The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-02-12
FATE Of CRITrENoEN.
How a Band Of Brave Kentuekians Met
Death In Cuba.


In the summer OF 1851, says the New
York sun, Col William l.. Crlttcnden,
OF Louisville brother OF ex-Goy.
Thomas Crttendcu OF Missouri, re-
crultcd about City EcntuckIaus to go
to Cuba to the assistance of the patrl.
OTIS, who were engaged at that time IN
"A desultory warfare against the Span.
ish. Among those who accompanied
Col Crittenden were Capt Victor Kerr,
Lieut. Charles Green, Lieut.. William
Standiford, John Fisher and Gilman
A. Cook. The names of the others can.
not be recalled. The little band left
Louisville early In August fully armed
and equipped for war. They succeeded
in landing on the island after having
been Joined by nearly fifty others from
several Of the Southern States. Two
days after landing and while marching
toward the rendezvous Of the patriots,
Col Crittenden's baud was attacked
by 700 Spanish soldiers.
The Americans occupied an adyan-
t2geOus position when the attack was
made, and for thirty-six hours they
kept the Spaniards at bay. When they
had exhausted nearly their whole
stock Of ammunition and the men were
completely worn out by the long bat.
tie, Col. Crittenden, after a hasty con.
sultatlon with his officers, decided to
surrender. A flag Of truce was sent TO
the Spanish lines and was courteously
received by the commander, who pro-
missed the Americans that they would
receive honorable treatment as prison
ers of war If they surrendered. Ac,
cordingly Col. Crittenden surrendered.
The next morning at sunrise the col
Onel and seventy-scyen Of the eighty
men who were captured were marched
out to be executed. The men were
made to kneel with their backs toward
the firing squad. Col. Crlttenden pro.
tested against the execution, calling
attention to the agreement made be.
fore the surrender. He was CURLY in.
formed by the Spanish commander
that there was no war in Cuba, that
the revolutionists were only bandits,
and that they were shot whenever
captured. He then ordered the sol.
diers to lead Col. Crittenden to The line
where his men were kneellng, and or.
| dered him to kneel also, with his back
toward the Spanish soldiers. The
Colonel, who was a splendid type On
Kentucky manhood, tore himself loose
from the soldiers, and Strengthening up
to his full height, looked the cOmman-
der in the face and exclaimed:
Il am a Kentuckian, sir, and a Ken
tuckian never turns his back on his
foe and never kneels save to God"
The commander gave the order to
FIRE, and Crittenden as well as his
men poured out their life blood on Gu.
ban soil.
When the news reached the United
States that the intrepid Crittenden and
his band had been shot to death after
making an honorable surrender the
indignation Of the people knew no
bounds. Mass meetings were held all
over the country, and resolutions of in
dignation were adopted, Petitions
were circulated asking President Fill
more to declare war against Spain for
the butchery of American citizens. So
strong was public opinion against the
outrage that the President promptly
dispatched the steam frigate Saranac,
Commodore Parker, to inquire into the
circumstances of the killing of Col
Crttenden and his men. He found
that United States Consul Owen, al
Havana, had been derelict in his duty,
and on the recommendation of Commo'
dOre Parker, Mr.. owen was recalled.