The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-12-11
BALTIMORE.
Tuesday, DECEMBER II, 1860


The English Legion, which Joined GARIBALDI on
a., line Of the Volturno, has done no credit TO the
Fnolish name. With the exception of one smart
flemish which occurred soon after they landed,
and in which they are reported to have dlStn-
ouished themselves, the volunteers do not appear to
have rendered any service 10 the Italian cause, and
have certainly failed to win the affections of the
Italian people. This is scarcely 10 be wondered |
at The Legion was composed of the most motley |
materials. Scions Of noble houses, gentlemen Of
leisure, old Crimean soldiers, sporting men whose
names are chroniced in the annals of the turf, and
a miscellaneous rabbe of clerks, and artisans, and
field aborers, together with q more than moderate
sprnkiug of that reckless and INSCRIPTIONS class
whose members it has been the fashion Of late
years to style ''the rOughs.' 1t is conceded that
there was good fighting material in the Legion
and PERHAPS if the war had been active one, and
the men commanded by officers of character and ex
perence, the Legion might have won for itselfa well
merited renown. But in few weeks after their
arrival in the Bay of Naples everything seemed to
work wrong. The brilliant episode at Caserta, on
the 10th of October, when the Legion, comprising
nearly its whole strength of eight hundred men,
put to rout four thousand Neapoitan regulars and
followed them in their retreat, almost TO the very
walls of Capua, was succeeded by discussions and
jealousies that speedily destroyed the effectiveness
of the force. Col. Picard, their Communications
BALDI's Englishman-was not liked. His courage
was unquestionable but his obvious want of mill
tary skill laid him open to the criticism of men
VIII hal in iha Irimpa
and he lacked the art of conciiatng the turbulent
spirits who had joined the legion as much for the
lore of adventure as for any abstract passion
for liberty. Many of the men also thought that
Major STILES, having recruited the Legion in
England, was fairly entitled to the honor of COM
manding it, and all were disappointed in not
being welcomed by the Neapoltans with en-
thusasm corresponding to that with which the
MiIanese greeted the French soldiers during the
campaign in Lombardy. 1t may be very possible
too that the members of the Legion, a majority of
whom claimed TO be gentlemen, forgot in their
ideas of personal Importance the new condition in
which they had voluntarily placed themselves, and
resented as an indignity what was in reality moth
ing more than appropriate exercise of au-
thority. But there were other causes. GA
cent? occasion, with touch of rough humor,
''imagines he can take Gaeta at the point Of the
''bayonet." Colonel PEARD seems to have thought
that Capua could be carried in the same manner,
and, five days after the battle of Caserta, actually
ordered the Legion under arms for the purpose OF
making the attack. Major STILES and other off.
GERS warmly demonstrated with him against the
rashness of the attempt; but finding him bent
on making the assault they fatty refused TO
sanction what they regarded as nothing less than
a wanten sacrifice of life, and withdrew their
respective commands Two companies, how
ever, consented to place themselves under the
orders of the COLONEL and under cover of the
darkness they succeeded in reaching the bastions
Capua, and then, finding nothing could be done, ST.
lently retired, as it fortunately happened, with
out sustaining any loss. But independently Of the
want of confidence which large proportion of the
men of the Legion had in their commanding officer,
the privations and hardShips to which they were,
as it is alleged, unnecessarily subjected, aided
very materially in increasing the spirit of disaiec-
ton. The legion was without n commssariat
without ambulances for the wounded, without
hospital stores, and without supplies of clothing tC
replace that which had been speedily worn out in the
rough campaigning of a mountain region. Even
the usual ratons were distributed at irregu-
lar intervals and in quantities too small to satisfy
men who had never been accustomed TO the simple
fare with which the Italian volunteer is contented
Under the combined pressure of no pay, a scanty
supply of food, and perhaps revival of their old
procvites five men of the legion were tempted
TO rob farm house but were caught in the act and
summarily condemned to be shot The men were
actually led out to execution, but the squad de-
taila3 10" a." ",'"nnsn Of uniting them to death
'useo 70 ooey the orders to fire; ana danger of
strained to abandon the idea Of Furnishing either
the condemned or the mutiueers Quarrels of an ex-
ceedingly disreputabe character have also since
Cured among certain members of the Legion, who,
by their birth and education, ought to have sci to
others, less fortunately crcumstanced, an exam
pie of decorum and sei-respect. In these disgrace
full brawls Lord SEYMOUR, the only son of the Duke
of Somerset Major WoRTLEY; Col. LEvEsON, and
a Captain SCOTT-whois spoken of as gentleman
well known the British turf-are inexricably
mixed up. From such and kindred causes the Lee
gion has become completely dsorganzed and de-
moralizad. Many of the men have sought and
obtained permission to join other corps; and of
the eight hundred which left England, amidst the
plaudits of the English journals and followed by
the good wishes Of all classes of people, not
than three hundred remain under the command of
Col. PEARD, all of whom are anxious to return
from the service.