When the army arrived within a hundred seventy yards from the wall, the
artillerymen from the 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.
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