
#55 Tycoon's War: How Cornelius Vanderbilt Invaded a Country to Overthrow America's Most Famous Military Adventurer
Founders
The Battle of the San Juan River Busters
A booby-trapped fuel tank on a boat that Walker was waiting for exploded, killing him and most of the 500 men he needed. The U S Navy brokered a deal with central American allies to get Walker to surrender in exchange for his life. But Vanderbilt's mercenary George Cottie planted an explosive device at the depot weeks before it went off. "The war is lost," says author David Gergen.
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