Page 51 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGNS 1836 - 1848 49

On the battle of San Antonio that for various reasons passed down in his-
tory as the most famous of those carried out and led by Garibaldi in America
we have few but sufficiently detailed descriptions. First and foremost, in
order of date and evident importance the one left by Garibaldi in his
“Autobiographical memoirs”. A tale, as usual, short, sharp and precise and
most of all pervaded by that sense of modesty, so characteristic in him, that
played down his personal valour or his great leadership. The pages of his
“Memoirs” on the days of San Antonio become clearer, both through
Garibaldi’s letters (in the form of a report), soon after the hard battle, to the
Commission for the Italian Legion resident in Montevideo and published in
many well known biographies of the Hero, and through the valuable, short
Garibaldi’s biography by G.B. Cuneo, who was in America with Garibaldi;
and also from the detailed description, also very well known, left by Sacchi,
who was then a very young officer and had a very brilliant part in that mem-
orable battle.
In order to give right away an idea of the importance of this feat of arms,
we will say that in the first day (that of the 8 February), 186 Italian legion-
naires, ordered into four small foot companies and one hundred cavalry men
(the oriental cavalry men of Bàez), in open country on the hilly and vast
fields of San Antonio found themselves confronted by 300 enemy’s foot sol-
diers in perfect formation and armed, with at least 900 excellent cavalrymen.
A disproportionate force, as is evident, very outstanding, favourable to the
enemy, which in the course of these days proved decisive and determined to
deal once and for all with the stubborn Garibaldi’s army, whose presence in
Salto and whose unceasing aggressive activity, seriously interfered with the
war plans of the Argentinians, camped in Uruguay and in the nearby
province of Corrientes.
The battle continued with short breaks for the entire afternoon of the 8 th
on the fields of San Antonio and, after the clever nightly retreat of
Garibaldi’s army, resumed in the morning of the 9 th on the margin and
inside the forest that covers the bank of the Uruguay between San Antonio
and Salto.
The losses were proportionally serious on both sides:
- Garibaldi: 43 dead (37 of which on the battlefield) and over 50 wound-
ed (among which most of the officers)