Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice-Admiral R.N. Part 17

'I found La Marmora at the Lanterna; he now drew up a paper in accordance with mine, giving life and property to all, with a promise to intercede with the King to-morrow; the punishment of the leaders to as few as possible; with this I again returned to the ducal palace.

'Before leaving him he proposed to cease his fire on the city till my return. I told him in reply I did not ask him to do so, however as soon as I left him his fire ceased. This was most humane on his part, for it was full an hour and a half before I got the town batteries to cease their fire. La Marmora, however, began a fierce attack with musketry, &c., on the advance post of the town.

'This my last visit to the Munic.i.p.ality was the most painful of all, for I had to sit apart and allow them to fight among themselves. I stated that what I had laid before them was the ultimatum, that I could and would ask no more, and that if they did not agree to this I should take my leave; that the fire would be resumed with increased vigour and that the destruction of the city and blood of its inhabitants must lie at their door.

'They then proposed to me, finding I was inexorable, to go in a body to the General if I would go with them. I consented and took them over in the barge. On my way I informed them that I would not help them in their appeal to General La Marmora with regard to entire amnesty, but that I would join them in gaining time; on which it was agreed to press for 48 hours of cessation of arms, and that a deputation from the city might go to the King at Turin.

'On going into the presence of the General I drew aside and sat on a bed, whilst the deputation urged their claims, and as in Italy everybody is eager and full of gesticulation, the noise and confusion was tremendous. I had not seen this for we were treating under fire and all were silent, those who had the best nerves were the speakers. If you want to make peace treat under fire; for me it will become a maxim.

However after about two hours' wrangle, the General came up to me and said, "Are you not 'accord' with me? that you do not speak," so much had I gained of his mind that he would not act without me. In short I may now say, the 48 hours were granted. The deputation went to Turin, they got 48 hours more, and the city was surrendered on my treaty, the King granting an amnesty to all but twelve persons named, and they had been allowed to escape.

'During all this time a severe engagement had been carried on at the advanced posts. The Doria Palace had been taken by the King's troops the evening before. Batteries had been erected against it by the rebels and the contest was most fierce, all the morning batteries were firing on both sides with high guns. An attack by escalade was preparing against Fort Bogota, a sally had been made from it to destroy La Marmora's works, more troops were coming up, and occupying ground on the east side of the town. My business now was to exert myself to make the fire to cease on all sides.

'My love, I must leave my narrative for another letter, I find it takes more time even to relate it shortly than I thought. I must write my despatch to the Admiral and write to you a short note.

'H.

'Excuse faults, I've no time to read it over.'

GENOA: April 27, 1849.

'MY DEAREST S.,

'I have so long neglected to pursue the narrative of events at this place, that I fear you will think I had forgotten both you and it, but in truth since the troubles have ceased, I have been so well employed in writing and disciplining this ship, this each day takes me till 1 P.M., that I have not found the days too long. But now I am out of the port, for I weighed this morning with _Prince Regent_ for a little exercise, I shall finish this short narrative of past events.

'I think I had acquainted you of the completion of the armistice and terms, signed by all parties, for surrendering and accepting the surrender of the town. Having therefore seen the deputation of the town off for Turin, my next most anxious endeavour was to cause the battle to cease, which had been carried on at the advanced posts with great smartness. I therefore once more took to my boat to begin the arduous duty of separating the combatants. General La Marmora sent aide-de- camps, but it took time before they could reach all points from which cannon were firing, not on the town but all the points of attack. The first stop I put on the firing was by landing on the mole and taking a 32 lb. gun that was being worked against the Doria Palace. I landed with my six gigs, and they drove them with their swords from the gun, which I ordered to be drawn and all the ammunition to be thrown into the sea.

But my c.o.xswain thought the powder too good, and when I again got into the boat I found it all stowed away in her. Of course a body of muskets mustered against us to drive us away, in turn, with fixed bayonets. I walked quietly up to them, and after being informed how the case stood, with a little grumbling they went quietly away.

'From hence I went to the naval a.r.s.enal; here I was warned at the entrance, by sentry, to take care, for the houses that commanded the basin and storehouses were full of armed men, placed there in readiness to attack the a.r.s.enal with a view to release the galley slaves. I went in, however, and saw the Commander of the Bagnio, and looked at the means of defence that might be offered if attacked; he told me he was quite deserted, but if matters came to the worst he would make an attempt to defend the prison. From the a.r.s.enal I went directly to the headquarters of the rebel General. Here elbowing my way amid a host of armed brigands and people of the lower and lowest cla.s.s of Genoese I found the general, Avezzana, seated at a table in a moderate sized room.

As soon as I was offered a seat at his table, a crowd of armed folk filled the room and pressed hard upon us. He was haughty and distant in his manner; I said that I had just seen the deputation off for Turin and that as an armistice was agreed on for forty-eight hours I begged he would at once do all in his power to cease the firing on his side; he was out of humour and said: "When General La Marmora does!" He then charged me with being a partisan. I said I feared I was, and belonged to a party in the world that loved order and government. "Oh ah!" said he, "but you have taken on you and thrown the ammunition of the people into the sea"--on which there was a shout as he raised his voice in finishing his sentence. I saw my ground was critical and that much depended on myself, so I quietly but audibly said, "Yes, I did so, and shall do the same whenever I find the like; I have not toiled for two nights and days to save the property of the poor, the widow from affliction, and the orphan from wretchedness (I might have said more) and now for the sake of a few cartridges to allow more blood to be shed, when you have signed a peace." This was a blow he did not expect, for he had not told the people he had signed, but on the contrary went out and harangued at the barricades talking stuff about liberty, death, patriotism and all other fine things. He quietly listened though, and began to question me as to many things he said I had done against the people. On this I rose, took up my hat and in a haughty tone said, "I don't come here to be questioned, but to make peace, so I wish you good morning."

'There was a murmur, and then a civil speech from those about me to pray I would be seated, when suddenly the tone of questioning was taken up by a young man in a blue and red uniform, standing close to the General in a most intemperate manner. To him I civilly said I would not be questioned, and rose, took my hat and departed. They made a lane for me; the young man followed me and grasping my hand said, "I beg your pardon, I know I was very hot, but I have had two horses killed under me this morning." I said I thought that ought to make him cool, on which he laughed and said, "I am not a Genoese, I am a Frenchman." He then told me he was sent by the Republicans in France to aid the cause of liberty in Italy.

'I said, "Well, if you wish to see me, come on board to-morrow at 9." I never saw him again.

'I remained on sh.o.r.e visiting several points where the fire had been most active, and about 3 P.M. all was silent, the battle was over, and I came on board to my crowd of women and children. You may suppose I was well tired. I had not had my clothes off for 3 nights, and only a plank and an hour or two the nights previous to the last. I, however, took the head of my table at 6 o'clock; it was a beautiful evening, and with the Genoese ladies and Captain Tarlton to take care of me I sat out in the stern gallery till 10 P.M., when Tarlton told me he had a bed made for me in a spare cabin below. In this I got a good night's rest in spite of the diabolical witlow; the witlow is so unromantic a wound that I shall leave it out of the narrative for the future. The next morning I was with General La Marmora at daylight and from him I went to the munic.i.p.ality. I found them in a sad plight, full of terror. The Syndic, or Mayor had been threatened in the night. Albertini, a leader of the revolt, one of the worst of ruffians I am told, entered his bedchamber at midnight with money orders and proclamations ready drawn out, and with a pistol to his head forced him to sign them. I had a long conversation with them on the state of affairs, I found that the Red Republicans had shown themselves in reality.

'I advised them to send out confidential emissaries to all the National Guards of a respectable character that could be found, to come to the ducal palace; to get the mob on pretences of various kinds out of it, and at once begin to endeavour to rally the better spirits within the town. They promised me they would do so. They then showed me an excellent paper they had drawn up, containing the truth in regard to the armistice and present position of affairs. They were afraid to publish it, for Avezzana had told another story. I suggested that such a paper, published with the signatures of all the European Consuls, would have an excellent effect. They thought it the best, but again were afraid of being thought the authors; so I then offered that it should be mine and I could at once try and get the consuls to sign it. You can hardly conceive the relief even this small act, and truth having a chance of being told, seemed to give them. I went straight to the French Consul and found him at home, showed him the paper which he seemed to approve, said I might leave it to him and he would summon the Consuls and do the needful. He did nothing. Leon Le Favre, brother to Jules Le Favre, editor of the _Nationale_, Red Republican; but more of him by and bye.

'I now went on board to breakfast, having the day previous had a letter from Sir William Abercromby, our Minister at Turin, begging me to do all I could for the King of Sardinia in his distress; and the letter containing a positive request that I would prevent all the Sardinian vessels from entering Genoa, as they are bringing more Reds and Lombards to a.s.sist the revolt; and having had one of my cutters fired on with grape in relieving guard the evening before, I determined to move the _Vengeance_ into the inner mole, where I could work the ship effectually, if I chose, to prevent the entrance of anything into the harbour for disembarkation. While in the act of moving the ship I received the serious news from the Munic.i.p.ality, that it was the intention of the Reds, with Albertini and Campanelli at their head, to at once open the Bagnio and let loose the galley slaves; begging at the same time that I would take it on myself to prevent this, as it could only be in contemplation for purposes easily conceived, though dreadful to contemplate.

'I now placed the ship in a position to command with her guns the dockyard and houses opposite to it. She had opposed to her a 20-gun battery in the dock-yard and Bagnio, and a 20-gun battery on the opposite side to the dockyard, one of 15 guns on the bow, and various small masked batteries on various heights about the ship; not naming the great forts on the heights. But be it remembered that these works were ill-manned, and none provided with trained artillery men. Having secured the ship and got her ready for action, not loading guns, I never loaded a gun while at Genoa, I went on sh.o.r.e and found that the Governor of the prison had received his summons to open the doors, and had refused. He was glad to see me, we now settled his plan of defence as far as he was able, and to my astonishment he struck chains off fifty _forcats_ and put a musket into their hands. He made excellent arrangements for defence, and a.s.sured me he could rely on these men. I had them drawn up and found they all understood the weapon. I told them if they behaved well, &c. &c. &c. I now informed him that at the first report of a musket fired from a point agreed on, I should land with 150 marines, and my gun boats would enter the mole and would sweep with grape the houses and wharfs, while the ship could do as she pleased. I am praised in a public letter from Sir William Parker for this, the only act that was not neutral and that would, had the Reds acted, have brought the _Vengeance_ into the whole affair. To end the affair at once these acts of mine stopped the whole thing, and broke up the Red gang in Genoa.

'It also had another effect; it cleared my ship of every soul. As soon as we anch.o.r.ed and prepared for battle, every soul fled the ship and got away through Marmora's army to St. Pierre de la Regina, where they were quite safe.

'Just after the sun had set this evening and it was growing dark enough not to know green from blue, a steamer at full speed was seen entering the port, and to my horror La Marmora's nineteen gun battery at the lighthouse, while she was pa.s.sing close under _Vengeance's_ bows, opened fire upon her, putting two 30 lb. shots through her hull. In an instant all the batteries opened on him, I thought all my efforts in a moment destroyed. In a fit I jumped into the first boat, and shoved on board the Frenchman, sending an officer to La Marmora's batteries to beg them to leave off firing. To end this story, the officer at La Marmora's battery had mistaken the French for the Sardinian flag, and fired on it.

The mistake cleared up, to my joy the volcano ceased vomiting, but here was more fat in the fire. I sat down to my dinner at six once more in peace and _tete-a-tete_ with Tarlton talking over our affairs with the gusto given by a superior appet.i.te to a shocking bad dinner, when in burst the two French captains, one of the _Tonnerre_ a frigate in the port, and the other the captain of the packet.

'I won't try to paint with my poor pen the scene, but I was highly amused and in such imperturbable good humour, that even the captain of the _Tonnerre_, calling me a party man and attacking me as if I had fired at his nasty flag, did not make me call him what I might with truth have done, a Red. He would not eat, or drink, or do anything but fume. At last I coolly said "_Eh bien, Monsieur, c'est votre faute_." "Why, how, what you mean, Monsieur?" "That you have set the example of _Tricolor_, and desire all the world to adopt it, and are now angry because blue and green are so much alike, that after the sun has set one colour cannot be known from the other"; on which the Captain of the packet said _Bon!_ and laughed heartily; he was a good little man and made light of the whole affair. The French have insisted on the extreme of satisfaction in this case.

'The next morning I was with the munic.i.p.al body at 5 A.M. I found them in the lowest possible state of despondency and terror, although there was a change for the better in the appearance of the National Guard.

They with anxious looks led me to their chair, shut the doors and then revealed to me in low tones that the state of affairs was worse. Of this I felt sure that it would either end in a pillage and a ma.s.sacre, or cease from that moment.

'They placed before me a letter of Avezzana's addressed to the munic.i.p.al body, threatening them with energetic measures if they did not advance the revolt by more activity. I found he and Albertini had inst.i.tuted a tribunal, Albertini as president, with power of life and death with instant execution. Guillotines were built; these poor devils were waiting their doom. I sent for him, by a civil message, of course, I taxed him roundly with his intentions and bad faith. He, cowed, answered in a subdued tone. In short, the game was up, he that day tried to put an insult on me through the flag, failed again, got aboard an American ship and fled that night.

'I can't go on with this story any longer, I have written it to its positive finish to amuse you, my dearest wife. I have told it very ill, it may form, when we meet, a subject for an evening's conversation, when I can fill up gaps, explain incongruities, but not read my own handwriting.

'If you show it to anyone, take care it is only to a mutual friend or sister; it is not fit to meet the eye of a critic or indeed of anyone, but it is a note of the time from which a statement might with some further details be made.

'I have not said a word of loss of life. The King of Sardinia has about 100 killed, 15 officers and 300 wounded. What the loss on the side of the revolt is, no one can tell. My surgeons attended the wounded, sent by me; all the time the hospitals were full, but they said more were carried home than went there. They must have buried their slain in the night, for I have seen many women who have never seen their sons or husbands since the day the firing began.

'The Doria Palace and houses round it show the chief destruction. The town has suffered little, it did not last long enough to make impression on stone and marble houses. Five sh.e.l.l fell into the Ducal Palace, and six into the great hospital, the rest are scattered about, so that the damage only meets the eye here and there.

'I have a satisfaction in feeling that I shortened the punishment of the beautiful city.

'Its frescoes and its pictures, given to the bomb and the sack, would have been forgotten in Europe, and its ancient splendour might only have been talked of as existing before the bombardment of 1849.

'I say this to you only, and now shall hold my peace for the future.

'Yours ever,

'H.

'PS.--Packet sails at 6; hour 5 P.M. April 30.'

These graphic letters, which were never intended to see the light, clearly show the important part taken by Lord Hardwicke as mediator between the insurgents and the King's army. They show him cool under fire and intrepid in action. Humane he certainly was, and it was the feeling for the city and its inhabitants which prompted him to take action outside the strict limits of his duty. Nothing succeeds like success, and all this was accomplished without a gun being loaded on board the _Vengeance_. If Lord Hardwicke had had to 'sweep with grape the houses and the wharfs' as he threatened to do, the fat would have been in the fire and the question of interfering in the affairs of a foreign nation might have been raised. The knowledge, however, of his determined character, and that he would not hesitate to shoot should the necessity arise, was sufficient to deter the rebels from carrying out their threat to open the prison doors and let loose the convicts on the town.

A striking proof of the part the _Vengeance_ took in foiling the schemes of the rebels is afforded in the pages of a little book written at the time by one who was in sympathy with the Revolution. It is ent.i.tled 'Della Rivoluzione di Genova nell April del 1849. Memorie e Doc.u.menti di un Testimonio Oculare. Italia 1850.' 'The capitulation which shortly took place,' says the author, 'was his [Lord Hardwicke's]

work (_opera sua_) and that of the English Consul in concert with the munic.i.p.ality.' He had accomplished a great work to the satisfaction of all parties with the exception of a few agitators.

The fact that a few days after these events Lord Hardwicke was able to gather at his board in convivial entertainment not only the Generals and Staff of Victor Emmanuel's army, but also the Syndic and Munic.i.p.al Body of Genoa, is a proof of the complete success of his undertaking.

'I gave a grand dinner to 73 persons, consisting of the English residents, General de la Marmora and 6 of his generals, all his colonels of regiments and his staff. The two Admirals, all the Captains of the Sardinian Navy, the Syndic and Munic.i.p.al Body of Genoa, 4 Judges, all the following Consuls and some of my officers.

'It was admirably done, an excellent dinner very well served indeed. The room was decorated with the Queen's arms and naval trophies, together with two Bands of music. When the Queen's health was drunk at 9 o'clock, the ship was brilliantly illuminated, the yards manned and she fired a royal salute. The whole gave great satisfaction here, the heads of the revolt, the Conqueror and Mediator dined together, and La Marmora gave as his toast, "Success to the City of Genoa."'

So it was a day of shaking hands and conviviality under the shade of the British flag.

It was not until August 6, 1849, that a treaty of peace between Piedmont and Austria was finally settled; by its terms the Piedmontese had to pay a war indemnity of 75,000,000 francs. The National Parliament, however, hesitated to ratify the treaty, and the King was obliged to dissolve Parliament and make a personal appeal to the country. The result was satisfactory and the treaty received the necessary ratification.

Piedmont was not in a condition to renew hostilities with so powerful a foe as Austria, and for the moment had to play a waiting game. In the meantime the King, in spite of the reactionary spirit which was abroad, honourably maintained the liberties of the country, and in the courageous appeal to his people he gave a pledge of his intentions.

'The liberties of the country run no risk of being imperilled through the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies, for they are protected by the venerated memory of my father, King Charles Albert; they are entrusted to the honour of the House of Savoy; they are guarded by the solemnity of my own oath: who would dare to have any fear for them?'

The liberty which was now firmly rooted in Piedmont gave umbrage to the other states of Italy, especially in Naples, where Ferdinand II established a tyranny. It was at this time that Mr. Gladstone, after having visited Naples, published his famous letters to Lord Aberdeen summing up the position as 'The negation of G.o.d created into a system of government.' Under the influence of Cavour, Piedmont became the centre of the movement for Italian unity and Garibaldi took for his watchword, 'Italy and Victor Emmanuel.'