Of this expedition James Jeffrey Roche says, in his "Byways of
War," which is of all books published about Walker the most
intensely and fascinatingly interesting and complete: "Years
afterward the peon herdsman or prowling Cocupa Indian in the
mountain by-paths stumbled over the bleaching skeleton of some
nameless one whose resting-place was marked by no cross or
cairn, but the Colts revolver resting beside his bones spoke his
country and his occupation--the only relic of the would-be
conquistadores of the nineteenth century."
Under parole to report to General Wood, commanding the
Department of the Pacific, the filibusters were sent by sailing
vessel to San Francisco, where their leader was tried for violating
the neutrality laws of the United States, and acquitted.
Walker's first expedition had ended in failure, but for him it had
been an opportunity of tremendous experience, as active service is
the best of all military academies, and for the kind of warfare he
was to wage, the best preparation. Nor was it inglorious, for his
fellow survivors, contrary to the usual practice, instead of in
bar-rooms placing the blame for failure upon their leader, stood
ready to fight one and all who doubted his ability or his courage.
Later, after five years, many of these same men, though ten to
twenty years his senior, followed him to death, and never
questioned his judgment nor his right to command.
Pages:
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146