the
right hand and his horse shot under him
Sirtori was by this time fastening his
march toward Salionez, and had indeed
occupied 0lioski, when informed OF
the critical position in which Cerale's
division stood. He advanced TO his
support, and was, indeed, so far successful
as to enable the rest of Pisa's brigade,
which had dreadfully suffered, to retire
from action. This General, who fought
the whole of the day with great daring,
carried the village of Santa Lucia, which
| his force could not, however, maintain.
| overwhelmed as it was o afterward, bv
the reserves of the enemy hurried up
against it. Meanwhile, General Rianell,
| commander of the I'd division of the LIST
corps, made aware by the roar of the guns
of the action then being fought at Cas-
telnuovo, had fastened his march. Pass
ing through Monzsmbano and Salionze,
he marched on Csvslcaselle, and tried to
get possession of it. But his columns had
scarcely debouched from the road leading
to it when an advanced force of Peschiara