NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
July/August 1860
From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, August 10, 1860.
The Nicaragua Expedition—Walker and 500 Men off Yucatan.
[From the New Orleans Picayune, Aug. 6.]
The Mexican schooner Brilliante, Capt. Espinola, arrived at this port yesterday from Sisal, with advices from Merida, the capital of Yucatan, to the 28th ult. The news is of the most important character.
Gen. William Walker, of whose departure from the island of Ruatan, on the 21st of June, we have before had accounts, arrived off the Yucatan coast en route to Nicaragua, on the 1st ult. He had with him five vessels and five hundred men, all well equipped, full of spirits, and amply supplied with arms, ammunition and provisions. From Ruatan, off which island the five vessels made their rendezvous, the voyage was a most prosperous one, and the whole fleet passed down the coast in splendid style.
The expedition first cam to anchor at the island of Cozumel, off the coast of Yucatan, where it remained, communicating with the main land and completing preparations for the expedition, till the 20th ult. It then set sail for Nicaragua direct, where it is believed, long ere this, to have effected a landing. While off the coast of Yucatan the expedition received large reinforcements of men, and was amply supplied with provisions.
From Yucatan there is no news of particular importance. The peninsula was, for the moment, in the enjoyment of comparative peace, but the commercial classes were still suffering from the effects of the long and disastrous war of races.
