Page 44 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

42 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

ond in command, stopping on his horse at the door of the district. Once the
punishment had been carried out, the Legion went out in a column, hard-
ened as a steel sword, and bursting with enthusiastic hurrays towards
Garibaldi who took it to battle that same day, with that irresistible magnetic
attraction he had, and that grew in desperate moments”.
The Italian Legion hardened by the iron rod of Anziani, and always under
the personal leadership of Garibaldi during the days of big battles, took from
the enemy a first known victory the 8 of June 1843, that was a solemn state-
ment of the Italian valour in that siege.
Garibaldi’s attack was overwhelming on the high ground of the Cerro that
closed immediately west of Montevideo bay, precisely where the besieged had
the extreme left of their outposts. After a very short fire, the enemy was
repelled at the point of bayonets from his fortified positions, leaving many
dead on the ground and 43 prisoners in the hands of the Italian Legion that
returned to the city admired and cheered triumphantly.
Another important feat of arms took place during a big sally at the Tres
Cruces (Three Crosses), where the Legion had serious and painful losses. The
Argentinian general Mitre, mentioned earlier, was a witness and reported the
events of this hard and glorious day in these words is:
«At dawn of the 17 November ’43, a column of foot soldiers, preceded by
some guerrilleros, went out of the line of defence of the fortified city under
siege. The Italian Legion was part of this. The small troop was under the
command of the Uruguaian Colonel Josè Neira, an old and brave soldier. The
column was soon attacked by the enemy. Neira, victorious at first, pushed
courageously too far forward and was killed after fighting with desperate
heroism rather than be taken prisoner. To get the body of their leader back,
the Uruguaians fought a furious battle. At this point, like the Archangel of
Death, Giuseppe Garibaldi appeared on the field, standing tall on his reddish
horse, with his white hat pushed on the back, waving a cavalry sabre snatched
from the hand of a soldier. Seeing his and hearing his voice, everybody felt
heroic. The appearance of Garibaldi changed the outcome of the event trans-
forming it in a big and bloody battle with 1500 men on each side.
“Garibaldi, by order of Colonel Faustino Velasco, an Argentinian in com-
mand of the external line, took on the role of commander in chief.
The battle became general from the respective positions. After about an
hour of strong fire from both sides, a prolonged roll was heard: the fire from