LII'B OP G!BIB.lLDI. f3

from band to hand. Garibaldi was the vice-president of the society, and,
by his initialdve, printed instructions were issued on the 1st March,
1859, in preplll'ation for the coming druggle.

In the pre11ence of the grave eventualities that were ariaing, the Sar­
dinian government now authorized the formation of a corps of volun­
teers. Massea of young men of the beat familiea of Lombardy, Tuaoany,
Parma, Mode:na, &c., flocked in at once to enrol themselves beneath the
banner of Piedmont. Of course, the Italian Volunteers could have no
other commander than Garibaldi. Victor Emanuel, in faot, intended
the command of these heroic yonthe for him, but suth were the unjuat
charges constantly brought against the illustrious Guerillero, that M. de
Cavour at first hesitated to proclaim the choice of the cabinet.

On March 5th, 1859, the declared that the .Emperor of the

French had promised the king of Sardinia to defend him against any

aggressive aet on the part of Austria. Thus, Victor Emanuel, was

wise enough not to commence hostilities, and the support of France was

aasured him in the war, which everybody now believed to be imminent.

Lord Cowley's mi11sion had been a failure, and Austria was preparing to

take the field. She completed her military administration, organised her

hospital staff, and recalled the men on furlough. Her forces in Italy

consisted of t.wenty-three infantry regiments amounting to 140,390 men:

two battalion.a of rifles, 10,280 men ; four border battalions, 5,000 men ;

five regiments of light cavalry, 6,400 sabres; four regiments of artillery,

4,000 men ; siege artillery and rocket brigade, 6,000 men ; pioneers,

1,700; engineers, 3,500; forming a grand total of at least 177,000 men

of all arms.

The French government had recalled from Algeria Renaud's division,

and was taking other military steps to keep the promise made through

the M011ikur..

In the pl'tlf•ence of auch preparations it would have been madnees for
Piedmont to disarm, in obedience to the Austrian note of March Slat.
Since 1850, J>iedmont had maintained, without serious financial embar­
rassment, an army of 49,500 men and 7,650 honea, and could, if neces­
sary, raise it to 112;000 men and 18,750 horses. The government was
the more disposed to place the army on a war footing, for the provinces
as well as thn capital would not allow the national honour to be B&Criflced
for any consideration. And it was not alone in the interior of the State
that this patriotism was shown. Even in foreign countries every man in
whose breast; an Italian heart beat, was impatiently awaiting the com­
mencement of the contest with Austria. A proof of this was seen in

"'· 1zedbyGooglc

LIFE OF U.lli.IBALDI,

France ; some Piedmontese workmen, who had served in the Crimea,
were working in a railway factory, but so soon as war appeared inevitable,
they all set out to rejoin the Piedmontese army.

During the delay in the commencement of hostilities, volunteers atill
flocked into Piedmont from all part. of Italy, in spite of the Austrian
attemp1te to prevent it. It was known on April 4th, that Garibaldi had
been nominated major-general ten days before, but the time ha4 not yet
arrind to break through the official reserve, and the organa of the Sar­
dinian 11l8binet continued to maintain silence u to the promotion granted
to the onergetio combatant of 1848 and 1849.

Jupiter, as the poet says, first blinds those whom he intends to destroy
In of all representations, and the warnings of France, who wu de­
termintld on defending her ally if attacked, Austria. sent in April 60,000
more men into Italy, bringing up her strength to 200,000 men, and Milan
alone had more than 5,000 Croats within its walls. A military conference
took place in AprilS, at Vienna, under the presidency of the Emperor,
and an aide-de-camp immediately set out for Italy. Piedmont prepared
with solemn calmne>ss and masculine energy to face the danger ; the
enthusiasm felt for the war in the provinces grew daily greater, and
repe&ted manifestations took place in Turin, in which the people united
the naJJ1es of France and Italy in their thanksgivings .. Rich landowners
in Lombardy made considerable offers of money for the equipment
of the Volunteers. The fine body of Chasseurs of the Alps wu
already quartered at Cossi and Saviglione, well organised, armed, and
disciplined, and going through their daily drill with the best possible
will . General Garibaldi reviewed these Volunteers, and appeared highly
pleased with their efficiency.

As events hurried forward, the English nation, imitating the French,
also began to display its sympathy with the Italian cause, and subscrip­
tions were raised in London for those poor families, whose members were
for the independence of their country.

While 800 fresh Croats were making their entrances into Milan; while
Cremona was the scene of renewed contests between the Hungarians and
Bohemian troops ; while persons of all classes were being arrested, tho
men hung, the children whipped, and the women bastinadoed, the
emigration continued more powerful than ever. The enthuaium was
general and the ardour of tho young men carried the aged along with
them. They UBembled and proceeded towards the frontier in dirisions.
Not a young man wa11 left in Parma, Modena, or Milan ; they were all
embodied in the Sardinian regiments, or in Garibaldi's legion. It ,..

u,

izedbyGooglc

Previous Page Next Page