St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-11
GEN. WALKERS FLAG.
Battle Banner Borne on the
Nicaragua Expedi-
ton.
The Relic Of Nearly a Half
Century Ago Owned in
San Francisco.
It Is Made of Silk and Muslin
and Has a Chastity His
tory.
Stained With Blood Shed at
the Memorable Battle OF
RiVaS.

There is in this city, in the possession
of Barney WOolf, secretary of the Call
fornia supreme court commissioners,
the original battle flag used by Gen.
Walker in his first Nicaragua eXpedl-
ton and borne at the head of his col
umns at the battle of RivaS on the Goth
of June, 1855. 1t has been In MIR.
Woolt's possession only few weeks,
and he places very high value upon it
as blood-stained mOmento oT Gen.
Walker and his Nicaragua campaign, IN
which he took an active part as an
officer attached to Walkers command,
says the San Francisco Examiner.
The flag is of blue and white silk and
muslin, 46X42 inches. The center is one
half the flag and of white muslin. The
upper and lower stripes are OF blue SILK
pieced out with muslin of the same
color in the left-hand corners. In the
center of the white stripe is star, ht-
teen inches across, worked originally III
red silk, which is now nearly white
from weather and exposure. In the
center, also in silk, are the letters Ivy.
b )" meaning Walkers battalion. The
edges of the flag are bound i'll red SILK,
upper stripe is rent in three places, ana
on the left of the star are several blood
stains. The fasteningS which bound
the flag to the staff are OF white tape.
The flag was made at Realejo by Mrs.
Alexander Jones. wife of DR.. Jones,
assisted by Mrs. Boley. Mrs. Jones
first met Walker when on board the
Vesta, tile vessel which took him and
his troops to Nicaragua. Dr.. Jones was
attached to Walkers staff as surgeon.
He was great personal friend OF
Walker, devoted to his cause, accom-
panied him through all his expeditions
and was one of the original hfty-slX
who staked their lives and fortunes
with Walker in his scheme of conquest.
The question of the flag was first
preached at Realejo, where Mrs. Boley,
whose husband had lived in the coun-
try for many years. was the hostess or
Jones. his wife, and Walker. One aft
ernnon DR.. Jones suggested to Gen.
Walker that a flag would be necessary
to carry at the head OF the troops.
Walker replied that the idea had not
occurred to him before, as in the gen
eral excitement of the expedition the
subject of flag had escaped bis atten-
ton. but that flag was necessary, as IL
would add to the enthusiasm OF the
troops. 1t was finally agreed that they
should adopt the original stripes and
colors of the Nicaragua republic,
Walker having received his commission
originally as colonel in the army from
that source. The variation adopted by
Walker was five-pointed star i'll the
center of the flag. inscribed with the let
tiers wv. b. the initials OF Walkers
battalion. in place of the five volcanoes
and sun-burst upon the Nicaragua tiag.
Walker wanted large flag, but when
the ladies began to investigate their
stock of material on hand they found
that the largest flag that could be mace
was only As by AZ inches, and THIS SIZE
could only be reached by p!eclng some
odd remnants of silk and muslin togCth-
er. Ii was finished June 20 and form
ally presented to Walker by the ladies',
and on the Goth OF the same month 1t
was holsted by Walker and carried at
the head of the troops at the battle OF
RIvas Walker went into the fight with
So Americans and 10 natives, opposed
by 500 LegitimistS. who during the bat
tie were re-enforced by 81 troops.
Walker was defeated by force OF num-
bers, but managed TO make his retreat
from the field with a loss of only &
killed and II wounded, while the enemy
suffered loss of 70 killed and as many
wounded.
Five of Walkers wounded left upon
the field were barbarously murdered 10y
the Legitimist forces. The fight began
al noon and lasted four hours. The flag,
which received its first baptism OF fire
and blood on this field. was carried away
i'm the retreat 10y DR.. Jones ana kept by
him for many years, until at the time OF
his death he left it with his wife, who in
turn gave il to John NJ. Baldwin. of Los
Angeles, who was commissioned officer
under Walker. 1t was recently given
to Mr. WOOlf as a mementO OF the old
days. Accompanying the gift was the
following letter:
My Dear Barney: Mrs. Alexander
Jones gave me the flag which she and
Mrs. Boley made at Realejo in 1855 for
Walkers battalion, prior to the first at
tack upon kivas. DR.. Jones, her huS-
band, was one of the fifty-slX who ac-
cOmpanied the general from San Fran
cisco to Realejo on the Vesta, a brig
which belonged to an Englishman, a
resident of San Francisco. named Har-
rison He CDR. j. was desperately
wounded prior to the abandonment OF
Granada by Walkers forces, and as a
result had ups and downs for the balance
of his life. He managed in sOnfe way
to preserve the battalion flag, and after
his death it passed into the hands OF his
wife, who gave it to me as one of the
few survivors of that expedition. Yours
as ever, JOHN Nj. BALDWIN.
Mr. WOoIf denies that the expedition
Was tilibustering one, and in proof OF
this exhibits his first commission i'll
Spanish, dated Jan. II, 1856, at which
time he was commissioned as second
lieutenant of the First battalion, in the
army of the republic of Nicaragua,
dated at Granada and signed by Patriotic
Rivas, president; F. Ferrer, secretary of
war, and William Walker, commanding
general; cOuntersigned by Carlos
Thomas. secretary of the treasury. His
second commission as first lieutenant is
in English, dated Aug. l, 1856, and
signed by Walker as president, and
Mateo Pineda as secretary Of war. Both |
commissions bear the seal of the state
five volcanoes and sun-burst in the |
background, surrounded by the words, |
"Dios Union Libertad Nicaragua Ell
Centre America" Mr.. Woolf left Marys-
vile with sixty-four men to join the en-
petition on Jan. 2, 1856. W. Alphonso |
Suffer. youngest son OF Gen. Suffer, was
Mr.