Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice Admiral R.N. by Lady Biddulph of Ledbury

L >> Lady Biddulph of Ledbury >> Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice Admiral R.N.

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'Away I trudged, and, after some lost time, found the General in his
bed. He had been up like me three nights, this was my third, and was ill
with fatigue and anxiety. I prefaced all I had to offer by an apology
for putting myself forward in such a case. I made my proposals for the
surrender of the city. He was most frank and manly in his answer. He
said he thought all I said and offered was most fair, and if I would add
a clause for the disarming of the population he would sign. This was a
great step; I saw the man liked me and that I could deal with him. I saw
too that he was a gentleman, a soldier and a humane man. I now
determined in my own mind that the city should surrender, and I hoped on
my own terms. So I went to work with a good will. I was soon back again
with the municipality, and sat in their room till four in the morning
fighting in debate clause by clause of my articles.

'By this time the lawyers had come, Avezzana the general had arrived,
and it was hard work. I got all the clauses passed even to the disarming
of the people, but the great tug was a general amnesty which they
demanded. On this point I was determined.

'Imagine my debating this with the proscribed whose case was life and
banishment, or death!

'First fury and anger and threats were used against me; then
supplication and tears. I was firm. I said I could never ask of any one
that which I myself would not grant; that I thought the city of Genoa
highly criminal; that some punishment must be and ought to be inflicted
on it; but that I would be fair and merciful in what I did, and that I
would find out from the General La Marmora what his most lenient views
were in regard to the leaders of the revolt. At five I was at the
landing place of the Porta della Lanterna, when as soon as I landed, the
Piedmontese sentry fired right at me at about three yards' distance, and
ran as fast as he could, the ball passed quite close to my right. I came
up with him, and took his musket from him, shaking it I found it had
just been discharged. I taxed him with firing at me, he owned it saying
his regiment had arrived in the night and he was just put on as sentry.
He heard he was surrounded with enemies so he fired at the first man he
saw. I frightened him by pretending to drag him before the General, but
laughing let him go. The fact was, as he stated, he was in a devil of a
funk, and so thinking to make short work did not challenge before
firing. I was surprised at finding a sentry on this spot, he had been
put there since I was last there.

'I found La Marmora at the Lanterna; he now drew up a paper in
accordance with mine, giving life and property to all, with a promise to
intercede with the King to-morrow; the punishment of the leaders to as
few as possible; with this I again returned to the ducal palace.

'Before leaving him he proposed to cease his fire on the city till my
return. I told him in reply I did not ask him to do so, however as soon
as I left him his fire ceased. This was most humane on his part, for it
was full an hour and a half before I got the town batteries to cease
their fire. La Marmora, however, began a fierce attack with musketry,
&c., on the advance post of the town.

'This my last visit to the Municipality was the most painful of all, for
I had to sit apart and allow them to fight among themselves. I stated
that what I had laid before them was the ultimatum, that I could and
would ask no more, and that if they did not agree to this I should take
my leave; that the fire would be resumed with increased vigour and that
the destruction of the city and blood of its inhabitants must lie at
their door.

'They then proposed to me, finding I was inexorable, to go in a body to
the General if I would go with them. I consented and took them over in
the barge. On my way I informed them that I would not help them in their
appeal to General La Marmora with regard to entire amnesty, but that I
would join them in gaining time; on which it was agreed to press for 48
hours of cessation of arms, and that a deputation from the city might go
to the King at Turin.

'On going into the presence of the General I drew aside and sat on a
bed, whilst the deputation urged their claims, and as in Italy everybody
is eager and full of gesticulation, the noise and confusion was
tremendous. I had not seen this for we were treating under fire and all
were silent, those who had the best nerves were the speakers. If you
want to make peace treat under fire; for me it will become a maxim.
However after about two hours' wrangle, the General came up to me and
said, "Are you not 'accord' with me? that you do not speak," so much had
I gained of his mind that he would not act without me. In short I may
now say, the 48 hours were granted. The deputation went to Turin, they
got 48 hours more, and the city was surrendered on my treaty, the King
granting an amnesty to all but twelve persons named, and they had been
allowed to escape.

'During all this time a severe engagement had been carried on at the
advanced posts. The Doria Palace had been taken by the King's troops the
evening before. Batteries had been erected against it by the rebels and
the contest was most fierce, all the morning batteries were firing on
both sides with high guns. An attack by escalade was preparing against
Fort Bogota, a sally had been made from it to destroy La Marmora's
works, more troops were coming up, and occupying ground on the east side
of the town. My business now was to exert myself to make the fire to
cease on all sides.

'My love, I must leave my narrative for another letter, I find it takes
more time even to relate it shortly than I thought. I must write my
despatch to the Admiral and write to you a short note.

'H.

'Excuse faults, I've no time to read it over.'

* * * * *

GENOA: April 27, 1849.

'MY DEAREST S.,

'I have so long neglected to pursue the narrative of events at this
place, that I fear you will think I had forgotten both you and it, but
in truth since the troubles have ceased, I have been so well employed in
writing and disciplining this ship, this each day takes me till 1 P.M.,
that I have not found the days too long. But now I am out of the port,
for I weighed this morning with _Prince Regent_ for a little
exercise, I shall finish this short narrative of past events.

'I think I had acquainted you of the completion of the armistice and
terms, signed by all parties, for surrendering and accepting the
surrender of the town. Having therefore seen the deputation of the town
off for Turin, my next most anxious endeavour was to cause the battle to
cease, which had been carried on at the advanced posts with great
smartness. I therefore once more took to my boat to begin the arduous
duty of separating the combatants. General La Marmora sent aide-de-
camps, but it took time before they could reach all points from which
cannon were firing, not on the town but all the points of attack. The
first stop I put on the firing was by landing on the mole and taking a
32 lb. gun that was being worked against the Doria Palace. I landed with
my six gigs, and they drove them with their swords from the gun, which I
ordered to be drawn and all the ammunition to be thrown into the sea.
But my coxswain thought the powder too good, and when I again got into
the boat I found it all stowed away in her. Of course a body of muskets
mustered against us to drive us away, in turn, with fixed bayonets. I
walked quietly up to them, and after being informed how the case stood,
with a little grumbling they went quietly away.

'From hence I went to the naval arsenal; here I was warned at the
entrance, by sentry, to take care, for the houses that commanded the
basin and storehouses were full of armed men, placed there in readiness
to attack the arsenal with a view to release the galley slaves. I went
in, however, and saw the Commander of the Bagnio, and looked at the
means of defence that might be offered if attacked; he told me he was
quite deserted, but if matters came to the worst he would make an
attempt to defend the prison. From the Arsenal I went directly to the
headquarters of the rebel General. Here elbowing my way amid a host of
armed brigands and people of the lower and lowest class of Genoese I
found the general, Avezzana, seated at a table in a moderate sized room.
As soon as I was offered a seat at his table, a crowd of armed folk
filled the room and pressed hard upon us. He was haughty and distant in
his manner; I said that I had just seen the deputation off for Turin and
that as an armistice was agreed on for forty-eight hours I begged he
would at once do all in his power to cease the firing on his side; he
was out of humour and said: "When General La Marmora does!" He then
charged me with being a partisan. I said I feared I was, and belonged to
a party in the world that loved order and government. "Oh ah!" said he,
"but you have taken on you and thrown the ammunition of the people into
the sea"--on which there was a shout as he raised his voice in finishing
his sentence. I saw my ground was critical and that much depended on
myself, so I quietly but audibly said, "Yes, I did so, and shall do the
same whenever I find the like; I have not toiled for two nights and days
to save the property of the poor, the widow from affliction, and the
orphan from wretchedness (I might have said more) and now for the sake
of a few cartridges to allow more blood to be shed, when you have signed
a peace." This was a blow he did not expect, for he had not told the
people he had signed, but on the contrary went out and harangued at the
barricades talking stuff about liberty, death, patriotism and all other
fine things. He quietly listened though, and began to question me as to
many things he said I had done against the people. On this I rose, took
up my hat and in a haughty tone said, "I don't come here to be
questioned, but to make peace, so I wish you good morning."

'There was a murmur, and then a civil speech from those about me to pray
I would be seated, when suddenly the tone of questioning was taken up by
a young man in a blue and red uniform, standing close to the General in
a most intemperate manner. To him I civilly said I would not be
questioned, and rose, took my hat and departed. They made a lane for me;
the young man followed me and grasping my hand said, "I beg your pardon,
I know I was very hot, but I have had two horses killed under me this
morning." I said I thought that ought to make him cool, on which he
laughed and said, "I am not a Genoese, I am a Frenchman." He then told
me he was sent by the Republicans in France to aid the cause of liberty
in Italy.

'I said, "Well, if you wish to see me, come on board to-morrow at 9." I
never saw him again.

'I remained on shore visiting several points where the fire had been
most active, and about 3 P.M. all was silent, the battle was over, and I
came on board to my crowd of women and children. You may suppose I was
well tired. I had not had my clothes off for 3 nights, and only a plank
and an hour or two the nights previous to the last. I, however, took the
head of my table at 6 o'clock; it was a beautiful evening, and with the
Genoese ladies and Captain Tarlton to take care of me I sat out in the
stern gallery till 10 P.M., when Tarlton told me he had a bed made for
me in a spare cabin below. In this I got a good night's rest in spite of
the diabolical witlow; the witlow is so unromantic a wound that I shall
leave it out of the narrative for the future. The next morning I was
with General La Marmora at daylight and from him I went to the
municipality. I found them in a sad plight, full of terror. The Syndic,
or Mayor had been threatened in the night. Albertini, a leader of the
revolt, one of the worst of ruffians I am told, entered his bedchamber
at midnight with money orders and proclamations ready drawn out, and
with a pistol to his head forced him to sign them. I had a long
conversation with them on the state of affairs, I found that the Red
Republicans had shown themselves in reality.

'I advised them to send out confidential emissaries to all the National
Guards of a respectable character that could be found, to come to the
ducal palace; to get the mob on pretences of various kinds out of it,
and at once begin to endeavour to rally the better spirits within the
town. They promised me they would do so. They then showed me an
excellent paper they had drawn up, containing the truth in regard to the
armistice and present position of affairs. They were afraid to publish
it, for Avezzana had told another story. I suggested that such a paper,
published with the signatures of all the European Consuls, would have an
excellent effect. They thought it the best, but again were afraid of
being thought the authors; so I then offered that it should be mine and
I could at once try and get the consuls to sign it. You can hardly
conceive the relief even this small act, and truth having a chance of
being told, seemed to give them. I went straight to the French Consul
and found him at home, showed him the paper which he seemed to approve,
said I might leave it to him and he would summon the Consuls and do the
needful. He did nothing. Leon Le Favre, brother to Jules Le Favre,
editor of the _Nationale_, Red Republican; but more of him by and
bye.

'I now went on board to breakfast, having the day previous had a letter
from Sir William Abercromby, our Minister at Turin, begging me to do all
I could for the King of Sardinia in his distress; and the letter
containing a positive request that I would prevent all the Sardinian
vessels from entering Genoa, as they are bringing more Reds and Lombards
to assist the revolt; and having had one of my cutters fired on with
grape in relieving guard the evening before, I determined to move the
_Vengeance_ into the inner mole, where I could work the ship
effectually, if I chose, to prevent the entrance of anything into the
harbour for disembarkation. While in the act of moving the ship I
received the serious news from the Municipality, that it was the
intention of the Reds, with Albertini and Campanelli at their head, to
at once open the Bagnio and let loose the galley slaves; begging at the
same time that I would take it on myself to prevent this, as it could
only be in contemplation for purposes easily conceived, though dreadful
to contemplate.

'I now placed the ship in a position to command with her guns the
dockyard and houses opposite to it. She had opposed to her a 20-gun
battery in the dock-yard and Bagnio, and a 20-gun battery on the
opposite side to the dockyard, one of 15 guns on the bow, and various
small masked batteries on various heights about the ship; not naming the
great forts on the heights. But be it remembered that these works were
ill-manned, and none provided with trained artillery men. Having secured
the ship and got her ready for action, not loading guns, I never loaded
a gun while at Genoa, I went on shore and found that the Governor of the
prison had received his summons to open the doors, and had refused. He
was glad to see me, we now settled his plan of defence as far as he was
able, and to my astonishment he struck chains off fifty _forcats_
and put a musket into their hands. He made excellent arrangements for
defence, and assured me he could rely on these men. I had them drawn up
and found they all understood the weapon. I told them if they behaved
well, &c. &c. &c. I now informed him that at the first report of a
musket fired from a point agreed on, I should land with 150 marines, and
my gun boats would enter the mole and would sweep with grape the houses
and wharfs, while the ship could do as she pleased. I am praised in a
public letter from Sir William Parker for this, the only act that was
not neutral and that would, had the Reds acted, have brought the
_Vengeance_ into the whole affair. To end the affair at once these
acts of mine stopped the whole thing, and broke up the Red gang in
Genoa.

'It also had another effect; it cleared my ship of every soul. As soon
as we anchored and prepared for battle, every soul fled the ship and got
away through Marmora's army to St. Pierre de la Regina, where they were
quite safe.

'Just after the sun had set this evening and it was growing dark enough
not to know green from blue, a steamer at full speed was seen entering
the port, and to my horror La Marmora's nineteen gun battery at the
lighthouse, while she was passing close under _Vengeance's_ bows,
opened fire upon her, putting two 30 lb. shots through her hull. In an
instant all the batteries opened on him, I thought all my efforts in a
moment destroyed. In a fit I jumped into the first boat, and shoved on
board the Frenchman, sending an officer to La Marmora's batteries to beg
them to leave off firing. To end this story, the officer at La Marmora's
battery had mistaken the French for the Sardinian flag, and fired on it.
The mistake cleared up, to my joy the volcano ceased vomiting, but here
was more fat in the fire. I sat down to my dinner at six once more in
peace and _tete-a-tete_ with Tarlton talking over our affairs with
the gusto given by a superior appetite to a shocking bad dinner, when in
burst the two French captains, one of the _Tonnerre_ a frigate in
the port, and the other the captain of the packet.

'I won't try to paint with my poor pen the scene, but I was highly
amused and in such imperturbable good humour, that even the captain of
the _Tonnerre_, calling me a party man and attacking me as if I had
fired at his nasty flag, did not make me call him what I might with
truth have done, a Red. He would not eat, or drink, or do anything but
fume. At last I coolly said "_Eh bien, Monsieur, c'est votre
faute_." "Why, how, what you mean, Monsieur?" "That you have set the
example of _Tricolor_, and desire all the world to adopt it, and
are now angry because blue and green are so much alike, that after the
sun has set one colour cannot be known from the other"; on which the
Captain of the packet said _Bon!_ and laughed heartily; he was a
good little man and made light of the whole affair. The French have
insisted on the extreme of satisfaction in this case.

'The next morning I was with the municipal body at 5 A.M. I found them
in the lowest possible state of despondency and terror, although there
was a change for the better in the appearance of the National Guard.
They with anxious looks led me to their chair, shut the doors and then
revealed to me in low tones that the state of affairs was worse. Of this
I felt sure that it would either end in a pillage and a massacre, or
cease from that moment.

'They placed before me a letter of Avezzana's addressed to the municipal
body, threatening them with energetic measures if they did not advance
the revolt by more activity. I found he and Albertini had instituted a
tribunal, Albertini as president, with power of life and death with
instant execution. Guillotines were built; these poor devils were
waiting their doom. I sent for him, by a civil message, of course, I
taxed him roundly with his intentions and bad faith. He, cowed, answered
in a subdued tone. In short, the game was up, he that day tried to put
an insult on me through the flag, failed again, got aboard an American
ship and fled that night.

'I can't go on with this story any longer, I have written it to its
positive finish to amuse you, my dearest wife. I have told it very ill,
it may form, when we meet, a subject for an evening's conversation, when
I can fill up gaps, explain incongruities, but not read my own
handwriting.

'If you show it to anyone, take care it is only to a mutual friend or
sister; it is not fit to meet the eye of a critic or indeed of anyone,
but it is a note of the time from which a statement might with some
further details be made.

'I have not said a word of loss of life. The King of Sardinia has about
100 killed, 15 officers and 300 wounded. What the loss on the side of
the revolt is, no one can tell. My surgeons attended the wounded, sent
by me; all the time the hospitals were full, but they said more were
carried home than went there. They must have buried their slain in the
night, for I have seen many women who have never seen their sons or
husbands since the day the firing began.

'The Doria Palace and houses round it show the chief destruction. The
town has suffered little, it did not last long enough to make impression
on stone and marble houses. Five shell fell into the Ducal Palace, and
six into the great hospital, the rest are scattered about, so that the
damage only meets the eye here and there.

'I have a satisfaction in feeling that I shortened the punishment of the
beautiful city.

'Its frescoes and its pictures, given to the bomb and the sack, would
have been forgotten in Europe, and its ancient splendour might only have
been talked of as existing before the bombardment of 1849.

'I say this to you only, and now shall hold my peace for the future.

'Yours ever,

'H.

'PS.--Packet sails at 6; hour 5 P.M. April 30.'

* * * * *

These graphic letters, which were never intended to see the light,
clearly show the important part taken by Lord Hardwicke as mediator
between the insurgents and the King's army. They show him cool under
fire and intrepid in action. Humane he certainly was, and it was the
feeling for the city and its inhabitants which prompted him to take
action outside the strict limits of his duty. Nothing succeeds like
success, and all this was accomplished without a gun being loaded on
board the _Vengeance_. If Lord Hardwicke had had to 'sweep with
grape the houses and the wharfs' as he threatened to do, the fat would
have been in the fire and the question of interfering in the affairs of
a foreign nation might have been raised. The knowledge, however, of his
determined character, and that he would not hesitate to shoot should the
necessity arise, was sufficient to deter the rebels from carrying out
their threat to open the prison doors and let loose the convicts on the
town.

A striking proof of the part the _Vengeance_ took in foiling the
schemes of the rebels is afforded in the pages of a little book written
at the time by one who was in sympathy with the Revolution. It is
entitled 'Della Rivoluzione di Genova nell April del 1849. Memorie e
Documenti di un Testimonio Oculare. Italia 1850.' 'The capitulation
which shortly took place,' says the author, 'was his [Lord Hardwicke's]
work (_opera sua_) and that of the English Consul in concert with
the municipality.' He had accomplished a great work to the satisfaction
of all parties with the exception of a few agitators.

The fact that a few days after these events Lord Hardwicke was able to
gather at his board in convivial entertainment not only the Generals and
Staff of Victor Emmanuel's army, but also the Syndic and Municipal Body
of Genoa, is a proof of the complete success of his undertaking.

'I gave a grand dinner to 73 persons, consisting of the English
residents, General de la Marmora and 6 of his generals, all his colonels
of regiments and his staff. The two Admirals, all the Captains of the
Sardinian Navy, the Syndic and Municipal Body of Genoa, 4 Judges, all
the following Consuls and some of my officers.

'It was admirably done, an excellent dinner very well served indeed. The
room was decorated with the Queen's arms and naval trophies, together
with two Bands of music. When the Queen's health was drunk at 9 o'clock,
the ship was brilliantly illuminated, the yards manned and she fired a
royal salute. The whole gave great satisfaction here, the heads of the
revolt, the Conqueror and Mediator dined together, and La Marmora gave
as his toast, "Success to the City of Genoa."'

So it was a day of shaking hands and conviviality under the shade of the
British flag.

It was not until August 6, 1849, that a treaty of peace between Piedmont
and Austria was finally settled; by its terms the Piedmontese had to pay
a war indemnity of 75,000,000 francs. The National Parliament, however,
hesitated to ratify the treaty, and the King was obliged to dissolve
Parliament and make a personal appeal to the country. The result was
satisfactory and the treaty received the necessary ratification.
Piedmont was not in a condition to renew hostilities with so powerful a
foe as Austria, and for the moment had to play a waiting game. In the
meantime the King, in spite of the reactionary spirit which was abroad,
honourably maintained the liberties of the country, and in the
courageous appeal to his people he gave a pledge of his intentions.

'The liberties of the country run no risk of being imperilled through
the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies, for they are protected by
the venerated memory of my father, King Charles Albert; they are
entrusted to the honour of the House of Savoy; they are guarded by the
solemnity of my own oath: who would dare to have any fear for them?'

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