GARIBALDI.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 788, 4 February 1871, Page 1 (Supplement)

GARIBALDI.

The curate of Epinac, a village near Autun, recently summoned his flock in the parish church, told them the Garibaldians were heretics, and if they fed them, housed them, or assisted them in any way, the Prussians when they came would burn their villages, destroy their herds, and send them off as slaves. Colonel Tahara had him arrested and condemned to be shot, but on an order from Gambetta, he was set free again. A telegram has been promulgated from Tours reporting an engagement, in which Riciotti Garibaldi had achieved a notable victory at Chatillon. " The enemy," says the French despatch, " numbered betweed 700 and 800 men, and they were all killed or taken prisoners." The Mobiles in the south-east, acting on Garibaldi's instructions, fall in every direction upon convoys and faraging parties of the enemy. They recently captured twenty-seven sacks of despatches, double Fredericks and German papermoney. The Mobiles who won the prize were crossing the country near a cutting from which a Prussian mail train emerged. They at once tore up a rail and shot the stokers, who were Germans. After a hard fight with the guards, who were not hurt by the deraillement of the train, they carried the mail bags to a neighboring chateau. Among the valuables [ in the bags which have been opened are comforters adapted for the season, which the wifely tenderness of Queen Augusta prompted her to send to her royal husband. The Union Liberah says Garibaldi is usurping in his own person all civil as well as military functions, expelling the members of religious societies, seizing and disposing of their houses, decreeing the arrest of clergy, and even of the functionaries of the Republic, directing domiciliary perquisitions which are thoroughly illegal, and taking along with him wherever he goes a courtmartial, the jurisdiction of which, by an intolerable abuse of power, is extended over the civil population — to the citizens of towns as well as to the peaceable inhabitants of the country districts. It was first at Dole, And afterwards at Autun, that these things have been especially done, and tne Union Liberah calls upon the Minister of the Interior to put an end to them as quickly as possible, " unless he wishes the populations of the patriotic eastern provinces to find that they may enjoy more security and fewer exactions

with the invading enemy than with the auxiliary called to defend them." Similarly a letter from Tours says that Garibaldi seems to have made more enemies than friends in that part of France. "His expulsion of the Jesuit Fathers from Dole appears to be most arbitrary and unjustifiable in every way. The Jesuits had been lodgiug and feeding, at their own expense, no fewer than 800 Mobiles for upwards of a month ; and there were in their college at the time nearly a hundred lads, sons of the most respectable people in the department. Some of the boys were ill with very severe cold, and a few with fever. But, despite the remonstrances of the sub-prefect, who had prepareed quarters for Garibaldi and his staff eleswhere, the Fathers and their pupils had to clear out at twenty-four hours' notice. Two of -their number, being old and infirm, have since died from the effects of the whether, and from the shock to their system caused by their being made beggars and sent adrift. I met the other day a young Franc-tireur who had an uncle among the Jesuit Fathers in Dole, and two nephews among the pupils. He showed me a ball with a mark upon it, which he said he intended for Garibaldi whenever he came across him, even if he should himself be shot the next moment ; and he looked like a man who would keep his promise. All along the road from Amiens, as well as in Picarey, I never heard Garibaldi's name mentioned without a curse— more particularly among both officers and men in the Breton battaiions of Moblies."

On the 17th November, Ricciotti Garibaldi, who was at Saulien with about 600 men, ordered a forced inarch to Montbard, 42 kilometres distant. He reached there during the night, and the following morning set out for Culmier-le^Sec, where he arrived at two o'clock in the afternoon. At Culmier-le-Sec he rested his men, and at one o'clock in the morning he marched towards Chatillon. At 5.30 a.m. he arrived within a few hundred yards of the town, and immediately divided his corps, one being sent to make an attack on the western side, on the road to Tonnerre, while the other attacked on the southern side. Eighty men, the Francs tireurs of the Haute Savoie, were then despatch to smTOund the Hotel de la Cote dOr, where Colonel Ricciotti knew the staff of officers were lodged. The attack was commenced by surprising the enemy's foreposts and sentinels. A little before six in the morning the Colonel entered the town at the head of his troops, and fighting then commenced. The war cry was " Garibaldi ! "~ " Garibaldi ! " Almost all the German soldiers were in bed, so that an immense number were made prisoners in the houses, the doors of which were forced open. The remainder rushed out only half-dressed, with whatever arms they managed to lay their hands on, and as soon as they appeared in the street were shot down. In the meanwhile the Francs-tireurs of the Haute Savoie had surrounded the Hotel de la Cote dOr, and surprised the officers in bed. The greater portion of them were made prisoners, but several of them desperately defended themselves and were killed. Shortly after Ricciotti and his men entered Chatillon couriers on horseback and were despatched by the enemy in the directions of Chaumont and Laignes. After thirty minutes' fighting a considerable number of the enemy abandoned the town, escaping along the high road towards Chaumont. The remainder, who had recovored from their surprise, concentrated themselves in the Town Hall, which Colonel Ricciotti decided on not attacking, the enemy holding a tolerably strong position, and he not wishing to lose men, his force being small. Besides, news came that 4000 Prussians were at Laignes, and 1400 on the road between Chaumont and Chatillon, and it was feared that reinforcements would arrive before the Town Hall could be captured.

After holding the town for precisely one hour and a quarter, news came to the effect that the German troops, already signalled on the road from Chaumont to Chatillon, were only 5£ kilometres distant. Colonel Ricciotti at once ordered a retreat, which was executed in the most perfect order, the Francs-tireurs carrying along with them 167 prisoners, among whom were eleven officers, as well as sixty-two horses, four carriages, saddles, and harness ; arms, such as sabres, revolvers, and needle gun rifles ; a quantity of ammunition, several cases of German cigars, and boxes of papers and letters belonging to fche staff. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded are calculated at more than 100, among whom two colonels and two majors were killed — one of the colonels was the German prefect of the town. From the state of his helmet it would seem that he had been shot right through the head, for the back shows distinctly the place where the ball came out. Our losses were three killed and twelve wounded, but one of these is very dangerously hurt, and not likely to live for more than a few hours.