Page 195 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

THE 1860 CAMPAIGN IN SICILY 193

those territories of criminals who, passing themselves off as patriots, extorted
money and committed robberies.
To this end, he send the Eber and Bixio columns, that later had to join at
Cape Faro.
The Medici Division (Simonetta and Malenchini regiments) was sent along
the coast, to defeat the resistance at Milazzo and Messina. From Palermo (June
th
28 ) through Termini, Cefalù and Patti, this Division reached Barcellona.
In Milazzo a garrison with 1,400 infantrymen and artillerymen had
th
recently arrived, led by Colonel Pironti. On July 14 , a rescue column (3
battalions of light infantrymen, 1 squadron, 1 mountain battery) with about
3,000 men led by Colonel Bosco, left Messina and headed for Milazzo.
The territory of Milazzo covered a small and narrow peninsula of the north-
ern Sicilian coast about 30 kilometres, westwards, from Cape Faro. The city
was located further up from the bottom of this peninsula, more eastwards and
was dominated by an old fortress. The main road continued into a carriageway
that led to Cape Milazzo, creating a sort of backbone for the small peninsula.
Between the southern walls and the northern houses of the city, lay the small
esplanade of S. Papino. A proper road stretches from the southern part of the
city, crossing gardens and houses in the suburban districts and also part of a
marshy area with palustrine reeds, bordering the village of San Pietro and reach-
ing the Mela River on one side and S. Filippo and S. Lucia on the other. Another
road branching off the first connects to the carriageway to Messina - Spadafora
– Barcellona. This carriageway, in its path crosses Gli Archi, Corriolo, and Meri.
East of Meri, the Nocito River flows into the eastern bay of the peninsula.
“The characteristics of the territory can be summarised as follows: a rich
road system; in the towns, houses next to each other; all around, many isolat-
ed houses; almost all gardens and farmsteads are surrounded by walls or robust
hedges, and mostly by thick and tall prickly pear trees. Therefore the land offers
cover, the eye cannot see very far, nay, not even for a short distance” (Mariotti).
The Medici Division was deployed between the villages of S. Lucia and Meri
(about 6 Km from Milazzo), with outposts between S. Filippo and Corriolo.
Three hundred Sicilians variously armed, led by Interdonato had joined
this Division. Two almost unserviceable cannons found in Barcellona were
added to the battery at the main exit of the village on the bridge over the
Mela Stream to enfilade the main road going from Meri to S. Pietro.
Medici had at his disposal about 2500 men covering a front of about 6
kilometres..