The First Planned Event
The two events that were planned by the government both had difficulties.
The first event was a bullfight for the sailors. Six bulls had been specially selected and named to appear at a special event in the Plaza de Toros. Three-thousand officers and men were transported by special train to the event and offered the best seating for what was planned as premier bull fighting.
Outlined below is an excellent account of this event provided from one of the letters of Milton Willard, a sailor onboard the USS Georgia who attended the bull fight and wrote a detailed account.
Please note I have attended to some annoying ambit small spelling mistakes otherwise I have left it unchanged from the original letter. I personally really enjoyed reading this letter I hope you do to.
“Callao, Peru
February 27, 1908
Dear Folks and all
As I have already written you a long letter will now write another one not so long but it may be of interest to you. This has been a very hot day and it is now only 3:30 p.m. and I quit work so I could do some writing. We had a number of visitors aboard today and some very swell women were aboard. To get back to what I was going to say Monday was the big day in Lima. The President gave a bullfight in honor of the American Fleet. The bull fight was held at Lima which is situated about ten miles from Callao. There was over 4,000 bluejackets that was allowed to go free at first then they changed it to anyone in uniform was free. We left the ship Monday morning at 10:30 and was on the beach at 10:50 a.m. The officer in charge marched us to street cars which were waiting for us. The street cars had big posters of American flags on which was printed in big letters “Welcome to the American Fleet”.
We all piled in the street car and went out to the bull ring and got off. Then we formed in to column of squads and marched into the arena. The officers of the fleet was at one side while the jackies occupied two sides and on the other side was Presidents, Admirals & Captains in boxes. The price of admission for civilians or outsiders was 30 to 40 soles which is 30 – 40 dollars in their money and $15 to $20 in our money.
The fighters was all from Spain and the bulls were named after the Admirals. Admiral Emory’s bull being named “Teddy”. Then there was a bull named after the officers of the fleet and also one for the bluejackets. They made short work of the first bull because he was not very large. The second they had quite a time with. When he came into the ring he was followed by 4 men on horseback and they threw little spears into him to anger him. After he was pretty mad they left and the fighters came on. They had big red capes and kept waving them in front of the bulls. They were not on horseback and they had to kill the bull with swords and in order to kill him or reach him they had to get pretty close. At last he made a plunge for a fellow and the fellow just jumped aside and made one plunge with his sword and the bull was done for. Then some men came in on horse back dragging a two wheeled truck and rode around the arena and then put a rope around the bull horns raised his head up on the truck and dragged him off. The third bull was more vicious yet and one follow was caught in the under the chin by a horn and it come out up by his nose. He is not dead yet but there is not hopes. After he got hurt he jumped up and run off the ring holding his chin while blood was running all down his arm. Another fellow went out and me just made one pass at the bull and killed him. They made short work of the 4 & 5th bull but when it came to the 6th one which was named after the bluejackets they were certainly up against the real thing. One fellow got right in under the bull and if it had not been for another fellow who got the bulls attention that first man would be hooked right through but this second man got the bull away and the bull charged and caught this fellow right in the leg above the knee and tore his leg up to his thigh. Laid it right open to the bone and then sheered off and run it into his stomach and for awhile I thought he was dead. When the bull got his horn in his stomach he just picked him up and spun him around in the air four or five times and then let him down and they carried him off to the dressing room. Another fellow went in and put the bull out of business. There was only six bulls and the fight was interesting but none of it for “Muh”. We left there about 5 p.m. and got back to the ship at 8 bells.
Tuesday I went over to an island to play baseball. They claim here that this island came up in one night. Their story says that a fisherman was fishing and this island rose up out of the water in under him. This island is like a desert and is used as a store place for explosives. They have a few soldiers on guard over there and also an armory. They speak Spanish but we met one man who could say some few words in English. I got some very pretty shells on the beach and will send them when I reach Frisco.
Wednesday we went ashore to play ball again and had the electrical gunner with us. They were going to charge us two soles for four in a cab to take us out there to the bull ring. A man came up and he heard us trying to talk to the Peruvians and he told us in good English he would direct us to where we could get an electric car. He did that and got on with us and payed for the whole bunch, 13 in all, and took us on out to the bull ring. He then bid us good bye and shook hands and before he left we asked him where he lived and he told us in Callao. He went 15 miles out of his way to show us to the bull ring.
After our game we came back to Callao and had a look around the place. I wanted a basket of fruit and there was a lady who was standing right there waiting for a car. She was good looking and swell dressed and I went up and asked her if she spoke English and Spanish. She says Oh ! Yes I am from the States myself. They priced the fruit and I got a basket which cost me 1 sol and ½ sol. I offered her the basket of fruit and she said she had plenty of them growing up to her home. After than I left and we all went down to the dock got in the boat and came back to the ship.
Thursday there was another bull fight but did not go as we are going to illuminate ship tonight.
Guess I will ring off now with love to all I am as ever
Your Son & brother
Milton Willard”
The government had planned to prevent any horses getting gored by a bull, understanding that the Americans would find it cruel. Unfortunately in the first fight one of the horses took a horn from the bull. It was followed by the bull catching the matador with its horns and tossing him out of the ring. In the next two fights the matadors hacked at the bull repeatedly but failed to kill the bull in a humane manner. At this point the American guests became uncomfortable with the treatment of the bull and began hissing and booing.
The last of the fights included one matador getting so gored that the audience feared for his life. By the end, many sailors left the stadium deciding the event was unfair to the bulls and would rather not watch.
The next instalment will cover the second planned event at Callao, Peru
Regards
Sean
