GARIBALDI, gli'r4-biilIde, GIUSEPPE (1807 82). An Italian patriot and liberator, born at Nice, July 4, 1807. He was a sailor's son, and adopted the sea as his own calling, and as early as 1830 was in command of a brig. It was about this time that he became interested in the Italian national movement, which afterwards be came the great passion of his life. He made the acquaintance of Mazzini and other leaders of Young Italy in 1833, and became imbued with an unquenchable hatred of despotism. He was compromised by his participation in the futile outbreak at Genoa in 1834, and fled to French territory, while his condemnation to death was published in Italy. He resumed his sea-faring life, and sailed to South America, where he tcok an active part in the struggle of the new Republic of Uruguay, against the Argentinian dictator, Manuel Rosas. He distinguished himself as an intrepid partisan leader on sea and land, and contracted a romantic marriage with Anita, the remarkable woman who for several years shared his campaigns. Upon receiving news of the ris ing of Northern Italy against Austria in 1848, Garibaldi hastened to Europe to share in the struggles of his countrymen. He bore an effective part in the whole of the Sardinian campaign as the commander of a volunteer corps. He then joined the Revolutionary Government at Rome, and distinguished himself by his defense of the city against the French forces under Oudinot in June and July, 1849. After a retreat of un paralleled difficulty through districts occupied by Austrian forces, Garibaldi, accompanied by his heroic wife, set sail in a small fishing craft toward Venice; but being pursued by Austrian vessels, they were compelled to land where they could, and, not far from the shore, his wife, ex hausted by the dangers and terrible exertions of their flight, expired in the arms of her husband. Garibaldi at length reached Genoa in safety, and thence embarked for Tunis. He afterwards lived in Staten Island, N. Y., supporting himself by making candles in a factory, revisited South America, and commanded an American trading vessel on the Pacific coast.
Though a republican by conviction, Garibaldi did not follow Mazzini in opposition to the Sar dinian monarchy, but accepted it, as the hope of Italy, in the years preceding the war of 1859. As
the head of an irregular auxiliary force of the Piedmontese army on the commencement of hos tilities in 1859 his services were brilliant and ef fective, notwithstanding the liniited scope assigned for his operations. In 1860 he undertook the most momentous enterprise of his career. After the disappointing peace of Villafranca had defeated the hope of liberation from the Austrian yoke just when it seemed to be approaching realiza tion, the Italian people resumed the revolutionary operations which had been temporarily suspended in the hope that Italian unity would be ac complished through the efforts of Sardinia. In Sicily, early in 1860, disturbances broke out and Francesco Crispi (q.v.) obtained from Garibaldi a promise of assistance. In fulfillment of this promise, Garibaldi assembled at Genoa a volun teer force of 1070 patriots, and on May 5th set sail for the island of Sicily. On the 11th his two small transport steamers reached Marsala in safety, and the landing of his followers was suc cessfully effected in sight and partially under the fire of the Neapolitan fleet. On the 15th, in the battle of Calatafimi, 3600 Neapolitan troops were routed by Garibaldi's small force, and this open ing victory cleared the way to Palermo. On the 27th of the same month Garibaldi and his little army occupied the heights which commanded Palermo, and after a desperate conflict with the royalist troops fought their way into the city, which for several subsequent days had to sustain a ruthless bombardment from the united fire of the Neapolitan garrison and fleet. The interven tion of the British fleet, however, and the isolated and destitute condition of the garrison shut up in the forts, induced the Neapolitan general to capitulate June 6th, and on his departure with his troops Garibaldi remained in undisputed possession of the city and strongholds of Palermo. He issued a proclamation as dictator in the name of Italy and Victor Emmanuel, armed the citi zens, and on July 20th, at the head of 2500 men, he gave battle at Milazzo to 7000 Neapolitans, who were completely defeated, and compelled to evacu ate that fortress. On the 25th the Neapolitans were driven back into Messina, into which Gari baldi made his triumphal entry on the 27th.