The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-03 00:00:00

THE FIGHT AT ASPROMONTE.

(mom otra ow. coaaseronnzrr.)
TURIN, Auauer 30.

You will have received on Saturday, at the same
hour as the news reached the Bourse in this city,
the telegraphic despatch to the effect that Gari-
baldi was defeated, wounded, and a prisoner.; and
doubtless you received this sad news with emotions
different from those which were expressed by a rise
of two francs in the funds. Garibaldi, it appears,
had occupied the position of Aspromonte, but as
the regiments sent in pursuit approached, he
abandoned it by a skilful movement, and the
pursuers lost all trace of his whereabouts. Colonel
Pallavicini, of whore I will speak more particularly,
with a picked battalion of Bersaglieri, whom he
had led to victory more than once before, divining
at a glance that Garibaldi could not have gone
on to a point which was already occupied
by a strong force of the royal troops, turned sharp
round, and marched rapidly back. He wall not
mistaken. Garibaldi had re-occupied the poeitio
at Aspromonte, six hours before, with about two
thousand volunteers. The royal force consisted of
eighteen hundred Bentaglieri.

Colonel Pallavicini sent one of his aides to Gari-
baldi to enjoin him, in the name of the King and
of the law,!to lay down his arms, with an intimation
that he had orders to use force to make the law
respected. Garibaldi returned an absolute refusal.
Thereupon Colonel Pallavicini although his soldiers
were fatigued by the forced march, and had
only had a halt of forty minutes, gave the word,
and his battalion, divided into three close
columns, marched at the double upon the volun-
teers, who held their ground resolutely. When the
regulars came up, the volunteers fired ;
the Bersaglieri fired a few shots, then charged
the position with the bayonet, and a terrible
I melee ensued. Garibaldi evidently sought
for death. His sou fought with extreme courage
and tenacity, and was wounded in the leg.
Garibaldi received a sword and a bayonet
wound. Three officers of the Bersaglieri were
wounded. Meanwhile a battalion of the 4th of
the line came up, but only iu time to prevent the
volunteers from dispersing when they saw that
Garibaldi and his son Menotti were already wounded
and prisoners. It only remaiuod for them to lay
down their arms.

Garibaldi asked to be put on board an English
vessel and conveyed to England or America. Such,
I can assure you, was his request. Colonel Pella-
vicini replied that he would apply for orders from
the government. These orders, after a council of
ministers, were that the General should be con-
veyed to Swazis,. No more than this is known here
as certain. It is vaguely reported that 200 volun-
teers are wounded and 10 killed. Further des-
patches are expected.
M. Thouvenel, on receipt of the news by tele-
graph, sent back immediately his congratulations
" on the valour and fidelity of the royal army,
of which the Imperial government bad never
doubted."

The King received the news with a mournful
seriousness, which too plainly showed how deeply
he was grieved by the sad necessity imposed upon
him. After reading the despatches he went into
the country, returning late to preside over a Cabinet
Council.

Colonel Pallavicini ie a man a little under forty
years of age, a cadet of a noble family of Cava,

[TWOPENCE

a little town in the province of biondvi. He is one
of those men in whom war is an instinct. He has
fought some ten duels, and has received four
wounds in battle. He is oovered with orders and
decorations for services in Lombardy, the Crimea,
at Ancona, and at Gaeta. He is immensely es-
teemed by his men, and their trust in him is un-
bounded. I hear he is promoted to the rank of
general.
It is rumoured that the French government will
presently declare that it has given the Pope ample
time to provide for his own security, and that the
French garrison will leave the Papal States and
return to France six months hence.

It is difficult to repress one's emotion sufficiently
to form conclu.ions as to the good or ill that may
ultimately result from this melancholy conflict.
Garibaldi had been seduced into engagements
from which it was not in his indomitable nature to
recede. Love and hate both urged him on. It may
be that this untoward maim may hear good fruit
is the Soutbara revineerfrif it removes a
kfar- disorder, and increases the prestige of the
army. On the other hand it exposes the King to
painful and, I am sure, unmerited imputations.
Certain it is that the Party of Action left Garibaldi
with no more than two thousand ineffective volun-
teers—to represent the people of Italy.