Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-31
CAPTURE OF ROME.
VIVID DESCRIPTION OF IT'S TAKING
BY THE ITALIANS IN 1870.
LIE Comte Emeric's souvenirs-Artil-
lery laundering at the Gates OF
Were Ringing Out the Angelus.

The recent celebration OF the anniver-
sary Of the entrance Of the italian troops
into Rome has induced lie Comte Emeric
to publish in the Figaro his notes OF the
event, taken at the time OF the seige.
He says:
Il was there. but not as a combatant.
/ was too young then to take a place
in the ranks OF the defenders OF the city
and the diplomatic position occupied a,
that time by my father. who represented,
although fervent Catholic, a Protestant
and neutral power. would not permit
his son to take an active part in the de-
fence of the cause OF the Holy See.
notes taken down from hour to hour
during that memorable day and the
following day. which l find now in my
notebook OF souvenirs.
AT about 5 o'clock i'm the morning
there was cannonading; then suddenly
we could hear a snarling and ringing
fusillade. Soon everybody was up. The
weather was superb. The rising sun
gilded the cupalo of st. Peters.
Rome stood up surrounded by an immense
circle Of white smoke, which was lined
here and there by luminous streaks, the
shells of General Pixie thrown from the
heights Of the villa Pamphili on the
Transtevere. on the left OF the town TO-
ward the gates of st. John, Major, and
PA the batteries OF the enemy opened
fire. In the villa Alban eighteen siege
guns were laundering The Italians, or
rather the Piedmontese. as they were
then called, surrounded Rome completely.
There were 10000 Of them. and the de-
tenders Of the Papacy were only 1900 or
1900 at most.
Nevertheless. the defence was valiant
~ organized The Pontifical troops. ma
tive and foreign. were at their posts full
Of ardor. The old walls OF the Diocletian
enceinte. a poor defence indeed. were
pierced with loopholes. The old cannons
were placed in battery at the Pncio. at
Macao, at Saint Croix and at Mont Aven-
tin. and. by Jove. they replied tolerably
well TO the enemy.
THE entire regiment of zouaves COM
posed principally Of Frenchmen. Belgians
and Hollanders, was at the ramparts.
AS was to be expected, II displayed great
valor. Among the men bravery and re-
ligious exaltation reached to such a point
that they despised the shelter of the
walls, and fought the enemy face to
face. Lieutenant-Colonel de Charette
came joyously 10 Saint Jean-de-Lateran,
and. seeing that the redoubts were de-
molished boldly installed a battery upon
the terre-plein of the church. without pro-
lection and under rain OF projectiles.
At Pincio also. the favorite and beautiful
promenade of the Romans the bullets
10 Ia ba
cut down, and the plants bowed their
heads as If in storm. All the COM
batants were covered with plaster and
mud that fell down in cascade from
the parapets: but the artilerymen re-
charged their pieces. notwithstanding. and
replied as vigorously as they could to
the guns OF the enemy.
"Domenico was there encouraging his
men by his example and his words. Al
the Villa Medici. where a great French
dag was floating. the commander of the
zouaves. De Traussure. mounted upon a
bench. directed the fire of his men. In
contempt of the bullets that whistled by
his ears.
Nevertheless the town was very calm
1t seemed almost in a stupor. Only few
people appeared on the streets. The
church bells were Ginning. Through the
thunder of the artillery we could dis
tinctly hear them ringing out the Angelus
and the hour for morning mass. AT
about o'clock there was little incident.
A small Italian trcolored flag was stuck
out OF a window near the Piazza d.
Spagna. Immediately the gendarmes ana
The squadriglieri "a sort OF peasant Ma
tional Guard, formed by the Ponttica
Government. to keep order in Rome. and
composed for the most part OF former
brigands) advanced and fired upon that
flag. The window was shattered with bull
let's. and the flag disappeared. That was
the only unitariste demonstration of the
morning.
THE Italians thought that the moment
the siege began the population Of Rome
would rise up as one man; but nobody
budged, and the Urban Guard. where
all the young men OF the Papaline arts
tocracy were enrolled. uselessly patrolled
the streets of the terrorized town. Bul
now the high confidence Of the preced-
ing days, when Plus TX. pronounced these
celebrated words II am neither
prophet. nor the son of a phophet,
but into Rome the enemy will not enter
was gradually disappearing. There was
nothing more to do. except 10 make de
fence sufficient 10 save the honor OF
the army; and also 10 prove to Europe
that Rome was taken by violence. But
everybody knew that the city was
doomed.
AT $50 in the morning the Italian can
mons opened large breach of about one
hundred metres TO the left of the Piagate
When the wall crumbled down the Der
saglieri, with their flags huttering in the
wind and their trumpeters In front.
boldly advanced to the assault. Two
apta nf IA Of tho
ayes dashed forward and filled Vi
the gap. and by a wel-drected fire hell
back the assailants. who had one major
killed and l6j men hors de combat.
But soon the Italians advanced in close
ranks. They we're nearly 10000 now
from all parts toward tn
porta Pia By the Villas Albani and Tor
onia, well supported by their field-bat
teries. The Pon,ifcals had one mitrail
euse; but its mechanism was out OF
order.
'It is now 10 o'clock. Precisely a
his moment a quartermaster of dragons
arrived from the Piotta from the war
carrying this order from Gene
al Kanzler: Cease firing and raise the
white flag. 1t is the will OF the Pope
1.-THE troops laid down their arms 81
entity and In anger. For moment
here was some violent confusion. Tbs
.nemy continued 10 enter by the breach.
although the white flag was flying above.
rhe zouaves that surrounded the Piagate
became furious at such conduct, and en-
leayored to grab up their arms. But soon,
urrounded on all sides they were driven
oward the Macao and shut up there.
While the rest of the troops. after leav
ng the last enceinte. fell back upon
he Leonine City and the Vatican.
In certain streets on the arrival OF |
he Papal troops the people extended |
heir hands to them. and women wept |
Poveri Giovanni they exclaimed in ten
Ter accents. But in other quarters misses |
we're heard behind the blinds. while /
tones were thrown amid shouts Of |
Down with the mercenaries! Hurrah for |