Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-10-13

they did, six months would settle the whole At.
lair, when each one OF them, would be comfort
ably located on a fine cocoa estate. Poor dupes
their cunidtty, cred Utility, and wants, made them
think wh4 they desired to be true, and they fol-
iowed hts fortunes AFTER several efforts, the brig
got to sea; when. outside the heads an election
was held, and the little band divided into two
companies under the following officers FirsS
Sompany-Capt. Hornsby, Lieutenant Turnbull:
second Company-Capt. MacNab and Lieutenant
Frank Anderson. Walker was in command Of
the battalion, with the rank of Colonel, Achilles
kewen was the Lieutenant Colonel, and Crock er
Major. A short time before the Vesta sailed,
French and Walker called on Capt. C. X. CARR
son. the Nicaragua Steamship Company's agent
In San Francisco, and endeavored to make an ar
rangement with him, by which the expeditionists
should 90 down to san Juan del Sur In the COM
pany's steamer But Garrison, who had never
seen Walker before. doubted the policy of Amer
leans interfering in the struggle, and not only
fused to make any such arrangement, but refused
10 sell tickets for Nicaragua that every person
going there was compelled to buy through tickets
To New York and stop when they got to their des-
tlnation, thus losing half their passage money
At that time French and Walker were the only
persons engaged in the enterprise-French had
the greatest means, and the whole affair was
looked upon as a commercial specuation-he was
viewed as senior partner. He promised to pro-
tect the Transit Company IL Garrison would as-
slSt them and IL they succeeded, make war on
them If he did not. Garrison treated the whole
AFFAIR as a bubble He.-..-.
By the time the vesta reached Realejo, Castil-
Ion repented the invitation he had given. Walker
assumed dictatorial and threatening attitude as
Don as he arrived in the country. He laid down
he program of a campaign, and demanded one
hundred and fifty men to go with his Americans
and attack the town Of Rivas near the line Of
transit. They were granted. Embarking all on
board the Vesta at Realejo, he sailed for Boito,
small bay near that town; but his movements
Were so slow, and loosely managed, that, by the
time he reached the town, the enemy were in
formed Of all his movements, and had so fortified
and strengthened 1t, as to make a successful as
sault impossible, His defeat and retreat are mat
ters OF histOry-it was a gallant struggle; but our
limits will not permit us to dwell upon it's Incl
dents In miserable plight he embarked the rem
nant of his band and returned to Realejo. The
DAY this dampening news reached California,
French had arrived in San Francisco with forty
recruits for his friend Walker. But, in came the
steamer Sierra Nevada with news Of defeat. and
that some sixty of her passengers had died on the
upward trip, with cholera. The forty recruits
backed out to a man. But French, nothing daunt-
ed, embarked on the steamer Uncle Sam, with no
one but his servant, determined to keep faith
with Walker and be in Nicaragua at the time APP
pointed
On his arrival at San Juan he was taken pris-
oner and carried to Granada. He was kindly
treated and allowed to 20 about that CITY on his
parole by President Estrada and General Corrall
The time so employed proved fatal TO that unfor-
tunate city, for he noted its strength and def.nces,
and mapped its approaches with faithful eve.
and gathered the necessary information by which
Walker was enabled to storm II on the 18th of
October following. French sent this information
TO walker at RealejO, with the advice that he
should embark all the force at his command, sail
for san Juan, take and forify the place, and
make II the base OF bis operations where he
could recruit and receive supplies The letter
was sent by courier, on foot enclosed In the hol-
low OF a bamboo cane, and was safely delivered.
walker acted oil the advice, emba rked fftv-one
Americans and two hundred and fifty native
troops under Coils. Chillon and Mendez, and
rived in san Juan the hit and hour that French
Gld after GSclpinU from the (hamnTiStaS al era
NADIA. The two met on the deck of the Vesta, at
Twelve O'Clock at night, in the mellow light of
Iull tropical moon, in presence Of the assembled
forces All night long they exclusively occupied
the quarter deck in consultation. That was a
solemn nj ght to the fate of thousands of men,
then little dreaming of the influences at work on
tnelr destinies. :. On what slender thread ethe
Tiai matters hang p"
Two days after, French returned to san Fran
cisco on the Uncle Sam, with the determination
10 make grand effort in stirring up public sym
pathy, and obtaining material aid in behalf of
Waikefs operations in Nicaragua. He had au-
thorlty TO raise troops, grant commissions, and to
raise 1unds. by pledginy the public faith Of Mic
w 5 from CastilI,n Two days after he ler,
w alker marched to Virgin Bay and fought ba-
tie rive days after FTench's arrival in Caiifor-
MIA, he embarked on board the company's steamer
lofty recruits, armed and equipped, for Walker,
under the command of Col Gilman and Captain
George Davidson. Ten days later, he embarked
himself. with Colonel Fry, and two companies Of
MY uIlQef captains lurnDuli
and Astin
Let me here state that in the early DAYS of this
enterprise, before Walker had developed his I'M
princiPied ambition and selfish ihgratitudC-
when the cause was plausible and Just, when eA-
pectation was high and hope was honorable, be-
cause men then engaged thought Walker honest
and the cause legtimate-French was the head
and soul of the cause. Possessed of means cour-
aye and ability-with more tact, kindlier feel
lngs, and equal ene.gy with WalkeT-he sus-
tainfd and maintained the cause during the first
month Of its infancy, during all which time il
would have died without his support. The Vesta
could not have sailed without him. At one time
every paper in California was against the enter
prise, except the Tribune. His pen was fertile
and incessant In its support, and he created the
excitement that sustained aud fed the cause
Authorized by Castillon to pledge the faith OF the
Republic at ten cents on the dollar, he could not
ma purchasers for il at any price; and in default
ne SOLD his daily paper for about S2p ,0OU, apply
ing the whole proceeds for the benefit Of Mica
raSua, with the direct promise that his own
money, SO advanced, should be repaid from the
hrst money received 1t was he that enlisted and
gave commissions TO Fry, Saunders, Rndder,
Anderson. Astin, q lman and in fact, the entire
inst OF officers that inquired in NcaraS ua during
the first year
On his arrival in Nicaragua with Fry,s COM
mand, he found Walker in possession of 6 ranada,
which he had taken by a coup de main two DAYS
before. The admirers of the grey-eyed man
often cite the capture Of that city as an evidence
Of genius and ability. How little do they Anow
Of the true history of the affair. The whole plan
Of his taking the company's steamer at Virgin
Bay, OF throwing on board his entire command,
consisting Of ninety Americans and two hundred
native troops, OF steaming for Granada I'm the
night, while Corral lay at Rivas with fifteen hun
dred men, suppOsng he had him hemmed in, of
landing and stormn2 an unarmed place at early
daylight, thus capturing the strong hold of the
enemy with all their munitions of war, their pub
lie archives, some Of their public men, and the
wives and children Of Corral and his principal
officers was devised and communicated to Wal
ker by gentleman of New York, connected
with Nicaraguan affairs. Such program was
beyond the originality Of Walker. Yet when
presented, he followed ii out. and then claimed
all the glory arising from it; although he wrote
note Of grateful Acknowledgements to its author
at the time. The only orig nality he displayed
In the whole drama was the cold blooded execu-
ton OF Mayorga, without offence and without
trial, followed by the threat to shoot all the
women and children in the place IL Corral did
not make treaty with him. threat not i'm
possible, when we consider his total indifference
for human life, and his utter disregard of all the
deceDcies and bumanities Of civilization. Corral
believed him capable Of the deed, and trembling
at the prospect, he hastened to make the treaty
by which the Rivas Provisional Government was
established. Each day since Walkers arrival