Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-10-09
From the y. o. psla.
Fhe Heath of General Walker

Several false reports having been pub
lShed respecting the circumstances of Gen.
walker 'xceution. at Truxillo. we have
melancholy sa;isf,e iion ia being enabled.
from tnr statem mt OF an eyewitness, to give
an suih"niic and reliable narrative of the
transaction.
MIR Wililrn S. Elton. an Intelligent yonn.,
n'n. a native of Philadelphia, who has been
r some time IN the employ of the Panama
IL i'rudd Company. as an engineer happened
b. Ia Trnx Ito when Gen. Walker and his
Command were brought back t. that Mace.
llh Vas an attentive Observer Of all th2t &C.
carr ii. Dir. Elton came over fiom TruxiIlo
IN sch"oi''I' 10 Charleston, and thence pro-
e'7'' l" Mobile. with letters from Col. Rud-
Ter t. Ar Julius HrEse. Of that place.
Mr. Elton was a friend of Gen. Walker.
4 ID >ympaih z d in his cause, bat was nnt of
ilS party. FL witnessed the execution of the
General. Of WHICH he gives iii substance this
de>cIl ptiun:
AT the gaze OF the fort. Inc General having
iceH led IRON bis H. was relieved of the
neayy irons be had borne ever since his sur
render. H had on the clothes which he bad
worn through the expedition.
force Of two hundred men, with fixed
b ynnctS. received him at the tort. He was
p aeed between two priests. with lighted can
dies, and the troops forming column, the
mclAnch"ly cOrtege proceeded 10 the place
appointed for the tragical deed The Gener-
ais Carriage was erect and TesOlute, his ex-
preston calm, and even smiling and his
whole air that OF a man Of earnest devotion
and conscious rectitude. The consultations
OF religion, which were whispered to him by
the priests who accompanied him. on this last
march, were received and responded to By
him With fervid piety and Christian hopeful
ness These respcnes, we are assured BY our
Informant, were all that proceeded from him
during ihr march from the fort To the scene
of the execution. Ths military cortege was
followed By great crowd OF people, and a
number Of the sailors and marines Of the
British ship Icarus, wearing their side arms.
As the procession passed the streets, the
doors and windows were all filg6 with peo-
pie, whose cOuateuanc-s. and now and then
their language, indicated their views and
feelings in regard TO General Waller. Among
the natives there was a general feeling Of ex-
ultation at the downfall of the d" terrible
fIibuster.;
The Americans and many of the foreign
ers, on the other hand, manifested their de-
cided disgust for the sacrifice Of so brave aud
true a man, By the balfbreed Tabble Of this
wretehed apology for State. which had to
employ a British man-of-war to capture Z n
invading force Of seventy men. Even the
British marines and sailors, though reckless
and desperate set Of rogues ard ruf1ians,
were heartily ashamed OF their share in the
capture OF Walker.
As the proc ssion marched by The prison
whpre the test of Walkers men were con-
fined, the doors and windows Of the prison
were compile ely clos, d. Arrieng at an old
ruined barracks or fort about d quarter OF a
mile outside of the city. the troops were
form d into three sides of square, and the
G, neral was d forward and placed near an
angle of the wall. The crowd Of people !
-t"nd behind the line of soldi r..
The priests who had & comp lnied the Ger |
pFal now held a bri.f cO!OQuy with him. re-
c"ived his confession. and Administered TO |
him the last lad rites Of the church. aud re- |
tired. a section of four snldiels we're then |
ord 4, 4 20 their posi-. ard taking their posi- |
rion vi in twenty pac, :. the usual military |
comm nds " re given, and The eOlditTs To- X |
DELHI, rae aim at the Lody of the gallant !
NOT a feature OF whose face, not |
fine OF whose body betrayed the slightest |
emotiun of far he c mmind fire" was |
gwen, the vOIley disc'nig d, and the General |
/ II f,rw,rd gu his face.
The b'dy Law quivcTing in the agonies Of
/ II j. The bul!eIs of his exscuiiOnors bad |
pas d through his head--when the second |
-ecIlon Wa or,l'red To advance and fGe an |
t. voiley, VIII Gil only mptil.tted the body, |
from wbi.'' ti'e lii. was fast ebbing. Then q
ingl- sod er marched mp to the body, aud
laced '.is Inu Eet within u few inches Of the |
riready q al man, and fred, horribly d.
fuel z his cOunienauCe and blowing She head |
Nearly from tine body.
I Ell thu troops were formed and proceed |
4 "a, iiv-ly 'ep. back to town. leaving Ih.
b 'dy OF Gen Walker where it had iailen. |
II re it was taken charge Of by tn pri.-st~
WHO had atteutled him 10 the place of ex"cu- |
II Il, and by two An Fican citiZens, whose |
uam"s are Cornelius Hooper and o l,ndn |
= aves, aid after being d emily coifined was |
Inferred with the cercmonie- OF the Catholic !
Church in q crmeieTy outs de OF tn town.
Daring be whole time az the ex eution. |
net wOrf escaped G. neral Walker, exc, pr |
his * bispered tesp0n-es t, the spiritual CON
ss.!Itinn OF the priests. the Story that he
address the spectators short time before
ais execution, d, claTing his regret fur his
course, was concoet'd by the Hondnrean au
ihuriIies, or. perhaps, was fabricated in Ha-
rsna, where his name and deeds We're held in
,uch terror. There is not Z word OF truth
n the statement.
General Walker may have been deluded
nan. He certainly vas On enthusiast, and
having failed, will be considered fanatic,
mt more sincere, earnest, tTuthlul and fear
esq man never looked death in the face.
We learn from Mr.. Elton, that after the |
execution of Gen. Walker. Col. Rudler was |
ent on a mule into the interior to he impris-
med in the mines-that be was greatly re-
uced and exhausted, and his friends were
oncerned lest the cruel treatment be was
objected to might produce his death, before
tops could be taken by his friends TO effect
is release.