Page 36 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

34 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

base of the enemy’s army) and go up stream all the way to the town of
Corrientes (over 600 miles) to act as bait for a still uncertain and dubious
uprising of the populations of that province and in this way favour the land
operations headed in that region by Rivera.
To carry out this order meant: to evade the block of the Argentinian fleet
in the Plata, with double the strength of the skimpy Garibaldi’s fleet and lead
by a very experienced English admiral; escape being seen and attacked from
the well fortified island of Martin Garcia; go up the ocean course of the
Paranà for about 800km., overcoming all types of natural obstacles that make
navigation difficult and with the banks in enemy’s hand and ready to defend
themselves, particularly in the rare port of calls and in places of shelter or
stop; finally, having arrived miraculously at their destination risk everything
with a handful of men and the uncertain help of the inhabitants, in a
province faraway from the capital and with no hope of help.
Despite this, the fearless hero from Nice, true to his word and even then
firm to his proud belief to obey without questioning, only taking care that no
shame would fall on the supreme law of an Italian soldier: to be honourable,
however hard the task, threw himself with all his energy, the faith and the
impetus of his warrior soul, into the crazy and Homeric venture.
It would be too long to narrate this venture, lasting from July to
November 1842, all the vicissitudes, the audacity and the harsh difficulties
encountered and overcome with a superhuman tenacity and willpower.
For a brief summary of the events we will remember the prodigious pas-
sage, under the fire of Martin Garcia battery, through the only existing nav-
igable canal near the island; the running aground of the Constitucion in front
of the Uruguay confluent and the enormous effort to refloat it by temporar-
ily removing the guns to lessen the weight; the arrival of the enemy’s
squadron of Admiral Brown, seven ships strong; the short battle that fol-
lowed; the refloating of the Constitución with high tide and the providential
fog that made it possible for the brave fleet of Garibaldi to escape the enemy
and enter the course of the Paranà, while Brown, skilfully deceived, was pur-
suing them along the course of the Uruguay; the bold operations for the cap-
ture of enemy’s cargo ships, along the course of the great river, the only means
for Garibaldi to get food supplies; the perilous and very difficult navigation
among the intricate canals and under the frequent offensives of the enemy’s
artillery stationed on the banks that moved with the progress of the fantastic