Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-07-25
The European War.


idea of the progress of the war in Europe,
we publish in this issue, a number of ex-
tracts from the London Journals. The want
of correct tldings from the fields of war in
Germany and Kaly, is thus explained by a
correspondence an English paper, who has
been hunting for Cialdini's army without
finding it, and remarks that ''it is almost
impossible for correspondent to give any
really trustworthy account of events in
country where the press says nothing, the
country people know nothing, and you are
not allowed to go about and see anything
for yourself:
COMPLETENESS OF THE AUSTRIAN DEFEAT.
From the London Times. July 4.
The war in Bohemia is awful work. The
Austrians. we are told, lost fifteen thousand
men in their various encounters with the ar
my under the Crown Prince of Prussia
They had twenty-five thousand put hOrs du
combatin their vain attempts to arrestthe eprO-
gress of the army under Prince Frederick
Charles-altogether forty thousand men in
five days. The prisoners are computed at
fifteen thousand, leaving twenty-five thou
Slllu lOE llc uGuL anu hOuAluCA- w uOAC
battalions have been annihilated; whole
eorps-the Clam -Gallas, the Gablenz and
the Saxon corps, no less than the Kalick
brigade-are so utterly broken up as to be
unable to reappear in action for some time.
Benedeks army has fallen back behind the
Elbe, taking up its position between the for
tresses of Josephstadt and Koniggratz, great
" disheartened and disorganized, according
to the account of Austrian officers prisoners
in Prussian hands. The desertion of Itai-
ian soldiers from the Austrian ranks is on
the increase.
These are merely Prussian statements
but however much we may feel disposed to
charge them with exaggeration, however
much we may wonder why the Prussians did
not rather give US an account of the casuali-
ties among themselves, we have no hesita-
ton in believing that the havoc has been
tremendous on both sides. Indeed, every
bulletin or letter proceeding from either
camp bears witness to the extreme valor dis
played, and allows that success was 10 every
instance purchased at very heavy sacrifice.
SUPERIORITY OF THE PRUssIAN ARMS.
From the London Times, July4.
The great lesson to be learned by military
men from the present war in Germany is the
irresistible superiority of breech-loading
rifles in action. The Austrian army in Bo-
hemia was supposed to be numerically
stronger than the Prussian it contained a
far larger proportion of veteran soldiers,
and probably of scientific officers; it was
commanded by man second IN reputation
to no General in Europe; it was fighting on
the defensive, for cause which, as against
the invaders, is good one, and in a country
of which the population is loyal to the House
of Hapsburg; and yet it has been gradually
driven back, with loss estimated by the Prus-
slams at thirty or forty thousand men, and is
now said to be greatly dispirited by the series
of reverses which it has sustained. 1t was
for some time supposed that ''strategical rea-
sons" of an unexplained and mysterious
nature might have induced Marshal Benedek
to fall back, point by point, toward posi-
tiOn selected by himself for a general en-
gagement. The supposition is no longer
tenable.
In these sanguinary conflicts the Austrian
troops fought obstinately and well, but they
were fairly beaten-and they were beaten |
according TO all accounts that have reached |
us-by the more rapid fire of the Prussian |
infantry. From first to last it is the needle |
gun that has apparently carried the day, and |
the needle gun is simply breech-loading |
rife of very Indifferent quality. In princi- |
pie, as we'll as in construction, it is not to be |
compared with several breech-loading rifles /
manufactured by English makers; but
imperfect as it is, it has proved quite good
enough TO secure victory for the Prussians
in almost every encounter.
1t was but last month that Marshal Bene-
dek encouraged his troops to despise the al
legged superiority of Prussian firearms, and
to rely on the bayonet, and we already see
tho hoEI !
bayonets are seldom crossed; when they are
crossed it by no means follows that those
who carry the worst rifles will give the most
vigorous thrusts, and before they are crossed
it is certain that rapidity of fire will tell IA
tally.
PRUSSIA AND THE MINOR GERMAN STATES.
AS arleady stated, the Elector of Hesse
Cassel is prisoner to the Prussians at the
Castle of Stellin. He was earnestly entreat-
ed by his captors 10 recall the troops which
he had sent to aid the Federal Government,
but refused.
Before leaving his dominiOns the ElectOr
published the following proclamation:
To NY FAITHFUL PEOPLE: On the point
Of being forcibly torn away from you and
carried of as a prisoner of war, my heart
yearns to take leave of my faithful subjects
May Almighty God take myself and my
people into His holy keeping for welfare
md for peace. AT the same time, and in the
anne moment of quitting the land of my fore
athers, 1 call upon all my officials and civil
subjects in those parts of my dominlOns in
he occupation of the enemy, requiring them
o continue the performance of their several
functions of office in accordance with their
oath of allegiance and fidelity as the best
means of serving the interests of the country
md preventing scruples of conscience.-l
Nay God soon grant US better days.
FREDERICK WILHEL1L
June %, 1866.
Prussia is now threatening to occupy Mas
au, the Duke of which favors the Diet,
while his people are nearly united in their
for Prussia.
Hanover is occupied by Prussian troops.
From the London Spectator
1t was upon the 23d of June that the
Italian army crossed the Mincio in several
olumns. The left approached close to the
oeschiera; the right extended as far as
lotto, where the great road crosses the river.
till further to the right, detachment was
o CurtatOne, on the causeway leading along
he Southern bank of the upper Mantuan
axe into Mantua. This was done to pre-
-ent the garrison of Mantua from interrupting
he communications of the army with Gre
mona. From left to right the main passages
S of the rever were at Salionze, Monzamba-
10, Valeggio and Goito, and thus a force
perhaps eighty thousand men of
II arms, stood within the Quadrilateral, on
he roads leading from the river and from d.
1antua to Verona. The extreme left moved
oward the hilly region about Somma Cam
agna, the left center upon Custozza, the
light center and right by the road from
soverbella to Villafranca. In other words,
he Italian army advanced in a rough eche-
on, left IN front in a northeasterly direction
oward Verona and the mouth of the valley
f the Adige, having in their left rear, the
assages by which they crossed the MineiO.
Vow, as the Austrian army, carInglittle for
he threatened movement of Cialdini, was
oncentrated in and around Verona,
lance at the map will show that by simply
moving out of their strongholds and form
ng to the left by Soma and Sangiustina
hey would be, when fronted south, on the
ank of the Italian line, of advance, and
HI. 20 4I,o hill 80 fbair Foroa- on fba