The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-07-20
THE WIFE OF aARIBALDI.

The WIFE Of HAhlBALDl.
Anita, the heroic wife of Garibaldi, who
died during her husbands perilous passage
from Rome to Venice, in 1s49, was a
South American lady Of great beauty and
accomplishments. Besides the wrongs of
his country, Garibaldi has the pale phan-
tom of this devoted being ever before him
to nerve his arm against the monster tyr
amy of Austria. The following is an ac-
count, which we gather from several
sources, of her sad fate during the last
war of Italian Independence:
When, after the bombardment of the
city, the French troops entered Rome,
Garibaldi, issuing the following proclama-
tion, left the city by the gate of ST. Clio
vanni: Soldiers, what have TO offer is
fatigue, danger, struggling and death
the chill of the cold night, the open air,
and the burning sun; no lodgings, no mu-
nitions, no proyisions--but forced march
es, dangerous watchposts, and continual
struggling with bayonets against batteries.
Let those who love freedom and their
country better than life follow me- And
1000 followed him. His hope was to
cut his way through French and Austri-
an troops to aid the brave Venetians who,
in spite of cholera and famine were still
holding out against the foe.
At st. Marino he was met and nearly
surrounded by large body of Austrians.
The Austrian general offered to permit
Garibaldi and his troops TO return to their
homes unmolested, upon depositing their
arms with the authorities, but refusing
any terms TO twenty-five Frenchmen who
had fought with the Republicans at Rome
against their own countrymen. Garibal-
di nobly refused conditions from which
his allies were to be excluded, and seizing
favorable opportunity, escaped with
trifling loss into the mountains.
Making his way to the Adriatic coast,
he seized thirteen fishing smacks in the
little port of Cesenatico, and embarked
for Venice. BY dint of unparalleledco
age-fatigue by land and sea, he had just
rounded the Punta di Maestro, and could
see the towers of the Queen of the Adri-
attic, when the Austrian ships attacked
his boats and eight were taken; and the
rest gained the shore, and Garibald
knowing that the Austrians, furious at
his escape, had set price upon his head,
bid bis followers disperse, and with his
wife, who though close on her confne-
ment had never left his side, and one 9th
er friend, set out for Ravenna. But before
they could reach the city the mother of
one dead little one on the American
at Nice, OF tic UNICORN one never destined
to see the earth-light fading from her
eyes-that mother knew she was diving.
yet bore on by her husbands side uncom-
planning still, for the Austrians were on
their track. He knew it, too: but
through the lonely desert no aid, no shell
ter was at hand. AT last he took her
in his arms and bore her on till thoy
reached a peasants hut, and there, with
her last look and thought, and folding
clasp on him who had been her all in life.
the soul of that noble woman went up to
the great band of waiting martyrs to tell
them of her husbands deeds, of Italy's,
and of Rome's. Not even a tomb had
Italy to give TO the gentle, brave Anita.
From the grave which her husband him
self had dug in wordless grief, her corpse,
ferreted out by an Austrian dog, indica-
led to its masters (less human than the
brute) the generous peasant who had
her in her dying hours, and he
paid the penalty awarded to any who
should "give to Garibaldi or his follow
ers fire, food, or shelter" He pas hung,
Rra0n and quartered!