Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-04-12


During the seige the besieging army of Demo
Gratis numbered about fifteen hundred, while
the Legitimists did not number more than a
thousand.
The Democrats were assisted by the State
of Honduras to the extent of two hundred
men,; and the Legitimists we're long In nego
tiatiDg with the Government OF Guatemala,
which was favorable 10 their cause, but they did
not succeed in getting any material aid from
that State.
After ten months vain endeavor to take the
Plaza Of Granada the Democrats, last Feb
ruary, broke up their camp, and retired to
Leon. At a town called Masaya, about half
way from Granada, they were overtaken, and
attacked by the opposite party. A bloody fight
ensued-the thickest of it took place in the
church, in which some three hundred men
were killed.
The Granada party now regained possession
of the southern part of the State, while the
| Democrats continued to hold Leon and all the
northern portion.
| During the time that the Transit route had
been held by the Democrats, they had been
most active in their eudeavours to enlist Ameri
cans in their cause. Cash was scarce, but their
offers of lands to those who would join them
were very liberal: and it soon became known,
both in Nicaragua and in California that ne
| gotiation had been concluded between Colonel
| Walker in San Francisco, through his agent in
Nicaragua, and the Democratic government,
whereby large tracts Of land were granted to
him and other privileges guaranteed to him, on
condition of his coming down with certain
number of men to serve in the Democratic
| army.
| This Colonel Walker had already distn-
| guished himself as the most daring flibuster of
the day. In the month of October 1853, he was
! the leader of an expedition which sailed from
San Francisco, with the intention of taking
possession of Sonora, northern State of Mex
leo, adjoining California. He landed at a
| small place on the coast, with some fifty or
| sixty men, where he met but little resistance.
| He proclaimed himself president, and appointed
each one of his party to some high office of
State. He very soon, however, had to evacuate
the premises, and escaped to California, with
but small portion of his original band, and
on his arrival in San Francisco, was tried for a
violation of the neutrality laws: he conducted
| his own defence, and Of course was acquitted.
| The people of California are not disposed to
Judge very harshly of such an enterprise, and
| from the larger portion of the community he
met with more sympathy than condemnation.
| 1t was so publicly known in San Francisco
that Walker was fitting out his Nicaragua
| expedition, that the authorities were of course
compelled to interfere. Their endeavours to
| stop the sailing of his brig, however, were not
very efectual, as Walker, having embarked all
his small party of flty-six men, managed to get
under weigh during the night.
| In the month OF May they arrived in the port
of Realejo, and marched to join the head-quar-
tiers of the Democratic army.
| The Legitimists were now in perpetual
state of considerations during the siege of
Granada they had learned to appreciate the
efficiency of an American rifle in American
hands; and in their frightened imaginations
| Walkers modest force of ffty-six men was
| augmented to 500. They made active prepare
tons, however, to give him warm reception:
proclamations were issued with the object of
rousng the patriotism of the people, calling on
all to be ready to take up arms to save the in
dependence of the country, and ordering all the
inhabitants, on the approach of Walker, to retire
to the nearest garrison. However, excepting
among the political leaders of the party, and
those compromised with them in the revolution,
the prospect of Americans gaining the ascen-
dency in the country seemed to be regarded
with indifference. Indeed, many of the upper
classes, tired Of their constant revolutions, and
the ruin and misery attendant upon them,
longed secretly for the presence of any foreign
influence which should guarantee peace in the
| country.
| The first active service in which Walker and
his men we're engaged was an expedition which
was formed by the Democrats to recapture the
town Of Rivas. About the end Of June the
expeditionary force, consisting Of Walkers
party, and two hundred native troops under the
Immediate command Of their own officers,
embarked at Realejo in two or three small
vessels, and landing in the neighborgood of San
Juan del Sur, marched across the country upon
the town Of Rivas, distant about twenty five
! miles.
The people of Riyas, when the Legitimists
retook the town in February, had returned from
their voluntary exile in Costa Rica; and feel
ing no doubt, ashamed Of the inglorious way
in which, year before, they abandoned their
town to the Democrats without ever firing
shot, they reused themselves now to make
stout resistance, their spies having given the
ample warning Of the enemy's approach.
| When the Democrats arrived, and the fight
began, Walker was most shamefully deserted by
the whole of the native troops, and he found
himself, with his fifty-six Americans, opposed TO
a force Of about four hundred.
His party, however, had taken up their posi-
ton in a house, from which their rifles dealt
sudden death most profusely-all the natives
killed we're hit in the head but at last they ex.
pended their ammunition, and the Legitimists
setting fire to the house, they we're obliged to
cut their way through them, and retired to San
Juan del Sur, which place they reached un
molested, the natives not caring to follow them
The loss on Walkers side in this affair was
six men killed while the Legitimists lost about
seventy.
At San Juan del Sur they found small
schooner to take them back to Realeio; and
before sailing, Walker performed an act Of
summary justice, which raised him highly in
the opinion Of many people in the country.
| He and his men had all embarked quietly
in the evening on board the schooner, which
was lying in the harbor, and we're waiting till
morning for breeze, when, about midnight,
two Americans, who did not belong to Walkers
party, and we're well known TO be bad and
desperate characters, set FIRE to q large wooden
building which was used as barrack; their
object was to burn the town, and take the
opportunity Of the confusion to rob and plumber
the inhabitants, expecting, no doubt, that
Walkers party would join them.