The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-04

lsy s. :. 4, s, .s:!S & u. :ss .s = h.;:
cen never cross the nver, and the troops are una
bic 70 march" :" Il shall bs yours In an hour"
replied Pses cit L. impossible" said Bolivar,
me-" replied t Psss. and ssIiopsd of In a few
mihutes no returned, bringing up his guard o!
honor consisting Of three hundred lancers selected
from the main body Of the lsneros for their proved
bravery and strength, and, leading them to tho
bank, thus briefly adore ised them" We must
have these aecheras. or die-let those follow Tic
who please! and, Ut the Same moment, spurriag his
horse, shed into the river and swan to srds tho
fotilla. The guard followed him. With their lances
bear up against the current BY swimming by their
sides and pattng their neoks, aud then shouting to
scare away the alligators. of which there hun
dreds in the river till they reached the boats, when
on board them headed by their leader, and. to the
astoniehment Of th0se who beheld them from
the shore. captured every one of them. To
EDghh officers 1t may appear inconceivab'e that
body Of cavalry. with no other arms than their
laD0es, and no other mode Of conveyance across
rapid river than their horses, should attack and
take feet of gun boats amidst shoals Of alligators;
but strange as it may seem, 1t Was actually accom-
plished, and there msny officers now in England
who can testify to the tru;h Of it
In short, he lie altogether most wonderful man, and
were the numerous extraordinary incidents of his
life to be formed into . narrative, Ii would have
biography Heis. above all things, sincere patriot
and certainly o bright ornament to his country,
which there be but little doubt he has been the
principal me- us Of continuing thus long repu blic
1t would be difficult to conceive a more
amiable character than that of this gallant man in
tho more p-aceabls moments Of his life. He was
deeervedly endeared to all the British who ever
served with him; and, believe, every one of them
would have ohesIfsy died in his defence had it
Colonel William Duane, Of Philadelpbis, in his
book entitled 9 A visit to Colombia, in tho years
1922 and 1923" onpages l54 and l5S speaks Of the
Of his many engagements, as follows -" After the
war Of determination had been proclaimed, the af-
fairs Of Colombia had become very gloomy
Whom the patriots were made prisoners, the practice
was to publicly order them to be condu tied to .
depot; but private order was given to execute
them on the way. for which fit officer was always
selectei-they were directed to be pierced with .
lance, In the first thiokes they Approached Colonel
enemys hands, his head was cut off by ono Of those
monsters, placed In sack, and sent, after the
Turkish fashion, to his insuted and Attic cd friend.
The flower Of the army and the population were at
Despair had overcome minds of weak tempera.
ment, and others Of lax principles no longer hest
tated to talk Of reconciliation with Spain. Jose
Antonio Paeg, native of the plains that border on
the Orinoco. had signalized himself by his match
les. intrepidity many persons having retired to the
plains, he reproached those wavering men, and con-
oluded By declaring that if there could be wretches
90 abject as TO abandon cause in which 80 much
blood had been GENEROUSLY sacrificed to give them
freedom, they must not expect oountenance
to their perfdy from him, nor the opportunity
to corrupt others by their eowardice-thas he would
not compromise for miserable existence, the ipde-
pendence he had fought for-he would rally all Of
his countrymen whose virtues were mistaken, and,
taking possession of asCabrsra ans the Lake Of Va
lenca, he would carry on an interminabe war
against the tyrsnts, and all who should submit to
c..hya khnwA -
of all Spsin to dislodge him $50 General Paez
took q position on the spacious plain of Coxode.
near tho confluence Of the small streams Aguyral
and San Pedro, with the river Coxede few miles
south of San Carlos The position commanded the
highway between the plains, from which the Span
sh armies drew cattle for their subsistence and its
occupation much embarrassed the Spanish army.
Morillo determined upon D movement through .
de6le on tho left OF the Colombian position. Paeg
had at the same time resolved upon Q movement
upon the right Of Morillo, and the two operations
were going on at the same instant As those dispo-
stions on both sides led to conse luences which
neither contemplated, the casual discovery by each
that the other was in motion derargsd the plans
OF both, and led to conflict, in which the valor Of
the troops, and the military talents and Of
the commanders, must determine the issue Per-
or sspguirary /; it was . series Of manGuvres
determined by the position and the comp d'GI
of the commanders. The Spanish chief selected
position from which he could direct his operations
Ing COIcmDlHu oQ1eI gave h general Ofucr 10 Lno
chiefs Of his divisions ain ain certain line, and
to move on each Of the eDemy's columns, front and
flank, at The same time, Paez himself holding two
columns Of cavalry lancers to cooperate. Soublette,
who was chief Of the staff in this battle, acquired
and merited great distinction. The conflict was Of
several hours duration, and 80 fatal to both sides
that the battle ceased from the loss Of mon and ia
tigue Morlo found /. necessary to retire upon San
Carlos, though he claimed victory. Paez re-
Iuained In possession Of the field, and had to inter
the enemy's dead The great object Of covering the
source Of supplies from the plains was effected, and
the Spanish army disabled from pro e,uug military
opeqPtions for some time The battle of CoXede il,
therefore, considered as one of the most important
in it's consequences, as well as the most sanguHary,
Of the revolution :"
will now present an extract from work pub
lished in London in 1881, under the title of Cam
pagns and Cruises in Venezuela and New Ora.
NADIA from 1917 to $780," written by British Of
fcer who served in those two countries during
portion of their revolutionary struggle; and
ener which 'A occurs '' IN Hsppsley ysi Nara
tive," wherein tho author attributes, from report,
an act OF cruelty to General Paez Of which he is
trey innocent The following Is the passage, taken
'sCampaigns and Cruises:''-s'Is was the very same
wretch General Zedtfo) who 20 cruelty treated
Spanish officer, his prisoner, giving him horse to
escape scrcss the plains, and, At the same time,
Threatening 70 kill him if he again fell into his
hands, Then, having folio we'd him in few minutes
after, lancng him 10 cold blood. This action has
been laid, bu; upjustiy, to General P4oz's
charge"
In the memoir Of tne life Of General Pace pub
lithed in the NEW YORK HERALD of the 18th July,
1850, now before me, is the following account of the
engagement Of Queseres del Medic, in which Paez
distinguished himself in an extraordinary manner:-
son the first day Of A ril. Gen Morillo marched
along the left bank Of the Arauca, and approached
the position occupied on the right bonk By Generals
Paez and Bolivar, the latter of whom had returned
from the Congress, assembled at Angostura and
had been elected President Of the republic. Morillo
subsequently, made several feigned movements to
the right and to the left if he wished to cross the
river and at loon of the 3D., he took his position
nearly opposite to that Of Bolivar, out Of the
ncn's reach. For the purpose Of drawing him out,
General Pssz crossed the river with one hundred
and fifty horsemen, composed Of officers and soldiers,
and, forming them into three small columns,
advanced upon the enemy. Morillo Immediately
put al his forces in motion. His infantry and
artillery commenced firing, whilst his horse
men charged upon the small bsni of patriots
and he directed his course towards tho bank
the river, hoping to ove.power hy numbers the