The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-31 00:00:00

ALEXANDER DUMAS AND THE BATTLE OP

MELAZZO.

The Paris Prase publishes a letter from M.
Alexandre Dumas, describing the engagement at Mebum,
of which be was an eye-witness. The following are
extracts :

" At dawn on the 20th, all the troops were in movement
to attack the Neapolitans, who had come out of the fort
and village of Nelms; which they occupied. Mslenchini
commanded the left ; General Medici and Cozens the centre ;
while the right was composed of • few companies only,
Intended to cover the centre and left wing from a ear-
' prim. Garibaldi was in the centre, where the action was
expected to be the sharpest. The firing began on the left
from the Neapolitan outposts, concealed in a reed bed
half-way between Mist and ldelau.o. A quarter of an hour
later the centre attacked the Neapolitan line and drove
It from Be first position. The right meanwhile die-
lodged the Neapolitans from some houses which they own.
pled. As the difficulties of the ground prevented reinforce-
ments from arriving, Bosco, with 6,000 men, turned upon
the 500 or 600 men who had driven him back. The latter
I were at fiat obliged to retire before the superior number'
; of the enemy, but, when other troops came up to their aid,
they again attacked the enemy, many of whom were still
concealed among reeds and protected by ffg•trees, so that a
cheer° with the bayonet was impossible. Medici, while
advancing at the head of his men, had a horse lulled under
him Cozens was struck in the neck by • spent ball and
fell he was for • moment supposed to be mortally wounded,
but he was only stunned, and almost instantly he was
on lie legs again, shouting Viva Vitali& !' Garibaldi,
at fie head of the Genoese carbineem and some guides,
attempted to take the enemy in the flank, but suddenly
cams on a gun placed on the centre of the road, and which
he determined to attack. When within twenty paces, the
cannon, loaded with grape, was fired by the King's troops.
The effect was terrible—only five or six men remained
standing. Garibaldi had part of his boot and his stirrup
carnal away ; his horse was also wounded, and he was
compelled to alight. Major Bredaand his trumpeter were
killtd by his side ; Mison's horse fell dead under him ;
&stills was left standing unhurt in the midst of the iron
storm; all the others were killed or wounded. The gun
which had done all the mischief was taken soon
after. Then the Neapolitan infantry opened and
gave passage to a charge of fifty cavalry for the
purpose of retaking the piece. Colonel Donon's men,
who iad been but little under • fire, threw them-
selves :0 the sides of the road instead of receiving the
charge on their bayonets. The cavalry came like a whirl-
wind, .be Sicilians firing from both sides. Thus assailed
both rght and left, the commander of the Neapolitan
cavalry stopped, and wanted to tarn back, but found the
mamma barred by General Garibaldi, !diem, Statella, and
five or six men. The general seized the officer's bridle,
and crbd out, 'Surrender!' The officer replied with
a blow of his sabre, which Garibaldi parried, and
by a back stroke cut the officer's cheek open. The
latter fell from his horse. Meanwhile, three or four
sabres were raised against the general, who wounded one
of hie assailants with a thrust of his sabre, while Misori
killed two others and the horse of a third with his revolver.
Statella brought down one antagonis►, while another, who
sprang at Misori's throat, was killed by the fourth shot of
his revolver. While this struggle was drawing to a close,
Garibaldi rallied his scattered men, charged with them, and
either took or killed the rest of the fifty horsemen. Seconded
by hie centre, he next charged the Neapolitan', Bavarians,
and Swiss with the bayonet. The Neapolitans fled at once,
' but the Bavarians and Swiss made a short stand before they
gave way. This decided the fate of the day."

The Official Gazette of Turin publishes a law
enacting that an exhibition of aviculture, manufactures,
and fine arta of all Italy, shall be held in Florence in Sep-
tember, 1861, for which • sum of 150,000 fr. is provided
from the public treasury. A royal decree follows, ap-
pointing Prince Eugene of Savoy Carignan honorary, and
Marquis Ridolfi acting, president of the committee entrusted
with the organisation of the exhibition.
The Count de Chambord and the Duchess of
Parma, after staying • short time at Lucerne, where they
received numerous visitors, chiefly French, have now taken
their departure—the former for Frohsdorff, and the latter
for her chateau on the banks of the Lake of Constance.
"We are assured," says the independence, "that the
exiled prince, in his quality of chief of the house of
Bourbon, does not disguise that he blames severely the
recent acts of the Count de Montemolin—his inopportune
disembarkation in Spain, his undignified submission to
Queen Isabella, and his lamentable retractation! It is said
that the Count de 3f ontemolin begged to be allowed to
justify himself before the prince, but that his royal high-
ness refused to receive him."

Two Italian journals, the Cettadino d'Asti and
the Corriere Mercantile, affirm that the Emperor Napoleon
and King Victor Emmanuel will have an interview some
time in the first fortnight of August.

A subscription list has been opened in Paris and
the departments for the benefit of tho Christians of Syria
who have survived the massacres. It is expeoted that about
Ioo,ooofr. may be forwarded to Syria in the course of the
present week.
"• •

•
The American colleges are now holding their
annual commencements. The number of colleges and col-
legiate imtitutions in the country is about 124, giving
diplonnia to not less than 2,000 graduates every year. Of
course the learned professions are well supplied.
Ax EXECCTION AT New YORK. —A letter from
New York says :—" The mob of New York had a sensation
last week—vu., the execution of Hicks, the pirate, who
killed the captain and mate of the sloop E. A. Johnson
for • matter of thirty pounds. Before his execution Hicks
confessed his crime, and also boasted that he had committed
many other murders. He dictated his life and adventures
to • scribe, and made arrangements for the publication by a
sensation' bookseller. The proflta are to be given to the
relict of the departed scoundrel. The execution was a
singular affair, to say the least. Aooording to the usual
custom, under the old Admiralty common law, Hicks
was hanged as near as possible to the place where the
murders were committed. The spot was an island in the
bay, in full sight of the city, and about eight miles from
its southern extremity. Under the state law, executions
are strictly private, but the federal authorities
made this public. At 10 o'clock in the morning the
marshal waited on the condemned at the city prison,
and read to him the death-warrant of the President.
Hicks prepared instantly for death, and arrayed himself
in • blue cottonade suit, worked with anchors and
other nautical emblems in white. He wore a black cap
with • fancy tassel, and altogether looked as if he
was dressed for • fancy ball. He was then taken to •
steamboat at the water-vide, where he met above five
hundred persons, who had been specially invited to
see him die. The company ate, drank, and joked, Si if it
were a pleasure excursion. As the boat steamed out of the
dock she turned up the river instead of down, and the
party on board were treated to a view of the Chalt Eastern.
This accomplished, the steamer laid a straight course for
the Leland, which was surrounded by myriads of craft of all
sizes. It was • bright, beautiful summer day. with hardly
wind enough to stir the pennants on the mastheads of the
vessels. The sloop E. A. Johnson was anchored off the island,
and had all her colours flying almost under Hicks's nose.
He left the boat with two Roman catholic priesta, walked
steadily to the gallows, and was hanged a moment after-
wards. A suppressed murmur went up from the crowd
(there were over ten thousand persons present), and they
then turned to their former avocations. The numbers
friends gave him a vote of thanks for his kindness in inviting
them to the show."
CETNIAL PALACE. -- ONE SHELLING DAT.
MONDAY, JOLT 30.—Admissions on payment; 9,334 ,
ditto by neon tickets, 849 ; total visitor; 10,183.