The true Democrat., 1856-05-13
News from Central Ameriea


 American Citizens-Letter from Minister Wheeler.
 By the arrival of the steamship Isabel al Charleston, the Standard received a copy of Fl Nicaraguense, of April 19, containing an ac. count of the recent battles in Central America and the present position of affairs there We copy this highly important intelligence from the Standard as follows:
 Rout of santa Rosa.
 On the 2Oth of March, 28O Americans or men protesting that nationality, under com. mand of Col Louis Schlessinger, at the hacipn. da of Santa Rosa, eighteen miles from Guana. caste, in this republic met body of Costa Ri. cans variously estimated at from GOO to 1 OO0 men, and in the course of fifteen minutes re- ceived terrible defeat No such event is ra. corded in the history of American arms, if Wa except the sack of Washington City. All the | advantages of time and place were in our ia. vor; the prestige of American valor was at Stake and the effect of defeat ali couSpired 1 to win the battle; but none of these causes or all of them, saved us from disastrous and dis. graceful rout. Every soldier on the ground, or away, feels as we have written. We cannot in. iure the truly brave therefore, by coloring over the affair at Santa Rosa-thus placing it on an equality with those actions which are deservirv 1 of commendaton.
 l The reward of the soldier rests in the appro. citation of his meritorlous actions above those who fell behind him-where is his token, then if the craven is mentioned in the same para. graph We have no official report of the ac ton; but from what we gather of those who were there, the rout is wholly attributable to the commanding officer.
 | Our troops had stopped at the hacienda of Santa Rosa for dinner and at the time of the attack, were all engaged in eating. No picket guard was detailed, nor any other precauton adopted to avoid an attack. Suddenly an alarm was given, and before the confusion in our camp subSided, the enemy poured in a de. structive volley. The troops were thrown into momentary panic, when Col. Schessinger gave an order to the German and French com. panies to fall back to receive better position This command was misconceived as an order to retreat, and accordingly rapid flight com menced by these companies. The Colonel fol. lowed, as he says, to rally the fugtives, but his movement was continued into flight, and soon the rout became general. Our troops fled in every drection scattering themselves widely over barren and mountainous country, with the topography of which they were wholly un. acquainted Fearful of passing along the road lest they might be captured by scouting parties of the enemy, they broke up in small parties and after q fearful journey, over mountains though thick chapparal, without fool or water the poor fellows arrived at Virgin Bay, n struggling parties, worn down with fatigue, rly. gel, bare foot and almost starved. The md.. nation of the army at the loss of the fight was divided iu its sympathy for the unfortunate sui. ferers. A loud and indignant expression wa, uttered against the commander by no other persons more strongly than by men and officers who had failed under him. Liable as human actions to be msconstrued, liable as all men are to meet uutoWard fortunes, we shall with hold any censure of our own until the court martial, at present inquirirg into the matter. shall render its decision.
 It Is almost impossible to mention the name, of those deserving credit in any battlc an. more particularly in one to which so little ere. dlt IS due as to the attIir at Santa Rosa Bu 4 the general voice of the army has b cn so u,a. nmouS Ill honorIng one company and certain officers, that we should be shutting our eyes .- the fact if we did not designate them. Tbe| old NoltlgeurS, TOW commanded by Capt Rui. Ter, was the last company to leave the field and not then until the day was utterly lost The loss by this company was terrible and the enemy will long have occasion to remembe. the Voltiyeurs. Major O'Neil, who is justly e, teemed the Murat of the army, won unan.mou praise from all the soldiers, not only for hi, bravery on the field but for his sympathy to the sufferers afterwards. Adiutant Johnson. tavorlte officer in garrison, is highly spoken of for his endeavors tO restore order and stop the flight Corporal Kelly, of company A.. was SD highly spoken of to the General, that he was promoted 10 Captaincy on his return.
 Second Battle oi Rivas! Six Hundred Cc.
 ta Ricans Kilied:- American Loss 80
 Total Rout of the Enemy.
 Rvas has again been the field of a blooly conflict. On the morning of the 7th iutell gence reached Granada that immediately afe the departure of the American troops frn Rlvas, force of 15OO or 20OO Costa Rcau entered and took possession of the citv Al the information was authentic, there was n time to be lost on the pat of Gen. Walker i, | making ready to reputse the enemy By day. | light on the Sth inst, force of five hurdre men, including one hundred native troop Il were on the march from Granada to engage tls | presumptuous invader. Gen. Walker, in pe. | son, Was at the head of the army The lous | under his command encamped the night of th | lOth within nine miles of Rvas, and in th mean time 1t had been ascertaincd beyorI doubt that the city was held and fortified tI 2OOO Costa Ricans and Chamoristas. EarlvCI the morning of the 1lth the march was rl sumed, with the prospect ahead of lively e-I gagemcnt. Evidently to the surprise of enemy, the democratic force instead of eutcrI Ing the city by the usual route from Grana come ID by the road leading from San Ja.o II Virgin Bay
 The troops, without halting were assi5re. thnjr
 appropriate points of attack The ba,alc under command of Col, Snders was orlers to enter by the street leading along the w.,I side of the Plaza, and the east side was to charged by the force under command of ( Fry. With a whnop and a we'll, a rush vi made for the Plaza, and as the troops werad covered by the enemy ascending the eminera which concealed the approach to the city, tr were saluted with vollev of mu,ketry, wh gave indication of a firm and obstinate res, tance. On both sides of the Plaza 8 brisk incesSant firing was kept up by the enemy b the fearless and undauuted forces of the len cracy charged them with so much rapidity, tia. m less than five minutes the Americlns we'd in entire possession of the Plaza The c Rlcans, stunning an open attack, precipi,a;e hetook themselves to the barricades and t tresSed houses, and from their places of pr0, ton and concealment, continued an unremu
 lire. Their cannon, too, with laundering vol. gave testimony of the efficiency of the pre- rations for defence. To prevent the desrucJ that must inevitably ensue from so fatal al zine of war, the determination was iustar, formed and carried into execution by Le Col Sanders, of taking it from the possession the enemy.
 The order to charge was given and the lant Colonel followed bv his intrepid sold- rushed, needless of peril, into the face of d1 ger and. with the loss of four men only, ceeded in capturing that essential point Of
 It was immediately brought and stationed the northeast corner of the Plaza, and paa under the coatrol of Capt. McCarde, am
 excellent and intrepid artillerlst The ann
 nition belonging to it was also seized, and ah minutes only elapsed before the weapon ~ 3 was destined for the destruction of the den | IN e.. 4 ,lr \