The Filibuster War or Walker affair was a military conflict between

filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out ...

ing multinational troops stationed in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...

and a coalition of Central American armies. An American mercenary William Walker invaded

in 1855 with a small private army. He seized control of the country by 1856, but was ousted the following year.

Background

Nicaragua’s independence from Spain, Mexico, and then from the

United Provinces of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America ( es, República Federal de Centroamérica), originally named the United Provinces of Central America ( es, Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), and sometimes simply called Central America, in it ...

in 1838 did not free it from foreign interference. The 1850s

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California f ...

created interest in the United States in finding a quicker route between the American east and west coasts. However, Great Britain had long been present on the coast of Nicaragua, which created tension between the two countries. The

Clayton–Bulwer Treaty The Clayton–Bulwer Treaty was a treaty signed in 1850 between the United States and the United Kingdom. The treaty was negotiated by John M. Clayton and Sir Henry Bulwer, amidst growing tensions between the two nations over Central America, a ...

was signed in 1850, in which both sides "agreed that neither would claim exclusive power over a future

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...

in Central America nor gain exclusive control over any part of the region." Many Nicaraguans originally welcomed this treaty because of the potential financial benefits a canal could bring. Following Nicaraguan independence from Spain, a conflict over power developed between the liberal party, based in León and the conservative party, based in

Granada Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...

Initial stages

In 1854, a

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

erupted in Nicaragua between the Legitimist Party (also called the 'Conservative party'), and the Democratic Party (also called the 'Liberal party'). The

liberal elite Liberal elite, also referred to as the metropolitan elite or progressive elite, is a stereotype of politically liberal people whose education has traditionally opened the doors to affluence, wealth and power and who form a managerial elite. It is ...

of León was losing the struggle to unseat the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

elite of

and turned for help to a San Francisco-based soldier of fortune named William Walker. Walker was known as an

adventurer An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

who sought to take control of Latin American countries with the purpose of making them a part of the United States. To circumvent American neutrality laws, Walker obtained a contract from Democratic president

Francisco Castellón Francisco Castellón Sanabria (18158 September 1855) was president of "Democratic" Nicaragua from 1854 to 1855 during the Granada-León civil war. Castellón was a lawyer from León. He was prime minister (''ministro general'') under Patricio ...

to bring as many as three hundred "colonists" to Nicaragua. Walker sailed from San Francisco on May 3, 1855, with approximately 60 men. Upon landing, the force was reinforced by 170 locals and about 100 Americans.

Establishment of Walker

With Castellón's consent, Walker attacked the Legitimists in the town of Rivas, near the trans-isthmian route. He was driven off, but not without inflicting heavy casualties. On September 4, during the Battle of La Virgen, Walker defeated the Legitimist army. On October 13, he conquered the Legitimist capital of

and took effective control of the country. Initially, as commander of the army, Walker ruled Nicaragua through

puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to move ...

President Patricio Rivas. U.S. President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

recognized Walker's regime as the legitimate government of Nicaragua on May 20, 1856. Walker declared himself president, re-instituted

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, and made English the official language.

Central American counterattack

Walker had scared his neighbors with talk of further military conquests in Central America.

Juan Rafael Mora Juan Rafael Mora Porras (8 February 1814, San José, Costa Rica – 30 September 1860) was President of Costa Rica from 1849 to 1859. Life and career He first assumed the presidency following the resignation of his younger brother, Miguel M ...

, President of Costa Rica, rejected Walker's diplomatic overtures and instead declared war on his regime. Walker sent Colonel Schlessinger to invade Costa Rica in a preemptive action, but his forces were defeated at the

Battle of Santa Rosa In the 19th century, Nicaragua was beset by political problems, allowing William Walker, an American Southerner seeking to establish English-speaking slavery states in Latin America, to ascend to the Nicaraguan presidency. Walker believed in the ...

in March 1856. In April 1856, Costa Rican troops penetrated into Nicaraguan territory and inflicted a defeat on Walker's men at the Second Battle of Rivas, in which Juan Santamaría, later to be recognized as one of Costa Rica's national heroes, sacrificed himself to burn down the place where the Filibusters were staying. Walker set himself up as President of Nicaragua, after conducting an uncontested election. He was inaugurated on July 12, 1856, and soon launched an Americanization program, reinstating slavery, declaring English an official language and reorganizing currency and fiscal policy to encourage immigration from the United States of America. Meanwhile, government representatives from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala signed in the City of Guatemala a Treaty of Alliance on July 18, 1856, for "defense of its sovereignty and independence" also recognized Patricio Rivas as president of Nicaragua. Costa Rica could not attend at that time to the alliance because of the havoc that cholera disease had caused in their troops, but would resume actions later. Also, democratic and loyalist factions allied to Patricio Rivas, signed on 12 September, a "Providential Pact" declaring war against William Walker. For September 14, Septentrión Army (as the allied army was called) forces managed the first victory of the patriots Nicaraguans in the so-called

Battle of San Jacinto The Battle of San Jacinto ( es, Batalla de San Jacinto), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Pasadena, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engage ...

. By the end of 1856, Walker ordered the destruction of Granada. The Costa Rican government resumed action in late 1856, and developed plans to take over the San Juan River in order to cut Walker's supply of weapons and new recruits. Cornelius Vanderbilt sent one of his agents, Sylvanus Spencer, to collaborate with the Costa Rican army in order to recover the possession of the Transit Company he had lost to Walker. Spencer arrives to San Jose in November 1856 and it is assigned to a company under Major Maximo Blanco to take over the steamers of the Transit Company. By January 1857, the Costa Rican army was in control of the San Juan River and all the steamers of the Transit Company. Meanwhile, Walker was expelled from Granada by the rest of the allied armies. Some reinforcements under the command of Lockridge and Titus tried to recover the control of the River from the Costa Ricans, unsuccessfully. By April 1857, Walker had taken Rivas again, and the allies had laid siege to the city, in what became known as the Third Battle of Rivas.

Walker's surrender

Costa Rica, Honduras, and other Central American countries united to drive Walker out in 1857.

During this time, Granada was burned and thousands of Central Americans lost their lives. The final battle of what Nicaraguans called the "National War" (1856–1857) took place in the spring of 1857 in the town of Rivas, near the

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

n border. Walker beat off the attacks, but the effort diminished the strength and morale of his forces and he soon succumbed. The National War made for the cooperation between the Liberal and Conservative parties, which had brought Walker to Nicaragua. On May 1, 1857, Walker surrendered to Commander

Charles Henry Davis Charles Henry Davis ( – ) was an American rear admiral of the United States Navy. While working for the U.S. Coast Survey, he researched tides and currents, and located an uncharted shoal that had caused wrecks off of the coast of New Yor ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and was repatriated. Upon disembarking in New York City, he was greeted as a hero, but he alienated public opinion when he blamed his defeat on the U.S. Navy.

Chronology

;1855 * ''29 June:''

First Battle of Rivas The First Battle of Rivas occurred on June 29, 1855, as part of the struggle to resist William Walker, an American filibuster, adventurer and mercenary who arrived in Nicaragua with a small army of mercenaries in June 1855 in support of the ...

, Nicaraguan troops of the ''legitimista'' band are victorious over Walker. * ''18 August'': Battle of El Sauce, General

José Trinidad Muñoz José Trinidad Muñoz Fernández (1790 – 18 August 1855) was a Nicaraguan military general who served as the ''de facto'' military leader of Nicaragua in 1845, and again from 1847 to 1855, preceded by Casto Fonseca. Background Muñoz was ...

is killed, ending 18 years of ''de facto'' military rule in Nicaragua * ''30 August:'' Filibuster troops take the port of

San Juan del Sur San Juan del Sur is a municipality and coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, in the Rivas department in southwest Nicaragua. It is located south of Managua. San Juan del Sur is popular among surfers and is a vacation spot for many Nicaraguan ...

. The action by the teacher, Enmanuel Mongalo y Rubio, stands out. * ''3 September:'' Battle of La Virgen, Walker defeats

Jose Santos Guardiola Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya * Jose the Galil ...

's troops. * ''13 October:'' Filibusters capture of the city of

with help from Nicaraguan troops of the ''democratico'' band. ;1856 * ''20 March:''

in Costa Rican territory. * ''11 April:'' Second Battle of Rivas: Costa Rican troops repel the attack. The soldier, Juan Santamaría, stands out. * ''26 April:'' Costa Rican troops leave Nicaragua, decimated by

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...

. * ''14 September:'' Victory of Nicaraguan patriots against the filibusters in the

. * ''22 September:'' William Walker decrees the legalization of slavery in the country. * ''7 November:'' Costa Rican troops, under the command of

José María Cañas José María Cañas Escamilla (September 23, 1809—October 2, 1860) was a Salvadoran military figure. He was born in Suchitoto, El Salvador. Biography He moved to Costa Rica in 1842 along with General Francisco Morazán, where he married Guada ...

, occupy San Juan del Sur. * ''11 to 13 October:'' First Battle of Masaya: The Allied Central American Army repels the filibuster troops. * ''11 November:'' Battle of the Transit: William Walker's troops defeat José María Cañas. * ''15 to 17 November:'' Second Battle of Masaya, the Central American allies reject William Walker's troops. * ''23 November:'' schooner ''Granada'' vs. brig ''Once de Abril''. (See Action of 23 November 1856.) * ''24 November to 14 December:'' destruction of Granada. * ''16 December:'' Walker occupies the city of Rivas. ** ''December:'' Costa Rican troops began a series of attacks that take river steamers in San Juan del Norte and the river San Juan, as well as the fortresses of El Castillo and San Carlos. ;1857 * ''3 January:'' Costa Rican troops take the steamer "San Carlos", isolating William Walker's government from the Atlantic Ocean. * ''28 January:'' Allied troops occupy the lake port of San Jorge. * ''5 March:'' Nicaraguan and Central American troops under the command of Fernando Chamorro Alfaro and

Florencio Xatruch Florencio Xatruch (October 21, 1811 – February 15, 1893) was a general who led the Honduran expeditionary force against William Walker in Nicaragua in 1856. Life Florencio Xatruch was born in San Antonio de Oriente, Honduras. His father, ...

respectively, defeat the filibusters in the Battle of El Jocote. * ''23 March:'' Third Battle of Rivas, Central American allies attack the town without results. * ''11 April:'' Fourth Battle of Rivas, Central American allies, again, attack the town without results. * ''17 April:'' Central American Allied troops occupy San Juan del Sur. * ''1 May:'' William Walker surrenders to U.S. Captain Charles H. Davis. * ''5 May:'' William Walker abandons Nicaragua in the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

''St. Mary's''.

References

External links

Map of North America and the Caribbean showing the Filibuster War at omniatlas.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campaign Of 1856-1857 Conflicts in 1856 Conflicts in 1857 Military history of Costa Rica 1856 in Costa Rica 1857 in Costa Rica Wars involving Costa Rica History of Nicaragua Wars involving Nicaragua Civil wars involving the states and peoples of North America Nicaragua–United States relations Expansion of slavery in the United States