man living at
Desenzano heard from the country people, who, for marketing or other
purposes, constantly go to and fro between that place and Peschiera,
that the Austrians had ordered a quantity of country carts and
transport waggons to be in readiness on the 23rd, and he hastened with
the intelligence to the Piedmontese General Delia Rocca, who, in a
fine spirit of red-tapism, pooh-poohed the information. The French
encountered several Austrian patrols in the course of the day, but
they were inclined to think that the Austrians were only executing a
reconnaissance. On the whole, it seems that the conflict came as a
surprise to both sides.

The Emperor of Austria, after accompanying the advance for a short
distance, returned with Hess to Valleggio for the night. Napoleon
slept at Montechiaro. The Austrian forces bivouacked on the little
hills between Solferino and Cavriana. They rested well, still
confident that no fighting would be done next day. At two in the
morning, the French began to move in the direction of Solferino, and
the Sardinians in that of Peschiera. There is a legend, that in the
grey mists of dawn an advance party of French cavalry espied a huge
and gaunt hussar standing by the roadside. For a moment the figure was
lost sight of, but it reappeared, and after running across the road in
front of the French, it turned and dealt the officer who led the party
so tremendous a blow that he fell off his horse. Then the adventurous
Austrian fled, followed by a volley from the French troopers; the
sound vibrating through the dawn stillness gave the call to arms to
the contrasted hosts. The battle of Solferino had begun.

The news flew to Montechiaro and to Valleggio. Napoleon started for
the scene of action with the Imperial Guard; Francis Joseph's staff
was sent forward at six a.m., but the Emperor and Hess did not start
till later. At near nine, the staff was looking for the Emperor, and
the Emperor was looking for the staff in the open country about Volta;
the sixty or seventy staff-officers dashed across ploughed fields and
over hedges and ditches, in a style which would have done credit to an
English fox-hunt. This remarkable incident was in keeping with the
general management of the battle on the part of the Austrians, who had
been fighting for many hours before the commander-in-chief arrived.
After his arrival, they continued fighting without any visible plan,
according to the expedients of the divisional