THE EXPEDITION PROCEEDS FOR THE URUGUAY—COLONIA TAKEN BY
IT—BURNED—PAGE, A SUSPICIOUS FRENCHMAN—MARTIN GARCIA
TAKEN.
It was near the close of the year 1845 when the expedition left
Montevideo for the Uruguay, beginning an honorable campaign with
brilliant but fruitless results, for the generous but unfortunate
Oriental nation. We arrived at Colonia, where the English and French
squadrons were awaiting us, to assail the city. It was not a very
arduous enterprise, under the protection of the superfluous guns of the
vessels. I landed with my Legionaries; and the enemy opposed no
resistance under the walls: but, on getting outside of them, they were
found ready for battle. The allies then debarked, and requested their
commanders to support me in driving the enemy away. A force of each of
the two nations accordingly came out for my assistance. But the Italians
had hardly begun to fight, and obtained some advantage, when the allies
retired within the city walls. The reason for this unexpected movement
was never explained to me; but I was compelled to follow their example,
in consequence of the great inferiority of my force compared with that
of the enemy.
When the other party proposed to abandon the city, they obliged the
inhabitants to evacuate it, and then endeavored to give it to the
flames. From that time, therefore, many of the houses presented the sad
spectacle of the effects of conflagration, the furniture having been
broken, and everything lying in confusion. When the Legion landed, and
the Nationals, they had immediately followed the enemy who were
retreating; and the allies, landing afterwards, occupied the empty city,
sending out a part of their forces to support them. Now it was
difficult, between the obstacles presented by the ruins and the fire, to
maintain the discipline necessary to prevent some depredations; and the
English and French soldiers, in spite of the severe injunctions of the
Admirals, did not fail to take the clothes which were scattered about
the streets and in the deserted houses. The Italians followed their
example, and, in spite of every exertion made by me and my officers to
prevent them, some of them persisted in the work for a time; and I have
the mortification of acknowledging that I did not entirely succeed in my
efforts to prevent them. The most important articles taken by the
Italians, however, were eatables; and this afforded some consolation, as
the fact was less discreditable to my countrymen than if they had chosen
objects of lasting pecuniary value. I feel also most confident in
saying, that nothing of that disgraceful conduct would have happened,
but for the beginning made by the allied troops.
A Frenchman, named Page, who then resided in Montevideo, published a
description of the scene of plunder. It was said by his contemporaries,
that Page was a creature of Guizot, sent out as a fiscal, and to take
account of what happened. I could not ascertain whether he was a
diplomatic spy or not. It is certain that, in consequence of the French
sympathy, I was obliged, on landing on the shore of Colonia, to send the
men below, as their ship was thundering, with its cannon well pointed
towards us. We had several men wounded, receiving contusions from
splinters and fragments of rock. Besides, Page's _elegant_ "Narrative of
Facts," as he entitled a report which he published, called the Italian
Legion "Condoltreri," a term of contempt, in his opinion, but which they
were farthest from deserving.
In Colonia I and my troops might have coöperated in an attack on the
city; but they were sent elsewhere, to restore the authority of the
Republic on the banks of the Uruguay. The Island of Martin Garcia, where
I arrived before Anzani with a small force, yielded without resistance.
There I obtained a number of oxen and a few horses.
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