Page 196 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

194 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

Bosco had received from Clary very strange orders. He had to leave a bat-
talion in Gesso and take another one, deployed at the outposts; he had to
leave some other units in Spadafora and S. Martino, he had to occupy Gli
Archi, a place where the three roads leading to Milazzo, Barcellona and
Messina met, to arrive maximum up to Barcellona, not to attack, but to
defend himself only if attacked.
Bosco did not undertake a needless change of outposts in Gesso and spent the
night of the 14 th in Spadafora, where he left some units. The day after, he
resumed his march, exchanged some gunfire with Medici’s outposts, but instead
of continuing straight towards Meri, with the surprise of Garibaldi’s troops, he
turned right, through a narrow and difficult road that from the small church of
Gli Archi led to the eastern seaside, and, crossing brooklets, marshes and the high
sands of the beach, he reached Milazzo and set his camp on the beach of San
Papino. His presence aroused great distress in the population of Milazzo, who
had greatly supported the liberals and now feared serious repercussions by Bosco.
On the 16 th he went to the bottom of the small peninsula, and extended
his left flank up to Gli Archi (part of the 8 th light infantrymen battalion, 1
cavalry platoon, 2 pieces under the lead of Major Maring).
Medici advanced along the left side of the Mela River.
th
On the morning of 17 , Bosco attacked the extreme right of Garibaldi’s
troops with one of his battalions, and the extreme left with another. The fight
was more violent on the right wing, led by Colonel Simonetta. The royal
troops, perhaps recognizing they were outnumbered, withdrew soon after-
ward. But Medici, foreseeing a prompt renewal of their offensive, rapidly
pushed his right flank up to S. Filippo, leaving a detachment at Corriolo, by
the Nocito River; moreover, he blocked with a strong barricade the S. Filippo
- Santa Marina crossroad on the main road connecting Meri to Milazzo.
Bosco’s new offensive did not take long to occur. In the afternoon, he
attacked with his left flank, doubled in number, against Medici’s right flank
at Corriolo, on this side of the Nocito River. At first, the right flank of the
royal troops was left in the rearguard, on the road connecting Milazzo to
Meri, then they advanced resolutely when they saw that the left flank, due to
the strong resistance opposed, was running the risk of being broken and cut
off from the main body of the army. Then the fight spread like wildfire across
the entire line, especially at the central barricade. Two companies of
Malenchini’s regiment arrived, Garibaldi’s light cavalrymen and the Etna
light cavalrymen, and after repeated attacks by bayonet, the Bourbon offen-