The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13
YUCATAN WAS TIE PRIZE.
PURPOSES OF AN AMERICAN ARMED
EXPEDITION IN 1913.

stntca Told bS Dantei Clark Irlgga, Nbo
Thinks re L. the Onts sarVivor or the Party,
Daniel Clark Briggs. q lawyer In the stewart
building, IL. 30 far as he knows, the last s.,.
vivor OF an armed expedition that undurtoop ia
conquer Yucatan half u century ago. When
scarcely moro than a boy he captainvd a com.
pany in an American regiment composed mostly
OF Mexican war veterans, who were enlisted by
tho Mexican Government shortly after he clos.
OF the war with this country 10 help suL.ur.,s
the province of Euchtan, which was then n,
open rebellion. II Mr.. Briggs Is COrrcc, N hin
belief, there was n tacit understanding with
| high officials Of the American Government Than
eventually this regiment was to gain control OF
tho province, with n view to anneNiny il 10 tho
Union very much as Texas was gobblcG up.
I'm the summer OF 1S4S," said MIR. Briggs in
tclling the story of his experiences, IL broke
down IRON overwork. My doctors INSISTED that
! should have rest and advised a southern
trip. With this end in view. | left NY West.
chester home and journeyed up the river 10
Albany. Thence, partly by rail aud partly by
stage, ] mado my way across New FORK S,a,s
and down to Cincinnati, whence ] continued by
tho Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Or.
leans. By the time l arrived there
had grown pretty strong AMI was feel.
Ing once more lit for active life. At least
/ thought so. AT this time there was a great
deal being printed In the New Orleans Picuyuns
about an expedition that WAS being tittcd out to
go to Yucatan and conquer that state. The
Mexican Government had conceived the highest
admiration for the vslor and fighting qualities
Of the American troops in consequence Of the
late war, and had determined that if the natives
Of Yucatan were ever TO be conquered the Amer
leans were the ones to do it. So. very quietly,
| but without any effort at secrecy. the enlistment
Of the men was going on.
New Orleans doctor advised me to GO. aithioaSR
he aiterward told me he thought / was going 10
my my death snlnrd Hiny way, ! put b In my ny !,
perience save what we all had in those days
from the militia. but l had unlimited confidence
to get one. but he didn't. They made me
as ono Of my Lieutonants. A man named White,
whose initials l cannot now recall, was Colonel
OF t nSm. 5e snssnsoD ,nS The sdeMS SjnS. we1e re!
Dowell and McHenry. Ono OF the reasons for the
fsil%re e. Of ,t the x expe Gds Ty, from , an American
s af &a and e a ot splendid Esp feilo&, but he hSI lacked eiG many ny
Of the a R sssss. He 9 knew snd I knew 1Dg Ief tSst tEsr re-
! was an Interior motive behind our going. Tho
m U%t Her T. stat y EN- were Terr farseainS TTfhnH;
realized that unless more territory were acquired
In the South. the development Of the West and
Northwest would eventually take control from
their hands. They wanted Yucatan. They were
the jingoes of the most pronounced type. Gen.
from Mississippi, was the Sponsor for the expedi-
ton. He consulted constantly with Col. White,
who told me before his death, many years ago.
that President Polk was cognizant Of the secret
purpose Of the scheme. White maintained that
the Government archives In Washington would
THE expedition sailed from New Orleans in
October. 1s4s. We landed in Sisal, on the
northern coast Of Yucatan, with 4s0 men-as
fine a LOT OF fighters as ever got together: They
whipped. We marched inland TO Merida, where
" were sOd ID b tive 2s ssiEime1Tt soS OF apo s1e ,S:
q te SS@iGs%: O. Of 't the N$ spanish settlers settlers p E
country. The enmity between them and the
In5ions w u T TsEy S,,'s soiidi Thsy T IN eu fi aeei in taS
form Of the American army. The privates wore
march inland. perhaps 15o miles. We reached
Thosuco, whore We remained a short time.
ION Christmas morning. Is4s. we set out for
the mo9ntains prepared TO fight. We were In
Our tSs s lssa; TIE lsd Y y. sisss a h nsiasiRf To ss sas l Esssi
on either side with a dense growth OF chapparal.
1, ,S, Ssish hoT Ws Of b. %e sea %tsst e adds a x lsar safs Ss.
many there were We never had a clear idea, but
many hundreds Of men without apparently
army musEets and a Weapon very similar to the
Cuban machete. The Enelish in Honduras were
a Sl.sss sa i fad haYi in sSRPli cd P t4f@; P ThsiF Liz ised Il
his race he was a physical wonder. capable Of
s gri1 s sSdI 1Ss fed land ip 1aps ssE.n strons Of No ,Ss
chapparal alongside the road. but thsy threw
up bsrricades in front Of us. These il
ing at each charge was Of the most desper
ate hand!to-hand character; presume we
took a score Of these barricades that day. All
OF the fighting fell to the Americans, TO- no
sooner had the engagement commenced than
TihOSuCO. The engagement lasted from q O'Clock
IN the mSrnlns nnfhi sunaown: Dsr6peso
fight. How many were wo lnded I cannot recall.
Neither side took any prisoner No qnsTteI
mu!iiated the dead horribly;
encounter the enemy in force: This battle o.
Thosuco was the fcrcest we had during the cam
eSseded in wee oon aS@sht s the n ssff'Rs. 0Ii LETT fsE in M isS
resigning my commission. At that time about
was hopeless to attempt TO conquer the natives
left them in peace. and survivors came home.
arc still independent, The Spanish elcmer,
controls the country back to the highlands, but
still maintain a practical Independence. Hsd
the Americans succeeded in putting down 'he
jinEoes would have carried; but. under he
circumstances i was slloysd to peter on: il,
heard of was Gen. Tom Harris OF KentaIky. VS.
were great friends, and used often 10 so ovorihs
old campaiGn together; He died several years
Devere, and all the other officers, I believe, ars
dead. You see its almost fifty years ,Go NV
and most OF tho men were much older than my
self. / was hut IS. Severe's fate cane near
being mine. Having had a taste OF cXci'cmcnt
when the Cuban rebellion in the early dues
broke out, Severe and / determined u" 'ol" ~
famous Lopez expedition. Harris WAS 7,Su to
20. but the Junta having charge gave. pT!rrS
that q change should he made in the .'rt.HS
point. Harris and I concluded that ra ( o':h.S
order there was tre2chcry. and. we. = eui.
Sure enough, when the eXpediiion LANDED. they
were met In force by the Sparisrds an nj 20
pieces. Severe was captured and sho;. Harris
and ! ALWAYS thought after that th'' wr were
destined to long lives"