Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-05-03
From Central America.

BRITIsH DISPATCHES INTERcEPrED.-Tt was
stated in the accounts from Central America
published some time ago, that the European
mail for Costa RIGA had been seized by some
of the Nicaragua troops on the route, and the
public documents and official correspondence
distracted. The Aspinwall Courier, of the
llth inst, says:
Subsequently it reached Gen. Walkers
hands, when he returned it to San Juan del
Norte, and thence it was brought to This city,
with the message that it had been rified with
out his order; that he did not approve of the
act, and that it should not occur again.
From the memoranda furnished by the oblig-
ing purser of the steamship Granada, we learn
that Parker Fl. French, Esq, who is a passen-
ger, reports that in the seized mail, dispatches
were found from Lord Clarendon Offering aid
against Walker, and that The dispatches have
been forwarded by Gen. Walker, by a special
messenger, to Washington.
We find nothing additional in the Panama
and AspinwalI papers that have come to hand
in relation to affairs in Central America, exr
cept tie following. copied fom the Aspinwall
Courier of the 18th, in relation to Schlessin~
gers defeat:
The circumstances of the feat defeat of Col.
Schlessinger, of Walkers command, in the bat
tie of Santa Rosa, are said to have been dis
graceful. Col. S. is represented to have had
scouts out, but to have allowed the whole of
his force in camp to be "off guard" cooking,
resting, or recreating. The scouts were taken,
some Of them disclosed the whereabouts of the
detachment, and thus the surprise which they
experienced WAS fatal. We learn, too, that
Schlessinger had laid himself Liable to severe
punishment previously BY an unnecessary and
cruel sacrifice &c life. lie took n customs
guard post on the frontier, a few days before
he reached the point Of his defeat, and after
keeping the officers there found as prisoners for
a short time. he shot them, ostensibly for fear
of their escape and, disclosure of his force, &c.
This circumstance was discovered after the bat
lie of Santa Rosa; and upon the immediate de-
mand of the Costa Rican army, Gen. Mora
sacrificed as an atonement n dozen of Walkers
men whom he held prisoners.
LATER.
Since the foregoing was written, we have re-
ceived the Panama Star, Of the 10Th inst, con-
tanning the following interesting intelligence
from San Juan del Sur:
The pilot boat Joseph Hewett, Capt. Clapp,
from San Juan del Sur, April Sd, arrived here
this morning, C9,) with Mr.. John Fretz, Mr..
Garrison, Jr, and two other passengers. We
have been able 10 learn but little news; but il
is said that Gen. Walker is still at Riyas, and
that he intends advancing on Honduras.
The Costa Rican army had not advanced be.
yond their frontier since the battle of Santa
Rosa. The place was perfectly healthy. and
everything quiet in San Juan del Sur.-Pica-
yune Of Wednesday.
The following We take from the Della:
The Seizure Of the British and Costa
Rfea Misunderstanding Development.
Among the passengers on the Granada is
Col. Parker Fl. French, late Minister from
Nicaragua to the United States. He reports
the capture of the British and Costa Rican
mails for Costa RIGA, containing dispatches from
Lord Clarendon to the Costa Rican Governs
ment, offering aid against Walker. These dis
patches have been forwarded to Washington
in charge Of a special messenger. The mails
were seized by Captain Baldwin, a short dis
lance up the Serrabiqui, one mail labelled as
British, and the other as Costa Rican. They
were as soon as possible sent to the Comman~
der in Chief. who respected the contents of the
British mail, but overhauled the Costa Rican,
and found a copy of letter from Lord Claren-
don to the Costa Rican Minister at London,
enclosed by the latter to the Secretary of State
of Costa RIGA.
In this letter the Costa Rican Minister is in.
formed that an effective British naval force
would be sent to the Caribbean Sea in March,
and that funds had been provided by the British
Government to assist in the war against WAL
ker. Col. French states that the messenger
this letter from Clarendon, and the let
ter from the Costa R;can Minister i~nclosing it,
was in Havana when the Granada left on his
way to New York. It's expected that the let.
will be publishea in the New York Herald
as soon as he arrives.
In regard to Walkers movements, Col.
French says that no one knows, or can c~onjec-
ture, at what point he viii strike the decisive
blow. He kept his policy to himself. At last
accounts, he was afoat with his men on the
San Juan river, a short distance below Lake
Nicaragua.
CTR. II. STEVEN, the great ship builder and
;Il;ono;ro d;od Of HE raeidonra NJ Hnhoinp n |