CONDITION OF THE ITALIANS IN MONTEVIDEO, AND
ELSEWHERE—MY WISHES AND DESIGNS FOR THEIR BENEFIT—IN
COMMAND OF THE "CONSTITUCION"—AT MARTIN GARCIA—A BATTLE
WITH THE ENEMY—PROVIDENTIAL RESULTS—PROCEED TO BAJADO—AT
CERITO—ANOTHER FIGHT—CAVALLO-QUATTIA —LOW WATER—JOIN THE
REPUBLICAN FLOTILLA—LABORS AND DIFFICULTIES.
There were many Italians in Montevideo, whose condition and feelings I
soon learned to appreciate. They were regarded with scorn by many of the
other foreign residents, especially the French, who were in much greater
numbers, and seemed to take pleasure in humiliating my poor and injured
countrymen.
This was not the first case, though one of the most marked and
unrighteous, in which the wronged and suffering party were made to bear
the reproach of those very traits of character displayed by their strong
and false-hearted conquerors. In exile and poverty, under the bitter and
hourly personal experience of their national misfortunes, and reproached
by the world with having brought them upon themselves, the Italians in
South America were depressed and disheartened by their gloomy
recollections, their present sorrows and their cloudy future. Many of
them were occupying themselves with such labors and business as they
could find or invent, to obtain the means of subsistence, and laying the
foundations of the fortunes which they have since accumulated by
industry and economy; but few formed any sanguine expectations of
gaining that distinction for military prowess, which the more numerous
and vaunting Frenchmen around them then arrogated to themselves. I,
however, ere long, began to indulge in more daring anticipations; and
the sequel will show the results.
I resolved to find employment for some of them, and to raise the courage
and hopes of all, and at the same time to prepare them for future
service as soldiers in Italy, by bringing them into the service which
was offered to myself. My progress and success will be seen in the
following chapters.
On my entering the service of the Oriental Republic, I received the
command of the sloop of war "Constitucion." The Oriental squadron was
under the command of Colonel Cahe; the enemy under the orders of General
Brown. Several battles had taken place, but with results of but little
consequence. At the same time a man named Vidal was appointed Minister
General of the Republic,—a person of unfortunate and despicable memory.
One of his first and most fatal steps was, to gain the dislike of the
squadron, which proved highly injurious to its condition, which had cost
the Republic immense sums, and which, if it had been cherished as it
might then have been, would have established a marked preëminence in the
Rio de la Plata, but which was completely ruined, by selling the vessels
at shamefully low prices.
I proceeded up the river with the vessels. We had an engagement with the
batteries of Martin Garcia, which are situated near the confluence of
the two great rivers Paraná and Uruguay, near which I had to pass, as
there was no other channel for large vessels. I had several killed and
wounded, and passed on. Among the dead was the brave Italian officer,
Pocaroba, whose head was taken off by a cannon shot.
Three miles beyond Martin Garcia, the Constitucion was careened, but
unfortunately at a time when the tide was falling; and it cost an
immense amount of labor to get her afloat again. It was only due to the
most persevering labor, that the flotilla was saved from being lost in
those dangerous circumstances. While employed in removing heavy articles
on board the Procida, the enemy's squadron appeared on the other side of
the island, approaching under full sail. I was thus placed in a terrible
condition,—the larger of my vessels lying on the sand, and deprived of
her heaviest guns, which were placed in the Procida; the Procida being
in consequence useless; and no vessel remaining except the Terceira,
whose brave commander was near me with the greater part of his crew,
assisting in his work.
In the meantime the enemy moved on proudly, presenting a superb sight,
and hailed by the acclamations of the troops on the island, assured of
victory, with seven strong ships of war. But I felt no despair—a feeling
which I have never known. The cause I have never pretended to give. I
did not think of my life at that moment; that appeared to me of little
value: but it seemed that dying would not save honor, and it was
impossible to fight in my position. Providence extended his hand over my
destiny, and I desired no other. The ship of the Admiral grounded near
the island; his pride was humbled, and the Republicans were safe. The
enemy's misfortune redoubled their alacrity; in a few hours the
Constitucion was afloat, and received her guns and loading. "Misfortunes
never come single," says the proverb. A very thick fog concealed us, and
everything we did, from the eyes of the enemy; and favored us greatly,
by preventing them from knowing which way we went. This was of the
greatest advantage: for, when the Imperialists got their ships under
way, being ignorant of the direction we had taken, they sailed to pursue
us, and went up the Uruguay, which we had not entered, and they
consequently lost many days before they learned our course.
In the meantime I had entered the Paraná, under cover of the fog and
with the favor of the wind. I had the direction of the whole operation,
and must pronounce it one of the most arduous of my life. But certainly,
in that day, the pleasure afforded by the escape from that imminent
danger, and the solicitude caused by reflecting on the greatness of the
enterprise were embittered by the stupor and disaffection of my
companions, who until that moment had believed they were going to the
Uruguay. All declared that they were unacquainted with the Paraná, and
that they refused all responsibility from that moment. Responsibility
was of little importance to me; but something was to be done in some way
or other. After a few inquiries, one man confessed that he knew a little
of the river, but that he was confused by his fears; however, he was
soon able to collect himself, and proved useful. The wind favoring, we
soon arrived near San Nicolas, the first town in the Argentine
territory, which is situated on the right shore of the river. There we
found a few merchant vessels, which were wanted for transports and other
service, and, in a night expedition with launches, both were obtained.
An Austrian, named Antonio, who had been trading for a long time in the
Paraná, was among the prisoners, and he rendered important services in
the voyage.
Proceeding up the river, we met with no obstacle until we reached
Bajada, where was the army of Ouribes. I operated in the transit. Some
landed to find fresh provisions, which consisted chiefly of oxen, in
which they were opposed by the inhabitants, and some troops of cavalry
stationed there to guard the shore. Several partial engagements took
place on that account—with some advantages and losses, sometimes on one
side and sometimes on the other—in one of which I had the great
affliction of losing the brave Italian officer, Lalberga di Leone, a
youth of surprising valor and of most promising genius. Another
monument, therefore, was demanded for another son of the land of
misfortune, who, like so many more, had hoped to shed his blood for the
redemption of his country.
At Bajada, the capital of Entre Rios, where the army of Ouribes was
stationed, I found the most formidable preparations on my arrival; and a
battle seemed at first inevitable: but the wind being favorable, and we
being able to pass at a considerable distance from the enemy's
batteries, but little effect was produced by the heavy cannonade which
was made by them. At Las Conchas, a few miles above La Bajada, I
effected a landing by night, which procured me fourteen oxen, in spite
of strong opposition made by the enemy. My men fought with great
bravery. The enemy's artillery followed the coast, and profiting by the
contrary wind and the narrowness of the river, cannonaded us whenever
they could. At Cerito, a position on the left bank of the stream, they
established a battery of six guns. The wind was favorable, but light;
and at that point, on account of the crookedness of the river, our
vessels had to sail in face of them, so that it was necessary to go
about two miles under a battery, which was as if suspended over our
heads. A resolute battle was fought at that place. The greater part of
my men seemed unable to rise, and did not show themselves. The others,
at their guns, fought and labored with great alacrity. It should be
remembered that the enemy belonged to a party rendered proud by their
victory, who soon after conquered, at Arroyo Grande, the two combined
armies of Montevideo and Corrientes. Every obstacle was overcome with
very little loss; and after having stopped all the enemy's fire, and
dismounted several pieces of artillery, a number of merchant vessels,
coming from Corrientes and Paraguay, which had been placed under the
protection of the enemy's battery, fell into the power of the
Republicans with very little trouble. Those prizes supplied us with
provisions and means of all kinds.
We then proceeded on our arduous voyage up the river. The enemy watched
us in order to throw obstacles in our way; but we arrived at
Cavallo-quattia, (or the White Horse,) where we joined the Argentine
flotilla, composed of two large launches and a balandra armed as a
war-vessel. We were thus supplied with some fresh provisions, so that
our condition was much improved. We had good and experienced men, but a
reinforcement was agreeable enough, especially in its effects on the
habits of our men. Having thus proceeded as far as the Brava coast, we
were obliged to stop on account of the shallow water, the difference of
which, with the draft of the Constitucion, was four palms. These
difficulties began to excite some suspicions in my mind, concerning the
final result of the expedition. I had no doubt that the enemy would do
their utmost to defeat it; for if it should arrive at Corrientes the
injury would have been very great to the enemy, by the Republicans
having command of an intermediate part of the river, by holding an
intermediate position between the interior provinces, the Paraguay and
the capital of the Argentine confederation. It would have been a kind of
nest of corsairs, to infest and destroy the enemy's commerce.
The enemy accordingly resorted to every measure for our ruin; and they
were greatly favored by the want of water in the river, which was
altogether unexampled for half a century, according to the declaration
of Governor Ferri, of Corrientes. It being impossible to proceed
further, I determined to put the flotilla in the best possible state for
resistance. From the left bank of the Paraná, where the depth of water
was greatest, I drew a line of vessels, beginning with a merchant
_yate_, in which were placed four guns; the Terceira in the middle, and
the Constitucion on the right wing, thus forming a row, at right angles
to the shore, and presenting to the enemy all the force possible.
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