SHORT PROGRAM THE EVENT
On 13 March 1861 the Royal Citadel of Messina surrendered to the troops at the discretion of Piedmont (Italian only since March 17 with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy) of General Enrico Cialdini. Royal unnecessarily Duosiciliane militias of the 13th Artillery Directorate of the 2nd Battalion of Engineers, the 3rd, 5th and 6th Regiment in 455 line with antiquated guns tried to counter the deadly fire of 43 brand new rifled cannons and 12 mortars of Savoy troops. The garrison of the Royal Citadel (more than 4,000 men) underwent no better treatment than that of his commander, General Gennaro Ferguson: in fact, was interned under guard in the forts of Scilla, Reggio Calabria and Milazzo. Some of his officers as the Coll. Guilllamat, Lt. Gaeta and Lt. Brath were even imprisoned at Messina and then prosecuted under the silly charges of fomenting the resistance in the Citadel, that you have made their duty of officers loyal to the homeland and the King Francis II of Bourbon. Accusation from which, of course, with great shame for the Piedmont, were acquitted. Since then, they have always honored the Garibaldi conquered Sicily and the Piedmont over 10,000 that stormed the citadel of Messina, while the poor southern soldiers who defended heroically, sacrificing their lives in 47 in defense of the Fatherland, were vilified by all as soldiers of the "tyranny of the Bourbons." Why, it was perhaps less reprehensible Piedmont poor governance that followed the Bourbon? Certainly not. But now we Sicilians are used since the classroom to worship these heroes of the "resurgence", forgetting often that perhaps one of the valiant defenders of the last bastion rewarded and not native to Sicily, there was our grandfather. A 148 years later, the battle to remember it is a moral duty to the memory to never forget our roots. Today the remains of the Royal Citadel of Messina, abandoned to vandals and the illegal construction, renovations and wait patiently for those who want to firm hope that our indifference does not make us lose this priceless heritage hopelessly and finally the competent authorities, after so many beautiful but useless words, we do something about it seriously. The Citadel is the ultimate strength duosiciliana Messina in Sicily, where our soldiers, knowing the futility of all their effort, they tried to defend the homeland, and demonstrate their loyalty to King Francis II against the invaders, Piedmont. They showed, in fact, their exploits that the soldier knew duosiciliano fight and die for an ideal, as opposed to the many betrayals and defections vile.
On 27 July 1820 some 2,500 partisans headed by Doctors and Fabrizi came to Messina, while the General Clary, commanding more than 15,000 men, obeying the orders of General Pianell, Secretary of War of the Two Sicilies, ordered his troops to retire at the Citadel, from where, by order of the Pianell always, it was about 11,000 board for Calabria, holding back a little more of 4,000 for the defense of the Citadel itself, thereby contravening the peremptory orders received. This was his direct testimony: "... 21 July a formal order of the Minister Pianell m'ingiungeva to withdraw my troops in Calabria, and to assign the two strong armed Castellaccio and Gonzaga in Garibaldi, not enough of this, I had to give with this chapter Syracuse, Augusta and the very citadel of Messina, said expecting the order of the minister, at this price that would allow the powers of Europe to ensure peace on the continent ... the orders of the minister repeated Pianell (who later served with the general levels of the army of Victor Emmanuel II) ... I allowed to enter relations with Mr Garibaldi, and consequently with Major General Medici, in order to agree with their way of evacuation of the city of Messina from the royal troops ... ... History will, I hope, an exact account of the conduct of the Minister Pianell disastrous in its business, it will tell you how he has prevented us soccorressimo Milazzo, as his orders I was constantly forced to abandon all plans of aggression, to keep in expectation ontos and lethargic. How and what combinations nasty, makes me miss all the resources they need in a general face of the enemy that he must fight, that was the intention of the minister, and what the evidence is that he had instructed Colonel of Staff Anzani to capitulate with Garibaldi, and in this chapter include the troops that General Clary had under his orders. " The same day, meanwhile, arrived at 3 pm Garibaldi Milazzo. On July 28, also arrived in Messina from Catania, Cosenza with another 5,000 partisans and General Clary signed an agreement for the sale of the City of Messina. A few days later, refusing to surrender the citadel to Garibaldi, as he had been told by Pianell, the Clary was relieved as commander of the Citadel and 9 August embarked for Naples. Clary left the Citadel and was invested with supreme command, General Ferguson, the agreement previously signed by Clary and regular medical relations between the Citadel and the city of Messina, in the hands of the partisans until the fall of Gaeta. At Messina he was from December 19, Piedmont Brigade "Pistoia", for a total of 109 officers and 3,867 soldiers under General Chiabrera, who had alternated with Garibaldi. The Chiabrera, which in two months had not taken any military action, 14 February avert the overall yield of Gaeta and Ferguson invited him to turn to arrendesi under the same conditions of Gaeta. Ferguson rejected the invitation. After this rejection, Feb. 27 arrived in Messina General Cialdini with four battalions of sharpshooters IV Corps, 6 Companies of Engineers, a regiment Infantry and artillery fort of 43 brand new rifled cannons and 12 mortars. The unexpected arrival of these troops provoked the indignation of General Ferguson who saw the convention not respected, but the resentment of the Cialdini Ferguson said: "... I do not consider you more as a soldier, but as a vile murderess ...". On March 1, at five o'clock, the truce that had lasted more than seven months and started the hostilities ceased. The Piedmont's first settled six batteries: Gemini, the Graveyard, the Bastion Secret, the Novitiate, S. And St. Cecilia Elia. On the same day from the port of Messina went off a French frigate, while they were still parked American and British ships. On March 5 began in the complete closure of the Citadel. On March 6, turned away from the port of Messina also British ships and 8 March Ferguson began shooting at the siege works of Piedmont. On March 10 a letter arrived from Rome of King Francis II to General Ferguson authorizing him to desist from the resistance, but the intrepid Ferguson said the day after shelling the batteries Piedmont also placed at the Novitiate, which was the nearest part of the city. The next day, while all the guns were firing at work duosiciliani siege of Piedmont, at eight precise groped for Ferguson ordered a sortie from Fort Don Blasco, was arrested but the action is the reaction of sharpshooters Piedmont, and by the concentration of all the enemy fire on the same Don Blasco strong fort which was the advanced of the Citadel. The power and double the range of the rifled cannon Piedmont reduced to a pile of rubble in a short time the old bastion, which was cleared by us and now occupied by the Piedmontese. The large deposit Nuremberg (filled with gunpowder) hit several times, caught fire, threatening to blow up. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Citadel, where they were also hospitalized more than 1,000 civilians (mostly women and children), was a barbaric bombardment. By Bourbon tried to lengthen the firing of cannons burying a part, but losing the right to target. But all in vain: the overwhelming superiority of enemy artillery to silence the guns soon forced duosiciliani. General Ferguson, despite the dramatic situation, refrained from bombing, on humanitarian grounds, from the Fort Sts. Salvatore and the Citadel, the city of Messina where trovavono Piedmontese troops and concentrated to yield the unnecessary fire of his guns on the batteries out of reach of Piedmont. Even the sea vessels Piedmont Vittorio Emanuele Alberto Carlo and fired many blanks, but without causing any harm, because the Admiral lost if he was cautiously far. At 5 pm on March 12 the town now reduced to silence raised the white flag 9 and surrendered at discretion. On March 13 at 7 am Cialdini head of the 35th infantry music and flag made its entrance into the citadel of Messina, declaring "prisoner" duosiciliana the garrison. The surrender was signed aboard the ship Mary Adelaide. The obtuse General Cialdini not even granted the honor of arms to the losers who had done their duty until the end and even when given the sword scornfully rejected General Elder Ferguson and told him in French (official language of the Kingdom of Sardinia): "Vous n'etes pas des italiens, Je vous cracherais the sour visage ...! (I spit in his face). Phrase that did die of a broken heart in Naples a few years Ferguson after the poor. The cavalry of the past shown by Ferguson was so rewarded by Cialdini, and the rest had already shown him to be a "good Italian" cowardly bombing with the notorious guns ruled the town of Gaeta already made and claiming the lives of thousands of innocent , "guilty" only to have remained faithful to the homeland and the King Francis II of Bourbon, from his exile in Rome, admired by the courage and loyalty from his troops at Messina, gave them a silver medal, specially struck in Rome , and a reasonable prize money. This was posted by Ferguson's farewell to his troops at 11 pm on March 12: "Officers, non-commissioned and soldiers, this is the last order that I address to you, and my hand trembles in the rod. When I took command of this fortress and all of you, sacred oath to defend to the end of this interesting site that fortified his Majesty the King had entrusted to our honor and our loyalty. You have truly seen it all we kept the oath, keeping loyalty, attachment and devotion to our beloved King Francis II. Immense have been the efforts for the space of five days they have made with our own artillery to destroy the works of attack that the enemy was building on the heights of the city of Messina and other sites yet, but caused little effect on our fire, because other masquerading as apartment buildings and objects are found occasionally. So the enemy taking advantage of its benefits to those made unnoticed most of its work. Shortly after the half day today and when exactly exhausted forces take some 'refreshment, à simultaneously opened fire against the formidable Royal Citadel, which reduced the A few hours in the state in which it seemed, in spite of the resistance that has been able to do with our own artillery is far lower than that of his. So that made it unnecessary seen any of our other means of defense, and because of that we were threatened by a fire broke out safe explosion of Nuremberg and its largest munitions storage stand also full of dust, if you do not you make a speedy remedy is applied twice by parliament for a truce to the enemy for a period of 24 hours. But when he saw what he had produced with his fire damage and the sad position where we were, to reject my application, and made me feel that we had to make a discretion, and if not so becoming, and not the answer you gave decisive for the 9 o'clock at night, he opened fire with the addition of other batteries that had not yet point to view the fortress. In this situation, the Board met on defense and also sentitone view, has been subjecting us to force the enemy as required. So against my will and yours, tomorrow will be the Piazza yield. This way, you never sold, but the fires that threaten us with him more than 1,000 women and children ill patients, and that you belong, and our unique position, because the European powers allowed àn aggression never read in the histories, and We hope we could not help from anyone whatsoever, year forced me to surrender. Yield to the force that overwhelmed by the superiority of the means and not by the value of the winners. Of course, our resistance would not have saved the monarchy, sacrificed with the surrender of Gaeta, and save that there remained only the military and national honor: and I flatter myself that the same enemy we will do justice to grant the pride, I hope that you me to do: agreeing that he had seen with you until the last inconvenience, hardship, and dangers. But I still have a duty to make and is to outsource all of you my heartfelt thanks and distinguished by its ability to each according to my views so well in defending this Real Citadel, locked up for about 8 months when we gave the greatest evidence of dedication and loyalty to our Sovereign Francis Augustus II. If we, however, particularly Messrs. General De Martino, and Combianchi Anguissola, Lt-Col. Recco, Captains Laconica, and Gennaro Di Lauria, and among all my chief of staff and officers of the same Mr. Lt. Col. Guillamat, Captain Knights and subordinates Gaeta and Brath. I will Thank you all very much, because all you have competed in the defense of the fortress. Please accept all my thanks to those who depart from a loyal and grateful heart. My brave companions in arms, in my long military career of 47 years and seen many ups and downs are not dissimilar to this, but sooner or later, or Providence has always made his righteousness shine when least expected, so we do not lose d ' mind, let us hope and trust in it happier days, which will compensate for the sad and painful that we have suffered. I had set out to put the foot of the Royal Throne my humble prayers to ask for special compensation to the munificence Sovereign to your attachment, your proven fidelity, but the doom of arms to prevent me and I share my pain with you all, but bring carved deeply into my soul the remembrance of you, of your faith. Your loyalty, your military courage. I do not know what will be my fate and yours in the future, but if my age I will be able to later review, it will always be a joy for me to shake hands with someone of the defenders of this Royal Fortress, to which neither threats nor dangers, nor flattery, nor the depraved examples, nor the men knew how to decline from the death of honor that only way is an incentive and reward the brave who fights for his king to win or die. Farewell my brave comrades! Goodbye! Misfortune divides us, our faith and loyalty was divided. And this does not ever bare with us, each of you bring carved in my heart the noble words, that the indissoluble knot united with our hapless but heroic King. Ferguson March 12, 1861. " On 14 March, having been requested several times by the flags of the Royal Citadel Torino, General Ferguson released a statement saying that they should have been six, but that they did not remain auctions that were being torn drapes as the last troops gesture of loyalty to King Francis II.
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