Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

24
Howard R. Marraro
John M. Daniel a Lewis Cass
Tttrin, Jane 8,1859. No. 109.
Sir: A great battle lias bcen fought. On Saturday, June 4th, the Freneh and Austrians met in full force at Magenta on the Lombard frentier and then and thcre did their best and worst. The victory rested with Napoleon. It was as complete and as bloody as any Bonaparte could ever desire, for out of 120,000 Austrians who took part in the combat 20,000 were killcd and woundcd and 7,000 taken prisoners. Camion, flags, and munitions in great quantitics fell into the vìctor's bands and at the latest news the Austrians were flceing towards the Adda in complete rout.
The officiai bulletin declares that only five thousand Frcnchmcn were killcd and woundcd. But I can hardly give credit to this statement. The verbal report says that in the first part of the battio the Freneh were worsted and three of their new rifled cannon taken. This event caused a profound emotion in the Freneh ranks. The cry II faut les reprendre l il font les reprendre ! ran through the army, and they charged with such fury that the Austrìan lines were everywhere broken. Such is the current rumour. No officiai account of the details has yet appeared.
At the date of my last dispatch, I said that the Freneh had commenced a general movement which must necessarily produce decisive rcsults. This movement was a rapid march from Voghera to Novara to tura the Austrian fiank and pass the Ticino at Buifalora. Its first result was a battle at Palestro where the Piedmontese gained a victory and an important position. The Austrians made a determined attempt to retake it next day, but the Piedmon­tese being then reinforced by a regiment of Zouaves, they were beatcn with great slaughter.
The great movement of the Freneh army of 200,000 men from Voghera to Novara was executed with extraordinary skill and celerity, occupying only two days. The Austrians were completcly outgeneralled and their defeat at Magenta was a necessary consequence.
Military men say that the consequences of this defeat are very great. The Austrian army has nothing left for it but to fall back on its fortress beyond the Mincio. Their best hope now is to be able to make this retreat without another battle, and it is the aim of the Freneh to cut them up again before they get tbere. But the result of operations in the field is no longer doubtiul. The rest is only a question of time. Austrian domination in Italy is doomed.
Milan has been evacuated in great haste. The Municipality has declared the province annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Ycsterday the King made a triumphal entry into that great city. The Ministry left Turin tho day before to be present thcre. Here we bave a Te Deum iu the cathedral and illumina-tions in the streets.
In the battle of Magenta, as in ali the other combats of this war, one singular fact comes prominently forward that the new inventious in firc-arms, the rifled cannon, the conica! balls, c, bave had for their cilici' effect an unprece-dented reconrse to the bayonct. The lire scems to bave become so fatai that the soldicry will not stand it and cagerly rush forward with the stcel to get rid of it, "Wbat was once the most desperate resort of battle has now become the lesser of two evils.