The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-08 00:00:00

is to remain on the defensive. I met the Marquis
Pallavicini returning from Caserta. At Santa Maria
I found Garibaldi much agitated, thoughtful, his
face blackened by exposure to the sun. The sta-
tion was full of artillery carriages, guns, &e., and
aides-de-camp were giving orders for all to be
pushed on towards the Volturno. During the night
I heard the sound of cannon towards San Angelo.
The night passed quietly.
" On Sunday, Sept. 30, at daybreak, Santa Maria
was all astir. The soldiers were consigned to the
barracks; Garibaldi started for San Angelo; troops
continued to arrive and artillery galloped through
the town. The faces of the people Eire pale and
agitated. The tricolour flag is partially taken down
from some of the houses, and the gates of many of
them closed.

" I started for San Angelo when I heard the
voice of cannon, and I arrived in time. Two bat-
talions, commanded by Castellini, were attempting
to throw a bridge over the Volturno. Protected by
Monte's artillery, they advanced by a covered road,
succeeded in launching two boats ; but the enemy
perceived the manoeuvre. Immediately the right
bank, as if by magic, was covered by Royalist
troops, and a terrible fire was opened against the
batteries of San Angelo, and against the Garibal-
dians attempting to make the bridge. They were
obliged to retreat. San Angelo opened its guns and
replied with good effect. But this was simply an
overture to the great event that was to come off on
the Ist,

" The Royalists had made up their minds to at-
tempt a decisive blow. They felt they were being
surrounded. They knew Cialdini was in their rear,
steadily advancing; that Lamoriciere was com-
pletely defeated ; and that Naples was undefended.
At 6 a.m on the Ist of October 16,000 men, of
which number 5,000 were cavalry, left Capua, com-
manded by General Palmieri, with five batteries
commanded by General Nigri. General Ritucci
had the chief command. Generals Afan de Rivera,
Barbalonga, and von Michel were under his orders.
I have these details from Captain Perelli, of the
ith Chasseurs, who was taken prisoner. At the
same time a body of 5,000 men marched on Mad-
daloni to take the Garibaldians in the rear, and
cut off their retreat. The soldiers of Francis 11.
were divided into two corps—one, by the rail-
way, was to attack the position of the Gari-
baldians at the arches of Santa Maria and draw their
attention to that point ; the other, by the parallel
Consular road, to cross upon their right by the
fields, guided by the reactionary peasants of San
Prisco and the neighbouring villages, and was to fall
upon Santa Maria in the rear of the Garibaldians.
Another body of 1,000 men, starting from Pa Piana,
was to cross the Volturno below Cajazzo and de-
bouch by San Leuchio.

"All this had been foreseen by Garibaldi, and it
is extraordinary that in a very reactionary country
the Royalists were not better informed of the opera-
tions of the Garibaldians. Thus the latter had
erected redoubts, dug ditches, and built barricades
on the very fields over which the Royalists fancied
they could advance without impediment and attack
the right of the Garibaldians, or throw themselves
into Santa Maria.

"At half-past 6 o'clock a sharp fire of musketry
commenced, and the cannon soon began to roar with
fury. The population showed great excitement
and every one prepared for defence. I hastened to
the spot, and arrived just as the Royalists were
crossing over the 15 arches of the railway, chasing
the Garibaldians before them. At 8 o'clock the
former were already at Santa Maria, near the walls
of the Campan amphitheatre.
" While General Ritucci was carrying out this
movement, Garibaldi, who had arrived on the scene
of battle, ordered an analogous one. He ordered
Malenchini's regiment to leave San Tamaro on his
left, to leave Santa Maria by the rear, and threw it
into the fields which the Royalists had to cross.
The latter thus found themselves taken between two
columns of Garibaldians, shut up between the rail-
way and the road, and completely surrounded. The
7th Regiment of Chasseurs was annihilated, with
the exception of 35 men, an adjutant, major, and
Capt. Perelli, who were made prisoners. It is
quite impossible for me to describe the terrific ob-
stinacy of the struggle, and the real and calm
courage of the men engaged.
"I went through the whole campaign in Lom-
bardy, I was present at Magenta and Solferino, and
yesterday I fancied I was there again. Three times
were the positions of the Garibaldians taken and
retaken at the point of the bayonet. The grape
swept men down unmercifully. No quarter was
asked or given. With mine own eyes I saw wounded
men bayonetted and the stiletto and pistol used
in a fight which commenced with the rifle.
Except the Sicilians and the Neapolitans of the city
of Naples, every man did his duty with enthusiasm.
A strange and atrocious circumstance, if we con-
sider the character of the Italians, they fought
without uttering a shout, almost in silence. It was
a lovely day, the sun shining in all its glory and
the ground adorned with rich produce.
"At noon the tide of battle turned in favour of
the Garibaldians.

" Fresh battalions and new guns came up from
Caserta and Naples, and joined in the battle. The
Garibaldians, when the battle commenced, were not
10,000 strong ; they had now 15,000 men in the
battle. Garibaldi seemed übiquitous. He watched
every phase of the battle, keeping 2,000 men in re-
serve on his left to throw himself into Capua if the
vicissitudes of the struggle should offer him a pro-
pitious opportunity. He was much moved, red
and wet from perspiration, and his voice altered by
emotion.

" At the bridges of La Valle, behind the hills of
Maddaloni, Bixio had definitively driven back the
Royalists, who had taken and retaken that position.
Near San Lucio Affranti's column had prevented
the Royalists crossing the river. With the Lucans
and Calabrians Colonel Corte had bravely supported
the combatants of Santa Maria, and kept the
enemy in check, who might have forced a passage
by San Tamaro, left open by the movement of
brave General Malenchini on the right. Five guns
were taken from the enemy, with their mules and
accoutrements. Prisoners and wounded in great
numbers began to arrive at Santa Maria, and were
immediately sent on by railway to Caserta. A great
number of officers were killed or wounded. The
Sicilians made a great noise and did little fighting.
The National Guard of Santa Maria was on foot,
but, having prudently placed their flag in the
Guard-house, closed the doors and windows.
"At noon the roar of the cannon ceased. The
fire of musketry at the Archi of Santa Maria con-
tinued unabated. A smile began to ptlhaey
euhpeoenksthoef
lips and the colour to reappearin
many patriots. At this momen I was toldt
to write
w trainri
te
was leaving for Naples. I left
thetoutposts
you an account of this portion of the battle—the
first act of the capture of Capua.
" The police ordered Naples to be illuminated to-
night in honour of, the capture of Capua, but the
news is not confirmed.

The Corriere Mercantile of Genoa also publishes
the following account of the battle of Volturno

-we have received, direct from Caserta, under
date of the 2d of October, the following details of
the above battle
_

Yesterday, at dawn, the Royalists, under the
orders of Francis 11. iR person, left Capua in three
columns ; the one attacked Santa Maria, the other
St. Angelo, and the third cut the communication
between those two points.

The advanced posts of Santa Maria, consisting
of Sicilians, were carried, and the Sicilians driven
back. The Royalists then made a furious attack on
Santa Maria and penetrated into the first houses;
to dislodge them it required eight charges with the
bayonet. St. Angelo, heroically defended by the Ist
Brigade of Medici's division, resisted all the attacks
of the Royalists, though their efforts were concen-
trated against that position.
"The first brigade suffered cruelly, and three of
the staff officers are hors de combat;
one is killed,
the other two severely wounded. The Royalists
simultaneously crossed the river at Cajazzo and
attacked our extreme left at Luciatala and Cast t_
Borrono, where stood Bixio and Medici's 3d
Brigade.

"'the Royalists, 20,000 strong, having driven

•