The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-10-31
The Pope's Irish Brigade.

received by the Irish volunteers, who
enlisted in the service Of the Pope ~
Instead of the enthusiastic reception
! they anticipated, they were treated as
only the poorest sort of common sol
diers, were allowed scanty fare and
rament, and used with great i'll nature
by their officers. One j. O'Brien
writes dismal story Of his sufferiugs
10 the London Times, and represents
that his fellow volunteers were dis
/ gnsted with their position and anxions
to return. He says:
g was but very short time in
Mercerata until | saw that it was not
to fight for religion I had gone oHt,
but for temporal government, with
which the poor devoted children of
Italy are, in my humble opinion, most
dest ryedly dissatisfied, and from over
turning which they are only prevented
by the baynoS's point"
O'Brien and number Of others
succeeded in procuring their discharge,
and reached ireland in rags aud half
starved The following amusing ac-
count is given ia an Irish paper Of
the experience Of another enthusi-
astic volunteer
A young gentleman, possessed Of an
independent income, was induced by
| the Pope's clerical recruiting officers
to join the grand army Of Inyincibles
which was to preserve the papacy in
| spite Of itself. He was guaranteed a
commission, and already dreamed of q
Marshal's baton. He furnished him.
| self, at the suggestion Of a tempter,
| with a very handsome uniform, green
and gold, and so forth, aud he left our
| quays in the confident belief that hon
ors and rank were upon him. Yes
terday we had an interview with him,
and it was, indeed, difficult to recog-
nize him. He was lean, ague stricken,
feeble and squalid He was dressed
like decayed acrobate whose prop
critics had been seized. AS long as
he travelled through France and Aus
tria, and his money lasted, he managed
to live; but since he reached tie Pa
| pal territories he had better view of
purgatory than any dogmatic theology
could give him.
AT Macerata, town most appro-
priately named, his splendid uniform
was taken forcibly from him and sold
at auction. In exchange be was fur
nished with an old flannel shirt, and
an indescribable pair of knee breeches.
| That was the uniform of the ropes
Irish brigade. He had reserved
second coat, aud was once, unfortu-
nately, tempted to Display it, when
that, too, was sold by drum-head
auction lie found that remons-
trance only subjected him to extra
drill and threats Of the bastinado. The
4 drill was more severe than the Austrian,
for it was discipline involving such
severe pnnishnents for disobedience
| that numbers of Irish have already
been shot down by Lamoriciere, others
have been logged, and many have
been sent to till the sands of Al
geria.
Once he had, with others, TO march
thirty miles with nothing TO eat or
means to procure any. Every day he
was given by an agent of the Pope
four copper coins, about the size of a
half penny, bearing the arms of Pic
Mono on one side, and an inscription
testifying tina its valce is one bajocca
on the other. Even in the Roman
territories little could be got for four
bajocca. The recipient was, at the
utmost, able to procure some maccar-
oni and salt, no pleasant food to an
independent Irishman His health
naturally gave way, and at last he
managed to procure bis release The
man who went away in splendid uni
form, full of hopes and robust health,
was landed on Monday on our quays,
in the remains Of flannel shirt and
knee brooches, so worn down that no.
body could identify him.