MARLBOROUGH.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 333, 28 December 1860, Page 2

MARLBOROUGH.

= [From the Matiboroitgh Press.] - > Coroner's Inquest.—An inquest was held before S. L. Muller, Esq., Coroner, at the house of John Fraser, Waihopai, on the sth instant, on view ot the body of James Copper, who was. found dead on Tuesday morning last. It appeared from the evidence that deceased was of a cheerful disposition, and there , had been nothing in his previous conduct to lead to any supposition that he would destroy himself. He had been staying at the house occupied by John Maxwell, for several days, and was supposed to have gone out mustering tor Mr. Fraser, in whose employ he had been for 18 months, on the day before his death; but complained of being unwell. Early on Tuesday morning the deceased left Maxwell's house, and in about ten minues afterwards the firing ofagun was heard; but nothing wrong Was suspected. About half-past seven, the deceased's dog was heard to bark, and Margaret Maxwell went out to see if deceased was gone, and found him lying dead near the door; he having been shot.: Deceased had had no quarrel with any one on the station. He was not a quarrelsome man. Dr. Home, on being sworn said: "There is a wound in the roof of the mouth, on the right side, the upper jaw'is. much Shattered, and one of the incisor teeth on the right eide is gone. I passed the probe through the wound in the upper jaw past the nose on the right side, and at the back of the right eye, until I reached the skull; there was nothing to obstruct the passage of the probe; I could not detect anything like a bullet. I could not see whether the wound was caused by a bullet or shot; the muzzle of the gun must have been inside the lips, and wounds caused by bullet or shot would,have been much alike. From the, position of the wound, I consider it must have been his own act. His death must have been instantaneous." The jury returned the following verdict:—" That deceased destroyed himself with a rifle; but whether in sound state of mind or laboring under insanity, there is no sufficient evidence before the jury to show." , Inquest <at Havelock.—An inquest was held at the Havelock Inn, before W. H. Eyes, Esq., on the Bth instpnt, on view of the body of the man whose name was supposed to be: Seelandt, who was drowned while attempting to cross the Pelorus river about a month ago. A jury having been sworn, it appeared from the evidence that the accident happened on the 17th November. A man named, Price was travelling with deceased, when he was carried away by the stream. The accident was witnessed by several persons, but owing to the river being swollen, and the nature of the place, it was impossible to render any assistance. It was rumoured that the deceased had a considerable sum of money in his possession. The body was found by some natives, and information having been given to Mr. M'Kenzie, he >5 in company with two Europeans and three natives, went to the body, which was in a bay, about a mile from Havelock. It was fastened to a tree'by a piece .of j flax, to prevent it»,being washed further down the river; Kb money war found on him. The jury returned the following verdict;—" That the foody; viewed by them this day is the body of a German' known by the name of b rederick, who was drowned in the presence of several witnesses, not now present, whilst crossing the Pelorus river, at the usual, ford, on Saturday, the 17th day of November. This jury further beg to express their conviction that it is highly incumbent on the Provincial Go-, vei^ment to proceed immediately.to the completion of the proposed bridge over the Pelorus river, as the only.jmeans of preventing the risks which must alwayaattend thejtt^ntjfafdj" [ ;•::

.{. tald.pnlyijby^O-of Garibaldi's.men, all Ik The, first Neapolitan column which advanced Hpts alone between 5000 and 6000 men, while two. columns, not far less showed behind. At ■jMB ihay put themselves in march, .and came. up eight guns. Having no cannon, and the. plant to, confine the defence to the town, very could be done to check the enemy's advance i^^^Lh.9 was quite close to the town. . The outwere a little.distance from the.town counsWlone molest him, but- even these only .- slightly^for they had orders to withdraw into the - ■ place. The enemy having arrived within reach placed two of his guns so as to strike the barricade at the entrance of the main street and at the same time, to sweep the street behind; his other guns ' were employed'to shell the town. For more than five hours did the fight last for the barricade of the main street, andfor those to the right and left of it. On came fresh battalion after fresh battalion, to which on'our side nothing but the fatigued few hundred men could be opposed. Twice they pey aetrated into.the town, and twice they were driven * out at the point, of the. bayonet. But the long .. fight had produced its effect on men and ammunition, both were well nigh exhausted. Still they held out in spite of the burning houses, which had been set on fire by the shells of the enemy. Their fire slackened, and this was taken advantage of by the enemy to penetrate a third time. This roused once more the energy of the Cacciatori and a brilliant attack at the point of the bayonet drove him back a third time and so precipitately that he left a number of his men behind, who throwing them- ' 'selves into the next houses offered a desperate re- . distance. But this was the last effort, and it was time to retire. Above 200 men were dead or wounded and not a cartridge remained. The order ♦^ retreat was given and effected in the best possible order, through the woods down to the river. Two com panics had been sent forward to receive them and protect their final retreat. Of course the Neapolitans will chant victory, and well they may, for it is the first advantage they have gained since Garibaldi has set his foot in Southern Italy. 'f .On the Ist of Oct6ber, a conflict—which ' will be known in history as the " Battle of the Volturno"—took place between the royalists and Garibaldi. This affair wholly eclipses those above noticed. The following \a the most graphic account which has appeared of the battle of Volturno. It is from the pen of the correspondent of the Journal dcs Debats :— During the last five or six days Garibaldi has shown immense activity. The royalists, on their part, have erected formidable works on the right Dank of the Volturno; they hold most favorable positions, without mentioning the fortress oi Capua; they are masters of the course of the river, which they can crow by the bridges from Capua, where the river is little more than a ditch, for Capua is built on the right bauk. From San Clements to Cajazzo the right bank is bristling with guns, cleverly masked, strong redoubts tin-own up with barricades and drawbridges. The whole country on the right banjk is a trap. Add to this a retrenched camp of 20,000 picked troops, elated by promises of royal rewards. The base of the operations of the Garibaldians was at Maddaloni. Their left wing stretched from Santa Maria to A versa, protected here by the canal which runs through the country and occupied by Major Corte, with the volunteers of Basilicate, Santa Maria, strongly fortified, was occupied by General Milvitz, by the Sicilian brigade La Masa, rather an embarrassment than a support; by the fine Tuscan regiments Malenchini and Zucchieri, and Balbi'sGenoese Carabineers. The headquarters remained at Caserta. The right wing, covered by the mountains, stretched from Dentici, occupied by Bixio, who had returned from Genoa, as far as San Salvatore by San Lenoro. At half a mile from that village is the Punta del Parco, and a little beyond a ravine capped by a hill which commands Cajazzo. The hill was occupied by the Garibaldians, Cajazzo' by the royalists. A little in advance of Punta del Parco the road divides, the one leading to Cajazzo, the other to Capua. This point was also in the hands of the Garibaldians. Monte San Angelo, the key of the defence commanding the course of the Volturno, had triple ** batteries intrusted to the Genoese artillerymen and to ColQnel Spangero's corps of General Eber's brigade, under the direction of Captain Ferrare. To this position Garibaldi had paid especial care. He had visited about 50 times the batteries, which, consist of 28 guns. ;On Saturday [September 29] I took the railway and visited Santa Maria. On the preceding day , the fire of the outposts was incessant. The royalists seemed determined to strike a blow, for Garibaldi's plan was to remain on the defensive. I met the Marquis Pallavicini returning from Caserta. At Santa Maria I found Garibaldi much agitated, thoughtful, his face blackened by exposure to the sun. The station was full of artillery carriages, guns, &c, and aides-de-camp were giving orders for all to be pushed on towards the Volturno. /j&aßPng the night I heard the sound of cannon }&9wards San Angelo. The night passed quietly. '•Jo^Suriday, the 30th of September, at daybreak, Santa.Maria was all astir. The soldiers were consigned to the barracks; Garibaldi started for San Angelo; troops continued to arrive, and artillery galloped through the town. The faces of the people were pale and agitated. The tricolor ■ flag is partially taken down from some of the hqjjßes, and the gatea of many of them closed. I started for San Angelo when I heard the roar of cannon, and I arrived in time. Two battalions, commanded by Castellini, were attempting to throw a bridge over the Volturno. Protected by Monte's artillery,'they advanced by a covered road and succeeded in launching two boats; but the enemy perceived the manoeuvre. Immediately 1 the right bank, as if by magic, was covered by ; royalist troops, and a terrible fire was opened | ...' against the batteries of San Angelo, and against ' the Garibaldians. attempting to make the bridge, i 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 Ist. The. royalists had made up their minds to attempt a decisive blow. They felt they were being surrounded. They knew Cialdini was in their rear, steadily advancing; that Lamoriciere was completely defeated; and that Naples was. undefended. At six a.m., on the Ist of October, I^,ooo men, of which 5000 were cavalry, left Capua, commanded by General Palmieri, with five batteries commanded by General Negri. General Ritucci had the chief command. Generals Afan de Rivera Barbalonga and yon Michel were under his orders. I have these details from Captain Perelli, of the 7th Chasseurs, who was taken prisoner. At the same time a body of 5000 men matched on Maddaloni to take the Garibaldians in ' the rear and cut off their retreat. The soldiers of , ..Francis 11. were divided into two corps—one, by the railway, was to attack the position of the Garibaldians 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 reactionary peasants of San Prisco and the neighboring, villages, and was to fall upon Santa Maria in the rear of the Garibaldians. Another body of 1000 men,1 starting from La Piana, was to cross the Volturno below Cajazzo and debouch by San Leuchio. All thisjhad been foreseen by Garibaldi, and it is extraordinary that in a very reactionary country the royalists were not better informed of theopertions of the Garibaldians. Thus the latter had erected redoubts, dug ditches, and built barricades on the very field orer which the royalists fancied they could advance without impediment and attack the right of the Garibaldians, or throw themselves into Santa Maria. At half-past 6 o'clock a sharp fire of musketry ' commenced, and the cannon soon began to roar . with fury. The population showed great excitement, and every one prepared for defence. I haslened to1 the spot, ana arrived i ust as the royalists ■rere erasing b'ver the'ls arches of the railway, phutjpg % yqffiifrMffa 6#for£ than. A* a

o'clock the former were already at Santa Maria, near the walls of the Campan amphitheatre. While General Rituoci was carrying our this movement, Garibaldi, who had.arrived on the scene of battle, ordered an- analogous one. He ordered:: Malenchini's regiment to leave San Tamaro on his left, to leave Santa Maria by, the rear, and threw it into the fields which the royalists had to cross. : The latter thus found themselves taken between two columns of Garibaldians, shut up between the railway and the road, and completely surrounded. The 7th regiment of Chafgeurs was annihilated, with the exception of 3p men, an adjutant, major, and Captain Perelli, who were made prisoners. 'It is quite impossible for me to describe the terrific obstinacy of the struggle, and the real and calm courage of the men engaged. I went through the whole campaign in Lornhardy, I was present at Magenta and Solferino, and yesterday I fancied I was there agaiu. Three times were the positions of the Garibaldians taken and retaken at the point oi the bayonet. The grape swept men down unmercifully. No quarter was asked or given. With mine own eyes I saw wounded men bayonetted,andthe stiletto and pistol used in the fight which commenced with the rifle. Except the Sicilians and the Neapolitans of the city of Naples, every man did his duty with enthusiasm. A strange and fearful circumstance, if we consider the character of the Italians, they fought without uttering a shout, almost in silence. It was a lovely day, the sun shining in all; its glory and the ground adorned with rich produce. At noon the tide of battle turned in favor of the Garibaldians. Fresh battalions and new guns came up from Caserta and Naples, and joined in the battle. The Garibaldians, when the battle commenced, were not 10,000 strong; they had now 15,000 men in the battle. Garibaldi seemed übiquitous. He*watched every phase of the battle, keeping 2000 men in reserve on* his left to throw into Capua if the vicissitudes of the struggle should offer him a propitious opportunity. He was much moved, red and wet from perspiration, and his voice altered by emotion.. At the bridges of La Valle, behind the hills of jMaddaloni, Bixio had definitively driven back the royalists* who had taken and retaken that position. Near San Lucio Affanti's column had pieTented the royalists crossing the river. With the1 Lucans and Calabrians Colonel Corte had bravely supported the combatants of Santa Maria, and kept the enemy in check, who might have forced a passage by San Tamaro, left open by the move-, ment of brave General Malenchini on the right. Five guns were taken from the enemy, with their mules and accoutrements. Prisoners and wounded in great numbers began to arrive at Santa Maria, and were immediately sent on by railway to Caserta. A great number of officers' Were killed or wounded. The Sicilians made a great noise' but did little fighting. The National Guard o* Santa Maria was on toot, but, having prudently placed their flag in the guard-house, closed the doors and windows. ,At noon the roar of the cannon ceased. The fire of musketry at the Archi of Santa Maria continued unabated. A smile began to play upon the lips and the color to re-appear in the cheeks of many patriots. At this moment I was told a train was leaving for Naples. I left the outposts to write you an account of this portion of the battle—the first act of the capture of Capua. The Garibaldiaus were often out of ammunition in the course of the day, and from six in the morning until one they were without a bit oi bread or a drop of water under a broiling sun. Colonels Dunn and Corrao were wounded early. Dunn's Anglo-Sicilian battalion was almost destroyed, but all the officers remained at their posts, and were either killed or wounded. The field of battle was covered with killed and wounded, whom there was no means of removing. It was a glorious and dreadful day for both armies. The spectacle presented by the field of battle after the great victory gained over the Neapolitan troops is thus notice by the correspondent of the Debats :— Night came on and silence reigned throughout except when it was broken at intervals by the piercing cries of the wounded,|who were calling for help. Many died for want of adequate ambulance accommodation, and the peasantry took advantage of the darkness to rifle the dead. The next day was spent in collecting the wounded and dressing their wounds. Miss White, in a fantastic dress, devoted herself entirely to this mission. The hospital of Santa Maria was full, and train after train brought wounded men into Caserta. There were 480 in the hospital of Santa Maria on the 2nd, and as many more in that of Casetta, without speaking of those who were carried into Naples. These, iiowever, were not very numerous. The field of battle was dotted with soldiers, who were either looking after the wounded, or giving a slight covering of earth to the dead. Still, however, on the 3rd there remained many bodies, < most of them of the Royalist party, exposed on ! the field. They were recognised by the tatooing , on their bodies, the scapular of the Immaculate Conception around their necks, and by their kepis. The dead horses were left decomposing in the sun, which shone with a kind of calm funereal i splendor. Another correspondent of the Debats describes one of the most critical and brilliant episodes of the day :— The most brilliant episode of the action of the Ist of October was the recapture of the battery at the foot of Mont San Angelo. When I left Santa Maria, I knew that this battery had been very much disabled in the morning. Garibaldi arrived at 9 o'clock, when the enemy was thundering at it with all his strength because it took him in flank, and was causing him severe loss. The triple battery courageously resisted the attack, and never slackened fire, when all at once the one situated at the foot of the hill became silent. The Royalsts, to the number of 2500, got round the hill, and rushing upon the guns, spiked five of them, and killed several of the men at their pieces., Garibaldi, on the San-Tammaro side, soon observed the silence of his favorite battery, and an , aide-de-camp from General Mulwitz soon intormed him of the disaster, which would probably have lost him the battle. Garibaldi at once started off, crossed Santa Maria, followed by Medici and his staff, and collecting what men he could, cried out in voice which caused all to shudder, ' We are going to die, but the Italians must wiu the day ; at all other points we have conquered.' Followed by 100 men at a rapid pace, Garibaldi, leading the way in a small disabled carriage, went right forward. But just as they got near the Casino of San Angelo, some Neapolitan chasseurs who were lying on the the ground rose and fell upon them. The coachman drove his horses into a ditclj, and formed a barricade of the carriage. Garibaldi jumped up, indignant j and went up to the chasseurs, shouting * Viva Italia!' Some of his men coining up at the same time, the enemy became demoralised, and took to flight. Garibaldi was slightly wounded in the stomach, and his trousers were riddled with two or three bullets. 'If I only had another pair,' he said, and without further remark he continued his march towards a battalion of 150 Hungarians, commanded by General Mogyorady. He pointed to the Neapolitans who were in possession of the battery, and cried out to them ' Forward, my lads, disperse that rabble yonder for me! This 'rabble' consisted of a regiment of the line, a squadron of cavalry, a company of chasseurs, and a company of artillery. The Hungarians, without waiting to count the numbers of the adversary, rushed forward and charged with the bayonet. After a contest of 20 minutes, the battery was retaken, and once more it poured its storm of grape on the Neapolitan troops,' who fled in confusion across the fields. The Hungarians in this encounter had 30 men put hors de combat,, the Neapolitans about 200. Garibaldi did not wait to dress his wound, but hurried elsewhere. The day, however, was nowi won.. ' , < . ' A letter of the Times corespondent, dated October 4, throws light upon various points

in connection with the battle and particularly upon the extraordinary self-confidence displayed by; the Neapolitan soldiery:—. Yesterday the 2500 prisoners were taken by rail to Naples. At the stations few hundred national< guards > were waiting for them, who conducted them to the Fort of St. Elmo. When the prisoners saw the national guard they asked jeerihgly, "Whether the Austrians had not yet skinned them V The taunt was not understood until further explanation. The prisoners asked where the Austrians were, as they had bten tola that they had already occupied Naples and defeated Garibaldi, who was now between two fires. When they saw the Piedmontete at St. Elmo they asked, astonished who they were, and when told that they were Piedmontese a new light seemed to dawn upon • them. It is with such lies that the Neapolitans tried to raise the spirit of their soldiery and of their' officers, for the ignorance of the latter cedes nothing to that ofthe soldiers. For instance, this morning a Neapolitan major of the grenadier guards came in with his carpet bag, waving a white handkerchief, and when asked about his business he said that he had given in his resignation on account of family affairs, and that it had been accepted. In talking with him about divers things he inquired whether the Piedmontese and Lamorciere bad not come already to blows, and was quite surprised to hear that the Roman army existed no more, that Ancona was ours, and Lamoriciere too. Things looked rather suspicious with this gentleman, who got his dismissal the day after the battle, and so he was escorted to Naples, where he will remain in confinement until the thing iscleared up. This measure is much against Garibaldi's taste, but he is obliged to resort to such steps, as his generosity has been grossly abused. A number of officers have been found among the prisoners who had capitulated and given their word of honor not to serve. Of course their words of honor can no more be trusted. But to come back to the stories with which the Neapolitans tried to enliven their soldiery. One, ot them, current not only among soldiers but likewise among officers, was that we gave no quarter to any one, that the time fixed for coming over was passed and that, therefore, it was too late. , It was quite disgusting to see officers as well as men throw themselves down on their knees when on the point of being taken, and beg for their lives. But the more serious matter was that the idea of getting no quarter roused ferocity, and there is no end to the complaints of our soldiers that the Neapolitans killed our wounded. Several of them were found half burnt. Although we are no longer in Sicily, burning and plundering seem to be still the order of the day of the Neapolitan soldatetca. Not a farm building remains in the neighborhood of Capua, and as the columns came down from the hills to Caserta they set fire to every village which lay on their road. There is scarcely a soldier among the prisoners who had not, plunder about him, and the silk factory of Sevica seems to have attracted especial notice. Their excuse is that they had permission to plunder, and orders to burn. Whether this be true or a story 1 cannot decide. The correspondent of the Debats says:— The guns of the barricades on the road to Capua were partly served by sailors belonging to the English frigate Renown, who, happening to be here as tourists in want of excitement, felt disposed to amuse themselves by hunting down the Royalists. I saw them again on the 3rd, merry as bridegrooms, returning to the fete of the cannonade. But it was a dismal day, for not a gun was fired. The arrival of the English Garibaldians at the seat of war is thus noticed in a letter from Naples:—• The British volunteers, under the command of Major O'Donnell, lauded at the arsenal, and proceeded to the Largo del Palazzo, where they formed line. The division is about 700 strong, and the height, size, and above all, the apparent strength ofthe men, faiily astonished the Italians, who are not used to see such giants. It was unfortunately raining in torrents, and the brigade was theretbre at once ordered to their barracks in the Albergo del Poveri, in the Strada Foria, which many of your readers will remember as the first large building that meets the eye as you enter Naples from Rome. The line of march was up to the Toledo, which was densely crowded, and lined with the National Guard, detachments of whom preceded the "British Volunteers," with bands playing and colors flying. Banners waved from every house, and as for bouquets, they fell in such showers that I was really afraid the English might mistake it for an attack. I saw one officer " badly hit '* by a bouquet about as big as a cauliflower, but he marched on undaunted. Colonel Peard was not with his brigade, having been telegraphed for to Caserta, but returned in time to see his men assembled on parade in barracks. As soon as the Dictator heard that the English had arrived he telegraphed to send them at once up to the front.. The brigade therefore left Naples this (Tuesday) morning, at 3 a.m., for Caserta, where they are quartered in the palace. I think these young soldiers will flesh their maiden swords within a few days, possibly within a few hours; for if Capua is to be taken by Garibaldi it must be attacked to-morrow or next day.