INSURRECTION IN SICILY.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 298, 28 August 1860, Page 3

INSURRECTION IN SICILY.

{From the Weekly Dispatch.) FALL OF PALERMO. In our latest edition last week we announced the ! arriiistice concluded, on board the British ship Hannibal, between Garibaldi and the Neapolitan General iarza. Thefollowing:are some details^ from various sources,: of the attack on • the towri and the subsequent events:-— ~,■,-,-., A correspondent.writes:—"General Lanza, on taking the chief command, completely modified the system adopted by his predecessor, who was accusy tomed to prevent assemblages from being formed in the streets, by causing strong patrols to parade constantly, and compelled all persons "whom they met to go home. As these measures prevented the population from concerting together, they rendered the organisation of the insurrection difficult; but they fatigued the troops, and exasperated the inhabitants. General Lanza, oh the contrary, concentrated in three strategical positions strong columns, which, in case of aggression, were directed to : actin concert, and, whatever might happen, to maintain their communications with the forts facing the sea, and which form the basis of operations of the Neapolitan troops. The inhabitants, however, entered into communication with envoys secretly sent by Garibaldi, and the agreement was come to that he should arrive in the evening ofthe 26th in sight of the town, and that they should revolt the next day. To organise the rising, the chiefs assembled in King Roger's chapel—a splendid edifice constructed in 1129, and which, at this period of the year, is visited as a place of pilgrimage by numerous inhabitants of the country, to whom the memory of that Sovereign is still dear. On Sunday, the 271h, Whitsunday, crowds assembled in the streets to the cries of 'Viva la liberta!'' Viva il Re VittOro Emmanuel!' and in a few minutes the insurrection "assumed a tnenacing aspect. Never was a movement more unanimous. The troops.opened fire, and a terrible combat began. Garibaldi on horseback, surrounded by his volunteers, and preceded by the flag of independence, arrived in the midst of the conflict, and was received with enthusiasm. He at once took the direction of the revolt, and displayed the greatest vigor. The troops and insurgents fought with equal courage. Eventually the troops, not being able to maintain their positions, retired to the forts determined to defend them to the last extremity. Garibaldi, not wishing to lose time, attacked on the 28th with all his troops, the citadel, which is considered the principal defence ofthe town, and is in communication with the sea. The volunteers displayed the greatest bravery; the troops kept up a vigorous fire, and it is stated that after a conflict of five hours the foreign consuls, at the demand of the inhabitants, interposed, and caussd the two parties to accept an armistice to Sunday, the 3rd of June, at noon. This truce would give time to bury the dead, to remove the wounded to three villas in the suburbs, which had been transformed to temporary hospitals, and to send away the women and children. At the last dates it is stated that a great number of Sicilian volunteers had entered the town, and placed themselves under the orders of Garibaldi."

The Journal dv Loiret publishes the following letter from Palermo, written immediately after the bombardment, but before the conclusion of the armistice :—" I write to you hurriedly and amid lively emotion. The revolution commenced here on Whitsunday. At 4 a.m. Garibaldi otormed the town at the head of his troops; he was on horseback, and carried in one hand the Italian colors. Close behind him came his Chasseurs of the Alps, they charged the Neapolitans with fixed bayonets, and drove everything before them. In less than three hours they were masters of half the town. Driven back and defeated, the royal troops commenced bombarding the town, and from 7 on Sunday morning to 3 on Monday morning they never ceased throwing shot and shell into the unfortunate city, a great portion of which was set in flames. At last, this morning (Monday), Garibaldi, who, during the night had made himself master of the other half of the town, drove out the remaining troops, who, by means of boats were enabled to effect their retreat into the fortress, which has not yet been taken. All that remains now in the ; hands of the Neapolitans is this fovt, the palace (which the Garibaldians are afc this moment attacking), and the Treasury. At 5 o'clock this morning the people took possession of the barracks evacuated by the troops who had carried away everything they could with them. This morning the Chancellor of the French Consulate found Garibaldi sitting on the steps of a marble fountain in the centre of the town. Garibaldi had a map on his knees, or rather a plan of Palermo, which he was studying to combine his attacks. He sent word to the Neapolitan authorities that if the bombardment did not cease, and that if the shedding of blood, now of no avail, was not put a stop to, he should feel himself obliged to make reprisals: that he had 200 "Neapolitan prisoners, and that he should order one to be shot for every shell fired into the town- The bombardment, happily, was stopped. We had scarcely time, before the bombardment commenced, to find a refuge oh board the French squadron. Thank God! here we aye in safety. The attack on the fortress is about to commence. A Neapolitan steamer made its appearance at 10 o'clock this morning before Palermo, and having ascertained the state of affairs, steamed off again immediately." An official despatch says:—" The attack on the city began at 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, at all points. An aide-de-camp of Garibaldi arrived at 6 o'clock with a mass of insurgents and Corps Francs. An infernal fire then began from Castellamare, and continued till 1 p.m., with two shells to the minute; it then varied from two to three minutes till 6 p.m., and after that continued at intervals of five minutes. The ships of war also threw a great quantity of shot and shell. Frightful conflagrations have been the consequence, but the insurgents pushed on vigorously. The bombardment continued all night, at wide intervals, till 4 p.m. on the 28th, when the troops abandoned the prisons. About 6,000. prisoners have been liberated, of Whom 1600 to 1800 were political, 1200 galley slaves, and the rest for correctional offences. The troops have abandoned the barracks of Quattroventi, near the port, a portion have gone on board the vessels. A great number were found this morning among the rocks of the mole, waiting for boats to be carried to Castellamare, or to embark in the vessels. The fort, which had ceased firing, began again at 10 a.m. of the 28th, and it was an infernal fire. Garibaldi entered the city late on the 27th with fresh reinforcements. They fought all night near the^Palace a.nd St. Giacomo once the Swiss barracks. There was fighting also with the troops who had been drawn off by a ruse, and who were returning from Monreale Parco, and Piana dei Greci. All the foreign ships observed the most jealous abstinence, though the commanders were highly indignant at. the bombardment. The Neapolitan troops fought well, and seem determined to do all the harm they can before leaving Sicily. Garibaldi is said to have threatened to shoot 200 of the most^ distinguished of his prisoners if Lanzi does' not discontinue the bombardment. All sensible persons regard the affair as virtully over, and resistance on the part of the troops useless;" The following are some further particulars :— " Except the Castle, the Treasury, and the Palace the whole of Palermo was in the hands of Garibaldi, and the Neapolitan troops at these points were completely hemmed in. Medical attendance had been asked of Garibaldi by the Neapolitan General, and granted. Provisions had also been applied for and refused. On obtaining possession of the city he opened the prison, liberated the prisoners, and took the jailors and us many of the police as he could find. After exhibiting these for a day in the market-place, he hanged them in the presence of the people. A good many ofthe townspeople were killed by the Neapolitan soldiers during Garibaldi's assault and by the shot and shell from the ships. The Neapolitan troops who had been deceived and led into the country, by Garibaldi's feigned retreat, had re-entered the town by sea, the steamers having picked them up on the coast. Those in the Castle were completely

cut off fronUhose in the palace. Tho Neapolitan troops, who still held these points, were greatly discouraged, and it was thought, would not light. The streets, barricaded and protected- by cannon, wero in the hands of Garibaldi and the townspeople. The first, truce asked for by the .Neapolitans was broken by them, but Garibaldi appeared to take.no notice of this breach of faith. On the SOth of May, on the day the conference was agreed on, a shot was fired from a Neapolitan steamer at Garibaldi's carriage as he was descending to the I Mole to proceed on board tne Hannibal, but fortuf riately it did no harm. On the 31st many ofthe officers of the ships in port went on shore, afc which time a good many dead bodies of the inhabitants were still lying in the streets. The Neapolitans suffered immense losses in killed and wounded,during the assault. Garibaldi's loss waa small." HORRIBLE OUTRAGES BY THE ROYAL TROOPS. The Nord publishes a letter which a respectable family at Orleans has received from Palermo, confirming previous accounts of the barbarity with which the inhabitants wore treated by the Royal troops. The writer states that, on May 22, General Letizia went round the environs of the city with a troop of infantry, and another of cavalry, sacked 26 houses belonging to persons supposed to favor the insurrection, and set fire to a number of others. Three churches were also sacked by them. "An English lady, the wife of a Sicilian, who is a functionary of the Neapolitan Government, on going to their country house a few days ago, found the gates torn down, and the house plundered. Three Neapolitan soldiers were carrying off the last remains; one of them had two cashmere ehawls of hers under his arm.'' y; The following letter, dated the 30th of May, gives sonic new details respecting the cruelties committed by the Neapolitan soldiery during the bombardment ol Palermo:—" Garibaldi really entered Palermo at break of day on the 27th, with about 1000 followers. He penetrated into the city by the gate .nearest to the palace of the Old Kings, and overthrew all the Neapolitan soldiers who attempted to stop his progress. Having been supported by 4000 men who came down from tho mountains, and the inhabitants.of the city, he soon made himself master of Palermo. The troops opposed but a feeble resistance, aiid fled into the citadel or on board the ships of war in the port. It was the military commander who apprised the foreign Admirals and Consuls that he was about to commence a bombardment. The Consuls retired on board the ships of war of their respective nations and bombshells and every description of incendiary missile were fired against the town. The bombardment lasted more than two days, and terrible to relate, the soldiers who had fled without fighting uttered shouts of joy from the citadel at every house set on fire. Cries of " God save the King!" from the soldiers were mingled with the screams of the women, and the groans of the wounded. The Neapolitan monarchy has buried itself under a heap of ruins, and of dead bodies. I ani told that 1000 of the inhabitants of Palermo haye perished during the bombardment. Let us hope that the number! is exaggerated. -An American ship which has just arrived brings the news that the Neapolitan soldiers in their retreat committed all kinds of atrocities. Having met the wife of a Sicilian leader.of insurgents who waa .flying from Palermo, they covered her with tar, and burnt her to death."

Another correspondent says that the Royal troops burnt every country house about JEJalermo, and are robbing the churches and private houses, and selling the articles in Palermo. THE ARMISTICE.

The Malta Times ofthe 2nd of June gives the following:—" Palermo was bombarded till Wednesday afc midday. Afc this moment General Salzano asked for an armistice of 24 hours. This was accorded by. Garibaldi, after a conference on board the Hannibal, at which were present all the captains of the ships of war in the roads of Palermo, Garibaldi himself, his son, and Colonels Turr and Crespi. Before the term of 24 hours had elapsed, the Neapolitan General asked for three days prolongation of the armistice, which was also granted by Garibaldi, who was ready to extend it even to three weeks."

A correspondent of the Morning Post says :— " It is believed that hostilities will not be resumed at Palermo. The authorities are engaged in devising the means for preventing the further effusion of blood. It was on the SOth of May that General JLetizia, delegated by General Lanza, met Garibaldi on board the Hannibal, English man-of-war, and declared that he was charged to demand an armistice. The conditions which he proposed were :— 1. The retention of their respective positions by both parties. 2. Liberty to attend to the wounded and to remove them on board the fleet. 3. Permission to supply provisions to the hospital for the poor. 4. That the Municipality should address to the Royal Commissioner a petition for the concession of such reforms and institutions as might bo necessary for the country. The first points wero consented to by Garibaldi without difficulty; bufc he peremptorily rejected the fourth, and the conference was broken off. Nevertheless, hostilities, did not recommence on the following day, and the armistice, which was fixed to terminate to-day, was still under discussion."