Southern shield., 1856-12-20
Late and Important News from
 Nicaragua and California.

The New Orleans papers of the 11th, bring the following intensely interest ing accounts from Nicaragua:
 The news from Nicaragua is of the most important and exciting charac ter.
 Since the former accounts, a series of battles have been fought between Walkers forces and the allied troops of the Central American League, in all of which Walkers men have been en- !. tirely successful.
 On the 10th of November an en- gagement took place at the location known as the Half-wa House, on the Transit Road, between 200 of Walk er's men, under command of Brigadier Gen. Hornsby, and 1 100 of the ene- my, under command of the Costa Ri- can, Gen. Canas. The enemy were fortified, but notwithstanding their su- perior numbers, they were immediate ly routed with great loss. The loss of Hornsby's command was only two killed and eleven wounded, while that of the enemy was 200 killed. Among their killed was Gen. Carraca.
 After the enemy had been dispers- ed, General Hornsby, with his com mand, went to Granada.
 The next day General Walker star ted from Granada with 200 men for Virgin Bay, where he arrived on the 12th.
 The enemy, after having informa- ton of the smallness of the force, un- der command of Gen. Hornsby, which had dispersed them, collected their scattered troops, and again occupied their former position.
 Gen. Walker being informed of their movements, immediately marched to attack them. The enemy being aware that Walker commanded in person, fired 8 few rounds only, and then re- treated. They were pursued to San Juan del Sur, and from that point along the coast, until they dispersed throughout the country. About 150 of themmade their way into Costa Rica.
 The loss of the enemy could not be ascertianed. They were continually shot as they were overtaken. Their 1 loss was probably about 100. The loss of Walkers command was but two killed, and nine wounded slightly. 1 Immediately after this victory Gen. ! Walker returned to Granada in-6rder to take re;GfH6,Tcements, and march upon Masaya, where some 1,500 of the enemy still remained. He took up his line of march on the 10th with 530 men, and learning that a number of the enemy had marched from Mas ava to the relief of those who had been | beaten on the Isthmus, he ordered the 2nd Infantry, under command of Col. ! JaQuess, to return to Granada, and thence proceed to the transit route by the steamboat San Carlos to repulsc any forces that he might encounter.
 Gen. Walker then proceeded with the remainder of his force, and when they arrived in the vicinity of Masaya, they were suddenly attacked by some 500 of the enemy in ambuscade. A sharp fight took place, and the enemy were quickly scattered in every direc- tion.
 Gen. Walker then marched into Masaya, on entering which it was as certained that a body of the enemy had possession of church in the little pla- za. The church was at once attacked, <, and in a few minutes Walkers force drove out the enemy and gained pos session of both church and plaza, to- gether with an abundance of fresh provisions and exellent water, with out sustaining the loss of a single man. Finding it impossible to draw the enemy into an open fight, Walker, af- ter some consideration, concluded to burn their strongholds. This was ac- cordingly done. The larger and most valuable part of the city was distroy- ed, and after four hours hard fight ing the enemy were completely van quished.
 This being accomplished, General Walker returned to Granada to ex- ecute further plans, which had been we'll considered.
 Granada being a very sickly place. General Walker concluded that it was very disadvantageous to his troops to return to that city, and, moreover, he had long previously determined to make the city of RivaS the capital of Nicaragua. He had proceeded to carry out his intentions. Being well assured that, upon the evacuation of Granda by his forces, the city might be occupied by the enemy with advan- tagc, unless lie took steps to render that occupation impossible, he deter mined to burn the place. According ly, he gave three days notice to all persons in Granada to remove their goods and valuables, and at the end of that time the city was fired, and not a vestige of a building was left stand l ing.