4 ▁May ▁ 1 4 9 5 ▁he ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Mess ina ▁in ▁Sic ily , ▁only ▁to ▁find ▁that ▁Ferdinand ▁had ▁already ▁crossed ▁over ▁into ▁Cal ab ria ▁with ▁an ▁army ▁and ▁had ▁re occup ied ▁Reg gio . ▁De ▁C ór dob a ▁himself ▁crossed ▁over ▁to ▁Cal ab ria ▁two ▁days ▁later . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁under ▁his ▁command ▁ 6 0 0 ▁l ances ▁of ▁Spanish ▁caval ry , ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁light ▁j inet es , ▁and ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁inf antry , ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁Rod eler os ▁s words men , ▁to ▁which ▁were ▁added ▁ 3 , 5 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁from ▁the ▁Spanish ▁fleet . ▁The ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁army ▁is ▁unclear , ▁but ▁soon ▁was ▁supp lement ed ▁by ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁volunte ers ▁from ▁Cal ab ria , ▁who ▁joined ▁the ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁ranks ▁when ▁Ferdinand ▁of ▁Nap les ▁land ed . ▁ ▁De ▁C ór dob a ’ s ▁Spanish ▁cont ing ent ▁was ▁further ▁de ple ted ▁because ▁he ▁needed ▁to ▁put ▁Spanish ▁g arr isons ▁in ▁several ▁fort ified ▁places ▁which ▁Ferdinand ▁turned ▁over ▁to ▁Spain ▁in ▁partial ▁compens ation ▁for ▁the ▁military ▁aid ▁Spain ▁was ▁providing . ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁seriously ▁ill ▁with ▁mal aria ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁recently ▁contract ed , ▁A ub igny ▁lost ▁no ▁time ▁in ▁respond ing ▁to ▁the ▁al lied ▁challenge , ▁quickly ▁cons olid ating ▁his ▁forces