The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-09-16
From ne Nstc York Herald.
rhe Statement OF Lieut.. Van Vechten.
: BoARD srEAMsmr WlNFIELD soorr,

on BOARD STEAMsmP WlNFIELD SoorT,
September IL, 1851.
JAMES G. BENNETT, Esa.-DEAR SIR; Having
been connected with the late unfortunate expedl,
ton against Cuba, under the command OF General
Narciso Lopez, and allowed to return In safety 10
my home and friends, | feel II TO be DUTY
which owe to the friends ofmy unfortunate com
rades, and to the public at large, 10 Puplsn'
through the columns of your valuable and widely
circulating paper, true account OF the proceed
ings Of that expedition correcting as far as posi-
Bile, the false reports which, for the last month,
have been in circulation throughout the united
States, and endeayoring to do justice to all.
became connected with the expedition at New
Orleans, receiving on the 3Oth day oil July last an
appointment as first lieutenant or company Is, OF
Colonel w. l.. Crittenden's regiment, (lst artil-
lery,) commanded by Captain James Sanders.
The expedition, you are already aware, left New
Orleans at day break on the morning of Sunday,
the Sd of August, in the steamer Pampero. We
were towed to the mouth of the river, our engine
being out of order. We remained in the river I'M
I'll Wednesday, the 9th, and left through the North
east pase, at O'Clock, D. IN of that day, for Key
West The intention at that time was to go to
Key West, and there take on board a pilot Tor the
river St. Johns, at which place we were to embark
light battery OF artillery, with calssons, aminu-
milton. and harness complete together win mum
Der of cavalry saddes-and from thence were to
run to the south side of Cuba and land as near on
possible to Puerto Principe.
We reached Key West, and anchored some dis
lance from the city, at about three P m oil Sunday,
the 10th instant. While at Key West quantity
Of brandy and champagne was received on board,
which was imbfbed toerably freely by Lopez and
his staff About dusk of that day, pilot appear
ing, Lopez called council, composed entirely ofthe
Cubans and Hungarians attached to his staff, (no
Americans being caled,) who decided to give up
going to the St Johns river, and run Immediately
for the coast of Cuba, which was done at about 10
p. IN. The next morning, owing to the variation
ofthe compass, from muskets being stacked near 1t,
found ourselves in plain sight OF the Moro Cas-
tie, and about twelve miles distant; the vessel was
m ell " nOrthWaTd and
ward, and run out of sight of land. About p m.
of that day, Lopez took the captain and mate out
of Spanish schooner, to act as pilots, giving them
TO understand that they would be shot they SHOW
ed any disposition to escape or deceive. At p. m.
we again stood in for land, and after dusk sent
boat in to reconnoitrc which was hailed by sentry
on the walls or the FORT situated near Bahia Honda,
the ship not being than mile from it. As soon
the boat reported lights were extinguished, and
press of steam put on the ship running to the west
ward along the land. At 10 O'Clock, while running
under the charge of pilot, under press OF steam,
the ship suddenly struck, and before the engines
could be stopped had more than her length
upon a coral reef. After examining her situation,
it found that she was lying in about eight feet
of water, while her draft was over nine ieet; and
Tia at it was necessary that the force should be i'm
mediately landed, which was done; and about
O'Clock on the morning of the 18th OF August
the last of US disembarked upon the shore of
what we had been taught TO consider would
soon be the free Island of Cuba. The first boats
which landed were fired upon by party OF
twenty men, who fled on their fire being re-
turned from the boat which contained Captain
Gouti, "a Cuban commanding American com
pany,) Lieutenant Laningham, and about thirty
privates Of his company, One OF Gouti's men was
wounded in the arm, and returned In the snip, and
the cap Of the lieutenant was cut into halves on
his head
At daylight Lopez sent prOnunciGmento to Los
Posns, a small village ten miles distant, in which
he informed the inhabitants that he was about to
march to that place, and would give no quarter to
any whom he found there who did not join him.
There being means OF transporting baggage at
Cabanos, where we landed, Lopez ordered Colonel
Crttenden to remain there and protect our stores,
consisting of one hundred thousand musket cart
ridges, three thousand muskets, and seven hum
dred 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 Colonel Downman, and
send from thence transportation, and that he would
remain there until joined by Crittenden. Accord
ingly Lopez marched, at eight O'Clock, with three
hundred and twenty three men, leaving Crittenden
at Cabanos, with one hundred and thirty men. At
eleven o'clock that night Crittenden received two
carts, and started Immediately after TO join Lopez
at Los Posas.
The carts being heavily loaded and the roads
bad our progress was Of necessity slow, not ad-
vancing more than mile an hour. About two
hours after daylight, on the morning of the 18th,
we reached house containing store and grog-
shop, about four miles from Los Posas. The adj
vance guard and main body only had reached the
house, (the rear guard with the carts being still
in eating breakfast, their arms being laid aside,
when they were surprised by the report OF musket-
ry, and the whisting of bullets, which proceeded
from the advance guard of body OF the enemy,
five hundred strong. We Immediately seized our
guns and killed nine of the enemy, and made one
prisoner, none of our party having been injured.
Not seeing any more OF the enemy, the colonel
concluded it was but a foraging party that had at
tackled US, and rear guard having come up
with the Carts ordered us to resume our breakfasts,
which we did. About ten minutes after, we were
again attacked by the whole force OF the enemy,
they having the advantage of position, being posted
on the brow of hill overlooking our position,
with belt of chapparal some three hundred yards
wide, intervening, over which we could not fire.
Crttenden Immediately gave the order to charge,
leading himself and forced the enemy to retreat to
large body of chapparal some seventy five or
eighty yards in the of their first position, from
which they opened heavy fire upon our force as
il appeared in eight on the brow OF the hill
Finding he could not maintain that position, Crit
tenden gave order to retreat to the house, which
was done while the enemy resumed his position on
the hill, and again opened his fire; upon which
aCrittenden ordered a second charge, at the same
time saying that he wished small party to attain
position at the right flank of the enemy to charge
from that side at the same moment he charged
from the front. Second Lieutenant w. IL. Crafts,
(also Of company r, and myself volunteered, and
succeeded in attaining the position with twenty
men. After remaining in it for about half an hour,
and hearing nothing of Crittenden, we returned
to the house, where we found Captain Kelly, OF
but could hear or see nothing of Crittenden.
The enemy soon after advancing towards the
house, we compelled to retreat, leaving
our baggage and stores; and that night, or rather
the next morning, we succeeded in forming n
junction with Lopez at Los Posas, half an hour be-
fore his march from that place. AT the same hour
that Crittenden was attacked at the hacienda, a
body of the enemy, eight hundred strong, under
General Emma, attacked Lopez at Los Posas. After
hard fight of over two hours the enemy retreated,
leaving tho Americans masters of the field, and
over two hundred of their number (among whom
were several of the highest oficers) dead and
vvounded-the American loss being in killed,
wounded, and missing, only about thirty men,
among whom Colonel bowman and Lieutenant
Labizan were killed, and General Pragay and Cap.
tains Brigham and Gouti were mortally wounded.
After the action, the Spanish wounded were brought
in, and well taken care of as circumstances
would admit. Lopez rode entirely unarmed over
the field through the hottest of the fire, occasionally
applying rcd raw hide, with great deal of vigor,
TO the shoulders of such men as he thought could
be hurried into firing little faster. On the morn
ing of the l4th, at O'Clock, Lopez marched from
Los Posas into the mountains, leaving there seven
daA 81, ~ IF 40