Page 304 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

286 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

At this point Garibaldi decided to proceed with the attack by force at
dawn of the 25 th in the following way.
Those of the Garibaldi’s forces destined to the operation will leave the
Salaria road at the Gerillo roadman’s house and will reach Casale Ramarini
though the S. Martino road:
- The Valzania and Caldesi columns, on the right, will attack Porta
Romana from the west of S. Maria;
- The Mosto (Antonio) column, at the centre, will attack Porta Ducale;
- The Frigyesy column, on the left will aim at Porta Ducale;
- The Salomone column, while waiting for the result of the attack, will
continue on the Salaria road beyond the station of Monterotondo to ward off
possible surprise attacks by the enemy from Rome.
Garibaldi had followed the Salomone column from Passo Corese, hoping
that, by managing to take possession of Monterotondo by surprise, the
columns that were carrying out the operation could reach him quickly. At
about 07:00:00, Valzania and Caldesi, reported since 06:00 from the lookout
post of the Piombino turret, launch the first violent attack against S. Rocco
and Porta Romana, but they are repelled.
They occupy the village and the convent of S. Maria firing continuously
together with those defending the door.
The attack of the Mosto and Frigyesy columns merged into one going to
Porta Ducale. The two columns drew up, on the high ground 131m above
sea level northwest of the Madonna di Loreto, they then advanced sheltered
by the small high ground in front of them. But when they came out into the
open ground, they were received by a lively gunfire that forced them to
retreat, and turning left, arrived at the Capuchin Convent pushing forward a
line of shooters but these were prevented getting close to gorge of the
Carapone by enemy’s fire.
As there isn’t a gunner inside the wall, Lieutenant de Quatrebarbes, a vet-
eran of Castelfidardo moves the rifled gun outside the door to fire it and
inside to reload, and strikes the Cappuccini’s convent forcing the
Garibaldians to run for shelter behind the building; the same manoeuvre had
to be done by Marshal Masssei with the howitzer in Porta Canonica but
because of a loading error, the shot is not fired; after some attempts to make
it work again, the weapon was left unused.
This is a difficult moment; the Garibaldians from Porta Romana became
aware of the problem and attacked to take possession of the piece; Marshal