A PEEP INTO BRIGANDAGE.
[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
Rome, September 23, 1865.
I HAVE no pretensions to furnish you with stirring stories of brigandage that can take the flavour off the narrative we may expect from Mr. Moens. That gentleman has been looking upon the epic scenes of brigandage—on brigandage making what may be considered its grange guerre—while I can boast of no more than of having succeeded in peeping a little into the back-slums of this mode of life—in getting a glimpse of brigandage when waiting in undress within its hiding-place for an occasion to sally forth. My brigandage was in barrack; and not on a war footing, but what I think I got a shrewd glimpse at, is a matter that has often been de- bated, and has as often puzzled people, namely, the manner how this same institution lived when at home, how it contrived to defy all repression, how it existed in those seasons when, like the marmot, it went apparently to sleep, suddenly to surprise its pursuers by jumping to life again when least expected. All this, which here- tofore seemed so mysterious, is now quite intelligible to me since I have been favoured with this peep at brigandage at home. But to get this insight no amount of questioning in Rome will suffice. You never will learn there anything positive on this head ; all your inquiries in that quarter will only bewilder you with contra- dictory statements. To learn the truth you must wander about
the mountains, and this can be done with certain arrangements in the very heart of Brigand Land, without being necessarily victim- ized like Mr. Moens. I have just returned from such an excur- sion, during which I visited the convents of Trisulti and Casamari, and what I have seen appears to me sufficiently curious to be worth recounting.
We were two who left Rome in a broiling heat a few days ago, on an expedition which we were told was one of madmen, although no one could tell us exactly the precise perils we were about to rush upon. The first point we made for was the curious old town of Alatri, famous for its Cyclopean citadel, and rich in choice bits of medimval architecture. The town lies seven miles from Frosinone, at the opening of a wild glen, which runs up the mountains separat- ing the Papal from the Neapolitan provinces, and at the upper end of which, some two thousand feet above the level of the sea, is nestled the great Carthusian monastery of Trisulti, like a highland citadel in a forlorn nook, embosomed in a mighty forest, flanked on one side by a beetling wall of crags such as goats alone are at home on, and on the other by a ravine. Here at Alatri we immediately found that we had got into a different latitude from Rome. Brigandage was no more a vague metaphor, men spoke of it with a knowledge that comes from personal and daily experience. A French garri- son lies at Alatri, and I remember the sensation created when it was sent there. This measure was adopted a couple of years ago, when the French authorities obtained damniug evidence that here was the regular point of passage for convoys of men and stores up to the bands then led by Chiavone. The occupation gave rise to angry altercations with the Pope's Government, but the French persisted, and they said much about the fatal blow they had dealt to brigandage by seizing this key to its camping-grounds. Well, the first thing that struck me in the replies I got to my inquiries about the means for prosecuting the proposed journey up to Trisulti, was the tone of common-place indifference with which people spoke to the fact of brigands being on the mountains, just as if they were about as insignificant appendages as the beggars who beset the high road, and of equally general assurance that if we only kept clear of French uniforms we had no molestation to fear from them. Against the French all agreed the brigands were violently exasperated, and to go in company with their soldiers would be, we were told, to provoke disagreeable adventures. But accompanied by pontifical gensdarmes, it was the decided opinion of local experience that we could proceed safely into the regions of what were represented to be rather poor devils than dare-devils. This prevailing tone of half-suppressed good-fellowship with these outlaws, this confident assumption that they would not molest any but French soldiers, was curiously suggestive in itself from the first. Whatever might be the reason for their confidence, it was evident that for local authorities the brigands were not objects of dread, although the French detachments located for the repression of lawlessness were undisguisedly butts for sarcasm and much fer- menting ill-will.
Furnished by favour with an escort of three Papal gensdarmes, we accordingly started for Trisulti. They were picked men, and had been stationed for some time in these parts. I found them intelligent, and during three days' intercourse satisfied myself as to their truthfulness. They answered my inquiries without mys-
tery. The mountain sides were habitually the hiding-places of bands, that came, and went, and fluctuated much in numbers. The French were attacked by them on every possible occasion, because the French harassed and worried them. But the Papal gensdarmes were left unmolested, for as their numbers were too
small to take the field, they left the brigands at peace, unless they stumbled on them in some flagrant position that could not be over- looked. But this, it was ingenuously remarked, happened rarely, for the brigands systematically avoided doing anything against the inhabitants of the Papal States, and reserved their action for harrying expeditions into the Neapolitan territory. Then they brought back their booty, generally flocks, and their prisoners, whom they kept for ransoms, to the mountains, where they were freely furnished with supplies by the peasantry. On this last head no kind of doubt was thrown, and the people of Collepardo, a hamlet we passed through, were particularly mentioned as whole- sale sympathizers. I was told, and this was confirmed from various sides, including Freud' officers, that the brigands now abroad, although fewer than they were, and reduced to the status of mere depredators, without political feelings, are much better armed than formerly. They are well supplied with double-barrelled guns and revolvers. At present there are two captains in these parts- Cabessi, and Fuoco who is the most formidable. The latter, my gensdarmes said, had gone, a couple of days ago, on an expedition. If we met any brigands, they would belong therefore to Cabessi's company. Both these chiefs, however, were thought very inferior to Chiavone, who has grown here into a popular hero. Indeed myth is already springing up around him, for the peasantry believe that he has not been shot by Tristany, and that he will again appear amongst them. My gensdarmes spoke of Chiavone with evi- dent admiration of his prowess. It was not, however, our fate on this day to see aught of Cabessi or Fuoco, and we reached after sunset the convent, where our letters secured us a most hospitable reception. At supper the sub-prior kept us company, and here, again, the conversation turned as wholly on the incidents of the brigand campaigning in these parts as it would naturally on war in a neighbourhood that was its scene. There was no mistake,—for the dwellers in these regions all interest lay centred in the vicissitudes and adventures which attended the mutual operations of the brigands and their pursuers. Certainly the former were not described as very wicked fellows, while I could not gather that it was the impression that the French detachment quartered in the monastery could boast of much success.
This detachment is changed every four months, and consists of half a company. I made the acquaintance of the commander, who accompanied me to the site of the first foundation of the monks, a ruined church, not above a quarter of a mile in the forest, in a wildly romantic spot. To my astonishment, he said that it would not be prudent to go further without protection, for we risked being taken unawares in an ambuscade, and then he told me the following occurrences. Five days before two of his soldiers, carry- ing the correspondence for Alatri, had been seized, bound, and stripped on the very path we had come up, and were on the point of being shot when the brigands were scared by the unexpected appearance of a detachment coming up from Alatri. A fortnight before, a French priest, bent on visiting holy places, had come here with the same wish as ourselves, to go from here across to the Trappist convent of Casamari by the mountains, so as to save a round of many miles. Out of kindness a French escort of fifteen men accompanied him for protection. Scarcely had the party reached a spot pointed out to us on the opposite side of the ravine, when the detachment found itself surrounded by a swarm of brigands, that popped up from behind the rocks and trees, and it was obliged to fall back upon the succours that hurried over from Trisulti. But, when they came, the brigands had disappeared up crags amongst which it was impossible for a handful of men to follow them. The officer affirmed that on a mountain he indicated there were then several hundred stolen head of goats and cattle, brought from over the border. To recover them would require more forces than he had. I was indeed at a loss to conceive what military purpose so small a detachment could possibly serve in this position, unless it were - to watch the friars. While we were standing together, a shepherd came down from the mountain and reported to the officer the arrival in the night of a numerous band from a marauding expe- dition, with booty and three prisoners. The shepherd had seen and spoken with them, and gave his report in a very credible manner. As we meant to go precisely through the part where these brigands were said to be, this looked rather uncomfortable. But at dinner our friend the sub-prior treated all fear of molesta- tion very lightly. " If you meet them, you need not be afraid; they will talk with you, and then let you pass on." And he re- counted how, having visited lately a farmstead of the convent's, he saw from the window armed men hanging about suspiciously. The farmer at once calmed his alarm by saying, " It is only Cabessi ; I know him ; he won't do you any harm," whereupon ho went out and fetched Cabessi up, who had a long gossip with the sub-prior. "You need not be alarmed therefore, my friends," were the parting words given us. "You are safely re- commended; nothing will happen to you ; only mind you must not be persuaded into taking any red-legs along with you." The sight of a French uniform evidently has the same effect on brigand nerves that a red cloth has on a bull. Also the officer in commandobserved to me that the difference between the former and present state of things was this, that whereas formerly the brigands gave the French a wide berth, they now actually seek every opportunity for falling on them at advantage.
I am afraid that the sequel of my narrative will sadly disappoint any reader who may still expect to find something stirring. My adventures were of a most inoffensive kind. It is indeed a wild and rugged mountain pass we followed from Trisulti to Casamari, a tract as if made by nature for hiding-places to defy pursuit. After toiling first down and then up the steep sides of the before- mentioned ravine, we reached the spot where the French detach- ment had been waylaid and beaten back. Here we found ourselves in a kind of mountain plain, quite circular in shape, and just by a dense forest, stretching up the precipitous rocks. At the end opposite to the one at which we entered the way out of this plain was through a narrow gorge. A lonely barn or two were the only signs of human habitation ; one of these was on the left, at the very skirt of the forest. As we wound along, a man peering curiously was seen craning round this stone build- ing, like a scout on the watch. Then he came forward for a mo- ment, and the next instant vanished into the denseness of the forest. "Did you see him?" said one of my gensdarmes to the other. "Who was it?" asked I. "A vedette of the brigands," was the reply. We were at a fountain, and my companion stopped to slake his thirst, when there appeared, wherefrom I cannot say, but right amongst us, a swarthy-looking fellow of strange mien. He eyed us, stayed a few minutes, and vanished. My gendarmes made an observation amongst themselves. Immediately after- wards a shot fell in the wood to our left, and its echo rang through the rooks, when in a few minutes the buzz and sound of hurrying voices succeeded, and were heard from knoll to knoll. It was a signal that had been given, and had been answered. We. were telegraphed up to the brotherhood, and the brotherhood was content to let us pass in peace. At least we saw no more of them, and reached, as prophesied, without molestation the Trappist sanctuary of Casamari, where occurred in 1862 a regular pitched battle between Chiavone and the Italian troops, who occupied the monastery in consequence. I will not weary you with repetitions. All I heard at Casamari and other places confirmed my former impressions. The brigandage which is now afoot is contemptible as a political organization, but it is formidable as a social scourge, for it is in a condition to defy all the measures which are supposed to be meant for its suppression. I do not discuss how far bri- gandage is kept alive by a prevalent system of sympathizing assistance extended by the peasantry of the neighbourhood. But I maintain that the distribution of French troops in driblets of half companies and small detachments in isolated posts is perfectly useless for any active operations against the brigands in their real fastnesses—their camping-grounds on the mountains. To effect anything there needs a large body of troops and combined movements. I do not say that even then it will be easy to extir- pate these outlaws, but I do say that with the present system nothing whatever can be achieved, except perhaps to establish an espionage within the precincts of certain convents, and even this is probably not always complete. Such is at least my im- pression.
One word to any one who might feel tempted to follow my steps, and visit spots too little visited by the shoal of tourists. No site will better repay the traveller, but I do not wish to have it on my conscience that I was the cause of an unfortunate country- man getting himself carried off to the mountains. I believe that it would be rash to roam about those regions without precaution. Alone, without protection and particular recommendations, I doubt our having got safe from Trisulti to Casamari, for although the brigands are shrewd enough not to molest the residents in the Pope's States as they viciously molest those over the border, they have no scruples about carrying off for ransom a stray foreigner, even though he be but an artist. If I mu asked what may be the precautions that had best be taken, all I can say is, that to judge from personal experience, it will be found desirable to escape the imputation of French or English nationality, and that your pass- port will be the gainer in weight if you are supposed to be a sympathizer with political legitimacy. An accident made your humble servant obtain unconsciously the benefit of such a re- putation, and to this I greatly attribute my having been able to see and hear many curious things.
A LoolEu-Ox.
Previous page
