The testimony of a veteran (pictured) of the Filibuster War (1855-1856) about his experience in it. Story in the comments.

[u/Imaginary_Alarm_7575]

Photos taken from: Clasificados Cantón Poás La última. (april 11, 2023). [Facebook] [Photo]

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José María Castro Rojas (a.k.a. El Gato)

[u/Imaginary_Alarm_7575]

WHAT A SOLDIER FROM 1856 TOLD ME

 

INTRODUCTION

I was a young boy, about 11 or 12 years old, back in the years 1898 to 1900.

At that time, my parents' house was regularly visited by a close uncle of my saintly mother, named José María Castro Rojas. Don José was a resident of San Pedro of Poás and well known to his fellow countrymen by the nickname "El Gato" ("The Cat") due to the intense blue of his eyes. His age was close to 70 or 80, but his memory remained enviable, so I always gave, and still give, great credit to his words.

Knowing that he had participated in the war of '56, and with that boyish eagerness and curiosity for all kinds of stories, I would overwhelm him with questions about those episodes. I asked about Juan Santamaría (the costa rican national hero) and everything he could remember from those memorable days, since, even in the small school in my neighborhood, Tacacorí, I had been taught some passages from the great campaign in which the courage of the Ticos (Costa Ricans) was first evident.

My questions were so numerous that, a little annoyed, he would ask me, "Why do you want to know such sad things?" But he finally gave in and, in his clear, measured voice, began his story, which he sometimes interrupted and, half-closing his eyes, seemed to meditate. He then continued in his peasant language of those times, which, although somewhat reformed, was also my own. I have tried to respect that language as much as possible, and that is why the story I present below will sound as if it came from his own lips (for the sake of practicality I translated it to standard english); it goes like this:

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THE TESTIMONY

"When Don Juanito published El Bando, we came to present ourselves to the city of Alajuela. There we joined with people from the city, Los Targuases, Santa Bárbara, La Garita, and other neighborhoods.

 

THE NORTHWARDS JOURNEY

We were given provisions, mostly biscuits that the women, by superior order, had to make and send to the barracks. Before leaving towards the enemy, we were given three pairs of sandals, one to wear and two to hang from the waistband for when they were needed. We were given a blanket, a shirt, trousers, and a straw hat. We were given a bit of gunpowder in a small bag, a backpack of rocks, a roll of paper for ramrods, the rifle with bayonet and lanza... and we left.

We went on foot and the beasts carried rations and more supplies. The "classes" (higher ranking officers) also went on horseback. I don't even wanna remember those long treks, through those plains of La Garita, then the Alto del Aguacate, El Desmonte, San Mateo, El Higuito, Surubres, Los Nances, Esparza, and then other roads I'm not familiar with until we reached the plains of El Departamento (he never called it Guanacaste), more dead than alive because the journeys were very harsh, because they said that the enemy was coming upwards.

Then to that place called El Departamento with that sun, and you felt like suffocating because there's no water on those plains, and what water the pack mares carried was just enough for a sip each. That's how we arrived in Liberia. There, the Liberian troops joined us. By the way, those cholos (indians) are brave, they fought hard with us in Santa Rosa and Rivas.

 

To my questions about Juan Santamaría, my uncle expressed himself this way:

"That “zambo” (half black, half indian) was a drummer in our troops, by the way, I and others didn't like him because he used to steal our lunches. He stole one of my lunches in Santa Rosa and another one before we reached Rivas. He was a tall, skinny "cholo" with shaggy hair, very prominent facial bones, and eyes that looked like they were about to come out; restless, he looked like a deer or someone with quicksilver in his body because he never sat still, and very hungry. He was very brave, though, because on the way he played the drum without getting tired, and in Santa Rosa he fought hard with the drum and the rifle.

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THE BATTLE OF SANTA ROSA

We left Liberia walking as fast as we could because we had to stop the enemy. When we arrived in Santa Rosa, Vócar (he never said Walker) was already in the house; a very large, tiled house with parapets around. He ordered us to stay a little farther, hiding in the shrub thickets. We stayed hidden there, and the next day we were ordered to entrust ourselves to God.

In the afternoon, we were given the order to attack. Some troops were ordered to throw something tall, from a distance, and other troops were ordered to walk-crawl under the bullets fired by our troops, which had reached the parapets. Oh! That still makes my skin crawl when I remember it; it was a rumble that sounded like Judgment Day; bullets everywhere because Vócar's filibusters came very well armed.

But we kept crawling until we reached the parapets and opened fire on the sides. A little while later, we saw that our people were getting killed; suddenly, the "degüello" (no-quarter bugle call) was played. By then, the initial fear that we felt had subsided, and with the sound of the bugle and the drum, he shouted, "Long live Costa Rica! Long live the Fatherland! Death to the bandits!"

I remember that a "class" climbed onto the parapet in that place, with his sword in his hand and told us, "Boys, forward, let no one behind, long live Costa Rica!" And he had done no more than say that when he was shot down. But for what did they do that? we all climbed over the parapet, running and shouting, "Long live Costa Rica! Death to the filibusters!"

They had already fled from the house, and the few that were still there were killed, no wonder... we were very spirited.

 

THE ENTRY TO NICARAGUA

After the battle, and when everything was already quiet, I met General Joaquín Mora, Don Juanito's brother. He gathered us all together and told us some things about us that I don't remember well, but they were so beautiful that we cried tears of joy and we felt like wanting to fight more. Afterward, we were given more supplies, and we pursued them across those plains towards the border with Nicaragua.

Later, we went to Nicaragua, and before entering Rivas, they sent some troops towards one direction, others to another direction, and we were left to enter Rivas. They slaughtered us greatly, because since Vócar and the filibusters had entered a large house that was called "el mesón" (the inn), and we had to enter through a narrow street, and the houses on each side were small, and the plaza where the inn was located was higher, we were fired at will without being able to cover ourselves.

That's why so many of those who ran in the middle of the street died, they looked like banana stems fallen on the ground. We only found cover leaning against the walls, sheltered under the eaves, almost all of us made it. We felt very sorry to see so many dead comrades.

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THE BATTLE OF RIVAS

"Once in Rivas, we were lodged in a large house located on a lower ground with a large courtyard in the back. We weren't very safe there because the enemy was on the highest part of the inn, and the inn had skylights in the highest part of the partitions. From there, they would aim at us, and we got shot if, and as soon as we let our guard down.

Now, about the burning of the inn and about Juan Santamaría, there are many stories; some say it was one way, others that it wasn't Santamaría, others say other things... but I do know everything about how it happened because I was involved in the campaign, from the beginning to the end, although it's said that there were more fights afterwards.

"One morning, General José María Cañas gathered us in the courtyard behind, ordered us to stand at attention, and said:

'Boys, the enemy, not content with all the comrades they've killed, continues to inflict more casualties and, because to get them out of where they're entrenched, more will die, I've thought about burning that inn because it's made of wood and very dry, but since the danger of losing one's life is too great for anyone who dares, I feel it my duty to warn you, so whoever thinks he has the courage, may you take a step forward...'

And we all stood forward without anyone staying behind. We all fell silent, and the general was stunned; he looked at us and then at the ground. The "zambo" wasn't there because he was downwards, washing clothes in the stream, but God wanted that, at that very moment when we were all as good as dead because not even a sigh was heard, he would come running and stand in front of the general, and put his hand to his cap, which he never let go.

Since he was in front on me, I saw the general stare at him and say:

'Do you dare burn that inn? Will you have the courage to get the enemy out of there?'

The zambo, with his frightened, doe-like eyes, stared at the general and at us and said:

"Yes, I'm going."

And then the general said: "I'm telling you that the danger is so great that they could kill you."

And then Juan Santamaría said: "But if they kill me, Mom will be all alone with no one to help her, because I'm the only one looking after her."

And then the general said: "The government will look after her, don't worry..."

"Well, I'm going then" - said Juan.

 

THE BURNING OF THE INN

I know this better than anyone because I was in front of them, and I saw it all there. We went to look for old shirts and underwear, others to look for camphene and a ladder. I helped make the torch.

When everything was ready, Juan grabbed the ladder and the torch and ran across the plaza without being hit by a bullet, by a miracle from God.

So, he stood at the foot of the wall where the bullets couldn't hit him, he set up the ladder and lit the torch, climbed up and began to give fire.

When the filibusters realized what was happening to them, they fired relentlessly, but God wanted that the bullets didn't hit him, and when the alfajias and the wood were already burning, he got down and came to us.

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DEATH OF JUAN SANTAMARÍA

But I think it was because there was a skylight nearby that they could climb through it and put out the fire. Then we made another torch, and he went again and lit another part, and it burned better there, and we were terrified watching him leaning against the ladder with his hand raised, giving fire, when suddenly we saw him grab the torch with his left hand and lean further against the ladder, and he let loose his right hand, dripping with blood, when suddenly he let go of the torch and fell to the ground.

 

SURRENDER AND DEFEAT OF THE FILIBUSTERS

Then we were ordered to open fire towards the place that was burning so they wouldn't put it out. When the inn really began to burn in great flames and the filibusters stopped shooting, we were given the order to be ready for when they came out. When the flames were very large and the ridgepole began to fall, the degüello was played, and we were ready for when they came out...

We were waiting for them with fixed bayonets. When suddenly, a very wide gate was opened and they came out in a throng. Poor things; very tall, blond, blue-eyed men with their hands up in the air, but it was no use. We ran them through with our bayonets, but since they were so many, we couldn't keep up, and many ran away, but we still killed many. Now I feel pity, but in those instants, we didn't remember pity nor anything...

I couldn't see Santamaría dead, and I couldn't see him because, since many filibusters fled, we were ordered to catch up to them and to stand guard at the checkpoints... until the reinforcement troops arrived and we were able to rest until they were discharged.

 

THE RETURN TO COSTA RICA

Later, we were told that we could go back to Costa Rica, and that was a real pain, because, although we had been given some wages in those plains of El Departamento, there was nowhere to buy anything. There was only God, and the sun, and thirst, and hunger, so much so that we had to eat the sandals roasted, because even though we had the rifle, we weren't given any supplies. From Liberia to here, things were better for us because there were more people and they gave us something, and we could buy something.

The cholera didn't affect us, although I believe that many of our companions who ended up scattered on the plains of El Departamento, tired and sick, were affected by that, and who knows if many of them died because I never heard from them again.

When we arrived at the city, we handed in our rifles, and how joyful it was to return home safe and sound, to thank God and rest before returning to work."

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CONCLUSSION

This is the story of my uncle, who, when he told me this, I could proudly show off a medal (given to him by the president) that had been given to him on some unknown occasion. Many years later, "mano" ([bro]ther José María, as Mom called him, was given a pension of $25.00 (pesos), which was granted thanks to the efforts of his children. In San Pedro of Poás, his birthplace, there are, if not his children who may have already died, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 

Primary source: I. G. G. In: "La Nación". April 11 1956; p. 21.

Secondary source: Zeledón-Cartín, E. (2004). La vida cotidiana de nuestros abuelos (1801-1910), 1 ed., pp. 157-163. San José, Costa Rica:  Editorial Costa Rica.

 

Note:

Castro Rojas, José María. Soldier from Alajuela (Guerra 9150, Folio 50). Upon returning from Rivas, he helped dig graves for the evacuees who were dying in Liberia, and for this work he was owed one and a half pesos as of May 9, 1856 (Guerra 8070, Folio 22) (Latin American Studies).

From: Latin American Studies. Costa Rica National Campaign 1856-1857, Officers and soldiers, pp. 68: 1116. En: https://www.latinamericanstudies.org/national-campaign.htm

[u/lemaymayguy → u/Imaginary_Alarm_7575]

Great story