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who had wounded him, was but the affair of a minute; only, as he plunged in his knife, he expired. After the fight the two bodies were found clasped as in the death struggle. The youth was covered with wounds; the horseman exhibited on his thigh the mark of a deep bite inflicted by his adversary.

On the side of our antagonists, I must admit there were displayed many acts of the greatest boldness. One of them, perceiving that the kind of shed around which we were grouped, if it was no rampart against the balls, was a shelter from the scorching sun, took a lighted brand, clapped spurs to his horse, galloped through us, and as he passed threw the brand like lightning upon the straw roof of the shed; the brand fell short of the object of the horseman, but he had nevertheless performed a bold action. Our men were about to fire on him, but I prevented them, by exclaiming "Spare brave fellows like him; they belong to our race!"—and nobody fired.

It was a miracle to see how all those brave men listened to me. A word from me restored strength to the wounded, courage to the hesitating, and redoubled the ardour of the strong.

When I saw the enemy decimated by our fire and fatigued by our resistance, then, and not till then, did I say a word about retreat; not by saying let us retreat, but, "In retreating, we will not leave, I hope, a single wounded comrade on the field of battle."

"No! no! no!" cried every voice. By the bye, there was scarcely one among us that was not wounded. When I saw all my people calm and quite steady, I quietly gave the order to retreat, fighting. Fortunately I had not received even a scratch, which permitted me to be everywhere, and when an enemy approached too boldly, to make him repent of his rashness.

The few that were unhurt among us sang patriotic hymns, to which the wounded replied in chorus. The enemy could not make out what was going on. What

we suffered most from was the want of water. Some tore roots up from the earth, and chewed them; others found relief in sucking leaden bullets; a few were so frantic with thirst as to drink their own urine. tunately night came on, and with it a little coolness.

For

I formed my men in close column, placing the wounded in the centre. Two only of these, whom it was impossible to transport, were left upon the field of battle. I gave orders for keeping close together, and to retreat in the direction of a little wood. The enemy had taken possession of it before us, but they were vigorously and speedily expelled.

I then sent out scouts, who brought us the information that the enemy had dismounted almost all their men, and the horses were grazing. They were no doubt persuaded that it was hunger and want of munitions that had made us halt. Hunger we did not feel, and of munitions we had found abundance on the dead bodies of our adversaries.

But the most difficult part of our task remained to be accomplished. The enemy were encamped between us and Salto. After an hour's repose, which made our adversaries believe that we meant to remain all night where we were, I ordered my men to form in column; and, in double quick time, with bayonets at the charge, we rushed like a torrent into the midst of them. The trumpets sounded to horse; but before the men had found horses, saddles, and bridles, we had passed through them. We again directed our course towards a sort of makis, and as soon as we were among the thick underwood, I commanded every man to lie down with his face to the ground. The enemy came towards us without seeing us, sounding the charge.

I allowed them to approach within thirty paces of us, and then only I cried "Fire!" setting the example. From twenty-five to thirty men, and as many horses, fell; the enemy turned bridle, and retreated to their camp.

And then only I said to my men, "Now, my

children, I think the moment has come when we can go and drink!" And, clinging to the side of the little wood, carrying our wounded, and keeping at a distance the most persistent of our adversaries, who would not leave us, we gained the banks of the river.

At the entrance of the village a moving incident awaited us. Anzani awaited us, weeping with joy. He embraced me first, and would willingly have embraced all the others after me.

Anzani had had his fight likewise. He had been, with his handful of men, attacked by the enemy, who, before they did attack him, summoned him to surrender, telling him that we were all killed or prisoners.

But Anzani replied: "Italians do not surrender. Begone, many of you as you are, or I will annihilate you with my squadrons. As long as I have one companion left with me, we will fight together; and when I am alone, I will set fire to the powder, and blow up myself and you with me."

The enemy asked no more, but retired. So, our men, who found everything in abundance at Salto, said, addressing me—

"You saved us in the first instance; but Anzani has saved us in the second."

The next day I wrote the following letter to the Commission of the Italian legion at Montevideo :—

"BROTHERS,-The day before yesterday we had, in the plains of Sant Antonio, within a league and a-half of the city, the most terrible and the most glorious of our battles. The four companies of our legion, and a score of horse, who had taken refuge under our protection, not only defended themselves against twelve hundred of the men of Servando Gomez, but entirely annihilated the enemy's infantry which assailed them, to the number of three hundred men. The firing commenced at midday, and ended at midnight. Neither the numbers of the enemy, nor their repeated charges; neither the mass of cavalry, nor the attacks of the fusileers on foot, could prevail over us, although we had no other shelter

but a shed in ruins, supported by four posts. The legionaries constantly repulsed the assaults of their infuriated enemies; every officer fought like a common soldier on this memorable day. Anzani, who had been left at Salto, and whom the enemy summoned to surrender, replied, match in hand, and his foot upon the Sainte Barbe (the powder-room) of the battery, although the enemy had assured him that we were all either dead or prisoners.

"We had thirty killed and fifty-three wounded. All the officers are wounded, with the exception of Scarone Saccarello the major, and Traversi; but all slightly. "I would not give up my name of an Italian legionary for a world of gold!

"At midnight we retreated towards Salto. were about a hundred left safe and sound.

There

Such as

were only slightly wounded marched first, repelling the enemy when they were too troublesome.

"Ah! this affair deserves to be cast in bronze! "Adieu! I will write to you at greater length another time.

"Your GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI.

"The officers wounded are Cassana, Marochetti, Beruli, Remouni, Saccarello the younger, Sachi, Grafegna, and Rodi."

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This was our last affair of importance at Montevideo.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

I WRITE TO THE POPE.

It was about this time that I heard, at Montevideo, of the exaltation of Pio Nono to the Pontificate.

Every one knows what were the commencements of this reign. Like many others, I believed in the dawning of an era of liberty for Italy. I immediately re

solved to second him in the generous resolutions with which he was animated, to offer him my sword, and that of my companions in arms. Those who believe in a systematic opposition on my part to the Papacy, will see by the letter I am about to show, that there was no such thing. My devotion was to the cause of liberty in general, at whatever point of the globe that liberty should break forth. But it may be easily understood that I should give the preference to my own country, and that I was ready to serve under him who was called upon to be the political Messiah of Italy.

Anzani and I believed that this sublime part was reserved for Pio Nono, and we wrote to the Pope's nuncio the following letter, begging him to transmit to his Holiness the vows of myself and our legionaries:

"MOST ILLUSTRIOUS AND RESPECTABLE SEIGNEUR,

"From the moment we received the first news of the exaltation of the Sovereign Pontiff, Pio Nono, and of the amnesty he granted to the poor, we have, with increasing attention and interest, followed the vestiges which the supreme Head of the Church impresses upon the route of glory and liberty. The praises, the echo of which reaches us from the other side of the ocean, the emotion with which Italy welcomed the convocation of the deputies, and there applauded the wise concessions made to the press, the institution of the civic guard, the impulsion given to popular instruction and industry, without reckoning so many cares all directed towards the amelioration and the well-being of the poor classes, and towards the formation of a new administration; everything, in short, convinced us that there at length had issued from the bosom of our country the man who understood the wants of his age-had learnt how, according to the precepts of our august religion, always new, always immortal, and without derogating from their authority, to bend according to the exigencies of the time; and we, although these progresses were without influence upon

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