Year: 1859

| aa RUSSELlS LETTERS TO THE TINES"
| .- ADVANCE OF THE ALLIES BEFORE THE BATTLE
| BRFsctA June l9-8p. m.-During the day in
formation arrived that the Austrans had again re-
turned to Montechiaro, which, as you will remenl-
! Der, they evacuated two days ago. But the infor-
| nation is to the effect that they did not return
with their whole force, only with body of 10 600
men. At the same time with this information the
news reached us that the Austrians were throwing
I up earthworks at Lonato. With all this news OBJ
tanned not by the actual advance of the army but
by people coming from the spot it is ALWAYS diff
cult to know how farit is true. In this special in
| stance, however, there is strong probability of
! the news being true. The southern shores of the
Lake of Garda are skirted by low range of hills
! beginning at GavardO on the Chiesa and running
| down to Tomato and Castigone, making thus
bend to the southeast as far Volta then turning
! to the north again and passing by Vaeepio and
| Sammacompagna, until they touch the Adge at
| Buss0lengo. Every of these names recalls to
| the memory one or more battles, while between
| these outer points of this range and the lake
itself there is scarce village which has not been
| the scene OF one or more engagements during the
wars in modern times. The reason of this is the
| range along the southern shores of the Lake of
Garda guards the approaches and passages of the
! Mnclo and forms, as it were, advanced work of
| the much spoken-of quadriidtere.


There are three main roads over the Minco; one
in the south, which, coming from Pava, skirts the
Po aud passes right into the fortress of Mantua and
| two to the north. Both these latter start from
Brescia. The more northerly of the two goes in
straight line Lonato winds along the hills to the
shores of the lake, passes through Peschiera over
the Mncio, which comes out of the lake at that
point, and then goes to Verona. The other road
passes the Chiesa at Monecharo and passes through
Castigione, situate Just the outskirts of the hills.
thence it goes down in sOuth-easterly direction to
GoitO, where it passes the Mincio. Besides these
main roads, there two or three byroads over the
hllnco coming all either from Castiglione or Iona
to, and passing the river at Vaeggio, Mouzambano
and Salionzo.


have been so lengthy in indicating the roads,
because they form an important part of the system
of defense in the quddrldtere, and have been pre-
pared and maintained with view to restrict as
much as possible The approach of an attacking army
to few points The nature of the country helped
considerably in carrying out this design To begin
with, more than half the Mincio-namely, all the
lower part oft from Goto to Governolo, close to
the Pc, is surrounded by marshes that except by
colossal works, it is impossible. In the centre of
this part lies the fortress of Mantua forming the
only point of passage.


In the north, all the main roads coming from the
west and from the southwest have been centered in
Bresca, and then led to the range of hills skirt
ing the lake. Any army wishing to gain passa {
over the Mlncio must pass through close to this
range of hills. They are just sufficiently elevated
to give dppui to the defenders and vet not steep
enough to hinder him in his movements-in fact a
most favorable position for defence. While these
hills are held, especially the extreme westerly
points of them at Tomato and Castiglione, no army
can pass the Mincio without compromising its line
OF retreat IN an awkward manner. But, even if
these two advance points should be lost, a deter
both
sides of the Mincio almost at every STEP new posi-
tiOns in the front and flank of the advancing army
If you remember, during the campaign of lS4S
all the hardest fights between the Austrians and
Pedmontese armies took place this ground
Before and after that epoch, this has been the IA
vOrite maneuverng place for the Austrians during
the yearly concentration which they are in the
habit OF having every Autumn. Taking all this
into consideration, it would be by no means sur
prising if we found the Austrians determined to de-
fend the hills and prepared to receive us at Lonato
and Castiglione with their advanced guards on the
Chiesa, and POnte San Mario, and at Montecbiaro
1t is true, the line has this disadvantage that its
line of retreat goes the Minco, but first this
river is on the nearest point, ten miles behind Lon
alto and Castiglone; and then, beside the two main
passages at Peschiera and Goito the Austrans have
established as many bridges between these two
places as there are by-roads leading to the river


With such advantages in their favor, it would be
surprising If the Austrians retired without a CON


test, and such fact could only be explained by de-
moralization else some uncommonly deep-lad
plan, which we as yet cannot fathom. OF course
1n all this one must remember that there are
ly, even IN warfare, positions similar to those of the
game at chess, where your adversary has but one
move, consequently, even if the Austrians have a
mind to fight at Tomato and Castiglione it does not
follow with certainty that there will be fight
there.


In the meantime, another movement in advance
has taken place. The Sardinians have moved on to
the road of Montechiaro, and their headquarters
are to move to-day from here in that direction-
=
OF the general headquarters OF the allied armies.


Yesterday an Austrian column showed itself be-
tween the Lake of Garda and the Chiesa in the di-
rection of Salo. In consequence, a Piedmontese
brigade was sent that way to make reconnaissance
which led to no further results the Austrians hav-
ing withdrawn. 1t was probably only reconnuis-
sance on the part of the Austrians, who, having
seen Garibaldi appear at Salo, wished to know
something more about the movements of the Allies
in that direction.


As usual, the Austrians had not the remotest idea
when GaribaldTs troop was in the town, rather
quite close to it, Unfortunately, the enthusiasm of
the Saloits got the better of their discreet
They made row, which gave sufficient warning to
the Austrian steamer in the little bay to be off,
Had it not been for this ntoward manifestation of
enthusiasm the Austrian steamer was in danger of
being caught. As it was, she off, and all Carl
badIs troops had of her were some balls which she
sent over to the hores which she had Just quilted
The only trophy was one of her boats which was
cut off, or left behind.


Our communications with Milan and Turin are be-
coming quicker and quicker every dav; we had let
ters OF the 10th from Paris yesterday Fby noon,
The fact is almost all the railways which have been
injured are again in working order, with the excep
ton of some of the bridges which in process of
construction.


AS at Milan and everywhere else, the new Gov
ernment in the province and town of Brescia has
been established without difficulty, and is in work
ing order. think one of the greatest proofs which
the provinces of Lombardy give of their intention
to make sacr1hces In the OF their independ-
ence is that they submit without murmuring to the
ancient Austrian system, which. you will remem-
Der, has been as little possible changed for the
moment. 1t is continued with all its spirit and
tIme-kllng routine in most cases with the same
persons. One must know what this system has
been in order to understand how much self-posses-
sion required to tolerate the continuance of it, if
only for day, after the country has been deliver
ed from those who imposed it upon it. Nor less
horrible than the administrative routine are the
taxes, which have been likewise kept up for the
time being in all their heavness, and yet such is
the spirit that they will be paid without murmur-
ing. Anything to get rid of the Austrians. This
is the prevalent feeling which throws everything
into the background. The Austrians once fairly
out of the country, then it will be rather different.


CAsTELNEDoLo, on the road to Montecharo June
81, IL A. M.-The town of Brescia went to bed last
night with thousands and thousands of men en-
camped with nand near its walls and it awoke this
morning to see the remains of the stores and bag
gage pass throughits streets towards the east.


As you know, yesterday it was ascertained that
the Austrians had made up their mind at last to
quit the position Of Montecharo definitely, leaving
behind their own wounded as well as those of Carl
baldi's corps, who had fallen into their hands in the
skirmish of the 18th. This leaving behind all their
more severely wounded men after evacuating a
place is practice which has been generally
adopted by the Austrians during this campaign
In Milan, Como, Leno, Bergamo, Brescia-every-
where, in fact, where they have had garrisOns-
sick and wounded were lett behind. The calcula-
ton is not so foolish either. Only those left
who, if at all, would not be able to do duty for some
time to come, so leaving them behind is getting rid
of troublesome encumbrance. There is no surgeon
any other medical officer left with them, nor is
there the usual recommendation of the disabled to
the magnanimity of the enemy, a courtesy which
has been adopted elsewhere nvariable prac-
tice of civilized warfare Now, it is quite true that
a retiring army has not much time to think of the
dictates of courtesy, and one would scarcely cavil
this oversight were it not for the fact that while
they thus leave their sick and wounded without
word OF recommendation to the tender mercies of
the enemy, they do all in their power to represent
this latter to their soldiers a wild, nhuman rab
BILE OF Thugs and Anthropopbag who know no
mercy, and kill prisoners and wounded wholesale.
In the allied armies there is naturally little harm
in such innocent stories, for it has not prevented
them making thousands of prisoners of war; but
however obtuse may think the understanding
of the Austrian soldier this daily occurring contra
dicton between the words and deeds of his superb
cannot escape his observation, and he must
either come to the conclusion that they act inhu-
manly in thus leaving behind the disabled to the
mercy of an enemy who knows no mercy, or else his
faith in the words of his officers must be constantly
shaken. +...s .....r. .-. ...


Already the day before yesterday the vanguard
were pushed forward on the road to Montechiaro,
and yesterday the position of CasteInedolo was oc-
cupied in force. This position is about half way
between Brescia and Chesa. 1t is one of those
small isolated ridges which the foot of high
mountains and forms part of the billy country be-
tween the Mella and Chiesa, although it is uncon-
nected with it, and stands isolated in the plain. 1t
runs almost parallel to the two rivers and is inter
sected by the high-road to Montecharo and Cas-
tiglione. The village is built on the summit of