Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-07
SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.

4 3
kept j strict lookout for our q lies but
& they did not appear. Early the next
morning they came in sight, out LII III
stead Of mastering three hundred men
armed and ready to join US in the IN u
dertaking there were not more IMAM nan
& twenty. and they were about a s#sorry
looking set OF poems as you ever saw ~,
Their uniform made every man III our our
crowd laugh, i'll spite Of the serious ,.
situation that surrounded US. Inc
only satisfaction that we got from see
ing them was the hope that#they were YER.
"a type of the government army tnae
we expected to fight.
.'Their commander, sort OF ha Hail
breed Spanish Central American n, re-
nortel to Drummond, while his sol
diers lined up short distance OIL ~
mock military fashion. They looked
like German band in black face,
and no two of them had costumes
alike. But they were full of the pomp
of war, and went through more nom
sensicals movements in salutinS Drum
mond than the members of Null
gan's Guard The cat was out OF the
bag in few minutes. Drummond
called Mitch aside and broke the news
To him on the quiet. It was just this.
General Ramos Giverra. command
ing the revolutionary army, had sWlp-
ed the commissary stores that Drum
mond had sent down from New
Orleans and had sold out to the gov
eminent forces The danger OF our
situation then dawned upon us. Our
intentions were known to the enemy
and they were prepared to offer Sc.
rious resistance.
"Drummond's plan was really to
take Teguclgalpo by surprise, but such
a thing was out of the question now.
We had no provisions, and there was
nothing to do but retreat to the coast
or fight our way through to the CAPT
tai, and as there was no sign that the
people would flock to our standard. we
could not hold the place against over
whelrning numbers in case we captur-
ed it.
.Drummond held council Of war.
Very few Of the men could speak
Spanish. Two of the New Orleans
men were fluent in the language, and
one man from San Antonio was fairly
proficient but the rest of us could
not speak a word of Spanish, and we
knew very we'll that if we were cap.
tured, we would be shot, and that, too
before we could seek the Intervention
of the United States Government
These facts made the men desperate,
and I think that we could have cap
tured Tegucigalpo or any other old
Spanish town. if the order had been
given at that time.
.Drummond advised retreat, and
the motto of the regiment from that
time was 'Sauve Qui Peut.' Before
we had gotten fairly under way to the
coast, bodies of the enemy came in
sight from several directions, and in
a very few minutes. it was evident
that a fight was up to us whether we
wanted it or not.
There was no line of battle drawn
up. It was case of fire at will and
at whatever you saw. Within half
hour we were confronted in front
army of Spanish Honduras. It was
not such a formidable army but it
was numerous, and they hau our pro-
visions and the right on their side,
and we began to- look on ourselves
as a band of marauders instead Of
legitimate army.
Roma speron. Mitch, and I got to-
gether, and staid there right along.
The men threw themselves behind
whatever protection was at hand and
began to crack down on the enemy
at long range. The fire was answered,
and for several minutes it was pretty
lively for us. The enemy. however,
showed no disposition to come very
near, and we had no idea of charging
as long as there was a chance to get
away without absolutely running.
One detachment of our men was
caught In ravine, and had to shoot
it's way out to the finish. I heard
later that several Of them were
wounded, but they managed to make
their escape. Our regiment fought it's
way out of the difficulty, but separat-
ed, as we were in a strange land,
unfamiliar with the language, and in
an unrighteous cause had lots Of trou-
BILE before we ever got back to the
States.
Our party. Romasperon, Mitch and
made our way to the coast, and got
on board Of d small fishing vessel
We were joined by two of the revolu-
tionists. 1 think the other eighteen
took to the woods at the first sight
of the enemy that morning.
We forced the captain Of the little
vessel to put out to sea. for we were
DESTROYS Of putting as much water
between ourselves and capture as pos
sible A heavy storm came up during
the night, and the vessel was practi-
cally dismant1ed. We ate up ali the
provisions that the captain had on
board and drifted about the next
morning, until we were picked near
the coast by one of the outbound
fruit steamers going to New Orleans.
While on the vessel that night, one
of the revolutionists told Romasper-
on that the other revolutionist on
board had given us away to the gov
eminent forces. Romasperon and
Mitch decided to throw him overheard,
and my mild interference saved him.
ut took the combined efforts Of a
United States senator, and several
congressman, and all sorts of political
influence and sion to get some
of the men back to the States.
Drummond took some Of the men
and fortified himself in little town
on the river. He was attacked there
by a Honduras gunboat, tin-clad
affair that got stuck in the mud Of the
river bottom every fifteen minutes.
Druinmond found an old brass cannon
in sort Of fort in the town, and
when the gunboat came within range,
he trained the cannon on it, and pro-
ceeded to fire. He had no matches
with him convenient at the moment,
but taking his cigar from his mouth
he lit the fuse There was an explo-
sion, but it went in every direction
Drummond lost his eyesight, and was
badly injured. I heard this from one
of the men whom / afterwards met
Z in New Orleans. What became of
Drummond, Iecannot say, but have
heard since that he finally got to New
York. and had entered suit against
Z the deYhlQnr1enf comma that be