Page 257 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

FROM THE STRAITS TO THE VOLTURNO 255

with each other, and remained indifferent to what was happening in the other
sectors. It was therefore possible for the Perrone’s column to continue their
march beyond Caserta Vecchia on the morning of the 2 nd when the fight had
finished the previous afternoon.
How could Garibaldi’s army gain the upper hand over their enemy? Was
it because of the inadequacy of the Bourbon’s commanders? Not just this.
Inferior in number and, as we have many times pointed out, formed by dif-
ferent elements, badly armed, with defective equipotent, mostly untrained
and with very weak discipline, Garibaldi’s troops could prevail thanks to their
unfailing predominance of mind over matter - for which many times in his-
tory small armies won over larger ones, and the week triumphed over the
strong – and thanks to their expert, brave and tenacious commanders, who
implemented the orders received by Garibaldi, who was able to choose his
men and get to know them very well.
They prevailed because they were led by Garibaldi, who dominated the
battlefield from S. Maria to Maddaloni, with his powerful personality, always
present where the outcome was uncertain, not only to act as a leader should,
but also to throw himself into the whirl of the combat, to encourage his men
with his inflamed words, to pierce the hearts of the fearful and the hesitant
with his irresistible eyes.
Was Garibaldi a leader of troops? After what we have said, is it still possi-
ble to doubt it?
In his wild life, this warlord engaged 40 battles and won 37. When he did
not defeat his enemy, his enemy could not defeat him.
Nature gave him an original beauty, strength and courage, a passion for
difficult and wonderful undertakings, a disregard of danger, faith in himself,
a sense of invincibility, a deep sense of the ground and a sense of direction
both on land and at sea, an insight for events and readiness of decision, the
virtue of not becoming alarmed and not being taken aback, a passion for the
wandering and restless life of the soldier of fortune and fortune, his ever-pres-
ent companion, smiled on him.