The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-02-29
THE GREAT FILIBUSTER
A. D. 1853

William Walker, son Of a Scotch
banker, was born in Tennessee, cantan
kerous from the time he was whelped
He never swore or drank. or loved any
body, but was rigidly respectable and
pure, believed in negro slavery, bris-
tied with points of etiquette and for
mality, liked squabbling. had a nasty
sharp tongue, and a taste for dueling
The little dry man was by turns a doc
tor, editor and lawyer, and when he
wanted to do anything very outrageous
always began by taking counseIs opin
ion.
He wore a black tail-coat and a
black wisp OF a necktie even when, in
1853, he landed an army of forty-fve
men TO conquer Mexico. His followers
were California gold miners dressed in
blue shirts, duck trousers, long boots
bowie knives, reyolvers and rifles.
After he had taken the city of La Par
by assault, called an election and pro,
claimed himself president OF Sonora,
he was Joined by two or three hundred
more of the same breed from San Fran
cisco. These did not think very much
OF a leader twenty-eight years old,
standing FIVE feet six. and weighing
only one hundred thirty pounds, so
they merrily conspired 10 blow him up
with gunpowder, and dispense with
what plumber they could grab. Mr..
Walker shot two, logged couple, dis
armed the rest without showing any
sign Of emotion. He could awe the
most truculent desperate into abject
obedience with one glance of his cool
gray eye, and never allowed his men to
drink, play cards or swear Our gov
ernment," he wrote, has been formed
upon firm and sure basis"
The Mexicans and Indians thought
otherwise, for while the new president
Of Sonora marched northward, they
gathered in hosts and hung like wolves
on the rear of the column, cutting off
stragglers, who were slowly tortured
to death. Twice they dared an actual
attack, but Walkers grim strategies,
and the awful rifles of despairing men,
cut them to pieces. So the march went
on through hundreds of miles Of blazing
hot desert, where the filibusters
dropped with thirst, and blew their
own brains out rather than be captured.
Only thirty-four men were left when
they reached the United States boun-
dairy, the president of Sonora, in boot
and a shoe, his cabinet in rags, his
army and navy bloody, with dried
wounds, gaunt, starving, but too terri
bic for the Mexican forces to modest.
The filibusters surrendered to the Unit
ed States garrison as prisoners of war
Just a year later, with six of these
veterans, and forty-eight other Califor-
mans, Walker landed On the coast of
Nicaragua. This happy republic was
idents, and the one who got Walkers
help very soon had possession of the
country. As hero Of several brilliant
engagements, Walker was made COM
mander-in-chief, and at the next cleo
ton chosen by the people themselves
as president He had now a thousand
Americans in his following, and when
the native statesmen and generals
proved treacherous, they were prompt
ly shot. Walkers camp Of wild DIES
peradOes was like a Sunday school. his
government the cleanest ever known
in Central America and his dignity all
prickles, hard to approach. He depend
ed for existence on the services of Van
derbilt's steamship lines, but seized
their warehouse for cheating. He was
surrounded by four hostile republics.
Costa Rica, San Salvador, Honduras
and Guatemala, and insulted them all.
He suspended diplomatic relations
with the United States, demanded for
his one schooner-of-war salutes from
the British navy, and had no sense of
humor whatsoever. Thousands of
brave men died for this prim little law
yer and tens of thousands fell by pesti-
lence and battle in his wars, but with
ali his sweet unselfishness, his purity,
and his valor, poor Walker was consid-
cradle of a prig. So the malcontents
OF Nicaragua and the republics from
Mexico 10 Peru joined the steamship |
company, the United States and Great !
Britain to wipe out his hapless govern !
ment
The armies of four republics were |
closing in on Walkers capital, the city |
OF Granada. He marched out to storm |
the allies perched on an impregnable |
volcano, and was carrying his last |
charge TO victorious issue, when news /
reached him that Zavala with eight |
hundred men had jumped on Granada. I
He forsook his victory and rushed for
the capital city.
There were only one hundred and |
fifty inyalids and sick in the Granada
garrison to man the church, armory
md hospital against Zavala, but the
women loaded rifles for the wounded
and, after twenty-five hours of CHASTITY
the enemy were thrown out
of the city. They fell back TO lie in
walkers path as he came TO the res
rue. Walker saw the trap, carried il
With charge, drove zavala back into
he city, broke him between two fires.
hen sent a detachment to intercept
IFS fight. In this double battle. fight
ng eight times his own force. Walker
Iilled half the allied army.
But the pressure of several invasions
IT once was making II impossible for
Il