By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
t
AWN OF a September morning 75
years ago. Along the beach outside
the seaport of Trujillo In Honduras,
straggled a Hie of swarthy-faced sol
diers, their rifles slanting across the
shoulders of their dirty-white uni
forms, their bare feet kicking up
little spurts of sand as they shuffled
along.
In their midst was another little man, Dnt un
like his captors he was light-haired (a “cotton
head" they called him back in his native Ten
nessee), freckle-faced, almost boyishly slender
for all of hie thirty-six years. His old flannel
shirt was open at the throat, his ragged trousers
were tucked into worn boots and in his hand he
carried a battered, faded old black hat.
Beside him walked a tall black-robed Spnnlsh
priest who held a crucifix in front of the little
blonde man’s face. But it is doubtful If his cold
gray eyes saw it. They were looking away across
the fringe of the tropical jungle to the black and
purple-shadowed mountains which the rays of
the morning sun were beginning to paint with
gold.
“Halt!” The line of marching men stopped,
but only the little man In the center obeyed the
command with true military precision. Another
sharp command and the slouching rifle-bearers
formed a ragged line along the beach. An offi
cer came forward with a handkerchief in his
hand, but the little man waved him aside. As
he looked into the black mouths of the rifles
pointed at his heart, he spoke slowly, gently:
“The war which I made upon you was wrong,
and I want to avail myself of this last oppor
tunity to beg your forgiveness. That done, 1 die
resigned. I would like to think that my life and
my death will have been for the good of society.”
“Fire!” As the little man sagged down to the
ground, another volley of bullets rained upon his
crumpled form. Then a single soldier walked
forward, placed the muzzle of his gun close to
the little man’s head and fired.
Thus died William Walker, "the gray-eyed man
of destiny,” “the nineteenth-century Cortez,” “the
Napoleon of Central America.” He was all of
these and much more, for this tow-headed soldier
of fortune was one of the most remarkable char
acters In American history. There was a time
^ when his doings were a matter of international
concern, when lie was a figure in the slavery dis
pute which led to the Civil war and when “he
occupied more columns of news and editorials
In American and British Journals than Presidents
Pierce and Buchanan or Queen Victoria. No man
ever so dazzled the American mind and heart as
this quiet little man. He was the beginning of
that peculiar madness which affects New York
city whenever a hero visits there.”
There was nothing in Walker’s early career,
^ unless It was the versatility of the man, to Indi
cate the Important role he was destined to play
on the stage of world affairs. The son of a
Scotch Presbyterian banker In Nashville, Tenn.,
W'alker was a precocious child who was gradu
ated from the University of Nashville at the age
of seventeen. His father wanted him to be a
minister but his inclination was to medicine.
Studying for two years In the medical school
of the University of Pennsylvania, he then went
abroad to complete his education at Edinburgh
and Paris. At the age of twenty-one he was
back in Nashville “the most accomplished sur
geon that ever visited the city.”
But he soon tired of medicine and next took
up the study of law. As soon as he was ready
to practice, he moved to New Orleans but be
cause of his retiring 'disposition, which resulted
In a lack of clients, he gave up the law for jour
nalism. In 1848 he became one of the editors
and proprietors of the Crescent which soon be
came an Important newspaper In that city. At
that time New Orleans was the outfitting place
for many filibustering expeditions In Latin-Amer
lcan waters and countries. Considering Walker’s
later career It seems strange that his editorial
policy concerning such expeditions was an ex
tremely conservative one. But It was and that
had something to do with the failure of his
paper.
However, an unfortunate love affair was the
principal reason for his leaving New Orleans and
seeking his fortune In the California gold Helds.
He soon drifted into journalism again, this time
as editor of the San Francisco Dally Herald.
At this time down in Central America Nicar
agua was undergoing one of its periodical revolu
tions, a war in which the Democrats and Legiti
mists were struggling for control. Walker wrote
to General Castellon, head of the Democrats, of
fering the service of 300 American colonists
“liable to military service If they would agree
to provide land for them.” Castellon was de
lighted to have such allies and readily signed the
agreement, so in May, 1855, Walker at the head
of 56 adventurers sailed from San Francisco
aboard the S. S. Vesta which had been secretly
loaded with arms and ammunition. Arriving in
Realejo, the American leader hastened to Leon,
the Democrats’ base, where he wus warmly wel
comed by Castellon, who made him a colonel and
placed him in command of the “American Pha
lanx.”
Supported by a force of several hundred Dem
4 ocrat soldiers, Walker, acting under orders from
Castellon, marched to the attack of Rivas, one
of the leading cities of Nicaragua, which was
defended by some COO Legitimist troops. But
during the march Walker’s Nicaraguan allies be
gan deserting and by the time he reached the
city they had dwindled to 100, all of whom fled
at the first Are of the Legitimists. Despite this
defection, Walker led his 56 Americans on to
the capture of the city, losing 6 dead and 12
wounded.
Unable to hold the city with his tiny force,
Walker retreated to Leon, where he threatened
to leave Castellon’s service and enlist under the
banner of the president of Honduras. But their
difficulties were patched up and Walker went on
from victory to victory, the climax coming iu
his capture of Granada, the principal city of
Nicaragua, by a surprise attack made from a
steamer on Lake Nicaragua. Soon afterwards he
signed a peace agreement with General Corral,
leader of the Legitimists, by which Don Patricio
William
Walker
?<Joaquin
Miller
Walker's Flacj
Cornelius '
Vanderbilt
Rivas was appointed provisional president, Corral
minister of war and Walker, generalissimo of the
army.
Then Corral tried to double-cross Walker, who
exposed the minister’s plot and had him execut
ed. By this time Walker was virtually dictator
over Nicaragua and he ruled with an iron hand.
Americans and other foreigners to the number
of more than 1,200 had Joined him. Some of
them were desperate characters who looked for
ward to unlimited opportunities for free living
and free looting. But they were bitterly disap
pointed.
While Walker was master of Nicaragua that
country enjoyed a peace and contentment it
had not known for years. But trouble was brew
ing for him on the outside. The other Central
American republics, Costa Rica, Honduras, Salv
ador, and Guatemala, were becoming alarmed
over the prospect of his forming a “United States
of Central America,” as he was dreaming of do
ing. and extending his influence over their coun
tries.
Great Britain was also becoming concerned
over his growing power. If the United States
secured control of Nicaragua and dug a Nicar
aguan canal, England’s commercial supremacy
would be threatened. If he extended his power
throughout Central America, It meant a lessen
ing of England’s Influence there. And France
and Spain agreed with Britain that the expan
sion of the United States in that quarter was
undesirable.
As a matter of fact their fears were ground
less so far as Walker’s having an otlicial stand
ing as an agent of American Imperialism was
concerned. For he was persona non grata with
his own country as much as he was with the
others. William L. Marcy, secretary of state,
looked upon him as little more than a criminal
and one whose example might stimulate filibus
tering and embroil the United States in endless
difficulties with her southern neighbors. In the
South he was something of a hero but In the
North where anti-slavery sentiment was growing,
his pro-slavery views were causing suspicion and'
alarm. But even though It is doubtful If Walker
had any Idea of trying to aid the extension of
slavery, he made the fatal mistake of antagoniz
ing the powerful financial Interests of the North,
notably the group of men headed by old Cor
nelius Vanderbilt who had been exploiting Nlear
agua.
They were the owners of ttie Transit company
which had a contract to dig a Nicaraguan canal
and which was running a line of steamers from
New York to Nicaragua on the Atlantic side and
another line from that country up to San Fran
cisco on the Pacific side. This company had
agreed to pay Nicaragua $10,(Ml and 10 per cent
of its profits each yeur In return for a monopoly
of the carrying trade to and from that country.
Walker, believing that the Transit company
had been cheating his adopted country, started
an Investigation. The result was that he de
manded a settlement of $250,000 which the finan
ciers refused. Thereupon he seized the company's
property as security for the debt, revoked Its
charter and grunted a new one to a rival com
pany. Old Cornelius Vanderbilt wus furious
He resolved to smash Walker.
Costa Itica had already started wnr against
Nicaragua and Honduras was preparing to tuke
up arms. Both of the hostile countries were
being supplied with arms. If not financial sup
port, by England. It is said that the necessary
financial support was given by Vanderbilt and
his colleagues. In a preliminary skirmish a Costa
Uican force, led by the Prussian general. Von
Bulow, and made up of mercenaries as well as
natives of Costa Iticu, defeated a force of Nicar
aguans and filibusterers, led by one of Walker’s
subordinates, and captured Itlvas.
But It was a different story when Walker rode
out from Granada In April, 185(5, with 500 men,
four-fifths of them Americans, to give battle to
the army of 3,200 Costa Iticans. Although he
was driven from the battlefield, he Inflicted such
heavy losses on the enemy that they were glad
to withdraw.
A mixed army of Leonese and Hondurans next
menaced him from the north but by quick work
he repulsed It, then turned his attention to in
ternal affairs. He became a candidate for the
presidency of Nicaragua and In July, 1850, won
the election with the largest vote ever cast for
that office. But he was not allowed to enjoy bis
riumph very long. Soon his enemies were cross
ing the border again. There followed a series
of defeats which forced him to evacuate Granada
and he destroyed It to keep It from falling Into
the hands of the enemy. Finally with a remnant
of the army which had followed him so devoted
ly, he was cornered In a coast town. In April,
1857, the American warship St. Mary’s sailed Into
the harbor and Captain Davis, Its commander,
demanded that Walker surrender "In the name
of bumnnlty.” Walker refused, but when he
saw that his small force was doomed to be over
whelmed by the enemy he was willing to accept
the safe convoy which Davis offered him.
Going aboard the St. Mary’s he was taken to
Panama and from there made his way to New
York, where he was received In triumph. Hasten
ing on to Washington, he demanded that the
United States government support him in re
storing to him the presidency of Nicaragua to
which he had been legally elected. But Wash
ington turned a deaf ear to his pleas. He went
on into the South where he was received with
the wildest enthusiasm and the papers of that
period are filled with news of his schemes for
regaining the power he had once held.
In the meantime Nicaragua had elected an
other president but Walker was not willing to
accept this evidence that the southern republic
was through with its "gringo presidente.” He
organized another filibustering expedition, was
arrested for doing so but, when brought to trial,
was acquitted. Within two weeks he had sailed
from New Orleans with a force of 150 men, land
ed his munitions at San Juan del Norte and cap
tured Castle Viejo.
In December Commodore Paulding arrived In
the United States frigate Wabash, landed a force
of 350 men, trnined his guns on Walker’s camp
and demanded his surrender. Walker was taken
to Washington as a prisoner of war. But the
federal government refused to receive him and
President Buchanan even rebuked Paulding for
his act and suspended him from duty. Although
Walker was turned free, a public proclamation
forbade his Interfering with Central American
affairs again.
By now the presidency of Nicaragua had be
come an obsession with Walker. For two years
he made several attempts to lead another ex
pedition to Nicaragua but he was too closely
watched by both the American and British gov
ernments to succeed. Unable to go there direct,
he decided to get into the country by way of
Hondurus. In August, 1800, he sailed from Mo
bile with 100 devoted followers. Within two
weeks he had entered Nicaragua and captured
the town of Trujillo.
Then a warship appeared—this time a British
vessel, the Icarus, commanded by Captain Sal
mon. Declaring that Walker was Interfering
with British rights in the town, Salmon demand
ed the tlllbusterer’s surrender. Walker refused
but when a force of Hondurans commanded by
General Alvarez began to mass to recapture the
town, Walker evacuated it and with 70 men re
treated down the coast. The Honduran leader
and his British ally followed and cornered the
Ulibusterers at Klo Negro.
Walker surrendered to Salmon on his promise
not to turn him over to the Hondurans, a prom
ise which the British officer broke us soon as
they returned to Trujillo. Walker and his men
were delivered Into the hands of Alvarez. His
followers were released through the Intercession
of the British officer but when Salmon told
Walker “If you will appeal to me as an Ameri
can citizen I will save you with tlie rest." Walk
ers reply was "The President of Nicaragua is
a citizen of Nicaragua." Facing deuth, he would
not give up his dream of being a ruler.
The Hondurans, who looked upon him as an
alien tyrunt whose ambition threatened the se
curity of their country und all Central American
republics, court martlaled him and sentenced
him to death. So on the morning of September
12, 1800, he walked bravely to his death in front
of a firing squad.
Joaquin Miller, that queer genius who was a
follower of the "king of the tiiibusterers" and
who later became fumous as the "Poet of the
Sierras,” sought to immortalize him in a long
poem, "With Walker in Nicaragua," but It is
doubtful if his poem Is any better kuown today
than is the subject of Its Inspiration. In ids day
William Walker was a "lost leader." Today he
is a “forgotten man” nor has the recent talk of
dictators served to revive even for a little while
the memory of this ill-fated dictator over the
destinies of an American republic.
C) Western Ntwinanar Uninn
✓
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In* and Out*
“Do you understand the Ins and
nits of European politics?”
"No,’ answered Senator Sorghum.
‘Getting In trouble seems easy, but
getting out Is a complicated process.”
PROBLEM OF HOW
BEST TO PUNISH
CHILD SERIOUS
The problem of how best to pun
, Ish a child to help him or her to
understand the error of his ways so
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Children are governed In so many
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older folk.
© Bell Syndicate.—WNU Servloe.
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Mrs. M. E. Ry
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CLABBER U
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Coot of Crimo
About 10,000 criminals cost tfie
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OPEN
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