The San Francisco call., 1896-02-23
ONCE A FILIBUsTER.
ensign Harry Cooke Content to Let
Others Fight Cuba's Battles.

Ensign Harry Cooke Content to Let
Others Fight Cuba's Battles.
mo, thank you. Captain Roemer ca n
nelp the Cubans to independence if he
hkes to, but I've had enough of that sort
OF thing
Inc speaker was Henry S. Cooke of Dali
las, lex. In his trunk at the Laclede Ho-
Tel he has faded, well-fngered document,
winch reads as follows:
PIERREPONT HOUSE. BROOKLYN. N. Y.
HoS. 10, lS69.-Ensign Harry Cooke Norfolk
Hd..SlR: received yesterday from the Cuban
ing MA "a communication, of which the follow
ioo9-Edo0drd Higgins, Commodore Cuban
toauy-lhe cuban Junta, considering the de-
rem..oIi @ OF the Cuba in Wilmington and the
Want OF any other man-of-war at present, re-
quests you to acquaint the officers under your
command that they are honorably discharged,
tSonIlrmlng tS.I m the verbal communication made to
" .heiI az W llmlngton by the representative of
~ .ne Junta, and they will be happy to utilize
their services in future. I remain, sir with the
President"
an IA accordance with this order you will con-
slder yourself honorably discharged from the
EDWARD HIGGINS,
Commodore Cuban Navy.
1T was IN the spring of 1869 that re-
celyed my commission in the Cuban navy"
said Mr.. Cooke when asked to relate some
OF MS experiences in the last Cuban revolu-
ton. l was young then and wanted ad-
venture. l had served four years in the
confederate navy, having left the Naval
academy at Annapolis when only Is years
old to serve my State, Virginia, in the
civil War. The adventures | had there
ought to have been enough, but wanted
more. The Cuban Junta, or Congress, was
sitting secretly in New York City. 1t didn t
take much to induce me to help fit out a
man-of-war for the Cuban service. To tell
the truth, the principal inducement was a
promise OF a division of spoils. We expected
to capture a steamer from Cadiz for Ha-
vana, carrying big sum of money, as
well as arms and provisions. l wouldn' 4
have taken 10000 for my part of the spoils
had we been successful. The boat with
which we expected to do all this had done
good service before as blockade runner
for the Southern Confederacy. 1t was a
Clyde-built vessel called the North Heath
then. After running the blockade several
times 1t was finally captured trying to get
into Wilmington. 1t was then converted
into United States man-of-war Private
! parties bought it for us in 1869 at the Gov.
! ernment navy-yard at Philadelphia. She
cleared from that city with a small crew
| Tor HALIFAX. In the meantime | was load
ing supply of small arms, clothing, pro-
visions and small stores on to two schoon-
ers at New York. 1 also got ten rife
| SolbOIl dUOdIu, SeFeU OF clgQC Oh Lnem
! being 60-pound Parrot rifle guns.
I'VE expected to meet our man-of-war,
! which we now called the Cuba, off No
Mans Land, six miles from shore, so as
not to violate the neutrality laws, but a
rough sea prevented a transfer there and
so we had to break the neutrality laws.
| The cannon, provisions and whole cargo
of each schooner were loaded on the Cuba
when the vessels were within few wards
OF the shore. Afterward, when we were
! tried IN New York, our sailors all swore
that the transfer. took place six miles from
land, when the fact was that l could have
thrown a biscuit ashore. The swearing
got US off, however, though the boat itself
was coniscated.''
The capture TOOK place at Wilmington,
where they were trying to get some coal
The project was a failure. After theirre-
lease the officers entered the merchant ma
rIne service OF the Cubans. The steamer
George b. Upton was purchased and fitted
out. Captain Dornin, who had had charge
OF the Cuba, was placed in command Mr..
Cooke served as second officer They
cleared from New York for Aspinwali, and
took 200 men for the Cuban army with
them and big load of arms. ammunition
and clothing. They landed all the soldiers
safely one dark night on the north shore
of Cuba. Then they continued to
Aspinwall and reloaded. Several nights
were spent in trying to find a
suitable landing place on the south