The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-03
ADDITIONAL FROM NICARAGUA.
4INTERESTING LETTER FROM GEN. WALKER
OUR GRANADA CORRESPONDENCE.
Movements i'm New Orleans,
10. co., 10.

~AOv cAAACAto IA NC" OIAcSnSs
10, &0.. 10
The Battle or santa Rosa.
OUR NICARAGUA CORRESPONDENCE.
VIRGIN BAY, March 26, 1856.
4,7iuot @ Vnyin Bay-News of ScAsssi,gsrs Entire De-
fat-Appearance of His RoAsd 7foops-Accoun, of His
Aarch-His 7yronnical Disposition Of HIS
force-Anack Tpo Bamboo Huts-Arrical al
Santa Rosa-Aaac of the Enemy-Copdrdice of Schles
-nager-His Ftght-Entire ROW Of the 7roops-7neir
Flight, dc.
After q six hours from Granada. in the steamer
San Carlos, reached Virgin Bay this morniog at
O'Clock to hear the most disastrous The Of
Schessr gers has proved too tsue but everse
Is too light term to express the character OF this de-
feat was . disgraceul rout, and whit renders the
shame most burning, and indeed, indehbe s that it
accomplished BY force but little than vice
the number Of his own, and brought against him. too,
while he was in q superior position.
After a weeks march Schlessinger found himself at
hacienda within twevs miles Of Gusnscass, and while
preparing to refresh his troops surprised by body
ofbetween 400 and SEQ Costa Msans Who with three
four voeys, threw him in'o utter confusion and drove
aim from the field he in person leading the retreat and
struck with panic not to heed the entreaes
of scme Junior ticers, who urged him to turn and
deavor to rally the men for q effort
We obtained these dsporasle tdings at FIRST through
two fugtves who had just in and hard upon their
heels schlesinger himself, the hasty courier OF
his Disgrace and confessns by this order in the
flight the monstrous co xarcs which had betrayed his
troops to ruin
He presented q different figure to my view from that
which board the Virgin about three weeks be-
fore, bombasticaly announcing that he had just de-
cared against Costa Rics, and that with sixty
he would engage to march to San Jose The fresh blue
military coat with its bright buttons hsd given place to
tagged and filthy woollen Shirt the jaunty French mi
itary cap to slouched hat fastened with rope yarn
and instead of the glossy patent leather boots his leg
gjDgs in shreds and mush OF torn leather hung
about his feet. But the wide difference his dow
cast face and particularly the entire absence OF any
congratulations for his His disgrace had be-
fore him. and while IL Lose who rode with him
braced all sides warmly welcomed he shunned
eper, and met with neither good word extend
ed hand Changing his mule he announced his intention
a. once TO Rvas but though no him
sell ignorant OF the road and several stood ready with
their brides in their hands none were willing to go 81
his companion
In, some In Squads eome alone, some hatess oil Shoe
LEES and several naked to the waist IT frst pug
zed to account for this last phenomenon but soon d
covered that those VIII appeared In this had torn off
the legs of their in successive to
mo round their suffering ;eet to protect them from the
thorny unGergrowth of the forest paths.
such exhausted, tAttered, foriorn and deplorably
miserable poor fellows never saw and had not
cir distress heen actual for anything buu pain to
the bsholder 1. might have laughed clever
extravaganza the annual buriesque OF the gracetss
bal ds who New York ridoue the exigencies OF war
the militia stem ucder the Of the FAntas
calls or "Ricn meas poor sons."
But there disposition smile at their distresses
however udicrous they seemed, and fast they ap
peared, their sympathizipg comrades furnished them
with cothss and hsn after refreshing them with fooi
But one opinion wa, expressed by all in relation TO the
commander OF the expedition and the united ststsmsn
coware ice that was . disgrace to human nature
The appointment Of Schiessoger 70 this command was
IN every vsy most unfortunata one, and would pro-
badly not have been made by General Walker except
spirit Of re,astion for his ignominous expulsion from
Costa Rica In the first place, he was German or in
next Jew; in the third, of cspricau., violent and
despotc nature which made him feared rather than be-
loved While the oicers envisd him his rapid rise and
brilliant opportunity, the bitterly hated him, aud
even the sn ictness Of military dsci pne could not
rey prevent their expressions Of contempt and dstesa
server, who saw the expedition off from Virgin Bay
gravely made the remark tina! Sshessngers greatest
risk would be from IRE in the
In addition to these drawbacks from his personal eff
cheney and control the force not only all svies
without discipline but was composed Of the most hete
rcReneous and, indeed, conflicting elements, and but
small portion of it properly armed. There
company Of Frenchmen, another company OF Gernans-
leans To compensate for want Of discipline, therefore,
there not the tie Of companionshp and smulA
on could not be expected to supply the place
mcn spirit with who had Iaurels to preserve aud
no commander woom they wished to please. Unfortu-
natey, the remaining principle Of patrioti,m, which
could not be counted In such enterprise and out Of
such materials.
Colonel schlessirger left Virgin Bay on the 18th March
for Guapacaste. The first days march TO San Juan
were taken but both ran away after entering
the boundary Of Costa Rica From San Juan the ch
continued at the rate OF about fourteen miles day,
through rough, perpexed 9nd hy country the troops
trailing through the narrox footpaths in Indian fs and
suffering much in many place, rom the rocky nature Of
the sun for IT was the unaccountabe policy Of Schessu
ger to lie by during the whole Of the cool moonlight
nights and to conduct his marches In the torrd interval
between ten and four the day This occAsionea
much remonstrance but the only effect which seemed
to have upon him to urge the march, while it
exhausted the powers of the men, had but little effect
upon his mounted comfort Discomfort Of course, kept
the fourth day out in consequences of court martial
having been ordered Captain Thorp of the New Or
leans company, Co A. and the French company being
fhop was in denouncipg the act Of the Colonel for cut
ting loose the bsggag. Of his company in order to give
the mule which bore 1t to sick The court
t~i no xever, promptly acquitted Captain fhorp, but
deep feeling Of resentment entered the minds of his men,
and also OF all the other Americans that the company
should have been degraded from its post honor in
Of the French for alleged fault of captain Alone
B, u wts ,s not until the next d,y that the keen Ss
Colonels courage. At ten in the m morning he came
sight OF two bamboo huts on the skirt Of wood,
Salinas, and though the prsssiugiy in of
WATER he kept them in check till night before he would
adventure advance. Then he ordered three compa.
nies to form upon the beach, and dropping behind the
last COMPANY knee he drew his pistol but before
he could direct them to chsge 1t discovered there
nobody In the huts He passed that night upon the
beach, and the next morning entered Salinas. Find
rg plenty OF beef and water at this place. he embraced
the opportunity OF making days stay to refresh his
men, but at O'Clock the next morning he out again.
ano about dusk the evening of Tuesday, the 10th,
he reached the fine hacienda Of Santa Rosa twelve
miles from Guanacaste.
He mirht veil nave had reason IN
upon the fortune which sent him such superior
Tbs hacienda spacious and strongly built od Spa
nish house. situated rise Of about feet from the
road, and surrounded three sides by strong stone
wall OF solid masrn work, four Eve feet high,
and which being filled in with EARTH formed plat
form which the house was SET This stone All faced
all the approaches to the mansion from the road on the
Pacific side, while in the needed a. the
platform ran into the tangled mountain sde witch