Page 278 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

260 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

Garibaldi was not allowed to call some of his trusted men of the Aspromonte,
because more than one of them had the rank and the command. With regard
to this it is worth remembering the fact that when at one point there was talk
of bringing together the Brigades into Divisions, Garibaldi expressed his
desire to have General Pallavicini of Priola among the divisional who, four
years earlier, as Colonel of the Bersaglieri as duty dictated, led the expedition
against him in Aspromonte: a desire worthy of the great heart of the Hero
and that honours the Genoese gentleman, who at the time came before him
wounded, hat in hand, in an act of sincere and painful deference.
However, after a few changes at the beginning, the volunteers Corps was
thus formed:

st
1 Brigade (2 nd and 7 th regiment): Major General Haug;
2 nd Brigade (4 th and 10 th regiment): Major General Pichi;
3 rd Brigade (5 th and 9 th regiment): Major General Orsini;
st
4 th Brigade (1 and 3 rd regiment): Colonel Brigadiere Corte;
5 th Brigade (6 th and 8 th regiment): Colonel Brigadiere Nicotera.

In all 40 large Infantry battalions, 2 battalions of Bersaglieri, 3 field
artillery batteries and a mountain one (from the regular army), 2 squadrons
of guides on horse-back, 1 company of sappers of the Engineers Corps (reg-
ular army), with an overall force of 38,000 infantry-men, 200 horses and 24
guns. The infantry - except the Bersaglieri – was very inadequately armed and
equipped and few of the officers and privates were trained in body or spirit
for the mountain. General Fabrizi was Chief of General Staff, and Colonel
Guastalla was assistant chief. Major Orazio Dogliotti from the regular army
was in charge of the Artillery. Colonel Acerbi was head of the Quartermaster
general’s branch, Colonel Bertani was head of the medical service. Lieutenant
Colonel Missori was in charge of the guides. The area of operation on Garda
was given to General Avezzana and the fleet to Lieutenant Colonel Elia, the
glorious wounded of Calatafimi.
To these heavy formations, badly suited to a mountain war, the Austrians
opposed forces that were greatly inferior in terms of numbers (little more
than 16,000 fighters, with 24 guns and 8 rocket-launchers and 200 horses),
but led by one of the most capable generals, major general baron Von Kuhn
considered a master of mountain warfare. These formation were well trained,
very well armed with precision guns in the use of which the people of the