On the morning of the 12th the “Thousand” [Footnote:  Garibaldi landed with a force of one thousand volunteers.—­Ed.] left for Salemi, but, the distance being too great for one etape, we stopped at the farm of Mistretta, where we passed the night.  We did not find the proprietor at home, but a young man, his brother, did the honors with kindly and liberal hospitality.  At Mistretta we formed a new company under Griziotti.  On the 13th we marched to Salemi, where we were well received by the people and were joined by the companies of Sant’ Anna d’Alcamo and some other volunteers of the island.

On the 14th we occupied Vita, or San Vito, and on the 15th came in sight of the enemy, who, occupying Calatafimi and knowing of our approach in that direction, had spread out the great part of their forces on the heights called Il Pianto dei Romani.

The dawn of May 15th found us in good order on the heights of Vita; and a little later the enemy, whom I knew to be at Calatafimi, left the city in column, marching toward us.  The hills of Vita are confronted by the heights of the Pianto dei Romani, where the enemy deployed his columns.  On the Calatafimi side these heights have a gentle slope, easily ascended by the enemy, who covered all the highest points, while on the Vita side they are steep and precipitous.

Occupying the opposite and southern heights, I had been able to perceive exactly all the positions held by the Bourbonists, while the latter could scarcely see the line of sharpshooters formed by the Genoese carbineers under Mosto, who covered our front, all the other companies being drawn up en echelon behind them.  Our scanty artillery was stationed on our left, on the highroad, under Orsini, who succeeded, in spite of the poverty of his resources, in making a few good shots.  In this way both we and the enemy occupied strong positions, fronting each other, and separated by a wide space of undulating ground, broken by a few farmsteadings.  Our advantage therefore clearly lay in awaiting the enemy in our own position.  The Bourbon forces, to the number of about two thousand, with some cannon, discovering a few of our men without distinguishing uniform and mingled with peasants, boldly advanced a few lines of bersaglieri, with sufficient support and two guns.  Arrived within firing distance, they opened with carbines and cannon while advancing on us.

The order given to the Thousand was to wait without firing for the enemy to come up, though the gallant Ligurians already had one man killed and several wounded.  The blare of the bugles, sounding an American reveille, brought the enemy to a halt as if by magic.  They understood that it was not the Picciotti alone they had to deal with, and their lines, with the artillery, gave the signal for a retrograde movement.  This was the first time that the soldiers of despotism had quailed before the filibusters—­for such was the title with which our enemies honored us.