We arrived at ten o'clock, The darkness was thick, the place of encampment bad, and we had to fetch water more than a mile.

On the 18th we continued our march with the same rapidity; and, as the day before we had found Palestrina and Valmontone abandoned by the enemy, we found Monte Fortino free, which it would have been so easy to dispute with us. The whole Bourbon army was in full retreat towards Velletri.

On the morning of the 19th I quitted my position of Monte Fortino to march upon Velletri, with the Italian legion, the third battalion of the third regiment of the Roman infantry, and some horse commanded by my brave Marina, in all about nineteen hundred men. I had by my side Ugo Bassi, who, though unarmed, was an excellent horseman, serving me as an ordonnance officer, and was constantly repeating to me in the midst of the hottest fire, ❝ General! pray send me where there is danger, instead of sending any one more useful than I am."

66

When arrived within sight of Velletri, I sent forward a detachment with orders to advance close under the walls of the city, that they might know the places, and by attracting the notice of the enemy, make them, if possible, take up the offensive. I certainly did not hope with my 1900 men to beat the army of the King of Naples, but I did hope, if the fight once began, to draw them towards me, and give, whilst engaging them, time for the body of our army to come up and take part in the battle.

On the height which flanked the road leading to Velletri I placed the half of my legion; two or three hundred men in the centre; the half of the battalion on the right, and the few horse commanded by Marina upon the road itself. I kept the rest of my men in a second line as a reserve.

The enemy, seeing our small numbers, were not long before they attacked us. At first a regiment of chasseurs on foot left the walls, and spreading about, began

a fire of tirailleurs upon our advanced posts. Our advanced posts, according to the orders they had received, retreated. The Neapolitan chasseurs were then followed by some battalions of the line and a numerous body of cavalry.

When

Their shock was violent, but did not last. arrived within half-gunshot of our men, the perfectly calm and well-directed fire of the latter stopped them short. The fire had lasted about half-an-hour, when the enemy launched two squadrons of horse chasseurs on to the road. A desperate charge of these must decide the victory.

I placed myself, therefore, at the head of my fifty or sixty horse, and we charged five hundred men. The Neapolitans, carried away by the impetus of their charge, rode right over us. I was knocked down, and thrown ten paces from my horse. I sprang up, and remained in the midst of the mêlée, striking right and left, in order that I might not be struck. My horse had done as I had done, he had got up again. I sprang upon his back, made myself recognised by my men, who had thought I was dead, by placing my hat on my sabre and waving it. I was, besides, easily known, by being the only person wearing a white puncho lined with red. Loud cries hailed my resurrection.

In the impetuosity of their charge, the Neapolitan cavalry had penetrated to our reserve, whilst the battalions of the line in close column followed them. This ardour caused their destruction; for, no longer having their flanks protected by the regiment of foot chasseurs, finding our men in ambush upon all the hills right and left, with our reserve in front of them, they presented themselves like a target to the shots of our soldiers.

I then sent to the general-in-chief for a reinforce-ment, telling him that I believed the battle thoroughly commenced. I received an answer" that soldiers could not be sent to me, as they had not eaten their soup."

I then resolved to do what I could with my own strength, unfortunately, always insufficient in decisive

circumstances. Although we were 1900 against 5000, I charged upon the enemy's whole line. At the same time, our two pieces of cannon were placed in battery, and opened their thunder; the fire of the tirailleurs was redoubled, and my forty or fifty lancers, led by Marina, dashed impetuously upon three or four thousand infantry.

In the meanwhile, Manara, who was within about two miles of us, heard our fire, and sent to the generalin-chief to ask permission to march to our assistance. At the end of an hour this was granted. These brave young men arrived, marching in quick time, by the high-road, under the fire of the enemy's artillery. When they came up with our rear-guard, the latter opened to let them pass; they defiled by sound of trumpet, amidst the greatest enthusiasm. At the sight of these young men, short, brown, and vigorous-at the sight of their black feathers floating in the wind, the cry of "Vivent les Bersaglieri !" burst from every mouth. They replied by the cry of, "Vive Garibaldi !" and fell into line.

In a moment the enemy was driven from position to position, and retreated under the cannon of the place, of which the greater part, placed on the right of the gate, were mounted on a convent. Two of their pieces commanded the high road, the others fired upon the left flank of our column, where the tirailleurs were spread about; but, from the nature of the ground, which afforded my men numerous risings, behind which they were able to shelter themselves, they did not do them much harm.

As soon as he arrived on the field of battle, Manara looked about for me. He soon recognised me, by my white puncho, and galloped towards me; but, on his way, he was stopped by an incident which I relate here, because it admirably represents the spirit of our men. As they passed before the music, which was playing a lively air, a score of his men could not resist the influence of the tune, and under the fire of the balls

and mitrailles, of the Neapolitans, began to dance! At the moment when Manara himself, under a shower of bullets, was looking at them and laughing, a cannonball swept away a dozen of the dancers! This accident produced a slight pause, but Manara cried out: "Well! play on, music!"-the music began again, and the dance was revived with greater spirit than ever.

On my part, on seeing the Bersaglieri come up, I had sent Ugo Bassi to tell Manara I wanted to speak with him. His first thought was to ask if I was not wounded. "I believe," replied Ugo Bassi, "that the general has received two balls, one in his hand, and the other in his foot, but as he does not complain, probably the wounds are not serious." In fact, I had received two scratches, of which I took no heed until in the evening when I had nothing else to do. Manara described to me the scene, at which he had been present. "And can't we, with such men," cried he, "endeavour to carry Velletri by assault ?"

I could not help laughing, as I replied: "What! with two thousand men and two pieces of cannon, carry a city, perched like an eagle's nest at the top of a mountain, and defended by twenty thousand men and thirty pieces of cannon ?"

But such was the spirit of this brave youth, that nothing seemed impossible to him.

I sent fresh messages to head-quarters. If I had had only 9000 men I would have attempted the affair, such was the enthusiasm of my men and so great was the discouragement of the Neapolitans. On the right of the gate, we could see with the naked eye a sort of breach in the walls. This breach was closed up with. fascines; but a cannon-ball or two would have rendered it practicable. Attacking columns, well protected by numerous trees, and by the hill on their flank, might gain this breach; the sappers of their corps, levelling all obstacles, would do the rest. Two simulated attacks would have protected the principal one.

Instead of this, we were obliged to content ourselves

with leaving the Bersaglieri to amuse themselves with picking out the men on the ramparts, whilst from the Convent of the Capuchins two of the enemy's regiments poured upon them a fearful shower of artillery.

At length the general-in-chief made up his mind to come to my assistance with the whole army; but when he arrived the favourable moment was past. As I did not doubt that the enemy would evacuate the city during the night, having received the news that the king had departed with six thousand men, I proposed to send a strong detachment to the Naples gate, and fall upon the flank of the enemy at the moment they were retreating in disorder. The fear of weakening ourselves dangerously prevented this plan being executed.

Two

Towards midnight, wishing to know how I stood, I desired Manara to send an officer with forty men upon whom he could depend, under the walls of Velletri, and even into Velletri itself, if it were possible. Manara transmitted the order to the sub-lieutenant, Emile Dandolo, who took forty men and advanced in the obscurity of the night towards the city. peasants whom he met told him that the city was abandoned. Dandolo and his men, therefore, ventured as far as the gate, which they found was not guarded by any enemy's sentinel. Beaten in by our balls, it had been barricaded. The Bersaglieri scaled the barricade, and found themselves in the city.

It was indeed deserted. He made a few prisoners who had been too tardy, and from them and the people of the city, whom he roused, he learnt all I wanted to know-which was, that as soon as night came on, the Neapolitans had commenced their retreat, but in such disorder, that they had left the greater part of their wounded behind them. At daybreak I set off in pursuit of them, but it was impossible for me to overtake them. Besides, whilst I was on the high road of Terracina, I received orders to rejoin the column, half of which was returning to Rome, whilst the other half