The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-23 00:00:00

SATURDAY EV EN INU, NOV E MBE El 23, 1867.

and at four kilometers from ,Igentana, our advanced
guard came upon the first Garibaldian outposts,
stationed in most favouruble positions on the
heights commanding the road along which we were
marching.
" Without an instant's hesitation, our Zouaves
threw themselves on this first line of the enemy,
with which, by little and. little, the whole regiment
of Zouaves was soon engaged. In this first en-
counter not many shots. were exchanged, for the
enemy, rapidly charged at the point of the bayonet,
was soon driven from this to the neighbouring
height. In this first attack fella glorious victim to
his impetuosity, Captain de Veaux, who received
a ball through his heart as he was leading on his
company.

" The Zouaves were supported in this more than
impetuous attack by the battalion of Carabinieri
esteri, one company of whom took the left of the
road, while the others bore along the right. During
the same time two companies of the Roman Legion,
with a well-directed fire, drove the Garibaldini
from a neighbouring wood, whence they were wor-
rying our left flank.
" Driven in disorder from all his original posi-
tions, the enemy formed again in strong masses
under cover of the walls of the Vigna Santucci.
But with resistless ardour the Zouaves rushed upon
them again, took
.the enclosure and house by as-
sault, and very soon made themselves masters of
the place.
" Lieutenant Colonel de Charette, who headed
this attack, had his horse wounded with three
shots ; and Colonel Allet, during the whole action,
in moderating the fire of his too impetuous sol-
diers.

" From the beginning, the combat had been se-
conded by the discharge of a piece of artillery
situated on a height to the left of the road, whence
it could fire down into the thickest of the enemy,
as they tried in • vain to reform in the Vigna
Santucci, until the rapid advance of our infantry
into their midst rendered it dangerous to continue
the fire.

. . . It was now about half past three p.m.,
almost the whole of my reserve had been called
into action, for Colonel d'Argy of the Roman
Legion, who sustained the whole charge of watching
over our centre, had but a small force left ; it was
then that I invited General de Polhes to support
both our wings. The French, who bad watched
our progress with impatience up to this point,
instantly, with their habitual valour, threw them-
selves on the enemy's column, which had made as
though it would attempt to surround us.
_ _

" Colonel Fremont of the Ist of the Line, with
his battalion, and supported by three companies of
Cacciatori, not only arrested the enemy's column,
but having arrived at the extreme left of the Gari-
baldini, opened upon them such a murderous fire,
that he forced them to give way in all haste. He
had, further, the boldness to go round behind
Mentana itself, up to within a short distance of
Monte Rotondo, where he would have entered be-
fore the Garibaldini, but that he found himself too
far isolated from the rest of the force.

" . . . There came up also, most opportunely at
this juncture, Major de Troussures from the mission
on which I had sent him, and who, with only three
companies of Zouaves, had, by his able manoeuvres,
contributed in great part to intimidate the Gari-
baldians, and to paralyze their attack on our right
wing.
. Having observed that the principal ob-
ject of that day's battle was attained, for the
enemy, driven out of all his positions after suffer-
ing tremendous losses, had retired behind the bar-
ricades of Mentana, dispirited and demoralized ;
and the night coming on apace, it was agreed to
put off any new attack till daylight, the rather
that there being no way out of Mentana open to
them it appeared evident to me they would rather
surrender than await an assault which could but
end in their destruction. . . . Due precautions
having been accordingly taken against surprise,
the night was passed in the open field without
incident. The morning proved the correctness of
my expectations, for at four o'clock a proposition
was sent in to propose the surrender of Mentana,
on condition that the enemy should be allowed
to retire with arms and baggage ; all conditions
were, of course, refused. Major Fauchon, of the
59th Line Regiment, had, in the meantime, made
a great number of prisoners in the houses of the
suburb of Mentana, and, added to the other takes
of prisoners in the course of the day, began to
create considerable embarrassment, and it was
reckoned preferable to let the remaining defenders
of Mentana retire beyond the frontier, leaving their
arms behind.

" . . . The allied troops marched on into Monte
Rotondo without striking a blow, and were hailed
vociferously by the people as their deliverers.
" Garibaldi, who, with his sons, was present at
the action of Mentana, never showed himself in
the front, and it has been reported to us that when
he saw his men give way, driven back .by our
valiant soldiers, he retired in all haste into safety
at Monte Rotondo, whence, in the early hours of
the night, he gained the frontier, thus changing
his impious cry of Roma 0 morte ' into a Sauve
qui peut.'
"At the same time it must be confessed that the
movements of the enemy were well-directed, and
that relying on their superiority in numbers and in
advantage of position, they defended certain points
with great vivacity, fighting well from behind walls
and barricades.

30 dead and 103
to 30
57 respectively
wounded,
nOduerd,loosfeswhaimehounnutmibnerall24
are out of the Zouaves. The French had 2 killed
and 36 wounded, and 1 not accounted for.
" According to intelligence received from the
people of Mentana and from the prisoners, and
arguing from the thousands of stands of arms that
have fallen into our hands, there must have been
about 9,000 engaged against us, of whom above
1,000 were put hors de combat in killed and wounded,
and 1,398 taken prisoners. Many hundreds were
escorted to the frontier, and the remainder escaped,
throwing away their arms, and leaving their one
cannon in our power, so that the victory was the
most complete that could have been effected.
" The humanity of the allied troops has been only
equal to their courage. For soldiers of all arms,
worn out with a long march, and four hours' hard
fighting, set themselves the very same evening to
seek out the wounded, carrying the Garibaldini as
willingly as their own companions to the ambu-
lances. . . .

" It is a duty of gratitude to note the cordial co-
operation, the valour, and ability of General de
Polhes, to whose name I may be allowed to add
that of Colonel Fremont."

He then goes on to mention other French officers,
and speaks of the difficulty of naming in particular
any of his own men, where all fought so bravely.
Among those so distinguished, however, are the
young Due di Caserta, the third brother of the
King of Naples, " who placed himself at my disposal
at the very beginning of the invasion, praying to be
allowed to serve wherever danger was greatest,
and who was remarked several times during the
day of -Mentana not only for his courage, but also
for his discernment and soldierly qualities." Also,
" Colonel Sonnenberg, Commandant of the Swiss
Guard, who rendered good service as officer of the
staff."

The Osservatore quotes the following from the
Gazette de France:—" The greater number of the
Garibaldian dead, wounded, and prisoners had on
trousers and accoutrements showing them to be-
long to the regular Italian army, many of them
betraying thus the very number of their regiments.
Most of them had about them libretti militari, on
which were noted that the bearers had extraordi-
nary leave of absence given them for special pur-
poses, and in others plainly, '• Leave of absence to
enter the army of Garibaldi."
General de Failly had the honour of presenting
the officers of the French army in Rome to the Pope
on Wednesday. He received them with his usual
affability, and pronounced his benediction on them,
their families, and their country.

The Pope has decided on the distribution of a
medal to record the campaign of 1867 to all the
soldiers, both Pontifical and French, who have had
part in resisting the Garibaldian invasion. It is to
be in the form of a Greek cross, and i 5 to be hung

' from a blue ribbon. On one side it will bear :the
effigy of Pius IX., with -the legend, Fulei et virtuti ;
and, on the other, the reversed cross of St. Peter,
with the words Resurget fulgentior.
It is said that in return General de Failly has
applied to the Emperor for several decorations of
the Legion of Honour for Pontifical soldiers who
distinguished themselves specially at Mentana. It
is also said that General de Failly sent to inquire
if the Duca di Caserta would accept the Cross of
Commandeur of the Legion of Honour, and that
the duke, after consulting his brother, Francis 11.,
replied in the affirmative_ The King of Naples
has conferred the grand cordon of the Order of St.
George on General Kanzl,,,,r, who commanded in
chief the allied troops at Al .mtana.
Various subscriptions are going on here for the
wounded, and for the peasants who have suffered
loss in the late encounter. Cardinal Reisach offers
18,000 francs as treasurer of the Sacred College ;
the religious orders have sent in more or less con-
siderable sums ; private persons are likewise joining
according to their means ; lists are published every
day.
On the 18th, 19th, and 20th the triduum of public
prayers prescribed in the last Encyclical, will take
place in all the churches of Rome.
The approaching marriage is announced of
Princess Doria with Principe Somaglia, of Milan.
Rome is beginning to fill fast. It appears to be
the Americans who have the courage first to take
up old habits in the teeth of the late rumours of
war. We shall not want for defenders, at all
events, for, besides' the French, the numbers of
Zouaves who keep pouring in from all parts of the
world to offer themselves for enrolment is sur-
prising.
The funeral office of Count Carlo Bernardini of
the Dragoons, whose loss at Mentana I mentioned
last week, took place this morning at the Church
of the Lucchesi, and was well attended by many ad-
miring friends.
The Roman princes give a grand public dinner at
the Palazzo Barberini to all the lately returned
prisoners belonging to the Pontifical army.
You will be sorry to learn we have just heard
from Florence that our banker, Mr. Cholmeley,
has met with a somewhat serious accident, having
been thrown out of his carriage on the way to
Fiesole ; it is, I fear, likely to keep him laid up
some days.

* The Fenian circular, published in the Daily News,
7tdmits this whilst urging the right of the Fenian Govern-
ment to retaliate by assassination. That right they possess
in common with every individual and precisely in the
-;arne degree, which is, that they take a position of outside
the law, wage war on society, compelling society either
to annihilate them, or be itself demoralised.