Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-07
PRINCE OF FILIBUsTERs.
Remarkable Incidents in the Career of
the Famous Gen. Remington.

~
the Famous Gen. Henningsen.
Ben: Perley Poore's "reminiscences.
The prince of filibusters. so far as thew
were seen at Washington, was Gen. Hen
ningsen. He was an Englishman bv
| birth, and, after having received a mill
tary education, he left for Spain, when
IL years OF age, to serve in the forces of
| Don carlos as staff officer of the par
tlsan chief, Zumalacarrequi. After many
acts OF reckless heroism he was captured,
and on the death of the partisan returned
to England in 1885. Two volumes from
the youthful officers pen tell the
story Of a ''Twelve Months Cam
| paign with Zumalacarrequi." He did
| not let his sword rest long in
idleness. Schamyl, the prophet of Cir
cassia, had unfurled the banner of rebel
lion in the Caucasus and young Henning-
| sen promptly repaired to his ranks. From
the sunny wales of Spain to the SHOWS of
| Russia was a strange translation, but it
was sufficient or him that weak side
needed brave sword. Henningsen,s life
| in Russia furnished the material for half
dozen volumes, published at various
! periods when peace drove him to enforced
| retirement. Such occasions were rare.
| however. The Hungarian revolution of
! lS4S and lo49 found him serving with dis
! tlnctiOn under KOssuth, and he was ap-
! pointed Governor of COmoOn. Henning-
! sen achieved a European reputation in
| the disastrous struggle and was lion
| lied on his return to England. Young,
! handsome, with great literary talent, hon
| ored with the friendship of Wellington. he
| still yearned for fresh fields of adventure.
He followed KOssuth to America, where
| his reputation had preceded him, and So
ciety welcomed him everywhere. He
married a Southern widow. Mrs. Conelly.
of Burke county, Ca, a niece of Senator
| Berrien, devoted and cultivated woman.
| For While he devoted himself to literary
work, and published some once popular
! books of travel and fiction. But the
myers, cramped by a pen, were itching
to grasp a sword hilt, and the opportunity
soon presented itself. The exploits
| Of William Walker in Central America
were astounding the world and at
| tracing to his side the brave and adven-
| furious of every land. Never since the
! days OF Cortez had the world seen such
career as that of the once "immOrtal"
| tifty-siX who sailed from California in
! little vessel to conquer an empire and inn
| peril the peace of two continents. Hen
! ningsen threw himself into the ranks of
the American phalanX with his usual en-
thusiasm. His fortune and his life were
freely risked, and, although he lost the
one and exposed the other on a score of
| Well-tOught fields, he never regretted his
experience with the sO-called ''flibus-
ters." 81 feel proud OF having been one
OF them," he wrote me, "and quietly glory
in my retirement at having been able to
| command and control, besides securing
their personal devotion and attachment"
His comrades he considered the best SOL
dlers the world ever saw, and his expert
ence entitled his opinion to respect. They
were mostly CalitOrnians. california was
the pick of the world, and they were the
pick of California" With only 276 fight
ing men opposed to 1000 allied Central
Americans, and encountered with 800 or
400 non-cOmbatants, Henningsen held the
plaza of Grenada for seventeen days and
nights OF incessant fighting. They were
| poorly sheltered, or not at all, disease and
death were daily and hourly thinning their
ranks, but from leader or men there came
not whisper of surrender. Relief, ridicu-
lOusly small in number, but inYincible
OF courage, came at last. A hundred
OF those paladins whom the world calls
''flibusters" disembarked from the lake
steamer, and with cheer and
volley carried four barricades and effected
junction with their beleagured COM
rades. Henningsen leisurely evacuated
and burned the town, leaving his gage of
defiance behind him-a lance stuck among
the ruins with the haunting Inscription:
| "Aqui flte Granada" "Here was Gran
tain's interference compelled the starving
heroes to surrender, but the Had of Cen
trial America was past forever. During
| the early part of our civil war Gen. Hen
ningsen commanded the Wise Legion, of
| Virginia. He was rapidly achieving
distinction, warranted by his military
fame in smaller arenas, when he in
| CURED the displeasure OF Jefferson
| Davis, who had a singular genius for
| Ignoring or suppressing the abilities of
his subordinates. Henningsen had inju-
| diciously anticipated the verdict of pos
| terity by speaking contemptuously OF
Davis, and the latter could never forgive
such prescience. After peace he lived
! quietly at Washington, a general favorite
wherever his amiaDle disposition and
stainless character were known. He was
a warm and active friend of ''Cuba Lii
bre." AT one time he visited the sever
faithful isle," with a view to taking a per-
sonal part in the instruction, but the
opportunity did not come, and ne died in
| peace at home.