The heroic Cairolis and their companions had meanwhile paid, with their
blood, for their sublime patriotism and generous constancy to the Roman
insurgents.
The morn of the 24th of October was tearful, dark, and dreary, the
forerunner of fresh Italian misfortunes, and looked down upon the young
and noble countenance of Enrico, "the new Leonidas," upon his brother
Giovanni, lying in their blood, with many others belonging to that
dauntless brigade. The first died with a smile of scorn upon his lips
for that paid horde, who had massacred them, ten against one. Giovanni,
all but mortally wounded, was lying near the corpse of his beloved
brother, surrounded by other sufferers whose glorious names history will
register.
Few were the survivors of the valorous Seventy, and those few left the
field of slaughter to unite themselves to their other brethren, who were
combating at the same time against the foreign hordes outside the walls
of Rome. Guerzoni's undertaking to seize the arms deposited outside
the gate of San Paola was conducted with the same intrepidity he had
displayed in a hundred combats, but failed, for the plain reason that
the Roman youths under his orders, being poorly armed, were compelled to
give way before the blows of the mercenaries, and fly.
He and Castellazzi, after many brave endeavors, were dragged off in the
scattering of the people, and were forced to conceal themselves whilst
they awaited an opportunity to strike for Rome.
Cucchi, Bossi, and Adamoli, at the head of their detachments, performed
deeds of great valor. They gained possession of a portion of the
Zouaves' barracks, with only their revolvers and knives as weapons.
Fights between the Papalists and the mob were frequent, and the latter,
for want of other arms, beat the former to pieces with their sticks.
But here, too, they had to give way before superiority of numbers,
discipline, and arms. Here, also, the first rays of daylight on the 24th
presented to the view of the horror-struck passerby a heap of corpses,
mingled with dying men. In this manner was the tottering throne of the
"Vicegerent of Heaven" consolidated--re-established by the butchery of
the unhappy Roman people, and this, too, performed for hire by the scum
of all nations, supported by the bayonets of Bonaparte's soldiers!