The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-02

battle stained, with smoke begrimed rifles
slung at their hips, file through the streets
and take up quarters in an old barrack on
the beach. Without hating n mcager de-
tail took possession of all sailing craft in
the harbor, even to schooner under the
Costa Rican flag that had just cast anchor
The soldiers-for such they were-who
thus took liberty with whatever could serve
their purpose i'll San Juan constituted the
American phalanN i'll the service of the pro-
Vlsional Democratic government of Mica
ragua They had just marched days Jour
ney from the battlefield of Rivas, n town
near the west shore of Nicaragua lake.
where they alone had battled nearly four
hours against GOO Lcgitimists. Originally
mastering 56-an army no larger than is
often marshalcd on the mimic stage-6 had
been killed and disabled and captured.
The battle of RivaS was the opening trag-
edy i'll the bloody drama of Walkers Mica
raguan campaign. Walker and So COM
panions landed from California June II,
and ten days later enlisted in the Demo
cratic or revolutionary service. Walker
was colonel of the phalanx, Achilles
Kewen lieutenant colonel and Timothy
Crocker major. The attack on Rivas had
been ordered by the provisional government
as the first step in the renewal of hostilities
in the civil war just then languishing for
lack of "sand'' in the Democratic camps.
Rivas controlled the Transit route where
Walker expected to gather recruits from
travellers crossing the isthmus 1t held the
enemy's treasure box, for there tax on
Transit fares was paid to the strongest
claimant, and an attack made there carried
the war away from the impoverished dis
tricts of the Democrats
The latter held only IL few towns in the
narrow coast strip OH the northern border
nf tho 81. n nd nnipy 10 Il
partmcnt where the revolution started two
years before Walkers arrival. Nicaragua,
as whole, WAS Lcl,itimist by musllet rule
The Democrats had neither soldiers money
nor heart for the struggle. A contingent {
LOO natives had marched OH Rivas with the,
Americans and stampcdcd ut the first fire,
leaving the tifty-siX aliens alone to cope
with odds Of ten to one Tho phalanx
fought its way into Rivas Kcwen and
Crocker and Others were killed and l6
wounded. of whom II escaped, when the
survivors cut path of retreat to San Juan.
The rifles of the Americans knocked over
$50 Legitimis's, and almost to n man tho
victims were shot through tho head.
The Americans had sailed to San Juan
originally in their own schooner, the Vesta
She disappeared during the fight Mt Rivas
and the San Jose was impressed to trans
port them back to Leon, the seat of the
Democrats in the north. The Costa Ricans
whose flag the San Jose sailed under
favored the Legitimsts and defiance of
their colors BODIED no good to the aliens.
The revolutionary populace of Leon was
astoundod and overioyed at the proves of
the phalany. But the admiration was n
trifle one sided. The Democrats had an
nrmy-on paper-and n general in chief
one Munoz. y report reached the Ameri-
cans to the effect that the Lcgitimist COM
mander at Rivas had been warned of the
attack of June 90 by n German who left
the Democratic camp shortly before under
a passport signed by Munoz. Walker in
sisted that Munoz be called to account for
treachcry, but the Democratic director
hadn't the nerve to break with Nlunoz