W A LK I R'IS

.LAST CAMPAIGN

I N

CENTRAL AVIR'IOA

H. 0. L A

1881

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1295

WAIRMR'S LAST OAWAZON IN CFTlfRAL AMMtICA

I deaa but little apology neeessar for my appearance before you

to night. I aa hee not in eceordanee with my oan wish. Simply at the

requAt of otherend t a willingnses to contribute y feeble efforts In

th laudable cause for whieh we are assembled* And I know you will par-

don as it I atk your fullest indulgence for my short covtings of which no

one is more oonstous than myself.

I also ask you to exonerate me from a*y charge of egotite if I

frequently use the pronoun first because tbe expedition on which these

remarks ar founded was rather a disreputable one secondly because I wea

an unimportant member of it, having never risen higher than the rank of

Lanes Corporal and that but one, and for a very short tine

In order to the better understanding of my subject "Gen. Walkers

last Campain in Central Aerioa" I will state that he bad been oenaged

in three former expeditions landing each tima in Nicaragua, in the last

of which he was for a time suooessful, landing with but 52 aen around

which as a nauoleu he collected a snall army befor he could be driven

out, he marched into the interior, gained victories of sumh importance as

to allow him to dictate a peace, when declaring himself a Citizen of the

SlRepublie, he ordered an election and by means probably too well in our
3 own country caused himself to be elected President.

Uneasy atts the head that wears a crown" Certainly Walkes short
C)
I tincuabeney was no exception to the rule. being a foreigner be Bas natur.-

ally distasteful to the people, and soon a large party in opposition him

C was formed in his own state, which unpopular and exasperating legislation

o rapidly increased. Added too this other measures bad aroused the hoa-

tility of the adjoining republics of San Salvador Honduras and Costa Ries

who forming a coalition among themselves united to the disaffected -arty

10 8 112

8
tropteal paradise but who found to their hnorm before the end, a rifle

instead of a hoe thrut into their reluctent bands.

Iat of the above report howere was true it was the iantsnt i of

the nagish to o*ee oa etan to Hondras atter which Walker inteaned as

the IsUlan fro its voleane fotrmaton as but thinly settled, and but

little resistance oou~l be mad to it, to tm a ea there for the ool-

leotion, drilling, and illitaTry oanisation of his fbroes which could

not be done in the U. S. The confiditg imegrents were seat forward from

tim to tiAe in mall squads on fruit sohoone eand without molestation

from the Cov. ofieer. Some show of search was made on the departure

of the last sohr on board whih I was but as we were quite a peaceable

lookIng set, our rifles being peeked in boxes and marked agricultual

iaplemient, our anunitison ied Piekles seemed to vte perfect eatis-

ftetion to the Lt of the Revenue Cutter who boarded us.

On our arrival at Rutan we found that a complete bea oe bad been

made Imperative for the further oondunt of the expedition the Hondumn-

ean 0ov having been apprised at Walke intended invasion bad asked and

obtained a longer retention of that Island by the English who had or-

dred Walker to immediately withdraw his omn from there. This nsoessi-

tated an entire alteration of the original plan and the adoption of

measure which certainly seemed both desperate and hopeless. the men

were accordingly embarked on the two aobre then in the Bay.

Up to this time but 7 man Including the On himself ad been sent

donm. with this sell free after crulaing a few days to give the maa

what preliminary drilling and military instrotion could be done on the

narrow confines of a Soh* deck, it was determined to attempt the cap-

tar of Trutflo a city of several thousand inhabitant eand protected by

a strong ort. Shortly after dak on the night appointed we sailed into

the Bay and case to anchor about three look in the morning off the

4

rn a taie aboea the diseibreatian we effected In 4 large whale boats,
a we wee Ialingt for the shorw we w a feocibly reainde that the attack

ma not to be a surprise a flash ia the dist monlight maing tollome

by a ror a fas and a splash in the wate s ar the lead boat told but

too plaaily of the hot a aka hetd,

Bat it is not ar attention here to gie any detallae dweription of

a battle, the leading sema asd features are pretty nah the saem in

all, tat ualtortatoly tho bloody event of the fw years past in ow on

Iaat have ado these doseriptions as ftiliar to u s a household weo- s

nowe er I r lber to this day the powerful impression the overeat of that

aornnL g rado upon wme as I befe stated others had joaine the expeition

ignorant of its real character, but as to nyselt I did so fully ootaisant
of objet, actuated only by a foolish spirit of adventure an as we ad-

sreaod in a hurried charge up the beaoh shooting doa tho picset guard as

we wet, the plaintive and agonizeod re and prayers of the poor natives

writhing in mortal torture, brought to me with almost owaverwhelainga t

the enomity and oruelty of the undertaking in hteih I was assisting, ln-

flieting war and death on a peaceful eonmtry without justice or o oas but

of the whim of an aaventurer,

Harevr it was no tlme thon for moalising or to rive to regrets -

the eomrat awept fbward, reached the fort whioh was captured after a

reisltanee rprifingly feeble when the strength of the Tortifa i tion is

eo aildeed Indaed we afterwaots heard 'alkers movements had been oare-

fully watehed and a fore of several hunred soldiers gathered to rswat

his attack, but tush was the terror of Walker nem that after the first

fiaiag on the Pickets the wildest alarm prelvetd and all discipline was

lost I knew as I entered the gate of the 7ort there wenr not moer than

half a dos into who wear rapidly asking thera e eap ovea the opposite

well. Morasng showed a result whieh seamed certainly impossible of eO-

8
eImpsiamst bry u a snel tody of Bi we vre tin possession of a

t hieh i ar eoaeflaet we oul easily held agatait a thoumat and ti

id t of a city now elast Cempletely deserted halh must bhve bad -Wr-

eal thouad ithaabitants..

Having aptrl i Truuillo the Goal set rapidly to work to proviwto

the taS ftas the sebr ount amoe ea*on and to prmpr generally far a

site oat to alsk it a base for solleottSag a avr to intlmd the interior,

to aooUIplis this with the Ill fbrom at eonmd and madiatl tMh aeo-

*siaWy gaW, stalled ans asnot of fatigue and los ofat sle whioh I
trust it will arrev be ar evil fortu agein to edWe,

w oeeupansy of the Fart how r was destined not to ,be distwrb

by ean atta ek fr the nttie tLoop, the proevitons at amse halrag

besa traBafrret fro the steh they were seat beek to the T1.t for ro-

intoreasnts. Garrison life hwee ontinue untaruptod about a momth Uheb

an evet oo ured dhteh rendered a sooesoful itsue to the expedition
hopeless.

At the expiration o the time above mentioned the nol ish set (sie)

of Wav leam stoeamd into th port ant at dark topped eanhor uWnde thI

g~ns of the art. This was imedlatly tollawed by a demaa for Oe

Walker surrender. An itwedlatot coliane was evaded by a request, to

be allowed until 10 o'clock next maonin for ooneidertion,

I auIt oontQ~ to betag ignorent to e thhi ay of te reasons W&al

bat for thinking he could escape inteurftren by the diffreajt ovesraents,

mwhoe duty it as mutually to protect the neutrality laws on the three

forer ooessions h hhad bee captured for intri~agen g theft laws, twice

by the VU S* and one by the ngliis, now here far the fourth tim he

was mt with the same ehAare. S fatal to his designs

It ma reported before we left the State thtt be hatd lre reie as

Isuae, that as he oleIned to be a estis end ahat been elected Preel-

"' ~~"`rrrr~- --rlt~~--r-391ra

deat eat SlursM e, 1Foa ,tiel offls hbe ba been tdrien by an invasion

of the adjoinfi States, that he woatU ot be molested in any attept he

eboula in ra Jganig his authority. The eman now mod however

ahowe thlis report unfunded. The demand also haakge entirely the

Oet eter of the expedition, Be *ould now only be prisoner or tugl-

tive fr the ftltsh as well as an enemy to Hondurs on whose soil he

use.

Walker concluded to risk the dealers of as attempt to escape rather

than enoounte those of a urrender. The subordinates of the eoosmnd of

oomur knew nothing of the object o the present of the Brtis b Man of

War or of the result of the conference between its Capt and OGn Walker*

Instead of aittin until morning as he agreed, the oeamad was

mastered at midnight the guards drawn in, extra ammunition distributed,

a few raekers given eaoh man, and the fort wa silently evaeuted.

In charge of a guide who proved totally incompetent the mardh as

somnenoed for the Mosquito Territory. Five miles up the Sea Coast in

gotng aroud. a large Lagoon which ran sno distance into the interior,

the gidet proved at fault, ard the wrong route was taken, four day after-

wards found ust thirty alles fro the coast lost -* en aln et completely

prostrated by huner and fatigue. Onh r o the mi g of the fourth day we

cam to a river on the opposite side of whih we saw a stall leering end

ona Indian Bamboo huts. Seoreteing the and sending on to the bank who

spoke Spanish (the language of the country) the owner with his boat waa

decoyed over, amd the eonrsnd transferred to the opposite side.

Were we were fortunate enough to secure a supply of Jerked beet end

plainteaine whih nade the day of ret and plenty which followed one long

remmebered by the half fatlshed soldiers. The next day while oookifg

breiafast preparatory to continuexin the arch we were attacked from all

sides by the enem who had followed us. A short sharp engasgrmt ensued

ins l we -aNttnr o verly betwo t*y eou be dries ott. fThi de-

lS the osatiaman the Mw ai waMUtil altfPall. ommadtely on our
arrival tVe Ibn n wt yeo t the paW hadt been tied and kept unde

guar to b seed es a suit.. Paig the day sone bwes ae witn A

woe lso seewd
At. nlit with the new gaue the earch agar a 0s 0aM l. The uuaSote
hMe i se ab e to be moved oe moatet, the baly wo*ra baad to be left

to their f te aid a ead oe it was, th were butehere almost imedately

after our departure
Alth O9 interspersed with oceasloar fight nothing cs we after
this to mterally dley thle art until we reaedid the place o ur sure
rnfa er i gto Ngr on te border of the isoquito territwr.
The portion oft the hetry through which we were now pasrsin me an

uebro1es dBens tropical foret, orossed at long latervals by arror half
hidte tralls. All thought of conquest of cow'se bad nw been abandonete
It vas nov a question of selt preervation by a repit retreet fimoa on-
dUwesan seoil. the mset perfoot alleo was ooande ad tobserror for

shows not a sound would be heard as th lisa threaded the gleow forget
but the dull trod of the men on the sodden lenad At tinae however th

eilense would bo broen in a manner at one stra pge and ( 0aer tow W
Inable to deipher) a would son ddoe (p *a torn) of

ankes, who surprised end astonished at this ummual a ghoet lsw inl-
trusion into their priate doa, would ive note their itsaprovP l

a.t indignation in the meet eaatatie at diasordant ohatterifg but

srprie would soon give te ee whnn oea h ona throwing his lon ma ealr
tail ovr a isb would awinc bask and forth oneo or twice to give i)-
petua, whn doubling himself like a ball he would throw hiasf tfro one

tre to another eaeh tie satehiag dexterously by his tail, until lost
to eight.

At other tane thi e salenta wuld be r~ n i a eeadly way, oeaaeioal-

ly an hWurrl da aloat the seak oet a muast fro the thick jangle along
the path fteomed by a ewy tfm of the patfy Muld tell that the ene

wa still on our tail, it slightly wounded th sufferer hobbled on as
best he coul but if too severely, so trao l there as no attenatr e bat
to leew to tinevtable death. Although but fe of ow am wee shot Ia thie

mwy, it was Still expected ever nmoeft both night eand day. The matl

staiNt caused by eoiety from a hidden dauer, agint whioh it was lmpose-
ible o take the alightest caution, ws fearful end demosalzisalg

npta i Salmnon, of the British gunboat, had tealna oenr l Alrare of

Booures eand all the men he could mtl on the learned, ant sailed don the

oaset after us When we reached the "Rio 1Nea ", or Blaek River, the

loarn lay In the river with suns tuned on us; after she had landed
Aarei s ind a squad of men that out numbered us more than ten to onea

Captain Sfalaon ca ashore under a flfa ao truce, "The best thing you an

do is surrender ho told Walker. "I11 surrende to you, as Captais of a
British Warship, if you gin as yar pledge that we are not going to be
handed over to Alvwres. W her tolA Captain Salmon, "other wina we will
fight it out" I heard him, and I heard Oapt. Salmon answer walker, *YTe

have r assunsu e as a British Saval officer, that you are surreaneriug

to her Majestie'* frore. s, aler turned to us all grouped about hia, with
our guns in our hatd, loaded and ready. We would have don whatever he

said. I have always believed that ot of us could have shot our way out

through Alvares and his nn, and eaped through ththe mountains that was a
grand banch of fighting sea. But walker said, "WO'*1 surrnder to the

British, you've heard Capt. Salmon0s pledge, he wontt turn us ove to
Alvare3 So we laid down our arms. ad went aboard the loarm, Alvare
and hisa en a aboard too. Capt. Salon steered straight ba t to

T rjillo, an the ainute we reeehed port, that -- houni trued ua

ove to A1Wres ea d ite hiU boats ot *,. There we wre in the Tmj~ril

1 Orsrtel, all of us eSpetea to be shot, ow jailrs told s laugh

tag, i t haMt the bnw fwor ,or of us*

kt laelBado, the shBtita Oonmal at t oijillo m a esqae nan, be

went to Alvw eat late Idroedd for all of s., imoluligM Walkr, Walkr

slwaysr hal himself a tiarnXtgs after his election as President of

Nieargvial Of eo~n e ther se no hope for his from the momnt Avares

laid hand on him. Afte Salmtln wahed his hands of us and broke his

pledged work, Kelhado saved all of us but Walker. T"hey o 1 rtamrt lelo

Welter in the Conaxnuiant ofrfie on the morning of Sept, 11I0, 10 It

was a foce of a drum head ourtunartlial It took AlTBre less than half

an hour to ask Walker ase questions and the t e ll hi m e would be shot

next moning. Walker told us whn they led him baok to the Cuartel*

As ftr as the sentence of death next morning having any effeet on him,

you would ave through William Walker had been invited to a party next

day. He spent the last day of hi life talking with us, joking now and

then, and giving sowe of us messages to take beek to the people in the

U. S, if we should ever get back them. That night, I eaw him kneel ean

mey his prayers, he slept like a child, I saw him shot the next morning,

they took us out of the cartel under guard to see the execution. It

was about tfSQ A.M. of a beautiful day tht they marched him out, There

was a little nepro who brought him his neals, when he amie around with

supper, the night before, Walker laughed ean told hin be needa t bother

to bring him breakfast, he would not need it. Walker did not let then

blind fold him or tie hie arms, he walked out to his death lite a man.

Just as be stepped out of his eell, surrounded by thbe uars, his eye

oauht the eye of that little nero. The nrero burst into tears Walker

asked the guards to stop a minute, beckoned the nero over to him took

his wateh out of his pocket, aa hated it to the little fellows. If

~L~F~Cr'~`''
I

-rm --~- -

y ftet ba a tt;eb, UI la SipA, a this and keep t o a

a soure1te et mi than as Ieal 4tgal t hV spot oP ens ter %21A
bis n a lwa wi aof a ftat to tbak l al .* fat i aa t ein S a tSU

old eoquSna ail. It hutt out th viaw ao the Bay, tho ape of taSmt

ent the Oasttbena se, but *r whr. he stood he could ete one last

looI atwijtt up to the crest of the Cordillw ai I m see his till

as be stood thebr that morning. A aptain mare~ ed the firng squatd t

tfour oldiea up to a point about thrty feat in front of hia. "*Se r

tWlhle, the Capt. said. *ave you anything to sayf "I am a Roma
Catholic" Walker said, *thia expedition mas ide at the insteaB o at the

aitiasan of Ruatan, and it was unjust. I aas the people to pardon nam

I reolevT death with resignation. May it be or the welfare of soolety.

Then he opened his shirt ind put his hand over his heart, "ahoot th*ow*.

he told the firig seqad, in the saam voloe in iob he would have gtven

a comMa to his own men. e was calamr than they were, he looked

straniht into the eyes of the me wtho were to kill him. Those wer his

last words. The soldiers leveled their rifles, the Capt. drew his

amord and railsd it, then he slashed dowmartd with the point, that wea

the stnael to fise, They fired, three bullets hit Walker, he shook fatm

the shook, but braced bhi shoulders a n stood erect. Own of the sold-

iers walked out, put the an le at his gun close to Walker's head ena
blew his braina out, They buried him in the old cemetery on the hill,

at tTrtillo. br two or three days, they talked aot eboolti three

wore of us, but Britiah Consul KMlhado intelreded aggressively, ea they

diAdnt, they set us free at last, e&a one fine ~wnig we stewred out

of port, onoe or fre, safe san bound for our native lea. Of the
morning of the ninth day, after a pleasant voyage, we reeohed the north

of the Xlta, at night we dropped anchor in front of New Orleans. The

ext moranin the man awer lcaSed, sepa ted for their different homes.
93t all Sonnatio with Walker's last oapaign in Central America endtd

in i earaugIs de6lad wal and inaedd that state After desperte

fltingal iSter wed with erliods of privation, starvation anda suffer

Iag slmoet iteredble, Walker with his Mdewated followers was drive to

the Sea Coast wiSe he wrre4dered to a. T. S an of War an was agsin

return to this o ntrey
fst how long after this the next ad last expedition was arganised

I d not now reImber, nl ftt I aa eoaelled to draw entirely upon a

not vary reteanve aory for the few nemar IX msl to0aiht. At any

rate it am organ~ase in N Orleis about the middle of the yar pea**r

ag our am greet way. Date of expedition 1860.

The sueeseive sailing of ard expedition tro the U. So in viola-

tion of the Nbutrality laws had pased this GoverTmat on the alert to

parevn any further infraction of this hbarsateo So that considerable

caution and soresy was neessary in the preparation aid shipping of man

for the purpose. And the disastrous tenination of the former expedi-

tions made it also neeasary to use deceit and subtefuges in recruSitin

the foreO, The plan adopted was to ostensibly oolloet emigrants to sol-

oniso Ruatan Island, aituate 40 miles off the Coast of Honduras whieh

was to be tbh ultiamt point of attack. A report was accordingly oir-

vulated that buaten then under control of the Eglish government would

shortly be needed to Honduras and that the latter was anious for Amori-

can ettlers, that free houestesed and substatanee for a time was offer-

dA, the beauty healthfullnes fertility an resources of the island was

pictured glowingly. Moet of us here in Fla, have aso idea of the in-

fluence of seuh representations in this Instanse it had the desird ef-

foot, Reeruit in immediately oommsead and the first shipment was soon

made of about a don men most of ihom as indeed also those followed sup-

posed they mrwe iota to a peaceful pursuit of agricultural life in a