Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice-Admiral R.N. Part 16

'There have been, of course, a number of similar and even more revolting crimes committed, but I shall not speak of this more. General La Marmora has shot all his men that have taken the lead in plunder or rapine, and imprisoned the remainder, and I hope and believe that nothing of this sort now goes on.

'In this state of affairs I next morning went to visit General Asarta, having previously called at the ducal palace to see his wife and children. I got access to them, but found her carefully guarded, and, in fact, a hostage in the hands of the mob for the conduct of her husband.

It was a painful interview, the manner of her guards towards her was in my presence respectful, but cold and severe; she and her children have escaped all personal injury but have been plundered of all they possess.

'I was met at the gate of the a.r.s.enal by Captain Cortener, an artillery man that I knew, in tears; from him I learnt the disgraceful surrender of the troops, and that the General with 5000 men was to evacuate the town in 24 hours. I found the General had lost his head, he hardly knew me, and so I rendered him the last service in Genoa, that of sending a carriage to take him the first stage to Turin, leaving his wife and three daughters in the hands of General Avezzana, the head of the revolt.

'Every preparation was now made by the Munic.i.p.ality and National Guards for the defence of the place against the King's Forces, approaching under the command of a young and energetic General. I amused myself with visiting all their posts, and observed that in the affairs of war, there were very few among them who knew anything about it.

'Great importance was given to barricades--the word seemed to be ominous of security--they reconstructed them now, building them of the fine paving stones of the Place, with sand filled between the stones. They had embrasures in them in which they mounted one or two heavy pieces of ordnance; but all this time they were neglecting the forts and walls of the town--their real defence; and I saw what would happen, and it did happen, viz. that the town wall was carried easily by escalade.

'The man now holding the military command was one General Avezzana, a Piedmontese, of low origin I should think; he was an adventurer, had been concerned in former revolutionary affairs in Italy, and had about twenty years ago gone to America, where he married a Miss Plowden, an Irish emigrant in New York. He seems, between the two avocations of a military and a commercial life, to have made some money. Last year when Italy and France began this revolutionary concord, he, loving troubled waters, came over to Genoa and by some means got the King of Sardinia to give him the appointment of General of the _Guardia Civica_ of Genoa, a force of nearly 10,000 men of all arms, having cavalry and artillery included in the force. This force included the n.o.ble, the shop-keeper, and the small trader, and even people having no stake in the town beyond the occupation of a lodging. It was under the orders, const.i.tutionally, of the Crown in the first place, and then of the Mayor, or Syndic, and his council.

'Genoa now stood alone with its own Government and its own army, at war with its legitimate Monarch the King of Sardinia. They hoisted the Sardinian flag nevertheless, but without the Royal Arms in the centre.

'In addition to this force there were in the town persons who had been by degrees arriving for a long time past, people who form the _Guardia Mobile_ of Italy, and have gone from town to town exciting discontent, about 2000 in number of all nations, under officers French and Poles. In addition, about 30,000 muskets with ammunition in abundance had fallen into the hands of the Genoese on the taking of the a.r.s.enal, so that women and boys were armed. This was the state of things early on the morning of the 3rd of April; during the 2nd, a Provisional Government had been formed for the Duchy of Genoa and the Genoese flag paraded through the streets. This Government consisted of Albertini, a scoundrel and a blackguard, Reta, and Avezzana.

'I contemplated the state of things with deep interest. On the afternoon of the 3rd, as I was walking slowly from post to post towards the Porta della Lanterna I heard the crack of a musket, followed by eight or nine in rapid succession; there was great stir in the streets immediately and the _generale_ was beat, and the tocsin began to sound. I pa.s.sed on rapidly towards the Porta della Lanterna from which point the firing had now become rapid, and meeting a man who had received a musket ball flesh wound, I asked him the news; he said that La Marmora's _bersaglieri_ or light troops, had got over the wall.

'I now turned back towards the town and was much questioned at the first barricade by the people; when I told them that General La Marmora had got into the suburb, there was a universal flight from the barricade, which made me laugh exceedingly, and did not give me a very high opinion of the valour of the Genoese insurrectionary troops, but it was only the first panic, and they recovered from it.

'At this moment a gun was fired from the head of the old Mole, and as its direction was towards the _Vengeance_, I went on board.

'Now to give you an idea of the powers I had as a spectator of the coming conflict, I must tell you that the Mole of Genoa is semicircular, all the land rises in hills and terraces from the water, and the ship lay in that part of the semicircle next the Porta della Lanterna, and not above 300 to 400 yards from the whole field of battle. You will see what a good view I had of all the affair, and that all the shot from the opposing batteries pa.s.sed over, or round the ship.

'On arriving on board, I saw that the light troops of General La Marmora were carefully and slowly descending from the heights, and driving in the outposts of the citizens; it was very pretty to see the way in which these men conducted the proceedings. First of all, they are very picturesque troops, having on their heads a hat which has a long flowing feather (which is a gamec.o.c.k's tail dyed green); figure to yourself the rifle men in the _Freischutz_, and you have the men before you.

Singly and silently did these men advance, peeping over every wall, making every bank a cover, and killing or wounding at almost every shot; while the citizens were crouching in confused groups, and as a man of the group fell from the unseen shot, the rest ran away, fired on from ten to twelve points, and thus dispersed. On all this I looked as upon a map. The consequence of all this was, that in about three hours 120 light troops, the general, La Marmora in person, which was all of his army that had arrived, took possession of the suburb of Genoa up to the first barricade of the town; but behind, and cut off, was the fortress of the gate, the key of Genoa, which the National Guards still held.

'About this time as the troops of La Marmora were seen on the heights, the town battery on the Mole had opened its fire, but no reply could be made to it; as yet La Marmora had no guns over the wall.

'About 1 o'clock P.M. three cheers and a shot from a gun showed that he had mounted his first piece of ordnance on the height above the gate.

During the night the fire was kept up between this one gun and the guns on the town mole head.

'I must now pause to let you know that many refugees were on board, and as the fight thickened, I had no doubt that the morrow would fill the ship with folks of all nations and both s.e.xes.

'During the night a portion of La Marmora's advanced guard had arrived, and a battalion of light troops as well as one of infantry had got over the wall. He now made his attack on the gate, which was soon taken; some few escaped to the seaside and hid themselves in the rocks, but the greater part were killed. He also pressed forward along the road towards the city's first strong position, but his men got on but slowly, for the houses and points that afforded cover were well contested, and he lost many men.

'However, now he had got possession of the batteries of the Lanterna, mounting 19 guns, 68- and 32-pounders, with which he began to thunder away about 1 o'clock on the town. Before dark La Marmora had possession of all between the Lanterna and the Doria Palace, but here his difficulties increased; the fighting was severe during the whole of this day, and for the last five hours General La Marmora did not advance a foot. At about two o'clock in the afternoon General La Marmora sent an aide-de-camp to me, to beg to see me.

'I was on sh.o.r.e at the time looking at how the rebels got on at their advanced post, but as soon as I was informed I went to him. He was out on horseback at his attacking point, so asking for a horse, I mounted and rode towards his post of attack. I met him returning. We were very well fired on with round shot on our return, but as he and I rode together two shots struck on each side of us, which led me to remark to him that they fired well; he told me that that battery was commanded by a deserter from their artillery.

'In this ride back with him I got at all his intentions with regard to the city.

'He told me he had 25,000 men coming up, that there was no mode of warfare that he would not visit on the city, shot, sh.e.l.l, night attack, and I added, "What say you to pillage," he replied, "I cannot guarantee the contrary."

'After dismounting at his headquarters, a room in the gateway, he begged me to look out for the Sardinian fleet expected, and to deliver to the Admiral two letters.

'I then, after visiting his batteries, went on board. Whilst standing in the battery of the Lanterna his men, after begging me to bob under the parapet and then trying to pull me down, were surprised to hear that on board ship, bobbing was tabooed to me, and therefore we were not accustomed to do so, but, as I told them, I had not the least objection to their doing so. Both sides fired very well and with great rapidity, and at this time La Marmora had thirty guns and mortars bearing on the town, to which the town was replying with about forty, so there was a very respectable cannonade carried on.

'At about 6 P.M. he took the Doria Palace, the fire from his artillery forcing the city people to leave it. He now established his advanced posts for the night in the Doria Palace. This day had put more than 120 refugees on board the ship, but she was not so comfortable as we expected. I was full; and for three nights never pulled off my clothes, indeed I could not find a square foot to rest on, in either cabin.

'I really, my dear, must leave out all the interesting details of my arrangements and difficulties with your s.e.x, the state of things such as this beggars description! I was anxious to give shelter to all, and in the afternoon, before I saw the General, it began to grow rather warm in Genoa. I called at the house of my Genoese lady friends, and such as had not already fled I induced to take shelter on board. At one lady's house the fair owner was in such a state of indecision I could bring her to no resolution, as a sh.e.l.l pa.s.sed or fell near her house she would wring her hands and cry out, "What shall I do? My beautiful furniture! My beautiful house!" but she never said one word about her husband who was in a fort above the town, which fort I knew must soon be attacked, or her infant child who was with her. At last on my telling her I must go, as I had much to do, she came and was taken on board; but I must leave this part of the play to be told _viva voce_.

'At about half-past eight this evening, having served the poor frightened refugees with the best fare I could give them, finding that La Marmora's fire was very serious against the city, and that to-morrow it would be twice as severe, seeing the wretched state of the poor Genoese women on board, and the more dreadful state in prospect for them in the town, I took the resolution of, at all hazards to myself and without consulting anyone, to try and stop this state of things; I ordered my gig to be manned.

'I must here, my love, break off my narrative till next post; the steamer will wait no longer and my dispatches must go on board.

'Adieu, my love.

'I am, ever your devoted

'CHARLES.'

GENOA: April 20, 1849.

'MY BELOVED S.,

'I have no sooner dispatched my letter to you this afternoon than I again take up my pen to carry on the narrative of the recent events here.

'I left off at the point where I determined to interfere and start for the sh.o.r.e in my boat. It was fortunately a fine night, a few low light clouds floated in the atmosphere, the roar of artillery, so close that the ship shook at every discharge, the roaring hiss of the shot, the beautiful bright fuse of the bomb-sh.e.l.l, as it formed its parabola in the air, sometimes obscured as it pa.s.sed through a cloud and again emerged, gave an active and anxious feeling to my mind. I could not but feel that I had a great and a good work in hand, I was soon on sh.o.r.e, the only gate in the city that was guaranteed to be open I pulled for; it was directly under the fire of the Boys' Home, two round shots struck the ground as I landed pa.s.sing close over our heads. Desiring my c.o.xswain to pull the boat back among the shipping and out of the line of fire, I walked to the gate and beat against it with the b.u.t.t end of my sword; it was opened by one of the few officers of the Civic Guard who now wore his uniform. Saying a few civil words to him I pa.s.sed on up the street to the ducal palace. This city was at this moment worth contemplating.

'Usually crowded with both s.e.xes in rapid motion and gay laughing conversation, it now was like the city of the dead, its silence only disturbed by the explosion of the sh.e.l.ls or a wall struck by shot, and the occasional reports of musketry in quick succession.

'I had to pa.s.s three barricades before reaching the Palace, the two first were deserted, on pa.s.sing the third a bayonet was presented to my breast. On looking up I found the other end was in the hands of a pretty delicate woman. I pushed the weapon aside and giving her a military salute, pa.s.sed on. I got easy access to the Munic.i.p.al Body.

'It is not easy to give in writing a perfect idea of this night's scenes. You must carry in your head the state of Genoa; the people who formed the munic.i.p.ality were persons who had only read of war, they had never seen its terrors before; they were fathers and husbands, men of property, all within the city walls; they were the heads of the revolts in the first instance, about soon to become the followers or slaves of the armed rebel, or die.

'The present state of things favoured my plan. I was received by four of the good people who sat quietly waiting for others, and about twenty people, among whom was the Bishop of Genoa, were soon in the room. I opened my mission to them and drew as strong a picture as I was able, obliged to speak French, of the position, and then asked them if they agreed to my view of that part of this case. They concurred in all I said.

'It was to the effect that the military power was outside and inside.

That the one inside was most to be feared, and that no question existed at this moment to warrant a resistance which would destroy the city, give the wives and children to rapine, and their homes to pillage, without a chance of success on their side.

'I next put before them their duty, which was at once to set a good example; to rally the respectable people, and people of property in the town, and separate themselves from foreigners and n.i.g.g.ards; next, to surrender the city to the King's general, and not to sit to see it destroyed without a struggle to save themselves from ruin and disgrace.

To all this they gave a ready a.s.sent; but how to act was the question.

'I said, "If you have confidence in me let us act together," and moving to the table I took up a pen and began to write on a sheet of paper, when lo! a visitor made his appearance that aided me much in my intentions. A sh.e.l.l knocked off the top of the chimney and perforated the wall, exploding in the chimney of the ante-room to the one we were in. The effect was great, but I coolly said, "Oh pooh, only a sh.e.l.l--let us go on," and the fear and excitement which had for a moment prevailed subsided, my words and manner restoring confidence and stopping observations. La Marmora's messenger did me good service, for on finishing my draft of a treaty it was generally approved of; but they added an additional clause giving an amnesty to all for recent offences.

This clause I objected to, but being in haste to see what General La Marmora would say to me, I deferred all discussion till my return.

'I got quickly down to my boat and pulled across the mole to the Porta della Lanterna, and found no interruption from the sea to the works above, till I came to the gate; here of course I had to wait till all the forms were gone through which state of war required. I found the General had gone to St. Pierre de la Regina, two miles off for the night; no wonder, for nineteen 68- and 32-pounders were firing from the lantern battery, and a fire of ten or twelve guns returning the salute from the town on this point alone.

'Away I trudged, and, after some lost time, found the General in his bed. He had been up like me three nights, this was my third, and was ill with fatigue and anxiety. I prefaced all I had to offer by an apology for putting myself forward in such a case. I made my proposals for the surrender of the city. He was most frank and manly in his answer. He said he thought all I said and offered was most fair, and if I would add a clause for the disarming of the population he would sign. This was a great step; I saw the man liked me and that I could deal with him. I saw too that he was a gentleman, a soldier and a humane man. I now determined in my own mind that the city should surrender, and I hoped on my own terms. So I went to work with a good will. I was soon back again with the munic.i.p.ality, and sat in their room till four in the morning fighting in debate clause by clause of my articles.

'By this time the lawyers had come, Avezzana the general had arrived, and it was hard work. I got all the clauses pa.s.sed even to the disarming of the people, but the great tug was a general amnesty which they demanded. On this point I was determined.

'Imagine my debating this with the proscribed whose case was life and banishment, or death!

'First fury and anger and threats were used against me; then supplication and tears. I was firm. I said I could never ask of any one that which I myself would not grant; that I thought the city of Genoa highly criminal; that some punishment must be and ought to be inflicted on it; but that I would be fair and merciful in what I did, and that I would find out from the General La Marmora what his most lenient views were in regard to the leaders of the revolt. At five I was at the landing place of the Porta della Lanterna, when as soon as I landed, the Piedmontese sentry fired right at me at about three yards' distance, and ran as fast as he could, the ball pa.s.sed quite close to my right. I came up with him, and took his musket from him, shaking it I found it had just been discharged. I taxed him with firing at me, he owned it saying his regiment had arrived in the night and he was just put on as sentry.

He heard he was surrounded with enemies so he fired at the first man he saw. I frightened him by pretending to drag him before the General, but laughing let him go. The fact was, as he stated, he was in a devil of a funk, and so thinking to make short work did not challenge before firing. I was surprised at finding a sentry on this spot, he had been put there since I was last there.