Page 38 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

36 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

because of the well-known lack of courage and energy of its commander
Villegas. A cargo ship, placed near this squadron, would have functioned as
a naval hospital during the battle.
Garibaldi, disembarked all men that where not indispensable on board
and placed under the command of the brave major Pedro Rodriguez, with the
mandate to carry out offensive manoeuvres on the terrain of the left bank, to
stop the enemy from warping and hit him with fire from land, hampering its
advance. But the Argentinian admiral Brown had landed on the same bank
with 500 men, and a violent battle also on land followed lasting with various
turns of events for the entire duration of the two hard days of the bloody
naval battle, resulting, from both sides, in a single and harmonic mixed oper-
ation.
In the course of the first day of battle which was very violent from the
beginning, Brown barely managed to take a battle position with his squadron
that was very tormented by the bold activity of Garibaldi’s skirmishers, hid-
ing above the left bank.
At dawn of the 16, the battle resumed with furious fire from all the
artillery of the Argentinian ships. Brown, aware of the small range of the
enemy’s guns, kept at a safe distance so that only the guns of the Constitución
were able to cause damage to his ships, while Garibaldi’s were an open target
for all the enemy’s artillery. This unequal battle went on with epic episodes
for the entire day. Rodriguez’s skirmishers with their insidious and close fire
from land were the only means to cause serious losses to the enemy artillery-
men and in this way lessen the damage of their fire on Garibaldi’s fleet.
Casualties were numerous on both sides. The river and the nearby bank
flashed under the terrible fire and, on land, attacks and counter attacks were
frequent, carried out with fury and enormous valour.
In truth, Garibaldi hoped that Brown would decide to try to board. Better
to face the risk of a close battle, then go on being subjected to damage from
the distance and not be able to give an adequate response. But the clever
enemy admiral didn’t get dragged into the Uruguaians’ game. Garibaldi’s fleet
was so battered that was only resisting thanks to the superhuman energy of
its commander who, fearless of the great dangers, rushing wherever his pres-
ence was necessary, encouraging everybody with his irresistible voice urging
and giving orders and by his magnificent example, seemed to challenge, like
a god of war, the enemy’s rage, among the shattered trees, the ripped keels