The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-29 00:00:00

TILE REVERSE AT CAPUA.

The following is an extract of a letter from Mr.
Edwin James:-
0

"The repulse sustained"
ShaynutaaArilhaarlidai,
's
Wednesday may and
probably will be
SetprotOp 21.
on
on
retrieved
by future successes; buth i
mut was a reverse, and a
serious one, not so
to cfrom the fact that raw
troops were compelled
retire before the murde-
rous fire of the Neapolitan artillery, but as proving
a total want of organ.sation and discipline among
a considerable portion of his army, and their inca-
pability to contend against disciplined troops. The
truth should be told in England, and Garibaldi is
the last man who would wish it to be concealed.
His consummate skill as a guerilla chief, his un-
daunted personal courage, the celerity of his stra-
tegical movements, equalling those of Napoleon in
his first Italian campaign, have been proved ; but
when he hesitates not to proclaim his intention to
meet the legions of Austria in the field, all Who
desire his success in the noble enterprise he has un-
dertaken must wish that he should know the
material of which his army is composed, and
whether he can rely upon them in such battle-
fields as Solferino and Magenta. That General
Breslau was deficient in military skill; that he
allowed that which was intended as a mere feigned
attack upon- Capna to become an-actual attack
--upon such a fortress without any artillery at his
command; that he exposed young troops to a
cruel and murderous fire for hours, against which
many of them stood firmly and courageously ; that
he ought and probably will have to answer for
these defaults before a court-martial, may be true.
But the fearful panic which spread though the
troops at the sight of Neapolitan Hussars issuing
from Capua, covering artillery, and approaching
the gate of Santa Maria, and which spread like a
fire in the prairie'to other regiments, who had not
even seen the cavalry—the wild flight led by officers,
who seized the cArriages intended for the wounded
and galloped wildly through the streets of Santa
Maria, along the high road to Caserta! Soldiers
who left the road instead of forming to resist the
attack, and ran across the fields and through vine-
yards !—these scenes, which I witnessed, convinced
me of a want of discipline, organization, •and of
courage, which will demand the earnest attention
of the great chief in the remodelling the large num-
ber of soldiers who have voluntarily joined his
standard. Capua may capitulate or may fall; The
prestige' of his name,

Unmusical to volse
may do, as it mueh;Giz
ears,'tamshasdnay urrender,
the King may fly, and probably will, butthemoral
y
effect upon an army produced. b
the events
of
Wednesday last is not in a moment removed.
" Garibaldi was far from the scene. lie had gone
with his staff to the west of Capua, along the ridge
of mountains which command a panoramic view of
the city and surrounding country, General Eber,
with about 2,000 men, had followed him. General
Turr, with a considerable force, was, as we could
hear from the heavy firing in that quarter, engaged
about six miles off, on the south-west side of the
city, in endeavouring to force the passage of the
river Volturno, and the -whole attack appeared
to he made without plan, order, or military
arrangement of any kind. I found a regiment
shattered from the fire under the walls of the old
monastery ; the officer in command told me that
he was waiting orders, but could get none. A
shell was thrown into the yard, but, bursting on
the other side of the wall, did no mischief. The
men were willing to go, but no orders came. I was
helping to the best of my ability the wounded from
the front to the hospital at the entrance of the
village, and was assisting in burying three men
who had been placed in a peasant's cart when the
cry arose, that the cavalry were coming,' and the
panic seized the troops. In the melee I lost my
carriage; my servant had very discreetly taken
shelter with some priests at the top of a convent,
and during his absence the carriage dis-tppeared.
I had to walk along the high road to Caserta; a
little Swiss soldier who-had been wounded by U.
rine' ball in the wrist, and was going to the hos-
pital there, accompanied me. Oa our way I saw
seven or eight soldiers, among whom were two
officers—the Swiss soldier told me they belonged
to a. Sicilian regiment—seated on one of the long
agricultural carts, which they had taken from a
field adjoining the road, and were proceeding at a
rapid pace to Caserta. As they met troops coming
from that town to relieve Santa Maria they spread
the panic among them ; they cried out, The
cavalry are coming!' 'The artillery aro close on
us!" We shall all perish !" Back to Caserta,
back.'

"More than one regiment wavered and turned.
The officers behaved firmly and well, drew their
swords, and urged their men on ; but the alarm
had spread, and the soldiers refused to follow. I
followed these mischievous and cowardly fellows
to Caserta, asked for the colonel of a regiment
who spoke French, gave him my name and address,
pointed out the fellows as they entered the
square in front of the Palace, and, although I did
not request it as a personal favour, I certainly sug-
gested that they should be marched out and shot ;
they were at once taken to the guard-house and
were no more seen by me. It is only just to saY
that several regiments passed these dastardly rene-
gades unnoticed, and marched on to the relief of
the village.
I, You will, doubtless, have seen before you
under
this letter a vivid account of this affitiur.u.enedts,
the walls of Capua. Ignorant of military Di
I do not pretend to describe it;
to you what I witnessed.
Neapolitans, they
" The result has inspirited the
pasts nearer to
have pushed on their advance.dieei
t on of making
I merely narrate
Santa Maria, and now giv(cind
is indeed armed by
Royal master. Gari-
bsoammenistapnesditiinendeifseenrcietioefalt;hLhie
the prayers and the
freedom aie with him.
loversurround him require energy
is the most lofty
The difficulties
whichounter and surmount, but I be-
lievestyhemp'jatuhsiteicseooffalhlispurposequiairisroefl
superhuman to enc
that can actuate human efforts ;
thwarted by indiscretion and by
• •
' encompass him on
and
he
d the iin hismtll may
yedestiny.
tb ne e hlnoble
His triumphs have been so marvel-
lous, his successes so rapid, that
ebvlienryd confidencesiden those who
e ruerd e
by
any
, They must know no retiring ebb
But keep due on.'
:lit! cwarilelerbceanennodtanengdreverses;deathfeis. great mis
He has
materiel out of which
he may construct an army,
but the task has not
even been commenced. English
officers have come out and volunteered to lead his
troops, but they remain
unemployed, and are
lounging in the cafes of Naples. Many are leaving
in disgust. The • problem only solution of the great
of the freedomand unity Italy is in
annexation to the constitutional Government of
Piedmont. Delay has already engendered plots
and intrigues of every character, and the future
happiness of millions is in jeopardy. A decisive
blow is hourly anticipated.

THE MAILS.

MAILS DUE.

Australia, Cey and Mauritius via South-
ampton)
Do. (via ......................Oct.ares) Oct. 13.
Brazil and Cape Verds .. Oct. 5.
Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. .. Oct. 5.
Bahamas and Havana (via New York) .. Sept. —.
Canada, &c. (via Galway) .. Oct. 5.
Cape of Good Hope, &c. Oct. l.
China, Penang, and Singapore (via S'ampton) Oct. 1.!
Do. (via Marseilles) Overdue.
Gibraltar (via Southampton) .. Oct. 2.
India (Calcutta), Ceylon, &c. (via Southampton) Overdue.;
Do. (via Marseilles) 0,,•
~
Oct. •
India (Bombay), (via Southampton) .. oat. 4.
Do. (via Marseilles) . • •' Oct. 1.
'" • Sept. 28.

Lisbon

Cuba and Mexico
Malta, Egypt, and Aden (via Sou. ihaznp.t.on)::: pct. 2.
Vigo, and Oporto ..
Do.
Oct. 3.
(via. marscincs.) Oct. 1.
United States, California,&c. • • • . Overdue.
Western Coast of Attica Madeira, Teneriffe
West Indies and Pacific:carthaeuba, &c. Oct. 15.

PIG ------ e us experiments are now
':food on pigs—one or two of
condiment, and
beingP RImZ PRIZE
e witsh.—T-Ni4rey:l
them under the directionand so far as gone, the pigs on sea-
men, some for
others against its.%g 29 lbs. for every 12 lbs. gained by
soned food aret.ganimr. Thorley offers a prize of £•~ for best
their opp°llen—food seasoned with Thorley's condiment, to
fat exhibitedfed ou
at the next Bridgewater fat cattle show, sth
be £lO at Yeovil show, 7th Dec. ; £lO
at Fork
December; and 11th Dec.;and £lO
meeting, I°lh at the Northern fat
in hibition to be held at Darlington, 12th, 13th, and
cattle ex
14th Dee., 1860.

-;rrirE STRANDING OF THE NOVA SCOTIAN (Ss.)--*
At the meeting of the Mersey Dock and Harbour Board,
yesterday (Thursday), it was explained that the recent
stranding of the mail steamer Nova Scotian, was caused by
the pilot mistaking the light in Bootle Bay for the one at
the cud o the 14:;i1)4, D9c4 wall, Liyerpeoli