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Sardinia and the War - Part 4

© Herman Van Meir

Although the number of cholera cases started to decrease, the scourge still claimed victims, not least among the officers of the General Staff. On June 20th the staff officer Casati died, on July 2nd the commander of the Reserve Brigade, General Ansaldi. On July 5th the disease claimed the life of the the Sardinian Liaison Officer at French Headquarters, Captain Ansari di San Marzano. He was temporarily replaced by the Sardinian representative at British Headquarters, Captain Thaon di Revel, who had to combine the two functions.

Some days later La Marmora requested the Sardinian Government to appoint Captain Canera di Salasco as Liaison Officer to the French. Salasco was in the Crimea with the Novara Lancers. His father has been a friend of General Pélissier, and the latter had good memories of their old friendship. La Marmora’s suggestion was accepted but, the mills of government grind slowly, and Salasco's official nomination was delayed until October 13th.

By that time Revel himself had already been replaced. After Raglan’s death, his complete personal staff had returned to England aboard the ‘Caradoc’, and the atmosphere in British Headquarters had changed. Major Thaon di Revel, who had felt very comfortable with the British, in particular with Raglan’s personal staff, decided to go on convalesce to Constantinople; he was never to come back to the Crimea. On September 7th Captain Litta Modigliani replaced him.

From the start of July onwards the number of new cholera cases diminished, but those who survived needed a longer convalescence period. In order to give them a change in air, it was decided to send them, if they were considered strong enough to withstand the voyage, to the second line hospitals in Jenkoi. On July 2nd the ‘Governolo’ sailed for the Bosphorus with 90 convalescents including 10 officers. Among these were the Military Intendant Angioino, the Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant Colonel Petitti di Roreto, the Commander of the Engineering Corps Lieutenant Colonel Staglieni and the Commander of the Bersaglieri Lieutenant Colonel de Saint Pierre. Such loopholes in the Staff had to be filled, and Commissioner Muttoni, Major Della Rovere, Major Serra and Major Della Chiesa respectively replaced them. General Ansaldi was succeeded by Major-General De Cavero, nominated on July 9th, who took up his command only on September 2nd, after his own successor, Della Rovere, was freed of his duties as Chief-of-Staff. On August 2nd Col. Petitti returned from his convalescence period in Jeni Koi and took up his duties as Chief-of-Staff in General La Marmora’s headquarter.

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