The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1851-10-11
lSpscIal CosFsspondshcs " the Picsywnel
I'm 60pD8 3xp001Tt0n
Nsrrssiss y Csps. Kelly, me # sne American
Prisos.vs IL Hssan1
HAvASA. Sept. 4, 1851.

v
HAVANA. Sept. 4, 1851.
Capt J. A. Kelly. one Of the prisoners re-.
Gently released by The Captain General, ha ,
given sne the following statement II the events
ina, followed the landing Of the forces under
the command VI Lopes. from the period Of their
Decentralization 10 ,hat Of their being made
prisoners. knowi, Z how interesting il will bc
10 you and yovr readers, give il ~ full as l
can s~cUllert.
D. Inc nosning Of the i2.h Of August, be.
tween Z and . 0'cluvk, the invaders landed ut
tAr little town VI MofriIloa. Shortly after,
Gen lApss started for La. p"xsr, 81 the head
Of the Guiana and Hunvssian~, ordering Col.
Downoxn to take command II the American
infantry and ki"w hin. Cal. Cr,tc,.drn WAS
ordered Ia remain Al Morrillos until the -tor~s
w~sv landed, and then to follow At Ill .yned
~ join the main bt,dy NJ Los rozA-. Cen
Lpprs was to .~hd back transportation 10 Col.
L. from the hrst FaIHho "n the road. ir az.
c0sdiuxiy .ent two carts. with \ single yoke IL
oaem I" each These wes. entirely Insufficient
IL draw The heavily laden carts. and Col. T.. cent
one II the nrgr" drivers fos more oxen, who
ertwsned with tw" more yoke. and the party
stxst~I. The carts were still two heavily laden,
kowev~r. and the progress was slow. They
left MosritIos about u o'rlock. and only made
Ave miles tina, night, the advance stopping at II
iisnds or store on the main road, sud being
soon sfter joined Nv the Pest ~ the troops and
the wagons Col Csittend~n had previously
sen. messenger u Gen. Lopez. who returned
and met them here Lopez "rdrsrd Col. {. TO
abandon hi. baggage. ammunition, &C.. and
join him At once. ~ he expected battle every
moment, and wantrd Crit,cndrn to attack the
,nemy in The rear aud hsnk. The latter, how.
I..,s IA, th. md
while dslibsratine, he wss suddenly attacked by
party Of Spanis, soldiers, who were repulscd
Col. Critt~nden now determined TO leave every
thing and Join Cen Lopez at once. but before
they were ready 10 march they were sxnin nj.
tackled by about $50 Spanish troops. us they
learned from a wounded prisoner, who was
brought in to have his wounds drv>scd. II II
proper TO state here that aN.r the tight MI the
wounded Span,sh soldiers VII" .au,d h. found
wcrs brought in md their wound, dressed BY
Dr. FousniQue,, who was afterwards shot in this
city. Col. Crtiendsn had about no men un.
der his command II all ranks
Amer beating Of the sold'rv-. Col. CrIilrn-
den took eighty men and started otf 10 charge
the enemy, leaving Capt Kelly with orders TO
maintain his position until his return. The men
whom Col. C. took with him, Capt. X. states,
werr the elite Of the whole command, and from
that time forth Capt K. saw no more "f either
Crittenden " his men. This Spanish troops
kept up y continual slow Ere On Capt. krlly's
men, but the distance from which they fired was
40 great that their ball. wev mostly spent be-
forv they reached the tirnda.
After waiting about three hours for Col. CRIT
tenden's return, and seeing or hearing nothing
Of him, the men under Capt. kcly's command
declared their determination not TO wal, for him
any longer, and some Of them started on with
the intention Of making their way I" the coast
and returning to the United States. After
much persuasion, Capt Kelly induced them I"
remain little longer. some time after, ''.c
lacn started of with the samc in,rniI'". hr',d
I'd By two officers, l.ieu,s. Van Veehl-n and
Crafts. Capt. Kelly nov gave up all hope ct
Csittendrns return, and determined I" JON
Gen. Lopez at Las poxas NJ once. lie induced
the mrn 10 20 with him BY threatening I" ahin-
don them aud start Of alone. lie took nsgr"
with him ~ guide, and started through the
woods, IL conceal hi. march aud prevent being
cut I'll. The tirnda wss by this time nearly sur
sout.drt by Spsn.h trs'Urs, and Capt. H. was
Obliged to commence his march in r'rogadc
d,rcvti..n. going towards tie coa-, until he VA.
out of sight "r the soldiers, and then making
. c,svuil through the woods.
Just before dark they arrived vi \ large su-
Ras estate. and stopped at the house. Here
sh~y learned that company nj sp,ni-h soldiers
had ps.,4d .iort time before. aud were also
informed that battle had been Tough, NJ Las
puxas, but the people on the estate did not
know winch aide w~r~ vciors. They hired
snu.hrs negro ~ guide and again started Tor
lxs I'uxss When within n short distance ot
the town they came Mes,.-s the main Rad and
saw several companies Vi Spanish tr""ps. They
co,sealssi l,enselscs in the thk kri and rr'' the
a~ReU into The town IL ASCERTAIN who were inc
viciuss liz returned aud stated thai all wAs
quiet in the town. and that the srn''neis were
bius shits Zap. <. then seat Gonzales. VII"
sps,ks Hnausl,, ~ lhs t0WM fur further imt''fnA
ti.u. and shnut ~ o'clock II night h. returned
win the AAla,.n, t;rnsssi of Loop "a forces.
nh y .stsss, VIM hsd b'en severity wounded IN
The hassIv II the m,"r,,ins. Tie gave Capt
Nelly the y .st.cul.srs u: tl.v batslr aud sla'.d
that they hid brat III ,l.s enemy with c"nssd.
sssbl- lo.s CSpt Kely'a men were m".t'y
Asls~p, and On t.inv w"k~ up and "rdesss' 4"
Qsni,, three " lhrna, naH,~d Frank HssvdI"ve,
JSha Ts,nbls, aud - Yard. we're, M Is sup
Puasl, l~h tshtsd y lssp. AZ THY we're act ays'"
,s<ss. Csp. X hsd give" rsf'k ulsr dlrtr''"".
70 lii uwM ~ srs u II Ill wesc wOkv w, but u
h thusvht lhsi IN the excit~n~Mt NJ ,hr mo.
nsat t6sss men wsfs esesiw.ksd, and probably
tilIsA ID trying 10 6sd sAsis eomtadss .hs "~a'
~.
On ,Ask aswh 10 ths tewn Capt. Ks con.
uaad nasssd uves the hattie field, which vas
Rtss~lty xssered with lh< dad bs'dir~ VI ~
ueantak auldi~sA Their Iosa must have b ri
sssy great 1h~y wsrs challenged BY N. s<nt.
~, WAo. n hjs sa9vsusas, tassut hlp csty "
~ q - 81 Y tkey wsss Csistsadem's n.rn
1as ~ III asst Inumasion Caea, Kelly I'D
ssesived tAal CsilssNAsa vaM mol wi.h lst~s.