Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-31

June %, which gives these particulars of the
row among the Irish volunteers:
We had row on Wednesday evening,
which has been the great topic in Rome dur
| ing the last two days. A young man named
Lafian, very respectable, and nicely educated,
but with not very much discretion, not being
| satisfied with the position of "full private
| (being like n number of those who seem TO
have expected officers commissions to be as
| plentiful MS berries), put off his uniform and
turned out in plain clothes. The officer in
command, Mr.. Howley, ordered him to put
on his uniform. He refused. Lieutenant
| Howley ordered him to be arrested, and called
| on a sergeant named Wiseman to arrest him.
The latter, who was close by, and seems TO
have some partiality for Latfan, instead of
obeying the order, hailed some men at hand
to assist In resisting its execution. Others of
the battalion, however, most properly, with
aacrity turned out to arrest the insubOrdi-
mates. These ran off and took refuge in the
Irish College. Some French officers, not
| aware of the rights of refuge, wanted to enter
| and arrest the men. The College authorities
refused to permit this, and the time borrowed
| thus in representations, &C., allowed the tenn
per of all parties to cool, and Laifan and Wise
| man heartily to repent Of their conduct as an
offense not merely against military discipline,
but against the credit oftheir native country.
So they one and all gave themselves up
| quietly that evening.
Meanwhile the barracks where the Bat
| TALON of St. Patrick is stationed was the
scene Of the greatest tumult, on hearing that
some of the men had acted in such manner
rs have descrbed-some saying this, some
saying that-some furiousy calling for
prompt chastisement on those few who had,
as they asserted, brought disgrace on the
brigade and on Ireland, and given Il handle
| to their enemies; others, on the other hand,
palliating the conduct of the malcontents,
and censuring the great strictncss of drill
and discipline ordered by Gen. Lamorcere.
The Irish crowded in groups, cxcitedly dis
cussing the whole affair, the crowd being
sweed by Swiss and French iders, all wait
ing to see the upshot of affairs; and at the
| crossroads, as well as at the Palnzzo Aldo
brandini, there were crowds Of Romans look
, ing on in amazement ut what all the noise
was about. BY this time several officers OF
) the battalion began to arrive on the spot from
| various parts of the city, and they instantly
! ordered the men back in the barracks. The
men obeyed grumblngly, as the curiosity OF
all was greatly excited, and they wanted to
| learn the result of the affair.
By singular and most fortunate chance
that very evening, by the train from Civita
: | Vecchia, who should arrive but the Major OF
the Irish Battalion, Mr.. Miles W. UReilly, OF
| Knockabbey Castle. He barely reached the
! | was going on and off he hurried to the bar.
| racks. He came up at the moment while
! | the Irish were all gathered together outside
] / the barracks, about to enter it. He instantly
ordered the men to fall in, and put then
through their drill, and made them u brie
but beautiful address. You never saw any
change so sudden and complete. The mer
! became as docile and contented as possible
: and every thing wore a most cheering ap
pearance, when deplorable incident changed
. the aspect of affairs. AT the end of the fill
next the barrack- entrance, there was a stout
= athletic Irshman.
forgot TO tell you there is one division q
Belgians and Romans in the same barrack
u as our men The Belgian officer in comman
l had, at the very first outbreak of the row
!, drawn up his men under arms in front of tn
u barracks. This gave great oiiense to tn
1l Irish, who felt indignant at being, as the
II thought, guarded over by Belgians, and tn
man have alluded to kept saying, with bi
! ter excitement, to his comrade: Look at thes
,e fellows; they would sell the Pope and joi
Garibaldi in the morning, and look at thel
Is with their bayonets like sentries to territ
y us" The thing seemed to sting bitterly, an
s. the moment Major O'Reilly gave the order
- right about face, this private passionatel
y dashed at the nearest of the Belgians or RI
" mans, and with one blow of his fist betwee
- the eyes laid the poor fellow sprawling an
kicking IN inc aust, 10 Jne uJJer aInaleInel
nf and horror of every one.
VI The Belgian officer, with sad lack of di
eS cretion instantly gave the words; "Prin
and load d-make ready present = fire
re O'Reilly rushed forward, and putting himse
?. between the muzzles of the guns and Il
W position of the Irish, in voice of thund
a' countermanded the rash and terrible orde
ne II was moment painful excitement. A
y O'Reilleys voice of thunder-through haviI
on so recently arrived he was personally III
y, known-the Belgians held the leveled gun
do ao but pulled no trigger. Then O'Reilly 0
ue ~, dered his men once more into line; but b
in this time out poured every Irishman in Il
n n barracks, and a strange scene ensue
rn,SS Though utterly unarmed, they rushed at Il
nu ~ armed Belgians and a regular hand to-hai
~ conflict ensued-the Irish however, mere
y eu desiring to disarm the others-wrestlir
~, away the guns, twisting the bayonets {
nS 20 like twigs, and tossing them in the air
~ ~ dozens.
,Ie The Belgian officer drew his sword al
~ made stroke at an lrshman, which, hoy
"a ,aS ever, wounded him slightly. This was d
~ ~ first actual blow struck, On this, anOth
o. o. lrshman flung stone at the officer, viii
'o, missed him, but hit one of his men. The
notwithstanding the serious nature of
whole affair, proved to be the only blo'
nts given throughout. O'Reillys tact, enerq
and presence of mind were above all prai
lon He soon, assisted by his officers, succeed
in bringing the men to their obedience, and
few minutes had order once more restore
hat and by nine o'clock every thing was as
lOl- darIV nc if nOthinp had occurred