True Life Tuesday: William Walker

Yet another story that would make an interesting movie. William Walker was born un Nashville, Tennessee in 1824. His father, James, was an English settler. His mother, Mary Norwell, was daughter of Lipscomb Norwell, an American Revolutionary War officer from Virginia. Walker graduated summa cum laude from the University of Nashville at the age 14. At 19 he received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After practicing medicine for a short period of time in Philadelphia before he moved to New Orleans to study law. He eventually quit law as well to become co-owner and editor of the New Orleans Crescent. In 1849 he moved to San Francisco where he was the editor of the San Francisco Herald.

In the summer of 1853 he travelled to Guaymas, Mexico looking for a grant to establish a colony there. He was denied by the Mexican government and returned to San Francisco determined to establish his colony even without permission. He named his colony the Republic of Sonora and sold scripts of land to slavery and manifest destiny supporters. On October 15, 1853 he set out to conquer the Baja California territory and the state of Senora with 45 men. he captured La Paz, the capital of Baja, and declared it the capital of the Republic of Lower California on November 3, 1853. He named himself president and his former law partner, Henry P. Wattline, as vice president. Walker used the same laws as the state of Louisiana making slavery legal. Over the next 3 months he moved the capital twice, to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada due to dear of attacks by the Mexican government. He eventually returned to the US due to a lack of supplies and strong resistance by the Mexican government. When back in California he was indicted for waging an illegal war in violation of the of the Neutrality Act of 1794. The jury deliberated for only 8 minutes before acquitting him of all charges, 

In 1854 a civil war broke out in Nicaragua between the Legitimist and Democratic parties. The Democratic party reached out to Walker for his help. He sailed from San Francisco on May 5, 1855 with about 60 men. On October 13th he took control of Granada and took control of the country. His regime was officially recognized by US President Franklin Pierce on May 20, 1856. On September 22 he repealed the country's anti-slavery laws which caused concern from neighboring countries. Costa Rica denied Walker's diplomatic overtures so he sent a battalion into the country. He was defeated in the Battle of Santa Rose on March 20, 1856. In 1857 Costa Rica unified with other Central American countries against Walker. Walker conducted a fraudulent election and named himself President of Nicaragua on July 12, 1856. On December 14, 1856 the city of Grenada was surrounded by troops from Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. His general Charles Frederick Henningsen ordered his troops to set the city on fire. On May 1, 1857 Walker surrendered to commander Charles Henry Davis of the US Navy. 

Back in the US Walker published his memoir, War in Nicaragua, in 1860. That same year he returned to Honduras to assist a group of British colonists on Roatan Bay Islands in establishing an independent English speaking administration. He was arrested in the city of Trujillo by Royal Navy officer Nowell Salmon. The British government determined that Walker was a menace to their affairs in the region. Walker and his chief of staff, Colonel A.F. Rudler were turned over to the Honduran government. They were tried and found guilty of piracy and "filibusterism." Rudler was sentenced to 4 years of hard labor in the country's mines. Walker however was sentenced to death and was executed by firing squad on September 12, 1860. he was buried in the "Old Cemetery" in Trujillo.