Page 186 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

184 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

lon stopped, the squads, under the enemy’s fire and not able to return it, hes-
itated and ran to the gardens on the sides of the road, “Come on, Alpine
troops!” shouted Garibaldi. And then Bixio rushed with his men; the
Carabinieri and some courageous Sicilians checked the enemy’s advance,
mounted their bayonets and crossed the Admiral’s bridge, leaving dead and
wounded here and there: Squiglio, Ciuro, Inserillo. Bixio, too, was wound-
ed, and then dismounted his horse and continued on foot. Another group
of the Mille, with Faustino Tanara, and the insurgents with Abbé Rotolo
drove back a cavalry platoon coming out from around the Decollati Church.
In Tonnarazza there was a royal company; they could have attacked the
insurgents on their flank, going through the gas meter’s pathway; but, lucki-
ly enough, at the first gunshots they took the seaside road and withdrew to
the stronghold of Castellammare.
Always pursuing the Bourbons, after another skirmish at Ponte delle Tre Teste,
the column reached Porta Termini, at the crossroad of the road that from S.
Antonino led to the sea (now Via Lincoln) and the road that from Ponte
Ammiraglio led to Piazza Fieravecchia (now Piazza Della Rivoluzione). The place
was dangerous, since it was exposed to a cross fire from a vessel that every now
and then shot from the sea and from the troops that occupied Porta S. Antonino.
A company of the 9th line regiment, lying in wait behind a barricade,
defended the gate. They opposed some resistance then withdrew to their
main corps in Piazza Bellini, near S. Cataldo Church. Nullo is the first to
cross the dangerous crossroad; in small groups, the assailants led by Bixio,
Damiani, Bezzi, Dezza, Mosto, Menotti, Calvino, Campo, Bavin-Puglisi,
Mondino crossed the barricade leaving many wounded behind them; also
Garibaldi crossed it. And then a small column headed to the left, through
Porta S. Antonino, another continued through Fieravecchia, whereas Fuxa
entered from Porta Reale with other two squads. It was about 5am when
Garibaldi reached Fieravecchia.
What for a moment had impressed the assailants was the unpreparedness of
the city. But soon many members of the Committee rushed to Fieravecchia,
among which La Loggia; other courageous and daring people followed; the
bells rang, small groups of citizens started to form, rumours rapidly spread:
Garibaldi! Garibaldi! And so people roused and, after a first moment of hesita-
tion, ran to take weapons and made barricades. Garibaldi, led by some squad
leaders, continued through the inner city and arrived in Piazza Bologni and
from there to Piazza Pretoria, where he established his headquarters.