Page 148 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

146 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

ment by both – should move to Lonato in the morning of the 15 th to observe
the movements of the enemy. In the meantime, General Garibaldi would
arrange to repair as much as possible the Bettoletto Bridge on the Chiese,
north of the Brescia-Lonato road. But since the Emperor later changed his
mind, with the danger of moving the Sardinian troops of the French Army
even further away, he invited the King to remain on the Mella, and therefore
there was a counter-command to the ordered move: the counter-order, sent
th
at dawn of the 15 , arrived in time to stop, just as it was starting, the march
of the cavalry division, that remained in Torbole, but never reached – for
unknown reason – Garibaldi, who at 5 o’clock in the morning started for the
Chiese with the Brigade.
The guides on horseback, who as usual provided a very laudable service,
soon indicated that there were outposts of the Urban Division on the railway
south of Treponti. General Garibaldi, waited a while for the cavalry Division
in Rezzato, but when it failed to show up sent a note to the King informing
him that in the meantime he would continue the march to carry out the task
at the Bettoletto Bridge: and he marched on.
When he arrived in Treponti, he placed, between this locality and Bettola
di Ciliverghe, as a protection for his right flank open to attacks by the close
enemy, the Cosenz regiment and a battalion of the 2 nd regiment with a
squadron of Genoese Carabinieri, led by Medici, and he left with the rest of
the columns for the Bertoletto Bridge.
But the situation was not clear, so that Garibaldi, who normally gave pre-
cise orders, when a little later he herd a short fire, turned back and ordered
Colonel Türr to occupy with two companies of the Cosenz regiment, the exit
of Treponti to Castenedolo and to reconnoitre well the enemy to the south;
he also left for the head of the column heading to the Bertoletto bridge, leav-
ing for good measure, another three companies of the Arduino regiment, as
ordered by Captain Croce, as a support for Medici recommending that they
did not to move at any cost until the arrival of the cavalry Division.
The quick and bloody battle later called of Treponti took place during the
absence of the leader, a battle also called of Castenedolo or of Rezzato.
At about 7:30 am an enemy reconnaissance clashed with the military
defence line of the Cosenz regiment and was easily repulsed. An hour later,
three companies advanced in order of combat and they were also repulsed
with a double counterattack, in the front and the flanks.