THE BATTLE OF MELAZZO.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1471, 13 November 1860, Page 5

THE BATTLE OF MELAZZO.

The speciai correspondent of the Times sends a very animated account of the battle at Molezzo, and follows it up by describing the iTacuatiou of Messina by the Neapolitans. Iv the course of the following narrative he describes Garibaldi's personal encounter during the battle : — At dawn the columns started, and by six a.m. the first firing was heard on the left. The open beach gave the advantage to the Neapolitans of employing their artillery on this point more successfully than on any other, and while the eoliumfcto the left, without artillery, tried to ■sustairAhis unequal struggle, the centre found itself likewise in tho face ofthe enemy. Leaving the narrow road, enclosed on both sides with garden walls, he penetrated into the gardens on both sides to attack the enemy, whose advanced posts had taken position in some detached houses not far from the point where the first cross-road joins the main road of Miri at the hamlet of Le Grazie. The troops belonging to the second expedition, eager to regain the lost time and rival the victors of Calatafimi and conquerors of Palermo, soon drove the enemy's outposts from the detached houses; but it required considerable exertion lo make him leave the cover behind. Invisible to the eye he fired with deadly aim at our advancing troops, prostrating numbers of them without suffering himself. Frequently the cover was so tliick that uot even the puffs of smoke were visible; it was the raost trying thing to the soldier to fight against this formidable phantom adversary, who seemed inaccessible. Any general disposition became impossible, the men of one company often scarcely seeing each other, much less those of another. The load, which at first sight seemed to be the most difficult point, proved easier than the rest, for there, at any rate, oue could see the adversary and his movements. The only tactics possible under these circumstances were to push on the road, and thus take in flank and rear some ol the more difficult covers of canes; and, ou the other hand, to make a bold push through the cover, unmindful of losses, to gaiu the rear ol the enemy's position on the road. The heavy losses which such au unequal fight entailed on the attacking forces as well as the necessity to eucounter some flanking movement, which the enemy could easily execute without being seen, reduced very early the number of the reserve. "Although the whole movement was uhdei the orders more especially Medici, Garibaldi was, of course, the soul of the fight, finding himself invariably at tbe point most exposed, and exposed himself, as is is wont to do. , He was with the centre, which was making its waj slowly over and through all the obstacles, wher the news arrived that the left, unable to resisi , the superior force of the enemy, was giving waj apd,thus exposing the whole line to be tumec on thnt side. Taking the only reserve remain* ' iug, a battalion composed of North Italians ant P.iluieritaha, under the.; oommand of Lieut: Golouel Dunne and several other Englisl officers, he went to: the left to stem the advanci , of the,; Neapolitans. His presence and the exer [ tioos ofthe officers of the battalion succeede. 1 in steadying these young troops, who not onl

r resisted further attacka, but pushed forward 11 towards the guns with which the enemy Was c sweeping the road, one advance bolder. than the a 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 gain w&s s carried off in triumph. Just at the moment i when it was disappearingbehind tbe curve in the t road the cry arose of * Cavalry— cavalry !' and ? excited confusion. Vain were the attempts of ) Garibaldi and of the officers to overcome the . bugbear of young troops ; tbey pressed against' ; the garden wall on one side, and jumping a i ditch on the other, the opened a road to about a ; dozen bold horsemen of the Chasseurs aCheval f who, with their captain at their head, rushed i through tbis break in our line to recapture the i gun. Garibaldi had only time to step aside, t wben the horsemen passed sabring right aiid j left. But they did not go far, for after the first f panic the infantry recovered and soon emptied i the greater part of tbeir saddles. The captain, f a sergeant, and a private tried to make their ' i escape, and would have succeeded but for I Garibaldi's personal bravery. He went into tbe t middle of the road, and having left his revolvers ', in the holsters when -be dismounted, be plaoed . [ himself in a position to stop the captain. Tbe I <• only person with him at the time was Captain > Missori, of the Guides, who was likewise* on . foot, but armed with rt revolver. His first shot, i wounding. the horse ofthe Neapolitan captain, I brought it on its haunches ; Garibaldi seized i hold, of the bridle, intending to secure the .captain as his prisoner. But the captain answered i to the demand to surrender by a blow witb his sword at Caribaldi, who parried and retaliated, i cutting the Neapolitan captain witb one stroke down the face aud neck, and prostrating him dead at his feet. While Garibaldi was thus engage I in this single-handed combat, Captain ■ Missori shot down the sergeant who came to ". assist bis officer. This one despatched he seized hold of a private whose horse- had been shot, and, when he resisted, shot him also witb another barrel from bis revolver. " Tbis brilliant incident served not a little to' animate the tioops on the left, aud they soon came up in a. line with the centre. But the hardest part of the. fight was stiil in store. In spite of the heat of the day, and without baying tasted food tbat morning, the Cacciatori advanced step by step, and drove the enemy back towards the neck of the peninsula, where at the intersection of- tbe ; road-from right aud left he had chosen bis- real .point- of resistance. The ground had been carefully prepared beforehand^ the positions of. "the guns chosen, the garden walls loop-holed, and a barricade constructed to defend the approach. . This point became the scene of a hard hand-to-hand light, which lasted for several, hours,- costing the lives'of many a brave fellow, among them" Major Migliavacca, General. Cosenz was wounded in the neck by a grape shot, and Medici had his horse killed under him. "In order to dislodge the enemy, the company of Genoese Riflemen were sent into the thicket on the left to turn the enemy's position on that side. The canes were. so close, that- it was only with great difficulty tbat man by man could pass, while all those around seemed to swarm with riflemen. There, wild with rage, the Geonese sought to get a sight of tfie enemy who was around them, and man after man fell among the small band without being able to use his formidable weapon. A general cry arose to charge;' the Captain tried to stop it, but in vnin. By an effort the Company broke through, the canes, aud found itself before a loop- holed... • wali, where it. was received by a general volley,' ■ Nothing daunted, they hastened along the wall to find a gap. which was at some distance. At ' last there seemed a chance to get at the enemy but, as usual, he did uot wait' for the bayonet and a few well aimed shots were the only satisfaction the Geonese had besides that of contributing v make the enemy evacuate the position on the cross roads, Out of tbe company of 85 only 32 remained. Besides this movement on thq left, it was the coming up ofthe right wing which decided the fate of the day.. Thia position once lost, the advance, although still opposed, was comparatively easy, Passiug tbe bridge which leads to the neck of the peninsal'a, " there is an open space of a few hundred yards with the sea to the right and some gardens to the left; Beyond the open space is a row of houses, which continues to the very gate of the - town. Here the Neapolitans made.a last effort to hold out ; occupying the houses, concealing themselves behind some large boats, drawn up on the beach, and helped by their field battery as well as by that from the castle, they checked our advance for a time,. A column sent through the garden to the- left, and the arrival the steam frigate Tuckori, formerly the Veloee^ towards the west shore, soon changed (their resolution. Garibaldi, who saw her approach' ing, hurried off lo the beach, threw himself into a boat, and went on board, where his presence animated all. A few well ainied long shots from the frigate, the first shot of the advancing column from the left, together with a bayonet attack in front, 'broke this 'hist resistance, anti, induced them to seek refuge iv ths castle, leav* iug two guns behind, which, with the three ' already taken, made five in all." l>«Mnn>-_M-iv_B_-a_-________