Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1859 — Garibaldi's Victory at Varese. [ARTICLE]

Garibaldi's Victory at Varese.

Biella, May 27, “1859. It was on Monday evening that Garibaldi’s Chasseur® of the Alps arrived at Varese, after a prodigious march of two days. A proclamation was issued by the General, inviting the whole of the Vuresotto province to rise against their oppressors. The appeal was generally listened to, and rnen of every age and condition hastened to the official residence of Marquis Visconti, the extraordinary rnmrrnsKiorier sent by Count Cavour

aa the coadjutor of the Italian general. In less than two hours the whole of the surrounding country was in arms. Old men, children, and even women came to the Town Hall with all sorts of weapons, ready to help the small band (3,000) of-their brethren. \ arese was soon fortified, barricades erected, means of defense carefully ordered. Bands of peasants were pouring into the town from the numberless hamlets, villas, and villages which deck the picturesque hills of that beautiful country—the finest in Lombardy, and perhaps of JEur pe. Garibaldi, who is always to be found everywhere when danger is coming, began to array in companies the new comers, ai d gave the necessary defense oi the country, as he supposed thatthe Austrians posted at Gallarate would attack him on the next day. He was not deceived in his expectation, for on Wednesday morning at dawn 3(Jt) Croats and 130 Hussars, with a field battery, marched from Gallarate to Seeto Calende, where the advanced guard of our Chasseurs was posted. This advanced guard was commanded by Capt. Decristoforis, a young man of great military ability, who only two months ago was in England, and kept a-first-rate military school in Putney. After a fight, which lasted two hours, the enemy was completely defeated, leaving some prisoners in our hands. The Austrians were obliged to retire on Somma, and nothing was heard of them till next morning at fqur o’clock. The second attack was of a more serious character. It was effected by a brigade ot 5,000 strong, with ten field pieces, and two squadrons of Uhians. After a first eischarge of their muskets, the Italian volunteers assaulted the enemy with the bayonet, and with so much impetuosity that the Austrian center was obliged to fall back on its left wing, already engaged by a battalion of our right wing. Now the fight became general—a tremendous hand-to-hand fight, in which every inch of ground was bravely disputed by both armies. The enemy’s artillery was of no more use, because | Garibaldi, having none, had ordered his men to fight hand to hand, with swords and bayonets. At the report of tiie musketry and artillery, the country people hastened to the scene of action with pitchforks, half-pikes, and cleavers. “It was a dreadful scene of slaughter,’’said an eye-witness to me,“which lasted three hours.” Nothing can give an i die a of the impetuosity of those Italians who | could at last avenge so many wrongs, so | many cruelties. It was almost madness. ; Two brothers Strambio, one captain and another lieutenant, were seen to leap into i the inside of a hedge of bayonets, a d cut ! down Croats as if they had been puppets, i-V Count Montuiiari, from Verona, wfibse ; brother h d been hanged in 1853, by ltaidetsky’s order, was running up and down-tjie I bloody field, striking right and left with his • powerful sword. - At seven o’clock the Austrian dytierai' i was obliged to give tire order for a fiftr'Cyfs ias his men were falling in all directions, j Ganbahh was close at their heels till they | reached the strong position of Main ate, j where they stopped to repair their losses. | This is a short but faithful sketch of Gar- | ibaldi’s exploits. It will always be recorded | as one of the most brilliant actions fought in j the present war, because he had no artillery, i and fiis soldiers were but volunteers, scarce--j ly drilled, and unaccustomed to camp life.