The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-22 00:00:00

THE CAMPAIGN IN UMBRI

General Fanti has drawn up an official narrative
of the campaign in Umbria and the Marches. We
give the most interesting and important passages
only, the entire document being of very great
length :
A REPORT OF THE CAMPAIGN IN UMBRIA AND
THE MARCHES IN SEPTEMBER, 1860.
Sire,—ln obedience to the orders of your Majesty,
on Sept. 10 I concentrated the three divisions of
the 4th corps, under the command of Gen. Cialdini,
on the frontiers of the Marches, on the line of the
Tavullo, and another division, together with a
mixed brigade of the sth corps, which was after-
wards called the reserved division, under the orders
of Gen. Della Rocca, on the frontiers of Umbria, in
Arezzo and Borgo San Sepolero.
On Sept. 5, I had already caused a small park of
siege artillery of 24 pieces to embark at Genoa, and
this, conveyed by the royal squadron, commanded
by Rear-Admiral Persano, was to go to Ancona.
The forces of the enemy we had to combat amounted
to about 25,000 men, who were stationed at An-
cona, Perugia, Pesaro, Urbino, Spoleto, and San
Leo. Your Majesty's forces were about one-third

stronger.
On Sept. 11, agreeably to your Majesty's orders,
at 12 at noon, the troops crossed the boundary.
The 4th corps, issuing forth in three columns,
marched towards Pesaro, Fano, and Urbino. The
4th division, on that very evening, by main force,
took possession of the city of Pesaro, investing the
fortress, which, being strongly cannonaded by our
people, surrendered at discretion in the morning.
The results of this first deed of arms were-1,200 '
prisoners, five cannon, some horses, provisions, and
munitions of war.
On the same day the brigade of grenadiers of
Sardinia penetrated into Citta di Castello, taking
70 gendarmes. On the 12th the 7th division took
Fano by main force, and the garrison of 300 men
fell into our hands as prisoners. The 13th divi-
sion in this same time arrived at Urbino, which
was in the hands of the insurgents, and proceeded
to Fossombrone. The right column marched on
towards Fratta. On the 13th the vanguard of this
column boldly advanced upon Perugia, and after
an earnest and brilliant fight from street to
street, under an obstinate fire of the enemy,
gained possession of the city, driving the enemy
into the citadel. As General Della Rocca came
up with the brigade of grenadiers of Lombardy
an investment of the fortress was achieved. After
a few cannon shots from our batteries the garri-
son of the fortress surrendered as prisoners of war,
to the number of 1,700 men, with two field and four
siege pieces. _ _ _

As I knew that Spoleto was in the enemy's hands,
I ordered General Della Rocca to send there on the
morning of the 16th a moveable column, commanded
by Major-General Brignone, and made up of the 3d
Regiment Grenadiers, 9th battalion of Bersaglieri,
6th battery of the Bth Regiment, and two squadrons
of Nice Cavalry. On the morrow these troops
attacked with a matchless daring the entrance of
the fortress, and stormed it regardless of the enemy's
musket fire and grapeshot. In the night the gar-
rison capitulated. This new victory gave us 800
prisoners of war, three cannon, arms, clothes, and
other booty.
Meanwhile the central column, or 13th division,
had, by very weary marches along the Apennine
crest, reached Gualdo Tadino, where it received
orders to recross the Apennines, and regain Alba-
cina on the evening of the 18th; it descended the
day after into Val di Potenza at San Severino, while
the column of the sth corps, coming down Val
di Chienti, was to reach Tolentino. The rapid
movement of General Cialdini, and the occupation
of the important position between Osimo and Castel-
fiardo, were destined to lead to a great result for
the success of the campaign. The enemy's general,
hemmed in on all sides, had only one course left,
and that was to open his way across the two divi-
sions of the 4th corps to throw himself into Ancona.
This was, indeed, the resolution General Lamori-
ciere came to, leading to the brilliant combat of
which I subjoin the particulars.
General Lamoriciere had concentrated his forces
in Loretto. General Cialdini foresaw that by a
combination with a sally of the Ancona garrison the
enemy would endeavour to open passage throughLe
Crocette and Camerano, or along the sea through
Umana and Girolo. On the morning of the 18th a
strong column, led by General Pimodan, furiously
attacked our advanced positions towards the con-
fluent of the Musone with the Aspio, coming into
collision with the 26th battalion of Bersaglieri, who
guarded that post. General Cialdini led the main
force he had at hand from the Crocette forward
towards the Musone, strongly occupying the
bridge which crossed the Aspio from the same
Crocette to Umana. He was, meanwhile, aware that
Brigadier Cugia, commanding the Como Brigade,
had very seasonably occupied Camerano with one
of his regiments, and that the enemy's column,
which had sallied forth from Ancona by Girolo and
Umana, moving close along sea, endeavoured to join
hands with General de Lamoriciere, thus revealing
on the part of the latter a determination to throw
himself with his infantry into Ancona, crossing the
Lower Musone, even if that movement was to cost
him the less of all his artillery, provisions, and
baggage.
The 10th Regiment, led by the brave Colonel
Bossoli, received orders to advance to the support
of the 26th battalion of Bersaglieri, who were fight-
ing with valour, in spite of their small numbers.
The columns of General Pimodan were driven back
by a vigorous charge with the bayonet ; the new
and repeated attacks of that general, anxious to
regain the west, which commanded the position,
were foiled by the steadiness of our people, and
when other columns led by Lamoriciere himself
advanced deep and strong upon the disputed point
between Upper Santa Casa and Lower Santa Casa,
they again met with a resistance equal to the onset ;
in the meanwhile General Cialdini, always on his
guard, bringing forth fresh troops, disheartened and
drove back the enemy in every direction. These
fought desperately, and defended themselves with
dogged obstinacy in the farmhouses ; but pressed
upon beyond the right bank of the Musone, and
eagerly pursued by our people, who took 400 pri-
soners, they were compelled to retire in disorder
upon Loretto, leaving on the battle-field their artil-
lery, their ammunition carts, arms, and knapsacks
without end, which had been thrown away by their
soldiers in their flight, as well as all their
dead and wounded, among the latter General
Pimodan, in a dying state.
The General-in-Chief, Lamoriciere, seeing the
defeat of his people, abandoned the battle-field, and '
with about 30 horsemen succeeded, by a rapid run
along shore, in reaching Ancona.
At the same time General Cialdini sent orders to
the troops at Camerano to advance rapidly on Mas-
signano, to cut off the retreat from the enemy's
column which had sallied forth from Ancona, and
ordered also the 9th regiment to debouch from the
bridge on the Aspio and advance towords Umana ;
but the enemy aware of the ill success of the battle,
already fell back precipitately upon the place, and
Brigadier Avenait, who commanded the 9th, only
succeeded in attacking the rear of the column, from
whom he took 270 prisoners, among them 17 officers.
The troops which occupied the portions of Castel-
fidardo and Le Crocette on this day did not attain
the number of 8,000 men, with three batteries ;
those who took an active part in the fray were only
• 2,525 men, and two batteries. The glorious issue
of the combat induced General Cialdini to reap the
benefits of his victory. He calculated upon the
weariness and demoralisation in which the enemy's
forces which had retired upon Loretto must be;
and, taking advantage of the darkness of the night
he occupied St. Agostino Recotati and Case Lug h e
P
thus cutting off every possible retreatr
from the
enemy. On the following • morning our f
troops
occupied the intended
sued see-
ing themselves surrounded on all
points, and
sides,the enemy,
capitulation. More than 4,000 men, with ed for a
the re-
maining Guides (light horse) of Lamoriciere,
laid
down their arms in Reconati, leaving in our hands
11 pieces of artillery, ammunition waggons,
horses,
and baggage, the closing trophy of that brilliant
mostly natives, and
field-day. About 3,000
men,
country, exchanged their
military uniforms for
well acquainted with the
peasants' clothes, and were
able thus to escape
the fate of this corps, but
almost the whole of them fell into the hands of the
movable columns of the sth corps, which I had sent
from Macerate in every direction down the Val di
Chienti and Val di Potenza.
After passing the night of the 19th at Tolenino,
the column of the sth corps entered Macerata on
the 20th; and there joined the 13th Division, which
had come down the Vai di Potenza. On the same
day the column of the sth corps occupied Loretto,
and the 13th Division came straight to Osimo. On
the same day again the troops of the 4th corps

'• sr.

executed the movements for a investment of the
place of Ancona.
The remainder of the naative consists of an
account of the siege operations against Ancona.
As the fall of that town was chiefly owing to the
brilliant naval attack conducted by Admiral Per-
sano, and described in his official despatch, which
has already appeared, we omit this portion of Gen.
Fanti's account. The conclusion is as follows :
" With the place there fell into our power 154
pieces of artillery, among which were two field
batteries, with all their equipment of chariots, &c.,
and ammunition, 180 horses, 100 oxen, 250,000
miriagrams of flour, 25,000 rations of forage, provi-
sions of all kinds, two steamers, two trabaccoli
(coasting vessels), coal stores, clothing, arms, and
4,125,000 f.
" The fall of Ancona terminated this short cam-
paign, but no less glorious for your Majesty's army.
In 18 days we won the places of Pesaro, Urbino,
Perugia, Spoleto, San Lao, and Ancona. There fell
into our hand 28 field pieces, 160 pieces of wall
artillery, 20,000 muskets, more than 500 horses,
and from 17,000 to 18,000 prisoners, with all the
enemy's generals.
I could not at this moment precisely tell the
enemy's losses in dead and wounded, but I reckon
them at about 1,000. Our own were—for the 4th
corps, 27 officers, 267 men ; for the sth, 22 officers,
263 men ; altogether 578. This is a trifling num-
ber, if we consider the great results we obtained,
and the obstinate valour with which our adversaries
fought. It is due to the admirable ardour and daring
which your Majesty's troops showed in every occur-
rence ; their valour rendered this struggle ex-
tremely short.
" The strictest discipline, a hearty self-denial,
and a friendly behaviour towards the population
shown everywhere by our brave soldiers during
their long and rapid marches, make me proud of
the honour which your Majesty did me in trusting
me with the command over them.

" It is my duty to point out to your Majesty the
intelligent and active co-operation of the generals
and of all officers of every rank and branch of the
service to the good success of the campaign ; like-
wise the provident and regular exertions of the
military administration, and the charitable and
attentive cares of the sanitary corps.
" I shall present to your Majesty for the well-
deserved those who among so many brave men had
the best opportunity of distinguishing themselves,
" M. FANTI,
" The Commander-General of the Army of Occu-
pation of the Marches of Umbria.
" Ancona, Oct. 1."