and he sank forward a corpse, with his hands
still clasped behind him.

Oct. 20. After breakfast, drove to St. Angelo;
hardly a soldier to be seen. Surprised at
this unusual tranquillity we went on to the post
at St. Torio, where the officer in command informed
St. Dash that he was in treaty with the
enemy! An entire battalion had signified their
wish to come across the river to-night. How
to contrive their passage was the difficulty.
The river at this point is a hundred and twenty
feet wide, and thirty deep, with very precipitous
banks. No boat was to be had, but a rope
might perhaps be got across, by help of which
such as dared might venture.

As a gun of ours was at this time sending an
occasional shell over our heads at the enemy
and alarming the country people, who were the
medium of his little negotiation, St. Dash sent
an orderly with a request to suspend the firing,
and we then walked down the hitherto perilous
road to the bank, when several of the enemy
advanced, without arms, and making signs of
"amicizia," while they strove to make us
further comprehend that their own sentries
formed the principal obstacle. The plan did
not succeed. No sooner had the preliminaries
commenced, after dark, than a shower of rifle-
shots convinced our people of its impracticability.

Oct. 23. Nothing of interest, in front, excepting
the removal of almost all the Sardinian
troops to Maddaloni, leaving Capua in charge
of the Garibaldians. The exaggerated credit
given to the former for the share they had in
the action of the first of October (purposely exaggerated,
because it was held politic, pending
the vote of annexation, to show how essential
was Sardinian military aid), has given much
umbrage to the Garibaldisi: to lessen which, the
place of honour has been conceded to them.

A curious camp incident; which it is not law
for a civilian to criticise; he may merely record
it as unquestionable fact.

The intrepid leader of the English battalion
aroused his men about midnight, and announced
to them his intention of taking Capua at once.
Three guides had been provided, and fifty men
more told off, to lead the way. How the walls
were to be scaled and the ditch crossed, nobody
knew: certainly no means were furnished for
these little preliminaries. Somewhat staggered
at the manifest hopelessness of such an attempt,
the officers held a hasty consultation, and three
of their number waited upon the general of their
division, Medici, requesting his opinion. The
general declined absolutely to countermand the
movement, but contented himself with declaring
that he would have nothing to do with so mad
a scheme. In the mean time, the colonel had
gone forward with twenty men, halting once to
send back for fifty more, and again for a hundred
more. With most of these he arrived
within a stone's throw of Capua: having, by the
way, laid open the skull of one of the guides for
having, as he said, misled them. Here, he lay
perdu till near dawn, when it became advisable
to retire. On the following day, fifty men quitted
his regiment, and formed themselves into an artillery
company, under Colonel Dowling.

Oct. 25. Returned from Naples this morning,
taking two friends and the sister of one of
them, who was going to visit the wounded
English. At Caserta, we found that Garibaldi
had shifted his head-quarters to Santa Maria.
Nearly all the troops gone forward, and strong
reports of an action near St. Angelo. Aides-
de-camp had been sent out to investigate, but
none had returned. Advised not to take ladies
any further—a warning which of course induced
the ladies of our party to insist on being taken at
least as far as Santa Maria. Nothing occurred,
except that Garibaldi crossed the river on a bridge
of boats, to join Victor Emmanuel.

A deserter was smuggled out of Capua, in
what was carelessly described as a "tea-kettle;"
probably one of the large coppers in which
the soldiers' soup is made. He reported that
but two weak battalions are left in the town.

Oct. 27. A loud explosion in Capua, aroused
us in the night—a magazine, or possibly blowing
up some of the stores, before surrender.

Left, at seven A.M., for St. Angelo. Some
heavy firing on the left, chiefly from the city.
All the troops under arms, on either side of the
road—a very animated spectacle. The fire increased,
everything indicating a serious action;
St. Dash rubbed his hands with delight. The
coachman showing symptoms of discomfort, we
abandoned our chariot, and proceeded across
the fields; climbing to the top of a shattered
farm, we saw what was passing. A strong column
had left Capua by the Santa Maria gate, had
driven in our outposts, and occupied several of
our farms. The heavy guns covering their advance,
shelled one of these houses so severely,
that a Calabrese battalion which occupied it retired
without the ceremony of waiting for orders.
In consequence of this, other posts had to be
withdrawn also, until the troops, hastily collected
from St. Angelo, recovered the lost positions.
This operation cost a considerable amount of
gunpowder, but very little life: the enemy falling
back almost immediately.

Another strange incident, in connexion with
the English battalion, occurred this morning,
some leagues from hence. Doubtless it will be
related with the usual exaggerations and inaccuracies.
I note it down, from the perfectly
coincident statements of two eye-witnesses—
acquaintances of my own, both formerly in her
Majesty's service. It seems that the regiment,
owing to some mismanagement, had received
no other rations, while on the march with Garibaldi,
than two biscuits a day. Murmuring and
straggling were the consequences; and on this,
the third day of such frugal fare, complaints had
been made of plunder: the country people
alleging that a Piedmontese officer who had interposed
to protect a farm-house, had been fired
upon by the British pilferers. It was even
affirmed that a priest had been murdered by
them. Grave doubts existed as to these last
charges, but, like most circumstantial fibs well