Year: 1859




ted this country.


Several Southern gentlemen are stopping at the
same house. One of them is accompanied by his
family.


THE WAR IN ITALY.


THE following letter is from w. H. Russell
the celebrated campaign correspondent of the Lon
don Times. We shall endeavor to lay the whole
series before readers, commencing with the
present number, as our space will allow.l


THE BATTLE OF MAGENTA.


"PoNTE DI MAGENTI, June s.


''MY DEAR P: The same day, namely. on the I'd
inst, when the Allies advanced toward the passage
OF Turbigo, another column was sent by the main
ROAD from Novara to Milan to the Ponte di Buffa-
lora. 1t was the Guards to whom the honor was
reserved to first pass the Ticino. The division of
the Noltigeurs commanded by Gen. Cameu went to
the Ponte di Turbigo, while the division of the
Guards commanded by Gen. Wimpffen, consisting
OF the Grenadiers and the Zouaves advanced to-
ward the P0nte di Buffalora. As every one knows
who has travelled in these parts this latter bridge
is the great passage from Milan to the west it be-
ing the point where the routes from Turin and the
Slmpon pass the Ticino. 1t was to have been like
wise the point where the railway from Milan to
Turin was to have been Joined by bridge over the
Ilcino. The possession of this passage was conse-
quently OF the greatest Importance to both parties
In order to assure it, the Austrians when they
were stiil IN their fortfying humor, threw up the
formidable tees de Pont this side of the water on
the heights of San Martino, so called from hostel
ry OF that name, which is close to the range of
buildings where formerly the Sandman frontier
custom house and police bureau stood. As those
who have been this way must remember the cu-
tlVatlon, which is so jealous of every inch of soil
In this rich plain, ceases when the road approaches
the Ileino, and the buildings of San Martno ap-
pear IN slght. An open space, with little brush
wood and good deal of heath, which one would
scarcely expect to find close to rice fields takes
Its place: The country all about is one continued
pam as Iar as the eye can penetrate through the
wh oh haui,
with all other signs of cultivation; the only excep
tlon to this is little hillock half mile further
north, at the foot of which one of the canaIized
branches of the Ticino flows. bv-road recently
constructed, runs close by this hillock and passes
oy stone bridge down to the edge of the water
where, turning abruptly to the SOUTH it leads down
to the stone bridge at Buffaora This bridge was
blown up by the Austrians, and thus of the pas
sages to the great bridge was cut off. Before the
main road itself most elaborate tete de pont was
constructed; beginning at the edge of the plateau,
before it dips down suddenly toward the river, it
incioses the railway line which runs to the right of
the road toward the Ticino and takes in the whole
range OF buildings at San Martino after which a
long "eurtaln' extends perhaps half furlong to
the north toward an isolated house. used believe
formerly as Guard-house, and there another flank
ing work is constructed corresponding to the first
and forming with it kind of hornwork, provided
with ditch, parapet, and embrasures for guns The
Whole must occupy at least an area of from half to
OF square mile. give you this
iehStHS uesCilptlOn IN Oruer to show how deter
mined the Austrians were to keep footing on the
Pledmontese side of the Ticno and that il was mot
quite their own good will which made them aban-
don such laboriously constructed works. Had it
not been for this consideration, such we-taught
engineers as the Austrian army possesses could not
have overlooked how awkward the defence of go
magnificent work would be, which would require
considerable forces and had for its line of retreat
an open road descending gently toward the river
and, as well the bridge itself, completely com
manded from above


81 don't know whether the Austrians gave IN
their original idea of keeping footing in Pied
mont, or whether they thought twice before they
exposed considerable force to a nossible rntrnat
through dangerous defle certain it is that they
abandoned their elaborate works as the Allies ap-
preached, and withdrew to the other side of the RI
yer, leaving 10 pieces of artillery behind them
lhere Is magnificent stone bridge over the Ticino
at this point constructed arches of solid blocks
OF granite, strong enough for a railway bridge for
winch purpose believe it was originally construct
ed. When the Austrans retired thev tried to blow
up TINS bridge, but were not quite successful as
at Nercel They had mined the second pier from
the opposite bank, with the intention of making
gap between the second and third arches The mine
exploded, and the upper part of tie pier was
destroyed, but the arches which it supported in
stead OF falling into the water, have sunk only on
the debris of the pier, which they rest at present
Although shaken and disturbed in their eauili-
Drum, they are still solid enough to bear Ot only
the tralic of foot soldiers and horsemen but even
oi carriages ana guns. The gaps left between the
single stones by the explosion have been covered
with planks, and the bridge serves its purpose


1.-The day when the first columns of the Allies
appeared and took possession of the BRIDGE n re-
connolssance was made some little distance toward
the Ponte dl Magenta on this side, where the Canal
Naviglo Grande runs down a parallel with the Po
1t was found occupied and the enemy showed his
presence by some cannon Shots which he fired from
guns posted on the high road and railway which
run here at a little distance from each other The
cd and fio,o,
body of troops sent across to cooperate by attack
ing the right flank of the enemy at Buffalora and
Magenta Gen. WimPfen received yesterday morn
ing, at 10 O'Clock, the order to advance with the
I'D regiment of the Grenadiers and the Zouayes of
the Guard The only object of this early advance
was to protect the throwing of another bridge over
the Ilclno With only two guns of the horse ar
tilery of the guard and his brigade, he debouched
along the road. Four solid little houses. in which
formerly the guards and engineers of the road re-
sided, formed the starting point from the bridge
The road itself leads in a straight line to the pas
sage over the canal at Ponte di Magenta distant
ABOUT three klIometers or about two miles and a
small fraction, from the bridge. 1t is an unusually
high causeway, in most parts from 20 to 80 feet
above the well-irrigated fields, which evidently
)nee formed the swamps of the river, and have been
reclaimed by the industry of man. The Canal
Navglo Grande, which has been constructed with
1 view to tertiliZe these low lands of the Ticno
down to Abbiate Grasso, supplies the waters neces-
ary for the irrigation of the fields and is conveyed





width, which divide the fields, and the borders of
which planted as usual, with the never-failing
willow and poplar tree.


cat the same point as the road the causeway, on
which the railway to starts from the bridge
this causeway dverges to the right and runs on in
A straight line till about half mile from the
canal, when it suddenly turns to the left and
the canal not more than one hundred and fifty
Yards from the road. The canal ITSELF which starts
rom the Tcino Oleggio and Fornavento, is
Kept along behind the first rise of the ground from
he Lombard side of the Tcino, by which means a
high level is obtained for the irrigation
If the low lands This first rise of the ground,
which evidently ks the boundary of the former
bed of the river before it was contracted by the
land of man, is very sudden the Pont di Ma
yenta, and corresponds to the elevation of the
ground on the other side All along the line from
3ufalora on the lett of the road to Pone di Magen-
"a and Robecco to the right it has average |
height of at least sixty seventy feet, and is COW
red with vines trellised in the usual Italian
rom top to bottom in successive steep terraces If
'ou look at the map you will find the village of
3ufalora lying to the left of the road about mile
'r so, and on passing on to the Ponte di Magenta
7ou leave it to your left rear. Both the canal and
he heights through which it cut take at BufalOra
more easterly direction, and when you arrive |
" the gradually rising road to the heights |
'ou see them in semicircle to your left, from
3utfalora to the high road. To your right they
continue straight on to the causeway intended |
or the railway, and then recede in the direction of
iobecco.
''If am clear enough in my description you must
zee that this position, where the Austrians were
posted has the effect of a gigantic curtain with
3ufalOra as bastiou to protect it. The road
rom the bridge to Buffalora to the left, the main
'oad direct to Ponte di Magenta in the centre, and
'away causeway to the right, form the approaches
% the front of this formidable position. About
lundred yards in the of this position
he canal, perhaps 30 feet wide, between steep
banks of very little less height than from the low
olan up to the top Of the heights themselves. The
'oads, which gradually ascend to about one half of
he total height from the plain, pass, through the
ut by a cutting. Both at the main road and the |
,auseway of the railway the earth for raising them
lboye the surrounding plain has been taken from
The heights themselves, by which means two large
open spaces have been formed ON the same level
with the causeways themselves These two open
spaces, almost square, resemble two redoubts, of
which the edges of the heights form the gigantic
parapet. In order to increase the illusion, the Aus
trians, who occupied the top of the heights, and
could keep their in the interior, had prov
led them with banquettes, on which their infantry
took position; the causeway of the railway was bar
ricaded at the point where it passes through the
heights and guns placed to sweep the approach
At the entrance of the main road only two guns
we're placed. The two bridges over the canal as
well as the third at Butialora, had been mined to
blow them up in case of need.


against this position, then, Gen. Whimpfen ad-
Tanced with the 3D. Regiment of Grenadiers, com
handed by Col. Metman, and a section of the Horse
Artillery of the Guard and the Zouaves of the
Guard in support While this column advanced ON
The main road the I'd Regiment of Grenaders was
sent by the road to the left to attack the position of
Butiaora in front They received by the en-
emy's artillery, to which the French Horse Artil-
ery replied vigorously and with success, as one can
see from carcasses of horses and men which one