The National tribune., 1898-08-11
RECOLLEcTIONS OF
A FILIBUSTER.
Experiences in the Expedi-
tions to Cuba in 1850-'52.
Organizing the Expedition-sailing for Now
Orleans-Taking Cardenas-A Narrow
Escape.
BY IRWIN MOTE.

In the early SpllnS Oh iooo i, d youh'
man. only 90 years old, full of life and ad
venture, was working in Cincinnati, o., as
iourneyman cordwainer, at Fifth stree
boarding-house 1t was noised around among
the bows that an expedition was organizing tC
90 to California Ready for any adventure thai
might present itself Joined that expedition
and on or about April l, 1850, with about Of
OF 10 other young adventures, boarded
the aflerwards-notorious up-rlver steamer
Martha Washington for New Orleans.
1t was arranged that all passengers should
nav a fare. but considered myself lucky
when | was told that / could 90 without such
payment So the Martha Washington drew
her gang-plank, slipped her fastenings and
dropped out into the middle of the OHIO
River. made q circle, and down the river we
started for New Orleans.
After taking on 10 or 100 more men at
Louisville, KY, we steamed quietly down
the Ohio At New Orleans we went ashore
about five miles up the river IN what was
then known as Freuch-Town. We were
apportioned out to the boaIding-h houses IN
that vicinity as they would accommodate us,
and remained in New Orleans about two
weeks.
Every other night Of that time we would
get together by appointment or by some pre-
concerted plan and form line, double column,
and march around and along some OF the
principal streets of the city for the purpose
of drill.
We were quartered in the neighborbood OF
a two-story frame, hat-Iooied house, the
weatherboarding of which was put on IN lmita-
tion of large, stone blocks. The house was said
to be haunted, and the one in which the noted
highwayman Merrill once had his headquar-
teTs. 1t was then owned by parties IN Pans,
France, and at that time there was no other
house within a square of 1t, and, If reniein
Der, no one living III 1T.
THE Departure
AT last, everything being ready, we were
notified TO 20 to a certain place and get
tickets for Chagres, Cal. Possibly the tickets
were brought to and distributed among us,
and we were told to 90 TO Pier No. 2l, and
there we would find boat tor convey Us 10
our destination, Chagres, Cal.
Our boaTders gathered their traps and
started, and about ii or IL O'Clock at night
we boarded The bark GeoIgiana. Among
this body of adventures, about 80 in num-
Der, there were only very few. if any, who
were not of the pobleSt, brightest and best
young men that Ohio, Kentucky, or any
other State can produce.
lay down close TO the gunwale On upper
deck and tried to sleep, but there was no
sleep in ii for me. Just after daylight some
sea-biscuit and coffee were given Us, and |
believe some pork WAS issued also, and only
one stove to cook on for all of ms.
Just little while after bad finished my
breakfast, and had sat down TO enjoy the fresh
breeze that was then blowing, struck the
waves in the Gulf of Mexico, and" My
what is the matter with me- something wrong
with MY insdes ] am deathly sick. Was it
that coffee that / drank / am not used to
drinking coffee. Am / going to die right
here, and no one near me to take the news
home to my father and friends? ?n
was deathly sea-sick until we arrived at a
little island over on the coast of Yucatan.
We went ashore there. and / managed to get
some of very large turtle that the officers
bought of the natives. We explored the
island: 1t was not large, so it did not take
US long 10 do so. On the island we found
some graves, and we had heard big stories
about gold and silver that the Indians were
IA lao leah s.fl 4.