The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-04-10
THE AMERICAN SPIRIT.

| the coming August hfty-one young Ameri-
cans were taken one by one from the
| Spanish ship EsperanZa into Fort Atares.
| Havana harbor, and shot to death. Their
| crime was lighting side by side with Gu
ban patriots for an independence long
| hoped for even then. The Two Repub-
! hes, of Mexico City, gives the pathetic
| tragic story as narrated many times by
General Crittenden. brother of the boy
who believed in universal freedom
In 1916 William Crittenden graduated
from West Point, and Immediately went
INTO active service in the war betwee the
United States and Mexico.
with Gen. Zachary Taylor he fought at
Paio Alto, Resaca de la Palma Beuna
Vista, Chapultupec and won his bars
When peace was declared he left the
Army and took up his residence in New
Orleans. His invincible general was Presi.
dent of the United States and the coun-
try had no further need of his feshed
sword. In 1913, Cuban adventurer. Gen
Manuel Lopez, appeared in New Orleans
and reused the young men of the city 10
enthusiasm. He sailed in April 1850 with
6C0 of the flower of Southern manhood
and landed at Cardenas. He invested tho
town and after an obstinate battle il sur
rendered. Reverses followed and a re-
| treat to United States soil was made. In
the meantime the President had issued a
proclamation against filibustering and
Crittenden found himself under the ban
Stlli strong in his faith for Cuba libre he
joined LopeZ's second expedition and on
august II. it landed on the northern coas<
OF the island Leaving the young Ken
tuckian. who was now a colonel in COM
ihand OF 100 men. Lopez marched south
ward. That Crittenden believed himself
betrayed and deserted by the Cuban is
clearly set forth in his last letter. His
tory shows. however, that Lopez was
surprised, defeated and his force cut TO
pieces. lie, with few of his command
was captured, taken to Havana where he
suffered the ignominy of traitors death
by the garrote.
With his comrades Crittenden was TAX
en- to Havana, and at once ordered TO be
shot. He asked that he be allowed to
send letter to his kindred in Ken
lucky After Darley this was per-
mitted. On the morning of the 18th with
death staring him in the face he sat
down and wrote. That letter Sves in
history, monument to the heroism of
soul in which there was no fear. no
shrinking where duty called. IL was
addressed to DR.. Lucien Hensley an in
innate friend, TO whom was given the
sad duty of breaking the mournful news
| to the dear ones at home. No fear was
in that valiant heart. yet for one brief
hour he ,trembled and shed the tears
that mother-love and memory can wiring
from the stoutest heart. He was ready
to die facing the foe, but he could not
write farewell to her whose lips had
blessed him from childhood to MARTYR
dom This letter is still a precious me-
mento in the Crittenden family
Ship of war Esperanza, August 16,
lS5l.-Dear Lieut.: In half an hour l. with
nifty others, am to be shot. We We're tax
en- prisoners yesterday. We were in small
boats. General Lopez having separated
the rest of the command from me. | had
with me about 100 men and was attacked
by two battalions of infantry and one
company of horse. The odds were too
great and, strange to tell. | was not fur
nished with a single musket cartridge.
Lopez did not get any artillery | have
not the heart TO write to any of nv fam
lily. If the truth ever comes out YOU will
ind ! did my duty and have perfect con-
fidence in every man with me- We had
retired from the field, We're going to sea
and were overtaken by the Spanish steam
er Hevanero and captured NV people
were entirely surrounded on every side
We saw that we had been deceived gross
ly and were making for the United States
when taken. When / was attacked Lo-
PEE was only three miles off If he had
not been deceiving us as to the real state
of things he would have fallen hack with
his force and made fight. instead of which
he marched on Immediately to the in
terror.
am requested to get you to tell Mr..
dreen OF the custom house that his
brother shares my fate. Victor Kerr is
also with me- Also Stanford. | recolIect
no others of your acquaintance at nres
eht VIII die like a man. My heart has
not falied me yet nor do | believe il will
communicate with my family.
Ihis is an incoherent letter. but the
circumstances must excuse it. My hands
are swollen TO double their thickness, re-
h..,r;
corded for the last eighteen hours. Write
TO John and let him write to nv mother
am afraid the news will break her
heart My heart beats warmly for her
now. Farewell My love to all nv
friends Yours strong in heart.
w. L. CRITTENDEN"
When marched to the wall where he
and his fifty heroes met death, he was
ordered to kneel. Proudly. defiantlv. he
refused, and with his blood baptized the
nonor of American patriotism
Snort was the shrift for him and his
men and their stark bodies We're sub
lected to every indignity that hendish
malignity could suggest Mutilated be-
yond human semblauce their bodies were
thrown into a trench dug by the fortress
wall and hastily covered No stone was
| left to mark the grave but the love and
| daring of a brother American braved
| Spanish bullets and succeeded in erect
| ing monument over the spot In
| letter to Gov Crittenden in 1853 Edward
B. Smith gives an account Of this I'M
! dei taking:
80 - had known your distin-
| guished brother not long but wen
| and TO know him was to admire him
| Emulous of an achievement splendid
| magnanimous and great-ssllantly
| answering the call and striking The
! chains of tyranny, the Lafayette of
| misunderstanding infringement of no. law.
national or international. recognized BY
| the spirit of his own free country. he
| fell gloriously. men freedom plants
| her standard on the land that enshrines
| the patriot martyr. the name of Critten-
den will bloom immortal. If imperisha-
| BILE fame in the cause of humanity be
| worth dying for, then should your bro h
| ers destiny be not too deeply deploreI
| by those who loved him The WAYS of
| Providence are mysterious, and we are
| not always the best judges of good and
| evil.
| Duty. II not friendship. would not
| have permitted me TO leave the graves
| of my worthy unfortunate country.
| men in n strange land without some
| token of memory to the dead which
| should serve as a threatening light on
| the distant horizon, to warn devils in
| carnate of coming storm of retributive
vengeance that shall sweep away despot-
| ism. and make that beautiful island the
| home of the free while it is the tomb of
the brave.
THE little monument placed in the
grass upon the spot where your noble
brother fell was a pedestal and pyramid
of white marble inscribed: Sacred TO the
memory of Crittenden and his gallant
compatriots. Its ceremonial, shielded by