General Corral, who had treated with him for peace, was soon to pay the
penalty for his readiness to make terms with an invader. He was arrested
for treason, on some charge brought by Walker, tried before a
court-martial at which the new generalissimo presided, sentenced to death,
and executed without delay.
The next event in this fantastic drama of filibusterism was a war with the
neighboring republic of Costa Rica. Both sides mustered armies, and a
hostile meeting took place at Guanacaste, on March 20, 1856, in which
Walker was worsted. He kept the field, however, and met the foe again at
Rivas, on April 11. This time he was victorious, and the two republics now
made peace.
His military success seemed to have made the invader securely the lord and
master of Nicaragua, and he now threw aside his earlier show of modesty
and had himself elected president on June 25. He had so fully established
himself that he was recognized as head of the republic by President
Pierce, on behalf of the United States. But he immediately began to act
the master and tyrant in a way that was likely to bring his government to
a speedy end.
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