The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-14 00:00:00

THE WAR IN CENTRAL AMERICA.

The Panama Star and Herald of July 24, in its
summary of news from the Pacific coast brought by
the steamer Bogota to Panama, says :

" The news from the Central American States
engaged in war is important. Hostilities which
have been going on for some time between the States
of Guatemala and Nicaragua, as allies, on the one
side, and Salvador and Honduras on the other, are
approaching a conclusion in the success of the
former States. Gen. Carrera, President of Guate-
mala, chief in command of its invading Salvador,
had at last accounts complete possession of Santa
Ana and Sonsonate, the chief towns in the two
departments of Salvador bordering upon Guatemala.
The success of Carrera was chiefly owing to the dis•
affection and treachery of Gen. Gonzalez, who pro-
nounced against President Barrios. The particulars
of the affair, as near as we can get at them, are as
follows :

" On the 28th of June the people in San Salva-
dor, the capital, were very much surprised, at
three in the afternoon, at hearing General
Barrios had returned from the army at Santa Ann,
which twenty leagues (sixty miles) he had ridden
since three in the morning of the same day. It
seems he had learned of a certain arrangement en-
tered into by some of the principal citizens of the
capital to pronounce there, at the same time with a
similar movement in other towns; while, as events
proved, the army itself in Santa Ana was to join
the movement. One of these principal citizens was
Don Jose Antonio Gonzalez (brother of the general
of that name), who, hearing on the afternoon of the
28th of June of the President being so unexpectedly
at his country seat about a mile from San Salvador,
actually rode out to welcome him, escorted him to
his house, and, leaving him there with many com-
pliments, suddenly at midnight decamped with
several others engaged in the conspiracy.
" The next day Gen. Barrios (who knew, or said
he knew, all the conspirators) was furious that the
leaders had so tricked him. He at once put down

their names for very pretty little sums in the way
of a forced loan, and (Gonzalez being down for
100,000 dols) proceeded to seize their goods, &c. He
also placed an officer in the doorway of Gonzalez'
house, where only his family remained, and held his
wife and daughters prisoners, demanding 10,000
dols. for their release. Gen. Barrios, however, in
the midst of his rage, calculating that the clearing,
out of the leaders was worth a large sum of money
to him, saying they would have to pay him from
5,000 dols. to 10,000 dols, each, and said he wished
a few more would go. Gen. Barrios also wrote to
Gen. Gonzalez, with the army in Santa Ana, stat-
ing the measures he was about to take against his
brother (J. Antonio), and telling him he could re-
sign if he chose so to do. Gen. Gonzalez, however,
had probably notice of this, and, on the 30th June,
during the temrorary absence of Gen. Cabanas,
caused the army in Santa Ana to pronounce against
Gen. Barrios, and in favour of himself. General
Cabanas, Bracamonte, and others, who refused to
join, were allowed to return to San Salvador.
" Gen. Gonzalez at once addressed a letter to Car-
rera, who was in Chalchnapa, offering propositions
of peace. They, however, could not agree, and on the
3d July Carrera, after being at first repulsed, occu-
pied Santa Ana, drove out and scattered in every

direction Gonzalez' army. General Gonzalez was
himself wounded in the arm, and hid himself in the
mountains. General Osorio (Salvadorean), who
commanded that portion of the armywhich had been
encamped on a hill near Santa Ana, refused to join
Gonzalez, and with some other officers came into
San Salvador with some 600 men in all on the 4th
July. Meantime an aide of General Gonzalez who
had taken part in the pronunciamento, Castellanos
by name, and another officer (Z epuda) also impli-
cated, came into San Salvador, were taken, con-
demned, and shot at 5 p.m.on Sunday, sth July, in
the Plaza de Santo Domingo,
"The conspiracy or movement against General
Barrios had extended to various parts of the State
—in San Vicento (east of the capital) Cojutepeque
(N E.), as well as in Santa Ana and Sonsonate
(W.) In Cojutepeque, which has in its neighbour-
hood some 8,000 or 10,000 Indians, they have re-
volted against the Government, driven out the
whites and ladinos, have murdered and cut into
pieces Dr. Be,sieres, a Frenchman settled there ;
and their cry is Viva Carrera, venga el Obispo !'
Bracamonte was sent against them with 500 troops
defeated and scattered them, in Cojutepeque, to
which of course they returned and took possession
as soon as Bracamonte and his forces passed on to
San Vicente. There also he had a skirmish, shot
some of the pronunciados, and brought back with
him into San Salvador, on the 11th July, some 25,
tied and driven ahead.
"General Cerna, with his Gautemalan column,
having defeated and routed the army of Honduras
on the /lanos or plains of Santa Rosa, in Honduras,
and installed Don Jose Maria Medina provisional
president, returned from Honduras to Santa Ana,
joined Carrera, and by him he was sent towards
Chaletenago
he entered (due north of San Salvador), where
on the 11th July, and whence he came
doubtless a day or two afterwards to Cuchitoto, 10