The southern press., 1851-09-02
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The New Orleans pspess bvipg ~ full details
Of the nsws by the Empire City, which sailed
from Havana on the 18th nlt Although there
is sous rspadtion, the following summary will
bs fouad interesting. The BuIIein says:
A gentleman, who was passenger On board
the Empire City informs us. that the accredited
report was thai Lopez and his men had retired
TO Z ssa4la town In tho mountains, called Los
Posas, where they had for ifed themselves 10
the houses, that they ha there been attacked,
and had repulsed the Spanish troops three times,
killing aud wounding 10 officers besides large
number Of men
The following letter, which we find ia the
Picayune. fully explains the cause of the capture
Of the fifty Americans.
HAVANA. Aug. I6, 1851.
Dear Haing--We arrived on the Island of
Cuba after the most horrible passage you can
conceive Of cooped on board with $40 me,
We arrived on Sunday last, beliese-dates
have almost forgotten. The next morning,
Lopez. with Gen. Paraguay and all the command
ing officers, left us--Q mean Crittenden and his
batallion) We heard nothing more of him for
two days. when Crttenden despatched note
He then requested we should join him at little
town some Blk or eight miles Oft, leaving us in
the meantime 10 take care of all the baggage, &C.
We BtdItou IoV Itl'u ou " CutCnu"y uOimhS
at two o'clock, A. M, and had proceeded only
three miles and were attacked by 500 Spanish
soldiers In the first charge, received very
severe wound in the knee. We iepulsed them,
however They made another charge, and CON-
pletely routed us We spent two days and nights,
the most miserable you can imagine, in the hap
arel, without anything to eat or drink.
We made the best of our way to the sea
shore, and found some boats with which we put
TO sea- Spent night upon the ocean, and next
day, about IL O'Clock, were taken prisoners by
the Habenero, were brought to Havana last
night and condemned to die This morning. We
shall all be shot in an hour.
Good by and God bless you. ] send the Ma
sonic medel enclosed in this, belonging to my
father Convey it to my sister, Mrs. P---n,
and tell her Of my fate. Once more, God bless
you. STANFORD
From this, the Picayune infers that Lopez with
800 men, advanced to Las Posas, leaving Crit
tenden with Ia men, in charge OF the baggage,
who on the next day were cut Oft from their
companions by 500 Spaniards who ar ived in the
Pizarro. On the second night they attempted to
form junction with Lopez, but we're ATTACKED
and routed by large body of Spaniards. AT
ter wandering about in the thickets, so of them
reached the sea shore and found four small
tured
OF the remaining GA, forty were surprised and
shot at a small farmhouse, and 20 others found
guarding an equal number of wounded COM
rades, were put to death. The remaining "a
were no doubt shot Lopez WAS attacked at
Las Posas, but defeated the Spaniards with
great loss. Lopez held his own for two days,
and then left, unmoested, for the interior.
The New Orleans Bee says:
We had the pleasure of an interview yester-
day with an intelligent gentleman, who came
from Havana on the Empire City--He says
that no sooner had information reached Havana
of the landing of Lopez than general consterna.
ton see med to prevail. Company upon CON-
pany we're despatched to Bahia Honda until the
city was left with hardly regiment. Nearly
1000 men were sent in pursuit Of 450 filibus-
ters. We learn, further, that the Span.rds
were sharply received by the volunteers, AS our
informant himself counted 80 wounded soldiers
who were brought into the town. How many
were killed, and how many left behind, he, of
course, does not know. This gentleman was
present at the execution of the fifty-one prison.
ers. He says he saw IL of them shot, and that
he became 80 much excited that he was fearful
of attracting the attention of the swarms Of
Spanish spies around him, and left the spot
He positively assures US that it is the height OF
folly to attach the slightest evidence to the Ha-
vana press; or to trust to any correspondence
save such as may come through private hands,
for the au uthorities open all letters which pass
through the post-offiice, and allow none to
leave the Island which reveal other information
than they choose to transmit.
The Empire City arrived off the Moro on the
night of the 18th. Her signal Ii hts not
being readily recognized from the castle, "a
strange steamer" was reported being outside,
and Spanish steamer was sent out to watch
her movements, which remained by her until
morning.
The small steamboats, formerly plying be-
tween Havana, Matanzas and Cardenas, have
been taken by the government, and are now
used for the transportation of troops and pro
visions
Three steamers of war arrived off Havana on
the 18th. One entered the harbor the others
are crusing off the coast.
The Pcaynne relates the following incidents
of the massacre Of the fifty Americans
The steamer arrived with the prisoners during
the night, and their fate was determined upon
at once, and the first was that they should be
executed the following morning at o'clock
respite, however, was granted, and the execu.
ton did not take place until eleven o'clock
They were not permitted to go on shore in the
city, but were Immediately taken to one of the
Notifications opposite the cit, and there most
brutnlly murdered After the discharge of the
infantry, those who were not instantly killed
were beat upon the head with the muskets
until life was extinct. The mangled corpses
were then inferred amid shouts and curses of q
bloodthirsty rabble. All this occurred within
sight and hearing of the vessels in the port.
Among those shot was young Ind of but Is
years, who besecched them on his knees to
send some one to him who could speak English;
but his request was unhceded, and he sh red
tie fate Of the others.
A letter in the Picayune says the prisoners
were tried by court martial on board of the
frigate Esperanxa and all the officers, two sur
Qeons, and every fifth man were condemned to
be shot This sentence was Mt approved by
The captain.general, and he ordered the whole
of them to be shot Havana letter TO the
Picayune says:
Nothing, however, can justify or excuse the
extreme brutality practiced by the soldiery and
Spanish populace ppon the dead bodies Of the