The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-09-06
CUBAN NEWS.
Letters from he Executed Patriots.


the capture of the fifty Americans
Letter from .7!jutaat Stanford.
HAVANA, August l6, 1851.
Dear Hrlinc-We arrived on the Island of
Cuba after the most horrible passage you can
conceive of, cooped on board with 400 or 500
men.
We arrived on Sunday last. l bclcve-datcs
have almost FORGOTTEN, The next morning. Lo-
pcz. with Gen. Paraguay and all the command
ing officers. left us--I mean Ctittendcn and his
baualion.) We heard nothing more OF him for
two days, when Crittcnden despatched note.
He then requested we should Join him at a little
town some six or eight miles off, leaving us in
the meantime to take care OF all the baggage.
We started for him on wednesday morning at
, O'Clock. 4. NJ, and had proceeded only three
miles when we were attacked by 500 Spanish
soldiers. In the first charge received a very
severe wound in the knee. We rcpulscd them,
however. They mode another charge and com
nlctely routed us. We spent Two days and NIGHTS
the most miserable you can imagine, in the chap
aral without anything to eat or drink.
We made the best oiour way to the SEQ shore,
and found some boats with which we put TO sea
! Spent 4 night upon the ocean, and next day,
about 70 O'Clock. were taken prisoners by the
| 1iabanero, were brought 10 Havana last night
| and condemned to die this morning. We shall
! all he shot in nm hour.
! Gool-bv and God bless Won. send the Ma
sonic medal 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
yon. STANFORD.
To this letter the Picayune appends the fol-
| lowing explanatory remarks;
From this and irorn comparison with the Of
! fetal reports Of the Spanish officers, arc en-
abled 10 construct more connected and proha-
bic narrative Of the events which led TO the nm
happy catastrophe than has yet been given. Gen.
Lopez, on landing near Bahia Honda. with ,hc
main body of his forces. consisting of about 300
men, advanced towards Las Pozas, p small town
few miles in the interior, leaving Col. Critten-
den and his command. ] ii strong, in char ee Of
the baggage. That night. or the next day, the
steamer Pizarro landed 700 Spanish troops al
Bahia Honia, and these advancing towards the
place Of Loprz's landing. cnt of Crittenden'>
men from their comprehension the second
night Afterwards this rartydetermincd TO attempt
| to form junction with Lopez. but on the ROAD
was attacked by an overwhelming body of troop:
and after short struggle were on the seconG
! charge routed and dispersed. After wandering
about in the thickets. fifty Of them got together
and made their way TO the sea shore. where they
seized fonr small boats and endcavorcd to max,
! their escape. when they were captured as has
! been related in the official report Of Admira
| BuStillos. Their" are siXty-four this command
to be accounted for. Orthese. forty were sur.
| prised aud shot at a small farm house. y Span.
| ISL Lieut.. reports that on the 18th he came up
! on twenty ''pirates" guarding an equal number
| OF wounded comrades, all of whom were imme.
dately put to death. The renaing twenty -four
| or 'nch of them as had not been killed in battle
probably continued to wander in the vicinity un.
I'll. we are forced to believe, they also were Ia
! ken and slaughtered.
The h"r party. under Lop"z, it seems, re.
ccived the attack of the Spanards. in a farm
/ house at Las PozaS, and beat them of with So.
we're loss, at least 50 it is TO be supposed, since
I the Spanish official reports state that they de-
/ sisted from the assault in order TO receive rein.
forcemcnts: Whether any subsequent fighting
took place at this point we do not know; at all
events, Lopez held his own for two days---tili
On the 18th, he left for the interior. and was mol
mOeSted on his march by Gen. Enna all Of
! whchwe learn from the Spanish official account,
This was the state of affairs on the 18th, the
date of our last a ivices from the scene ofaction
through Gen. Enna's dispatch, dated at $3.50 on
that day. II Gen. Lopez reached the mountains
I III safety, ne will discover soon WI ether he has
/ relied with too much confidence on the assist
ance Of the native inhabitants.
! Tho True Delta also publishes the following
letter ffom one of the victims:
| HAVANA. ON BOARD MAN-or-WAR }
| O'Clock, A. NJ, Aug. Is, 1851.
Stanton d Co.--Dcar Frends-About 50 OF
us, Col Cri'tendcn's command were taken pris-
oneis Yesterday, have net received our sentence
! yet, but no doubt we will all he shot before sun.
set. Lopez the scomndrel, has deceived us; there
is no doubt but all those reports about the Gu.
bans rising were trumped up in New Orleans
! Lopez took nearly his command and deserted us
I'VE were attacked by some 500 or 700 of the
F., Queens troops the I'd day after we landed. Our
own gallant Col. Crittenden done all that man
| could debut we saw we had been deceived
and retreated to the sea shore with the intention
Of getting off to our country, if possibIe--go'
three boats and got off with the intention oil
coasting until we fell in with an American YES
sci, and were taken prisoners by the steamer
Habanero.
Explain tc my family that have done nothing
but what was iustigated by the highest motives
that die with clear conscience, and like a
man with a stout heart. | send my watch to
YOU it is for little Benny, my nephew. Good
i by. God bless you all Truly yours,
| GILMAN A. Cook.