The fall of Forte Vecchia

The loyalist patrols in the south-western area of operations have suffered great losses and became ever rarer. Forte Vecchia, the last loyalist stronghold north of the royal road was now isolated, with two hundred provincial infantry bottled up inside.

The fortress itself was built on an old castle, and the recent years of peace had caused it to fall into disrepair. The moat had dried up and the old fort was crumbling.

Count Calvacasa, on the other hand, had a very pressing matter: how to deal with the mountain bandits now that it was his hinterlands they were keen on raiding. He pressed on to abuse the high morale of the bandits after their recent victories, and suggested a storming of Forte Vecchia, reinforced by the foot dragoons moving from the direction of San' Filipo. A straightforward attack would mean high losses on the bandits' side, and a quick taking of the stronghold.

With their minimal, mostly captured artillery, the rebels began bombarding the inner fort from a height, at extreme ranges. The fort only had a pair of antique howitzers in two of the main bastions. An attempt to surprise the rebel positions at night had failed, costing the lives of many Cacciatori. 

The inner fort's walls held weak, and the flying rocks and bricks killed and wounded another thiry men stationed inside. This caused the regular company to abandon their positions and stay in the outer fort.

Then the positions were shifted the next day, and soon a breach was made on the south-western bastion. The rebels poured inside - bandits first, of course, and a great slaughter began.

The first wave was all it took: few of the loyalists had surrendered and the rest were hacked down by the bandits, themselves taking great losses in the process.