Garibaldi and his song

Garibaldi is one of the Italian Independence wars heroe. I think it's normal that some of my club friends have decided to paint miniatures of Garibaldini to play a skirmish game. Garibaldino (or Garibaldini if you use plurals) refers to every volunteer soldier who served in the numerous formations established and led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, or inspired by his ideals.

In the last months Ivano painted a lot of Garibaldini and Bourbonic troops. Last week end my mates played a game using Rebels and Patriots by Osprey games. The idea it is to create a campaign that could illustrated some of the battles between Italians and Borbonics troops.

Miniatures are all 28mm by Shakò64 miniatures

In this scenario Garibaldi and his name had to catch a strategic village controlled by Bourbonic soldiers.

Considering that I'm Italian ... I love Garibaldini. In the common usage the term was used in reference to all those who fought with Garibaldi during his 1,000 expedition (1860-61). We have to consider that Garibaldi and his volunteers fought during the invasion of Trentino (1866), in the battle of Mentana and Dijon (1867-1871). After Garibaldi's death, new expeditions were mounted under the leadership of his son Ricciotti in 1897 and 1912 in favor of Greece's independence from Turkey. In 1914, Garibaldi's expedition intervened in favor of Serbia against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

Few people know that Garibaldi and his troops fought against the "new" Italian army. In 1862 only Rome was not part of the new Kingdom of Italy. In the August 1862  Garibaldi took possession of the steamships Abbattucci and Dispaccio in the port of Catania and set sail during the night. After a short night navigation, at four in the morning on 25 August 1862, he landed at the head of three thousand men in Calabria. Garibaldi's idea was to take the control of Rome ... to defeat the Papal army. The Italian government did not agree with this new initiative. The King of Italy decided to send his troops against Garibaldi. 

Reached Aspromonte (to be correct a little village called Sant'Eufemia in Aspromonte), the Italian troops took contact with the volunteers on 29 August. Well disposed, the Garibaldini observed the fast approaching march of the Bersaglieri, led by General Pallavicini. Once within rifle range, Pallavicini arranged the troops in a chain, the Bersaglieri in front of him, and resolutely advanced on the volunteers "advancing fire".

At that point Garibaldi ran in front of his line and started shouting for a cease fire: “No, stop. Don't fire. They are our brothers." He was obeyed by the bulk of the volunteers, until part of Garibaldini center began to respond, or rather charged the Bersaglieri and pushed them back.  During the battle Garibaldini was wounded. Once the General fell the Garibaldini retreated into a near forest while their officers ran around their leader wounded.

Garibaldi was still leaning against a pine tree with half a cigar in his mouth when Lieutenant Rotondo (of the Italian army), without salute, ordered Garibaldi to surrender. The lieutenant was disarmed and arrested but, when the commander of the Bersaglieri arrived, Garibaldi decided to accept the capitulation. Among the Bersaglieri Garibaldi recognized soldiers and officers who had been with him in previous campaigns: he saw them saddened and contrite so he decided to surrender

King Vittorio Emanuele, to celebrate the wedding of his daughter Maria Pia in 1862, amnestied the rebels on 5 October of the same year. Garibaldi lead another Italian force (I corpi volontari) during the 3rd Italian Independence war and he was elected as member of the Italian parliament.

"Garibaldi was wounded, he was wounded in the leg, Garibaldi who commands, who commands the battalion" /"Garibaldi fu ferito, fu ferito ad una gamba, Garibaldi che comanda, che comand il battaglion"/ are the opening lines of a song that was very famous in the Bersaglieri units