Page 89 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

THE 1849 CAMPAIGN 87

Bixio; there were about 300 casualties, and 150 injured; among the latter, also
Garibaldi, who had been shot in his side by a bullet, that, if it did not make
him unfit for the war, caused him serious pain.
However, the general wanted to make the victory complete that same
evening by going out of the city and cutting across the French path towards
Civitavecchia, where the French were withdrawing; it was a serious mistake,
made perhaps by Mazzini and Avezzana, not to agree with Garibaldi and
Galletti’s suggestion, as the French were undoubtedly upset by the setback
suffered and did not have either cavalry troops or fresh troops to oppose the
two regular regiments and the Roman cavalry, who had not yet fought.
Rumours had it that Mazzini, apart from hesitating to risk the republican
young militia in the open, was also reluctant to expose France to a full defeat,
since he believed that his democratic friends in the French Chamber would
know very soon how to impose a change of policy towards the government
of Rome.
He also insisted in asserting that the latter was not at war against France,
but just defending itself; «as the war – Loevinson rightly stated – was not
already underway, and to avoid it it was not necessary to win the enemy».
New generous and idealistic illusions, those felt by the great Genoese, unfor-
tunately contradicted in the following days by the bitterest reality. So, while
the people of Rome organized very solemn funeral honours for the French
who had died in battle and the Triumvirate ordered the most attentive care
for the French injured in the hospitals, and to let them free once they had
recovered and accompany them and the other prisoners in friendly procession
up to the gates of the city, General Oudinot telegraphed Paris: «I urge rein-
forcements and siege artillery».

PALESTRINA AND VELLETRI

Meanwhile, other enemies were threatening to converge against Rome.
While the Austrian troops marched through Tuscany and Romagna and
rumours reported an imminent landing of Spanish troops at Gaeta, a
Neapolitan Division with 6700 men led by General Winspeare had already
reached the Alban Hills and another column led by Colonel Cutrofiano, was
marching to join them.