The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-12-18
TT0lH Clt SHTTDy hFHIuCAlJ IOUTAN'
The Crittenden Butchery.

The Crittenden Butchery.
The recent butcheriea in Cuba lend T.,
neWed interest to the fatal 10th of Angus
1871, when the gallant Crittenden an
1lfty followers were shot near the walls {
Atafes From ln old scrapbOob gathcre
by tire unfortunate young man. and nov
IN the possession Of Nj Henri f. Middle
ton, we have gathered the full particular
OF that disastrous enterprise.
| William Logan Crittenden wa, born il
! 1875, on the farm now owned by Dr. Bparu
us father was the Hon Henry Crittenden
Z brother Of the great John J. Criltcndeu
/ who was Attorney General of the Unite,
| States at the time of voun@ Crittendcn'
execution His mother was a daughter
OF the lamented Col Allen, vino fell at the
battle Of Raisin She aiterward marie,
| Col. Murray, of tloVerport, where she now
resides. Mrs Allen, The grandmother o
young Crittcnden, was the daughter o.
General Logan. one OF kenlucky'S most
distinguished pioneers. He was also 4
cousin Of Col. Hardin, Of Illinois, the
grandfather of the now notorious, frank
Nalworlh. lie graduated with distinction
1T West Point Ill 1913, amd went t0 the
Mexican war ts Second Lieutenant in the
Fifth infantry and was promoted for bray
cry at Polo Alto and ReSaca De Ia Palma.
At The close OF the war he resigned his
command and went TO New Orleans
where he was persuaded to Join the i'll
lated expedition under Gen. Narciso l.o-
pez. The expedition was fitted out bv the
brilliant and lamented l.. j. Siiour one of
the proprietors of the New Orleans Delta,
who sold his interest in that paper and
bought the steamer Pampcro. which vessel
was devoted to the interests of the eXpc,li-
ton The Pampero sailed from New
Orleans with abont 500 men. Gen. Lopez
chief in command; Col. Pragay, Of the
Hungarian army, second in command, and
Col. Crittenden, then twenty-eight years
OF age in command of the artillery. The
expedition was destined to the eastern
coast of the island, which had always been
the seat Of revolutionary feeling, but at
Key West, where the Pampero stopped to
coal, Lopez was met by Il Cuban spy in
the employ Of Spain. furnished with
letters purporting TO come from leading
patriots in the western part of the Island,
representing that IN extensive revolt had
broken ont in that part of the island. and
tance Of the insurgents The ruse succeed
ed. Lopez, SUpposing that he would find
his friends in arms, steercd for the little
town OF MuriloS. about forty miles west
Of Havana. where he effected landing on
the 10Th day OF August, 1851. Shortly
afterwards Gen Lopez 5et out for Las
Pasos, twelve miles inland, leaving Crit
tenden with LII men, to bring up the
stores as soon as they should be landed
The next day Crittenden was attacked by
an overwhelming force ana put to flight.
What immediately followed is best told in
his own words:
snip OF WAR ESPERAN/A,
August lG, 1851. !
DEAR LUCIEN. In half au hour [, with fifty
others, am to be shot We were taken Prison
ers yesterday We were i'll small boats. General
Lopez separated the balance Of the command
from me. | had with me about one hundred
was attacked hy two battaion~ OF infantry and
one company Of horse. 1he oltts was too glet .
and strange TO tell | was not furnished " it'll a
single nuSket cartridge. LOPEZ did not get any
artillery. | have not the heart to write to any
of my family. If the truth ever comes out YOU
will lnd that did my duty, and have the per
feet confidence of every man with me. " { had
retired from the field and We're going 10 sea.
and We're oycrtaken by the Spanish steamer
Habanero, and captured, Tell General Huston
that his nephew got separated ifoln me ON the
l3tfI-uIN of the highland that L have not
seen him since. He may have etra@gro on and
joined LOPEZ who advanced rapidly to the IN
terror. Ny people, however, were surrounded
on every side. We saw that We had been dc
.4iYrl grossly. and We're making for the ntcu
States when taken. During my short 10inurn
IN this iiiand have not met 4 single patriot
We landed some forty or fifty miles to the west
ward OF this, and | am sure that in thai parI on
the island Lopez ha* no friends. hen was
attacked Lopez was only three miles of. If ht
had not been decriViny us ~ 10 the state ct
things, he would have fallen back with hi~ tur'r
and made FIGHT, instead OF which he marched on
immediately 10 the interior. | am requested TO
get YOU TO tell Mr.. Green, Of the custom house.
that his brother shares nv fate. Victor Kerr Is
also with me, also Stanford. | recolleCt no
other OF your acquaintance al present. | VIII
die like n man. My heart na@ not flied ine YET
nor DO believe it will, Nommnniratr with my
family.
Thi~ is an nroherent letter but the circunt-
stances must excuse it, My hands are ~ oIen
to double their Thickness. resulting from mhavinp
them TOO tightly corded for The last eighteen
hours Write TO John, and let him Write to my
mother, am afraid The news viii break Tier
heart. My heart beats warmly towards her now
Farewell My love ali my friends. | uu
sorry that | die owing cent, hut it l> me, it.
able. Your, strong in heart.
W. l.. CRItIFNnrH.
10 Dr. lMrirn EIrneley.
Al | O'Clock on the 10th, these noble
but unfortunate victims of deception were
taken near the walls of Fort Atares. at
Havana, and there shot. An eyewitness
OF the horrible massacre Savs II never
saw men-and could scarcely have sup
posed it possible-conduct themselves at
such an awful moment with the tortltudr
these men displayed under such trying
circumstances They We're shot Six At a
time-i e., twelve We're brought "a tn"
place of execution six made to kneel down
and receive the fire Of the soldiers, after
which the remaining six We're made TO
walk round their dead comrades and kneel
opposite them, when they We're also shot
After being stripped and their bodies mu-
tilated in the barbarous manner have de-
scrbed, they showed six on seven together,
bound. As they We're, into hearses, which
were used last year for cholera eases. No
cof1ins were allowed them; and, | 1hink,
the manner they were put into the hear5es
was equally rs disgusting rs their Other
acts; the heads of some We're almost drag
ging on tn ground, and it had more the
appearance Of slaughter-carl on its way
that OF q hearSe conveying the dead bodies
Of human beings. \ finer set Of young mcr
never saw They made not single
complaint. not a mlrmnr against their sen
tence, and decency should have been shoWl
to their dead bodies i'll admiration for the
heroism they displayed when brought ont
| for execution Not 4 muscle was seen to
move They died bravely, those gallan
and unfortunate young men. When the
moment OF execution came many, ColOne
Crittenden and Capt. Victor Kerr, among
them, refused to kneel with their back
! to their executioners. No. said the chiv
| alrous Crttenden, a kentuckian kneeE
only to his God, and always faces his en-
emv They stood up faced their cNecu
| TONERS, We're shot down and their brain
then Knocked ont by dubbed muskets
The blood runs cold before the terribl,
narrative of their barbarOus fate, and we
SEEM rather to record the inhuman ven
geance Of savages than the stern justice o
civilized men"
Gen Lopez was attacked simultaneous
ly with Crittenden, but repulsed the Span
iards. staying their commander, Genera
Enna He continued to advance but meet