The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-24

misto0k the road, and led them again 10 San
Cristobal Here they found themsslvemin front
Of large body of troops, who ordered them 10
surrender and on their refusal, fired upon them
but the balls passed over their heads The
Americans attempted to return tho fire. when
they found that not gun ia the command would
go off Before the Spanish troops could again
load and fire. the invaders scattered In all direc
tions and took to the woods"
From this time until his arrest, Capt. Kelly
states that he and the few men with him wan
dered about the woods and rocks, living on the
pith of the palmetto tree and mangoes
Gen Lopez had no artillery, nor did the Pam
pero bring over any, as reported He expected
to find Creole force in the mountains with ar
tilery, he had been informed.
A letter from Havana, written by Capt. Kelly
to the Daily Delta says
"previous to our capture, we had some very
hard fighting Think Of 100 men against 200
raw recruits. have seen that and these re-
cruits whip them and make them inglorously
fly before them. Out Of the forty men brought
in my company, but seven remain. Tney conse-
Grated their lives to Cuban liberty--they died
like heroes, worthy to be called the descendants
of our revolutionary fathers,---brave and gen.
erous to fault. At all the battle-ields We
gathered together the wounded on both sides,
and our surgeons dressed the wounds Of the
Spanards the Same they did the wounds of
our men. DIR. Fourniquer. who dressed the
wounds of the first Spanish soldier, was led out
and shot by order of the governo general
without trial, at this place with Crittenden. So
much for Spanish generosity. At another place,
the Spanish soldiers wounded, begged for the
lives of our wounded, but could not save them
from the bayonet Dr. Brigham was bayoneted
after being wounded, and his wound dressed,
and our party marched out Of sight. But when
we met them on the battle field, Spanish blood
was split freely to make amends for their bar
bartv.
"The report in Havana, from the Spanish au-
thorities, is that we killed and disabled upwards
of 1000 soldiers, That's what may be called
game in the way of fighting, particularly AS we
only landed with four hundred soldiers, and they
all green and at every battle we lost more or
less, because bad wound was equal TO death,
for we had no transportation for our SICK and
were compelled to march soon after battle
In the hardest fought battle there were but
about two hundred Americans. General Emma,
of the Spanish troops, was killed there and the
whole command put to flight in twenty min
utes after the engagement commenced We
also repulsed the lancers that day with 200, and
they were 400 strong No people under the
widespread canopy of heaven Gan fight like the
American boys. Although our arms were in
different muskets, the Spaniards think yet we
had rifles, because we killed at every fire. Our
boys take aim and draw head before pulling
trigger. This is the cause Of their sue less
and it always will be So"
This letter is signed a. A. Kelly, Cuban
liberator no more" Capt. Kelly reports that
there were one hundred and ninety-two Ameri-
can prisoners in the Punta, and they were
to have sailed on the 9Th inst, he understood,
for Spain. Among them was Mr. Breedlove, of
New Orleans, and John Boswell, of Baltimore
These prisoners, he adds, speak Indignantly of
certain individuals in New Orleans, for the de-
ception practised to induce them to invade the
island.