Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-12-25
Important from Nicaragua.

Important from Nicaragua.
Walkers Star Setting-Hs Men Sick
and Misera6le-Hs Unsuccessfm At
tack on Mdssaya-The Burning Of
Grenada.
The following brief account of General
Walkers movements in Nicaragua is fur
nished by Mr.. G. H. Rozet, q. S. Inspector
of Customs at San Juan del Sud:
The Costa Rican army, under Gen. Ca
ma, numbering about 500, entered San Ju-
an del Sud (Nov. Z, at p N.Y. and took
possession of the town. They encamped
about four miles out, on the mountain,
where they erected strong barricades in well
selected positions.
On the sth they were reinforced by 800
Guatamalians.
On the 9th, Gen. Hornsby, who was
stationed at Virgin Bay, attacked the first
barricade, from which he drove the enemy
by flank movement. He had about $50
men with him, and had he followed up his
success he could have driven them before
him like sheep; but his orders to keep po-
session of Virgin Bay were imperative, and
he had to return to that place, fearing an
attack in his absence from other portions of
the enemy stationed in that vicinity.
The number of the enemy killed and
wounded in that fight was about fifty.
On the 18th Gen. Walker arrived at
Virgin Bay from Grenada, with 25O men
drove the enemy from their barricade to
San Juan del Sud from whence they fled to
Rivas.
MORE FIGHTING AT MAssAYA.
On the 18th of November, Walker
marched from Grenada with force of 500
men, to attack Massaya, which was held by
large force of allies. On approaching
the latter place, he learned from his scouts
that Gen. Gerez formerly his own Minister
of WARY had set out to attack Virgin Bay
with force of 700 men. This information
induced him to divide his force. He sent
Col. Jacques, with 25O men, to Grenada,
where they took boats down the lake to
Virgin Bay, which they strongly fortified.
Gen. Hornsby, who had been charged with
the defence of that place, had, in the mean
time, procured leave of absence. He was
among the passengers by the Texas to New
Orleans. Walker, with his reduced force,
met detachment of the allies-some 500
strong-and battle ensued. The allies
were driven back into Massaya. The fight
here continued for some days, but the fill
h,,- 20 fol ha how
blew up portion of it, but they could not
reach the grand plaza.
They were obliged to retire on Grenada,
with loss of 60 or 70 men in killed and
wounded.
Walkers paper says that the stencil of
the men who fell in battle, became so hor-
rible that the attack was discontinued.
DESTRUCTION OF GRENADA-PosITIoN OF
THE FILLIBusTERs THERE.
1t was on his return to the capital that
Walker resolved upon its destruction and
evacuation. For that end he left there
some 400 men, under the command of
Gen. Hennigsen, whose instructions were
to take charge of the artillery, ammunition,
public archieves, and all the appurtenances
of the army, and convey them to Virgin
Bay-the design being to make that a
base of operations for the capture of the
city of Rivas, where Walker intended to es-
tablish his government. Grenada was Civ
en- to the flames. Property to an enormous
extent was consumed, much of it was own
ed by foreigners, whose governments will
doubtless seek indemnity. For some days
the troops under Hennigsen gave them
selves up to the widest debauchery. Plum
der, drunkenness, and all sorts of excesses
were the order of the day. Subordination
was lost sight of, and no sort of control
was exercised over the men. Hennigsen
was totally powerless in his attempts to
bring them to their duty. The consequent
ces which were to have been expected fol-
lowed. Before any of the munitions of
war could be transported from CIR NADIA to
Virgin Bay the allied forces besieged the
plaza where the troops were garrisoned.-
This seige was still going on when the Ten
nessee left. The beseigers had succeeded
after an obstinate struggle, in taking the
fort between the lake and city, only one
man of the twenty-eight or thirty defend
ers, surviving TO tell the tale. In the plaza
or in suburban church which escaped the
flames, were Hennigsen and his men shut
up and surrounded. There seemed to be
no recess left but an unconditional surrender
or annihilation. The next steamer from
San Juan will probably bring us news of
their fate.
TERRIBLE sUFFERINGs AND PROBABLE MAS
ACRE OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED AT
oMETEPE.
Before carrying out this fiendish project
of burning Gernada, Walker had embark
ed his sick, wounded and women, and
placed them under the charge of sixty men,
on the island of ometepe. This is an is
land of some extent in Lake Nicaragua,
lying nearly opposite Virgin Bay. The
terrible news has transpired, that the na-
tives, who were all terribly exasperated
against Walker, had arisen and massaered
these unfortunate people. Whether this
is true to its fullest extent is still matter
of doubt. The island is inhabited princi-
pally by Indians When the sick and
wounded were landed there, all the Indians
fled, save few, who were retained to act
as nurses. There were no provisions, no
beds, and no medicines provided for them.
Several of the patients were for days with
out food. The larger part of the sick and
wounded lay on the beach all night. The
next day all of them were distributed among
the huts, or taken into the church of the