Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-08-30
TIE SWINE or THE FLAG.
A THRILLING EPISODE IHE FROM
AUsrRO-iTAIIAN WAR o. 1859.

AUsTEOITAILAN WAR o. 1859.
The "Reminiscences % Genera
III Revel''coutain the following stir
ring account Of the saving % tine
ilag: During the Ittlo-Au-;riau wal
Of ls5g. on the 2ith June, part OF
the FOrty-fJurth Italian infantry,
consisting % a group Of about ten
officers ami twenty-five men. got
separated from their regiment dur
ing a surprise, ami being hard
or, ssei by the AusiriaUs entered a
villa called Frnile, near Alma,
and prepared FOR an obstinate de-
fensa. They had with them the flag
Of the regiment, and the oldest ulli-
Ger present, Captain BlrJneeilit
took command.
After tie Austrians had been
repeatedly II pulsed they syt fire o.
some heaps ui straw, hay aud other
inflammarir material kept Ia the
garrets Of the villa. Tie Italians,
half -uiincatei hy the Smoke, sui
seeing that IL would Ue inn O--ihic 90
defend themselves much longer, de-
termiued 20 save their dag before
surrcnLcTiug. They stripped the
bunting from 10, stall and tore 10
into small uiv,cs, 81 which each Of
ficeT laid a portion under his clothes;
the spear point, being Iuir-imrii-
hle. was hidden under a fireplace iu
the house. and the tail was broken
into pieces auI burned. This done
Li,ui. Chiverni, who spoke Ger-
man. fixed "A white handkerchief to
the point Of his sword aud, l,auiu-
from a window be- the midst Ci
smoke anu fire. offered b. surrender
IA proposition Immediately accept
ei 10y the enemy.
The brave little troop issued from
the house and surrendered their
arms ~ Col. \ itemI-. 81 the H0heE-
LONE regiment. "Whure are TIE
uiher-.-' asked the colonel, seeing
% few men; and when hc had a.
certaiued that there were really no
m1rc ne exclaimed. bravo, yuI
defended yourselves like isuU- -
The Italians, taken prisoners o.
Austria. managed 10 keep their pre-
ciulS reliy- secret and one % them
dying. his piece % bunting vas
bIll.eG with him. On the hr-t
% July following, Gen. I'D kvvcl
was appointed commander o.! the
division. ami while inspecting the
FuTty-sUurih Infantry vas surprised
% see no illg. lie was told that b
hal ia.eu iaagu Is the enemy hut
A. Ia, matter h1d never irrn m-n-
toned. mot even ny the Au-irau-,
who would naturally have heeg
proud Of such "a trpI hy. the general
called IEc officers o. the Fuuuy-iir
tIEt thtr aud begged them tD keel
uerfsct silence a. Co their lH--, and
the fret time they found theu-
selvt~ within reach ~ an enemy
flag % revenge themselves by TAX
ing IL.
When Austria agreed 90 the eDH-
veuti1n Il the Rel Crl-- the Italian
military doctors were set free, and
| one Of them CAME O. Gen. Di Rsvel
and informed him Uf what had teen
done with their flag by the group 81
Officers Of the Forty fourth. The
general recommended silence, aId
/ his wish vas respected. On the I-h
OF October. when Di Revrl went a.
| Verona. a merchant % that city was
! presented Ia him, and in secret con.
| signed b. him the =. AR point q the
missing flag, which had been found
in the villa Of SigUoTa Rose Fsima,
/ and by her jealousy preserved iu
/ or,ler 10 he restored o. the Italian
army. One can imagine the graf.
tude Of the general
He req0ttrl the affair 10 Tie
minister Of war, begging him {
rpyide a flagstaff. This was done
| and when peace was concluded AM
/ the prisouerS % war returned home
the officers Of the E0rty-fUurth con
.irut-d 10 the general the seveTa
pieces Of their lag. They were sew
together 10y three w0rkwumen In tn
pre~ence Of two officer, Of the com
many. and attached b the stall ans
sreir point, the whole proceeding
being written down, witnessed q
aud signed, and an account Of Tn
saving Of the flag added.
ON tine 18th Of October the Forty
fourth regiment was drawn up b
the ssuare Of -. Mark. and la from
stood Lieut.. Libreiii belriug tn
recovered flag. The gulrdia W
was sounded, and Gen. iii Rev,
expr,ssed his pleasure At icing all
10 restore to the assembled regimen
the actual flag, stained with u
, No, d Of the handful Of heroes VIA
had 80 vaiianuy preserved II from
, the energy. Gone piece only
+ he cgarludel, is missing, AM
7 that lies in the heart Of In
b brave man who carried IL wit
+ him 70 the tomb \ storm Of al
D rlau-e burst from the regiment an
the spectator; then while the mt
. preseited arms the general kis.t
J, ibe flag and gave 1t 10 Lieut.. Go
1 Zarui. the commander Of the reg
e ment who also kissed il and the
: n.conSivned It to Lieut.. Libreti
II WHO. bearing aloft the glorious la
ner. accompanied Gen. III lev
e sIo1r the front Of the regiment am
IS renewed acrlamaii0ns. The gener,
'e sfs,ass Of this incident as one Of u
= most moving in his mil itary cares