Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-04-19
From the New York Daily News.
The Central American War.

As we expected, the first news from Nicara
qua, since the commencement of hostilities is
twisted into a shape the most uniavorable to
Gen. Walker. The intelligence placarded, yes
terday, on all the newspaper bulletin boards
comes through a channel more than suspicious,
and in such formidable dimensions that, if it
were but half true, the renowned iibuster"
must have been hung, drawn and quartered by
this time.
At some Of our city offices the exciting news
was headed "Rout of General Walkers Army"
at another Z" Total defeat of Walker by the Cos
ia Rlcans," and at still another, "Rout Of 400
Americans by 500 Costa Ricans," according to
the different degrees of hostile feeling felt ut
each to the American colonization cause or
the special desire for the sale Of extras.
All this made the afternoon pass off in a
state of healthful excitement which was pro-
dnctive of some good, and, we hope, did no.
body any harm.
As for the facts in the case, which may be
read in the cool of this morning, we refer to
the true report Of Capt. Bushnell, in another
column, and the telegraphic despatch from the
Ncaraguan agent in New Orleans Moreover,
little recollection Of the dates and forces
stated by the last accounts will show that at the
period when the battle, or rather surprise is
said to have occurred, it was moral impossi-
blity that there could have been at the utmost
over three hundred men with Col. Schlessinger,
unless his recruits sprang up like the teeth of
Cadmus, into armed men, from the logs and
stones he left behind him. When we heard of
the Costa Rican, General Mora, several days
ago, the whole country he was traversing
swarmed with enthusiastic volunteers, among
whom were very many French and English
officers. His force was then said to be thou
sands it now suddenly dwindles to five hun
dred, while that of Schlessinger as suddenly
swels to four hundred
This Falstafian operation may be very in
terestng to parties here who gloat over the de-
feat of the American and democratic progress,
and it may be accepted for gospel by several
respectable old ladies on the money market /;
but it will hardly go down with any who re.
has ever been, or who have carefully read and
appreciated Shakespeare.
The sum total of this grand defeat is, that
an affair of advanced guard has taken place
Col. Schessnger having marched to meet the
enemy, and consequently coming upon when
they were in force.
Too rash and impetuous he has suffered q
surprise, has been repused, and has fallen
back toward Walkers main body, into a po-
sition where he will be able to hold his ground
until the full regiments coming up to his sup
port can reach him. Under such circumsan-
ces, it is very probable that prisoners from his
detachment we're taken, and that some Of his
men may have deserted or lost their way in the
woods. The prisoners of course, were at
once, in violation of every usage known to CIV
ilization, butchered in cold blood, and with the
greater alacrity perhaps that they were Irish
men and Germans, kindred in blood, religion
and feeling to the millions who vote upon our
soil, and have welded arms in its defence.
But their gore mingling with that of Ameri-
cans on the same field Of sacrifice has consecra-
ted common strugge-the brotherhood thus
cemented will not be easily MISUNDERSTANDING
new root upon the teeming Southern sthmus
it will fructify afresh at home, and early tdings
we doubt not will tell us that a bright page in
the history Of the young confederation has been
stamped with the seal of Santa Rosa