Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-15
WAS PROFESSIONAL WAR MAKER
George Boynton, FiIIibuster, Pirate,
Slave Trader and Soldier of Fortune.

Slave Trader and Soldler OF fortune.
Probably no figure in historic ol
contemporary life occupies a position
in the prosaic mind so unique as thai
of the soldier of fortune, the war ma
ker under strange stars, in untracked
wildernesses. Workaday minds turn
from the pedentry Of everyday yearn.
ing for this unplumed experience
chafing that so little Of the world re.
mains to be barred to the sun of civil.
lied gaze.
Thus, when George B. Boynton died
quietly in Brooklyn a few months ago
there was a general thought of regre
at the passing Of this vague, romantic
figure who had fitted lightly through
the read page for forty years, leaving
on the mind an impression charming
by its very elusiveness. Not enough
was known of the man and his doings
to satisfy the public curiosity, and
Boynton appears to have realized it
for he left at his death a memoir-s
series of recollections whose manner
whose cynical disregard Of what the
prosy may think, reveals and illumines
this remarkable character. The new
book, 1.-The War Maker" A. c. Nc
Clurg & Coz is almost entirely consti-
tuted Of exploits of its hero and au-
thor.
His editor says, what was known
that Boynton was not his real name
but Of what is known Of his origin Is
that "he was born on Fifth avenue
near Fourteenth street, May l. 1912
and that his father was distinguish
ed surgeon, with an estate on Lake
Champlain." He adopted the name
Roynton because it had been in his
family and the name George merely
because he liked it.
The story begins with his service in
the Union army, which he entered be-
cause it was easier to get into than the
Confederate army. This is the most
prosaic part of his history. He was
wounded at Shiloh, and after his re-
covery was in charge Of detachment
sent into Tennessee to intercept con-
traband. While there his command
captured a fine looking young man
who was arrested as a spy. Boyntor
discovered that she was a woman, and
to the day of his death believed that
she was Belle Boyd.
Il was born with fondness for
women" says he, (which then was
strong with me. Therefore 1t Is with
out apology that I say 1 arranged
things so that she escaped the next
night through a window in the shed
in which she was confined" We be.
lieve Miss Boyd tells story some
thing like this in her "reminiscences.
Then he went into partnership with
Jim Fisk, and after that started fill
clustering for the Cubans, who had
raised the standard Of revolt. against
Spain. On one occasion he took out
the famous Virginius, the capture OF
which nearly brought about war be-
tween this country and Spain. And
then, going to London, he undertook
the Job Of delivering munitions Of wal
to Don Carlos, then in revolt in Spain
Here a gypsy girl saved him from an
attempt by Don Carlos to have him
assassinated, and then he began his
career Of furnishing arms and supplies
to South American revolutions.
One of the stories in the book Is his
account of how he escaped being shot
at sunrise. He and his ship had ar
rived at Santo Domingo in 1873 In
time to find a revolution breaking out
and he had promptly entered the SER
vice of President Baez. In the result
ant fight he commanded one wing and
General Baez the presidents brother
the other. Baez promptly fled and
Boynton was cut off and captured.
~ was furious at the cowardice OF
Baez and put up the hardest fight
was capable Of, with the satisfaction OF
putting six or eight blacks on a per-
manent peace basis, but with my re.
volver empty and my sword broken
was overwhelmed by the inky cloud
General Baez galloped back to the city
and he and his bewildered brother
the president had barely time to board
small schooner and sail for Curaacs
before the capital was in the hands OF
the rebels.
Instead of being killed at once, as
1 had expected to be, J was taken to
small fort on a hill near the town
where, on the trumped up and alto
gether false charge that I had TO-
mented trouble and brought on the civ.
il war, 1 was tried by drumhead court
martial and sentenced to be shot al
sunrise This was the most serious
predicament 1 had ever been in, and
with the idea Of taking every chance
that was open to me rather than with
any distinct hope that 1t would be an
swered l gave the grand hailing sign OF
a powerful secret order which l had
joined while in Caracas.
II thought 1 saw sergeant raise
his eyes, but as he gave no further
sign l was placed in a large sala with
windows opening on the courtyard
and blank walls on the other three
sides. The windows were barred, and
after satisfying myself that they were
secure and that there was no way OF
escape, l lay down and smoked reflect
ing that If my time had come, there
was no way of interfering with the
program scheduled for the break OF
day.
"Along about three o'clock, just as
l had about made up my mind that In
a couple of hours l would be due to
start on an exploration into regions
about which nothing is known except
that no traveller returns from them,
heard a short scuffle at each end OF
the path the sentries were patrolling
and a gurgling noise as though a man
was choking. The next moment Lo-
renson's voice came softly through the
door: Are you there, captain"
assured him that l was.
"'Stand away from the door he
said, and / obeyed the order with
pleasurable alacrity. Three blows with
a log Of crutch mahogany taken from
pile in the courtyard which had
been brought in from the mountains
for export, smashed in the door. Lo-
renson seized my arm, and. led by
the sergeant who had after all recog-
niZed the sign | had made and answer
ed II, we climbed down declivity
back of the fort and made our way to
the shore, where two boats were wait
ing for us.
The "gurging noise" he had heard
was the cutting of the throats Of the
two sentries. Next day Il sailed close
in and bombarded the fort where my
execution was to have taken place
There was a great helter-skeltering OF
rum-soaked braves when the first
shells exploded around their ears, but
Il rAs