Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-19
AN EVENTFUL LIFE.
Recalling Incidents in the Career Of
Capt. s. Il. Walker.
EXTRACTS FROM OLD LETTERS
District Men Who Fought With walker
How the News of His Death Was Received
Interesting Information About Historic
Paintings.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
HAVE BEEN FAVORED WITH THE Pc
Il rusal OF some letters written by Capt
Sam H. Walker, whose eventful life forms one
OF the brightest pages in our history, pre-
served by his nephew, Mr.. SamL H. Walker.
Like all heroes, he has but little to say of him
self or his OF exploits, but the many acts of hero
Ism with which his career was filed are en-
balmed In history with those of his associates
Col Jack Hays and Maj. Ben Mccullough.
In this volume l find several letters from
Col Sam Colt written to Capt. Walker in rela-
ton to the introduction of that valuable arm Of
defense, the revolver. which for years had re-
ceived but little encouragement from the War
Department-so little. indeed, that Col. Colt,
while waiting for some action by the ordnance
department, became 80 impoverished that but
for aid obtained from friends here he could no I
have sustained the long struggle and the delays
attending the reluctant action Of the ordnance
department
The first letter from Capt. Walker to his
brother, the late Mr.. Jonathan T. Walker is
dated Castle of Per ote, August 6, l847, and de-
scribes "a fight between my company and 600
guerrlllas at the Pass of La Hoya. We defeated
them, killing about fifty men, while our loss
was only eight horses. l deem it my duty to
the brave men who fought under me and who
to serve faithfully and justify themselves with
their country to give full accoupt OF this
affair. in which the sons of old Mar yland and
the District Of Columbia displayed as much
chlvalry and true courage as have ever wit
messed on any field, and though it was but
small affair, it was sufficient to testify the
qualities which constitute the true soldier
There are many letters from gentlemen
recommending young men who desire to
enlist With with Capt. Walker from MARYLAND,
H. Tuck and others. and l find a partial
roll OF the young men who enlisted under him
from Maryland and Virginia and the District of
Columbia, Jonathan Roby, Charles X. Sherman,
Addison Dent, Richard u. Dement,, Samuel l.
Cumming. W. Garrison, T. W. hardwood Benz.
b. Chambers, John A. Scott, r. r. wallach,
Silas W. Conn, John Lowe. john A. Goodwin,
James r. Phillips, Joseph Z. Merriken, F. o.
Gather. L. F Grittith, S. I. Reaves Henry H.
Jones, W. A. Webster, Jesse Garner, Othello
wayne, Arthur West, A. W. Russell, Allen
Bowie. Thomas Moore, George Crawford Robert
+. Martin, John A. j. Smith, VIM. E. Richards,
John l. Lynch, James +. Scott, Charles W.
Gordon, Edw. Suit. NJ. b. Thomas, Richard j.
Wall. VIM o; Reeder, Henry Beavln. J. W.
Hutchins, Robert s. SWAIN John Donnelly,
Tilghman, two brothers, Charles Donaldson,
James Mccormick, Charles Nicholson, VIM p
Wood, Sam McCurdy, j. ID. Betl-Mahon, Col
Lane. retired, United States army. They were
all from this city or the immediate neighbor-
III
career as one Of Walkers men, but being under
age his father overlook him at him at Pitts
burg and for o time quenched his military
ardor.
PRESENTED WITH A HORSE.
On the 18th Of May. 1916, Col. Bullet wrote
from New Orleans presenting horse to Capt
Walker from a number Of citizens in apprecia-
ton of his services. Mr.. Alexander c. Bullet
came to this city with Gen. Taylor and was the
editor during Gen. Taylor's brief term of the
presidency Of the Republic, which was the organ
of the administration. At New Orleans he ed
tied the Delta, think. The Republic was pub
lished by Mr. George S. Gideon. Mr.. Bullet
1t was said, wrote Gen. Taylor's first message,
and made the bull which occasioned 80 much
amusement to the opposition press of the coun-
try. The President was made to saw: ave are
at peace with all the world and the rest Of man.
kind. The blunder was discovered very soon,
but not soon enough to prevent it being tele-
graphed all over the country. When Gen.
Grant nominated Alex. I. Stewart for Secre-
tary Of the Treasury the unconstitutionality Of
the appointment was not raised until Mr. A.
q. Allen in the National Inteuigencer called the
attention OF the Senate to it the morning after
the nomination was made.
CAREER OF HERoIsM.
The career Of Capt Walker is told in the obit-
uary notices which filed the papers of the
country when his death was announced. It
was a career of the most unexampled heroism.
| unstained by single act which could for a mo-
ment dim its luster. His fall was while leading
his men at Huamantla and it cast gloom over
| the army, as was testified in the general orders
announcing his death. Gen. Joe Lane said:
This victory Is saddened by the loss of one of
the most chivalric and nOble-hearted men that
graced the profession of arms" For a time it
| hushed the shout of victory, and its announce
| ,nent fell upon the country like a pail Here
where he was SO well known, it occasioned a
deep grief. We felt it, all of US who knew him,
AZ personal loss.
| At that time all our news from Mexico came
by the way of New Orleans and a correspond
ent OF the Baltimore San says in a letter dated
! at New Orleans: 1T would be in vain for me
to attempt to describe the state OF public feel
ing here this morning when the news from
Mexico was read, conveying the sad intelligence
| OF the death OF Capt. Walker. The
brave and patriotic Walker was our fellow
citizen; We have known him from his youth
| up. He encountered peril from
winch escape was almost miraculous, and
| fought his way through desperate risks to
promotion and distinguished honor"
The New Orleans Dettd edited by Mr.. Bullet
speaking OF the sorrow which pervaded that
city, says: I've all remember his brilliant
| deeds on the Rio Grande in cutting his way
with few gallant companions through
Aristas large army, communicating with Fort
Brown. then besieged, and returning to Gen.
Taylor with full information OF the state Of
things In the fort and the position Of the Mexi-
can army; We remember his holiness and sa-
gacity on the bloody fields of Palo Alto and
Resaca de la Palma These have become part
of our national glory and of our national
records. They are immortal in history ana i'll
song. But long before this American war had
begun Capt. Walker had shown himself the
| hero. In that extraordinary expedition whose
history furnishes the most striking examples of
courage, fortitude, frmness and yigor of
! the American character which have ever been
| recorded, the Texan expedition against Mier,
| Samuel II. Walker. though but a beardless
youth, was one of the leading spirits. ever fore
| most In the com bat and the last 10 yield
| Capable of great endurance against all the
| dangers, suhermgs and trials of the battle, of
| captivity, chains, want and starvation, he was
terror to the Mexicans. These qualities ell
abled him to pass safely through the unparal-
leled hight Of Mier, where 200 Texans kept at
bay Ampadia and large and complete Mexi-
| can army Of 1000, staying five or SIX hundred
| and only surrendering ON honorable terms,
| which were basely violated. 10 bear up under
| the horrible oppression and cruelty while pris-
oners, and to sustain the severest vistations of
hunger thirst and restitution in the desert val
| ley OF Saado, and finally to break through the
walls and iron bars OF that famed Mexican bas-
| tile, the castle Of Perote. We have heard
Col. Jack Hayes and Mai. Ben McCulloch say
| that If they required a man to 60 into the enc
my's camp or approach his lines and pry out
| his designs or perform any other act requiring
great danger, GOODNESS and sagacity they would