The Portland daily press., 1889-06-04
THE SERVICE OF PRESIDENT LEGITIME
a Former officer OF the DALLAS Re-
lates His Experiences.
Service In the Navy of HaytI Not
All Pleasure.
Stab In the Stomach for Laugh
ing at a General.

shChs 40 hOM, pdlIOllcu lnt maiue coast from
Portsmouth to Castine. Engineer Plumer
is Portsmouth boy; and has relatives in
Eastport. He has also many acquaintance
In Portland and along the coast Yesterday
he stepped into the PRESS Office looking
brown and hearty, just from Hayti, and
thanking his stars that he had got his dis
charge from the navy of the Haytian Presi-
dent Legitime. He did not get much of his
pay: but that doesn't trouble him much, now
he is back in the State of Maine.
The first of last March Engineer Plumer
was In New York. The Haytian minister,
Mr.. Stephen Preston, wanted Americans for
the navy Of the black republic. and was will
ing to promise good round pay. So Mr..
Plummer, with eighteen other skilled sailors,
captains, engineers and mates, agreed to 20
to help Legitsme. Captains were to receive
$500 month and chief engineers $500 a
month. all in American gold.
:, So the American mariners sailed away to
Haytl on the steamer Andes on March 10Th,
and arrived at Port-au-Prince on the 10th Of
the same month. They were ordered at once
to the Haytian man-of-war La Defense,
where President Legitime soon called to see
them. Legitime is rather remarkable man
does not think the Haytian President has
lost his cause through any lack Of executive
ability or smartneSS. Six feet tall, broad
weighing about 200 pounds and black as
night, Legitime Is as perfect a specimen Of
the Ethiopian race as Is to be found in South
Carolina. He has woody hair, thick lips and
a smooth face; but he was educated in France
and Mr.. Plumer says anyone who has seen
the sparkle of his eyes will never take him
Tor dull or incompetent man. Legitime
was very glad to see the American engineers |;
and showed it by making them a speech in
which he expressed his qualification; and by
rendering them splendid banquet, of which
ten gallons of wine were an important part
Legitime's prospects were then fattering
He had the whole navy Of the Republic at
his disposal 1t was not very large; but was
still strong arm for him. 1t comprised: I:
the La Defense, formerly the English mail
steamer Belize, fast. staunch vessel carry
ing six guns, including a machine gun, a
krupp breech loader, under the charge Of a
trained American gunner, Marsh (who has
Philadelphia vessel originally of five guns,
one "a ten-inch Parrot; the Toussaint, a
French ram of guns, but then and now so
disabled as to be unable to leave its anchor
age In the harbor of Grand Saline.
While Mr.. Plumer was on the La Defense
she steamed up to st. Marks, the stronghold
OF Hippolyte, with the intention of doing
great things. But Hippolyte had obtained a
hundred-ton gun somewhere, and, what was
better, he had got an American gunner to
shoot 1t. This gun had been planted up on a
mountain over the town, so high that gun
on vessel could not by any means be put
into range of it. As the La Defense APP
preached st. Marks the American gunner on
the mountain side primed up and sent ball
at her. The very first shot went thorough
the ridge pole of the awning on the deck,
and took away the rail on the further side of
he hnAlr Uhn.. kl.rk Ixssll
Plumer the people ON the La Defense
decided that they would be as safe away
from st Marks, and we steamed away for
Port-Au- Prince"
Alter the return Mr.. Plumer was ordered
to the man-of-war Dessalines, Of which he
became chief-engineer. He was the only
white man. The pilot was mulatto, and a
smart man with him. Mr.. Plumer kept the
Dessalines agoing. The captain and the
rest OF the crew were black as the ace of
spades, and seemed to know about as much
about seamanship. The captain was rarely
to be seen on the bridge. although once in a
while he would come out clad only in bis
shirt and drink some wine or other beverage
fortifying to his martial soul. When the
vessel would be well underway the pilot
at the wheel would be the only man besides
the engineer who paid any attention to duty.
The rest Of the officers and crew would dis
port themselves about the ship as each
thought best, while the craft b0wled along.
Everyone had servant, little negro boy,
to wait on him. Mr.. Plumer's servant was
considered especially trained, as he had been
on Haytian vessel that had blown up. He
was over the boiler at the time, and con-
sequently took the longest aerial trip. Com
ing down the harb0r and swimming ashore,
he was ready to present himself as a
veteran when Mr.. Plumer wanted boy.
There was enough to drink aboad the Dessa-
lines; but food was very scarce, and the
sailors were nearly famished for want of
sufficient supplies.
The Dessalines made one expedition while
Mr.. Plumer was aboard. Legitime was
very anxious to get that hundred powder
that was making St. Marks so uncomfortable
for his cruisers. So he sent force up from
Port-Au-Prince by land and also $50 more
soldiers by the Dessalines. The two forces
were to make juncture and capture the
gun; but Hypolite was too strong and de-
feated them. Very few of the army returned
to Port-Au-Prince. A defeat meant death,
as no prisoners were ever taken. The
wounded were always killed at once by the
victOrs.
After returning to Port-Au-Prince from
this expedition. Engineer. Plnmer went to
General Conteras, Legitime's paymaster
general. to get his first months pay. General
Conteras was pure-blooded Freuchman,
of considerable ability. But he never had
any money. Mr.. Plumer and the other
Americans importuned him often as they
dared to. Sometimes he would take trip
out to French gun boat that lay in the
outer harbor; and then he usually was
able to pay then something on his return.
From this Mr. Plumer is inclined to believe
either that France was backing Legitime or
that Leg'time was making the French man
of-war the place OF deposit for his treasure.
In the latter case, now that Hypolite is vic
torions. Legitime has probably escaped to
the gun boat and sailed away to France with
his "bo0dle." When General Conteras did
not visit the French man-of-war, it was gem
orally the worse for the Americans. For
after the Paymaster General became tired of
their opportunities, they would sometimes
be invited to enter carriage and take a
drive. The drive ended at the iail where
the 0bstreper0us creditor was usually de-
tanned until the Haytian government had
taken rest from duns. All but three Of Mr..
Plumer's party were thus confined.
But the Haytians were less restive under
duns than under ridicule. Mr.. Plummer
came near losing his life for laughing at a
Haytian general. He would advise any
American in Hayti to close his eyes when a
general appears, since he must certainly
laugh If he keeps them open, in spite Of
the danger. According to Mr.. Plumer's
story, all Haytian officers are generals, grad
ations in authority being denoted by the
number of his stars. But whatever the num-
ber of his stars, the Haytian general
is a gorgeous being. His head is surmounted
by a chapeau, and the chapeau must have a
feather anyway. IL the long, dropping
plume cannot be obtained, why the Haytian
will transfer straight, perky little feather
from the tail of a setting hen to the top of
his chapeau. This element Of glory being
attended to, the Generals must next have
epaulets. The tremendous, French kind, of
the size of stew pan and with draperies
reaching to the elbow is the favorite when
1t can be obtained. The coat is usually OF
some gay color; and is buttoned up with
military exactness, because the Haytian gen.
eral has no shirt Gold lace usually adorns
the coat TO the extent of the generals ability
to buy or steal it. In the ad0rnment of his
legs less interest is taken. Blue drilling
pants, so ragged between the knees and
ankles that they often display as much fringe
as the epaulets. are considered sufficient
And beyond these the Haytian general takes
no interest whatever; for he is always bare
footed. For side arms he has dress sword
II he can get 1t; If not sabre or bay0net.
But our hero must be mounted So he gets
astride little donkey, so diminutive that he
has to draw up his feet until his knees nearly
reach his chin that his feet may not drag on
the ground. Thus equipped and mounted
one day was a certain general at whom Mr.
Plumer, when ashore, could not refrain from
laughing. The haytian comprehended that
his dignity was involved; and, drawing his
long straight sword, made a thrust at the
American. The latter lodged, but did not
escape cut in the stomach that was trouble
some for some time.
But Plumer was Imore fortunate than one
of his mates, Captain Fisher. The captain
was ordered to the command of the man of