Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

indefatigable Garibaldi, having received from the minister of war authority to attack the French with his legion, that is to say, with twelve hundred men, divided them into two columns, of which one set out with Masina by the Cavallegieri gate, and the other, under his own orders, by the San Pancrazio gate. His small body of cavalry was augmented by a squadron of dragoons.

Garibaldi's object was to surprise the French in their camp, and give them battle, though they were six times more numerous than himself; but he hoped that the report of the fusillade and the cannons would bring the whole population to the succour. But when he arrived at the camp, he learnt that the French had left it during the night, retiring upon Castel de Guido, and that Masina, who had taken the shortest roads, had overtaken their rear-guard, and was fighting with them. Garibaldi then redoubled his speed, and joined Masina near the tratettine of Malagratta, where the French were gathering together, and appeared to be preparing for battle. He immediately took up an advantageous position upon a height, on the flank of the French army, but at the moment our men were about to charge, a French officer, detached from the corps d'armeé, advanced along the main road, and demanded a parley with Garibaldi. This officer said he was sent by the general-in-chief of the French army to treat for an armistice, and to be assured that the Roman people really accepted the republican government, and were determined to defend their rights. As a proof of the loyal intentions of the general, the latter offered to give up to us Father Ugo Bassi, who had been made prisoner the evening before.

Whilst this conversation was going on, an order arrived from the minister of war, commanding Garibaldi to return to Rome. The legion entered the city again, at four o'clock in the afternoon, accompanied by the French officer. The armistice demanded by General Oudinot was granted.

"

CHAPTER LII.

EXPEDITION AGAINST THE NEAPOLITANS.

WHILST the events we have related were being accomplished, the Neapolitan army, nearly 20,000 strong, with the king at their head, dragging after them thirtysix fiery mouths," flanked by a splendid body of cavalry, proud of their recent triumphs in Calabria and Sicily, was advancing to invest the city on the left bank of the Tiber. It had taken military possession of Velletri, Albano, and Frascati; was protected on its right by the Apennines, on its left by the sea, and its advanced posts extended to within a few leagues of our walls.

Seeing this, Garibaldi, whom the armistice left unoccupied, demanded permission to employ his leisure in making war upon the king of Naples. This permission was granted, and on the evening of the 4th of May, Garibaldi left the city with his legion, now 2500 strong. Among these 2500 men were the battalion of the Bersaglieri of Manara, restored to the full exercise of their rights, which, besides, had had nothing to do with the king of Naples; the douaniers; the university legion; two companies of the mobile national guard; and some other bodies of volunteers.

The rendezvous had been appointed at the Place of the People, and at six o'clock Garibaldi was there. A young Swiss, of German Switzerland, named Gustave de Hoffstiller, who has written an excellent history of the siege of Rome, thus expresses the effect produced upon him by the sight of Garibaldi.

"Just as six o'clock was striking, the general and his staff appeared, and was received with a thunder of vivats. I saw him for the first time. He is a man of middle height, his countenance scorched by the sun, but marked with lines of antique purity. He sat his horse as calmly and firmly as if he had been born there; beneath his hat-broad brimmed, with a narrow

loop, and ornamented with a black ostrich featherwas spread a forest of hair. A red beard covered the whole of the lower part of his face. Over his red shirt was thrown an American puncho, white, lined with red, like his shirt. His staff wore the red blouse, and afterwards the whole Italian legion adopted that colour.

"Behind him galloped his groom, a vigorous negro, who had followed him from America: he was dressed in a black cloak, and bore a lance with a red banderolle. All who had come with him from America wore pistols and poniards of fine workmanship in their belts, and carried whips of buffalo skin in their hands."

Let us continue the description, but this time it is Emile Dandolo who speaks; he also, a poor young man wounded at the siege of Rome, where his brother was killed, and who since died of consumption at Milan, has left an account of the events in which he took part. It is Dandolo who speaks.

"Followed by their ordonnances, all the officers who came from America separate, unite, gallop about in disorder, go here and there, active, watchful, indefatigable. When the troops halt to encamp and take a little rest, whilst the soldiers are putting their guns in faisceaux, it is a common spectacle to see them spring from the saddle, and provide, every one personally, the general as well as the rest, for the wants of their horses, which operation being performed, the riders take no more heed of them. If there are no provisions at hand, three or four colonels or majors jump again upon their horses, bare backed, and armed with lassoes, venture out into the country in search of sheep or oxen. When they have collected as many as they want, they return, driving their prize before them, distribute a given number of them to each company, and all, officers as well as soldiers, set to work to slaughter, to cut into quarters, and roast before immense fires enormous pieces of beef, mutton, or pork, without reckoning the smaller animals, such as turkeys, fowls, ducks, &c.

"While this is going on, if the peril is distant, Garibaldi rests, reclining in his tent; if, on the contrary, the enemy is near, he does not dismount from his horse, but gives his orders and visits the advanced posts; frequently throwing off his singular uniform, and, dressed as a peasant, venturing upon the most dangerous explorations. The greater part of the time, seated upon some elevated spot which dominates the environs, he passes whole hours in sounding the depths of the horizon with his glass. When the trumpet of the general gives the signal for departure, the same lassoes serve to catch and bring in the horses, which are grazing about in the fields. The order of march is settled on the evening before, and the troops set forward without any one knowing or heeding whither they are going.

"The personal legion of Garibaldi is about one thousand strong. It consists of the most incongruous assortment of men that can be imagined; people of all ranks and all ages; of boys of from twelve to fourteen years old, attracted to this life of independence either by a noble enthusiasm or a natural restlessness; of old soldiers brought together by the name and the renown of the illustrious Condottiere of the New World; and among all these, many who can only boast of the half of Bayard's device, sans peur, and who seek in the confusion of war license and impunity.

"The officers are chosen among the most courageous, and raised to the superior grades without the least attention to seniority or the ordinary rules of advancement. To-day one may be seen with a sabre by his side, he is a captain; to-morrow, from a love of variety, he will take his musket again, place himself in the ranks, and there he is once more a soldier. There is no want of pay; that is furnished by the paper of the triumvirs, which only costs the printing. Proportionally, the number of officers is greater than that of the soldiers. The baggage-master was a captain; the general's cook was a lieutenant; his ordonnance had

the same rank; his staff was composed of majors and colonels.

"From a patriarchal simplicity, which is so great that it might be believed to be feigned, Garibaldi resembles rather a chief of a troop of Indians than a general; but when danger approaches, or is come, he is wonderful for his courage and quick-sightedness. Whatever may be wanting in strategic science to make him a general according to the rules of the military art, is amply compensated for by an astounding activity."

Thus you see this extraordinary man makes an equal impression upon all minds and all temperaments. Let us return to the expedition against the Neapolitans.

The troop set forward on its march at about eight o'clock in the evening. Where they were going nobody knew; they inclined to the right till, after having described an immense circle, they found themselves on the route to Palestrina. The night was clear and fresh; they marched in silence and at a quick step. The staff performed the service of providing for their safety. The officers, accompanied by a few men on horseback, made wide tours into the country. When

the ground lost its level character the column halted, and the adjutants examined the country before them; according to their report the expedition moved on again.

Besides the advantage of security, these halts offered that of resting the troops, which continued to march thus without too much fatigue till eight o'clock in the morning, when they stopped within a league of Tivoli ; they had quitted for some time the road of Renesti, which leads to that of Palestrina, and had directed their course towards Tivoli by an old Roman way.

By this nocturnal march, made with great rapidity, the general had gained a triple advantage. In the first place, he had deceived the spies, who seeing him leave the city by the Gate of the People, were most likely to

« AnteriorContinuar »