The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-07 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

"MI'S DAY, Four oVluek.
lailepender t of accost ts from Portugal and the
River Plate. which will: 60 found in another page, we.
have intelligence this ,scorning from America by
the ',Waterloo, Captain arrived at Liverpool
yesterday, with New Nwik papers to the 15th in-;
start. Regarding Meru o the news possesses con-;.
sideaable interest. Fromv:arious rumours which had,
beenceeeived, it appeeer,possible that an action had;
taken place, between Geaerals Taylor and. Santa Anne.;
whirl;,, atter a great elseghter, had moulted inihe;
defeat of the latter.
The Heretic' whichwhich givas credence to the repeats,
thus perticolarises it:—Ott the approach et- SantaAana
to Sakai°, Gen. Taylor • fell back ea the road Co
Monterey, fdllowed by the Mexican chief. In hie
eagcrnees to ,sutilank our lieneral, and nit off his
retreat, die extended his line.-ow far, and so weakened
his centre, that the ready .eye of old Taylor imme-
diately discovered the admit-age, and wheeling his
column to the sight by a quick move, mat through
their centre, not made such ,work on the advanced
half, that, before the rear eouldriender them azy essen-
tial service, they were cut up and disperse& The
number of killed on the part uf the enemy, is repro-
vented by the Mexicans to have been greater than at
stay other battle. Amongst the dangerously wow:ult.&
I hear the name of General Arista mentioned,
bet do not-learn whether he is a prisoner.
The New Orletass Delta publiaracie a letter, dated
Tainpico, which says:—
The rumour I sent you this evening, relative to • light
between Santa Anna sad General Taylor, although Mexican
news, is credit-d by almest every officer here. The Advance
of Santa from San Luis to Saltillo had prepared every
ore for the receipt of the sews of the battle, either at that
place or at Monterey, aid from that they more readily
credited the report. The face, of the Mestean commander
mist have been very large, judging from the amine of their
departure from San Lois, and he had enovsh, in his own
mind, to overcome the 4,000 or s,ooo—if Mat many—of
General Taylor. Independent of this, the fact of the
Neale-ass reporting this news, which is against themselves,
induces me to attach some credit to it, for, as I hale said
before, there is generally some era from wean ttint son of
smoke Wets.
Other papers take a somewhat different view of the
probabilities of an engagement having taken place
as reported. The correspondent of La Patria from
Tampico, noticing the report of the battle between
Santa Anna and Taylor near Saltine, says that it is
altogether improbable, as Santa Anna at the last ac-
counts, which are very recent, was at San Luis, engaged
in arranging his forces. He adds when the American
forces leave for Vera Cruz, it is said that General Urea
will march from Tula, with a column of 8,000 or 9,000
men, against Tampico. General Uirea's force is com-
posed one-third part of cavalry, with two battalions of
artillery. It is his intention to attack Tampico simul-
taneously with the American attack on Vera Cruz.
This officer is also prepared with a force of 4,000 men
to march on Matamoras. General Arista is still in the
city of Mexico, awaiting his trial on charges relating
to his conduct at the battles of the Bth and 9th May.
Various rumours concerning Santa Anna's inten-
tions were of course rife. Very many officers were of
opinion that Santa Anna meditated no serious blow
in the direction of Saltillo, that the movement of a
division of his army thither was but a feint, and that
he will lead the main body of his forces to Vera
Cruz.
La Patria, the Spanish paper at New Orleans,
generally well informed, states that Santa Anna's
plan is, in brief, as follows : " 16,000 men to occupy
the road between Saltillo and Monterey ; 1,500 to
march upon Monterey ; 1,500 to proceed to Victoria,
and thence to Matamoras. Thus, if we can believe
the Mexicans themselves, Santa Anna is to get in
behind our forces, and cut up our posts, while Gen.
Scott is blazing away at Vera Cruz.
A good deal of apprehension wan felt at Matamoras
of an attack from Oen. Urrea. This officer is under-
stood to be on this aide of the mountains, at the head
of 4000 troops. Of these 2000 aro not to be sur-
passed in the Mexican service ;the remainder are
Irregular cavalry or rancheros.