Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-09-24

marched from Los Posas into the noun.
tains, leaving there seventeen wounded
Spaniards and thirteen of our side, all Of
whom were bayonetcd by the Spauiards,
and their bodies piled in heap, cross ways,
at the foot of hill.
Two days after, Con the 16th,) Lopez
was again attacked by three hundred Ian
GERS and six hundred infantry, while en-
camped at hacienda which formerly be-
longed to himself, but was confscated some
three years since Here the action lasted
from II to 2 o'clock, on one of the hottest
days ever experienced. The enemy were
again compelled to retreat, with a loss of
three hundred and twenty men; and at
the same moment that the retreat of the
Spaniards in one direction was reported to
Lopez, he issued an order to his own force
to retreat in an opposite, and actually, that
day, made a forced march of eighteen miles
in five hours, over a mountain road On
the 10Th, being still on the mountains, we
were overtaken by severe rain storm,
which destroyed the greater portion of our
ammunition, and rendered our guns entire
ly useless. We encamped on the evening
of that day at a rancho on the foot of the
mountains, about two leagues from Bahia
Honda. We remained undisturbed that
night; and were attacked just at breakfast
time on the morning Of the Doth, being
taken by surprise, the sentry on the out
post having left his post to wash himself
in creek, where he was killed. Owing
to the unserviceable condition of their arms,
the force under Lopez was completely rout-
ed, flying to the mountains in all directions
Lopez himself barely escaping on horse
back, with the loss of his saddle pistols
and spy-g glass-of everything, in fact, but
what he WORE That night he encamped
on the top of one of the highest mountains
on the Island of Cuba, exposed to al the
violence of terrific norther, without eli
ther shelter, fire or food.
1t is impossible for me to describe the
sufferings of that night. Heaven forbid
that | ever pass such another. The rain
fell in torrents, while ever and anon ter
rifle crash would announce that some mas
sive tree had fallen, either before the force
of the wind, or the still mightier lightning.
That night equalled an ordinary lifetime.
On the evening of the 2lst, having been
forty-eight hours without eating, we killed
a horse, which was divided among one hun.
dred and twenty-five men, who were all
that now remained with Lopez We ewan-
dered through mountains, unable to extri-
cate ourselves, subsisting on such leaves
aud roots as we could find, until midday
of Sunday, the 24th, when we succeeded
in reaching road running from Bahia
Honda to San Cristobal, along which we
advanced until nearly night, when two
Spanish lancars were discovered advancing,
but fled on seeing us. A halt was imme-
diately ordered, and an examination made
of the state of our forces, which showed Il
total of one hundred and twenty-five men,
eighty muskets, about twenty of which
were serviceable, and about forty dry car
tridgcs. Under this state Of affairs, it was
deemed advisable to retreat, which was Or
dercd, and pursuit commenced by the en-
emy, who lay in ambush somefew hundred
yards in advance, with a force of nine hum
dred men. On the approach of the enemy,
the whole force of Lopez separated into
small bodies, and dispersed through the
mountains, throwing away their guns and
everything which could cucumber them in
their flight, seven men only remaining
with the General. A large number were
overtaken and Immediately killed. |, my
self, was one of a party of eight who had
previously determined on leaving Lopez,
and attempting to escape from the island.
| We remained in the mountains until the
morning of Tuesday, the 26th, when, hav-
ing had but one meal in six days, and feel
ing that we could bear it no longer, we de-
termined to go into the plains, considering
that it would be better to be killed outright
than die lingering death from starvation,
which we certainly would up in the noun
tains.
We accordingly advanced to house
where we were treated with a great Gcal of
kindness, and received a most excellent
breakfast. An arrangement was made to
procure a guide to the south shore, with
provisions, &c, and we were about to leave
and conceal ourselves until night, when,in
the twinkling Of an eye, wewere surround
ed by 200 armed countrymen, who imme-
diately bound us securely, and inverted
our pockets, considering the contents law
full plunder That day We reached San
Christobal. Until we reached San Chris
tobal we were under the impression that
we were to be Immediately shot, our only