Page 122 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

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120 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Sardinia since July ’57, was
induced by the count of Cavour’ shrewd politics to send an ultimatum, that
was to all effects a declaration of war and guaranteed Piedmont the help of
Napoleon III, despite the opposition of the majority of French public opin-
ion. And, on the 29 th April, the troops of general Gyulai crossed the Ticino.
Since the month of March, as soon as the government was informed that
Austria had recalled men from leave to provide reinforcement to the corps of
the Lombardo-Veneto and moved troops to the border, mobilization started
in Piedmont.
Already units of the army had been increased in size with several volunteers
flocking in to the Kingdom from the various regions of Italy and particularly
from the Lombardo-Veneto and the Ducati (duchies): and this was precisely
the occasional cause of the ultimatum of the Cabinet of Vienna. The count of
Cavour had the idea of forming with part of these volunteers, next to the reg-
ular army, an army of volunteers, that would “have the role of the small fish
that precedes and clears the way for the whale”, as he used to say. This army
had to welcome in its ranks all the Italians that had “at the forefront of their
thoughts” the independence of the homeland, regardless of their former polit-
ical ideas, provided that they were “free from any stain of dishonesty”.
The volunteers, named Hunters of the Alps, were sent at first to the assem-
bly point in Cuneo, under the order of Enrico Cosenz - the brave defender of
Marghera – with the provisional rank of lieutenant colonel and under the order
of general Cialdini. Two further assembly points were set up later in Savignano
under the orders of, respectively, Giacomo Medici – the hero of the Vascello –
and Nicola Ardoino – veteran of 1821, of the Spanish wars and commander of
a regiment of the Infantry Brigade of ’49 – these too with the provisional rank
of lieutenant colonel. The Hunters of the Alps were joined, as a separate divi-
sion, by about 50 Genovese Carabinieri, armed with very good rifles.
Garibaldi, called to Turin by the King, with the rank of major general, was
put in charge of these volunteers that on April 24 were incorporated to the
Sardinian Army, as was done with the Hunters of the Apennines that were
organising themselves into a fourth assembly point in Acqui.
The prestige already enjoyed by Garibaldi, even with the highest political
and military authorities, is witnessed by the expression of high regard with
which Cavour and Cialdini wrote to him in those days: the first by declaring
how the government trusted that his experience and ability and the energy he
had always maintained while exercising his leadership, would have compen-