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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.


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