Friedrich Engels 
Garibaldi's Progress 

New-York Daily Tribune. 
Nr.6056, 21.September 1860 

Garibaldi's Progress. 

As events develop themselves they begin to give us an insight into the plan 
which Garibaldi had prepared for the liberation of Southern Italy, and the 
more we see of it the more we admire the vastness of its proportions. Such 
a plan could not have been conceived, or its execution attempted in any 
country but Italy, where the National party is so perfectly organized, and 
so completely under the control of the one man who has drawn his sword 
with brilliant success for the cause of Italian unity and independence. 
The plan was not confined to the liberation of the Kingdom of Naples only; 

1 o the Papal States were to be attacked simultaneously, so as to find occupation 

for Lamoriciére's army and the French at Rome, as well as for Bombalino's 
troops. About the 15th of August, 6,000 volunteers transferred gradually 
from Genoa to the Golf of Oranges (Golfo degli Aranci), on the north-east 
coast of the Island of Sardinia, were to cross over to the Papal coast, while 
at the same time the insurrection in the various Provinces ofthe Neapolitan 
Continent was to break out, and Garibaldi was to cross the Straits of Messina 
into Calabria. Some reported expressions of Garibaldi's as to the cowardice 
of the Neapolitans, and the intelligence received by the last steamer that he 
had entered Naples, and been triumphantly received there, render it probable 
that an insurrection in the streets of that city, which the flight of the King 
rendered unnecessary, was a part of the plan. 

The landing in the Papal States, as is already known, was prevented partly 
by Victor Emanuel's representations, partly and principally by Garibaldi's 
convincing himself that these men were not in a fit state to undertake an 
independent campaign. He accordingly took them to Sicily, left part at 
Palermo, sent the remainder round the island in two steamers to Taormina, 
where we shall find them again presently. In the mean time the Neapolitan 
movements in the provincial towns took place as agreed upon, and in a 

Friedrich Engels 

manner which showed both how well the revolutionary party was organized, 
and how much the country was ripe for an outbreak. On the 17th of August, 
the insurrection broke out at Foggia, in Apulia. The dragoons, forcing the 
garrison of the town, joined the people. General Flores, commanding the 
district, sent two companies of the 13th regiment who on arrival did likewise. 
Then did Gen. Flores come himself, accompanied by bis staff; but he could 
do nothing and had to leave again. This proceeding clearly shows that Flores 
himself did not wish to offer serious resistance to the revolutionary party. 
Had he been in earnest he would have sent two battalions instead of two 
companies, and when he came himself, would have come at the head of as 
strong a force as he could muster, instead of coming with a few adjutants 
and orderlies. In fact, the circumstance alone that the insurgents allowed him 
to leave the town again is sufficient to show that there was at least some tacit 
understanding. Another movement broke out in the province of Basilicata. 
Here the insurgents collected their forces at Carletto Perticara, a village on 
the River Lagni (this must be the place called Corleto by the telegrams.) 
From this mountainous and remote district they marched to Potenza, the 
chief town of the Province, where they arrived, 6,000 strong, on the 17th. 
The only resistance they found, was offered by about 400 gendarmes, who, 
after a short engagement were dispersed, and afterward came in one by one 
to surrender. A provincial government was formed in the name of Garibaldi, 
and a prodictator installed. It is reported that the Royal Intendante (governor 
of the province) accepts this office—another sign how hopeless the cause of 
the Bourbons is considered to be even by their own organs. Four companies 
of the Sixth Regiment of the line were sent from Salerno to put down this 
insurrection, but when they came to Auletta, about 23 miles from Potenza, 
they refused to march further, and cried Viva Garibaldi. These are the only 
movements; of which any details have reached us. But we are further in- 
formed that other places have joined the insurrection; forinstance, Avellino, 
a town not 30 miles from Naples; Campobasso, in the Province of Molise 
(on the Adriatic), and Celenza in Apulia, for this must be the place called 
Cilenta in the telegrams; it is situated about half-way between Campobasso 
and Foggia; and now Naples itself is added to the number. While thus the 
Neapolitan provincial towns at least carried out their apportioned share of 
the work, Garibaldi was not idle. Scarcely returned from his trip to Sardinia, 
he made his final arrangements for crossing over to the continent. His army 
now consisted of three divisions, commanded by Türr, Cosenz, and Medici. 
The two latter, concentrated about Messina and the Faro, were marched 
toward the northern coast of Sicily, between Milazzo and Faro, as if they 
were intended to embark there and land on the Calabrian coast, north of the 
straits, somewhere about Palmi or Nicotera. Of Türr's division, the brigade 

Garibaldi's Progress 

Eber was encamped near Messina, the brigade Bixio had been sent to the 
interior, to Bronte, to repress some disorders. Both were at once ordered 
to Taormina, where, on the evening of the 18th of August, the brigade Bixio, 
along with the men brought from Sardinia, embarked on the two steamers, 
the Torino and Franklin, and some on transports taken in tow. 

About ten days previous Major Missori, with 300 men, had crossed the 
straits and safely passed through the Neapolitans to the high and broken 
ground of Aspromonte. Here he was joined by other small bodies, thrown 
across the straits from time to time and by Calabria's insurgents, so that by 
this time he commanded a body of about 2,000 men. The Neapolitans had 
sent about 1,800 men after his little band when landed, but these 1,800 heroes 
managed so as never to come up with the Garibaldians. 

On the 19th, at daybreak, Garibaldi's expedition (for he was on board 
himself) landed between Melito and Cape Sparavento, on the extreme 
southern end of Calabria. 

They found no resistance. The Neapolitans had been so completely de- 
ceived by the movements threatening a landing north of the straits, that the 
country south of them was completely neglected by them. Thus 9,000 men 
were thrown across, beside the 2,000 got together by Missori. 

Having been joined by these, Garibaldi at once marched on Reggio, which 
was occupied by four companies of the Une and four of chasseurs. This 
garrison must, however, have received some reénforcements, as some very 
severe fighting is reported to have taken place in or before Reggio on the 
21st. After the storming of some outworks of Garibaldi, the artillery in the 
fort of Reggio refused to fire any longer, and Gen. Viala capitulated. In this 
engagement Col. Deflotte (the Republican member for Paris in the French 
Legislative Assembly of 1851), was killed. 

The Neapolitan flotilla in the straits distinguished itself by doing nothing. 
After Garibaldi had landed, a naval commander telegraphed to Reggio that 
it was impossible for the ships to offer any resistance, as he had with him 
eight large men-of-war and seven transports ! No more did this flotilla oppose 
the passage by the division of Gen. Cosenz, which must have taken place 
on the 20th or 21st, at the narrowest place of the Straits, between Scilla and 
Villa San Giovanni, on the very spot where both the ships and troops of 
the Neapolitans were most concentrated. Cosenz's landing was marked by 
a signal success. The two brigades Melendez and Briganti (the Neapolitans 
say-battalions instead of brigades), and the fort of Pezzo (not Pizzo, as some 
telegrams say; this place is situated far to the north, beyond Monteleone), 
surrendered to him, as it appears, without a blow. This is said to have taken 
place on the 21st, on which day also Villa San Giovanni was occupied after 
a short engagement. 

Friedrich Engels 

Thus in three days Garibaldi had made himself master of the whole coast 
of the Straits, including some of the fortified points; the few forts still 
occupied by Neapolitans were now useless to them. 

The two following days appear to have been occupied by the passage of 
the remainder of the troops and of the material—at least we do not hear of 
any further engagements until the 24th, when a severe contest is reported 
to have taken place at a place called in the telegram Piale, which we do not 
find on the maps. It may be the name of some mountain torrent, the ravine 
formed by which might have served as a defensive position to the Neapoli- 
tans. This engagement is said to have been undecided. After some time the 
Garibaldians offered an armistice, which the Neapolitan commander re- 
ferred to his General-in-Chief at Monteleone. But before an answer could 
arrive, the Neapolitan soldiers appear to have come to the conclusion that 
they had done quite enough for their king, and dispersed, leaving the batteries 
unoccupied. 

The main body of the Neapolitans, under Bosco, appears during all this 
time to have quietly remained at Monteleone, some thirty miles from the 
straits. They do not seem to have been very eager to fight the invaders, so 
Gen. Bosco went over to Naples to fetch six battalions of Chasseurs, which 
are, next to the Guards and foreign troops, the most reliable portions of the 
army. Whether these six battalions were themselves infected by the spirit 
of dejection and demoralization reigning in the Neapolitan army remains to 
be seen. Certain it is, that neither they nor any other troops have been able 
to prevent Garibaldi from marching victoriously, and probably unchecked, 
to Naples, to find that the Royal family had fled, and the gates of the city 
open to his triumphant entrance.