Demoine courier., 1855-10-11

AASA1 VI inos
W. find in the Springfield Journal OF
the 18th inst, q letter from L~ieu,enan,
Vim. Merriman, con Of DR.. Merriman,
formerly a resident Of this city, giving an
account Of the late filibue,ering opera.
tons Of Col. Walker in Ni~carsugus.-
The writer was reported among the killed
at the battle Of kivss, bu, j, seems he CO
capped unframed and 10 ready TO receive
his SlO0 per month and 500 acres oil
laad-whenever he can get il. which
from present indications will not be very
soon. We copy the following from Lieu,
Ms letter:
u suppose you have before heard Of
my having left San Francisco, with Col.
Walkers party, TO aid Cas,illioa in the
revolution in Central America. and u e.
,sblish the genuine republican principles
aud institutions there;-our pay 10 be one
hundred dollars and Eve hundred acres
Of land to retire upon when wa had 20.
cured these glorious blessings for the
country. W. left Sahfrancisco on the
4ih o! May, much against the will Of
some Of Uncle Ssmuel's officers, and ar
rived here on The 10Th Of June. After
remaining here anc at Chinandsgua for
q week, 70 take a fair view Of The coun
Try We had come 10 maze free. W lef,
again on board the Ves,a Tor Rivas, a
town in the interior, accompanied BY 10
OF the native troops-our force being So
Americans, armed with Mississippi rifles
aud Col,'s Revol ,ers.
'On Il e night Of the 26,h Of June, we
landed in the small Bay Of Gegar,e. and
took up the line OF March for Rivas -
On the night Of the 2s,h, after a severe
march without eating or sleeping. living
essentially on patriotism. $lOO a month,
and 500 acres Of land in prospect, We
arrived at and TOOK a small place called
iona, about IL o'clock at night. killing
aud wounding twelve Of the enemy, and
not loosing q man ourselves. We came
up 10 this place and did the business in a
hurry. We s,aid there tina, night. and
mex morning We took up our line Of
march for R,vas, dis,an. eight miles,
We reach that place a, IL ~, and were
received by the enemy with several sol.
!eys Of musketry. W. charged and
drove them from point to pom, and from
house to house, until finding tina, We had
no, force enough 10 hold all the places we
had taken-our native force having turn.
ed tail and 'ingloriously fed after he
FIRST ~charge-ws concentrated ous force
ia one house, which proved the salvation
Of the party.
As soon a. we had taken possession
Of the house Col. Walker orcered me
to take FIVE men and charge on a house
on the opposite side Of tho street, which
was in possession Of the enemy. and
command a view Of every man in our
party. We charged and drove the enc.
my out Of The house, took possession Of
i, at The cos, Of the Chomoro party. 70,
I may safely say We killed rs Of the en-
envy aud had only n Of our small par
~ killed. After the fight had lasted SIX
hours, Col. Walker ordered &C 10 ve,ir-
10 the house be occupied. which we did
by q rapid movement, and with safety,
though the bullets whistled around Us
worse than twenty leakeales singing -
Az 500 as we were in the house, the Col
gave the order 10 charge on, Of the back
door and Gu. our way through the enemy
and then retreat. Az soon as the order
was given, to avoid doing worse. we
charged, and killed FIVE or elk OF the en-
envy broke through their line, and took 10
the bushes. After a f~atiguing re,rea,ing
march Of IS miles-prety tall walking
we patriots made, every man manifes,inS
something like anxiety in his counter
ance-we arrived Al, hacienda abou,
daylight slept a couple of hours, ca,
some beef roasted or Goals. which great.
ly refreshed the outer ~ well 40 the inner
man, and then started on the road again.
About Ave in the evening wa reached
San Juan del Sur, bu, found none OF the
enemy 10 fight. We took possession Of
.5e place. s.ayed there for about I hour;
and hearing that about 900 Of Crayaja's
troops were on the rosd in pursuit Of us.
We pressed all the boats 10 the harbor
and passed out 10 a schooner laying of.
captured her, raised the flag Of freedom
and glory. and se, sail to find the brig Yes
IA. On the evening Of the Sd Of July
we found her. discharged the schocne,
with q great many thanks for the kindl,
relief she had afforded Us, and procsedec
Tor this place, which we reached on ,hs
5,h.
AT Rivas we had ten men killed.. a
mong whom were Lieut. Col A. l. Kew.
en- and MAJOR Il. Croker, and Q friend
Of mine-Wm. Cols-a noble youth,
valiant, hi~ghminded, and Of the pure .,
republican sentiments, W. should have
taken Rivas il ths native ,roops had no.
deserted Us; but 90 j, was-53 men were
not able 10 cope with, 600 (Which wal the
number tho enemy had)-,hough we
made desperate efforts to do 90, and made
U rifles and revolvers veil we'll. When
We setseased we had nine mon wounded
on the road or we should have gone and
tax on possession Of Virgin Bay. That
val ouT FIRST intention.
i told you va were 70 get 900 .
month. We have no, received any Of
A.: