The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1851-09-30
The Statement of Lieut.. Van vechten.
-. On Board Steamship winfield .S05st,
Sanfemher IL. 1851

| Having been connected with the late unfor- |
tunate expedition against Cuba. under the |
| command Of General Nafciso Lopez, aud al |
| lowed to return in safety 10 my home and
friends. feel il to be duty which owe to the
friends OF my Unfortunate commanders and 10
the public at large to publish, through The
columns Of your valuable and widely circulating
paper. true account Of the proceedings OF
| tha; expedition, correcting as fai as possible,
the false reports which, for the last month.
have been in circulation throughout the Uni
ted States, and endeavorog TO do justice to
all
became connected with The expedition at
| New Orleans, receiving. on the 30th day OF
July last, an appointment as First Lieutenant
Of Company B. of Colonel w. l.. Crt,en-
den's regiment. lis, Arriery,) comma nded by
Captain James Sanders. The expedition. as
you are already aware. left New Orleans al
daybreak, on the morning Of Sunday. the Sd
| of August in the steamer Pampero. We were
rowe TO the mouth of the river, our engine be-
ing ont of order. We remained in the river
until "Wednesday, the 9Th, and left through the
Northeast Pass, at O'Clock p. NJ. Of that day,
flor Key West. The intention at that time
was to 60 to Rey West, and there take on
board pilot for the river 81. Johns-at which
place we were to embark light battery OF ar
'ilety, with cassions. ammunition and harness
complete, together with number of cavalry
saddles and from thence were to run TO the
south side OF Cuba and labd as near as possible
to Puerto Prince.
We reached Key West, aud anchored some
distance hom the city, at about three + W.
I of Sunday, the 10th inst. While al Key
West, a quantity OF brandy and champagne
was received on board, which was imbibec tol-
erably by Lopez and his staff About dusk Of
that dav, 90 pilot appearing, Lopez called
council, composed entirely Oft Cnbsns and
, IIungarians attached to- his staff. (no Amer
{ leans being caed) who decided 10 give up GO
ing TO the ST. Johns River. and run immdiate-
5 ly for The coast Of Cuba, which was done at
: |. about 10 p M. The next morning. owing 10
! The variation Of the compass from muskets be-
ing stacked near il, we found ourselves in plain
sight Of the Moro Castle, and about twelve
miles distant; the vessel was Immediately head
ed TO the norhward and westward and run out
Of sight Of land. About p. VI. Of that day,
Lopez took the captain and mate out Of Span
ish schooner, TO act as pilots giving them TO
understand that they would be shot IL they
showed any disposition 10 escape or deceive.
e Atl p. M. we again stood 10 for the land, and
n soon after dusk sent boat in TO reconnoiter.
which was hailed by a sentry on the walls Of
the fort situated near Bahia Honda, the ship
not being more than mile froma As soon
as the boat reported, lights were extinguished
and press Of steam put on, the ship running
To the westward along the land. About ten
!. o clock. while running under the charge Of a
3 pilot. under press ofsteam, the ship suddenly
e struck, and before the engines could be stop
:. ped, had run more than her length upon a
Il coral reef. After examining her situation. it
was found that she was lying in about eight
feet Of water, while her draft was over nine feet;
n and that il was necessary that the force should
;, be Immediately landed. which was done and;
e about two O'Clock on the morning Of the 18th
,r Of August, the last Of US disembsrked upon the
: shore of what we had been taught to consider
,e would soon be the free Island Of Cuba. The
il first boats which landed were fired upon by a
o. party Of twenty men, who fled on their fire be-
N ing returned from The boat which contained
Captain Gout IA Cuban commanding an A.
! meficsn company Lieutenant Laning gham, and
: aboui thirty prvstes Of his company. One OF
Goutls men was wounded in the arm. and re-
+ turned in the SHIP and the cap Of the Lieuten-
ant was cut into halves on his head.
At daylight Lopez sent Pronunciamento
TO Los Posas, a small village ten miles distant
- in which he informed the inhabitants that he
:, was about to march to that place. and would
m give 10 quarter TO any whom he found there
RI Who did moi join him. There being 10 means
y, of q ansporling baggage at Cabanos, where we
n landed, Lopez ordered Col. Cruenden TO re-
main there and protect our stores. consisting
Of 100000 musket cartridges, 5000 muskets,
or and 700 pounds Of powder in kegs. together
with the personal baggage Of all the officers
saying that he would march on TO Los Posas
with the regiment, OF Infantry, commanded by
r. Col DowDman. and send from thence trans
ye poriation. and that he would remain there un
~ Ill Joined BY Critienden. Accordingly Lopez
marched al ocock. ,ith three hundred ant
twenty three men, leaving Crtenden al Caban
os. with one hundred and thirty men. At Il
O. clock that night, Crittenden received tive
20 carts, and started Immediately afier to jolt
Lopez a, Los Posas.
ng The carts being heavily loaded and The road
bad, our progress was OF necessity slow. no
yes advancing more than mile an hour Abou
two hours after daylight, on the morning OF tn
| 3th we reached house containing a stor
or and giog shop, about four miles from Lo
Posas. The advance guard and main bod
only had reached the house, (the rear guard
= with the carts being still some quarter Of
mile behind. and were engaged in eatn
breakfast, their armes being laid aside whe
hey were surprised by the report Of musketry
ard the whstling Of bullets, which proceeds
from the advance guard Of body OF the ene
N.Y. five hundred strong. We immediate
nd, seized our guns, and killed nine Of the enem
and made one prisoner, none OF our party hav
IWy ing been injured Not seeing any more OF tn
- enemy, the Colonel concluded it was but
foraging party that had attacked us, and ou
uf rear guard having come up with the carts, or
dered US TO resume our breakfasts, which "
did About ten minutes after, we were sgai'
attacked by the whole force Of the enemy ha'
ipg the advantage Of position eing posted o
,rn the brow Of hill overlooking our posi,ioi
with a belt Of chapparel some three huudfe
81. yards vide. intervening owe, which we coul
w. not fire. Critienden Immediately gave the o.
ned ders to charge, leading himself and forced II
She enemy 10 retreat 10 large body of chappare
some seventy five OF eighty yards in the rel
:, Of their first position, from which they opene
a heavy fire upon our force as soon as IL al
peared in sight on the sigh, OF the hill. FIJI
ding he cnnld nnt maintain that position, CrI