Page 320 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

302 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

have put up enough resistance to give time to the main body of the Garibaldians
to occupy the dominant positions immediately southeast of Mentana.
nd
As it happens, they had already retreated from it on the evening of the 2 ,
because of the cold and the rain, and this was the principal cause of the disas-
trous conditions in which the action took place the following day; the respon-
sibility of it fell on Lieutenant Colonel Paggi who had received orders on this
matter and also on Major Ciotti as stated above.
As verbally instructed by Menotti, two hours before starting the march
(09:30) the Stallo battalion, at the head of the Garibaldian vanguard, was sup-
posed to leave “one hour before the time decided for the entire corps” that is at
10:30, take a flanking position on the hills on the right of the Tivoli road and
remain there until the entire column had gone past, and then retreat on the
same road. But this too was carried out imperfectly. After about half hour of
march and when the head of the vanguard should have been more or less at
Mentana, the company of the Leghorn’s Carabinieri also is sent on the right
flank, 70 chosen men, led by Captain Mayer (Santini according to others) that
had joined the Missori battalion.
Meanwhile the Stallo battalion was occupying the high ground of Ara
Cacamele and the Romitorio and possibly was about to reach Monte d’Oro,
when at 12:30-12:45 bumps into the Papal column.

THE FIRST ATTACK OF THE PAPAL TROOPS. - Major de Lambilly, commander
of the vanguard, engages immediately the Zouaves. The two companies at the
head deployed respectively on the right and left of the road, two others stay as
support on the road; Monte d’Oro and the clearing of the Romitorio are occu-
pied. With a second leap the Zouaves reinforced by two other companies con-
quer the high ground of Ara Cacamele, the Immaginella and go to the spur of
the Pianelle; the Stallo battalion is pushed back to the Santucci homestead at
the point of bayonet. The Artillery Division of the vanguard takes position on
the left of the Pianelle road; defeats Vigna Santucci. The rest of the Zouaves
regiment advances followed by the rest of the column until the Romitorio
Clearing, where the rucksacks are left.
Garibaldi who was marching at the head of the majority, at the first sign of
attack by the Zouaves against Stallo, who had joined when leaving Mentana,
stopped the column, ordered Menotti to send at once the Ciotti battalion that
was already fighting in the village to take his place in the column, at Villa
Santucci; he orders the immediate advance of the two vanguard battalions: