Charles DeRudio
Encyclopedia
Charles Camillo DeRudio (August 26, 1832 – November 1, 1910) was an Italian
aristocrat, would-be assassin
of Napoleon III, and later a career U.S. Army officer who fought in the 7th U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
.
, Italy
. He was the son of Count and Countess Aquila di Rudio. (Shortly before his death, he was interviewed by Walter Mason Camp
, and showed him family records going back to 1680.) As a teenager, he attended an Austrian military academy in Milan
, today known as "Teuliè" military school. At the age of 15, di Rudio left to join the Italian patriots during the uprising in 1848, and participated in the defense of Rome
and, later, of Venice
against the Austrians. He was shipwrecked off Spain
in an aborted attempt to sail to America. By 1855, he was living in east London (England) and had married Eliza, the 15-year-old daughter of a confectionist. They eventually had three daughters and one son.
, three bombs were thrown at the royal precession of Emperor Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III). Eight people and a horse were killed and one hundred and fifty injured. Four men were arrested: Felice Orsini
, the leader of the plot, Giuseppi Pieri, Antonio Gomez, and a Portuguese beer salesman named "Da Selva," which turned out to be di Rudio. (See Felice Orsini
for details). Orsini and Pieri were guillotine
d on March 14 and Gomez was sentenced to life imprisonment
on Devil's Island
. di Rudio was initially condemned with Orsini and Pieri, but someone pled clemency for him and the sentence was commuted to life on Devil's Island. Several months later, he was with twelve others who escaped from the prison and made their way to British Guiana
. From there, di Rudio made his way back to London and his wife and went on the lecture circuit. His name was anglicized as 'Charles DeRudio'.
in 1860. He became a private in the 79th New York Volunteers ("Highlanders")
, serving about two months with them at the Siege of Petersburg
, Virginia
, between August 25 and October 17, 1864. On November 11, 1864, he was commissioned second lieutenant, 2nd U. S. Colored Infantry. DeRudio served with the 2d U.S.C.T. in Florida until honorably mustered out of service on January 5, 1866.
and received his commission as 2nd lieutenant
in the 2nd Infantry
on August 3, 1867. Three weeks later, he failed a physical and his appointment was canceled. (Also, the U.S. War Department discovered his previous 'political activity'.) But about a month later, he was back in uniform, where he remained until he became unassigned on April 17, 1869, as a result reduction of the size of the Army from 45 to 25 infantry regiments.
. Initially, he was assigned to Company H, commanded by Captain Frederick Benteen
. Benteen nicknamed DeRudio "Count No Account" because of his boastful story-telling and haughty manner. DeRudio's reputation among the more senior officers of the 7th, particularly those in the circle of Lt. Col. George A. Custer, however, was constantly disparaged.
Still, DeRudio apparently was a good officer, as historian Charles K. Mills wrote: "He was not a chronic drinker or gambler. He did not absent himself from his duty station for trivial reasons. He did not shirk duty assignments and, above all else, he patently knew what he was doing at the head of the column of enlisted men." DeRudio, now 43 years old, was promoted by seniority to first lieutenant on December 15, 1875, when promotions in other companies created an opening in Company E.
Since DeRudio was in actuality commanding Company E (its nominal commander, Capt. Charles S. Ilsley, was permanent aide-de-camp to General John Pope
at Fort Leavenworth
), he should have retained command when it took the field. However, Custer gave command of E company to a favorite of his, 1st Lt. Algernon Smith
of Company A, and placed DeRudio there as his replacement. Company A's commander, Captain Myles Moylan, apparently did not get along with DeRudio, who acted as Benteen's adjutant during the campaign. The changes doomed Smith to an early death and spared DeRudio's life.
's battalion. His company dismounted and fought in skirmish line against the Hunkpapa
and Oglala
warriors who rushed to defend their village from Reno's attack. Under pressure from growing numbers of warriors, Reno ordered a retreat back across the river, where DeRudio lost his horse and was left behind in the timber on the western bank. For thirty-six hours, DeRudio and Private Thomas O'Neill remained hidden, alternating hope and despair while witnessing the mutilation of dead soldiers by enraged Lakota women. Although the two soldiers had a couple of dangerous confrontations with the Indians, they were able to conceal themselves again and in the early hours of June 27 were finally able to cross the river, joining the Reno and Benteen command on Reno Hill.
DeRudio's story was first published in the New York Herald
on July 30, 1876, and reprinted in the Chicago Times
on August 2, 1876, with the headline, "A Thrilling Tale - Romance of the Battle of the Little Big Horn; DeRudio's Perilous Adventures - Graphic Details from the Pen of the Lieutenant - Alone in the Burning Woods." DeRudio later claimed he had not written the story, but had given information to Major James ('Grasshopper Jim') Brisbin of the 2nd Cavalry, who had elaborated his story and published it without DeRudio's consent.
Years later, in an interview with Walter Mason Camp
, DeRudio claimed that he had had the only saber at the Little Bighorn. (Perhaps unknown to him, 1st Lieutenant Edward Gustave Mathey with the pack train had kept his also, using it to kill snakes. And at least two Indians had sabers, having obtained them at the Battle of the Rosebud
.) He showed Camp a golden saber that had been a gift given to him by Company G in 1870. He had been scolded by Custer for accepting the present, and, perhaps as a matter of spite, had not surrendered his issued saber when the others had been packed up at the Powder River
Depot.
of 1877, assigned to reinforce Lt. Gustavus Doane
's detachment of the 2nd Cavalry patrolling the mountains after the Battle of Big Hole. On January 29–31, 1879, he testified before the Reno Court of Inquiry. DeRudio continued service with the 7th Cavalry, was promoted to captain on December 17, 1882, while stationed at Fort Meade, Dakota Territory. He later served at Fort Sam Houston
, Texas
, and at Fort Bayard
, New Mexico
.
He retired on August 26, 1896, in the grade of major
at San Diego, California
.
Charles DeRudio died in 1910 in Pasadena, California
, of bronchial catarrh
and acute enteritis
. His remains were cremated and interred in San Francisco National Cemetery
.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Xzik_j7Z2AcC&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
aristocrat, would-be assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Napoleon III, and later a career U.S. Army officer who fought in the 7th U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
.
Early life
Carlo di Rudio was born in BellunoBelluno
Belluno , is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about 100 kilometres north of Venice, Belluno is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomiti's region. With its roughly 37,000 inhabitants, it the largest populated area...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was the son of Count and Countess Aquila di Rudio. (Shortly before his death, he was interviewed by Walter Mason Camp
Walter Mason Camp
Walter Mason Camp was a respected editor, author, railroad expert and historical researcher.He was born in Camptown, Pennsylvania, and was educated at the Pennsylvania State College. From 1897 until his death, he was the editor of The Railway and Engineering Review a railroad construction and...
, and showed him family records going back to 1680.) As a teenager, he attended an Austrian military academy in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, today known as "Teuliè" military school. At the age of 15, di Rudio left to join the Italian patriots during the uprising in 1848, and participated in the defense of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and, later, of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
against the Austrians. He was shipwrecked off Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in an aborted attempt to sail to America. By 1855, he was living in east London (England) and had married Eliza, the 15-year-old daughter of a confectionist. They eventually had three daughters and one son.
Louis Napoleon
On January 14, 1858, during a visit to the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris OperaParis Opera
The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of Paris, France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique...
, three bombs were thrown at the royal precession of Emperor Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III). Eight people and a horse were killed and one hundred and fifty injured. Four men were arrested: Felice Orsini
Felice Orsini
Felice Orsini was an Italian revolutionary and leader of the Carbonari who tried to assassinate Napoleon III, Emperor of the French.-Early:Felice Orsini was born at Meldola in Romagna, then part of the Papal States....
, the leader of the plot, Giuseppi Pieri, Antonio Gomez, and a Portuguese beer salesman named "Da Selva," which turned out to be di Rudio. (See Felice Orsini
Felice Orsini
Felice Orsini was an Italian revolutionary and leader of the Carbonari who tried to assassinate Napoleon III, Emperor of the French.-Early:Felice Orsini was born at Meldola in Romagna, then part of the Papal States....
for details). Orsini and Pieri were guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
d on March 14 and Gomez was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
on Devil's Island
Devil's Island
Devil's Island is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut located about 6 nautical miles off the coast of French Guiana . It has an area of 14 ha . It was a small part of the notorious French penal colony in French Guiana until 1952...
. di Rudio was initially condemned with Orsini and Pieri, but someone pled clemency for him and the sentence was commuted to life on Devil's Island. Several months later, he was with twelve others who escaped from the prison and made their way to British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
. From there, di Rudio made his way back to London and his wife and went on the lecture circuit. His name was anglicized as 'Charles DeRudio'.
American Civil War
DeRudio immigrated to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1860. He became a private in the 79th New York Volunteers ("Highlanders")
79th New York Volunteer Infantry
The 79th New York Volunteer Infantry was a military regiment organized on June 20, 1859 in the state of New York. Prior to the American Civil War it was one of the three regiments which formed the Fourth Brigade of the First Division of the New York State Militia. The Fourth Brigade included the...
, serving about two months with them at the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, between August 25 and October 17, 1864. On November 11, 1864, he was commissioned second lieutenant, 2nd U. S. Colored Infantry. DeRudio served with the 2d U.S.C.T. in Florida until honorably mustered out of service on January 5, 1866.
Regular Army service
After his Civil War service, DeRudio requested appointment to the Regular ArmyRegular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
and received his commission as 2nd lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 2nd Infantry
2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for more than two hundred years. It is the third oldest regiment in the US Army with a Lineage date of 1808 and a history extending back to 1791...
on August 3, 1867. Three weeks later, he failed a physical and his appointment was canceled. (Also, the U.S. War Department discovered his previous 'political activity'.) But about a month later, he was back in uniform, where he remained until he became unassigned on April 17, 1869, as a result reduction of the size of the Army from 45 to 25 infantry regiments.
7th Cavalry
DeRudio received appointment to the 7th Cavalry on July 14, 1869, as a 37-year-old 2nd lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. Initially, he was assigned to Company H, commanded by Captain Frederick Benteen
Frederick Benteen
Frederick William Benteen was a military officer during the American Civil War and then during the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne. He is notable for being in command of a battalion of the 7th U. S...
. Benteen nicknamed DeRudio "Count No Account" because of his boastful story-telling and haughty manner. DeRudio's reputation among the more senior officers of the 7th, particularly those in the circle of Lt. Col. George A. Custer, however, was constantly disparaged.
Still, DeRudio apparently was a good officer, as historian Charles K. Mills wrote: "He was not a chronic drinker or gambler. He did not absent himself from his duty station for trivial reasons. He did not shirk duty assignments and, above all else, he patently knew what he was doing at the head of the column of enlisted men." DeRudio, now 43 years old, was promoted by seniority to first lieutenant on December 15, 1875, when promotions in other companies created an opening in Company E.
Since DeRudio was in actuality commanding Company E (its nominal commander, Capt. Charles S. Ilsley, was permanent aide-de-camp to General John Pope
John Pope (military officer)
John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the East.Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in...
at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
), he should have retained command when it took the field. However, Custer gave command of E company to a favorite of his, 1st Lt. Algernon Smith
Algernon Smith
Algernon Emory Smith was an officer in the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment who was killed in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory....
of Company A, and placed DeRudio there as his replacement. Company A's commander, Captain Myles Moylan, apparently did not get along with DeRudio, who acted as Benteen's adjutant during the campaign. The changes doomed Smith to an early death and spared DeRudio's life.
Battle of the Little Bighorn
On June 25, 1876, however, DeRudio was with Company A and crossed the Little Bighorn River as part of Major Marcus RenoMarcus Reno
Marcus Albert Reno was a career military officer in the American Civil War and in the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne...
's battalion. His company dismounted and fought in skirmish line against the Hunkpapa
Hunkpapa
The Hunkpapa are a Native American group, one of the seven council fires of the Lakota Sioux tribe. The name Húŋkpapȟa is a Sioux word meaning "Head of the Circle"...
and Oglala
Oglala
Oglala may refer to:* Oglala Lakota, or Oglala Sioux, a Sioux Nation sub-band of the Western division * The Oglala National Grassland of Nebraska* Oglala, South Dakota, a town located in Shannon County, South Dakota...
warriors who rushed to defend their village from Reno's attack. Under pressure from growing numbers of warriors, Reno ordered a retreat back across the river, where DeRudio lost his horse and was left behind in the timber on the western bank. For thirty-six hours, DeRudio and Private Thomas O'Neill remained hidden, alternating hope and despair while witnessing the mutilation of dead soldiers by enraged Lakota women. Although the two soldiers had a couple of dangerous confrontations with the Indians, they were able to conceal themselves again and in the early hours of June 27 were finally able to cross the river, joining the Reno and Benteen command on Reno Hill.
DeRudio's story was first published in the New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
on July 30, 1876, and reprinted in the Chicago Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
on August 2, 1876, with the headline, "A Thrilling Tale - Romance of the Battle of the Little Big Horn; DeRudio's Perilous Adventures - Graphic Details from the Pen of the Lieutenant - Alone in the Burning Woods." DeRudio later claimed he had not written the story, but had given information to Major James ('Grasshopper Jim') Brisbin of the 2nd Cavalry, who had elaborated his story and published it without DeRudio's consent.
Years later, in an interview with Walter Mason Camp
Walter Mason Camp
Walter Mason Camp was a respected editor, author, railroad expert and historical researcher.He was born in Camptown, Pennsylvania, and was educated at the Pennsylvania State College. From 1897 until his death, he was the editor of The Railway and Engineering Review a railroad construction and...
, DeRudio claimed that he had had the only saber at the Little Bighorn. (Perhaps unknown to him, 1st Lieutenant Edward Gustave Mathey with the pack train had kept his also, using it to kill snakes. And at least two Indians had sabers, having obtained them at the Battle of the Rosebud
Battle of the Rosebud
The Battle of the Rosebud occurred June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Native Americans during the Black Hills War...
.) He showed Camp a golden saber that had been a gift given to him by Company G in 1870. He had been scolded by Custer for accepting the present, and, perhaps as a matter of spite, had not surrendered his issued saber when the others had been packed up at the Powder River
Powder River (Montana)
Powder River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, approximately long in the southeastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming in the United States. It drains an area historically known as the Powder River Country on the high plains east of the Bighorn Mountains.It rises in three forks in eastern...
Depot.
Later service
DeRudio commanded a re-constituted Company E during the Nez Perce WarNez Perce War
The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict between the Nez Perce and the United States government fought in 1877 as part of the American Indian Wars. After a series of battles in which both the U.S. Army and native people sustained significant casualties, the Nez Perce surrendered and were relocated...
of 1877, assigned to reinforce Lt. Gustavus Doane
Gustavus Cheyney Doane
Gustavus Cheyney Doane was a U.S. Army Cavalry Captain, explorer, inventor and Civil War soldier who played a prominent role in the exploration of Yellowstone as a member of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition.-Early life:...
's detachment of the 2nd Cavalry patrolling the mountains after the Battle of Big Hole. On January 29–31, 1879, he testified before the Reno Court of Inquiry. DeRudio continued service with the 7th Cavalry, was promoted to captain on December 17, 1882, while stationed at Fort Meade, Dakota Territory. He later served at Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and at Fort Bayard
Fort Bayard
Fort Bayard may refer to:* Fort Bayard, the city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province, China*Fort Bayard Historic District, a frontier fort in New Mexico* Fort Bayard National Cemetery, at Fort Bayard, New Mexico...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
He retired on August 26, 1896, in the grade of major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
at San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.
Charles DeRudio died in 1910 in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, of bronchial catarrh
Catarrh
Catarrh is a disorder of inflammation of the mucous membranes in one of the airways or cavities of the body. It can result in a thick exudate of mucus and white blood cells caused by the swelling of the mucous membranes in the head in response to an infection...
and acute enteritis
Enteritis
In medicine, enteritis, from Greek words enteron and suffix -itis , refers to inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by the ingestion of substances contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, dehydration and fever...
. His remains were cremated and interred in San Francisco National Cemetery
San Francisco National Cemetery
San Francisco National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the city....
.
See also
Pictures and good background information on DeRudio in "Alien Horseman: an Italian Shavetail with Custer"http://books.google.com/books?id=Xzik_j7Z2AcC&source=gbs_navlinks_s