Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-08-14
The Battle of Melazzo.

The Press publishes a letter from !,
exandre Dumas, describing the engsosn. ~
Mt Melazzo, of which he was an eye.w;,n' e@
The following are extracts:
AT dawn on the 10Th all the troons ;.
in movement to attack the Neapolitans ~
had come out Of the fort and VILLAGE ., "
luzzo, which they occupied. Maleno;.'F.
commanded the left; Generals Med;c; a a
Cosenz the centre; while the right was oa ~
posed Of iew companies only, intepdsS
cover the centre and left wing from =.
prise. Garibal44ihwas in the centre WIZ
the action was expected to be the sharpe., az
The firing began on the left, from the Ss.,
olitan oulposts, concealed In reed.bed ~,
way between Mer and Melazzo. 4 u.,.
OF an hour later the centre attacked tho \.
apolitan line and drove it from its FIRST NJ
ton. The right meanwhile dislodged 4.
Neapolitans from some house which ,lss
occupied AS the difficulties of the eron,
prevented rcinforcements from arriv,,
Bosco, with six thousand men, turned M,
the five hundred or six hundred who ,,I
driven him back. The latter at first w..
obliged to retire before the superior nm
bers of the enemy; but when other ,ro-,
came up to their aid. they again attackei,t.
enemy, many Of whom were still copce,l.s
among reeds and protected by liz trees !,
that u charge with the bayonet was impos
| bic. Medici, while advancing Al the b.I
| of his men, had horse killed under him
Cosenz was struck in the neck by sp.,,
/ hill I,Il ba
to be mortally wounded, but he was on,
stunned, and almost instantly he was on h.
legs again, shouting Viva I Italia" Ca.
| baldi, at the head of the Genoese Carbine.,.
and some Guides, attempted to take the eD.
my in the flank, but suddeni came ON o.,
placed in the centre of the road, and Wild
| he determined to attack. When with,
twenty PAGES, the cannon, loaded with gra,.
was fired by the Kings troops. The efss
was terrible; 0nl Y five or six men remaas
standing. Garibaldi had part Of his b,
and his stirrup carried away: his horse W.
also wounded and he was compelled to ailgt.
Major Breda and his trumpeter were klls:
by his side; Misori's horse fell dead uuie
him; Statelia was left standing unhurtin..
midst of the iron storm. All the Others We,
killed or wounded. The gun which h.
done all this mischief was taken soon ate.
Then the Neapolitan infantry opened al
gave passage to a charge of fifty cavalry I.
the purpose of retaking tie piece. Col h,
nom men, who had been but little under 1t,
| threw themselves to the sides of the roal h.
stead Of receiving the charge on their bay,
nets. The cavalry came like whirlwil!.
the Sicilans firing from both sides. Thu
assaulted both right and left, the commald:
Of the Neapolitan cavalry stopped, and Wal.
ted to turn back, but found the passage ta.
red by General Garibaldi, Misori, Sta,eA,
and five or six men. The General seized ii.
| officers bride and cried out Surrender
The officer replied with blow of his sat:s
which Garibaldi parrled, and by a ba
stroke cut the officers cheek open. The Ia:
ter fell from his horse. Meanwhile, thEu
or four sabres were raised against the G,.
eral, who wounded one of his aSsailants witt
thrust of his sabre, while Misori kills
two others and the horse of a third with BIZ
revolver. Statella brought down one aata.
onist, while another, who sprang At Ml0r
throat, was killed by the fourth shot Of b.
revolver. While this struggle was drawn!
to close, Garibaldi rallied his scattered mel |
charged with them, and either took orkils
the rest of the fifty horsemen. Seconie!
by his centre, he charged the Neapolitat'
Bayarians and Swiss with the bayonet. ID: |
Neapolitans fled at once, but the Bavaria: /
and Swiss made short stand before !tsy
gave way. This decided the fate Of l.:
day.