New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-10-23
between the Porte and the fore'gn representa-


between the Porte and the foreign representa-
lives.
From the correspondence Of the Dublin Morning Newal
Heroic CoEDUCF OF THE PoPE.s IRISH BRIGADE
At SFoLgTos-4here cannot have been much more
than 200 or 800 men, If so many, in Spoleto while
the attacking force was at least Is 600 or 2o0 900
men. council was held, and, of conrse instan-
taneous 81 surrender was proposed By sonas as the
say ~ coqfse I In n yhs e ads t q such odds
companies, $50 men) utterly declined to be party
to any such proceeding. and declared that the man
who w0nld take upon himself to even announce ss
such step TO his men would run the peril Of his
life.
The council, can gather, was violently dig.
tracted on the point Of capitulation no capitu-
off to Rome, to the Minister Of War anucua-
cling that ID was resolved 10 defend the town an
best they could, and, that come what might, the
till the courier arrived, or blow II into fragments
In the morning the Irish at dawn went to mass.
and believe every individual man among Them
approached Holy communion. In an hour Or two;
afterwards they were called upon e meet III ~,
The Sarduians poured in through two OF the chief
streets, attempting at first nothing d acannonade
,id evidently confident of carrying the place
r. stst such mere handful of men at the bayon-
Y ata. ut. They reckoned Fashfy. For houTs
s gsrs ,seld at bay. Little, Of course, could be
az StEg IN de sSeets by such small body ugainst
ana saai intp prsssed ~ i,ns n syssy z
sias 4 tss, ssaad far life or death-ior death
y, a tbf sag-for when Me outer gate crashed
nassef iTte, d. s,aunded but aindannted defender
10 ali the little psrangls mere G wv w est sos nan
taken his stsnd there 70 ae a9t Acst h@e Ae 49,
| They threw themselse2le 49,. ~ al 49,.
the tattered loophoes SaiGa ~ lne Wa.ss s' 5s
with deadly effect upen the p. a1srs .s s,at sbae
old walls proved miserable defence nj tIe s,,,eYv
after brief but deadly struggle Of id sa,,,
with cries that rent the air, dashed at ia gat
4 crash, roar, and petard blows it lbs FFsav
ments. Then the struggle commenced indeed. n
poured the beaiegers into the outer yard, which 4
should mention does not appear to belong to the
I citadel proper. However, bloody reception met
them there. The Irish had two guns, loaded with
grape, planted inside in a position commanding
Ibis enfxapee, ana sooner was the FiedInontese
column seen through the smoke Of the gateway
than niurderous tire was opened, moving them
down literally Ike corn beare the sickle. Again,
again, again the besiegers dashed The gate:
again. again, and again perfect hail Of gfapseslot
from the tive pieces IN the yard and nasketFy fsanf
the citadel walls behind met them from the Isish
inside; while shouts that would stir many a heart
at home in Ireland plainly told that the brave fei
lows felt but too well the honor of ireland was on
the awful stake Of the day. 1t was day, and
the outer yard still uncarried, and the citadel
itself behind untouched but all this was not fated
to last much longer.
The PiedmOntese brought up piece or two
themselves and after the first discharge poured
en- masse through the gate. Ny informant asserts
that of the heroic Irshmen who fought those guns
| inside not one man escaped. They asked no quar-
ter and they received none; they fought across
the carriages of the pieces; they were bayoneted
at their posts. This however, was but the outer
yard and the heavy price at whichit had been car
red, suggested to the besiegers an easier and
more certain way Of dealing with the citadel than
risking another vain-glorious effort at assault or
escalade. They drew off, and in an hour opened
| fire from their heavy artillery, planted on the
small hills outside, at distance at which the old
metal in the fortress was utterly unable to even 80
/ much as reply. In less than half an hour two
breaches were made. A message was sent by the
| Piedmontese commander, offering them the h0HorE
4 of war if they surrendered. O'Reilly made his
answer in the midst Of his men, and amid shouts
that one would have thought proclaimed victory,
| not the desperate resolve of men rejecting their
sole chance Of life Returnr said 0tReilly, land
| tell your commander that we are Kishmen, and
| that we hold this citadel for God and the Pope.
The Irish who the Pope are ready to dies but
4 not to surrender
The white flag returned, but IL O'Reilly imagined
the Sardinians would give him a chance Of fight
at the breaches he was much mistaken. The FIRE
opened once more, and now it became plain that
the plan about to be adopted was to bury the place
in ruins by their long range guns, while the irish
could do nothing but look heiplessy on their pieces
being Of nothing like the same calibre. second
summons to surrender Was made, and the same
answer was returned. BY three o'clock there were
five breaches effected in fact, the walls were in
ruins. At this iuncture the Papal delegate, with
authority that left OReilly resourse but obedi-
ence-whether an answer had reached from Mon.
sgnore de Merode cannot say, but ii $50 asserted
and is probabe-ordered him imperatvely to
capitulate. This time 0'Reilly sent ont the white
lag-bearer. The Sardinians undertook to let the
Irish march out with the honors Of war-an under
/, taking, however, if made at all, not kept
/ How was this end OF their bloody struggle re
/; ceived by the Irish? With feelings of grief and
Distraction which simple incident illustrates
t curiously enough. As the Irish companies were
drawn up inside and the Sardinans filing in ac
cording to terms of capitulation OF our country
men, utterly unable to brook the sight, seized .
large jar bottle or other vessel Of some sort which
Glanced to be lying by, and with one blow all but
Drained one Of the Sardinians. It was the work of
a moment, when the impetuous Celt and one of his
companions, who made stroke in his defence, fell
before platoon, ridded with bullets. The rest i
soon told. OiReily and all prisoners were marched
f off next day to Alessandra.