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

THE BIUTISII LEGION.

The guilty men Smith and Lockey, who are now lying
under sentence of death for the above murders in Durham
County Gaol, were apprised yesterday that the law is to be
left to take its coarse in both their cases. Mr. Justice Keat-
ing merely forwarded the recommendation of Smith to
mercy, by the jury by whom he was tried, to the Home
Secretary without adding any comment of his own. Both
the convicts have been informed that Thursday next is the
day fixed for their ex,seution. Lockey, the Urpeth mur
derer, has been visited by his son and daughter during the
last week, but he has shown during his interviews with
them an amount of callous heartlessness that is almost &-
credible. This apparent unconcern as to his fate has charac-
terised his conduct throughout. In his youth he excelled
in athletic exercises, r end he spends a great portion of his
time now in recounting: his past achievements, and in going
through such exercises us are allowed by the prison autho-
rities. Smith, the murderer of Baty, at Winlaton, appears
to be quite destitute oi! friends, and he has been visited by
none of his old associates since his condemnation. He feels
very acutely his terribl B position, and he suffers as much in
his body as mentally. The Bishop of Durham preached in
the chapel prison on S;unday week, and after the service
had private interviews with both the convicts in the chap-
lain's room.
DEATH FROM D eSTITUTION.—A deaf and dumb
man, living in Hedgo-cottages, Chapel street, Edgware-
road, was found yesterday by one of his neighbours to be
in dying state, apparenAly from the want oathe. necessarieA
of life. He had only an old jacket and ragg pair of trousers
to cover him, and lookod as if he had not had food for days.
'
He was taken upon a Ixtretcher to the MiFylfbone Work-
house, and properly at tended to, but he died in an hour or
two after his admission. His name was Robert Hussey,
and he was about 45 years old.
METROPOLITAN FREE HOSPITAL, DEVONSIIIRE-
. SQUARE, CITY.—The aggregate number of patients relieved
during the week endirng December 22 was—medical, 846,
surgical, 354—total, 1,200, of which 272 wore new cases,

(EXTRACT FROM A PRIVATE 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 lo 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. Oar 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
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
6th 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 tvbeauti-
, ful limpid stream), exposed fearfully to the enemy'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

farmhousein 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 hie
companions in arms. We planted slips of rose
trees, &c., around, covering in his grave, and
placing a suitable inscription OA the head-stone :
it 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 we have
to do with is Bowline., 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. 1.0-ft 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 guns 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 llolder, 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 Romford ; Flocton,
Webster, of Rumford ; 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 played
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. Acrass 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 this were
the remains of a sand•bag battery, which had been
completed to cover us while building the bridge, so
nobly defended by our gallant colonel on that da
is-
y.
On the left another half finished battery, ind
tinctly discerned. The camp fires around us
whizzed and crackled ; the hum of voices an
steady tread of troops could not fail
.to impress
pending
upon us that something great w
Oa the 26th, at sunset, we receivaes"Borders to.
march immediately for Calvi, a d distancer oad.
On
f
twelve miles, over a veryv.r.aagge
e two guides
arriving at a deserted 11
overlg such roads and
awaited us, and led the
through such passes as cvaanllnvvcdasfoartt hi
tsexf
uplrl s
andsion s t
hoef
great surprise. Themoroed
with snow, did not fail
distant Apennines, coy!
to strike the imaginatiodneutrl.aat
Itvhee sacrernievreyd around
was was of extreme gran
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 fo owing morning the general and
his staff halted at our door, and quenched their
The general ware his usual dress—a red
thirst.
shirt, with handkerchief tied round the neck and
hanging loosely down his back. It was here I had
a good opportunity of judging the man. He appears
everything that has been said of him, and was as
affable with us as if we were his most intimate
friends. His appearance bore strong marks oft h
harassing duties he has had to contend with. Lere
in the morning the King Victor Emmanuel passed
our quarters, with a few of his staff. He is a finaei:
looking fellow, and I should say every in bout
die: At night, whilst I was on dutvt,h a
the cry
p.m., one of our cavalry rode past me hwe A
woru, and
of " Neapolitan cavalry !" I passed att
their posts,
our men were ready in two minutesa
and prepared to sweep the roads °e
alar of
11 corners ;but
we were not troubled, it being
a for rat ions. Our
m. Whilt t
quartered here we sere driven u f Isp