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This is a list of participants in the Walker affair, an occupation of Nicaragua by the U.S. mercenary William Walker and his followers and supporters. It includes those who joined him in Nicaragua and those who supported the campaign from the United States.
Carlos Allen (1830 - ?) was a Scottish sailor. He was recruited to William Walker’s army in San Francisco on January 20, 1857. Carlos Allen sailed on the Orizaba, arriving in San Juan del Sur on February 1, 1857. He deserted his battalion on March 21, 1857. Carlos Allen would arrive in New York on June 28, 1857, onboard a ship named Wabash. [1]
Edward Archer went from New Orleans to Nicaragua on May 8, 1856. Many others wanted to travel on the Minnie Shiffer that day but only 220 were selected. Most of the people on board were filibusters. [2]
Amos Jay Cummings (May 15, 1841 – May 2, 1902) was an American journalist, politician, and Medal of Honor recipient who publicly claimed involvement with William Walker’s expedition to Nicaragua around 1858. [3] According to congressional memorial addresses following his death, Cummings asserted he joined Walker’s final invasion at approximately seventeen years of age, inspired by youthful admiration of Walker as a contemporary Napoleon figure. [3] However, modern biographical research challenges these claims, indicating clear chronological discrepancies, notably that Walker's initial expedition (1855–1857) sailed from San Francisco, a city Cummings had not visited at the time, and the subsequent expedition from Mobile in November 1857 did not involve the ship St. Marys, contradicting early narratives linking him to that vessel. [4] Furthermore, Walker's 1860 expedition, culminating in Walker’s execution on September 12, 1860, is definitively ruled out, as Cummings was already working for the New York Tribune by then. [4] Given these inconsistencies and Cummings's well-documented penchant for storytelling, scholars generally regard his reported participation as unsubstantiated and historically questionable. [4]
Thomas J. Butterfield (born c. 1837 – died 1906) was an American miner, traveler, and later a resident of New York. He was born in Buchanan County, Missouri, and is listed in the 1850 United States Census as residing there, working as a miner. Described as five feet seven inches tall, with blond hair and gray eyes, Butterfield left San Francisco aboard the Sierra Nevada on March 20, 1857, arriving in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, on March 7 and continuing to Rivas the following. [5] He was affiliated with the Red Star Guard during this period but deserted the unit on April 3, 1857. By the early 20th century, Butterfield was living in Salamanca, Cattaraugus County, New York, [6] where he appeared in the 1905 New York State Census; he died the following year in nearby Great Valley.
Robert Charles Tyler, originally known as Reuben Cutler Tyler, was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts, in 1832 and grew up in the region before becoming involved in the military campaigns of William Walker in Nicaragua. Before his participation in Walker's filibuster, Tyler worked as a clerk and had no formal military background. In 1856, at the age of 23, Tyler joined Walker’s forces in Nicaragua, where he served as a first lieutenant and participated in the filibuster’s efforts to establish a pro-slavery republic. [7] After Walker’s defeat in 1857, Tyler returned to the United States, and although there are no records of him owning enslaved people, his later involvement with the Confederate Army during the Civil War suggests he held sympathies aligned with the Southern cause. Tyler died in 1865 during the Battle of West Point, Georgia, where he was the last general killed in the Civil War at the age of 32 while serving as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army. [8]
Joseph E. Klumph was born in Portland, New York. Klumph served as a private in the Rangers in Walker’s army for 18 months, and in October 1856 he was reported as missing. [9] According to Klumph, he was taken as a prisoner at Masaya from October 18 till June. [10] Seven members of Walker’s army were taken, and Klumph was the only one of them to survive imprisonment, as he claims prisoners were typically shot. Additionally, he noted that he was well overall. [10] Klumph speaks poorly of Walker and states he did not properly attend to or reward his army. Despite his experience, Klumph says he still believed in the army’s cause. [10]
Edward William Rawle (sometimes spelled Rawl) was born on August 22, 1829, in Jefferson, Louisiana. [11] He was one of the 58 “immortals” who arrived in Nicaragua on the Vesta which landed on El Realejo, Granada, on June 16, 1855. He was stationed in Granada as an artillery officer in October 1855. [12] On May 3 of the following year, he met with Walker and the other surviving immortals (7 survivors) to celebrate the anniversary of their departure from San Francisco on the brig Vesta. In July 1856, he was promoted to major in the ordinance department stationed in Granada, [13] and later promoted to lieutenant colonel in the ordinance department in December. He left Nicaragua in March 1857, returning to New York. He later served in the civil war for the confederacy as captain of the First Battalion of Louisiana Heavy Artillery.
Samuel Anderson was one of many who left from San Francisco in the Sierra Nevada on Saturday, October 20, 1855, to travel to San Juan del Sur. He arrived on Thursday, November 1 to join William Walker’s operations. [14]
Callender I. Fayssoux became a Lieutenant and was in charge of the schooner, Granada. A wooden ship with two six-pound cannons. [15] [16]
James Francis Allen was an Irishman who worked as a baker. He was born in 1810, and his death date is unknown. Allen served in William Walker's army, receiving no pay for one year and three months, until his leg was amputated due to being wounded in Rivas, Nicaragua. He returned aboard the USS Wabash to New York on June 28, 1857, to visit Walker at Charles Frederick Henningsen's home, who ended up giving him no assistance. [17]
James Francis Allen was an Irishman who worked as a baker. He was born in 1810, and his death date is unknown. Allen served in William Walker's army, receiving no pay for one year and three months, until his leg was amputated due to being wounded in Rivas, Nicaragua. He returned aboard the USS Wabash to New York on June 28, 1857, to visit Walker at Charles Frederick Henningsen's home, who ended up giving him no assistance. [17]
Robert A. Harris served in Nicaragua in 1857, accompanied by Chatham Roberdeau Wheat. [18] In 1681, Robert A. Harris returned to the United States, and entered New Orleans (Louisiana) in order to fight in the Civil War on the side of the Confederate states. [18] Robert A. Harris then was recruited by Wheat to create his own group of soldiers to be responsible for within Chatham Wheat’s battalion, under the name of “Walker Guards”, where he fought in battle with former battle mates from his time in Nicaragua. [18] Robert A. Harris' group consisted of mostly Irish immigrant dockworkers that lived within the South, in the area of the Mississippi River. [18] During the First Battle of Manassas, while Chatham Wheat was recovering from injuries in Culpeper, Virginia, Robert A. Harris was given temporary command control over Wheat’s battalion during active Civil War battles in Virginia in 1861. [19]
William Walker (1824–1860) was an American physician, lawyer, journalist, and mercenary. After settling in California and motivated by an earlier filibustering project of Gaston de Raousset-Boulbon, Walker attempted in 1853–54 to take Baja California and Sonora, Mexico. He declared those territories to be an independent Republic of Sonora, but he was soon driven back to California by the Mexican forces. Walker then went to Nicaragua in 1855 as leader of a mercenary army employed by the Nicaraguan Democratic Party in its civil war against the Legitimists. He took control of the Nicaraguan government and in July 1856 set himself up as the country's president. [20]
Walker's regime was recognized as the legitimate government of Nicaragua by US president Franklin Pierce and it initially enjoyed the support of some important sectors within Nicaraguan society. [21] However, Walker antagonized the powerful Wall Street tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt by expropriating Vanderbilt's Accessory Transit Company, which operated one of the main routes for the transport of passengers going from New York City to San Francisco. The British Empire saw Walker as a threat to its interests in the possible construction of a Nicaragua Canal. As ruler of Nicaragua, Walker re-legalized slavery, which had been abolished in 1824, albeit this measure was never enforced, and threatened the independence of neighboring Central American republics. A military coalition led by Costa Rica defeated Walker and forced him to resign the presidency of Nicaragua on May 1, 1857. [22]
Walker then tried to re-launch his filibustering project and in 1860 he published a book, The War in Nicaragua, which cast his efforts to conquer Central America as tied to the geographical expansion of slavery. In that way, Walker sought to gain renewed support from pro-slavery forces in the Southern United States on the eve of the American Civil War. That same year Walker returned to Central America but was arrested by the Royal Navy, who handed him over to the Honduran government which executed him.
Dr. Bell was a doctor in Walker’s army. He served alongside assistant surgeon Dr. Wilson. [23]
William S. Bacon was born on March 10, 1835, in Franklin County, Kentucky. In 1854, he moved to Cooper County, Missouri, where he started farming fruit, especially berries. Before any involvement in foreign activities, he worked as a fruit farmer. In the summer of 1882, he sold 300 bushels of blackberries. He was one of the officers selected to accompany William Walker on board the St. Mary to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. His parents were Robert Bacon and Elizabeth Jeffries. On April 1, 1861, Bacon married Susan Connor in Cooper County, Missouri. They had four children, one of whom was a daughter named Mary E. Bacon. [24]
Benjamin M. Anderson was born in 1836 in Kentucky. He joined William Walker in Nicaragua during the 1850s. While in Nicaragua, he was severely wounded during the siege of Granada. On his return to the United States, he joined the Confederacy during the Civil War. During the war, he switched sides and decided to join the Union. There were rumours that he was a “double agent”. He used a gun to kill himself in 1865 while imprisoned. [25]
Manuel Fleury (or Fleuri) was named Chief Clerk of the Department of Hacienda in Walker’s government in 1856. [26] He was one of over a dozen Cubans who joined Walker. Before joining Walker in Nicaragua he was part of the Narciso Lopez expedition trying to obtain Cuban independence. [27]
Theodore J. Bartelson, also known as Theodore Bartell, was born in 1839 in Germany.
Bartelson left Aspinwall, Colombia (now known as Colon, Panama) aboard the USS Frigate Roanoke, a ship commanded by captain John B. Montgomery, with 204 other filibusters arriving in New York on August 4, 1857. [28] On September 2, 1860 Theodore J. Bartelson died at the age of 21. [29]
Alexander Jones was an American doctor and adventurer who joined William Walker’s filibustering campaign in Nicaragua. Previously, Jones had searched for treasure on Cocos Island. On June 28, 1855, Jones treated wounded soldiers during the skirmish at Tola. After the first battle of Rivas, a Wisconsin reporter mistakenly reported his death. In Granada, he treated civilian patients at the home of Mrs. Joaquina Horan. [30] He briefly returned to the United States, but returned again on April 5, 1856 to Nicaragua. He earned $100 per month as an army physician and $200 as paymaster general, but by July 1 he was owed $2,040 and had not received a dollar. [30] Jones was referred to as Col. Jones in the press. On August 21, 1856, Jones married Mary H. Musgrove, becoming the first American couple to marry in Granada, in a ceremony performed by Minister Wheeler [30] He fought again in October 1856, during the destruction of Granada on November 26, he was injured resulting in four months' disability leave. [31] In late December, he was captured by Costa Rican troops, turned over to officers of the British ship Cossack, and returned to the U.S. aboard the James Adger, arriving in New York. [32]
S.C. Coleman was a surgeon who had the rank of Major in William Walker’s Army. [12] He was working at a hospital in Rivas in December 1856. [33]
William Ahrberg joined Walker in Nicaragua and deserted in 1857. Ahrberg was one of the many who signed a letter on February 24, 1857, encouraging other filibusters to desert from Walker's army. [33] He was in Costa Rica on February 24, 1857 and on March 18, 1857 he travelled along with 125 other deserters to Panama. [34] He fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War. Ahrberg joined the 16th Regiment in the Kansas Volunteer Cavalry.
John S. Brenizer was born in Tennessee and participated in William Walker's takeover of Nicaragua. When he was older, he studied medicine and became a doctor. After becoming a doctor, he took his practice to Nicaragua. [35] Once in Nicaragua, he came across William Walker and joined his army. In the army, he was in the rifle battalion, also known as Company B. [36] During his takeover, William Walker created a newspaper known as El Nicaraguense, in which John S. Brenizer appears to have letters waiting for him from Granada on July 28, 1856. [13] Most of his letters were sent to and from his sister and brother-in-law, detailing his days in the army.
J.W. Andrews was commissioned to Walker’s army as first lieutenant on August 22, 1856. [37] Andrews took a leave of absence October 25, 1856. He was supposed to report back to Granada at the end of his leave. [38] J.W. arrived in New York on the Wabash on June 28, 1857. [39]
Adolfo Pierre Agüero was also referred to as Adolfo de Agüero y Pierre, and as Adolfo de Pierra. He was born in Cuba in 1829 and remained alongside William Walker for a short time before returning to the United States. [40] He had previously participated in the armed struggle for Cuba’s independence from the Spaniards, where he was sentenced by the Spaniards to be garroted (strangulation with a metal wire) in Puerto Principe. However, influences had a factor, and instead he received 10 years of imprisonment to go into effect on August 12, 1851. He was a prisoner for two years in a Spanish penal settlement located in north Africa before being released by the Spanish government. He did later return to Cuba in 1868 during the Ten Years War. [41] In 1873, Agüero published a drama called “The Cuban Patriots: a drama of the struggle for independence actually going on in the gem of the Antilles.” [42] He later also published a different drama, “The Alcalde of Zalamea,” in 1885. [43] This was an adaptation of the original drama by Calderon de la Barca titled “The Mayor of Zalamea.” He died in 1909.
He enlisted in Walker’s army on May 4, 1855. During his time in Nicaragua, he participated in the battle at Virgin Bay. [44] He suffered an injury when he was shot in the chest. He was paid and discharged on January 11, 1856. [45]
John Brady arrived in Nicaragua as a passenger on the steamer Sierra Nevada from San Francisco to San Juan del Sur on October 20, 1855. He was a second corporal in the company B list of officers in the First Rifle Battalion and was stationed in Granada. [46]
From 1844 to 1853, Joseph Warren Fabens served as the U.S. consul in Cayenne, French Guiana. [47] During his time in Nicaragua, Walker appointed him director of colonization. [48] He was mentioned in the list of letters at the post office in Granada on July 28, 1856. [49]
James C. W. Brennan, also known as James Brennan, was born in South Carolina in 1830. He was 27 years old when he arrived in New York on Sunday June 28, 1857, aboard the United States Frigate Wabash. He was one of Walker’s 121 men who arrived alongside 13 women and 5 children. [50] Brennan, like many others, was wounded when he came. He had a gunshot wound in his foot and was sent to the New York Hospital with the other wounded men. [51]
Henry George Runnels, also known as Hal Runnels, was born on April 25, 1825, in Jackson, Mississippi. He was the son of former Texas Governor Hiram George Runnels. Around 1846, he is believed to have participated in the Mexican-American War. [52] In 1849, Runnels married Stella Lewis, and the couple had three children. Both Henry and his father, Hiram, were enslavers. [53] In 1857, he began organizing a group of approximately 100 men to join William Walker in Nicaragua, though it is unclear whether the plan was ever carried out. During the Civil War, Runnels served as a Confederate officer with the rank of Major in the 2nd Texas Infantry, also known as the San Jacinto Guards. Runnels passed away at the age of 55. [54]
Frank H. Chandler served in Company B of the First Rifle Battalion during Walker's invasion, and was wounded in action alongside several officers and privates. He is also listed on the Company D roster under Captain Samuel C. Asten, indicating his active involvement throughout the campaign. [36]
The grandson of Edmund Jennings Randolph - the governor of Virginia (1786-1788) and US Secretary of State (1794-1795). In 1855 Randolph along with nine other passengers, departed San Francisco aboard the steamer Sierra Nevada, bound for Nicaragua and headed to the site of General Walker's endeavors. [55] A letter received from Granada, Nicaragua, reported that Randolph had arrived safely in the capitol, becoming the first of Walker's followers to reach the intended destination. [56] The news greatly pleased Walker, as Randolph was regarded as a trusted confidant and committed advocate of the expedition. [57] In November 1856, a duel was scheduled between General Goicouria and Randolph. However, due to the considerable public attention it drew and Randolph's physical incapacity—he required assistance to walk—the duel did not take place. Notably the authorities chose not to intervene, despite dueling being an unlawful act at the time. [58] The affair was set aside, to be resumed when circumstances proved more favorable. [59]
Charles Frederick Henningsen was a European-born mercenary, writer, and political adventurer who became involved in several 19th-century military movements. He joined William Walker’s expedition in Nicaragua in 1856, serving as one of Walker’s most trusted military commanders. Henningsen played a key role in Granada, a strategic city Walker had declared the capital of his short-lived regime. When Walker ordered the city burned to prevent Nicaraguans from re-taking their city, Henningsen carried out the destruction, leaving behind a sign reading “Aquí fue Granada” (“Here was Granada”). [60] His actions in Nicaragua cemented his reputation as a experienced tactician in irregular warfare. Upon his return to the United States he fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. [61]
Charles Brogan was among those who enlisted in Walker's ranks, having gone with William Walker on the Vesta Ship. Brogan was one of the 58 original Vesta Immortals who arrived in Nicaragua in 1855. [62] He was a member of Walker’s (Company A) First Rifle Battalion and was stationed in Granada. [63] C. Brogan was discharged from General Walker's Army on May 14, 1856 having signed up for a one-year term with the assurance of receiving $25 monthly and land accounting for 250 acres. [64]
John Anderson was 21 years old when he joined Walker in Nicaragua. He was born in Maryland. He was one of over a dozen former filibusters interviewed by the New York Daily Herald in 1857. During his interview he was at Bellevue Hospital, treating an ulcer. He had been a private in Walker’s army. He did not have a positive impression of Walker. [65]
Francis “Frank” McMullen was the child of Nancy McMullan and Hugh Milton and was born in the year 1835 in Walker County, Georgia. [66] He was a war veteran who served under the Confederacy. McMullen served as a lieutenant under William Walker in his expedition to Nicaragua in 1857. [67] After its failure, McMullen returned to Texas, where he went to college in Clarksville. In 1867, he led a group of 154 men and voyaged to Brazil in hopes of building a new colony based upon slavery and agriculture. [68] He became ill of tuberculosis and died due to his sickness while in Iquape, Brazil that same year.
Michael Lamb joined William Walker in Nicaragua in 1857. [69] The United States government however, sent a military expedition against Walker because of the violation of a congress-approved act that was upheld on April 20, 1818. [69] The United States Navy confronted Walker in 1857. [69] After the confrontation in Nicaragua, Lamb was one of the many officers who surrendered to the U.S. Navy in Nicaragua. [69]
Flavel P. Belcher was born in 1817. He was from Tioga County, New York, son of an affluent family. [70] In his adulthood, he travelled throughout the United States and Latin America, ultimately landing in Northern California and then Nicaragua where he joined William Walker. [71] During his time in California, he was a gold miner; however, did not consider his income to be satisfactory. [72] Belcher later travelled to Nicaragua in 1856 in hopes of doing well financially. [72] Belcher initially did not want to join Walker’s army, but later changed his mind and ultimately became a lieutenant in Walker’s force. [72]
John J. Atwood was a mechanic from Maine. He was on board the ship Wabash that arrived in New York on June 28, 1857. He went home under the protection of John Wheeler, the United States Consul and was part of a group of men who received his protection. [73]
James Henry Tevis joined Walker’s invasion of Nicaragua in 1856. After spending a year there, he returned to Iowa in 1857. James Henry Tevis then went and made Arizona his permanent home. He became one of 25 young Euroamerican settlers there. He was involved in armed conflicts against Cochise and Apache Indigenous communities. He also fought as a soldier in the Confederate Army during the U.S. civil war. [74]
Born in 1819, he died on Feb 15, 1857. [75] Christopher (Chris) Lilly was of Irish ancestry. He was a boxer. In 1842, he had the biggest fight of his career at 23, which was against Thomas McCoy. They went 119 rounds. Lilly killed McCoy which ended in Lilly’s arrest but eventually he broke out of jail. Lilly and McCoy’s fight was the first ring death in the United States. [76] Christopher Lilly then volunteered in the Mexican War after his escape from jail and he quickly became a lieutenant of a Louisiana cavalry unit serving under General Joseph Lane. [77] In 1846, during the war, Lilly gambled with others for sport and was considered to be “fancy” according to New Orleans standards. Lilly murdered a Mexican man at the beginning of the war. Christopher Lilly had a saloon in San Francisco called the San Rafael House Saloon. [78] He then joined William Walker in Nicaragua. Lilly was captured for helping Walker and sent to Guatemala for trial. He got the death penalty and died in Guatemala. [79]
Parker H. French (aka Parker Hardin French) was born in Adair County, Kentucky, in 1826. In 1855, French left the Sacramento newspaper behind in order to join in William Walker’s Nicaragua filibuster campaign. He went from Captain to Colonel, and he served as the Secretary of the Treasury (aka the “Minister of Hacienda”) in Walker's government. French was given the title of Minister Plenipotentiary by William Walker, however French was denied the position by president Franklin Pierce. French returned to Nicaragua in 1856 after running into some legal problems that stemmed from recruiting new volunteers for William Walker. However, upon returning to Nicaragua, William Walker turned French away and told him to return to the U.S. [80]
Ramón Ignacio Arnao Alfonso, brother of writer and poet Juan Arnao Alonso, a Cuban revolutionary, was captured and imprisoned in Spain after landing in Cuba with the 1851 Narciso Lopez expedition. [81] On April 1, 1853, he was sent from Havana to the prisons of Ceuta. [82] He later participated in William Walker’s 1856 filibuster invasion of Nicaragua. Arnao, unlike other Cubans involved in filibustering, remained steadfastly loyal to Walker’s regime. [83]
On February 24, 1857, Presley and over 50 men signed a letter in San Jose, Costa Rica inviting ex-compatriots to abandon Walker's army just like they did, due to it being a dishonorable action. [84]
Juan Manuel Tejada (also known as John M. Tejada) [85] was a Cuban [86] military officer who participated in William Walker's filibuster expedition in Nicaragua during the mid-19th century. [87] As of March 1, 1856, Tejada held the rank of captain as Captain J. M. Tejada, and was officially serving as an aide-de-camp among the officers of Walker’s army. [87] He was also the official interpreter of the army. [85] At that time, Walker’s forces numbered around 1,200 men, stationed across various locations including León, Granada, Rivas, and San Juan del Sur. [87] Tejada returned to the United States after Walker and his troops were defeated by Costa Rica.
Patrick T. Jordan was born in 1828 in Ireland and moved to London. [88] Jordan left his wife behind in London. [89] He joined Walker as a soldier in Nicaragua. [90] On November 1, 1855, he was involved in the drunken killing of a Nicaraguan child. [91] Three days later, Jordan was courtmartialed and executed at the age of 27, leaving behind a letter of remorse for his fellow soldiers and encouraging other filibusters to avoid liquor and keep doing “God’s work”, as he was Catholic. [92]
Charles J. Turnbull was born in 1826 in Virginia. [93] In 1852 he was living in Sacramento. [93] He was one of the sixty-two armed men who joined William Walker sailing on the Vesta. [94] They arrived in Nicaragua in 1855. [95]
Forrest was a Second Lieutenant in Walker’s army but then resigned in 1856. [96] There was a letter waiting for him at the Post Office in Granada on May 5, 1856. [97]
John S. Rudd was born in Newport, Rhode Island on March 13, 1801, and was a West Point graduate stationed in the U.S.S. constitution throughout his early army experience. [98] In the mid 1850s, he was promoted to second lieutenant of artillery in Granada, Nicaragua as United States Naval commanding officer. Rudd was deployed alongside William Walker in his invasion of Nicaragua in the mid 1850's, where during this time he also sailed to the west coasts of Africa and searched for American slavers. [99] Rudd resigned from the U.S.S. constitution completely in 1861, and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 12, 1867, [98]
Maxwell returned to the US and fought in the Civil War as a Confederate Sergeant [100] in Company G on September 19, 1861. [101] He surrendered in April 1865 at Appomattox. [101]
John Blunderman was a 22-year-old cavalryman in William Walker’s Nicaraguan army, known as the Rangers. Born in New Orleans in 1835, he remained behind in Rivas after Walker’s surrender on May 1, 1857, due to severe leg ulcers that made him unable to march with other prisoners. He was later evacuated through San Juan del Norte aboard the Cyane, transferred to the Wabash, and arrived in New York on June 28, 1857, where he was admitted to Bellevue Hospital. [102] In an interview, Blunderman stated that although Walker did not treat his men well, he might have succeeded if he had obtained adequate resources. [103]
Orin Belknap (May 29, 1799 - February 14, 1873) was born in the town Honeoye located in Ontario, New York, United States. [104] In 1838, Orin Belknap moved to the state of Michigan where his brothers and sisters lived. In Michigan, Orin decided to start a mercantile business in the town of Almont, Michigan. [105] In 1854, Orin was one of the first settlers in Belknap township, located in Pottawattamie county, Iowa. [106] Two years later, his wife died and he moved to Ohio once again. On May 9, 1856 he traveled on the Minnie Shiffer to Nicaragua. [107]
Von Rachelli was a Confederate soldier who served as a staff member of the French army in Algiers. He also filibustered with William Walker in Nicaragua. A report from General Bragg ordered that von Rachelli attack a battery of cannons where he was later found “riddled with twelve bullets, lying on his back, facing towards Dunkard Church, his feet crossed and his hands folded upon his breast and his cap tilted down over his eyes, like a soldier at rest.” He was a soldier of fortune, and during the Civil War he died in the front line of battle. [108]
Born on April 16, 1832, in New York City, Joseph Attinelli was the son of an Italian patriot who escaped execution and fled to Boston. [109] On January 21, 1856, he sailed from San Francisco aboard the Sierra Nevada to join William Walker’s army in Nicaragua. He served in Companies F and C. On March 30, 1857, he deserted in Rivas with about 250 others, fleeing to Costa Rica, where they stayed three weeks in Puntarenas on a daily allowance. The men walked to San José, where they were held in a half-prison half-hospital for two months. On July 13, 1857, the group left the capital and made their way to San Juan del Norte. Joseph Attinelli eventually returned to New York aboard the Tennessee on August 18, 1857. [110] He then married Lydia Beekman Mouton on April 16, 1860. [109] Attinelli studied at NYU’s University Medical College and became physician-in-chief of the Italian Hospital in New York City. [111] On June 13, 1872, he was appointed Impost Withdrawal Clerk at the New York Customs House with a $1,500 salary. [112] He joined the American Numismatic Society on May 19, 1885, as a life member. Joseph Attinelli died at home in Vineland, New Jersey, on January 1, 1895, after a short illness. [113]
Francis M. Harney (Frank M. Harney or Lieutenant Harney) was born in Morgan, Illinois, 1838. In 1856 about the age 18, he departed his life in New Orleans but then later was caught in a expedition in Nicaragua along with other colleagues who eventually crawled their way out of imprisonment. Returned to North Carolina shortly after. Harney joined the confederacy and fought in the Gettysburg battle, Fourteenth Infantry, to where he lost his life in 1863 due to a tragic shot in the abdomen area. Frank was placed down in Gettysburg but then transferred to Richmond, Virginia to be buried. [114] It is said that Frank chased down his opponents and captured their flag, to whom he later sent to President Jefferson Davis. [115] One out of his 5 other siblings also fought in the Gettysburg battle but on the Union side instead of Confederate, unfortunately he also lost his life.
Thomas M. Smith (also known as Nicaragua Smith) moved to the southern states in the mid-1850s, and in 1856, he joined William Walker’s filibuster expedition to Nicaragua, earning the nickname “Nicaragua Smith” for his role as a soldier-of-fortune. [116] After returning to the U.S., he eventually made his way to Galveston, Texas, where he enlisted in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Smith became better known for his participation in the Battle of Galveston, which lasted from October 4, 1862, to January 1, 1863. [117] Though a soldier by title, Smith’s loyalty was questionable—he was described as a reckless, and a perilous individual who often engaged in theft, arson, and other acts of mischief. He ultimately deserted his post and was captured shortly after. Convicted by court-martial, he was sentenced to death for desertion and executed by firing squad on January 8, 1863. He was buried in Galveston’s Old Catholic Cemetery, where his grave is marked with the name “Nicaragua Smith,” a lasting reminder of his life.
Thomas J. Arzett (Arrett, Arvett) joined William Walker in Nicaragua in his army; he was a captain. There were two letters remaining at the post of office of Granada on May 25, 1856 and on June 7, 1856. [118]
Francis "Frank" McMullan was born in Walker County, Georgia in 1835. [119] He joined William Walker in Nicaragua in 1857. [120] On this expedition, McMullan was given the title of lieutenant. [120] He was there for less than a year when he, along with Walker and many other of Walker’s soldiers, was forced to surrender and was taken back to the U.S. by the United States Navy. In 1858, upon his return to the United States, McMullan enrolled as a student at the McKenzie Institute in Texas. Not long after, he contracted tuberculosis and in an attempt to regain strength, moved to Mexico for a brief stint, but eventually died in September 1867. [121]
Israel Moses (1821-1870), [122] was a Jewish Military Physician, specifically a Surgeon General, for the Nicaragua Army during the Battle of Rivas on April 11, 1857. He had arrived in Granda, Nicaragua in February, as he was invited by the government and took on his role. Dr. Moses was said to keep his staff organized and performed everything with great order and system. [123] He had done various procedures that included wounds of head, neck, arm, hands, chest, and legs in addition to treating these he also performed four amputations of the forearm, one of the arm, and a ligation of the left subclavian artery. He had a total of forty-six cases during his time in Nicaragua, all different from one and another. Dr. Moses mentions that he had a hard time treating gunshot wounds since he had not seen them previously in practice especially with the introduction of the Minié musket and rifle, which caused a whole new type of gunshot wounds, never seen before. [124]
Isaac Berly was a resident of inland California. He was part of the many men who left for Nicaragua from San Francisco on October 20, 1855. On November 1 he arrived in San Juan del Sur aboard the Sierra Nevada to take part in William Walker’s operations. [14]
Thomas Forster Wright, son of Union Brigadier General George S. Wright and Martha Wallace Wright, enrolled in the United States Military Academy (USMA) in the class of 1852 on July 1, 1848, [125] where he would go on to fail mathematics and be "turned back" to repeat his first year. On November 17, 1849, during the end of the academy's summer encampment, Col. Wright was found not in his tent and could not provide sufficient evidence to justify the event. Col. Wright was accused of violating Paragraph 124 of the USMA Academic Regulations: "Any cadet who shall absent himself from his room or tent at night, between tattoo and reveille, for a longer period than half an hour, on any one occasion, or shall be absent from the post of West Point without leave, shall be dismissed the service." Furthermore, he was found guilty in court and dismissed from the academy until he was reinstated under the wishes of the twelfth President of the United States (Zachary Taylor). Col. Wright would go on to not graduate and, in 1853, was dismissed due to an academic deficiency in philosophy. On October 20, 1855, Col. Wright, accompanying William Walker, set off for San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, aboard the Steamboat "Sierra Nevada," [126] where he would serve as First Lieutenant until at least November 1, 1856. [127] Col. Wright then served as a First Lieutenant in the 2nd California Cavalry from 1861 to 1864 under his father's appointed control of the Department of the Pacific by the 16th President of the United States (Abraham Lincoln). Thomas F. Wright would be awarded the title of "Brevet Brigadier-General" for outstanding service during the Civil War on March 13, 1865. He then served as Colonel of the 2nd California Infantry Regiment from October 1865 to May 1866, and was discharged from the Union Army at the war's end. Wright would then serve in the 32nd and 12th Regiments of Infantry, participating in what is known as the Modoc Indian War. When serving as first Lieutenant as part of the 12th Infantry Regiment on April 26, 1873, during the Modoc Indian Conflicts, Thomas F. Wright, accompanied by Captain Evan Thomas and the 4th United States Artillery on a reconnaissance mission, was ambushed by a small group of Modoc Indians where he and 40 other of his 59 men would be killed in what is known as the Thomas-Wright Massacre near the lava beds of Northern California. [128] [129] Today, Colonel Thomas Forster Wright lies in the Sacramento City Cemetery.
On October 20, 1855, he became a soldier in Company C in the First Riflemen Battalion of Walker's army and was stationed in Granada. Shortly after being in Company C, he was transferred to Company E in 1855. Months later, on May 25, 1856, the post office informed him that a letter from New York had arrived for him aboard the Orizaba. The letter remained in Granada. Although his location of birth is unknown, he died in Nicaragua. [130]
John Stephenson West was born in 1828 in New York City. He went to Nicaragua with William Walker in the 1850s. [131] While in Nicaragua, West broke his leg and had problems with it the rest of his life. [132]
James Verner was a sergeant major of the Second Light Infantry in Walker’s army stationed in Masaya, Nicaragua. [133] A group of Nicaraguans led by a wealthy merchant named Desiderio Calvo tried to convince Verner to desert from Walker’s army and leave Nicaragua. [134] Verner convinced his commanding officer to allow a meeting between him and Calvo. His request was accepted and the commanding officer sent another soldier named John Sanborn to secure double testimony. Calvo asked Verner to leave his country, proposed money down, and told Verner when he left someone would pay him the rest of the money. Verner took the money and then four U.S. officers who had overheard their conversation, rushed into the room, and captured the Nicaraguans. The four Nicaraguans were later executed by Walker for their actions to protect their country from Walker’s forces. [134]
John C. McMahon was born in Coahoma, Mississippi. His father was protestant Minister. [135] He married and had 3 children. [135] He served as a Captain in the army alongside William Walker. [136] In 1856, McMahon was captured by Costa Rican forces and managed to escape before being captured once more. [137] Family and friends back home heard news of his death at the Battle of Rivas; however, it was false. [137] That same year, after spending some time in the U.S., McMahon resumed his duties in Walker's army where he had sixty men under his command. [138]
Samuel C. Austin (1834-1868) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a copper foundry worker and military officer who played a notable role in mid-19th-century American filibustering campaigns in Central America. He stood around 170 centimeters tall, had dark features, brown eyes, and dark hair, and was living in Kensington, Pennsylvania, with his mother, Mary Ann Austin, and other relatives as of 1850.
Austin departed San Francisco on September 20, 1855, and arrived in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua on October 3 aboard the Cortes, accompanied by around sixty-five men recruited in Placer County, California. That same month, he was appointed captain of Company D in the First Rifle Battalion based in Granada, Nicaragua. There, he joined the military council and took part in significant decisions during William Walker's controversial filibuster regime. On November 6, 1855, for instance, he participated in the court martial that condemned the American mercenary Joaquin Cavada to death. [139]
After briefly returning to San Francisco on February 5, 1856, Austin once again sailed for Nicaragua on February 16 with another group of fifty recruits. On March 1, he was promoted to first lieutenant in the same battalion. Despite resigning temporarily after Walker issued the retreat order, Austin later rejoined the filibuster movement and resumed his military activities.
Records from the National Park Service's Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System confirm his service and track his role as a U.S. Navy officer later in life. By 1860, he had returned to Philadelphia, continuing to work in metallurgy. His final years were marked by declining health; he was admitted to Pennsylvania Hospital on January 20, 1868, and died six days later of pulmonary tuberculosis. He was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery. [140]
Additional details about Austin's involvement with the American filibusters, including the political and military implications of the campaigns he joined, can be found in scholarly works such as William Walker and the Imperial Self in American Literature.
John William Anderson was part of William Walker’s filibustering army. He was paid $523.33 and discharged from combat due to injury, although he would come back to serve later. [141] In June 27, 1856, J.W. Anderson was commissioned as First Lieutenant of the First Battalion of Light Infantry. [142] J.W. Anderson was listed on Walker's official army registry in Nicaragua. [143] Anderson had two letters waiting for him in July 1856. [144]
Andrew J. Turley was born in Mississippi and later moved to Texas.[1 [145] ] On June 22, 1856, he led a group of 27 Texans aboard the steamer Daniel Webster from New Orleans to Nicaragua, forming the majority of a 36-man unit of American volunteers. [146] These reinforcements were part of approximately 500 Americans who arrived in Nicaragua during May and June of that year to support William Walker's forces. [147] Upon arrival, Turley was appointed captain of Company G in Walker’s First Light Infantry Battalion. [148] However, his service ended when he died on August 20, 1856, in Chontales, Nicaragua. [145]
William A. H. Loveland (1826–1894) before heading to Nicaragua he got a medical check up in San Francisco. He landed in Costa Rica then traveled to Lake Nicaragua where he studied the Cornelius Vandebilt canal and its infrastructure. Then he tried to work and propose a plan to the investors; they withdrew their support because he lacked skills. He returned to Illinois, got married and had a child; after his first wife died he remarried and had another child. Later on in life he helped build the Colorado Central railroad. [149]
William R. Henry was born around 1821. He settled in Texas, where he became sheriff and Texas Ranger. He helped plan and took part in The Callahan Expedition. He notoriously encouraged others to join him in invading Mexico after the Mexican American war. [150] Then, in 1857 he urged “all my old frontier comrades join me forthwith in the city of Galveston” to travel to Nicaragua. [151] He was later shot and died in a gunfight in a plaza in San Antonio in 1862. [150]
Charles L. Barnhouse was born in the District of Columbia, United States. [152] He served as a private in Company C of the First Rifle Battalion, under Walker’s Army. [153] Letters addressed to Barnhouse remained at a post office in Granada, Nicaragua, as of July 18, 1856. [153]
On August 10, 1857, he arrived in New York on the Steamship Tennessee from Nicaragua. He was one of two hundred sixty deserters from Walker’s Army. [154]
Joseph Franklin was one of the 126 men on the steamship Panama who deserted Walker's army in 1857. The Costa Rican Government paid Franklin 75 dollars for his fare to return to the United States. [155]
Joseph Avent was born in 1818 in Madison, Alabama. Avent served in the U.S. Military during the Mexican War in the Chevallie's Battalion of the Texas Mounted Volunteers from 1846 to 1848. [156] Avent had a letter waiting for him at the post office in Granada on June 7, 1856. [157] He was one of 121 men who travelled on the Wabash from Nicaragua on June 17, 1857, and arrived in New York on Sunday, June 28, 1857. [158]
John J. Miller was born in 1832 in Mississippi. He joined the Lopez expedition, becoming a filibuster, and eventually supported William Walker by joining his expedition in Nicaragua. He moved to Dallas, Texas in 1858. In the Civil War he was a Confederate soldier, serving under Company H, 16th Cavalry in the Waterhouse Brigade as Captain Miller. [159] He died at 75 years old on January 24, 1907, after spending his last two years at the Confederate Men’s Home. [160]
Peter A. Yarington (sometimes spelled Yarrington, Yarnington, or Yaington) was born to Dilton Yarington and Rebecca Lambert in Pennsylvania on October 1, 1830. [161] In January 1856, at around 26 years old, Yarington enlisted to serve in William Walker’s army for six months. [162] In a letter written to his father, Yarington informed his family of the struggles he endured throughout the battles with Walker, including a personal conflict in which Walker refused to let Yarington leave until he served for at least a year or until he required hospitalization. [162] Soon after he participated in the Battle of Rivas, Yarington became ill with diarrhea, which became chronic and progressed into a 20-day fever that furthered his deterioration, until his death from cholera in December 1856. [162] He fought until December 11, 1856. He died in Granada. [162]
Michael Brannigan, an Irish immigrant, gained his status in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era for his violent tendencies and political intimidation. Despite numerous arrests and public scandals, he frequently evaded serious consequences thanks to his connections with influential political figures. After being exiled by the Vigilance Committee, he fled to Central America, where his reckless behavior continued most notably during a chaotic journey through Nicaragua, where he lost his money gambling, was tied up on a river steamer for indecent conduct, and was beaten by a soldier before being denied passage back to California. Stranded, he became a cook aboard a schooner smuggling supplies to William Walker’s collapsing regime and narrowly escaped execution when the ship was seized and its crew killed. He eventually returned to California through a series of narrow escapes. Though briefly jailed upon his return, he found protection in Sacramento and resumed work as a hack driver, briefly appearing to change for the better. His pattern of misconduct resurfaced, and he again became known for drinking, fighting, and public humiliation of others. In 1861, he committed one of his most heinous acts raping stage actress Edith Mitchell yet served only a year of his ten year sentence due to legal manipulation and a conveniently timed retrial. While incarcerated, he avoided conflict, which likely contributed to his early release. Brannigan later resurfaced in Virginia City, where he was accused of attempting to assault two young girls, sparking intense public outrage. Although acquitted, his behavior provoked such disgust that the community forced him out under threat of violence. In 1863, Brannigan had become a symbol of impunity and disgrace, unwelcome nearly everywhere he went. [163]
Francisco De Armas y Céspedes was a Cuban author and lawyer [164] who joined the Cuban recruits promised by Domingo Goicuria in exchange for William Walker’s help to free Cuba from Spanish dominion. [165] De Armas accompanied Goicuria aboard the Northern Light from New York to San Juan Del Norte. Upon the arrival of the Cuban recruits to Nicaragua in February 1856, De Armas participated in the taking of the city of Granada. [166] Later in August 1856, De Armas’ name appeared on the Spanish List for letters at the post office in Granada. [167] After his service in Nicaragua, De Armas eventually returned to the United States and published two books about Cuba. [168]
Gustave A. Gauffrean was a physician and served as the United States consul in El Realejo, Nicaragua, during the mid-19th century. As of March 1855, he was reported to be in Virgin Bay, awaiting transportation to assume his post in El Realejo. An update from El Nicaraguense noted that he was still in Virgin Bay on March 21, 1855, with plans to travel to Granada later that month alongside U.S. Minister Col. Wheeler. [169] The final documented mention of Gustave Gauffrean appears in a May 1856 postal notice from Granada, which listed his name among those with unclaimed mail. [170]
Samuel F. Wright was born in March 1831 in Connecticut. [171] His parents were Eli Wright and Lucy Finley and he was one of three children. Wright fought in the Civil War on the union side. [172] He was a farmer while his wife was keeping house. [171] They had one child together and named him Lewis D Wright. [171] Samuel published a book in 1860 called Adventures in California and Nicaragua in Rhyme. He wrote about William Walker's return to San Francisco from Mexico before his invasion of Nicaragua and noted that Walker had earned a reputation of reckless warfare on Sonora’s plain. [173] Wright died on June 27, 1901, in Connecticut at age 70. He was buried in Saint James Cemetery in Connecticut. [171]
Charles Torrey Cutler was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 24, 1825. [174] He moved to Marysville, California, in 1853, where he published a Whig Newspaper. In 1855, Cutler joined William Walker in Nicaragua and worked on Walker's paper titled El Nicaraguense in Granada. He died of yellow fever in Granada on January 15, 1856. [175]
John Joseph Scott was an adventurer, physician, and soldier. He became a soldier with William Walker's [176] controversial campaign in Nicaragua in 1857. Before joining Walker's campaign, Scott graduated from the Medical College [176] in Georgia in 1856.
He was born on February 21, 1829. Samuel A. Lockridge joined Walker after devoting some of his own money (about $40,000) into recruitment and would later join the expedition to Nicaragua as a colonel. [177] However, before this, Lockridge went by the name William Kissane. Kissane (Lockridge) had his own merchant firm called Smith and Kissane. Kissane was charged with conspiracy after he took out an insurance policy on some of his cargo along with the steamship that carried the cargo, Martha Washington which would later burn down killing 16 men aboard. After being bailed out for $10,000 Kissane (Lockridge) later vanished. He later reappeared in 1855 when he joined William Walker. He was in Nicaragua until 1857. After a dispute between Lockridge and Walker, Lockridge released a “card” in the Galveston News announcing that he was no longer associated with Walker. During this time, Lockridge was also part of a secret southern society called the “Knights of the Golden Circle”. Lockridge would then go on to join the Confederate Fifth Texas Cavalry in 1861 during the Civil War and was killed in 1862 at the battle of Valverde. [178]
Henry Barteau (also known as Bartow), enlisted in New York on February 25, 1856 under the command of Captain Creighton and left the same day in the steamer with 100 others. After reaching Granada he went to Costa Rica and joined Walker's army. He enlisted for 6 months only. Walker gave him money but refused to give him a discharge or pay for his services and told him he had to remain with the army. Barteau participated in the ensuing battles of Santa Rosa, Rivas, Masaya, and Granada. He suffered many injuries, among them a broken foot, a shot through his left breast, and injuries to both his legs, having to make constant visits to the Rivas Hospital. When Walker surrendered on May 1, 1857, Barteau was in the hospital and had to walk miles in crutches on his way to the steamer. [179] On June 29, 1857, filibusters returned aboard the U.S steam frigate Wabash. [180] He was listed as a private returning sick from Nicaragua. He was one of the 121 men who made it back on this ship and was 1 of 3 men that survived out of the 23 Newarkers in the army. Barteau returned to the U.S. penniless and injured, later on becoming a hatter. [181]
Frank P. Anderson joined William Walker in his filibustering expedition to Nicaragua. [182] He was one of the original 58 men called "the immortals" who arrived in Nicaragua on the Vesta in 1855. Anderson was a Colonel Commanding on the S.R Spalding steamship. [183] Anderson and his companions, Colonels S. A. Lockridge and H. T. Titus, directed the S.R. Spalding through the west Indies, generating a route from California to Nicaragua. [184] Captain Anderson’s steamship full of filibusters and captured Costa Rican soldiers arrived at Nicaragua December 17, 1855. [182] After being indicted by a Grand Jury in 1858 alongside Walker for infringing Neutrality laws, Anderson was to not engage in any filibustering expeditions against the state of Nicaragua. [185] Anderson, however, continued his support of Walker's efforts. He also went on to direct S.R. Spalding along the Atlantic coast of the United States during the American Civil War. [186] He fought on the side of the confederacy. He died in 1924. [187]
John A. Jacques was living in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 1850s, before joining Walker in Nicaragua. He had been a colonel in the Louisiana National Guard. [188] [183] [189] Jacques brought together a group of over 100 men to support Walker. [190] This group of men from Louisiana, known as the “Jacques Guards,” started their voyage to Nicaragua from New Orleans on October 23, 1856. [191] [192] [193] [194]
According to El Nicaragüense, Moses Anderson was one of the original 58 men who joined Walker in Nicaragua and traveled on the Vesta in 1855. [195] He was a U.S. filibuster who fought in William Walker's army during the Battle of Rivas in April 1856. [196] Anderson was rewarded by Walker with a promotion to captain and later Lieutenant Colonel of the First Rifles Battalion for his behavior. Anderson received injuries in the thigh, a gash in the scalp, and a cut in the foot while fighting in Rivas. [197] On August 30, 1856, El Nicaragüense, Walker's newspaper, reported to have had letters for Anderson at the post office in Granada. [198]
John Bird Markham was born on January 21, 1831 to parents Samuel Markham and Elizabeth Winchell. [199] On November 13, 1855, he and Colonel Kewen arrived in California and left with volunteer men and a large amount of money. [200] On September 3, 1856, Markham participated in “The Battle of Virgin”. [201] In September 1856, there was a battle of San Jancito, at San Juan del Sur, where Markhams infantry was stationed, where he paid his respects to the official government of Nicaragua from the American Forces. He was commissioned as a colonel of the First Battalion of Light Infantry in Walker’s army on October 10, 1856. [167] John fought in the First Battle of Rivas alongside Walker and Hornsby. [202] Markham and Hornsby belonged in the original 58 people that went alongside Walker in the brig Vesta to Nicaragua. [203] He was one of Walker's closest friends, and Markham would deliver messages and orders from Walker to the military. He married Susan Board around 1864 in Washington State and had three children named Samuel, Susan, and Charles. John B. Markham died on May 4, 1912 in Oakland, California and was buried in the Mountain View Cemetery. [199]
Bachman joined William Walker in Nicaragua in the1850s. [204] Bachman was reported by fellow men not to be a drinker like the rest. Bachman joined the Temperance Society in Nicaragua, which was founded by an individual named Diehl in Granada, as reported by Walker's newspaper. Later in 1884, Bachman became a postmaster. [205] He was a postmaster in Carroll County, Maryland, at Bachman Mills, which was post office and a milling operation. [206]
He deserted from Walker’s army along with 125 men in 1857. The Costa Rica government paid 75 dollars each for their fare so that they could get back to the United States. [155]
Thomas Basye, also recorded as Baysie or Baseye, served in William Walker’s government during the conflict in Nicaragua. [207] He held the position of Judge of the Court of First Instance in Granada and participated directly in the defense of the city when it came under attack by Allied Central American forces. [207] During the siege, Basye used a rifle in support of Walker, joining other U.S. civilians, officers, and even religious figures in resisting the Central Americans. [207] There was intense fighting throughout the city, involving government buildings, the hospital, and strategic points like the church and the guardhouse. [207] [208] Basye died during the siege of Granada. [208]
Newton Colbert Breckenridge was born in Kentucky in 1828 to a farming family. [209] A census report records him in Kentucky as a 22 year old farmer in 1850. [210] In May of that year, he led Company G of the Louisiana regiment during Narciso Lopez’s expedition to Cuba. [211] He was then appointed captain of Company D, first infantry, to fill Captain Everett’s place who had died in battle. [209] During the battle of Rivas on April 11, 1856, Breckenridge and twelve other officers charged a building, killing around thirty Nicaraguans and successfully gaining possession of the building. [209] However, Breckenridge received a serious head wound and was transferred to Granada to receive care. [209] He died shortly after on April 27, 1856 and was buried in the Church of San Francisco. [209]
William J. Ferguson was a Methodist minister living in Nicaragua with his wife, Rebecca and his daughter Lizzie. They arrived in Nicaragua in 1856 on the Daniel Weber ship. He performed Sabbath services for Walker's soldiers in Granada. He was killed in Nicaragua in October 1856. [212]
William Leslie Cazneau was born on Oct. 5, 1807 in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1830 he moved to Matagorda, Texas. [213] In 1849, he married the well-known journalist Jane Cazneau who was known as the “Mistress of Manifest Destiny.” On July 5, 1856, Cazneau landed in Granada along with 5 others. [188] Two weeks later, Cazneau attended a ceremony to celebrate the United States' recognition of Walker as president of Nicaragua. [214] On August 15, 1856, Cazneau and Fermin Ferrer committed to send one thousand able-bodied colonists to Walker. [215] Early in August 1857, Cazneau purchased Zapatera island on Lake Nicaragua, from William Walker. [188] He died in Jamaica in 1876. [213]
William R. Morris joined Walker in Nicaragua in 1855. In October, 1855 he was a lieutenant in Company E. [216] On March 18, 1857, Morris boarded The Scott, along with 160 other men. On April 17, 1857, a boiler burst and the entire front half of the ship was torn apart, killing over a dozen men, including Morris. His body was pulled from the water and identified by the surviving and injured men. [217]
C.T. Sharp (also known as Christopher Trope Sharp) was born in New York. [20] Sharp went to Modoc County, California, from Central America after joining William Walker’s 1855 expedition to Nicaragua. [20] He was one of the first Euroamerican settlers in Surprise Valley, California to build his home there. [20] On November 18, 1872, a Land Assessment was completed by C.T. Sharp in Surprise Valley. [218] Sharp married Cristiana Higgins and had two children named John and Jake. [20]
Joseph M. Brown was born in Maryland in 1832. [219] Brown participated in William Walker’s filibustering campaigns in Baja California 1855. [220] Brown also filibustered in Nicaragua. [219] Upon his return to the United States, he resided in Colorado. He was one of the first Euroamerican settlers that took part in the colonization of the Arapahoe area of Colorado. Brown was a farmer and a rancher in 1859. [220]
Templeton grew up in Indiana. [221] He was a student at Upper Iowa University and eventually a trustee at the Oxford Academy. [222] In 1850 he married Mary Jane Patterson and they had many children. [223] In the 1850s Leroy joined William Walker in Nicaragua. [224] He became a very wealthy farmer. [225] In 1920 he died at the age of ninety and was buried in Indiana. [223]
John Benson was a private in William Walker’s filibustering expedition to Nicaragua in the late 1850s. [226] Benson returned to New York in 1858. [226] He died shortly after at the age of 53. His obituary appeared in The New York Times on September 7, 1858. [227] He appeared in The New York Times as a cleared individual in Marine Intelligence. [228]
Henry Ames was a private in Walker’s army. He arrived on the U.S. Steamer Wabash in 1857. He arrived from Nicaragua with hundreds of others, some of whom were injured or sick. [229]
Albert Wright was born on July 31, 1836 in New York. He lived his early years in New York before moving to California at the age of 14. After this he moved back to New York for two years and then went to Australia. From there he returned to California and then joined Walker in Nicaragua. Two years later he moved to Oswego, New York, where he remarried. With his second wife Elvira Burr he had three children. With his first wife Olive Emmons he had ten children. In Oswego he owned the Richland Hotel. [230]
He was a Captain in Walker’s army who deserted in 1857. General Canas instructed David Murray, his business assistant, to give Taft a passport pass. Canas also instructed the men aboard his ship not to insult Taft. [231]
He was living in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua before Walker invaded. [232] In 1857 he sailed from San Francisco to Nicaragua on the Sierra Nevada steamer. Onboard were many filibusters who were about to join Walker. He lived with his wife, Angeline, and his two children in Nicaragua. Angeline and the children traveled to the U.S. from Nicaragua in 1857. [233]
Henry Barrington followed William Walker and joined his filibuster expedition to Nicaragua in the mid-1850s. [234] Barrington enlisted in Company C in Walker’s army. [234] He died of cholera on November 28, 1855. [235] He fought alongside other filibusters who also died; among them were Caesar J. Ferrero, Lieut. Henry Grim, and Capt. George R. Davidson. [236] He was buried in Nicaragua with military honors, presided over by the U.S. Minister to Nicaragua, John Hill Wheeler. [235] Barrington’s death and others like it were a prelude to the many deaths that would plague Walker’s army. [236]
George M. Beaver, under the alias of George M. Beebe, Beeve, or Beever, had a letter waiting for him in Granada in 1856 proving his involvement in the William Walker led action's in Nicaragua. [237]
James George Wiedemann (Weideman or Wiedeman) resided in San Juan Del Norte (Greytown), Nicaragua. [238] He had a brother, Henry Wiedemann, who was the co-owner of the company export company Wiedeman & Beschor in Granada. [239] James George Wiedemann was the acting consul of the free Hanse Towns, also known as the Hanseatic Consul. [240] He was in San Juan Del Norte, when he received a letter from a U.S. commercial agent, stating that Greytown would be bombed by the United States. [241] This would be known as the Bombardment of Greytown, which occurred on July 13, 1854. On October 12, 1856, the house he owned in San Juan Del Norte was bombarded by Guatemala and San Salvador. [237] He was seen with his wife and brother in 1856, having dinner at the Manovil Hotel in San Juan Del Norte. Dr. Bernhard, another attendee at this dinner, commemorated William Walker, describing him as "The regenerator of Central America". [242]
Isaac Newton Cardwell worked as a lawyer in Owsley County, Booneville, Kentucky. [243] Prior to the Civil War, Cardwell joined William Walker’s military expedition as a filibuster alongside his cousin. After its failure, Cardwell served in the Union army as a Major in the Seventh Regiment Kentucky Infantry, enrolling on August 7, 1861. [244] Cardwell was mustered in on September 22, 1861, and was at Camp Dick Robinson for three years. Cardwell ultimately ended up resigning from the infantry on February 15, 1863. [244]
John Bartlett served as a private under William Walker during his military campaign in Nicaragua. In June 1857, John Bartlett, along 138 other filibusters, arrived in New York aboard the Wabash. [245]
Charles Albert (also known as C. Albert) was part of William Walker’s filibustering expedition in Nicaragua. In 1857 he was in Company A 2d Rifles. [34] Albert traveled on the Panama Railroad from San Jose, Costa Rica, on February 24, 1857. [246] He and other filibusters signed a letter to abandon William Walker. Charles Albert was last known as a deserter.
George P. Ashbury (also known as Geo. Ashbury, G. Asbury, and George Ashbury) participated in William Walker’s filibustering expedition in Nicaragua. He served in several of Walker's companies, including Companies B, [242] D, [247] and G. [242] During the expedition, Ashbury was quartered in Granada’s San Francisco Church. [242] He died in Granada, Nicaragua, on January 2, 1856. [242] Sergeants and Privates from Company G, including Ashbury, signed a letter opposing Sergeant [242] Harper’s removal for mutiny, which was subsequently published in El Nicaragüense on January 12, 1856. [248] In May 1856, El Nicaragüense, in its “List of Letters” [248] section, listed Ashbury among those with mail waiting for them at the local post office.
William Saurin Lyster (1828–1880) was an Irish-born entrepreneur who became involved with William Walker's expedition in 1855. [249] He joined the expedition as a volunteer soldier, and later on achieved the rank of captain, and participated in many battles. He was briefly imprisoned in New York for his attempt to travel aboard the Northern Star. [250] Despite his military involvement, Lyster turned to the arts where he achieved success as an opera impresario, founding a renowned opera company that toured across Australia and New Zealand. [251] Lyster died in Melbourne on November 27, 1880, leaving behind his wife but no children. He was laid to rest in the Anglican section of the Melbourne General Cemetery.
George F. Beamish was appointed a Second Lieutenant in Company F of the Light Infantry Battalion in Walker's army on Wednesday, April 16, 1856. [252] In 1856 the Reverend Mr. Rossiter married Beamish and Maryanne O’Gorman of New Orleans in Granada. [253]
Henry Gaither Worthington was an attorney. He moved to Tuolumne County, California, in the early 1850s, where he studied law and began his practice. In the mid-1850s, he joined William Walker's filibustering expeditions in Mexico and Nicaragua but later opposed Walker's pro-slavery policies. He returned from Nicaragua to the U.S. only after Walker was executed in Honduras. [254] Worthington served as a member of the California State Assembly from 1861 to 1862, representing the 8th District, and later became Chief Clerk of the Assembly in 1863. Upon Nevada's admission to the Union, he was elected its first U.S. Representative, serving a partial term from October 31, 1864, to March 3, 1865, during which he played a pivotal role in passing the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery. He later served as U.S. Minister to Argentina and Uruguay from 1868 to 1869. Worthington died in Washington, D.C., on July 29, 1909, and was buried at Congressional Cemetery.
William Ormsby was born in 1814 in Pennsylvania. He moved to California to join the Gold Rush. At age 30 he married a sixteen year old named Margaret Trumbo. [255] He then joined Walker in his invasion of Sonora, Mexico and Baja California in 1853. After the invasion of Mexico failed, Ormsby joined Walker in the invasion of Nicaragua in 1856, where he lost a leg in battle. Ormsby’s wife did not join him in Nicaragua. [255] By 1857 Ormsby was back in the United States. He died in 1860 in a battle against Paiute Indigenous peoples in Nevada. [255]
Chauncey Beaman (sometimes spelled Beman) was one of William Walker’s “Immortals,” [256] joining the initial filibuster expedition to Nicaragua on May 4, 1855. [257] He served in Company A of the First Battalion of Riflers, part of Walker’s "American Phalanx." Beaman was discharged on January 18, 1856. [257] When Walker left Nicaragua in 1857, Beaman remained in Nicaragua. [258]
George Dionysius Tillman was a lawyer, politician, and Confederate veteran. [259] On July 21, 1856, Tillman shot and killed J. Henry Christian, a mechanic, at the Planters’ Hotel in Edgefield, South Carolina, during a dispute over a card game. [259] Rather than face charges, Tillman fled the state and joined William Walker’s filibuster expedition to conquer Nicaragua. Upon his return to Edgefield, Tillman surrendered, was convicted of manslaughter, and served a two-year sentence in the county jail, continuing to practice law from his cell.
Despite this early controversy, Tillman went on to have a notable political career. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1854 to 1855 and again in 1864. During the Civil War, he enlisted in South Carolina military units, serving until 1865. Post-war, Tillman participated in the 1865 state constitutional convention and served in the South Carolina Senate later that year. He was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1879 to 1881, though he briefly lost his seat to Robert Smalls after a contested election. Re-elected in 1882, he served four additional terms from 1883 to 1893, chairing the Committee on Patents during the Fifty-Second Congress.
Tillman remained active in state politics, attending the 1895 constitutional convention and running unsuccessfully for Governor in 1898. [260] He and his brother were prominent figures in South Carolina politics.
Augustus Calhoun Allen was born on March 6, 1835, and died on March 15, 1914. He was a businessman and a Confederate officer during the Civil War. On the evening of December 28, 1857, Allen departed from his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, boarding the steamship Texas as a volunteer bound for Nicaragua. He was an officer in Walker’s army. Back in the U.S. in 1859, he married Ellen Virginia Allen. The couple had three children. During the Civil War, he was captured by Union forces outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1864. After the war, in 1879, Allen moved to Texas, where he became the operator of a cotton press. [261]
Frederick Prange was a Captain who followed and fought with William Walker in Nicaragua. He was one of five Captains under Colonel Schlessinger during the Second Battle of Rivas when Costa Rican forces came to aid Nicaraguans in their efforts to defeat Walker. [262]
John P. Heiss was born around the year 1812. [263] He got married in 1835 in Philadelphia. In the early 1840s, he was a part of the Tennessee militia and became a journalist. Heiss worked for William Walker in Nicaragua from 1856 to 1857. He went back to the United States in 1857. In 1861 he returned back to Nicaragua where he wanted to grow cotton. Heiss died in 1865. His son served in the confederate army. [263]
Wiley Marshall was a twin. [264] His twin's name was Green Marshall. [264] Both brothers decided they were going to join William Walker in Nicaragua in the summer of 1856 but Green never made it. [264] Wiley died in a battle in Nicaragua and Green died in California on the same day. [264] Wiley helped command the attack on the San Jacinto ranch in September 1856. [264] Nicaraguans defeated the filibusters in that famous battle (the Battle of San Jacinto) and today have a national holiday to celebrate their victory over Wiley and his men.
James Caleb Smith was born on June 24, 1824, in Virginia, to Governor William “Billy” Smith and Elizabeth Hansbrough Bell. [265] Governor Smith would become a Confederate general during the Civil War. [266] An attorney, James Caleb Smith moved to California in 1850, accompanying his father, and quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the state. [266] He served as a judge on the San Francisco Supreme Court and was also elected to the California Assembly, becoming a leader within the Democratic Party in the region. [266] Smith became widely known for challenging Senator David C. Broderick to a duel in 1852, after Broderick made disparaging remarks about his father. [266] The duel, held near Oakland Point and witnessed by thousands, resulted in no serious injuries, though Smith’s bullet famously struck and damaged Broderick’s watch, an incident that gained much public attention. [266] It was in California that Smith most likely met Walker and other filibusters. [267] In Nicaragua Smith became involved in a land company. He contracted a fever and died in Nicaragua on May 2, 1856, at the age of 31. He was buried in Richmond, Virginia. [265]
Ambrose F. Rudler, also known as Anthony Francis Rudler, was a participant in William Walker's filibustering campaigns. Rudler was among those who joined Walker in the invasion of Mexico and later the war in Nicaragua. He was born in Alsace-Lorraine. He moved to the state of Georgia in the U.S. with his family as a child.
He was a general in the confederate army in Georgia. [268]
Martin P. Avery was born in New York in 1836. Avery was the adjutant of President Haye’s regiment. He was a member of the Masonic lodge in Kansas. [269] Prior to his death, Martin spent time in Nicaragua as a filibuster. His time there was somewhat brief due to his untimely death. [270]
Daniel K. Bailey was born on January 27, 1838, in Groveland, Livingston County, New York. [271] He was elected by his fellow filibusters to serve as a lieutenant of the first battalion in Walker’s army. [258] On February 23, 1862, Bailey married Phoebe A. Lowden. [271] The couple had two daughters, Libbie Wood and Grace Bailey. [271] Bailey died on April 27, 1900 and was buried in New York. [271]
Edgar Vanover fought with William Walker in Nicaragua. When Walker surrendered to the Costa Rican forces in 1857 Vanover came back to the U.S. with approximately 400 other filibusters. [272] He then moved to California, eventually settling in Golden, Colorado. He was unable to return to Missouri because he was wanted for a crime there. [273] In September 1859, after a day of heavy drinking and making threats against the co-owners of his saloon, Vanover was hanged to death. [274] He was hanged for a crime he had threatened to commit. [209]
Frank Turk, an attorney, was active in California politics. He served as president of the San Francisco Common Council. He embarked on the Sierra Nevada ship on October 20, 1855, to Nicaragua. The ship reached San Juan del Sur on November 1. Shortly after, he returned to California, departing again on December 5 on the same vessel. He arrived in Nicaragua on November 17.
Frank William Stewart joined William Walker's army in February 1857. [275] On March 7, he arrived in Nicaragua as part of the last company to come from California. [276] Stewart was appointed captain of the Red Star Guard and became known as Captain Stewart. [277] Even though he was a captain, Stewart later spoke out against the campaign, trying to share what he believed really happened in Nicaragua and clear up false ideas people had in the U.S. [278] Stewart recorded detailed recollections of the battle scenes and his personal interactions with William Walker, providing valuable insight into the campaign. [279]
James Carson Jamison was a soldier who served under William Walker, participating in his military campaigns in Nicaragua. [209] He was born on September 30, 1830, in a pioneer home that was located about two and a half miles southeast of Paynesville in Pike County, Missouri. [209] His father, John Carson Jamison, had migrated to Missouri from North Carolina during the early days of EuroAmerican settlement. [209] In James' early years he worked as a miner in Georgetown, El Dorado County, in California, while waiting to join William Walker in Nicaragua. [209] He received forty-four votes for the position of first lieutenant in Nicaragua from the others who were with him on the Sierra Nevada ship on their way to filibuster. [209] He was later appointed by Walker to the company D of the first infantry. [209] Once he was back from Nicaragua he fought on the side of the Confederacy during the Civil War. [280] He died on November 19, 1916, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and was laid to rest in Clarksville. [209]
Edward John Cage Kewen, (Edward J.C. Kewen) born in 1825, was from Columbus, Mississippi. [281] In 1855, Kewen, a close friend of Walker, joined the enterprise, taking on fiscal responsibilities in the Walker administration, traveling to the southern states to recruit men and funds for the Nicaraguan "adventure." [282] Kewen's brother also joined Walker in Nicaragua and died there in 1855. Kewen later became a prominent criminal defense attorney and the proprietor of El Molino Viejo, an estate surrounding the old mill of Mission San Gabriel. [283] He also made an unsuccessful bid for Congress as a member of the Whig Party. [284] Kewen was a Mason. [285] On November 26, Kewen, who had just turned 54, died at his old mill residence. [283] The 1880 federal census mortality listing, recorded the cause of death as "Paralysis & Bronchial Consumption," attributed to strokes and tuberculosis. [283]
Edward W. Rawle, Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1797, Rawle was the son of William Rawle. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1815 and later became a lawyer, moving to New Orleans where he served as an associate judge and engaged in various civic endeavors. Rawle was among the founders of the New Orleans Public School System and served as the first president of its school board. Additionally, he was a Fellow of the New Orleans Academy of Science and president of the Keystone Association of New Orleans. His death occurred in New Orleans on November 4, 1880. [286]
Alexander Wake Holeman was born on February 20, 1827, in Frankfort, Kentucky, and died on October 19, 1887, in Louisville, Kentucky. [287] Holeman was known as a professional filibuster and a soldier of fortune. [288] He served in the Mexican-American War and was captured by the Mexican army near La Encarnación, Mexico, on January 21, 1847. [287] He famously took two chances in a death lottery –one for himself and one for a friend he deemed less capable of facing the risk –before escaping captivity in July 1847. [287] He then served in Colonel Humphrey Marshall’s Regiment of Kentucky Riflemen, with whom he traveled to Cuba in 1851 to participate in the Lopez Rebellion and the Battle of Cardenas under General George Pickett. [288] In 1855–56, he joined Walker in Nicaragua, and later commanded a Kentucky cavalry regiment on the Union side during the U.S. Civil War. [288] He was a machinist and hotelkeeper before the Civil War and he enslaved 9 individuals during his time in Owen County, Kentucky in 1860. [289] After the Civil War, he returned to Kentucky where he drew a pension for his participation in the Mexican-American War. [290]
Alexander Parker Crittenden was a follower and avid supporter of William Walker and his invasion of Nicaragua. [291] In the 1850s Crittenden was a recruiter for the expedition while he simultaneously worked in California as a lawyer. [292] Because of his status and wealth, Crittenden was a strong financial supporter of William Walker's invasion of Nicaragua. [291] Although there is no record of his children fighting for Walker, Crittenden had many family members travel with and support his crusade. [292] Alexander P. Crittenden did not die while fighting in Nicaragua for Walker; he was shot and killed by Laura Fair in front of his family on the docks of San Francisco in 1870. [293] Fair, in a moment of temporary insanity –according to the courts –had shot Crittenden because during their seven-year affair he had led her to believe first that he was a widower and then that he would leave his wife, Clara, for her. The murder sparked a trial and a subsequent retrial that drew considerable public attention. [293]
Volney R. Bristol was from Connecticut. [294] It appears that he deserted from Walker's army to Costa Rica, where he was forced to participate as an assistant engineer and then sued for damages. [295] He was born on December 22, 1829, never married, and died in August 1887. [296] He became a sergeant in the Connecticut Infantry Company I and was honorably discharged from the Infantry in 1863. [297] He had one sister and two brothers. [295]
Charles L. Mann, a government official and Texas Ranger, was born around 1825 in Mississippi. [298] In 1847, he was appointed as the interim adjutant general of Texas. [298] He was a member of the Episcopal Church. [298] He was also a member of the Sons of Temperance. [299] Later on in 1857 he became a Texas Rangers Colonel, [298] and joined William Walker's colonization of Nicaragua. [300]
John Tabor was the publishing director of the El Nicaragüense newspaper in 1854. [301] Tabor accompanied William Walker along with six of the original "immortals" aboard the steamship Fashion headed to Greytown, Nicaragua. [302] Tabor often got into confrontations regarding his right to publish his paper in Central America. [303] John Tabor, along with Owen Duffy, opened a law firm where they exclusively focused on claims that were made targeting the government. [302] Tabor was influential during this time, given his role with El Nicaragüense. [302]
Collier Clarence Hornsby was born in Columbia, Mississippi. [304] He was in the US Army before joining William Walker. [305] After the military, Hornsby took part in the Nicaragua expedition with Walker in 1855. [306] Hornsby only agreed to join Walker in taking over Nicaragua if he received the title as captain. [305] By joining Walker early on, Hornsby is considered one of the "immortals." [304] He married, had two children, and travelled with them. [304] While traveling back to Nicaragua from New York, he used the name Collier Clarence Hornsby in order to not get caught by the County Prosecutor in New York. [305] His real name was Charles Hornsby. [305]
Martin P. Avery was born in New York in 1836. Avery was the adjutant of President Haye's regiment. He was a member of the Masonic lodge in Kansas. [269] Avery was married but records show that he and his wife spent years without seeing each other. Avery was known as a walking skeleton, weighing only 48 pounds at the time of his death in 1882. Prior to his death, Avery spent time in Nicaragua as a filibuster. [270]
Sumpter Williamson was born in Georgia in 1833. [307] He was the second of four children born to Ethelbort and Sarah Williamson. [308] His family lived in Talladega County, Alabama. [307] On March 30, 1856, he was commissioned as second lieutenant of Company G in the First Battalion Riflemen in William Walker's invading army. Seven months later, on October 24, 1856, Walker promoted him to first lieutenant within the same battalion. He participated in the burning of the Nicaraguan colonial city of Granada. [309] According to William Walker's memoirs, Sumpter had "unflinching courage and [a] jovial spirit". [310] Back in the U.S. in 1862, Sumpter fought on the side of the Confederacy alongside former filibusters at the Battle of Roanoke Island in North Carolina. [311] During the battle, he led Captain Lewis' Company, where he was wounded during the fighting. [311]
Birkett Davenport Fry was born in 1822 in West Virginia. [312] Attending two different military schools, Fry originally joined the Virginia Military Institute in 1840, but he resigned nearly a year later. [312] He then enrolled at West Point Military School, where he also had to leave before graduating, dropping out due to his academic deficiency in math. [313] Fry accompanied Walker on his journey to Nicaragua, originally serving as a colonel in Walker's army. [314] While in Nicaragua, Fry eventually became a general, before returning home in 1859. [314]
Lipscomb Norvell Walker was the brother of William Walker. He fought as a volunteer from Tennessee in the Mexican American war. [315] Lipscomb ended the war as a captain after moving up the ranks from second lieutenant. [315] Lipscomb joined William in the conquest of Nicaragua. [316] He caught a fever during the conquest of the San Juan river and died shortly after near Havana, Cuba.
John David Walker was born into a family of enslavers in Georgia. He enlisted as a soldier and fought in the Mexican-American War at 21 years old, until he injured his legs on August 20, 1847, at the Battle of Churubusco. [317] He then briefly went to Nicaragua with William Walker to filibuster. [317] When he returned, he enlisted in the Confederate army in 1861, becoming major of the First Regiment Georgia Regulars on June 19, 1861, until February 6, 1862, where he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. [318] At the Second Battle of Manassas, he was shot in the leg, but refused amputation, dying of a gangrene infection on October 3, 1862, at the age of 37. It is unknown whether John David Walker had a wife or children, but he did have a brother who was a famous general in the Confederate army named William H T Walker, who died only two years later. [319]
David Deadrick became a miner at a young age. [320] He came from a working class family and worked in the gold mines to make a living. Due to bad fortune in the mines, in 1855 he would join William Walker in his take over of Nicaragua. [320] While in Nicaragua he wrote a two part memoir under the name of Samuel Absalom. [321] His memoir, The Experience of Samuel Absalom, [322] contains information on his time to Nicaragua . [322]
Alexander C. Lawrence was an attorney. [323] He owned a saloon in New York City from 1850 to 1857 where filibusters would hang out. [323] The establishment was called the St. Charles' Saloon and it was located at the corner of Broadway and Leonard Streets. [324] [325] In August 1856 Lawrence was working as the General Emigrant Agent for the William Walker administration in Nicaragua. [326] Lawrence's Emigrant office was located on Broadway Street in New York City. [326]
Charles Sully Wheeler was born on November 6, 1839, to John Hill Wheeler and Ellen Oldmixon Sully. [327] He was in Nicaragua with William Walker, likely due to his father’s prominent role as the U.S. Minister to Nicaragua. John Hill Wheeler openly supported Walker’s regime, helping to legitimize his government and aligning U.S. interests with Walker’s ambitions.
While no direct records exist of Charles Sully Wheeler's active participation in the invasion, his presence during this period suggests he may have indirectly contributed through his father’s diplomatic and logistical efforts. [328] It is possible that Charles aided in facilitating communications or operations related to Walker’s campaign, given his proximity to key players and events. This exposure to the political and military activities in Nicaragua may have influenced his later decision to pursue a career in the U.S. Navy, reflecting a lifelong engagement with military and governmental affairs.
Harry Maury fought in the Mexican American War. He then became an attorney. [329] In 1858 William Walker hired him as Captain of the Susan ship which carried more than a hundred filibusters. [330] Once in Nicaragua Maury joined the filibuster movement as a soldier. After his time in Nicaragua, Maury fought on the side of the Confederacy during the Civil War and was promoted to General. [331] [329]
Jane Maria Eliza McManus (1807), later known as Jane Cazneau, was a prominent writer covering international relations and U.S. involvement abroad. [332] As a pioneering woman in journalism, she became one of the earliest American journalists to report from enemy-controlled areas during the US-Mexico War. [332] Known for promoting Manifest Destiny, she backed William Walker and his filibuster campaigns in Central America. [333] Cazneau supported expansionist political movements and filibuster wars through her extensive contributions to newspapers, journals, and other publications. [334] She is often called the "Mistress of Manifest Destiny." [332] Cazneau sought out financial opportunities outside the U.S. and invested in a silver mine in Chontales, Nicaragua. [334] She drowned at sea in 1878. [333]
Born in Connecticut in 1834, Jack Harris left his home to go to sea at 12 years old, [315] later joining William Walker in 1856. [335] As a member of William Walker's Nicaragua Expedition, Jack Harris served under the filibuster for a brief time before being rescued from a firing squad by Walker himself. [335] After spending about four years with William Walker, Harris joined the San Antonio police force; he then served in the Civil War for the Confederacy [335] under the Second Texas Cavalry. [315] After the war, Jack Harris rejoined the police force in San Antonio during the Reconstruction period [315] until 1872 when he opened a saloon at the corner of Soledad and West Commerce on Main Plaza. [315] His saloon, named Jack Harris Vaudeville Theater and Saloon, became very popular, especially in the gambling world. [315] One night in 1880, a former friend of Jack Harris was banned from the saloon after losing heavily and threatening the place. [336] The threatening party, Ben Thompson, who was a known gunman, gambler, and saloon owner in Austin, Texas, returned to San Antonio on July 11, 1882, as the new City Marshal of Austin. [337] A face-off occurred at the Jack Harris Vaudeville Theater and Saloon as Harris waited to confront Thompson and his threats of shutting down the saloon. [337] An argument arose that ultimately ended with Harris's death after Thompson shot him in the Vaudeville Theater. [335] Jack Harris was unmarried at the time of his death. [335] He was a very influential member of his community with strong connections to the political authorities of the area, [315] a fact heavily supported by the 47 carriages in the procession of his funeral on July 12, 1882. [335] Ben Thompson obtained a "not guilty" verdict in the delayed trial on January 16, 1883. [337]
Ellen Oldmixon Sully was born on January 16, 1816, and died in 1896. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Thomas Sully and Sarah Annis. [338] She married John Hill Wheeler on November 8, 1838, and they had two children, Charles Sully Wheeler (1839–1916) and Levi Woodbury Wheeler. [339] Their two children had a half sibling from John Hill Wheeler's previous marriage to Mary Elizabeth Brown. [340] Oldmixon Sully joined her husband's voyage to Nicaragua and spent three years there with her family in support of William Walker; her husband was the U.S. minister to Walker's government. [341]
Ira Munson joined William Walker in his invasion of Nicaragua in 1855. Walker named him Second Sergeant. Munson was also one of Walker's "Immortals". [342] He was later a captain in the 126th New York Infantry Division in 1862. [315] Munson fought in the Civil War on the side of the Union. [343] He was taken as a prisoner of war and died from battle wounds on May 14, 1864. [315]
Thomas Grosvenor Adkins, born in England 1823, was a very successful military musician who took over the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Band. [344] He spent many years in England working with bands, before then immigrating to the U.S. and finding himself in New Orleans. [344] Accompanied by his wife, Mary Walker Adkins, they voyaged with William Walker down to Nicaragua to create a new state. [345] After fighting with his group, he pondered around the coast, creating a group of musicians who played for the people around. [346] He then caught a local sickness after quite some time and was brought back to New York for treatment. [346]
Mary Walker Adkins (sometimes spelled Atkins) was the first wife of Thomas Grosvenor Adkins, a famous military musician born in England. [347] She was also born in England and had a son who died in the U.S. Civil War. [346] She accompanied her husband to Nicaragua. [345] There, she and Mrs. Morris created the filibuster flag for William Walker's invading army. [348] That flag resembled the Nicaraguan flag but replaced the triangle with five volcanoes in the middle with a red star. [349]
Pierre Soulé strongly advocated for William Walker's filibuster campaigns. [350] He supported Walker's campaigns through persuasive speeches, political support, and by raising half a million dollars. [350] He was able to raise money for Walker by speaking to a crowd in New Orleans where he requested funds for weapons and supplies. [350] Soulé also worked as a lawyer working to defend Walker's efforts in Nicaragua.[ citation needed ] He visited Nicaragua to support Walker. [351] There he was seen in private conferences with Walker. [351] According to Walker, he played an important role in Nicaragua partly due to his ability to speak Spanish fluently. [351] Some argue that Soulé played a role in convincing Walker to reinstate enslavement in Nicaragua and that Soulé was looking forward to growing cotton in Nicaragua. [352]
Charles D. Bonsall was born in Mississippi and died on June 2, 1856, in Granada, Nicaragua. [353] He graduated with honors from the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) and later attended the University of Virginia Law School. [354] After his graduation he became an editor of the Vicksburg Sentinel in Mississippi, which eventually merged into The Sun. [355] Around 1851, The Sun was sold to Bonsall and a business partner who later sold his part to John M. Jewell, converting the firm into “Bonsall & Jewell.” [355] In 1853 Bonsall was working as a defense attorney in Vicksburg, Mississippi as part of the firm Bonsall and Irions. [356] Bonsall was a member of the American Whig Society. [357] Before his trip to Nicaragua he was involved in local politics and wrote a letter to Jefferson Davis, the Confederate leader from Mississippi, on August 16, 1856. [358]
Chatham Roberdeau Wheat, sometimes referred to as "Bob", was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 9, 1826. [359] Wheat's father was an Episcopalian Clergyman, and his mother was the granddaughter of General Roberdeau, who was among the first leaders of the troops in Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War. [360] Wheat spent his youth in New Orleans, after his family moved away from Virginia. [359] In 1842 Wheat moved to Tennessee with his family to study at the University of Nashville, and received his bachelor's degree in 1846. [360] Wheat fought in Mexico and later supported the Confederacy. [361] He seems to have not written about his time in Nicaragua. [361] He left New York for Nicaragua in late 1856. [361]
Henry Titus was a freemason, [362] mercenary, and founder of Titusville. [363] Titus led an expedition to Cuba (1850) and was accompanied by Lt. Col. Theodore O’Hara and about 120 men when he set sail. [362] In 1856, Titus moved to Bleeding Kansas, joining pro-slavery forces. [364] [365] Titus worked with William Walker in Nicaragua in 1857. [366] Titus fought in the final battle of Rivas and the San Juan River campaign. William Walker wrote in his memoirs that Titus was a traitor because of his abandonment of the Fillibuster Camp. Titus came close to sparking an international conflict between the United States and Great Britain when he was arrested in Nicaragua for allegedly threatening a British naval officer and making disparaging remarks about the queen of England. [363]
Originally from New York, Henry Schley Ervay eventually established himself in Texas. [367] During his time as mayor of Dallas from 1870 to 1872, he opted to go to jail rather than complying with the Reconstructionists’ orders. [368] In the 1850s he joined William Walker in his invasion of Nicaragua. [367] Approximately two hundred of Walker's followers landed at Fort Truxillo, Honduras, and one of their squads was commanded by Ervay. [367] In a battle with Central Americans, Ervay sustained nine wounds. [367] He survived, in spite of his injured limbs. [367] He eventually went back to the U.S. and spent time in the city of New Orleans. [367] In the fall of 1863, Ervay joined the Confederate army and was appointed assistant quartermaster with the rank of colonel. [367] Once Ervay settled in California, he became part of San Diego County's Royal Arch Masons. [369]
Lewis Miles Hobbs Washington was a writer who served in the Texas war against Mexico. [370] He was a colonel in his military career. [371] Lewis was part of the Lockridge filibuster expedition in Nicaragua in the 1850s. [372] In 1857, Lewis was shot on the foot. [373] While recovering from his wound he was captured and killed by Costa Rican forces, at age 43. [373]
Julius DeBrissot was originally from New Orleans. [374] He was a Mason. [375] In January 1855, DeBrissot was on his way to the Galapagos when he was convinced by Henry Crabb, Thomas F. Fisher, and Collier Clarence Hornsby to stay in Nicaragua. [376] DeBrissot was one of the fifty-eight filibusters that went with Walker on his expedition to Nicaragua on the Vesta that landed in El Realejo on June 16, 1855. [377] DeBrissot took part in the First Battle of Rivas on June 29, 1855, where he was wounded. [378]
William Alexander Rhea was born in 1838 in Tennessee. [379] At 19, he attended a school in Tennessee called the Blout Academy. [379] After his time at the Blout Academy Rhea, his brother, and his father relocated to Texas. [379] While in Texas, Rhea and his brother opened a mill specializing in corn and wheat production. [379] Rhea joined William Walker in Nicaragua as a First Lieutenant in 1856. [380] At the beginning of the Civil War, Rhea enlisted in the Confederate army and became captain. [381] After the war, Rhea had a stint as a politician in McKinney County Texas, and married Ella Foote in July 1868, at age 35. [381] Rhea died on September 30 in his home at the age of 73 due to complications related to old age. [382]
Charles Wilkins Webber was a well-known author. [383] He married in Boston in 1849. [384] His wife was his artistic collaborator, and together they worked on his first book titled, “The Hunter Naturalist,” which was published in 1851. He and his wife joined William Walker in Nicaragua. [383] Webber fought in a battle in Masaya, Nicaragua. [383] He had the intention of returning to the U.S. with his wife after that battle but was not heard from again. [383]
Joseph Lewis Vital Bogy was born in 1838 in St Genevieve, Missouri. [385] He married Eliza Kimbel in 1860, and had two children, Julia Bogy and Lewis Vital Bogy. [385] In 1855, he was arrested and imprisoned by the Mexican government in La Paz, California, presumably for his actions involving William Walker's filibuster expedition. [386] His father, the U.S. Senator Lewis Vital Bogy, would attempt to sue the Mexican government for $50,000 regarding his son's imprisonment, albeit unsuccessfully. [386] He joined William Walker and engaged in his filibuster movement in 1855, where he attempted to forcibly take over Nicaragua. [387] He died near Lima, Peru, in 1907. [385]
Thomas Francis Bayard (1828–1898) was an attorney. [388] Bayard abandoned his studies and joined Walker. After Bayard decide come back due to pressure from his dad, Bayard studied law. [389] Bayard steadily started climbing the political ladder. He was appointed the U.S. District Attorney for Delaware. Fifteen years later, he was elected Senator from Delaware. He later became Secretary of State and after completing term of office, served as the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. [390] He returned to the United States in 1897 with failing health and retired from public life and died the following year. [391]
In 1856, when Second Lieutenant H. C. Hall left Walker's army and went back to the United States, D. Bernard "Barney" Woolfe (sometimes spelled Woolf) [392] was promoted to Second Lieutenant in Walker's army. [393] Lieutenant Woolfe spent the majority of 1856 as the post-adjutant of Granada. [394] Woolfe was promoted to First Lieutenant Infantry Company D, First Light. [247] Woolfe killed Second Lieutenant Kruger, another filibuster in Walker's army, in 1856. [394] After his time in Nicaragua, Woolfe lived in San Francisco, where he served for at least five years (1875–1880) [392] as the California Supreme Court Commission secretary. [394] Barney Woolfe was still living in California in 1885, and got together with old filibuster friends to reminisce about their invasion of Nicaragua. [395]
George F. Alden was born on October 1, 1829. [396] Alden studied law in New York and was elected to the member of Assembly. [396] George F. Alden was appointed by President Rivas to assess the debts owed to Nicaragua after General Walker revoked company charters. [397] The commissioners seized all associated property, including ships and facilities. [398] This further escalated tensions with Commodore Vanderbilt as well as drawing criticism from American newspapers. [399]
Henry Alonzo Maltby, a journalist and former mayor of Corpus Christi, Texas, joined General William Walker's filibuster expedition to Nicaragua in 1857. [400] Maltby gathered and commanded a company of recruits from Texas to support Walker's attempt to control Nicaragua. [401] After his involvement in Nicaragua, Maltby returned to Texas, where he resumed his career in publishing. [402] He was a Mason. [402] He supported the Confederacy during the Civil War. [402]
Peter S. Veeder was a captain in the filibuster army. He was one of the followers of filibuster William Walker, helping him take control of Nicaragua in the mid-1850s. Veeder was one of 16 that fought in the Battle of Rivas on April 11, 1856. [345] He was said to have helped save many wounded filibusters. [209] Veeder was injured but survived. [345] Veeder had had previous run-ins with the law. On September 14, 1854, a scuffle took place between Veeder and James Campbell resulting in the later being shot dead; Peter was consequently arrested. [403]
Charles Bledsoe, born in 1822 near Lexington, Kentucky, moved at a young age to Missouri. [404] Bledsoe retold his story 82 years later to The San Antonio Daily Express. He recalled to have served under General Zachary Taylor in the Mexican-American War. Bledsoe claimed that he had fought in the Battle of the Alamo, narrowly escaping death. Some time later, Bledsoe joined a filibustering expedition to Nicaragua. After 18 months in Nicaragua, he returned to the U.S. serving in the Union army under General Rosencrans and Blunt. [405] Despite Bledsoe's many stories, there is a lack of evidence to show the validity of his claims. [406]
Asa Collinsworth Hill was born near Hillsboro Georgia in November 1826. [407] Before volunteering in Walker's army in 1856, he worked as a secretary to United States Senator Sam Houston in 1846, enlisted in the Mexican War and worked as a hospital steward in Coahuila Mexico, and led a spy company in the battle of Piedra Pinta until late 1848. [407] In 1849, he married Mary Chapman, and had two sons with her. [408] In 1856, after recruiting men and raising money for William Walker's army, Hill left from New Orleans and arrived in Punta Arenas where he took on the roles of an administrative assistant to Colonel Samuel A. Lockridge. [407] Hill was injured when the boiler of the steamer J. N. Scott blew up on a retreat down the San Juan River after an attempted but failed assault of Fort Castillo. [407] Hill became a member of the Texas State Police in 1870, and spent his career advancing from first lieutenant to colonel. [407] From 1904 to 1907, Hill traveled throughout Texas gathering information to create a history of Texas but he never finished. [407] Hill died on October 9, 1913, and was buried at his son's ranch. [409]
Archibald Wynns, an attorney and politician, was born on December 25, 1807, in Henry County, Tennessee. [410] On January 12, 1836, he married Martha Elizabeth Edmunds, and together, they had four boys and four girls. [411] Archibald began practicing law in Houston in 1837 and played a key role in founding Houston’s First Methodist Church, established in 1839. [412] In 1841 and 1842, Wynns served as Harris County’s representative in the House of the Sixth Congress of the Republic of Texas. [412] Three years later, Wynns actively participated in Houston's local efforts to secure annexation by the United States. [410] In 1855, Wynns embarked on a ship to San Francisco to join the California gold rush. [412] While in California, he developed an interest in the exploits of adventurer and filibuster William Walker. [412] Wynns participated in Walker's final expedition in Central America but succumbed to an illness contracted during his journey back on August 21, 1859. [410]
John T. McGrath (John McGrath or just McGrath) joined William Walker’s expedition in his early 20’s and was in Nicaragua for about 2 years. Afterwards, he took a brief pause and began writing for the local newspaper in Baton Rouge for 2 years, before joining the Confederacy and becoming a captain of Company G of the Thirteenth Louisiana Infantry. [413] He was a General in William Walker’s expedition and when he was wounded twice during his time there he decided to go back home and work as a writer once again. [414] In Louisiana he worked as printer, writer, and editor and used his experience and connections in Nicaragua to obtain interviews and publish articles about the motives and aspirations of William Walker and his soldiers. He lived in Baton Rouge with his wife (Lavinia Ann Smith) and two daughters (Mattie B. and Julia J.). He died in 1924. [415]
William Reader (Reeder) was a lieutenant in William Walker's army in Nicaragua. [416] There are two spellings of his name, one being Reader [416] and the other being Reeder. [202] He became a member of The Masaya Jockey Club in September 1858. [417] His committee helped establish the rules of the club, and he was one of three members. [417] Reader (Reeder) took part in a notable battle with William Walker at the San Jacinto Cattle Ranch, where many lives were taken. [202]
Horace Bell, born on December 11, 1830 in Indiana, was a prominent figure in the history of the city of Los Angeles, CA. [418] He was a lawyer, ranger, author, and soldier. [419] Bell wrote a book called Reminiscences of a Ranger, where he captures his experiences during the early days of Los Angeles. [420] He served in the Union Army, and participated as a filibuster in William Walker’s expedition as a soldier. [421]
Rasey Biven was part of Henry A. Crabb's filibustering expedition into Sonora that took place in 1857. [422] Crabb had been heavily recruited by Wiliam Walker but decided not to join Walker. On October 1856, Rasey Biven, one of Crabb's brother-in-law, traveled to Sonora, likely serving as a press agent for Crabb's expedition. Using the pseudonym "Yesar," Biven wrote glowing letters to California newspapers about the venture. Earlier that year, he is believed to have held a minor political position in Sacramento. [423] Biven was imprisoned in Hermosillo, Sonora charged with aiding Crabb. [424] Biven claimed in an article for the “Alta California” that Crabb's party was not a filibustering expedition but a peaceful colonization effort. According to Biven, Crabb came to Sonora at the invitation of Don Ignacio Pesqueira, who later denounced them as filibusters and waged war against them to eliminate any witnesses. Minister Forsyth made persistent efforts to get Biven's release and he was successful. He was released from custody in April 1857 because there was insufficient evidence to hold him. [425] Biven went back to California and on December 6, 1857, moved to Stockton where he became editor of The Weekly Democrat. [426] Later that year, Rasey Biven is said to be killed. [427] However, a different source reported that his death took place in 1868. [428]
William M. Helm became part of Walker’s force on December 5, 1855, after being recruited in San Francisco by Captain Anderson for a six-month enlistment. [429] By April 28, 1856, Helm held the rank of private in Company A of the First Rifle Battalion but was reassigned to the quartermaster’s department, where he worked making saddles. His service concluded with the end of his contract on July 13, 1856, as noted in General Order No. 90 and Special Order 33. [430] After the end of the Nicaragua campaign, Helm returned to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, and followed in his father’s footsteps by earning a medical degree. He later moved to Kokomo, Colorado, where he practiced medicine until at least 1879. His biography was included in *The Ten Mile Region of Arkansas Valley, Colorado*. [431]
Alfred Swingle was a Lieutenant Colonel in Walker’s army. [432] He was one of the men who surrendered with Walker on May 1, 1857, to Commander Davis in Rivas, Nicaragua. [433] Swingle and Lieutenant Colonel Potter executed Davis’s order to destroy all of Walker’s weaponry. [434] On January 12, 1857, his daughter Elizabeth married Colonel E.J. Sanders. The ceremony took place in Walker’s home in an Episcopalian ceremony. [435]
On October 8, 1856, Frederick Baten was suspected of escaping New York in a ship called Orizaba despite authorities trying to avoid him from getting away. The Orizaba was navigated by Captain Tinklepaugh, and about 300 of its 500 passengers on board were filibusters. During its departure, the Assistant United States District-Attorney, Mr. Joachimssen, along with about six Deputy United States Marshals were able to board the ship. Right after, Mr. Joachimssen issued an arrest order for many parties on board, including Baten, but he was never identified. Therefore, it is believed that Baten then arrived in San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua on October 16 in the Orizaba. [436]
William Buchanan, originally from a Scottish village, moved to New York. He then relocated to Texas, where he was recruited to go to Nicaragua by Captain Hicks. [328] According to an article in El Nicaraguense, he was considered a valuable asset to Walker's force. [437] He concluded his career working for the Galveston Daily News. He was a member of the Galveston Typographical Union no. 28. He lived in Galveston for over four decades and died in April 1912. [438]
Albert Jenning Fountain, the son of Solomon and Catherine Jennings, was born on October 23, 1838. Albert’s father served as a sea captain. He went missing at sea while Albert was in college. There is next to no evidence that Albert’s father survived, since Solomon disappeared with little to no food or resources based on what records we have available. [439] Around the age of 14 or 15, Albert had enrolled in the University of Columbia College. During his college years he and five other students toured Europe and the Far East. He graduated and was able to earn a degree as a legal representative at the age of 21 in 1859. While working for a publishing agency in California, Albert was tasked with covering the William Walker expeditions. During Albert’s time in Nicaragua when he tried to send evidence that William Walker had plans to set up a slave state back to the company that he had been working for, Albert was sentenced by Walker to execution by firing squad. He was able to escape capital punishment by disguising himself as a woman and boarding a ship headed away from Nicaragua.
Albert worked as a lawyer, a public speaker, and organizer of amateur theatricals. On August 26, 1861, Albert enlisted in Company E, First California Infantry Volunteers, as part of the Union Army. As a member of the Union army he helped occupy El Paso. After occupying El Paso, he stayed there and worked as an organizer of amateur theatricals, a district surveyor/collector of internal revenue, a civic leader who was a part of the Free Masons, and a resource coordinator. Albert married and had children. [440] [439]
Albert got involved in politics and supported the Fountain Bill which reactivated the Texas Rangers. [440] He was Catholic and help found the St. Clement Catholic Church. He married Mariana Pérez while living in El Paso and had quite a few children. [440] He went to New Mexico with his eight-year-old son Albert. However, while traveling back they disappeared somewhere between Tularosa and Mesilla. This had happened a couple of miles away from what is known today as the White Sands Missile Range headquarters complex. Despite there being an investigation of who killed him and his son, there is still no evidence that supports a murder ever taking place. To this day, his death remains a mystery. [439] [440]
Dr. Winchester T. Sleight was a surgeon for William Walker’s Nicaraguan army in 1856. [441] As a surgeon he had the rank of Captain, and was commissioned on January 9, 1856. [442]
Thomas F. Fisher was a Colonel in the army of General William Walker. [443] He was sent by Walker to New Orleans and sought out 1,000 new colonists for his army. [444]
Joseph B. Blunt was born around 1835 and fought alongside William Walker in Nicaragua during the 1850s. At the age of 22, [445] Blunt participated in the attack on Castillo Viejo, one of Walker’s key military actions, before being wounded and returning to the United States. [446] Blunt arrived back in New York aboard the steamer Tennessee on April 16, 1857, along with other surviving filibusters. [447]
Pvt. Francis Watkins “Frank” or “Wad” Carter was born on November 30, 1842, in Franklin, Tennessee. As a child he and his brother Tod attempted to run away from their family home in Tennessee but were found and returned shortly after their departure. [448]
According to De la Cova in ¿QUIÉNES ERAN?, Francis was in Nicaragua during William Walker’s filibustering as a teenager. [389] However, outside of De la Cova’s list of supporters, there is no available evidence to support this claim. Francis would go on to join the Confederate army in April 1861 as a member of the 1st Tennessee Infantry before transferring to the 20th Tennessee Infantry regiment to join his two brothers Tod and Moscow in June of the same year. In January of the following year Francis fought in the Battle of Mill Springs where his brother Moscow would be captured. In April 1862, Francis was shot through the hand in the Battle of Shiloh. This would lead to his discharge from the 20th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Francis would then enlist in the 34th Texas Calvary in may of 1863. He would fight alongside this regimen for roughly a year before being taken captive in the Battle of Yellow Bayou and made a prisoner in New Orleans. He would remain in captivity for only a few weeks before being exchanged for. Francis spent the rest of the American Civil War sick in Louisiana, and unable to return home. [448]
About three years after the end of the American Civil War in the spring of 1868, Francis would travel to Venezuela, and obtain a land grant of 2000 acres from the Venezuelan government. Francis would return to his home in Tennessee in January 1870 for about a year before returning to Venezuela for a short time. He would return to Tennessee for the final time in early 1872 in poor health and having spent all the money he had earned on his journey. Francis would then move to Bosque County Texas where he would find employment as a mill worker and marry a woman named Mary Katherine Lockett in 1874. The couple would have five children, Corinne, Fannie, Kate, Thomas, and Ruth before moving to San Diego California. According to the Federal Census of 1900, Mary had given birth to a total of eight children; however only five were still living. [448]
Erastus Barry (also known as Barrey or Berry), was born to John and Johanna Barry in Norway. He immigrated to the United States as a child in 1842 and settled in Catskill, New York. In 1855, he ventured to Nicaragua, where he served in Walker’s army as a Second Corporal in Company E. [449] When he returned to the United States, Barry joined the Union Navy during the Civil War, acting as Second Assistant Engineer in 1864, [450] before being honorably discharged in 1865. He married Emma Louise Payne and raised two sons, Erastus Payne Barry and Percy Payne Barry.
James Linton served as a captain in Company D of the Light Infantry Battalion of Walker's army. Linton died in battle in Nicaragua. [451]
Douglas E. Jerrold was a British-born artist, writer, and government secretary during the mid-19th century. He was the son of English author Douglas William Jerrold and held a position in the British Commissariat for five years before emigrating to the United States. [452]
In 1856, Jerrold served as the Secretary of a commission under William Walker in Nicaragua. The commission, which included Col. E. C. Kewen and A. F. Alden, was involved in conflict over ownership of the Accessory Transit Company’s property. The commission operated from Granada and traveled to San Juan del Norte. [453] [454] Jerrold was also the artist-correspondent for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, producing on-site illustrations of Walker’s military campaign, including scenes in Virgin Bay. [455]
Initially a supporter of Walker, Jerrold later withdrew his support after concluding Walker intended to establish a dictatorship. [452] In 1862, Jerrold enlisted as a private in Captain Hawkins’ company, Colonel Porter’s regiment, serving on the Union side during the American Civil War. [452]
George W. Crawford was born on December 22, 1798, in Columbia County, Georgia, and became a prominent political figure in the United States during the antebellum period. [456] He served two terms as Governor of Georgia and later held the position of Secretary of War under President Zachary Taylor. [457] Despite his influence in domestic politics, there is no evidence that Crawford directly participated in William Walker’s filibuster expedition to Nicaragua. [457] His political career was largely focused on southern interests and states’ rights, which aligned with many of the ideological motivations behind filibustering, though his involvement remained indirect. [456] Crawford passed away on July 27, 1872, in Richmond County, Georgia. [457]
Johnathan Schermerhorn became a lieutenant in the Third Company in Richmond, Virginia in November 1856. As lieutenant he traveled on the steamer San Carlos. On January was wounded in the leg during the battle of St. George's. After being wounded Schermerhorn requested to resign but was denied by Walker. He was lieutenant throughout the war but shortly after he was able to resign due to his wounds and sickness. After he was able to resign he went back to Schenectady and married Elizabeth Lee and had two sons. Johnathan Schermerhorn died at the age 85 on August 30, 1917, in Schenectady, New York, US.
Daniel H. Dillingham served as secretary to the Nicaraguan Filibuster Parker H. French. While serving as Secretary for French, he helped to recruit men to the efforts and portray the effort itself as legitimate. [458] Both Dillingham and French, were arrested on December 24, 1855 on accounts of French wrongfully claiming to be a representative of Nicaragua. Dillingham, French, and 9 others were later indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on January 15, 1856. The charges brought against them were a clear violation of the Neutrality laws between Central America and the United States. [459]
Achilles Kewen, brother of Edward John Cage Kewen, was born around 1825 in Columbus, Mississippi. [280] In 1855, shortly after killing Colonel Woodlief in a duel on Saturday, September 16, 1854. [460] Achilles Kewen joined William Walker’s filibustering venture where he rose to be one of William Walker’s few commanders and leaders. [216] Achilles Kewen was K.I.A (Killed in Action) on June 29, 1855 whilst battling their way through the town during The First Battle of Rivas. [216] Where he was noted as one of the most courageous and fearless commanders, as well as one of the most honorable and distinguished gentlemen of the filibuster. [216]
Alexandre Baselini joined William Walker in Nicaragua. He was working as an interpreter for the city and county hospital in San Francisco, California in 1872. [461]
George Wilkes was born in 1817 in New York and was an American Journalist. Wilkes wrote many writings throughout his career, usually working with other journalists. In 1845, Wilkes partnered with journalist Enoch Camp, where they started a Newspaper called The National Police Gazette. The National Police Gazette was famous in the United States during the 19th century for its crime stories and important events. [462] Later on, Wilkes shortly became a part of William Walker’s invasion of Nicaragua. Two months after Walker's domination of Nicaragua, Wilkes returned to New York during the Costa Rican military invasion of Nicaragua in April 1856. When Wilkes returned to New York, he led a "pro-Walker" committee. [463] On May 15 of 1856, Wilkes served this committee that helped collect food and money for the filibusters. [464]
John Broadhead was a filibuster who supported the takeover of Nicaragua and Cuba in the mid 1800s. During this time he had wishes of becoming the minister of Nicaragua and sent a letter to Jefferson Davis asking for these requests. Broadhead insisted that he could help open the territory to people, especially civilians and black people. He was successful in this endeavor and left for Nicaragua in 1855, only to return in 1856. He reported back that he did not want to leave and raved about the success of Walker’s changes. [465]
Francisco Agüero Estrada felt a strong passion toward antiracism as he impacted his expectations on Nicaragua, something he was not able to achieve in Cuba-where he originated. [466] Additionally, Estrada was a Nicaraguan journalist and political figure over the mid eighteenth century. [467] Estrada was appointed by President Rivas on March 22, 1856 to edit the weekly newspaper, El nicaragüense, during the Filibuster War. The paper was published in both English and Spanish while Estrada was solely the Spanish editor. Unfortunately, on May 25, 1856 resigned as an editor due to health complications claiming how he felt overworked. [468]
Henry Watterson (1840-1921) was an esteemed soldier, journalist, and editor. He was born to U.S. Congressman Harvey Watterson and Talitha Black, exposing him to the life of a political figure at an early age. [469] Watterson’s autobiography, Marse Henry, briefly references William Walker’s filibustering through Mrs. Jane Casneau, an otherwise little-known political figure during the Mexican-American War. [470] He recounts her giving Walker the nickname “the little gray-eyed man of destiny,” referencing Walker's notorious regime. [471] A gifted writer, Watterson worked editing many pages, and in 1868, organized the Louisville Courier-Journal, where he would serve as editor for 50 years. [472] Focusing on the pardon and rehabilitation of the South post-war, Watterson devoted his first 10 years on the job toward appeasement. [473] Taking after his father, Watterson represented the 5th District of Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives, serving as a temporary replacement for Congressman Edward Parsons from 1876 to 1877. Watterson died on December 22, 1921 at the age of 80 in Jacksonville, Florida. [469]
Appleton Oaksmith was born in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine; he left Maine to set out on a voyage for places such as Nicaragua, China, Panama, and Peru. [474] Before Nicaragua, Oaksmith involved himself in the shipping business, where he eventually went on to purchase his very own ships. [475] He was involved in William Walker’s filibustering in Nicaragua, with him serving as chief diplomat, recruiter, and many other responsibilities [474] It stands unconfirmed if Oaksmith ever went to Nicaragua physically while helping William Walker. [476]
Edwin Bird Luther, also known as E.B. Luther, was one of the original 58 men who joined General William Walker’s expedition to Nicaragua. He formally enlisted in the campaign on May 4, 1855. [477] During the voyage from San Francisco, he sustained a broken leg, an injury he endured throughout the journey. [478] Despite this setback, he continued to serve in Walker’s campaign in Nicaragua. His service concluded on February 10, 1856, when he received final compensation and was formally released from duty. [477]
Rafael Pulgarón was one of over a dozen men from Cuba who joined William Walker in Nicaragua. [479] He arrived in Nicaragua aboard the Minnie Shiffer in 1856. He was one of the estimated 160 people on board who were headed to Nicaragua. [480] He was with Walker for a brief period of time. [481]
Daniel Harmon, born on July 22, 1833, in Greene County, Tennessee, led a contingent of sixty-three men who joined William Walker's filibuster expedition to Nicaragua in 1857. [482] This group was part of Walker's efforts to establish control over Nicaragua during a period of political instability. Harmon's leadership role indicates his active participation in the military endeavors associated with the expedition. After the campaign, Harmon returned to the United States, where he engaged in mining activities in California. He later settled in Erie, Missouri, contributing to the development of the town. On December 2, 1866, he married Nancy J. Walker in McDonald County, Missouri. [483]
Thomas Atkinson was a bishop born in New Orleans. [484] He served as a private on the Fort San Carlos in December 1856, located in Nicaragua, later ending in his capture and imprisonment by Costa Ricans. [485] He was later sent by raft to San Juan del Norte where he was then sent to his home city of New York. [484]
King S. Woolsey, also known as King Samuel Woolsey, was born in Alabama in 1832, and was raised in Louisiana. He is most well-known for his early settlement in the Arizona territory. [486] According to Professor Antonio de la Cova, Woolsey joined the Narciso Lopez filibustering expedition to Cuba in 1851 and then joined Walker in Nicaragua in 1855. [469] In Arizona, Woolsey kidnapped a ten-year-old Indigenous girl named Lucia. At age 13 Lucia gave birth to a child. Woolsey was the father of that child. He had two other children with Lucia, and in 1871, she sued him for full custody of the children, making her the first Indigenous woman to use the Arizona legal system. [487] Woolsey died in 1879. [486]
Van Leer Eastland fought alongside William Walker in Nicaragua where he was a filibuster. After his time as a filibuster during William Walker's short-lived regime he went to San Francisco. Van Leer Eastland would eventually end up in Georgia and join the Confederacy. [488]
Domingo de Goicouría Cabrera was alongside William Walker but was against his actions. Goicouría who was Cuban, was in favor of fighting for Cuba's freedom from the Spanish because he didn't want the Spanish to control them. On March 9, in the year 1856, Goicouría arrived in Nicaragua with 205 men to fight against the Spanish. [489] Eventually, the Spanish military executed Goicouría because they didn't want Cuba to gain their independence. [490]
Captain Robert W. Armstrong, born in 1824 in Baltimore, Maryland, moved to California during the Gold Rush. [491] He later became a military captain and left a letter at the Auburn post office before departing San Francisco with his men on November 1, 1855. [492] They arrived in Grenada seven days later to join William Walker's campaign. [491] Shortly after, on November 17, 1855, Captain Armstrong died of yellow fever. [493]
Israel S. Diehl was a notorious Methodist minister and national leader of the largest U.S. temperance organization, the Sons of Temperance. [494] In September 1856, Diehl traveled to Nicaragua, where he founded the first Sons of Temperance chapter outside the U.S. or British Empire. [21] Driven by evangelicalism, it clashed with Nicaraguan and Cuban ideals of liberalism and socialism. [21] Hence, this chapter, run by roughly 50 men, contained only colonists and created an ideological split within Walker’s campaign. [21] [495] However, after Diehl fled Nicaragua due to safety concerns, only a few weeks after the chapter’s establishment, it was quickly disbanded. [21] [495]
Captain John V. Hoof was a key figure in William Walker's military expedition to Nicaragua during the mid-1850s. [496] of the original fifty-six men who departed from San Francisco aboard the brig Vesta, Hoof served prominently throughout Walker's campaign. [497] He was appointed Assistant Adjutant General on April 16, 1856. [498] Hoof carried the national standard during Walker's presidential inauguration on July 12, 1856, and was publicly recognized at celebratory gatherings for his service, including a toast he gave honoring the dead at the Battle of Rivas. [198] He also participated in major battles, including the Battle of Virgin Bay, where Walker's small force repelled a much larger Central American army led by General Guardiola. [198] Financial records show Hoof received $138.66 in salary and had a credit balance of $1,190.80. [198] Eventually, Hoof was among 22 officers who resigned from the Nicaraguan army later that year on October 26, 1856. [198]
According to the New York Daily Times William Winfield Barrington was a captain in Walker's army Company E, first rifle battalion in 1857. [499] He was badly wounded in the Scott explosion that also took place in 1857. [500] He became a Confederate soldier in Alabama and was discharged from the Confederate army in 1865. [501]
Ira Marshall Appley served in William Walker’s Army in Nicaragua. On Saturday, November 17, 1855, Appley was a private in Walker’s Army in Company B of the First Rifle Battalion in Granada. [502] Walker used his army, which Appley was a part of, to take control of the Nicaraguan government. In July 1856, Walker set himself up as the country's president and had many supporters, including Appley. [503] On May 5, 1856, Appley received a notice that there were three letters for him at the post office, and a month later, he still hadn’t picked them up. [504]
Henry L. Potter arrived in Nicaragua to serve under William Walker. He was wounded in the second battle of Rivas where 58 of Walker’s men were killed and 62 were wounded in 1856. [505] On July 14, 1856 Potter was promoted to Major [506] He returned to New York on the Wabash with his wife and their two sons, Henry and Octave in 1857. [507]
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