The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-23 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF GAETA.

French papers have published the following
letter from Gaeta :—" On the night of the 10th
the Piedmontese began to give signs of life. They
threw 50 or 60 bombshells into the Neapolitan
camp at the gates of Gaeta. The soldiers have made
a mound of Piedmontese shells, which produced
little or no effect. They merely wounded three or
four men. While the firing was taking place the
Piedmontese advanced on the road from Mola to
Gaeta as far as the Devil's Tower. Siege
guns and ammunition have been landed from the
Sardinian ships for several days past. A battle
took place yesterday morning on the hill of the
Capucines, between ouririflemen and the Piedmon-
tese Bersaglieri, which lasted all day. I was look-
ing at it from the top of the fortifications. Five
or six hundred riflemen, who were relieved
according as they were fatigued, held firm
against several battalions of Piedmontese. It
was really an interesting sight. Several French
naval officers expressed their admiration of
the steadiness with which the Neapolitans fought.
They advanced shoulder to shoulder and at one
time I saw the Piedmontese retreat. In the mean
time, the Piedmontese might have been outflanked
by other troops who were unemployed. No as-
sistance, nevertheless, was given to the riflemen,
except that a few grenades were thrown from
the batteries of Gaeta, which fell among the
Piedmontese and caused them some loss. We could
distinctly see the Bersaglieri fall under the fire of
the Neapolitans, who on their part did not lose
many men. Towards 'evening the Piedmontese,
who were not less than .3,000 or 4,000 strong—
that is, seven to one—gained ground. The Nea-
politans retreated slowly under the batteries of the
._
town, and during the night all the troops Were
brought in from the camp. The Piedmontese left
from 20 to 30 prisoners in the hands of the riflemen.
Will you believe that the officers had abandoned the
were called It
is really
camp before the troops.
'Willing to
fight, should always be so badly commanded. It
a pity that the soldiers, who are so
„tined too late in the direction of Terracino
is said tha tl6O or 180 soldiers of the foreign legion
In prisoners. Yesterday
acts of cowardice and treachery. First, Colonel
was remarkable
werewho rte
for
pianelli, brother of the ex-Minister of War, led
the 15th battalion of Chuseurs into an ambus-
cade, and commanded them to lay down their
arms in presence of the Piedmontese. ' The second
case was that of Lieutenant-Colonel Nun ziante, who
suffered the Rth Chasseurs to Eght without an offi-
cer to command
them arid returned to Gaeta. Gen.
Bertolini, the chief of Marshal Salzano's staff, sent
to visit the advanced posts, and who returned
to say there was nothing new, without having
left the town, was cashiered and expelled. The
King had been informed by another officer that the
troops composing the Neapolitan and Piedmon-
tese advanced posts were amusing themselves
together. In truth it was nothing new. Generals
Salzano, Barbalonga, Collonna, and Polizzi have
resigned. Colonza had the audacity to write that if
his resignation were not accepted he would pass
over to the enemy with the troops under his
his
command. These generals quit Gaeta to-day.
I think that the above facts will sufficiently
describe our situation. General Cialdiria has at
length consented to accept Garibaldian prisoners in
exchange for Neapolitans. 1,200 Garibaldians
were exchanged yesterday. They were sent from
the Castle to Alola, whero an equal number of
Neapolitans were collected.

THE NEW TURKISIT LOAN.—The arrangements
for the new Turkish 6 per Cent. Loan of .c. 16,000,000, to be
introduced by the banktng-house of M. Mires and Co. at
Paris, have been completed, but the precise terms are not
yet known. A portion of the £3,000,000 of Hazine Tayilis
which fall duo in December is to be received in payment. The contract price is still sTid to be 531 ; that at which it
will be offered to the
public remains to be fixed. Some
improbable, rumours, which seem represent that 60 is to be
named. The London 6 per Cent. Loan of 1858 is only at
,58i. To account, however, for the higher pretensions of the
new issue, it is asserted that it is to be secured by the re-
ceiptsof the custom-houses in Syria, which are certain to
be vigilantly protected by French arms. Still in no case
can this lien be superior to that held by the English bond-
holders on the Customs of Constantinople. According to
the reports in circulation, the cession of the Syrian Cus-
tom-houses has been for some time past a point of diplo-
matic contention, the Sultan having with great reluctance
yielded to the urgency of the French demands,