bastions of San Marto fired their first salute, to
which the Chasseurs de Vincennes responded so well that the Roman
Narducci, Major Pallini, and several of his men fell mortally wounded at
their guns. Finding themselves under a cross-fire from the walls and
from the Vatican, the enemy placed a counter-battery, which did deadly
mischief to the besieged, who lost at once six officers, numerous
soldiers, and had a cannon dismounted to boot. Not the slightest
confusion occurred; women and boys carried off the wounded; fresh
soldiers took the place of the fallen; compelling Oudinot to summon both
his brigades and plant two other pieces of cannon. But he now had to
cope with an enemy whom Frenchmen in Montevideo envied and calumniated;
who to himself and his followers was as yet an unknown quantity.

Garibaldi, who had had but two days to organize his men and take up
position, had at once perceived the importance of the scattered
buildings outside the gates, and occupied them all--villas, woods, and
the walls surrounding them. As the enemy fell back from the first
assault, he flung his men upon them as stones from a sling. At the head
of the first company was Captain Montaldi, who in a short time was
crippled with nineteen bullets, yet still fought on his knees with his
broken sword; and only when the French retreated did his men carry him
dead from the field. As fought his company, so fought all under the eyes
of Garibaldi, who directed the fight from Villa Pamphilli. Then
summoning his reserve, himself heading the students who had never seen
fire but who had given each to the other the consign, "If I attempt to
run away, shoot me through the head," he led them into the open field,
and there gave them their first lesson to the cry of, "To the bayonet!
to the bayonet!"--a lesson oft repeated since, a cry never after raised
in vain. Numbers of his best officers and soldiers fell, but never a
halt or panic made a pause in that eventful charge, until in full open
fight the French were compelled to retreat, leaving Garibaldi absolute
master of the field.

Numbers of the French were killed and wounded, others hid themselves in
the woods and vineyards round; a general retreat ensued, while a portion
continued the fire to protect it. The guns had to be carried off by
hand, as four horses had been killed; and at this retreat up to Castel
di Guido, General Oudinot was forced to assist in person. Summing up his
losses, he found that