The Nevada Democrat., 1860-11-15
THE IRISH SOLDIERS AT sr,oLEro

THE IRISH SOLDIERS At SrOLETO.
The Irish portion of the force enlisted for
service in Italy appear TO have maintained
the ancient renown of their countrymen
during the present Italian campaign. and
Garbaldi may thanl; his stars that he had
only few companies of F,,gh Bdlla BOYS
to deal with. The contest at Spoleto is
thus described
There could not have been much more
than 100 or 500 men, if so many in Spoleto
while the attacking force was at least b.
600 to 10000 men. 4 council was held
and, of course, instantaneous surrender was
proposed by some as the most military
course in the face of such odds. OReilly.
at least for the Irish in The garrison (two
companies, 200 slrong) utterly declined to
De party to any such proceeding, and de-
clared that the man who would take upon
himself to even announce such a step to his
men would run the peril Of his life. The
council was violently distracted on tie
point or capltulation or no capitulation,
but ultimately it was resolved to defend the
town as best they could. and that come
what might, the Irish companies were re-
solved TO hold the citadel or blow it into
fragments.
la the morning the Sardinians poured in
through two of the chief streets attempting
at first nothing Of cannonade. and were
evidently confident of carrying the place
against such mere handful of men at the
bayonets point. They reckoned rashly.
For hours they were held at bay. Little Of
course, could be done in the streets by such
small body against 10000 or IL, 900 men:
and, at last, pressed on every point.
o ORellly threw himself into the citadel To
make the last stand for life or death-for
death alone-for when the outer gate crash
ed to. as the last wounded but undaunted
defender passed into the quadrangle there
was not man in all the little band who
did not feel that he had taken his stand
there to die. They threw themselves upon
the walls. and from the tattercd loophoIes
rained the "leaden hail" with deadly effect
upon the besiegers. But the enemy. after
brief but deadly struggle of the kind,
soon, with cries that rent the air, dashed at
the old gate. A crash, a roar-a petard
blows it into fragments. Then the struggle
commenced indeed In poured the besieg.
ers into the outer yard, which does not ap-
pear to belong to the citadel proper How
ever, bloody reception met them there
The Irish had two guns loaded with crane
planted inside in position commanding
the entrance, and no sooner was the Pied
montese column seen through the smoke of
the gateway than a murderous fire was
opened, moving them down literally like
corn before the sickle. Again, again,
again and again perfect hail of grape.
shot from the two pieces in the yard, and
musketry from the citadel walls behind.
met them from the Irish inside while
shouts that would stir many a heart at
home il Ireland, plainly told that the brave
fellows felt but too well the honor Of Ire.
land was the awful stake of the day. IL
was midday. and the outer yard was still
uncarried, and the citadel itself behind un-
touched but all this was not fated to last
much longer. The Piedmontcse brought
up piece or two Themselves, and after tlc
first discharge poured en- masse through the
gate. or the heroic Irshmen who fought
those guns inside the quadrangle, not one
man escaped.
Subsequently O'Reilly aud his men. who
were in the citadel. after further desperate
resistance, surrendered themselves prison
ers Of war;