Page 108 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

106 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

On one side, the French were getting ready to attack, divided in three
large columns under the lead of Colonel Lespinasse; the first, formed by three
crack companies of the Rostolan Division had to attack the Aurelian walls,
supported by another column, this one, too, formed by three companies
from the regiments of that same Division; a third column had the order to
penetrate inside the walls from above and try to fall on the defenders from
behind. Large reserves, commanded by Colonel Niel, were ready to follow
the attack columns. Demonstrative attacks had been prepared, this time too,
at Porta del Popolo and Porta San Paolo.
Among Garibaldi’s lines, the attack was expected. The half ruined Villa
Spada, still hosting the headquarters, was strongly held by Manara and his
Bersaglieri; from there to the north, as far as Porta San Pancrazio and the
ruins of Savorelli house, Garibaldi’s legionnaires were deployed together with
the survivors of Masina’s Lancers. The reserves were garrisoned on Colle Pino
and in San Pietro in Montorio; a Bersaglieri detachment was sent, at the very
last minute, to the Merluzzo ramparts to defend the house and the breach
that had been opened there.
This advanced group, led by a very young officer who was not yet eight-
een-year-old, Lieutenant Emilio Morosini, was the first to be attacked, around
2am. The rain had stopped, but the sky was very dark. Having reached
unseen the rampart, the French surprised a handful of Bersaglieri and, after a
harsh struggle, overwhelmed them. While he was bravely defending himself
with his sabre and guns and at the same time giving courage to his men,
Morosini fell, seriously injured. Four Bersaglieri ran to take him, put him on
a stretcher and ran into the dark towards Villa Spada. But when they arrived
there, the Villa had been already surrounded by the French, who had succeed-
ed in penetrating inside the Aurelian walls; terrified, the bearers put down the
stretcher and tried to avoid being taken prisoner. «Admirable thing to say, –
related Emilio Dandolo – that poor boy was seen to stand up on the stretch-
er covered by his blood, and having taken his sabre that laid on his side, he
continued, moribund, to fight for his life, until he was struck a second time
in his stomach and fell again. Moved by such great and unlucky gallantry, the
French picked him up and sent him to their ambulance in the trench, where
he died, some hours later, resigned to his fate, praying and talking about his
family and moving to tears his enemies who ran astonished to see him».
Valiant and desperate was the resistance of Villa Spada. Barricaded in its