Page 246 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

244 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

The fight had, however continued the subsequent day.
Perrone’s column, that the day before had defeated the Ferracini, Bronzetti
and Bossi battalions, after receiving reinforcements from General Ruiz, had
stopped in Caserta Vecchia, and the morning after had resumed the march
on their targets.
Garibaldi, who had stopped in S. Angelo to rest after that hard day, was
informed in the middle of the night of the presence of these enemies who,
clearly, ignored the defeat suffered by the Bourbon troops the previous day.
He was “more annoyed about his interrupted sleep than worried for the seri-
ousness of that message”. He immediately gave orders to capture them, and
not just to fight them.
Between 4am and 5am on October 2 nd , the volunteers, quickly gathered
in Caserta and marched on S. Leucio, while Bixio, after leaving a good num-
ber of men to watch over Maddaloni, marched on Mount Virgo, and
detached General Eberhardt to Caserta Vecchia. Also some men of the 1 st
st
Savoia Infantry regiment and the 1 Bersaglieri regular battalion, who had
been sent the previous day from Naples together with some gunners, when
the outcome of the battle still was uncertain, participated in this operation.
At daybreak, Perrone’s soldiers were surrounded from everywhere and,
after a few gunshots, surrendered and were taken prisoner, all but a few hun-
dred men who succeeded in escaping the encirclement and reached the King’s
camp via the of Limatola boat.
As shown by the losses (Garibaldi’s volunteers: 306 dead, 1328 wounded,
389 among prisoners and missing soldiers; the Bourbon troops: 308 dead,
820 wounded, 2160 prisoners and missing soldiers) and as shown by what
was just said, in the battle of Volturno the two adversaries were equal in brav-
ery and persistence. But prodigious devotion and courage were shown by
Garibaldi’s soldiers who, outnumbered, and with inferior armaments, and
most of all without any serious tactical preparation, were able to resist the
enemy’s incessant attack for 12 consecutive hours and then launch a victori-
ous counter-attack.
Remarkable episodes, among many other prized moments in the history
of Italy, where those of Bronzetti, who “instead of giving way at
Castelmorrone, a position entrusted to him, chose death with the bravest
among his soldiers”, and of Colonel Dezza, valiant soldier and wise com-
mander, who resolved to take Mount Caro when this idea seemed pure folly
and did not rest until the enemy had been driven away from that mount.