The Life of General Garibaldi: Translated from his private papers; with the history of his splendid exploits in Rome, Lombardy, Sicily and Naples, to the present time.Garibaldi, Giuseppe
History
The Life of General Garibaldi: Translated from his private papers; with the history of his splendid exploits in Rome, Lombardy, Sicily and Naples, to the present time.
Garibaldi, Giuseppe
Garibaldi, Giuseppe, 1807-1882
"One of those uproarious bursts of applause which come upon us like
hurricanes, called me to the window. The soldiers in the garrison at the
Castelnovo had just burst out, and were running, jumping, galloping past
my house like so many slaves who had burst out of the house of bondage.
Some were armed with muskets; most had their sacks full of loaves of
bread, which dropped from their wallets as they ran along, shouting,
like so many madmen, 'Viva Garibaldi!' At every step they met with
crowds of men and women, armed with naked swords, daggers, and pikes,
which they flourished in the air, uttering at the same time the usual
magic cries. Dirty-looking fellows, in the Neapolitan uniform, were
hugged and kissed by persons as dirty as themselves, and then uniting,
all surged onward to the Toledo. It was impossible to remain in the
house, and escaping from my chains, which fell from me as soon as the
post left, I hurried into the street. I turn round to Criatamone, and
just above me, peering over the walls, I see a number of soldiers in
garrison in the Pizzofalcone, and watching if the road was clear. The
people about me were waving their hands to them, and inviting them to
come down. There are iron doors at the bottom, and sentinels stand by
them. Down come the troops in a torrent—sentinels are motionless, the
doors bend, at last yield, and at length out they come like so many
madmen out of Bedlam, and run after their companions from the
Castelnovo. Sentinels still stand, 'pro formâ,' at the doors of both the
forts, but they are abandoned, and empty walls and harmless cannon alone
remain to be guarded. Meanwhile, Garibaldi is going to Pie di Grotta,
like another Emperor Carlo III., on the first day of his entry into
Naples. Carriages dash by me full of red jackets, or of men and women
brandishing swords and pikes, whilst the rain is pouring down in
torrents, and the thunder is pealing, as if it were a salute of heaven
for the liberator of the Two Sicilies. The weather prevented any grand
display, though the disposition was not wanting on the part of the
people, as the flags which hung down lank from the windows abundantly
showed. The weather brightened up toward the evening, and the town was
more brilliantly illuminated than last night. There can be no mistake
about the matter, the enthusiasm is very great. People are beside
themselves, and scenes are witnessed which, perhaps, have never been
witnessed in any other country under the sun. Two lines of carriages go
up and down the Toledo filled with persons decorated with tri-colored
ribbons and scarfs, and carrying the flag of Piedmont, or rather of
Italy. There are people of every class: there are priests and monks, as
gaily decorated as any, and some are armed; there are women in the
Garibaldian dress, and many carry daggers or pikes; there are red
jackets of Garibaldi and red jackets of England; there are people from
the provinces, who have scarcely dared to speak or breathe for twelve
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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