Page 133 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

THE 1859 CAMPAIGN 131

He therefore ordered the Medici regiment to attack the position in S.
Fermo that overlooked the road that from Cavallesca leads to S. Fermo and
that the enemy had strengthened and occupied in the shape of an arc with
the concavity facing the Garibaldians; the rest of the troops were to maintain
a waiting position in Cavallesca.
Lieutenant colonel Medici therefore ordered: the De Cristoforis company,
supported by the Susini Millelire, to attack S. Fermo from the front, as soon
as they heard the fire from the left column, formed by the Pellegrino compa-
ny and the Genoese Carabinieri of captain Poggi, all under the orders of the
Chief of Staff Captain Cenni, a column that should turn left from Cavallesca
by a path through the hills and attack the S. Fermo position from the side:
the Vacchieri company to flank the attack from the right and obstruct the
enemy’s retreat on Camerlata, south of Como. The rest of the regiment fol-
lowed as reserve.
But a lively and premature fire of a few guns from the left column con-
vinced the bold Captain De Cristoforis to launch an attack with his braves
on the oratory of S. Fermo, with no fire preparation, so that they were taken
by surprise under a very lively and precise fire and forced to take shelter under
a hey-loft. The Medici, helped by Major Sacchi, ordered the support of
another company for the attack on the left and launched a bayonet attack
with the De Cristoforis’s company, followed by the Susini’s company, and
flanked on the right by the Migliavacca’s company. The attack was so violent
and heedless of the danger that was able to overcome the deadly enemy’s fire
and the oratory of S. Fermo, a stronghold of the defence was taken, while the
manoeuvres surrounding the flanks forced the entire enemy line to retreat
southeast, toward Rondineto. All the officers of the 3 rd company had hero-
ically fallen: Captain De Cristoforis was dead and Second Lieutenants Pedotti
and Cartellieri, Lieutenant Guerzoni were wounded.
Once taken S, Fermo, Medici, went in pursuit with 250 volunteers skil-
fully led by Captain Gorini: before Rondineto he was counterattacked by
Austrian reinforcements rushed from Breccia, who were pushed back by fire
and bayonet.
In this way the high grounds overlooking Como were taken and were with
no doubt solidly occupied by the Hunters of Majors Quintini and Bixio and
those of Colonel Cosenz. Cosenz, after an exploration of the grounds south
of S. Fermo, stopped some of the enemy troops rushing from Como under
the orders of General Augustin, while Medici overcame the rest.