Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-08-16
A SKETCH oF GARIRALrI.
Correspondence 81 H.: London Tinc'.
Mn - Iul,-

s.l IDI Llt.lis iNaliN - ~ WI M
and never went two step, UUt oi my way to see
the face of any man living: but have just now
travelled lJ1 miles To press the hand OF Carl
balGi. | hear! he WAS AT TiranO or Gormio, in
the Val;,llinc. and lett Milan Oh Saturday last
h. the evening train TO Camcrlata aid Como.
| embarked in III. steamboat plying across the
lake on Sunday morning, and rode from Colico
along tic broad valley Of the .idda a. far ~
Sond.io. At Sondrio | was told that Carl
I bald, headquarters were across the noun.
tainS At L.overc, in Val Canonica, Oh the Lake
of l>co: as for The General himself, he was de
scribcd aS too restless Il being ever to remain
stationary in any place. therefore pursued
unczxa. From the latter place / walked by
moonlight over the .Nprica Pass TO Eio,o; from
Edolo | again rode to Loycrc, where .yunlthe
General was i'll in he'd. | saw hun.
At every step daring this romantic journey
| fell in with the ChasscurS Of the Alps, and
both Gar!baldiS followers and the whole pop
~ulation had no theme Of conversation save only
the adventurous nero was in quest oC. N
I Como ] found the dcpots OF the corps. a body
of 2wru to 5000 men, which, in spite Of the Ar.
mist;cc aad Peace, receive every day new re.
cruits. At Sondrio, and all along the lower val,
itN, tIc I'idl 'N "a : l'Nii'Ii'I' 'iiltN't "
their fvllow.cha>>cur> Of the Alps. were crhciDa-
res. At Tramczza We were only Il few hours from
the Stc!yio PAS, where the last shots in this
war have been exchanged between the Tyro-
ic,c Jaccr> and the Italian sharr>hootcr>.-
The road acro>. Tie .Apr;co Pass, from the val
ley Of tie .Adda to the valley Of the O.lio. still
bore traces Of rcccn; conflicts. Barriradc>
were thrown athwart the road on the highest
. 11.,-l e. l,.l- IL, 80 r
the aS>ailantS at the only point where Il rush
could he made. At Edolo, in IL deep gorge
je.nmcd in 10y gigantic green mountains, We
were at the foot OF the Tonalc Pass, and there
also the dread rifles oi the I~yrolpsc iIi-hlanicrs
were lrycl!cd against the bad mu>kct> with
which 'iaIibalils men have hitherto carried on
the unequal conflict, maxim: up for the inlc-
riority oi their weapons hy undauutcd courage
and the lavish sacrifice OF their LIVES. All
along the road. at tle different minor head
quarters, | coavcr>ed with Garibaldi> men and
officers. II i not rare to lind in this singular
corps the COMMON soldier 4 better informed
aud educated man than his cpaulcttctl con-
manicr. The charm thrown by the hero Of
Montcvidco over the whole Italian population
has enlisted young men of the highest classes,
artists. literary men, professors and scholars.
III his ranks a mere rrIratcS. Even The veto
ran Montanclli, once Il ruler in Tuscany, and
f,r many years IN illu>tri0i> exile in Paris. the
author of (,wmI and other historical and lite
rary works. quilted his wife in Turin, and fol-
lowcd his only son, who lad embarked aS 4
common soldier in this %p.riloii> ycn,ne.-
Among a hundred Italians YOU find perhaps
five or six adventures Of al other countries,
Frcncn, Swiss and Germans, Sliniard|, Aincii-
cans. of both continents, and even n Chinese
and An Engiishman. The latter ! found at
Turin. at the table d hotc lie II Grandr Brc-
tacnc. where he announced To me his intention
to haze some sport with the Alpine cha>seur>,
and asked for direction as To tiaribaldIS where
abouts. lie is i man Of near o.. of 4 tall and
colossal frame. iin!crlcctly acquainted with the
language. and %ignoran; ~ most Italian matters.
lie Processes. am told, the utmost Indifference
10 the CAUSE he serves. Between him and his
fellow cOmbatantS there is hardly any inter
course. t;aribaidi allowed him 10 follow his
cainI He makes war 1T hi. own expense. and
cnca!nps apar. from thecorpS. lie receives no
orders, asks for no information ~ To the t;cnc-
rails lie is interchangeable in the
march-intrepii in the fight. Garihaldl num-
bcrs -. ar perhaps loo, of the best mark>mcn
in Europe, but the EnglI>hinan is the dead
licSt shot. In the latest encounter OH the
Stclvio the T%yroleSc never succeeded in
wingins Il single GaIihaldino, while five of
their numbers dropped ,%ncrially wounded
FROM the rampartS, from winch they scarcely
vcntured TO peep; two Of the number fell UNI
der the u%nerrinc aim Of the EnglishInal. lie
is never wanting al the hour of strife he takes
his place in some hidden nook, all alone, aloof
from the rest, sluattcd on the ground. calm
and impassionatc. taking %lc!Surcly aim. like a
sportsman awaiting the lion or the wild boar
at the brook. He has 4 doublc-barrclcd rifle,
Il sabre, hut no hayOnct. and takes no part in
the mei,, when the Ga.ibaldini comes 10 close
quarters. Some people told him lie must be
very strongly devoted to the Italian cause to
come ont in arms in its support al hi time Of
lie. He answered, with Il yawn, that he was
very fondu shooting, and must take part either
on one side or the other. There was an ccccn.
tric Ficnchman. also an aged man, who joined
Garilalli ut Cameo at the outset Int he had
a fancy he could 20 10 war in his gig; and.
somehow. his gig broke down or the first
brush with the .Austrians at CaSalc. and the
French amateur was never again heard Of.
Most of GaribaldiS officers, especially the
Staff and those who are nearest his person. are
old, well-tricd friends. who have borne arms
with him in South America, Or who have at
least fought by his side in Lombardv and Rome
in lS4S-'4?. Several >ca-captainS, chiefly Gcno-
est. who cruiSet with him. follow ms fortunes
bv land, as they did for years ut sea. WIS
for some time in doubt whether the secret OF
this extraordinary man sway was grounded
on love or fear, but no uncertainty remains
now in my mind on the subject. There was
a Young captain. indeed, who told Inc he would
rather face a hundred -Austrians than address
even the most necessary question to Garibal-