Page 198 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

196 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

cavalrymen squadron; 2 nd echelon: 2 light cavalrymen battalions in column,
each behind a flank; reserves: 1 regiment in Milazzo. If we include the garri-
son of Colonel Pironti, their forces totalled 4500 men. “Very familiar with
that place, the enemies had wisely profited of all natural or artificial obstacle
in that countryside” (Garibaldi).
At 5am, Malenchini advanced from the beach of Santa Marina, drove
back the royal outposts and attacked their first line on the side of S. Papino.
But the fire of this line (gunfire and artillery) and a violent charge of the light
cavalrymen stopped him and caused chaos among his columns.
While this was occurring to Garibaldi’s left flank, Medici and Simonetta
attacked Bosco’s left flank with their right flank, but in that case, too, a fierce
resistance was put up, since the royal forces were covered by thick hedges of
prickly pear plants and responded with very effective fire. The Genoese
Carabinieri lost in these attacks half of their regulars. And so things turned
out badly for the soldiers of freedom, both on the right and on the left side.
Then the Cosenz echelon intervened and this general took the command
of the left flank; Dunne’s battalion with its young children of freedom, some
kids collected in the streets of Palermo, Corrao’s battalion with other Sicilians
and Vacchieri’s battalion joined the fight. Also Garibaldi dismounted and
rushed to the fray with his best officers: Brida, Missori, Statella. Brida fell,
Medici and Missori suffered the loss of their horses, killed in the fight; also
Garibaldi’s horse was wounded and he lost the heel of one of his boots, hit
by a splinter. Yet, a handful of valiant soldiers, climbing some small walls and
crawling among the prickly pear plants, rushed to take a piece from Bosco’s
left flank; the volunteer in the lead, Alessandro Pizzoli, was reduced into
pieces by a volley, but his comrades achieved their undertaking and turned
that piece against the enemy. Bosco, furious, ordered to take it back and to
this end ordered a charge of his light infantrymen. They furiously rushed
against a group of officers, among which there was also Garibaldi now on
foot. The danger was very serious. Captain Giuliani, who was about to hit
him with his sabre unsheathed, fell with his throat slashed, wounded by
Garibaldi; Lieutenant Faraone fell, mortally wounded by the young Marquis
Alfredo Bertini from Spataro; Missori shot dead many enemies; the Genoese
Carabinieri and Fabrizi’s Sicilian squads, who had immediately rushed to
help, did the rest. The Bourbon cavalrymen then turned their horses back
and fled in disorder towards Milazzo.