Year: 1859

corresponding advance on the part of that
which rose from the French artillery. The
cannonadiug at that point lasted for over an
hour; but in precisely what direction the
Austrians retreated, twas not possible, from
the position I occupied, to see. I was a.
fraid to change it, moreover, because, al
though I might easily have gone more d.
rectly and closely upon the field, I could not
have found any emiuence upon the plain
from which I could have had so sweeping
and complete view. Part of the Austrian
force probably crossed the Mincio river,
which flows southwark from the lower end
of Lake Guarda, and empties into the Po.


A STORM DURING THE BATTLE.


But the battle continued to rage all over
the region northwest of a line connecting
the towns of Castiglione, Solferino, and VOL
ta At one point after another sharp can
nonading would arise and continue for half
or three.quarters of an hour-and after each
successive engagement of this kind, the re-
suit became apparent in the retreat of the
Austrians and the advance of the French
forces. During all the early part Of the day
the sky had been clear and the weather hot
But clouds began to gather at about noon,
and at 5 o'clock, while the cannonade was
at its height, a tremendous thunderstorm
rolled up from the northwest; the wind came
first, sweeping from the parched streets an
enormous cloud of dust, and was soon follow
ed by heavy fall Of rain, accompanied by
vivid lightning and rapid explosions of rat
tling thunder. The storm lasted for about
an hour, and the cannonading, so far as we
could distinguish, was suspended. Then
the rain ceased, the clouds blew away, the
sun shone out again, and the air was cooled
and perfectly delightful. Though the can
non may have ceased for time to take part
in it, the fight had in the meantime gone on
and when again resumed my post of OBJ
servation, from which the storm had expel-
led me, the cannouading commenced quite
on the extreme left of the entire field and
on the very borders of the lake, northeast
from Castiglione and west of Peschiera.


THE BATTLEFIELD AT SUNSET.


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 o'clock
until after night-fall an incessant and most
terrible combat was here kept up. The bat
teries of the two armies were apparently a.
bout half mile apart, and at the outset they
were both served with nearly equal and ef-
fective vigor. But the Austrians gradually
slackened their fire, and several times took
up new positions, while the Sardinians pour
ed rapid and uninterrupted shower of balls
upon them, suspending only for few min
utes at time, and then renewing it again
with redoubled fury. The wind had now
gone down, the air was still, and the sound
of musketry, as we'll as of the cannon, was
distinctly heard. The former was continu-
GUS, sharp, and incessant, sounding like the
constant and irregular patteripg of hail upon
a roof, while the latter was occasionally sus-
pended, but while it lasted was overwhel-
miugly grand and terrible. Over the Sar-
dinian park rose dense white cloud of
smoke, directly upwards, its sides perfectly
upright and well.defned, and spreading out
ward both ways at the top like an enormous
sheaf of wheat.


The sun was making glorious settiug in
the West, and as his light gradually depar-
ted, the vivid flashes at each discharge of
the cannon cleaned through the smoke like
sharp lightning through the breast of an E.
normous cloud. Sometimes only single
fash would be seen, then two or three at
once, and sometimes half-a-dozen would
break forth in instant succession. 1t was
beginning to be dark when turned to as
cend the hill, and all the way down I still
heard the roar of the cannon and the clat-
tering of the guns of the infantry. But the
Austrians were clearly falling back, and
could scarcely have failed to sustain total
route. 1t is possible they may be in condi-
tion to make one more struggle in the morn
ing, but, Judging from my own observation,
it certainly is not probable. They have sus-
tanned an overwhelming defeat, and it seems
to me not unlikely that the Emperor may
now be induced, by the representations of
the neutral Powers, to accept the peace
which Napoleon will be very likely to tender
him.


Just before nightfall tremendous can
nonading was distinctly visible in the direc-
ton of Mantua, and it was supposed by one
or two French officers that Prince Napoleon
was assaulting that fortress as part of the
general plan of the days operations, while
the Emperor was engaging the enemy in the
open field. But l see no reason to suppose
that this is true, as Prince Napoleon could
scarcely have reached Mantua by this time,
as he was in Florence only week ago.


I have thus given you very general out
line of this great battle as it came under my
own observation. l have mentioned no
names of subordinate officers, because have
had no opportunity to learn the specific part
which individuals took in the engagement
All that I must leave for subsequent letters,
or refer you for j to the official reports
which we here shall not see for three or four
days after they are published in Paris.


THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.


[ am afraid to venture upon any conjec-
ture as to the number of killed and wounded
in this battle but from the nature of the