Page 308 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

290 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

tondo, intends to push further up towards Villa Riva, but having clashed with
the volunteers of the Valzania column and being targeted from the walls, he
his pushed back and forced to backtrack to Rome with some wounded men,
leaving some prisoners in the hands of the Garibaldians.
th
Shortly after midday of the 26 , Colonel Allet of the Zouaves, leaves
from Rome – Porta Pia - with a column composed of a company of Hunters,
one line-company, some companies of Carabinieri Esteri, various of Zouaves,
a battery on four pieces, a squadron of Dragoons; about 1200 men in all.
It advances trough the Salaria; reaches the Marcigliana and towards Forno
Nuovo, at dusk, with the help of the gun, easily repels the Garibaldian out-
posts of the Salomone column and reaches the homestead of Campanelle
near the brickworks, while the Zouaves’s company of Captain Saisy occupied
the station of Monterotondo.
Here it is involved in small skirmishes with the Garibaldian divisions of the
Salomone column, but when night falls, believing that he has no sufficient
forces, decides not to risk going further and after stopping for a while, fearing
that they will be cut off, or because of orders received, Colonel Allet, retreats at
th
about midnight to Rome where he arrives around 10:00 of the 27 .
It seems in fact that Menotti had already thought of surrounding the Papal
column by going through the Mountains of Massa and then attacking at
dawn from the flank and from the rear, but Allet managed to escape this in
time with a quick retreat.
th
In the afternoon of the 26 , Lieutenant Colonel de Charette went from
Tivoli to Montecelio where he arrived at about 19:00 with about 500 men to
cooperate with Allet column; but here he learned that Monterotondo had fallen
and was ordered to return to Tivoli, and afterwards to Rome with all his people.
The Garibaldian forces effectively engaged in Monterotondo on the 25 th
and 26 th were estimated to be in the region of 5,000 men; but maybe the
number is far higher than it was in reality.
Losses: according to Guerzoni and Bertani the Garibaldians suffered in
total 40 dead and 140 wounded; Kanzler 400 between dead and wounded;
Vitali 500 dead, which is obviously exaggerated.
Of course the losses on the part of the volunteers were serious and maybe
the data from Kanzler is closer to reality.
The Papal troops, according to what can be gathered from Vitali’s
account, suffered 2 dead and about twenty wounded. This relevant difference
in losses is normal when one considers the difference in armament and the