"It was at this critical moment that Garibaldi arrived. He had taken, with his staff, carriages at Santa Maria, and was coming on in the main road toward St. Angelo. The balls and grape were flying about, but the carriages still proceeded. When they arrived in the neighborhood of St. Angelo they were in sight of the Neapolitans, who were drawn up there in line of battle. Fortunately, close to this spot was one of the torrents dammed, which formed a covered way. In this the carriages turned down, except the last, which was struck by a cannon ball, and remained on the road. Through the road Garibaldi advanced, revolver in hand, toward St. Angelo, and arrived just in time to give new courage to the defenders. The object was to drive away the column in the rear of the hills to the left of St. Angelo; this was easily done by throwing some skirmishers on the heights above those occupied by the intruders. There was, fortunately, some artillery in front, which was turned to good account, but as usual, it was the bayonet which decided. The Neapolitans tried to penetrate by a cavalry attack, but were beaten back, chiefly by the coolness of the Calabrese, who behaved splendidly. After three or four hours' fighting, whatever could be got together of available men were carried forward, and the Neapolitans not only driven back from their position on the great road, but likewise the barricades retaken. This was about nine o'clock.
"During this time the fight had been equally hot at Santa Maria. General Milvitz, who commanded there, was obliged to confine his defence to the immediate vicinity of the town, holding the main road to Capua and the space between it and the railway. Some light earthworks which he had thrown up lately were of good service. But the enemy brought up fresh and fresh troops, which he kept in reserve in the Campo before Capua. The shells and shot flew into the houses of Santa Maria, and the inhabitants left in masses. Dispatch after dispatch was sent to Caserta, where the reserve was, to ask for reinforcements. But the reinforcements were likewise claimed on another side. Early in the morning a column had shown itself toward Castel Morone, but was easily driven back, and did not renew its attack. More serious was the advance against Maddaloni, where a column of four thousand or five thousand men attacked Bixio. It was a hard fight, for there were not more than two thousand to two thousand five hundred men to oppose on a long line where the hills had to be kept on both sides. But the struggle was soon decided. By noon the news came that the enemy had not only been driven back from their position, but had likewise been followed up to the river. A part of their forces were cut off, and threw themselves into the mountains between Caserta and Maddaloni.
"Then there was a little breathing time, at least on our side, and the whole effort could be directed against Capua. There were but two brigades remaining in reserve, both weakened by detachments sent in different directions. The first was sent on by rail; the second went by the road, and both arrived almost at the same time, about one P.M. And it was time. The Neapolitan bullets and balls were coming freely into Santa Maria, while Garibaldi sent orders to let any disposable troops advance as quickly as possible toward St. Angelo. The defence of Santa Maria was quite confined to the outskirts of the town, where the Piedmontese artillerymen were behaving beautifully. The first thing was to oppose this, and a battalion of Bersaglieri and one of the regiments of the Brigade Eber, were sent to advance, while the Brigade Milano was sent by the Porta St. Angelo to take the enemy on the left flank. But before this occurred, the newly-formed Hungarian Hussars had been sent out by the Porta Capua to drive back the enemy's cavalry, which ranged close to the gate. Although not more than sixty horsemen, they charged and drove back the two squadrons, cutting them down and taking a number of prisoners.
"The infantry soon followed, and General Turr took the command of that side. Although mostly fresh troops, with the exception of the cadres, composed of the Cacciatori of the first expedition, they went on like old soldiers. The enemy, who had evidently all day long the idea of intimidating our troops with his cavalry, charged: but the Picciotti, guided by the soldiers of Calata Fimi, formed groups, and not only stood firing, but bayoneted the horsemen. After this it was almost nothing but advance with the bayonet, till the Convent of the Capuchins and the Cemetery, the two chief positions of the Neapolitans, were permanently taken.
"While this was going on on that side, the rest of the Brigade Eber, the last reserve, was called by the Dictator toward St. Angelo. Scarcely out of the gates, it fell in with Garibaldi, who, accompanied only by a few officers, was waiting for further reinforcements to fall on the flank of the enemy, who, on withdrawing from St. Angelo, had taken to the woods, and occupied some houses with his artillery.
"After the first defeat in the morning, the enemy had returned with new forces to carry St. Angelo. Not only did all his field guns scatter death in every direction, but likewise three batteries from the opposite bank, and the mortars from the fortress, began to open a tremendous fire, under the protection of which the Neapolitans advanced between 10 and 11 A.M. They carried once more the position of the barricade, and occupied even the first houses leading up toward St. Angelo. Medici and Col. Spangaro, besides Garibaldi, did everything to steady the wavering troops, who, seeing themselves so much outnumbered, and attacked by such formidable artillery, began to think the day lost. For hours the fight lasted, a continual advance or retreat on both sides, but still the Neapolitans could not gain much ground. This was, perhaps, the most strongly contested spot on the whole line, and only in the afternoon the advantage began to show on our side. The Neapolitans had again to clear the road, but they still held our barricade and the woods on both sides of it. With great trouble two skirmishing lines were formed, and sent to threaten their left and right, and then a hundred men were collected behind the first house, and these made a rush, at the cry of 'Viva Garibaldi!' and carried the position about 2 P.M., which was kept, as well as the guns which were in it.
"Garibaldi returned to Santa Maria and brought on the rest of the Brigade Eber to complete the success which had been gained. Scarcely half a mile from Santa Maria, an open space lies on the left of the road, through which a detached barrack is visible. Here the Neapolitans had placed some guns, while their infantry lined the woods. As soon as they saw the column, they opened fire. Garibaldi, not heeding, still advanced, until he came to the first body. Here he gave orders to the Hungarian legion and the Swiss company to advance and drive them away. The two threw themselves into the woods, and, scarcely using their arms, advanced with the bayonet, driving the Neapolitans before them like sheep. A cavalry charge of several squadrons followed, and did a good deal of harm to the little body of brave fellows, but did not hinder them from following up their success and pushing forward to the very edge of the Campo before Capua.
"Garibaldi still advanced with the few remaining companies in the direction of St. Angelo, sending off one after another to continue the work of the Hungarians. Medici had, in the meantime, also pushed in advance, and by 4 P.M. the Neapolitans were flying in all directions, and our men had occupied the edge of the wood at half a mile from Capua, where they remained all night.
"It was as complete a defeat as ever an army suffered.
"They had on the whole line quite 30,000, to which we could scarcely oppose 15,000.