Charles Camillo DeRudio (born Carlo Camillo Di Rudio; August 26, 1832 – November 1, 1910) was an
Italian aristocrat, would-be
assassin
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
of
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
, and later a career
U.S. Army officer who fought in the
7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment at the
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota people, Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Si ...
.
Early life
Carlo di Rudio was born in
Belluno
Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...
, 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
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, today known as
Military School "Teulié". 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 (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, and, later of
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
, against the Austrians. He was shipwrecked off
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
in an aborted attempt to sail to America. By 1855, he was living in the east end of London and had married Eliza, the 15-year-old daughter of a confectioner. They eventually had three daughters and two sons.
French imprisonment
On January 14, 1858, during a visit to the
Salle Le Peletier
The Salle Le Peletier or Lepeletier (sometimes referred to as the Salle de la rue Le Peletier or the Opéra Le Peletier) was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and con ...
of the
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...
, three bombs were thrown at the royal procession of Emperor
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
. Eight people and a horse were killed and one hundred and fifty injured. Four men were arrested:
Felice Orsini
Felice Orsini (; ; 10 December 1819 – 13 March 1858) was an Italian revolutionary and leader of the '' Carbonari'' who tried to assassinate Napoleon III, Emperor of the French.
Early life
Felice Orsini was born at Meldola in Romagna, th ...
, the leader of the plot, Giuseppi Pieri, Antonio Gomez, and a Portuguese beer salesman named "Da Selva," who turned out to be di Rudio. (See
Orsini affair for details). Orsini and Pieri were
guillotine
A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...
d on March 14 and Gomez was sentenced to
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...
on
Devil's Island
The penal colony of Cayenne ( French: ''Bagne de Cayenne''), commonly known as Devil's Island (''Île du Diable''), was a French penal colony that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, and officially closed in 1953, in the Salvation Islan ...
. Di Rudio was initially condemned with Orsini and Pieri, but someone pleaded
clemency for him and the sentence was commuted to life on
Devil's Island
The penal colony of Cayenne ( French: ''Bagne de Cayenne''), commonly known as Devil's Island (''Île du Diable''), was a French penal colony that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, and officially closed in 1953, in the Salvation Islan ...
. Several months later, he and twelve others escaped from the prison and made their way to
British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...
. From there, di Rudio made his way back to London and his wife and went on the lecture circuit. His name was
anglicized
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
as 'Charles DeRudio'.
American Civil War
DeRudio immigrated to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in 1860. He became a private in the
79th New York Infantry Regiment, serving about two months with them at the
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. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, between August 25 and October 17, 1864. On November 11, 1864, he was commissioned
second lieutenant,
2nd U. S. Colored Infantry Regiment. DeRudio served with the 2nd 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 Army
A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following:
* a ...
and received his commission as
2nd lieutenant in the
2nd Infantry Regiment 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 of the reduction of the size of the Army from 45 to 25 infantry regiments.
7th Cavalry
DeRudio received appointment to the
7th Cavalry Regiment
The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...
on July 14, 1869, as a 37-year-old
2nd lieutenant. 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, 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
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
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
Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
), 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 moved DeRudio to Company A 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, DeRudio was with Company A and crossed the Little Bighorn River as part of Major
Marcus Reno
Marcus Albert Reno (November 15, 1834 – March 30, 1889) was a United States career military officer. He served in the American Civil War where he was a combatant in major battles, and later under George Armstrong Custer in the Great Sioux War a ...
's battalion. His company dismounted and fought in skirmish line against the
Hunkpapa
The Hunkpapa (Lakota: ) are a Native American group, one of the seven council fires of the Lakota tribe. The name ' is a Lakota word, meaning "Head of the Circle" (at one time, the tribe's name was represented in European-American records as ...
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
Lakota may refer to:
*Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes
*Lakota language
Lakota ( ), also referred to as Lakhota, Teton or Teton Sioux, is a Siouan languages, Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people of ...
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.
Later service
DeRudio commanded a re-constituted Company E during the
Nez Perce War 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
Fort Sam Houston is a United States Army, U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.
"Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview), US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam", it is named for the first president o ...
,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, and at
Fort Bayard,
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
.
He retired on August 26, 1896, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 64, at
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. On April 23, 1904, he was promoted to the rank of
major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
on the retired list, in recognition of his service in the Union Army during the Civil War.
DeRudio was a Companion of the California Commandery of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...
.
Charles DeRudio died in 1910 in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
, of
bronchial catarrh and
acute enteritis. His remains were cremated and interred in
San Francisco National Cemetery.
References
New York Herald account of DeRudio's experiences at Little Bighorn* Connell, Evan S., ''Son of the Morning Star: Custer And The Little Bighorn.'' (1985)
* Hammer, Ken, ed., ''Custer in '76: Walter Camp's Notes on the Custer Fight.'' Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1976.
* Jesse, F. Tennyson, ''Murder and Its Motives''. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. - Dolphin Books, 1924, 1958, 1965.
I. "Murder From Conviction: Orsini", p. 216-240.* Marino, Cesare R., Dal Piave al Little Bighorn: La Straordinaria Storia del Conte Carlo Camillo Di Rudio, Da Cospiratore Mazziniano e Complice di Orsini a Ufficiale Nel 7.̊ Cavalleria Del Generale Custer (1996).
* Packe, Michael St. John, ''Orsini, The Story of a Conspirator.'' Boston, Toronto: Little Brown and Company, c1957.
eRudio's involvement is shown throughout the book, but on page 282 his escape and later career are mentioned, and a reference to his memoirs - which Packe finds questionable.* Thompson, J. M., ''Louis Napoleon and the Second Empire.'' New York: Columbia University Press, c1955, 1983.
hapter VI., p. 176-180; It gives the casualty rate in the attack., (pbk.)
* Williams, Roger L., ''Manners and Murders in the World of Louis-Napoleon.'' Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, c1975.
hapter 3: Felice Orsini's Defenders, p. 68-92; These deal with the conspiracy and trial and DeRudio's sentence.
* Guietti, Mirco, Il fiore della Libertà (2024)
External links
Pictures and good background information on DeRudio in "Alien Horseman: an Italian Shavetail with Custer"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Derudio, Charles
1832 births
1910 deaths
United States Army officers
People of the Great Sioux War of 1876
Italian prisoners sentenced to death
Italian people imprisoned abroad
Prisoners sentenced to death by France
Italian people convicted of murder
People convicted of murder by France
Infectious disease deaths in California
Devil's Island inmates
Italian emigrants to the United States
People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
Italian escapees
Escapees from French detention
Battle of the Little Bighorn
Italian exiles
Union army officers
People of the First Italian War of Independence
Burials at San Francisco National Cemetery
Foreign nationals imprisoned in France