Page 384 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

366 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

and had to clear its way with a bayonet attack.
At 8 pm, von Kettler quartered north of Ventoux and Asnières. The
Garibaldians occupied again Pouilly; in that day Kettler had lost 16 officers
and 362 soldiers.
Garibaldi addressed the following orderly book to his troops:
«Well done, young children of freedom! You have seen again the heels of
Willelm’s terrible soldiers! In two days of relentless fights you have written a glo-
rious page in the annals of the Republic and the oppressed in the largest human
family will acclaim in you once again the champions of law and justice».

The Army of the Vosges until the armistice. – The positive outcome of the
battle of Dijon can be considered as the last war action carried out by the
Army of the Vosges. Garibaldi did not consider his Army to be able to
respond to Freycinet’s request to act in the open and organise diversions on
the back of Manteuffel’s Army, who, already deployed between Dijon and
Bourbaki, threatened of surrounding the Eastern Army from very close by.
He just limited himself to some demonstrations near Dôle that of course
could not have any repercussion on the operations underway. It was howev-
er too late to save that unfortunate Army, which, as we know, was forced to
cross the border and put down its arms before the Swiss authorities.
Manteuffel certain of a full success, at the end of January decided to fin-
ish off the Army of the Vosges and to occupy Dijon and he tasked with this
job the Kettler, Willisen, Knesebeck and Degenfeld Brigades, whereas that of
General von Weyhern had to cut the railway communications between that
stronghold and Lyon from the south.
Garibaldi, at the approaching of the Prussian columns and before that the
iron circle could inexorably close upon him and confine him into that strong-
hold, with a rapid and logic decision ordered its evacuation.
In the night of February 2, the material was evacuated via train; the
troops, protected by the 4 th Brigade, in the normal way and in perfect order
marched on Autun across the valley of the Ouche.
At 8am of February 2, Kettler’s vanguard entered a cleared Dijon; an attempt
of pursuit did not give any results: the Army was already far away and positioned
between Chalon and Chagny; the mobilisés were a bit behind, around Mâcon.
The hostilities in the meantime had ceased in the east of France.
Garibaldi, elected as deputy of Paris, on February 8 left for Bordeaux, leav-
ing Menotti in command. On March 10 the Army was disbanded.