The Italian soldier who now becomes the chief figure of this
movement has enjoyed a popular renown unsurpassed by that of any of his
countrymen. Giuseppe Garibaldi, a sailor's son, was born in Nice, July
4, 1807. In youth he went to sea. In 1834 he took part with Mazzini in
the Young Italy demonstrations, and for aiding in an attempt to seize
Genoa he was condemned to death. Escaping to South America, he won
distinction as a guerilla leader and a privateer in the service of the
Rio Grande rebels against Brazil. After further military adventures in
South America, he returned to Italy, and in 1847 offered his services to
Pope Pius IX, but they were not accepted. In 1848 he received
indifferent treatment at the hands of Charles Albert of Sardinia, who
was besieging the Austrians in Mantua. After the failure of Charles
Albert, Garibaldi collected his own followers and acted against the
Austrians with such effect as to bring him into prominence in the ranks
of Italian patriots. The following account of the siege and defence of
Rome, which admiringly presents him to view, is from the author's
supplement to Garibaldi's _Autobiography_, and is a valuable
contribution to the history of the events in which he was so
conspicuous.
Pages:
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448