Page 243 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

FROM THE STRAITS TO THE VOLTURNO 241

Then, the counter-attack burst out between the railway and the consular
road. In the centre, the Milano Brigade; to the left, some units of the Eber
st
Brigade with Hussars and Bersaglieri and the 1 regiment; to the right, the
Hungarian infantry, the foreign company and the 2 nd regiment.
The situation was rapidly changed. Under the bayonet attacks of those
crowds exalted by the presence of Garibaldi, the Bourbon troops started to
give way. The assault of the volunteers, suppressed until that moment, chased
them and gave them no respite. All were worthy of that memorable day, but
the Hungarian infantrymen and cavalrymen seemed to compete with one
another in boldness and loyalty and raised the admiration of their comrades
and even of their adversaries.
The decisive attack, inflicted so bravely to the royal forces in front of S.
Maria, caused necessarily some repercussions in the right sector, where
Medici gathered the Simonetta and Guastalla Brigades and left his positions
to rush on the Bourbon troops that were in front of him, and drove them
back towards the ramparts of Capua.
Some units, however, opposed a strenuous resistance in front of the
Capuchins’ monastery; but the strong pressure exerted by the Tanara, Tasca,
and Cucchi battalions, also supported by La Porta and Corrao, forced them
to give way and they, too, withdrew towards the fortress.
At 6pm the fight ceased with the same rapidity with which it had started.
The battle lasted about 12 hours and was fought with ups and downs and
with equal bravery by the Bourbon troops and the volunteers and the
Garibaldian line from S.Angelo to S. Maria was restored. The frontal attack
planned by Ritucci had completely failed, and so, at 5am Garibaldi could
telegraph to Naples: “Victory all along the line”. But the victory achieved by
the left flank would have been useless if the day hadn’t been concluded with
the advantage being with the volunteers also on the right flank.
Let us see how.
st
While, in front of Capua, the 1 and 2 nd Divisions of the Bourbon army
engaged bravely Milbitz and Medici’s troops, the action directed against the
right flank and the rearguard of the volunteers had been fully developed and
the fight engaged between Mount Tifata and Mount Virgo and down to the
bridges of the valley had not been less violent,
The Sacchi Brigade and the Ferracini and Bronzetti Battalions from
Gradillo and from Castelmorrone had to control those coming from the
Limatola and Formicola boats.