Page 126 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

124 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

In the meantime, different clues showed that the enemy intended to
attempt a raid on Turin planned from the early days of hostilities. While the
reconnaissance towards Vercelli intensified and, the 3 rd regiment of the
Hunters of the Alps was sent from Savigliano to reinforce the line of the Dora
which was in danger of being surrounded from Ivrea, the command of the
Sardinian Army, in order to better withstand that threat and support the
Cavalry Division defending the Dora, ordered general Cialdini to send
Garibaldi as soon as possible through Ivrea and to Biella, where on the after-
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noon of the 7 , the vanguard of a large Austrian Corps had appeared, direct-
ed to Ivrea. But since Garibaldi was in reconnaissance towards Bàlzola and
Villanova and, part of the troops was in outposts, general Cialdini gave orders
that the brigade must not leave for Pontestura until 07:00 the following day.
Here it would be reached by its general, who that morning had to go to S.
Salvatore where he would get instructions directly from the King, whose
esteem and trust for him was well known.
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At dawn on the 8 , while the last two companies of the Medici regiment
were in the process of retreating, two enemy columns were reported, coming
as it happens, from the direction of Bàlzola and Villanova, who opened
artillery and rifle fire on the entrenchment protecting the outposts of the vol-
unteers and the Sardinian Bersaglieri. After a lively response to that fire, the
company of the courageous De Cristoforis and some platoons of Bersaglieri
carried out a resolute bayonet attack on the enemy who retreated chased by
the Sardinian cavalry. The volunteers sustained two casualties – the first of the
campaign – and their brave behaviour in the attack, that received the admira-
tion of the Bersaglieri, inspired Garibaldi himself – who knew the human
heart more that anybody – to praise this first fortunate success “of few and
small but glorious”, during an orderly book speech talking to the heart and the
imagination of the young soldiers: “The population ran to admire them and
the women rejoiced at the virile features of the young hunters. What will hap-
pen when you appear in the midst of our people, covered in wounds and glory,
after a bayonet attack against the Austrians? The feat of arms in Casale was a
small thing, but a good omen. The bayonets were not soaked in the enemy’s
blood, because when you attacked they had their back turned toward you…”.
Having stopped for this battle, the Brigade left Casale only at 08:00 on
the way to Pontestura: here it was reached by the general who was returning
from S. Salvatore where he received from the King the written order to leave
with the double aim of trying to stop the enemy from reaching Turin and to