Page 99 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

THE 1849 CAMPAIGN 97

nessed it from the ramparts where filled by such a wild enthusiasm that they
poured into the street as a human stream, mixed with the fighters and pro-
vided a new, easy target for the French.
This unexpected intervention of the crowd could only aggravate the already
difficult situation of the few valiant soldiers who had occupied the lodge and
the reinforcements who were trying to reach and replace them; after a short,
bloody fight, this time, too, the conquered position had to be abandoned. As a
macabre token, the Bolognese Lancers left to their enemies the corpse of their
leader, who was found and buried only after the taking of Rome.
On horseback, Garibaldi was the last to find shelter, together with Manara,
within the walls of the Vascello, destined to become the last stronghold of that
epic defence. Yet, although it was almost nightfall, the general did not want to
lay down all hopes of retaking the now formless ruins that from the top of the
hill seemed to threaten the walls of Rome. The «Unione» regiment (the ninth
regiment of the regular troops) having arrived at Porta San Pancrazio; he want-
ed to personally lead them to a last attack, hoping to catch the French by sur-
prise. Unfortunately, this just added more casualties to the already consider-
able number suffered on that ill-fated day; in this attack, Goffredo Mameli,
the young Genoese poet, fell wounded, among others. Transported to hospi-
tal, he died after a long-protracted struggle that he bravely endured, four days
after the excitement at the freedom of Rome had faded.
Never was the exact number of the fallen of June 3 rd known. That day
marked the destiny of the Roman Republic. There were not less than 600 vic-
tims, among the dead and the wounded. Apart from Masina and Dandolo,
Colonel Pulini, Major Ramorino, Captain David, the Lieutenants Cavalieri,
Bonnet and Grassi died; among the Lombard Bersaglieri, Captains Meloni
and Visonetti, Lieutenants Scarani, Lorena, Bucci, Gazzaniga, Marzari,
Santini and Covizzi died.
And there was also a woman among the victims: Colomba Antonietti,
Lieutenant Porzi’s young spouse, who had wanted to join her husband on the
ramparts and had her side torn to pieces by a cannon ball while she was
preparing a bag of earth for the defence of a wall, and while she fell she shout-
ed: Long live Italy!
Garibaldi’s behaviour on that memorable day has been largely discussed;
most people expressed the opinion that if, instead of launching many and dis-
connected attacks against Villa Corsini with very few soldiers, unprepared