Costa Rica's National Hero

On March 20th, the Costa Rican army reached Santa Rosa and forced Walker's forces out after a 14-minute firefight. They then invaded the city of Rivas, pushing Walker's forces street by street until they were forced to hole up in a compound owned by a wealthy family. A Costa Rican drummer boy named Juan Santa Maria volunteered to charge the house with his torch as long as someone would take care of his mother in case of his death. He managed to light the house on fire, drawing out the filibusters, but he was gunned down and doing so. Juan Santa Maria is now Costa Rica's national hero. Every April 11th, the anniversary of the battle, the country