page_title: Filibuster War
section_title: Establishment of Walker
hierarchical_section_title: Filibuster War / Initial stages / Establishment of Walker
caption_attribution_description: Español: Representación de La Pedrada, escena de Andrés Castro derribando a un invasor filibustero en la Batalla de San Jacinto durante la Guerra de 1856 en Nicaragua. Óleo sobre tela realizado por el pintor chileno Luis Vergara Ahumada.
context_page_description: The Filibuster War or Walker affair was a military conflict between filibustering multinational troops stationed in Nicaragua and a coalition of Central American armies. An American, William Walker, briefly invaded Nicaragua in 1855 with a small army. He seized control of the country by 1856, but was ousted the following year.
context_section_description: With Castellón's consent, Walker attacked the Legitimists in the town of Rivas, near the trans-isthmian route. He was driven off, but not without inflicting heavy casualties. On September 4, during the Battle of La Virgen, Walker defeated the Legitimist army. On October 13, he conquered the Legitimist capital of Granada and took effective control of the country.  Initially, as commander of the army, Walker ruled Nicaragua through puppet President Patricio Rivas. U.S. President Franklin Pierce recognized Walker's regime as the legitimate government of Nicaragua on May 20, 1856.
  Walker declared himself president, re-instituted slavery, and made English the official language.
caption: Representation of La Pedrada, scene of Andrés Castro overthrowing American filibuster invaders in the Battle of San Jacinto during the War of 1856 in Nicaragua. Oil on canvas painting by the Chilean painter, Luis Vergara Ahumada.
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