GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI
If George Washington was the father of his country, certainly Giuseppe
Garibaldi could be called the father of Italian liberty, for this one
patriot, almost single handed, fomented and carried on the revolution
that resulted in the birth of the Italian nation as it stands to-day.
Giuseppe Garibaldi was born in the year 1807, in the town of Nice, and
was the son of a sailor and sea captain named Domenico Garibaldi. It is
probable that almost before he could walk Giuseppe was familiar with
the deck of his father's vessel, and it is certain that when a very
young boy he showed an aptitude and desire for a seafaring life.
His father, however, did not wish his son to be a sea captain like
himself, but desired him to lead some life ashore, where, he thought,
the boy's chances of advancement would be better. This plan, however,
did not appeal to Giuseppe. The call of the sea was in him and he
determined to be a sailor like his father. When still a young boy, with
one or two companions, he stole a fishing boat and put to sea in the
Mediterranean, sailing to the Eastward. His father soon gave chase,
however, with a faster boat, and caught the would be mariner off the
coast of Monaco, returning with him to Nice. The boy's cruise itself
was ended, but this incident convinced the father that his son was
intended for the sea, and in a few months Giuseppe shipped as a cabin
boy and before long was making long voyages.
He quickly showed that seafaring was his natural calling, for before he
was twenty-four years old he had become the master of a vessel, showing
at an early age a capacity for responsibility and an ability to command
other men that marked him head and shoulders above his companions.
But while engaged upon his voyages Garibaldi was thinking a great deal
about the unfortunate condition of Italy and the unhappiness of his
countrymen, for at that time the Italians did not form one nation as
they do to-day, but were grouped in a number of petty states that
frequently warred against each other and were themselves surrounded by
more powerful enemies. The idea of making Italy one nation had not then
occurred to the bulk of the people, but there was a band of secret
revolutionists who were working for "Young Italy" and Garibaldi, who
was known to be in favor of a united Italy, soon met some of the
members of this organization.
The young skipper promptly became fired with the desire to aid the work
of the revolutionists and went to Marseilles where he talked with the
famous patriot, Mazzini, also a young man, who had been active in
revolutionary circles and was the chief organizer of the league called
Young Italy. Mazzini's aim was to put an end to all the existing
Italian governments and form an Italian republic that should extend
from Sicily to the Alps. For his revolutionary activities he had been
banished from his native country, and was carrying on his work to the
best of his ability in Marseilles.
Mazzini gave Garibaldi a cordial greeting, and enlisted his aid in the
work of the revolutionists. They were planning a war against the King
of Sardinia whose name was Charles Albert, and while the patriots
invaded Savoy Garibaldi's mission was to go to Genoa and hatch a
revolution in the fleet, where, it was thought, there were many sailors
who would gladly fall in with the aims of Young Italy and lend their
aid in overthrowing the existing governments.
The plot failed and Garibaldi was left stranded at Genoa, hunted by the
soldiers and certain to meet death in case he was captured. He
disguised himself in the dress of a peasant and escaped to France,
where a newspaper informed him that he had been named as an outcast
from his native country, and had been sentenced to death. There was
nothing further for him to do at that time except to carry on his
calling of sea captain under an assumed name, and it was not long
before he had shipped as a common seaman on a vessel sailing for South
America, where for two years, nothing further was heard of him. But his
ardent nature found play in the new country to which he had come, and
when the Province of Rio Grande rose in revolution against the rule of
the Brazilians, Garibaldi joined the rebels and made preparations to
fight in the revolutionary cause.
He secured a little fishing vessel, and with a few companions began to
cruise as a privateer in the insurgent cause, going through many sea
fights and many hardships and adventures in the behalf of the
revolutionists. Finally he was shipwrecked and only saved his life by
his great skill at swimming, most of his companions drowning in the
surf where he was powerless to help them. The revolutionists gave him
another ship and he soon sailed away for further encounters with the
enemy.
While in the port of Laguna a new adventure befell him, for there he
beheld the woman who was to become his wife. Her name was Anita
Riberas, and according to the South American custom her father had
arranged a marriage for her with a man she did not love. When she met
Garibaldi she was struck with his fine and commanding appearance, and
he on his part instantly fell in love with her, for she was a woman of
great beauty and a keen and spirited mind. The result of this meeting
was that Anita eloped with Garibaldi, sailing away with him on his
vessel and marrying him a few days later when another port was reached.
Anita not only was on board Garibaldi's vessel in a number of sea
fights but actually took part in them. On one occasion, we are told,
she was knocked down by a gust of wind made by a cannon ball as it
whizzed across the deck, but picking herself up continued to fight by
the side of the men.
Garibaldi then organized a band of guerilla cavalry and his bride,
dressed in man's clothes, rode by his side. It was while her husband
was a captain of guerillas that she bore him a son, and on many weary
journeys the baby was carried in a sort of net cradle slung from her
saddle. Garibaldi was now fighting for the freedom of Uruguay.
It was at this time that Garibaldi formed the band of revolutionaries
called the Italian Legion. They chose for their colors a flag on which
a volcano was painted with fire spouting from the crater against a
background of black. And Garibaldi at the head of his Italians was a
skilful and famous soldier, known everywhere in Uruguay and even in
foreign countries.
In the year 1848 the whole of Northern Italy rose in arms against the
Austrians, and the King of Sardinia, Charles Albert, was now fighting
in a cause that seemed just to Garibaldi, who desired of all things to
see the foreign control of great nations taken away from his country.
At once he decided to enter the war and sailed for Italy with the
members of his legion. He chose for an emblem this time the colors that
have since become the flag of Italy, a flag of red, white and green
arranged like the French tricolor.
He received a cold welcome from the King of Sardinia, for Charles
Albert could not forgive his former revolutionary activities. But the
King soon had reason to hate him even more than hitherto, for when,
with the Pope, he made peace with Austria after his forces had been
defeated, Garibaldi refused to recognize the compact and with a small
band of insurgents continued the fight, until he fell ill with fever
and was compelled to give up the struggle and allow his soldiers to
return to their homes.
He was determined, however, that Italy should never again recognize
Austrian rule, and as soon as he had recovered from the fever, he began
what was called the "People's War." Numbers of Italians flocked to his
standard, and his cause was soon strengthened by an uprising in Rome,
in which the Pope himself was driven from office, and a minister named
Rossi was murdered.
Garibaldi had hastened to Rome to be present at the declaration of the
Roman Republic, of which Mazzini was to be President. As the Austrian
and French forces were pursuing him he organized a stubborn resistance,
and furious fighting took place in the outskirts of the city and in the
streets themselves. Soon it was evident that the revolutionists must
give in and the city be taken. The only hope for the Republicans lay in
their escaping to the mountains. The city surrendered finally without
Garibaldi's consent, and with his band of red shirted followers he fled
into the country just as the French soldiers were pouring through the
gates. His wife, dressed as a man, accompanied him.
Then commenced a campaign filled with most bitter hardships and
difficulties. At the beginning of his flight he had only five thousand
men and these were quickly decreased in numbers by the hardships they
were compelled to undergo, and by many desertions that took place as a
result. But Garibaldi persevered, until he saw that it was useless to
think of any further resistance at that time, and he then planned a
flight to the coast. Fully fifty thousand well armed and organized men
were in pursuit of him, and their ranks were added to daily by
deserters from his own small force. At last all but two hundred
surrendered, and these, with Garibaldi at their head seized a number of
fishing vessels and put to sea, hoping to reach the friendly city of
Venice.
But the enemy's vessels were watching the coast, and soon a large fleet
was in hot pursuit. Some of Garibaldi's vessels were captured and sunk
and the rest were compelled to land to escape the pursuing ships.
All this time his faithful wife, Anita, had accompanied him--but the
hardships they had undergone had proved too much for her; she had
fallen ill and now it was seen that she had only a few hours to live.
With soldiers of the enemy following him, and with his dying wife in
his arms, Garibaldi hid among the sand dunes of the coast and at last
carried his wife into a deserted cottage where she promptly breathed
her last.
With the soldiers at his heels Garibaldi could not even wait to see her
buried. He took to the hills once more, and after a terrible journey of
forty days, in which he was obliged to travel in disguise, he escaped
on a fishing boat, and after being turned away from several ports where
his presence was unwelcome, made his way to America. This time he went
to New York, and for a time earned his daily bread as a ship chandler
on Staten Island.
Then he returned to his old trade of sea captain and sailed for China
in command of a vessel called the _Carmen_. He then returned to Europe,
and as the hatreds of the revolution had now largely blown over he was
able to go to Nice and see his children. The search for him had waned.
Italy seemed hopelessly under the yoke of her enemies, and Garibaldi
settled down to private life on the Island of Caprera, where he lived
simply as a farmer.
He was only too ready, however, to respond if another demand should
come for him to carry arms in behalf of United Italy, and through the
skill of the statesman, Cavour, such a demand did come in the year
1859. Cavour, by clever diplomacy, had brought on a war between the
Austrians and the French and with the aid of the powerful nation of
France the Italians were victorious at the battles of Magenta and
Solferino.
But while France was willing to fight the Austrians, the French were
unwilling to have Italy at their doors as a united nation, and a peace
was agreed upon between the two great powers in which Italian liberty
was ignored. All the work of Garibaldi seemed to have been useless. All
of his great sacrifices were apparently thrown away by the statesmen
and diplomats who were forced to accede to the French and Austrian
terms.
But the peace of Villafranca, as this agreement was called, was only
the beginning of Garibaldi's greatness. He hastened to Genoa, where,
with one thousand and seventy followers, he seized two steamers and
embarked for Sicily. Sicily had revolted on hearing of the peace terms
and Garibaldi had been invited to go there and aid the revolution.
After a voyage of six days he landed at Marsala where a tremendous
welcome was given to him. The Neapolitan fleet was not far off, but
they did not dare to open fire on the little band of revolutionists on
account of British warships nearby, as Great Britain was known to favor
the revolutionary cause.
With Garibaldi at the head of an indomitable little army, the
Neapolitan soldiers were put to flight at the battle of Calatafimi and
Garibaldi advanced upon the city of Palermo. After heavy fighting the
city was taken, and afterward at the head of about two thousand men,
Garibaldi routed an army more than three times the size of his own. All
Sicily was soon in Garibaldi's possession, and now, with a considerable
army at his back, he crossed over to the Italian mainland and advanced
northward, with his enemies fleeing before him. Finally he captured the
city of Naples and his work was completed.
Without any hesitation Garibaldi turned over his conquests to King
Victor Emmanuel of Sardinia, who, after Garibaldi's successes, had
marched against Naples and was now in control of a large part of the
Italian peninsula. After refusing many rewards Garibaldi retired again
to the island of Caprera, but in 1862 he raised a volunteer army and
marched against Rome in an attempt to overthrow the power of the Pope
which he believed must be destroyed before Italy could ever become a
united nation.
King Victor Emmanuel did not feel that he could allow this expedition
of Garibaldi's, and sent his own army against him. Garibaldi was
defeated and he himself was taken prisoner, but after a short
confinement he was pardoned and set at liberty.
In 1866 he started another revolution but was again defeated and again
captured. Once more, however, he was pardoned and allowed to go back to
Caprera, where he was guarded by a warship to prevent any further
activity on his part. Three years later he offered his services to the
French Republic and was made a deputy of that famous body, the French
Versailles Assembly. He then entered the Italian Parliament, and for
his great patriotic services was given a pension for life. In later
life he married again but the marriage was not a happy one and was
annulled after a number of years, when Garibaldi again took a wife, a
peasant woman named Francesca.
He died in 1882, at Caprera, one of the most famous of all Italians,
and the one to whom modern Italy owes more than to any other man. Had
it not been for Garibaldi's great endurance under the most terrible
hardships and privations, and his resolute determination to free his
country, there might well be no modern Italy as these pages are
written.