The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-25 00:00:00

TEE BRITIS.H LEGION.

(EXTRACT FROM A. PRITATE LETTER.)
BATTERY AT ST. ANGELO, BEFORE
CAPUA, Nov. 14, 1860.
We landed at Naples on the 15th of October, one
month to-morrow (which appears more like as many
years), left for and arrived at Caserta about 7 o'clock
in the morning of the 16th drawn up in line, and
the brave general rode down our front ; from here
we were marched to our quarters, a wing of the ex-
King Bomba's palace, four times the size of Buck-
ingham Palace—a magnificent edifice. Our quarters
for sleeping consisted of straw on stone floors. The
garden attached to the palace is the second in the
world, and of which I will give you a glowing de-
scription when next I see you. Breakfast at
quality hours, varying from 11 a.m. till 3 and 4
p.m , consisting. of half a pint of sour wine and
bread—exceedingly fattening. Left Caserta, of
little importance (filled with military), on the morn-
ing, at daybreak, of the 17th, for Santa Maria, a
distance of three miles, another town filled with
military. It was here that we beheld the town of
Capua, a distance of two miles and a-half from the
heights of an old amphitheatre, the head-quarters
of the famed Hannibal ; on the morning of the 19th,
at 4 a.m., for the front, after marching for some
distance, till we arrived abreast of San Angelo; we
branched off across ploughed fields under cultiva-
tion, and beautiful vineyards, until we arrived at a
farmhouse ; there took up our position behind a
good English hedge, enclosing a vineyard and
orchard ; after a short stay we received orders to
march forward as supports to 4th and 7th com-
panies, the 2d supporting us, and the Grenadiers
to the right to defend a battery, the Bth, 9th, and
fith being to the extreme left, and relieved us about
7 p.m., when, positioned behind a farmhouse, well
to the front, and where we lost all our men. After
marching from the orchard, a distance of say 1,100
yards, we received orders to halt, this being a small
thinly-timbered bit of ground at the edge of a small
plain ; it was here the enemy first espied our red-
coats; being a conspicuous target they opened very
heavy upon us from their batteries to the right,
half-face, and from their Riflemen (Swiss and Bava-
rians, between 3,000 and 4,000 strong) in front,.
we caught it very sharp here, the trees being but
little protection, none more than twelve inches in
diameter ; every minute shell flew and burst
around us, splintering the trees and uprooting the
ground, and the bullets whizzed past us as if it were
a hail shower. Well, Harry, I ,thought, you are
in for it now, hot and strong; of course I felt ner-
vous, being my first time under fire, and frightfully
weak, with severe dysentery. After remaining
here some 20 minutes, advance was the word, across
the plain, at the double (having to cross a beauti-
ful limpid stream), exposed fearfully to theenemy's
shell, round shot and bullets, up the hill to a
farmhouse, when an awful sight met our gaze, poor
Tucker, the correspondent of the Illustrated Lon-
don News, being carried to the rear by four com-
rades, a bullet having passed through his left temple,
and Mitchell laying dead under the wall, his breast
literally covered with blood from a wound below
the heart, and several wounded were lying around,
and not a doctor on the ground. We (No. 1) were
now extended to the right and left in skirmishing
order (accompanied by the Bersaglieri Rifles,
splendid fellows, and as cool as snow) ; we took up
our position behind trees of from 5 to 11 inches in
diameter, which was poor covering, especially
wearing our scarlet uniform. However, we went
to work at the royalists eagerly, and got it very
hot from their shell and bullets in return ; more or
less now fell killed and wounded, some most hor-
ribly from pieces of shell. We kept it up in good
style until seven o'clock, when we fell in and were
relieved for the night. The firing had now
slackened materially, and we left the ground for a
farmhouse in the rear, cooked some coffee, and eat
some bread about eight o'clock, being our first
taste for 29 hours, not having had anything from
three o'clock on the 18th. After breakfast at night
we buried poor Tucker in the adjoining garden,
all the men forming a square round the grave ;
.two drummers, one at each end of the grave with
a long candle, the adjutant at the head .of the
grave, and Colonel Peard behind him • and the
officers around made the scene a solemn and
imposing one, and many were the moans and
tears which dropped from the lips and eyes of his
companions in arms. We planted slips of rose
trees, &c., around, covering in his grave, and
placing a suitable inscription on the head-stone :
He fought and died for Italian liberty." At nine
o'clock we rolled ourselves up in our blankets on
the straw in the farmyard ; the enemy not know-
ing our position did not throw their shell in
amongst us, but sent them whizzing over heads
all night at short intervals. At three o'clock next
morning, the 20th, I volunteered, with 39 others,
to man an English battery, all picked men. From
this date we have had nothing to do whatever with
the English battalion, and Colonel Peard, and the
complaints laid against them. The colonel wahave
to do with is Dowling, a true bit of British pluck.
He is well worthy of his name, and cannot be
spoken of in too great terms. He has done every-
thing for our comfort since we joined the artillery.
We marched to Caserta to get our guns. Left for
Volturno on the 24th to throw a bridge across the
river ;, accomplished the task in eight hours; very
heavy work, and up to our armpits in water. We
have received great praise for this piece of work,
and took the first artillery gnat; across. The whole
of Garibaldi's army, and Sardinians attached to
him, crossed during the night and following day,
it being the only bridge placed over the Volturno.
The following are the names of the British artil-
lery who built the bridge across the Volturno, a
distance of 120 yards, not, as the Times has it, be-
tween 20 and 30 yards. The part of the bridge
which broke down twice was not built by us at
all; we had nothing to do with it only to clear
away the wreck for the Piedmontese artillery to
rebuild a distance of not more than 20 yards at

the outside :
Dowling, Colonel : Edenborough, Henry, Cap.
tain and Adjutant, Kensington, London; Kendall,
Richard, of Newcastle; Blackett, Frederic, of Leeds;
Hill, John Munro, of Edinburgh ; Hill, Henry
George, of Bristol; Sirrelle, Nicholas Holder, of
Hereford; Leader, Leonard, of County Cork ;
Wrixon, Nicholas, of County Cork ; Eyre, J. Mack-
lin, of Newcastle; Dunbar, C. S., of Portsmouth ;
Morton, George P., ditto ; Brown, Josiah Wayman,
of Clifton, Bristol ; Hinton, John, of Manchester ;
James, John Rees, of Chiselhurst ; Dormiston,
Thomas, of Newcastle; Hoare. Edward, of Ciren-
cester ; Flocton, Squire, of Romferd ; Flocton,
Webster, of Romford ; Aldridge, John, of London ;
Branscombe, Charles Coles, of Surrey. ; Jamieson,
Thomas, of Queenstown M'Donald, John, ditto;
Aitkenhead, Alexander, of Glasgow ; Burns, James,
ditto; Geneste, Louis, ditto; Adam, Alfred, ditto;
Calder, Frederic John, ditto; Seeley, James, ditto.
The following have since left and been replaced
by others : Williamson, Adamson, Bradbury,
Nuttall, Jones, Phillips, Burleigh, King, Keating,
Rushborough, Ramsden, Jackson.
After the completion of the bridge at 10 p.m. we
sat on the opposite bank of the Volturno, eating our
bread and drinking our wine, admiring with true
English sang froid the novel spectacle presented to
our view. The moon, as if to honour the occasion,
threw her beams more brilliantly than usual upon
the scene. The rapid waters of the Volturno
reflected her rays like a sheet of silver, and p.ayed
upon the bayonets of the troops as they wended
their way across with a silent and measured tread.
It was truly a magnificent spectacle. Looking down
the river towards Capua, the ruins of a Roman
bridge stood out in dark relief. Across the river
stood the remnants of a ferry-house, its walls and
battered roof showing a stern memorial of the
celebrated Ist of October ; it was taken and retaken
five different times before the Garibaldians obtained
final possession of it. On the right of thisad been
were
the remains of a sand-bag battery, which h
completed to cover us while building the bridgde, so
nobly defended by our gallant colonel on that.
da•y.
On the left another half-finished battery, ina is-
tinctly discerned. The camp fires aroun us
whizzed and crackled ; the hum of voices and
steady tread of troops could not fail to impress
upon us that something great was impending.
On the 26th, at sunset, we received orders to
march immediately for Calvi, a
distance of
twelve miles, over a very ragged road. On
arriving at a deserted village two guides
awaited us, and led the van over such roads and
through such passes as called forth explrlessainodnsthoef
great surprise. The moon was
at its fa
distant Apennines, covered with snow, did not fail
to strike the imagination that the scenery around
was of extreme grandeur. We arrived at the
bridge at Calvi about 12 o'clock, tired, and were
only too glad to lie down on our bed of straw in a
stable. On the following morning the general and
his staff halted at our door, and quenched their
thirst. The general wore his usual dress—a red
shirt, with handkerchief tied round the neck and
hanging loosely down his back. It was here I bad
a good opportunity of judging the man. He apPears
everything that has been said. of him, and vog t's
iffable with us as if we were his most intimate
friends. His appearance bore strong
harassing duties he has had to contend with. Later
in the morning the
King Victor Emma .
nue; pass( d
marks of the
,s a fine-
our quarters, with a few of his staff. yinch a 501_
looking fellow, and I should say eve*"y about 10
dier. At night, whilst I was
p.m., one of our cavalry rode
d the word, and
past
the
the cry
of " Neapolitan cavalry !"
cur men were ready in two
of all corners ;but infdesusstes at their posts,
and prepared to sweep the roa
we were not troubled, it beiaLaufpalse alarm, Whilst
for rations. Our
quartered here we were drlV

colonel kindly shared his loaf with us. A little
' incident worthy to be mentioned of the man has
I
just been brought under my'notiee. A little time
before starting for Calvi he broke a blood vessel,
which caused great weakness, but finding one of
our company, a cripple, having run a spike nail into
his foot, and limping much, he insisted upon his
mounting his horse, and for a distance of eight
miles he marched on foot with us. I merely men-
tion this to show of what material the man is made in
comparison with the colonel of the English Legion.
On Sunday morning, the 21st, at daybreak, we
marched back to St. Angelo with the main body. We
were just in front of the geheral and hie staff, which
afforded him a good opportunity of judging the 40
British boys of the English artillery. On arriving
at the bridge over the Volturno we found it had
again given way on the side just repaired by
the Piedmontese artillery. This occasioned a
halt of some hours, and enabled us to get a swim
in the river, but prevented our getting any rat,ons
until the next morning; therefore, turn in, was
the word, on straw and an empty stomach. Our
battery at San Angelo, rising some hundred feet
above the vast plain in front covered a ith beautiful
vineyards and dotted with farm-houses, encircled
by the Apennines, and commanding a splendid
pviieedwhoyf
ourthe citybesi
besieging
Capua, and of the position occu-
troops, at once impresses the
mind with the contrast between the beauties of
nature and the desolations of war. For several days
we witnessed the dashing exploits of the Garibalt •
dians on the plain before Capua, as they repulsed
the vigorous and oft-repeated sorties of the royalists.
Our general, quickly tiring of this waste of time,
resolved upon bringing the siege to an issue, and,
much against his inclination, as he was loth to in-
jure the property and endanger the lives of the
peaceful inhabitants, gave them 24 hours to capitu-
late, or the option of 1,200 shells being thrown into
the town ; but from the repeated firing of one of
their largest guns, which we had christened', Tom
Sayers," we could easily imagine that they had rx,
inclination to adopt the more merciful proposal ef
our general, or, in other words, " Tom Sae erg' "
backers would not throw up the sponge without
another round or two. At 4 p.m an the Ist of Nov,
the 24 hours having expired, the signal to eons-
mence the bombardment was given by the hoisting
of a red flag on the heights above us: Then fol-
lowed a scene novel to me, and of which the impres-
sion will be indelible. From all sides our guns
opened with a roar upon the city famed for having
for months defied the efforts of two of the world's
most renowned generals. As the evening closed the
scene improved in grandeur. The passage of the
shells through the air was plainly discernible as
they converged from the different points of attack
upon Capua. The result of each shell was made
perceptible by the explosion throwing its towers in
strong relief againstthe darkened sky. A garden
battery to our right received some severe hitting and
frequent visits from the shells of " Sayers." A mor-
tar battery to our left nearly silenced by the well-
directed shells of another gun of heavy calibre,
which we christened " Jack Heenan." Away to
the S.W. the Sardinian gunners played upon the
town with good effect. At half-past twelve a blue
lightearpepeenaarhed le
ttoo
itohe S.W,we terpret bpoint
whichofth
we
acity,
intendedwbich
by the enemy tat ndicate a cessation of hostilities
and confirmed at day-break by a white flag floating
from one of the principal to tiers. This day
the
terms of capitulation were agreed to. On the fol-
lowing morning we were among the first at the
gates, and witnessed the marching out and piling
arms of 9,000 Neapolitan prisoners, as well as the
entrance of our troops. Immediately after I strolled
through the city and viewed the destruction com-
mitted by our shells, one of which passed through
the roof of the principal chapel, elaborately painted
and decorated with gilded images. The town has
nothing to recommend itself save its chapels and
hospitals, the latter being ill-ventilated and filthy ;
' but as to the fortifications I cannot speak in too high
terms, and if manned by British troops would hold
out against united Italy. On our return we took a
stroll over the ground, viewed the farm house of
the memorable 19th October; its front was one
mass of ruins, and all around the ground lay strewn
with bullets, round shot, and large pieces of 12 and
18 inch shell, and at short distances graves whero
our comrades had been buried in a hurried manner
during the engagement. Bearing away to our right
other farm horses presented to our sight the de-
struction committed by the enemy's fire. Now let
us draw a veil over the past and speak of the sunny
side of the picture. Directly after the cessation of
hostilities it was pleasing to behold the return of
the peaceful inhabitants to their cottages, so recently
occupied by rude soldiers, who had left traces of
their destruetive propensities on the walls, furni-
ture, and roofs, and everything comeatable in the
shape of wood, and as far as the eye could reach they
might be seen tilling their small farms and trimming
their vines, working early and late. We likewise
turned our attention to peaceful avocations bydigging
the little garden in front of our villa, and laying in a
stock of fire wood for the winter. Having heard that
a beau! iful view was to be obtained from the top of a
mountain directly above San Angelo, I, accompanied
by three comrades, started at an early hour and
accomplished the ascent after three hours' arduous
exertion, and was repaid tenfold on arriving at
the summit by the view obtained. Several thousand
feet below us lay Capua, amidst vineyards and
gardens lovely to behold. Extending our view
the sea met the eye covered with sails, and encir-
cling the islands of Ischia and Capri. Turning to
the right might be seen the Apennines covered
with snow and sparkling in the midday sun, and
the Volturno meandering through the vast plain
lying at their base. In the back ground. might be
Santa Maria,, Cassinova, and Caserta, with its
beautiful palace and gardens. To complete the
picture, Vesuvius in the far distance emitted its
never-ending volumes of smoke, and at its feet lay
Naples and its lovely bay; and now descending on
the other side of the mountain through intricate
passes and thick underwood, I arrived at our villa
as the rays of the Setting sun gilded the distant
peaks of the mountains before Gaeta, the last
stronghold of the tyrannical Botnba. Enclosed is a
rose plucked by my hand from the garden where
poor Tucker is buried. We visited his grave just
now, and were pleased to find that due respect is
paid to it. I got leave to go to the front fora.little
sport a few days before the Ist November.
I.Whilst;.
firing alongside one of my friends, a Bersag iert, I
was struck in the thigh by a spent bullet, andh ad
likeness which I carried in my pocket was smashed
sdmsahsae
which prevented its doing injury.
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E OR
XTRADINARY 111EDDL12VG OF
RO.VAN CATHOLIC PRIEST.

The guardians of the Cardiff Poor-law Union
devoted a considerable part of their Saturday's
meeting to the investigation of a singular charge
of meddling with paupers brought against a Roman
Catholic priest named Perrin. The inquiry oriei
nated in the complaint of a woman named Mar-
garet Collins, who stated that the priest had
struck her with a cane for not goingtothaerosary,
one of the services of his church.
SheGa ans d
the
ataldi a letter
,
admitted,
the R
touch,
u i)chr.,
had however,been received that it
fwasrom
a mere
principal priest, stating that there had been no
intention to inflict chastisement, expressing regret
that there should be even an app
complaint, and saying he would ptßearance for any
ake care to guard_
against any repetition of the
matter. - The most
remarkable statement Was
Mary Jane Leger, who i s that of a gierl_neaf 'd.
She said she was ill in san inmate of tha E t
shege
had picked up, when bedhe , and reading book
h had given
her that book to read. asked_ hqhwi'm
that no one
had given it to her She told it
taken up herself,
, but she had
upon which he said, g, Do u
know that the book
has been' so b the Pope !" The
ordered to be burnt X
book was " Uncle Tom's Cabin. Ho said the Pope
had so ordered it, and that all such rubbish ought
to lee burnt. He further raid that it was enough to
bring any one to damnation, as it contained a lot
of hypocrisy
and lies. A woman named Louisa
Owen, who has formerly
led a loose life, but has
been converted, and is now employed as a sort of
female iniosionary amongst females of abandoned
was called before the board, and in
pursuits,answ o questions said she was a Baptist. Shea
in the Refuge, and heard the priest say that
9,
tmcie Tom's Cabin" ought to be burnt, and so
ought
the person who belonged to it. He said
to her (Owen) that he hoped she was not damn-
ing herself by interfering with the Catholics.
In the discussion which ensued the guardians
generally,expressed surprise that such an intolerant
condemnation of a work so moral and even reli-
gious in its teachings should he possible in this
nineteenth century. A resolution was also adopted
directing the priests to be admitted to the
union when their presence was required by any of
the inmates.

SKATING AND THE PARKS.—The severity of the
weather has given increased stability to the ice in the parks
—but at all parts it is not equally strong. Yesterday •
man imprude❑tly passed beyond the limit marked as safe,
and lost his life by his temerity. His name was not
known. Immersions occurred in every ornamental water
in London, but they were not Attended with loss of life.

" Under the Emperor's grandfather Christianity
was openly preached throughout the Empire ; there
were in all the provinces a great number of mis-
sionaries of every order and country. Each had
his district and church. They preached publicly
in them, and the Chinese were freely permitted to
embrace our religion.
" After the death of this Prince, his son expelled
all the missionaries out of the provinces, confiscated
their churches, and only allowed the Europeans to
remain in the capital as persons useful to the State
by their skill in the mathematics and other arts and
sciences. The reigning Emperor let things continue
upon the same footing, nor have we yet been able
to obtain the least alteration in our favour. Many
of the missionaries who were expelled have
secretly returned into the provinces, and others
newly arrived have followed them in pretty large
numbers. They keep themselves concealed there as
well as they can ; they cultivate their missions and
do all the good in their power, taking precautions
not to be discovered, and never performing their
functions but by night.
" As we are publicly tolerated in the capital, our
missionaries there exercise their ministry without
reserve. We have there three churches, one be-
longing to the French Jesuits, the two others be-
longing to the Jesuits of Portugal, Italy, Germany,
Sec. These churches are built after the European
manner, beautiful, large, well ornamented and
painted, and such as would do honour to the greatest
cities of Europe. There is at Pekin a very large
number of Christians, who attend our churches with
all freedom. We go into the city to say mass and
administer the sacraments at proper times to the
women, who, according to the laws of the country,
are not permitted to go from home, or to mix with
men in the churches. The missionaries are indulged
in this liberty at the capital because the Emperor
knows very well that the only motive which brings
us hither is religion, and that if they shut up our
churches and deprived the missionaries of the
liberty of performing their functions we should
quit China, which is what he would not choose.
Such of our Fathers as lurk in the provinces are
not so thoroughly concealed but that the Mandarins
might detect them if they would ; but they shut
their eves, because they know upon what footing
we are received at the capital. If by mischance we
should be sent away, the missionaries in the pro-
vinces would be soon discovered and sent after us.
Our figure is too different from that of the Chinese
to remain long undiscovered.
With regard to the progress which our religion
makes here, I have already told you that we have
three churches and 22 Jesuits—ten of the French
nation in our French house, and twelve in the
other houses, who are Portuguese, Italians, and
Germans. Of these 22 Jesuits, seven are em-
ployed, like myself, in the Emperor's service.
The others are priests, and consequently mis-
sionaries. They have under theircare not only the
mission established in the city of Pekin, hut also a
district of 40 or 50 leagues around, wherein they
make from time to time apostolic excursions. Be-
sides these European Fathers, there are here five
Chinese priests, who have received priests' orders,
and go into houses and places where an European
cannot go without danger or indecorum. There are
besides these in the several provinces between 30
and 40 missionaries, reckoning Jesuits and others.
Within this city and the district above-mentioned
our French house baptises constantly every year
between 500 and (300 grown persons, and about
1,200 or 1,300 infidel parents. Our Portuguese
Fathers, who are more numerous than the French,
baptise a greater number of idolaters ; accordingly
they reckon in this single province and in Tartary,
between 25,000 and 30,000 Christians ; whereas in
our French mission we only reckon about 5,000."
Thus far Father Attiret. The founders of the
Itomish Church in China were three Italian Jesuits
in the end of the 16th century. The most able and
noted of these was Matthew Ricci, of Ancona, who
in 1603, published at Pekin a book " Ou the Divine
Law," which became popular throughout the ern-
pire. His book intermixes the doctrines of Chris-
tianity with the morals of Confucius. The tolera-
tion extended to the missionaries in Pekin was
withdrawn in 1743, from which time the cause of
Christianity gradually declined, till in the begin-
ning of the present century Protestant missions
were commenced.

TEE, NAV.V.

Yesterday it was announced at the headquarters
of the Royal Engineer establishment, Chatham,
that an order has been received from the Horse
Guards, by Col. Harness, C. 8., directing the 27th
Company of Royal Engineers, under the command
of Capt. A. W. Durnford, to embark at Portsmouth
on Thursday next, on board the screw steamer
Himalaya, for Gibraltar, to relieve the 2d Company
of Royal Engineers, vrhicit returns to England after
completing its period of foreign service.
The Amethyst, 26, is ordered to be attached to
the fleet of vessels in reserve at Chatham.