ITALIAN CAMPAIGN 1859. Pierre-Sosthène MORLAN (1830-1894) Zouave captain. 16 L.A.S. "Sosthène", April 29-July 1859, to his mother Émilie Morlan in Fargues (Landes); 71pages in-8, one address. Interesting correspondence recounting the various battles: Montebello, Magenta, Melegnano, by this captain in the 2nd Zouaves. We can only give a brief overview here.Athens April 29, on his crossing from Algeria, with a stopover in Athens... - Voltaggio May 4. Landing in Genoa to great applause; march to Voltaggio, where the division commanded by General Espinasse and the 2nd Corps commanded by Mac Mahon are concentrated: "My regiment forms the 2nd infantry brigade, with the 72nd of the line which comes from Africa"... - Tessarolo May 14, before departure for Alexandria; the Emperor passed by rail; Marshal Vaillant will be the Emperor's Chief of Staff... - Voghera May 23: marches in the rain, without encountering the enemy: "all the houses were decked out with French and Sardinian flags. The campaign was inaugurated nearby, at Montebello, by a very brilliant feat of arms"; the Austrians were beaten; 250 prisoners were taken, including a colonel... - Casal May 30: the Austrians are entrenched at Stradella, a central point between Pavia and Piacenza. "Bivouac at Magenta June 5: brief account of the battle. - Milan June 7: exhausting marches in pursuit of the enemy, to complete their rout by preventing them from rallying and taking as many prisoners as possible; lively cannonade at Melegnano, which puts the enemy in full retreat... - Calcio June 15: the Austrians have decided to leave their positions and go to Lodi; the battle at Melegnano did not have the expected results; but the Austrians have evacuated all the country as far as the Adda and the Oglio line; they are rallying behind the Mincio.... - Brescia June 19. The Austrians are concentrated at a short distance from the strong positions of Montechiaro, Castiglione, Lomato, and supported by the stronghold of Peschiera; Morlan met the Emperor who was riding in a carriage. Distribution by Mac Mahon of awards and decorations; the 2nd Zouaves received the Légion d'honneur for its bravery at Magenta... - June 20: new details on the battle of Magenta; this victory opened the road to Milan, and caused the enemy to lose nearly 20,000 men, either prisoners or hors de combat... - Bivouac at Castellaro June 29: account of the "immense and brilliant battle" of Solferino, near Castiglione, on June 24: "We fought for fifteen or sixteen hours, without a moment's truce [...] The Emperor of Austria personally commanded this battle, which he believed he would win. [...] The enemy was pursued [...] until around 9 p.m., with cannon fire"... - At the bivouac in Santa-Lucia July 9: crossing of the Mincio; investment of Peschiera; announcement of armistice... - July 15: the two Emperors signed the peace at Villafranca: "Piedmont gains a beautiful province, Lombardy, which will not have cost it much [...] Venetia is no longer part of the Austrian Empire; it is independent"... They can now return to Africa... - Castiglione July 17: visit to the battlefield; details of the fighting... - Brescia July 26: account of Austrian exactions after Radetzky's defeat at Novara... - Lodi July 29: visit to Marignan; enthusiasm of the population; arrival in Milan on July 31... Etc.About twenty family letters and miscellaneous documents, 1859-1870, including13 letters from Morlan in Italy in 1864 (Florence, Genoa, Naples and Pompeii, Pisa, Rome, with descriptions of monuments, museums, masses and festivals, etc.); family correspondence, information after the battle of Reichshoffen, where Morlan was taken prisoner...