Battle of Volturnus ( 1860 ) The Battle of Volturnus or Volturno refers to a series of military clashes between Giuseppe Garibaldi ' s volunteers and the troops of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies occurred around the river Volturno , in northern Campania , in September and October 1860 . The main battle took place on October 1 , 1860 between 24 , 000 garibaldines ( with Hungarian volunteers ) and 25 , 000 Bourbon troops . After Garibaldi ' s Expedition of Thousand had conquered Sicily and much of southern Italy with a startling speed , entering in Naples on September 7 , while the King Francis II of Two Sicilies took refuge in the powerful fortress of Gaeta , midway from Rome to Naples . In the meantime the Neapolitan army was rebuilt in Capua under marshal Giosuè Ritucci , the first skirmishes with Garibaldi ' s volunteers occurring on September 26 and 29 . On September 30 a Neapolitan corps crossed the Volturno at Triflisco , marching towards Santa Maria a Vologno , but were halted by two Garibaldine brigades . The following day Ritucci then decided a frontal attack with two divisions against Garibaldi ' s centre , which occupied a line running from Sant ' Angelo in Formis and Santa Maria a Vico . After defeating the enemy , Ritucci was to reach Caserta and then Naples itself . The two armies met on the western front , in which the Neapolitans , spurred by the presence of Francis himself , forced the Garibaldines to retreat . Garibaldi and his fellow Giacomo Medici intervened , re - establishing the situation . Harsh fights were taking place in the meantime at Santa Maria , but at 6 PM the Neapolitans were pushed back ; the Garibaldines were however defeated on the hills neat Monte Tifata , Monte Vito and Castel Morrone . Nino Bixio , who defended the road to Maddaloni , was initially defeated by the attack of the Bavarian and Swiss brigade of General von Mechel . In his support arrived colonel Giuseppe Dezza with two Bersaglieri battalions , which pushed back von Mechel northwards , up to Ducenta . At that point the only undefeated Bourbon column was that of colonel Perrone , who was in Capua with c . 3 , 000 troops . The city was attacked on 2 AM by the Garibaldines and one Piedmontese regular Bersaglieri battalion , and captured . Consequences . After this battle , the largest by Garibaldi ' s expedition , both sides seemed exhausted . In the immediate aftermath , the battle was a defeat for Garibaldi , but in the longer term , it proved to their advandtage . The cost for Garibaldin in men was higher : 506 killed and 1389 taken prisoner , but the Neapolitan forces had lost 308 and 2507 taken prisoners . The Bourbon army was unable to use their victory to capture Caserta . Both armies showed bravery , except perhaps for the Royal Guards and toops of Ruiz de Ballesteros , who were the largest cause of the defeat . Garibaldi was forced to request troops from the Piedmontese . Yet while Francisco II wished to use the impasse for the Garibaldi forces , to attack again , his generals recommended that the troops be reorganized . Thus he left Capua for Gaeta , and was unable to retake his throne . Soon Piedmontese reinforcements arrived , defeating the Royal troops at Gaeta , and causing the King to flee .