Page 305 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

THE 1867 CAMPAIGN 287

Massei, already wounded, and hit again is taken inside the walls where he dies
leaning on the walls of the Cathedral. The piece now unusable is taken back
inside the courtyard of the castle.
The Garibaldians build barricades against Porta Romana.
Their artillery consisted of 2 rusty springals “good more for making noise
than damage” so much so that we will not see them being used again and
maybe they were not even used in the attacks of the 25 th or at least there is
no evidence that they were.
Garibaldi, warned of the resistance encountered, goes up the road to the
station placing himself at about half a kilometre from Monterotondo on the
small hill north of S. Anna 200 metres west of the small chapel of S. Luigi.
He advises them not to expose themselves needlessly and makes arrangements
for reinforcements. It is about 09:00.
In accordance with Garibaldi’s orders, Menotti and Salomone repeat the
attack against Porta Romana, but with no greater success. Frigyesy and Mosto
occupy the cemetery, with Madonna di Loreto, Cappuccini, the nearby shoot-
ing lodge of Crociferi (today Cecconi) and the S. Matteo hill (Villa Amicizia,
today Moretti), in this way surrounding almost completely Monterotondo.
A new attack starts from the hill of S. Matteo against the hospital and
Lazzari House but is pushed back by second Lieutenant Pool and the gun of
Quatrebarbes.
The howitzer being unused, Quatrebarbes brings the gun to Porta Canonica
where he fires at Piazzale S. Rocco and S. Maria, returns to Porta Ducale and
later moves to the Lazzari garden to help the Carabinieri of Second Lieutenant
Pool to push back a second attack from the hill of S. Matteo.
At about 12:00, hit by a gun bullet, Garibaldian Major Fabio Giovagnoli
native of Monterotondo dies near Madonna di Loreto.
Lieutenant Quatrebarbes also is seriously wounded shortly after midday
outside Porta Canonica. The piece is moved to Salita Leoni above the Church
square from where with the dominion of the walls it is possible to fire at S.
Maria and Madonna di Loreto but not Piazzale di S. Rocco.
It is about 14:00, Garibaldi goes to S. Maria.
At about 15:00 there is a third attack from the northern front that also
fails. Mosto and Major Martinelli are wounded. At dusk the battle slows
down and there is some sort of truce to collect the wounded.
At about 16:00 a third attack also fails, that from the hill of S. Matteo
against post n. 3 effectively assisted by the prompt arrival of the gun in the gar-