River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-05-30

provement in the army, l took the Juliette
to Halifax, N. S.. in the summer of 1875, to
have her decks strengthened and mounted
with rapid-ire guns. We returned early in the
fall to find that the smoldering revolution had
burst into flame and that a large force was
marching on Santo Domingo City. The presi-
dent and his brother were vehemently but
vainly advising each other to be brave when
l reached the palace.
what shall we do? What shall we do?"
demanded the president as entered the door
ct strikes me that it might be a good
scheme to fight | replied, with no attempt to
conceal my disgust at their attitude.
They told me there were about 5000 men
in the attacking force. We had more than
1000 men under arms. The city had no de-
lenses worthy the name, and l insisted that
the thing to do was to go outside and fight
it out in the open. The president, who had
apparently regained a little of his nerve,
agreed with me and, against the continued OBJ
jections of his brother, went out to meet
the attacking army.
General Baez commanded our center and
right, while l commanded our left flank. With
the firing of the first gun he began to give
way before force that was inferior in both
numbers and discipline, and fell back rap
idly that before l realized it my command
f1anked and almost cut off, with the sea
on one side of us and the enemy on two others
and rapidly closing up the fourth.
In few minutes I was captured, along with
about a hundred men who were numbed
by fear that they could neither run nor fight
and had not enough discretion to join the en-
envy. l was furious over the cowardice of
Baez and put up the hardest fight l was cap
able OF, with the satisfaction of putting six or
eight blacks on a permanent peace basis, but,
with my revolver empty and my sword brok-
en-, l 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 Curacao before the capital was in the
hands of the rebels. General GAMER d'Aton,
a tool of Pimental and Cabral, was at once
proclaimed president and hailed by the popu
lace with the customary acclaim.
Instead of being killed at once, as 1 had ex-
pected was taken to a small port a hill
near the town, where, on the altogether false
charge that I had fomented trouble and
brought on civil war l was tried by drum
head court martial and sentenced to be shot
at sunrise. The verdict was, of course. die
tated by revenge, and execution of it was de-
layed because they wished to gloat over%me
for a while.
This was a little the most serious predica-
ment l had ever been in and, with the idea
of taking every chance that was open to me-
rather than with any distinct hope that it
would be answered, | gave the grand hailing
sign of a powerful secret order which l had
joined while in Caracas. l thought l saw a
sergeant raise his eyes, but, he gave no
further sign, I concluded that if there had
been any movement it had been one of sur
prise and not of recognition.
l was placed in a large sala with windows
opening on the courtyard and blank walls
on the three other sides.
Along about three o'clock, just as | had
about made up my mind that in a c0uple of
hours | should be due to start on an indef
mite exploration, / heard a short scufle at
each end Of the path the sentries we're
patrolling, and gurgling noise as though a
man were choking. The next moment Lo-
rensen's voice came softly through the door:
"Are you in there, captain?"
I assured him that / was.
"Stand away from the door," he said and
/ obeyed the order with pleasurable alacrity
Three blows with log of crutch mahog
any, taken from a pile in the courtyard
smashed in the door. Lorensen seized my
arm and, led by the sergeant who had, after
all, recognized the sign l had made, we
climbed down a declivity back of the fort and
made our way to the shore, where two boats
were waiting for us.
AS soon it was day / sailed close in and
bombarded the fort where my execution was
to have taken place.
At Caracas / found GuZman had been elect
ed president. He was inaugurating public i'm
provements, and induced me to go upon a won
derful journey of exploration up the Orinocc
through the unmapped interior of Venezuela
After a six months river journey of 20e9
miles, we reached Manaos Brazil, TIN
Amazon, that great river and the Orinoco han.
ing a common source. From Manaos we
sailed to Rio Janero and from there to Eng
land on the Elbe commanded by Captain
of fhn rnnf NH
and Sliden were taken off, On the way 1
wrote a full report to Guzman, promising to
return within a few years. At London joined
Frank Norton to start for the China sea.