INSURRECTION IN SICILY.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 44, 3 November 1860, Page 3

INSURRECTION IN SICILY.

“ Every Englishman,” says the Daily News, “ will be glad to hear that the bravery of the small band of our countrymen already in the ranks of Garibaldi elicited his heartiest praise at Melazzo. That famous shot, Captain Peard, was made a colonel for his conduct (always intrepid) on that day which saw the standard of the Sicilian patriots wave over Messina. Colonel Dunne, who won the Victoria Cross, commands a corps in Garibaldi’s army:-' Another Englishman, Colonel Forbes, is commandant of the town and fortress of Melazzo. A document arrived recently in London, in which the great Italian general expresses the highest admiration of his British volunteers. Captain Styles, formerly of the Fusilier Guards, and who carries on his breast the Crimean medals of England and Turkey, and now of Garibaldi’s staff, has arrived in London for a few days, and will enable the riflemen of the metropolis to judge of the lightness, grace, aud remarkably picturesque effect of the Garibaldian uniform. The gallant captain landed with Garibaldi at Marsala, and was in the actions at Calatafimi, Palermo, and the crowning battle at Melazzo. There is no doubt that if any of our volunteers, with a turn for adventure and some little military training, should fancy to exchange for a time the battle grounds of Hampstead or Bromley for those of Calabria at this holiday season, they would receive a warm welcome from Garibaldi.” [Captain Styles has published a document in which Garibaldi authorizes him to enrol volunteers in England for the cause of Italian nationality; and at a meeting, at which Captain Styles made a statement of what he has done and expects to do in London, has been reported. The captain said that “ in three days he had collected 500 volunteers, many of them of the highest respectability—some of independent means. And while he had been compelled to take some of the lower class for servants, yet with these he had received characters of respectability. His object was to raise a battalion of at least 800 men; but he did not wish to take them emptyhanded. All the money and ammunition which General Garibaldi had at his command he required for the troops he had there. He wanted, therefore, to collect sufficient to equip the English battalion, and when he reached Garibaldi, say, ‘ Here we are, ready to fight!’ ”] The Italian paper’s state that the steamer, the Queen of England, has brought to G aribaldi the following contributions in aid of the Sicilian cause :—Seven of Blakeley’s cannon, 1150 Enfield rifles, 80 common rifles, 40 pistols, 16 other cannon (two rifled, with the carriages complete), 40 cases of bombs, 389 cannon-balls; to which are added 1125 cases of Colt’s revolvers, sent to Garibaldi from America by Major Hartley. The entire freight of the vessel represents a value of £50,000. The same vessel carried also the gifts of “ The Ladies’ Garibaldi Benevolent Association,” namely, 25 hospital tents, four large boxes of medicines, supplies of splints, and bandages, and lint, and numerous air-beds and air-cushions, for the use of the wounded volunteers. In our last we stated that the campaign in Sicily had closed; and we have since received a full narrative of the events which immediately preceded the final victory. On the 20th was fought the battle of Melazzo, referred to in our last, which ended in the surrender of Bosco, and which resulted immediately afterwards in the capitulation of the garrison of Messina. The Neapolitans fought at a great advantage ; they had cover, and they had a concentric position. The attacking force numbered only 5000 men, while the troops to which they were opposed numbered at least 8,000. The fighting lasted 14 hours. Garibaldi was engaged in a hand-to-hand contest, and conducted himself as much like a paladin of old as a general of the 19th century. Here is a stirring picture of one of the adventures of the day:— Garibaldi was with the centre, which was making its way slowly over and through all obstacles, when the news arrived that the left [young Sicilian troops], unable to resist the superior forces of the enemy, was giving wav, and

thus exposing the whole line to he turned on that side. Taking the only reserve remaining, a battalion composed of North Italians and Palermitans, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Dunne and several other English officers, hewent to the left to stem the advance of the N eapolitans. His presence and the exertions of the officers of the battalion, succeeded in steadying these young troops, who not only resisted further attacks, but pushed forward towards the guns, with which the enemy was sweeping the road. One advance, bolder than the rest, brought them to the guns ; an English sailor, lately enlisted at Patti, was the first across the wall behind which one of the guns was posted, and the next moment the gun was carried off in triumph. Just at that moment, when it was disappearing behind the curve in the road, the cry arose of “ Cavalry, cavalry! ” and excited, confusion. Vain were the attempts of Garibaldi and of tho officers to overcome thi3 bugbear of young troops, they pressed against the garden wall on one side, and, jumping a ditch on the other, they opened a road to about a dozen bold horsemen of the Chasseurs a Cheval, who, with their captain at their head, rushed through this break in our line line to recapture the gun. Garibaldi had only time to step aside, when the horsemen passed, sabring right and left. But they did not go far, for after the first panic the infantry recovered and soon emptied the greater part of their saddles. The captain, a sergeant, and a private tried to make their escape, and would have succeeded, but for Garibaldi s personal bravery. He went into the middle of the road, and having left his revolvers in the holsters when he dismounted, he drew his sword and placed himself in position to stop the captain. The only person with him at the time was Captain Missori, of the Guides, who was likewise on foot, but armed with a revolver. His first shot, wounding tho horse of the Neapolitan captain, brought it on its haunches; Garibaldi seized hold of the bridle, intending to secure tho captain as his prisoner. But the captain answered to the demand to surrender by a blow with his sword at Garibaldi, who parried and retaliated, cutting the Neapolitan captain witTi one stroke down the face and neck, and prostrating him dead at his feet. While Garibaldi was thus engaged in this singlehanded combat, Captain Missori shot down the sergeant who came to assist his officer. This one despatched, he seized hold of the private whose horse had been shot, and, when he resisted, shot him also with another barrel from his revolver.