The true Democrat., 1854-05-09

44''thent'c Report cf Mr Great Battle actih tue
 Apaches.
 The mail from the west arrived last night, bringing us Santa Fe papers of the 18th, and letters from Cantonment Burgwin near Taos, to the Fist of March, to friends in this city, From these letters we learn the following au- thentlc particulars of the desperate battle be- tween the command of Lieutenant Davidson and the Apache Indians, few miles from Taos
 On the night of the 26th of March, Lieut. Davidson left Cantonment Burgwin, in con- mand of hfty-seven men, in pursuit of the Apaches, who were supposed to be about one hundred strong Next morning, about o. clock, he came upon the Indians, posted upon mountain, and far exceeding in number what had been represented. They numbered at least two hundred There was but one alternative, as they raised the war-whoop upon the ap- proach of the command, and the attack upon them commenced at once
 After a fight of three hours, during which Lieut. Davidson lost twenty-two men killed and twenty y-one wounded, two-thirds of the con- mand being killed and wounded, he was fore ed to retire, fighting his way over two miles, and with the disadvantage of having the wound ed to carry with him. Lieut.. Davidson receiv- ed an arrow wound, not very severe, in hand to hand conflict. Surgeon Magruder was also wounded slightly.
 The victory was dearly bought one to the Indians, as about ftty of them were killed, and nothing but their vast superiority in numbers gave them triumph. Everything was safe at Cantonment Burgwin, there being fifty odd men there. It was expected that the whole of the Generals disposable force would be sent out against the enemy
 Another letter, dated the 31st says: "They commenced firing upon us, every shot taking effect either upon the horses or men, It was sad sight to see so many men falling dead by my side. We were in so bad place that the Indians had great advantage of us and when we retired they were on all sides of us; had we stopped three minutes longer, not man would have been saved The wounded are now in the hospital. A young Mexican whom l met in Taos today told me that he was at the place of the action yesterday afternoon, and counted siaty dead Indian bodies.
 "Majors Blake and Thomson, with a few troops and large number of Mexcans start ed last night to bring in the dead bodies, and to attack the Indians, if they could be found.'' Among the volunteers in this desperate en- gagement was MT. Geo. K. M'Gunnegle, ir, of this city, who was an active participant, and behaved with all the coolness of a veteran He escaped unhurt.
 From Santa Fe paper we extract the fol- lowing:
 'RETURN OF THE EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF THE UTAH INDIANS. -T The expedition in | search of the Utah Indians who stole the ami mals from near Taos, about three weeks ago. and which we noticed in our paper of the 4th, returned, after an absence of eleven days, Sa- turday, the 1lth inst. They followed them about hundred and forty miles, but failed to overtake them. They travelled up the valley of the Del Norte until they struck the Indian trail, about ten miles above the mouth of the Trincharies, thence through the Sand Hill Pass, on to the head of the Huerfeno, down the same ten miles, and turued up the North Folk into the valley of the West Mountains They returned by the head of the Sangre de'Cristo pass and Fort Massachusetts, They saw many indications of Indians, and at one place counted more than one hundred lodge marks. They followed the trail until it joined the main viii lage, which is now encamped further to the north in the valley of the Vale Salado, and numbers, as is supposed, near three thousand warriors. The detachment crossed the trail of Col. Fremont, in his recent survey for railroad, and found large quantities of snow, sufficient to render the route impractcable."