Giuseppe Galliano Giuseppe Galliano ( Vicoforte , 1846 - Adwa , 1896 ) was an officer of the Italian army . A Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Italian Army , regarded for his skill and mastery of the military science , he became famous in the First Italo - Ethiopian War , fighting against the dervish es at Agordat in 1890 and in the Battle of Coatit , against Ras Mengesha Yohannes , in 1895 , as well as defending the fort of Mek ' ele . He perished in the Battle of Adwa . Military career . The son of an officer who , in 1821 , had joined Santorre di Santarosa in the constitutional motions in Piedmont , Giuseppe Galliano entered the Military College in Asti on 24 October 1854 . In 1864 he entered the Military School , which he left two years after as second lieutenant in the arm of Infantry , and was assigned to the 24th Regiment Como with which he participated to the war against Austria in 1866 . In 1870 he was promoted to the rank of Luogotenente ( Lieutenant ) and in 1873 he was moved to the new Alpini body ; on 19 July 1883 he became a captain , and was sent to the 58th Infantry regiment Abruzzi . In 1884 he passed to the 8nd Infantry Regiment in Turin ; on 6 November 1887 he left for Eritrea under the command of General Asinari di San Marzano , in order to revenge the massacre at Dogali . Since the Abyssinian s “ disappeared like fog in the sunlight ” the expedition corps was repatriated . On 10 March 1888 Captain Galliano returned to his Regiment and stayed in Turin two years ; in 1890 , he obtained to be sent again to Eritrea . The Campaign of Africa . Battle of Agordat . In the battle of Agordat ( 1893 ) Captain Giuseppe Galliano commanded a Battalion of Aboriginal Eritreans , as well as a battery of mountain artillery served from Sudanese soldiers . At first the battle was favorable to Galliano ' s troops but later the Dervishes , excited by their military and religious heads , tried to close in on them . Galliano could not check their offensive and had to order the retreat . Later , he ordered a violent bayonet counterattack , leading it himself on horse . Shortly the Dervishes fled in disarray . The booty of guns , ammunitions and standards is now in the Museum of Artillery of Turin . Between the flags is the famous green banner , that was one painful and disheartening loss to Dervishes . When King Umberto I assigned him the Gold Medal of Military Valor , Captain Galliano wrote to his brother : “ a single thing disturbs my joy for such honour : it is too different from the one given to my officers , who have earned it for me , to whom the Ministry was not as generous as to me ” . Galliano was distinguished for his skill in instructing the aborigines and constituting them in solid and homogenous units . His personal value and command abilities were evidenced above all in the numerous fights in which he battled together with his faithful askaris . Battle of Coatit . In January 1895 began the battle of Coatit between Italian troops and those from Ras Mangascià , governor of Tigrai , who was defeated and was forced to shelter itself near Senafe , where Italian troops reached him forcing him to flee . Giuseppe Galliano , promoted to major after Agordat , had a great part in this operation . The action earned him a Silver Medal of Military Valor . For this action he received also the Cross of Knight of the Order of the Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro for motu proprio of the Monarch . Defense of the fort of Mek ' ele . In autumn 1895 all Tigrai was occupied ; the Governor of Eritrea , General Oreste Baratieri returned to Massaua . A few weeks later , Negus Menelik II denounced the undue Italian occupation of Tigrai , a territory that the Treaty of Wuchale assigned to Ethiopia . Menelik II collected huge supplies of provisions , cattle , arms and ammunitions and gathered a big army in order to march against the Italian column . In December the Abyssinian army could boast 100 , 000 men , while the Italian forces had been divided into two contingents : 5000 men were stationed in Adigrat and 5000 in Mek ' ele , under General Giuseppe Arimondi . Arimondi intended to support Major Pietro Toselli , isolated with its company on the plateau of Amba Alagi in an advanced position . However Governor Baratieri telegraphed that the garrison in Mek ' ele had to be maintained and prohibited general Arimondi from moving . On 7 December approximately 2000 soldiers , commanded by Major Toselli , died heroically . Arimondi , that had advanced as far as Aderà , ( 20 km from Amba Alagi ) , could only collect the few survivors and go back to Adigrat , leaving Giuseppe Galliano with 1 . 300 men in the fort of Enda Yesus near Mek ' ele . The army of the Negus began the siege of the fort . Galliano resisted for two months to the continuous attacks of 100 , 000 Abyssinian armed men . The small garrison of approximately 1500 men endured serious losses , mainly for diseases , but did not surrender . The peace negotiations reached the peak on 17 January 1896 , when Menelik II offered to stop hostilities and let the Italians in Mek ' ele go free , asking in compensation that the Treaty of Wuchale be cancelled . The Italian government , though demanding the liberation of the besieged ones of Mek ' ele , remained firm in asking that the Treaty be renewed . The siege finally came to an end when Menelik agreed to free the Italian army and negotiate . This was good news for Galliano because his army was facing defeat and in short of water supplies . Galliano with all his men joined the Italian forces near the Eritrean border . For the heroic defense of the fort of Enda Yesus ( then called in its honor “ Fort Galliano ” ) Galliano received another Silver Medal of Military Valor and was moved up to lieutenant colonel in January 1896 . The Battle of Adwa . In the last days of February , the Italian army had supplies only for a few days . It was necessary to retreat , or to advance to Adwa in order to reach the warehouses of Adi Ugri and Asmara . Baratieri was more favorable to the retreat but the others generals inclined for the attack . In the night between 29 February and 1 March , Baratieri decided at last to face the enemy with his 15 , 000 men against 120 , 000 of Menelik II . He was led to a risky manoeuvre , and to engage battle , by a telegram of Francesco Crispi ( head of the government ) sent on 25 February : “ This one is a military tuberculosis , not a war ” . In the night of 29 February the army moved in three columns : Colonel Galliano took part to the center one , 2500 soldiers guided by General Giuseppe Arimondi . On the Rajo Mount , Galliano tried to cover the left wing of the brigade of Arimondi by blocking the Abyssinians . In this courageous effort he and all his Askaris fell . A second Gold Medal of Military Valor was conferred posthumous to Galliano . Galliano , the first alpine decorated with the gold medal , was also the first officer who received two Gold Medals of Military Valor , thus breaking off the tradition not to award it twice to the same person . Honors . Knight of the Order of the Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro “ " motu proprio ( Latin : On his own impulse ) " of Monarch ” - 1896 Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy Military Valor silver medal “ For the combats of Coatit ” - 1893 Medal of gold to the valor “ Decisive victory over the Dervishes ” - Agordat ( Eritrean ) , December 1893 Silver medal to the valor “ For the heroic defense of the fort of Enda Jesus ( Mek ' ele ) ” - 1896 Medal of gold to the valor “ Engaged with his battalion on the Rajo Mount , in the more critical moment of the fight , he fought with valor . [ . . . ] he , although wounded , persisted in the resistance with the few soldiers near him , urging the others to end with honour , until he was killed . Adua , ( Ethiopia ) , 1 March 1896 Memory . In Ceva , ( Cuneo ) , is a Museum dedicated to Galliano , as well as several public buildings and a bronze monument .