Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-06
Correspondents Of the Dublin News,
Reroic Conduct of the POpe's Irish Brigade

! az SpOletO. l-sA
There cannot have been much more than 700 or
800 men, if many, in Spoleto while the attacking
force was at least $4,000 or 20, 600 men. council
| was held. and of course, instantaneous surrender
was proposed by some as the most military course
in the face of such odds. OReily at least for the
| Irish in the garrison, two companies 260 men, ut
terly declined to be party to any such proceeding,
/ and declared that the man who would take upon
| himself to even announce such step to his men,
| would run the peril of his life. The council can
gather was violently distracted the point of ca
ptuaton or no eapltulation, but ultimately ex-
press was sent off to Rome, to the minister of war.
announcing that it was resolved to defend the town
as best they could. and that come what might, the
Irish companies were resolved to hold the citadel
till the courier returned blowNit into fragments
| In the morning the Irish, at dawn, went to mass
and believe every individual man among them APP
| preached Holy Communion $500
| In an hour or two afterwards they were called
upon to meet the foe The Sardinians poured in
through two of the chief Streets attempting at first
| nothing of acannonade, and evidently confident of
| carrying the place against such mere handful of
men at the bayonets point They reckoned rashly;
for hours they held at bay. Little, of course
could be done in the streets by such small body
against l0000or $4,000 men, and, at last, pressed
every point, Reilly threw himself into the cita
del to make the last stand for life or death-for
death alone might ssy-for when the outer gate
crashed to, the last wounded but undaunted de-
fender passed into the quadrangle. there was not a
man in all the little band who did not feel that he
had taken his stand there to die They threw them
selves upon the walls and from the tattered loop
holes rained the leaden hail with deadly effect upon
the besiegers But those old walls proved miserable
defences, and the enemy, after a brief but deadly
struggle of the Kind soon, with cries that rent the
air, dashed at the old gate. A crash, roar-a pc
tard blows j. into fragments. Then the struggle
commenced, Indeed. In poured the besiegers into
the outer yard, which should mention does not ap
pear to belong TO the citadel proper.
However a bloody reception met them there.
The Irish had two guns, loadedwlth grape, planted
inside in position commanding the entrance, and
no sooner was the Piedmontese columns seen
through the smoke Of the gateway than murder
Gus fire was opened, moving them down literally
like corn before the sickle. Again, again. the be
Segers dashed through the gate again, again and
again perfect hail of grapeshot from the two
pieces in the yard and the musketry from the cita
del walls behind, met them from the irish inside |
while shouts that would stir many heart at home
in Ireland, plainly told that the brave fellows felt
but too well the honor of ireland the awful
stake of the day. 1t was midday, and the outer
yard was still uncarried, and the citadel behind IN
touched but all this was not fated TO last much
longer. The Piedmontese brought up piece or two
THEMSELVES, after the first discharge poured nlGSSs
through the gate My informant asserts that of the
heroic Irishmen wko fought those guns inside, not
one man escaped Subsequently, OReily and his |
men, after further desperate resistance surrender
ed themselves as prisoners of war.
A minister's wife says: "The first time took my |
eldest boy to church. when he was two years and a |
half old, managed with caresses and frowns and |
candy, to keep him very still until the sermon
hslf done. By this time his patience was exhaust
ed and he climbed to his feet and stood the seat,
looking the preacher This fatheF) quite intently.
Then. as if he had hit upon certain relief for his
troubles he pulled me by the chin To attract my at
tenton. and exclaimed in distinct voice, (" Mann |
ma, make papa say AmenP