Garibaldi, Giuseppe

From Encyclopediak

Gar"ibaldi, Giuseppe 1807-1882, an Italian patriot. He joined Mazzini to gain Italian liberty and fled from the country when the attempt failed in 1834. He returned to Italy in 1848 and led a company of volunteers against Austria. He also lent his aid to the patriots who were holding Rome, which was then besieged by the French. When all efforts for liberty again failed. Garibaldi came to the United States and lived for a time at Staten Island, N. Y. Later he had command of a trading vessel on the Pacific coast. In 1854 he settled on a small farm in the Island of Caprera where he could watch the result of Cavour's policy in uniting Italy. He joined the Sardinians against Austria in 1859 and objected strongly when Nice and Savoy were given to the French in 1860. The same year he sailed from Genoa with a company of volunteers. He landed in Sicily May 11, 26 days later he had won Palermo, and he gained the whole island for Italy by July 27, when the Neapolitans left Messina. He then crossed to the mainland and entered the city of Naples on Sept. 7, after a triumphal march to its gates. He resigned his command when the troops of Victor Emmanuel reached the frontier, and was again on his farm in Caprera by November. He was eager to see the old capital, Rome, restored to Italy and made two unsuccessful attempts to regain it. In the second attempt, in 1867, he was taken prisoner by the Sardinian Government, but was released after a few days confinement near Spezia. In 1870 he commanded a company of French volunteers in Burgundy against the Germans. In 1874 he entered the Italian Parliament. Consult Garibaldi's Autobiography English translation.