Page 168 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

166 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

La Masa, from Termini, accompanied by Giuseppe Boscaino from Trapani
and Giacinto Curatolo from Marsala, preceded Garibaldi’s column in
Salemi, and through the work of Baron Mistretta he persuaded Mayor
Terranova and the municipal authorities to provide supplies and establish a
provisional government, and then he sent armed patrols out of the town to
prevent the possible arrival of some Bourbon units.
The news of Garibaldi’s landing arrived in Palermo. All of a sudden, the
city was covered with proclamations: «Offenders and offended – said one of
these – let us draw a veil over the past, and let us utter all the same cry:
Long live Italy, long live Victor Emmanuel, long live Garibaldi».
Also the government of Naples had received news of the landing and had
sent a terrifying dispatch to his representatives abroad, reporting the «action
of wild piracy committed by a horde of brigands, publicly organised in a non-
enemy State».
May 13 th – Marching rapidly, Garibaldi’s column left at 11 am and,
climbing up the steep streets of Caticuti and Cuba, arrived in Salemi in con-
secutive squads between 3pm and 5pm. Bixio had preceded them with the
Genoese Carabinieri, and had occupied the castle to protect their move-
ments. The artillery arrived almost at nightfall, since they had followed
another route.
Near the town the column was welcomed by a crowd that went to meet
them with the usual big drums used in processions, flags, music «and all hug
us, many kissed us, many offered us jugfuls of wine and wonderful citrons».
From every direction a cry was heard: long live Garibaldi! Long live the res-
cuer of Sicily! And in the town bells were ringing the tocsin.
La Masa, Boscaino, Taddei and Nicolosi always preceded the others and
ran to other towns, inciting the populations to awaken and provide volun-
teers. Their efforts were crowned with success: other groups came from S.
Ninfa, Vita and a friar, Giovanni Pantaleo from Castelvetrano, also joined
them. The priest Gaspare Salvo disinterred two old bronze cannons that had
been hidden since 1849 and offered them to Garibaldi.

May 14 th – On the morning, Garibaldi went to scout with Türr on the
hills towards Vita. On his return, after a proposal made by the Decurionate
of Salemi that had met under the presidency of Mayor Terranova, he assumed
the dictatorship of the island on behalf of Victor Emmanuel King of Italy and
issued a decree to organise a National Guard, calling all citizens aged between