Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

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3 2 MJLITA R Y LIFE.
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broke out on every side, and from every city there started
and spread through the country the columns of the regiments,
which converged, united by twos and threes, and advanced
slowly to the frontiers, crowning the heights, winding along the
rivers, overflowing the valleys, and stretching out in
immense
battle-lines over the plains. On the mountains of the Tyrol,
from Lake Garda, up, up as far as the eye could reach,
gleamed in a thousand points the red bands of the volunteers,
climbing and descending the slope, disappearing in the chasms,
and reappearing on the summits of the rocks. Meanwhile all
the vast Lombardian plain was peopled with tents
and parks,
and the sound of shouts and music was heard. Then came
nightfall and all was quiet. Finally, at the break of day, a
troop of horsemen started with the rapidity of lightning from
the general headquarters, scattered in every direction, and
shouts ran on from camp to camp ;
the whole army began to
stir, organize, and advance. . . . Here the imagination
not being able to embrace the entire picture of the measureless
battle, an immense veil of mist appeared before me, broken
here
and there in great rents, through which one could see our
young regiments dashing to the assault of the hills, receding,
and reclimbing again with determination then ; squads of horsemen
with hanging lances burst venire a terre against the squares ;
then batteries hastily join other batteries, and from the
heights gleam and break the flanks of the retreating columns ;
then indefatigable troops of sharp-shooters scatter and unite,
follow, draw back, hide, and then stretch out again in long
chains, and on every side assaults succeed assaults, lines succeed
lines, and the very heavens resound with the horrible
tumult. When suddenly a deep silence falls over all,
the mist