Year: 1859

in some sSirmish. Soon after we met one
horse carriage, in which was laid at full length
an officer of rank, whose face wore so ghastly
q look as to make it evident he was dying
On reaching Montechiaro, and stopping for
moment to rest our horses, we were told that
great battle was then going on in the plain
before Castiglione and going at once to the
summit of some old Notifications which once
defended the town, we could see with our
glnsses the smoke of the engagement. We lost
no time in pushing forward, although we were
told that we could not reach Castglione be-
cause the roads were completely occupied by
artillery held in reserve We went on, how
ever, continuing to meet carriages and carts
laden with wounded and passing the French
camps of the previous night, came to point,at
about half mile from the town, where park
of artillery wagons was defling from their camp
into the road. Watching our chance, we drove
ia between two of the wagons, and so entered
the town under Cover of the enormous cloud of
dust which they raised The main street was
denSely crowded with carts, carriages, horses
donkeys, oxen, soldiers, suffers and persons
and animals of every description. We pushed
our way, without hindrance, directly past the
house marked as the Quarter GeneraL, or
headquarters of the Emperor, and were thus
within the camp. We had gone but short
distance when we came 10 where the great
procession of the wounded was turning down
cross street to church which had been taken
for hospital. 1t was certainly the most dread
ful sight | ever saw Every conceivable kind
of wound which can be inflicted upon men was
here exhibited All who were able to do So
were obliged to walk-the wagons and animals
at command being all required for those who
could not otherwise be moved Some walked
along, their faces completely covered with blood
from sabre cuts upon their heads Many had
their arms shattered, hundreds had their
hands tied up,-and some carried most ghastIy
wounds upon their faces Some had tied up their
wounds, and others had stripped away the
clothing which chafed and made them worse.
| saw one man walking along with firm step
and resolute air,-naked to his waist, and
having bullet-wound upon his side, an ugly
cash along bis cheek, and a deep bayonet-
thrust, received from behind, in his shoulder.
Most of those who were walking wore serious
look, ,-conversing but little with one another
though they walked two and two,-and few
of them carried upon their faces any consdera-
BILE expression of pain


Those who were more severely injured rode
upon donkeys or in carts,-and few were
carried upon mattresses on mems shoulders -
But these were mostly officers, and nearly all


| saw carried in that way were so badly
wounded that their recovery is scarcely posi-
BILE One had both his legs crushed by can
non ball Another had received ball in his
thigh, and was evidently suffering the most
intense agony. Many of those whose wounds
were in their legs were seated in chairs swung
across donkey-oAe being upon each side
Several who were thus carried, and were sup
ported by soldiers walking by their side, were
apparently unconscious, and seemed to be dy-
ing. Then would come carts, large and small
carrying three, five. and some of them ten or
fifteen each. A steady stream of these ghast-
ly victims of the battle of the day poured
through the town. | stood in the crowd by
the side of them as the sad procession passed
along, and watched it at this point for over an
hour. 1t was not interrupted for moment,
except now and then ny q crowd of prison
ers-and it continued thus from about 10 in
the morning, when it began to flow, until
left the street, long after dark. Every church,
every large hail. every private house in the
town has been taken for the service of the
wounded. Those whose injuries are slight, af-
ter having them dressed, pass at once into the
ranks and mingle with their comrades.
looked into the church as passed by. All
the seats, ratings, &c, had been removed =
mattresses of hay had been spread upon the
floor, and were completely filled with wounded
men, in every stage of suffering and peril, w.
ing side by side. The surgeons were dressing
their wounds Sisters of Charity aud other
women were giving them wine and otherwise
miniStering to their comfort but morning. /
am sure, will dawn upon a large proportion Of
them relieved forever from their pain If
anything can be more horrible than a soldiers
life, it certainly is a soldiers death.


When we drove into town, we were warned
by French gentleman, who had arrived a
little before US, that unless we placed our car
riage in the stable or grounds of some private
citizen, it would certainly be seized for the
services of the wounded, as his had been. As
it was all we could rely on for bedroom as
well as a means of locomotion, we were un-
willing thus to lose it. On going to private
house, therefore, to make such an arrangement,
we found it had been taken for hospital and
among its inmates was riudndere,-a woman
of perhaps 30 dressed in the style of our
Bloomers, who had received ball IN her hand
while following her occupation and carrying
water and wine to the soldiers during the ac-
tion Two surgeons from the Emperor's fami-
ly were dressing her wound, and though pale
from loss of blood she was conversing cheer
fully and even gaily with them.


Six or eight times while ] stood upon the
street, watching the wounded, there came
along squads of prisoners taken at various
stages of the action. Sometimes there would
be only three or four,-then twenty, fifty or a
hundred, and in one company over 400 They
walked closely together six or eight deep
the officers being generally in the middle, e,-and
were guarded by single file of troops walk