The record-union., 1895-05-04
WALKER IN NICARAGUA.
How a Nashville Boy Founded a
State.
Peculiar Ambition of Daring Ameri-
can Which Finally Led
to His Death.

The world has pleasant and sensible
way of only remembering her successful
men, who have drenched it with blood,
amused or instructed it, and of forgetting
the failures, or consigning them to the
realms of Oblivion, except when needed
by some philosopher to point moral or
adorn tale. Forty years ago the name
of William Walker, the Filibuster, or as
he was called, 1.-The Gray-Eyed Man of
Destiny" was on every lip. To-day his
memory is wen-nigh gone, save by some
older man that can send his gaze beyond
the bloody battle grounds of the Civil
War that lie between to those of far Mica
| ragua, where Walker fought his mad
fight, was conquered by fate, and died.
Born in Nashville, Tenn. of fine old
Southern family. this remarkable man
| was sent abroad to be educated, and grad
uated as physician, bat not caring for
that profession. he gave it up shortly
| after he returned to America, and became
an editor in New Orleans. Tiring of this
| also, he was swept away with the tide of
adventurers that overwhelmed California
after the discovery of her golden heart.
Here he studied, but, fixing his ambi-
ton on the Mexican State OF Sonora, he
invaded that country at the head of fifty
| followers, but this raid presents the novel
| spectacle in history of military expedl-
| ton falling for lack of foes. Pressing on
through sparsely settled valleys and al
most deserts, the filibusters were con-
quered by hunger and exposure, and
| they returned to California. Walker was
arrested by the United States authorities
on a charge of violating the neutrality
laws, but defended himself and was ac-
quilted. He now planned out the daring
4 scheme that aimed at an empire among
! the Spanish American States of the 18TH
mus, washed by two oceans. Nicaragua
was in a state of perpetual revolt, and
/ commerce and agriculture were almost
! dead, destroyed by pillage, arson and
exOrbitsnt and forced taxes. The con-
| tentlons dlsheartened every branch OF
| industry. for no man felt like laboring
| when it was doubtful if he or his would
ever enjoy the fruit of his toll. The Gov
ernment was presumably democratic, but
| in reality despotic the President given to
doing pretty much as he pleased till some
stronger tyrant ousted him from his seat.
The Central American Confederacy,
composed of Honduras, Guatemala, San
Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, was
| dissolved in 1881, and after that chaos
reigned supreme, especially in the latter
State. Many of the revolutions that rent
| the country arose from the rivalry exist
| ing between the cities of Granada. situ-
ated on Lake Nicaragua, and Leon, near
| the Pacific Coast. Both desired to be the
seat OF governmentand contended tiercely
| for it, this dissensiCn reaching a climax
| in 1854, when Fruto Chamorro, who was
elected by the Granada party in 1850. and
who had begun his term by banishing
his opponent, Francisco Castillon, and
other leading men of the Leonese faction,
declared his intention of retaining his
seat without the formality Of an election.
At this astounding declaration the Leon
party placed Castillon at the head of such
| troops as he could muster to expel the
usurper. Castillon dubbed MS party
Democrats, and Chamorro's adherents
styled themselves Legitimsts The for
mer, TO reinforce their scanty number,
promised reform in the Government and
| won such as had grievances against the
| existing one. or that could be induced to
| believe that better would be established,
but their recruits were usually made by
the following ingenious and original
method:
Small detachments of men were sent
out through the country with instruc-
tions to bring into camp every able
| bodied man that was to be found; If he
| did not want to come, the bayonet was to
be employed to persuade him that he was
/ an ardent Democrat. These recruits were
going into battle: but it has been said
that it was always question in those
revolutions which would be first to run,
the front rank, the rear guard or the
officers. For a whole year the two par
| ties played at war, the usual method pur-
sued being to alternately make raid on
the others stronghold. when the raided
generally ran away, leaving the cities to
! pe nearly destroyed and the non-com-
batants frightened nearly out of their
| wits. Contributions were levied on
| these, who, when the invaders were gone,
had to give the returning party twice
what they had the enemy as punish
ment for having aided the traitors.
At San Juan del Sur and Virgin Bay.
the Democrats mad seen few Americans,
and impressed by their courageous bear
| ing, decided that these were the men to
help them. Each was offered commits
| sion as a Captain or Colonel, and S100 a
| month pay. Some of these men were old
soldiers who had been with Taylor at
Buena Vista, and soon showed the Legit-
imiStS that war was not a chlId'S sport.
/ Every time one of them showed himself
he was picked off by rifle shot, and the
bold Americans actually took to clim b.
ing on to the roofs of houses and on to
the barricades to get shot at them.
With the aid of these men the Democrats
gained possession of the Transit route
ana neiQ IL, Wuli0 OdStiilOU, Inaue OlZZy
! by his success, had hlnself declared Pres
ident. But the Legitimists, aroused at
last, made vigorous and desperate
Eeffort, and defeated tho Democrats at
Massaya, where 300 of the latter were
killed. By the advice of a mining ex-
pert who was travelling in Mexico in the
interest of an American company, the
Democrats resolved TO call Walker to
| their assistance. The expert, Byron
Cole, had known Walker in California,
where he had heard of the successful but
daring tilibustering raid into Sonora by
Walker. He had also heard Wal ker him.
self talk of his ami bitioa to found an en-
pire in some of the Spanish American
States. He is the man for you." said
Cole to the Democrats. who at once sent
an emIssary to Walker, offering him the
command of their party and $1,000 acres
of land if he would lead them to victory.
Money he had none.
Walker accepted, and hastily and dar-
ingly solicited men to Join him in tn Q
undertaking. He was about to be ar
rested by the United States authorities
for breaking the neutrality laws. but
sailed one night with fifty-two men,
some of whom were of the best families
in the country, but actuated by the love
of adventure, He also escaped the sloop-
of-war sent out to intercept him and
finally landed at ReaIejo and marched
upon Leon, to the great terror of the
Legitimists. Aided by 200 native troops,
Walker began his Campaign by taking
Rivas, where the entire 200 natives ran
away at the first fire. Reinforced by
seventy Americana, Walker next at
tackled Virgin Bay, which he took after a
desperate battle In which the Americans
ammunition gave out, but with clupbed
rifles they drove the Legitimists from the
town with great loss. By October 18th.
Walker had 200 Americans and $50 na.
| t;.rass with him 1t ia said to ha Soma