Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-07-19
The Papal Government and its Subjects.

The correspondent of the London Post, writing
from Rome, June 25tb, says:
The sanguinary terocity displayed by the SO
called Swiss regiment in the Papal service, which
stormed the rebelious city of Perugia on the
Goth inst, Staying, burning, and plundering as il
in an enemy's country, has already produced such
an impression in the other revolted provinces,
that many cities and towns, seeing no hope
of support from either the French or the Pied
montese, have sent in their acts of submission to
the Supreme Pontiff
The inhabitsnts of Peruga having been twice,
but fruitlessly, summoned to return to their al
legiance by the Pope's Envoy, the Advocate
Lattanzi, himself native of Peruga, the COL
umn under Colonel Schmidt advanced to the as.
sault. The force consisted of two battalions OF
the Swiss regiment, 100 strong, 300 Roman
Infantry, two pieces of artillery, and company
of geDdarmes who were placed in ambush on
the road to Florence. The attack was made at
three of the gates. and one of them was speed
lily burst open by cannon shot, afording a
passage for the entrance of the troops. An 90
stinate, though an irregular defence was made
and the citizens retreated, fighting with Inferior
arms and ammunition, to the Palazzo Commun-
ale, situated in the middle of the Corso, nearly
a mile from the original point of attack, where
the conflict soon came to an end (; but not the
vengeful fury of the soldiery, who burst into the
houses whence they had been fired on, and
committed the most dreadful excuses.
About go Perugians were taken with arms
still in their hands, above 70 were slain, and
great number wounded, but, as many OF the
latter were taken into private houses as well as
into hospitals, their precise number cannot De
determined. Nine women and children were
victims to the ruthless soldiers in different houses
and the cruelties of war were aggravated by the
horrors of RIGHTEOUSNESS. The loss on the side
of the troops was comparatively tritilng. Two
officers and nine men were killed, and two
officers and thirty soldiers wounded. 1t appears
that number of Tuscans were in the ranks OF
the besieged party. These, after tile capture OF
the town, endeavored to make their escape to
Arezzo, but many of them were shot down by
the gendarmes, who were in ambush on the
road.
An American gentleman, Mr. E. N. Perkins
of Boston, who arrived at Perugia from Rome
on the 18th, with Mrs. Perkins and three other
ladies' had very narrow escape from the hands
of the brutal soldiery, who burst into the Hotel
de France, where he was staying, shot the mas
ter of the hotel and the waiter, aud would most
probably have murdered the travellers also, had
they not been concealed by the mother OF the
unfortunate hotel keeper in dark recess, lead
ing by secret door out of one of their bedrooms.
In this sutfocating hiding place they all remained
for fourteen hours, and when they at last ven,
tured out they found that the whole hotel had
been Quilted, furniture and property destroyed or
carried off, and that Mr.. Perkins luggage, con-
tanning money and valuable effects, to the a.
mount of nearly $4,000, had likewise become
the prey of these freebooters in uniform. The
United States Minister in Rome Mr.. Stockton,
has received an exact account of the occurrence
from the sufferers, and is making energetic rep
reservations to the Government in order to OBJ
tain suitable reparation.
One of the journals gives list of the persons
murdered by the soldiers after the fighting was
over. Among them were three married couples,
five elderly ladies, three unmarried females, the
daughter Of Captain Pollodia, four years old, &c:
An infant was taken from its mothers breast and
thrown into the Tiber. Official journals at
Rome state that the Swiss officer who COM
manded the attack on Perugia has been promo
ted to tho rank OF General Of brigade.