The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-31 00:00:00

THE BRITISH VOL UN I EERS IN ITALY.

The following letter dated Capua, Oct. 20, and
describing the first engagement of our countrymen
with the Bourbon troops, is from the Liverpool
Daily 7imes of this day.
After a voyage which has not been marked by
many incidents calling fur particular note, we have
at leng,th arrived in front of the enemy, and been
actually engaged.
I may, however, state in lintine, that our voyage
to Naples occupied 16days, and that our reception
there was of the most enthusiastic description. The
National Guard turned out and escorted us through
the city, and the inhabitants lined the streets and
made the air ring with their shouts of " Viva
l'lnglessa." Thence we proceeded by railway to
Caserta, on Monday last, Garibaldi's headquarters,
and found comfortable lodging in the magnificent
palace of the King of Sicily, which has been turned
into a barracks pro tow. On the following morn-
ing the assembly was sounded at four o'clock, and
before daybreak we were on our way to Santa
Maria, a town about three miles from the front.
We remained there during Wednesday and
Thursday, and yesterday morning we rewived
the exciting command to march in heavy order
to the front. The news was received with great
enthusiasm by every man, as all were anxious to
bear a part in the struggle. On arriving about
half a mile from the front outposts the battalion
was parted, the right wing taking up a
position to the right in the enclosure of an ex-
tensive farm-horse, while the left wing occupied
another farmhouse in the opposite direction. The
right wing comprises the following companies :-•-•
.Grenadiers (London), Ist Company (London and
Scottish), 2d Company (London and Scottish), 3d
Company (London), 4th (Birmingham, sth (Lon-
don and Scottish), and 6th (London). The left
wing comprises the 7th (Scottish), Bth (London),
9th (Liverpool aid Manchester), and the light
company, which is made up of Englishmen and
Scotchmen. The light company were the first
ordered to advance in skirmishing order, and they
were followed by the 2d and 4th. Those three
companies took up a position against the trees with
which the ground between ta. opposing forces is
studded, and commenced a brisk fire on the enemy.
The Neapolitans returned the fire with considerable
precision, so that, notwithstanding the shelter, one
man of the 4th Company was killed, and another
severely wounded in the groin. One of the light
company was also slightly wounded in the leg.
Shortly after the fire commenced, the 7th was
ordered to the front, and before long one man.,
named Mitchell, was carried past dead ; and ano-
ther, named Clarke, mortally wounded in the head.
The other companies, with the exception of the G re-.
nadiers, Bth and 9th, were actively engaged, and the
casualties, I believe, amount altogether to five
killed and seven wounded. This number in-
cludes three Sardinians and a Mr. Tucker,
who is stated to be a correspondent of the
Illustrated London News and Illustrated
Times. He was shot in the centre of the fore-
head while inspecting his countrymen at work. The
wounded are—privates, John Clark, severely, not
likely to recover ; Macarthy, severely; George
Ripon Prosser ; Alfred S. Bates, severely ; James
Mathew, and Corporal George Charles Bennett,
slightly. As you are more particularly interested
in the 9th, I may add that, although not actively
engaged, we were kept in reserve, and were under
arms for twenty-four hours. An incident also
happened to us which might have been attended
wits disastrous consequences. An aide-de-cani.p of
Colonel Peard came in haste to our captain (Hamp-
ton) yesterday, about noon, and ordered us to take
up a certain position in front. The Bth and 9th
were on the march in five minutes, and after
tumbling over sundry ditches we crossed the hedge
which afforded shelter to the Sardinian sharp-
shooters, and advanced to the open plain directly
before the masked battery of the Neapolitans. We
were gallantly led on by Captain Hampton, march-
ing as coolly as if on parade, when the aide-de-camp
remarked that he thought he must have been mis-
taken, and we were commanded to retire. There-
upon we took shelter in an adjoining ditch. Some
shells were thrown at us as we retired, but happily
all of them burst several yards from us. We re-
turned to the lines unscathed, more, however,
through good luck than good management, as the
aide-de-camp evidently missed his way. The Sar-
dinians were astonished at our escapade, and an •
intelligent officer informed us last night that had
the Neapolitans observed us in all likelihood we
would all have been blown to atoms. The
light company also distinguished itself by making a
brilliant charge. A party of Neapolitans advanced
from their lines down the hill for the apparent pur-
pose of reconnoitring. The " light" were not satis-
fied with standing behind trees and firing almost at
random. As the Neapolitans advanced, therefore,
they ran at them, still in skirmishing order, and we
could distinctly hear a true British cheer ringing
through the air. No sooner did the enemy sight
the red coats than they turned tail and ran pen-
men to their fort. Competent authorities say it is
almost unprecedented to charge in skirmishing
order without the support of artillery.
This morning an order came down from Gari-
baldi, stating that we must not be sent out again to
skirmish, as we are proclaimed to be too rash, and
men cannot well be spared.
To-day we are resting ourselves, and rumour has
it that we march somewhere in the evening.
The Sardinian soldiers fraternise with us most
heartily. They are splendid fellows, and would
part with everything to do us a service.