The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-10-12


S station they were brought, with th
|, others Of Walkers party. on I'll
~ British ehip-of-wsr the Gladiato,
q, which now lies at the Quarantin
" Station.
ut These gentlemen owe their re
Y lease from detention at the Qu,rar
/, tine Station to the manly and dc
:. /. cisivo action Of Doctor Foster, III
v Quarantine Physician, who iniorme
/. the British officers that the me
$ we're entitled to go ashore, and
they could take the oath demande
by the Quarantine law, they coul
'f go mp to the city. Major Dolan
e Captain West, and MAJOR Hoof &C
y cordingly went ashore in Docto
Fosters boat. Major Hoof, bein!
wounded, remained at the Quaran
tine Station; the other two officer
were, by the kindness OF Docto
Foster, furnished with passage vi
the river. From them we gathe
. tho following particulars OF the op
erations and capture Of Walker,
= party in Honduras.
!. We pass over the events Of the
= evacuation Of Truxillo by Genera
Walker. The British sloop Icarus
Commander Salmon, anchored be.
fore the Fort of Truxilo, then occu.
pied by Walker with his command
|, OF ninety men, and on the 2lst tic
/ commander demanded that Walker
: should deliver the fort, all his arms
and provisions to the IIonduranean
authorities; should pay 100000,
which it was alleged had been taken
by him from the Custom House; and
, that il he, Walker, would accept
these terms, the British commander
would guarantee him safe protection
home, in such transportation as
Walker conld obtIin Gen. Walk
er replied and asked by what au-
,thority British commander made
such demands.
i Salmon replied by inquiring by
what authority be, an individual
without flag, made war against a
nation.
Walker replied that it was as a
citizen and officer Of the Nicaraguan
Republic he made war against a
state which had invaded the state of
his adoption.
Salmon claimed that British COM
mcrce was seriously Injured by
Walkers occupation of rruyillo, and
that the duties and port charges OF
the ort were pledged to pay debts
due English citizens. Walker re
spnndcd that his occupation OF rrux.
lilo, So far from ininronsly affecting
the rights OF English citizens, would
result greatly t. their advantage.
In regard to the charge OF having
taken 100000 from the Custom
House, he pronounced it flagrant
falsehood; that there was not cent
in the Custom. House or in the tort
when occupied by him. The cor.
respondence concluded by peremp.
tory demand on the part of the Brit
ish commander that Walker should
surrender on the terms stated, giving
him until ten o'clock the next day,
the Odd OF August, to determine.
For some time General Walker was
undecided a. to his course, but,
), finally, he concluded he would march
out Of the fort that night, and pro.
ceed down the coast to the mouth
of the Roman River, and thence to
Swan Island, where he could open
communications with Ruatan, the
people OF which warmly sympathized
with him.
7 Accordingly, at midnight, Walker
having destroyed all his surplus
ammunition and arms, and leaving
eight sick men, including Colonel
Henry, who had been desperately
wounded, and was then in dying
state, marched out of the fort, with
eighty-eight men, and proceeded
+ down the coast in the direction ol
t Roman River. A vigilaBt look out
on board of the Icarus, which lay
about q thousand yards from the
beach, would have detected this.
= But without interruption the little
band proceeded several miles, until
, they reached the banks Of a river
which their stupid guide told them
, was tordable. Here they were los
and bewildered by the ircapacity O
their guide, and concluded to en-,
= camp. When the morning came
+ General Walker found that he was
y but five or six miles from Truxillo.
II Resuming his march he proceeded
4, further up the river, and after tive
=. days tedious marching, the littl,
y party reached a place about thirt,
o miles from the mouth of RomaI
River and on its banks, known a
: the Cotton Tree. Here Walker en-
camped to recruit his wearied uen
o, The men were, accordingly, on tn
Q. morning of the Oath, resIihg AM
i lying under the trees, cleaning thei
" guns, and otherwise engaged, with
in out the slightest suspicion of al
iS enemy being near, when suddenl
ID a large force Of Honduraneans march
= ed upon them from the tbickets an
At commenced firing. Several of Gen
~ eral Walkers men were wounde
by this fire, but he quickly collecte
as his little band together, and formin
OF them into two companies, ordere
n. them to charge in different direc
ions, one up and the other down th
-lriver. Major Dolan, with Compau
N. B, charged the principal party wit
m. great impetuosity, but Gen. Wake
ns n. having got little ahead Of his part,