The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-11-16
The Battle of VoIturno.

t5e
From a graehic letter in the Paris Jour
nal deS Debats the writer of which was
present at the last struggle between The
King of Naples and Garibaidi, at Voltur-
no, on the 1st Of October-we make the
following extracts:
On Sunday. the 30tlI of September, at
davbreak Santa Maria was al astir. The
soldiers were consigned to the barracks;
Garibaldi started for San AHgeio; troops
continued to arrive, and artillery g8Iopea
through the town. The faces Of he PEG
a,e ere pale and agitated. The Iricoor
z Is partially taken down from many of
the houses, and the gates of many Of them
closed.
| started for San Angelo when | heard
the voice of cannon, and | arrived in time
Two battalions, commanded by Castelini
were attempting to throw bridge over the
VoIturno. Protected by M4nte's artillery,
they advanced by covered bridge, and
succeeded in launching two boats, but the
enemy perceived the vancouver. Immedi
ately the right bank, as If by magic, was
covered by Royalist troops, and 2 terrible
| fire WAS opened against the batteries of San
Angelo, and against the Garbaldians at,
tempting to make the bridge They were
obliged to retreat. San Angelo opened
its guns and replied with good Effect
But this was simply an overture to the
great event that was to come off on the
| LIST.
The Royalists had made up their minds
to attempt a decisive blow. They felt
they were being surrounded. They knew
Cialdjna was in their rear, steadily adyan-
cling; that Lamoriciere was completely
defeated, and that Naples was undefended
At six A. NJ. on the 1st of October, six
teen thousand men, of which number five
thousand were cavalry, left Capus, com
manded by Gen paImeii, with five bat
| teries commanded by Gen. Nigri. Gen.
Ritucci had the chief command. Gems.
Alan de Rivers, Barbalougl and Won
Michel were under his orders. | have
these details from Captain Perelli, of the
| Seventh ChaSseurS, who was taken prisoner,
At TIE same time body IF five thousand
men marched on MadloIoni to take the
Garibal .ians in the rear aud cut off their
retreat. The soldiers Of Francis II, were
divided into two corps: one by the railway,
was to attack the position Of the Garibal-
dams at the arches of Santa Maria. and
draw their attention to that point; the
other, by the parallel Consular road. to
cross upon their right by the fields. guided
! by the roact'onaTy peasants OF Tan Frisco,
and the neighboring villages, aud was to
fall upon Santa Maria in the lear Of the
Garibaldians. Another body of one thou
sand men, starting from La plana, was to
cross the Noturno below Caiszzo and de
bauch by San Leucho
Al this had been foreseen Ivy Garibaldi.
and it is extraordinary that in a very re-
dictionary country :he Royali>ts were not
better informed Of the operations Of The
Garibaldians Thus the latter ha2 erected
redoubts, dug bitches, and built barri
cades on the very fields over which the
| Roy alists fancied they could advance with,
out impeachment and attack the rights OF
the Garibaldians or throw themselves into
Santa Maria.
At half past six o'clock a sharp fire OF
! --uskctrv commenced. -, the canron
soon began 70 roar with fairy. Tie pop
ulat,on showed great excitement, ana
every one prepared for defense. has
tened to the spot, and arrived Just as the
Royaliss were crossing over the fifteen
arches of the railway, chasing the Carr
baldians before them. At eight o'clock
the former were already at Santa Maria
near the walls Of the Campo Amphi
theatre.
While General Rifuqui was carrrin4
out this movement, Garihald;. who had
arrived on the scene OF battle, ordered an
~e.anng0 orc. He ordered Ma.aaehini S
eave San Tamaro on his left
santa Maria by the rear, and
| throw it into the fields which the h Dvalists
had to cross. The latter thus found them
selves taken between columns of GarbaI-
dians, shut up between the railway and
the road, and completely surrounded =
The 18th Regiment of Chasseurs was ami
hilated, with the exception of thirty five
men, an adjutant, major, and Captain Pc
relli, who were made prisoners. 1t is
quite impossible for me to describe the
terrific obstinacy of the struggle, and the
real and calm courage of the mon engag
! a.
vent through the whole campaign in
Lombardy, | was present at Magenta and
Solterino, and yesterday fancied | was
there again. Three times were the posi-
tons of the Garibaldians taken and re tax
en- at the point of the bayonet. The grape
swept men down numerically. No quar-
ter was asked or given. With my own
eyes | saw wounded men bayoneted, and
the stiletto and pistol used in a fight which
commenced with the rife. Except the
Siciiians and the Neapolitan of the city Of
Naples, every man did his duty with Gu
thusiasr. A strange and atrocious circum-
stance, if we consider the character Of the
Italians, they fought without uttering a
shout, almost in silence 1t was a lovely
day, the sun was shining in AL its glory
and the ground was adorned with rich
produce.
At noon the tide of battle turned in fa~
yor Of tie GaribaIdians
Fresh Battaions and new guns came
up from Caserta and Naples and Joined
in the battle. The GarbaIdians, when
the battle commenced were not ten thou
sand stronC thew bad NOW fftapn thot,