Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-06-04
Nicaragua-How Walker and his
Men escaped-The Famine at
Rivas-Eating Mules, Horses,
Cats and Dogs.

army, has arrived at New York. One of the
Tribune's reporters called at his residence
after the arrival of the Illinois,and obtained
from him the following particulars:
Since the last advices here from General
w ,lker. the Allies made an sttack on the
eutrenchments at Rivas with force OF
9, 900 men. The assault lasted six hours.
and was hotly contested throughout. As
ne ar as could be ascertained, the enemy lost
four hundred killed and wounded, including
thirty prisoders taken by Gen. Walker;one
cannon belonging to the Allies also fell iEto
the hands of the 6llibusters.-Walker's to-
tai loss in this engagement in killed and
wounded did not exceed fifty or sixty men.
From this time until the second week in
April, when Gen. Mora arrived and assumed
command of the Allies, no offensive opera
iions, to speak of, took place on either side.
On the llth of that month the Allied forces,
led on it was said, by deserters from the
fillibuster camp, made desperate attack on
Gen. Walkers intrenchments. and succeed
ed in gaining possession at one time Of the
lower plaza. About one hundred and fifty
had entered tha: portion of the town, when
Gen. HenDingsen succeeded in bringing
three guns to bear upon them-which moved
| them down with gseat slaughter. About
half of them escaped, and the remainder
being surrounded were obliged to surrender
After good deal of hard fighting the enemy
was finally repulsed but not without contest
ing the ground inch by inch. One hundred
and three prisoners in all. rema ined in the
hands of Gen. Walker after the lighting
was over.
The hopes OF the Fillibustsrs were greatly
sustained by the constant expectation of re-
lief from Col. Lockrid ge and party on the
San Juan River, who were daily looked for.
OF course no correct intelligence could be
obtained respecting his situation and pros
poets, as an the avenues OF approach we're
day no news came from San Juan, the gar
rison a. Rivas began to despair and were
fast losing their spirits, when information
was received that Capt Davis, of the U ..
lsloop -of-war St. Mary's, had seized the
schooner Granada containing half Of all
NSn. w dlheT lHCu, Ju VI"
of the hopeless prospect before. them, the
| design Of retiring from the country began 10
be entertained. Meantime Capt. Davis
proceeded TO the seat of war and endeavored
to urge the contending parties to come TO
terms Gen. Walker, after prolonged and
painful consultation with his officers, con-
cluded to enter into stipulations with Capt.
Davis, and he subsequently surrendered to
him as an officer of the United States Gov
erpment. The Allies were not named in
the instrument. By full understanding
however, the retiring forces were not mo-
Tested by them-one ofthe Costa Rican
Generals attending Walker and his staff
through the lines of the enemy, hostage
as it were.
At the instance of Captain Davis the we-
men and children, numbering about 7O,were
removed frnm5the caup on the 20rh of April.
The former capitulation took place on the
30th of the same month, and the troops set
out on the march to San Juan del Sur on the
'lst of May
The whole number o. Walkers men at
the time of surrender was AIS; of these 260,
Including officers. were effective, ITS were
on the sick and wounded list, and 40 were
natives.
Provisions had been exceedingly scarce
during the whole month of April, and the
men had lived chiefly on mule and horse
meat nearly all the time. Dogs, cats and
other animals were sometimes killed to fur
nish Q novelty. Gen. Henningsen describes
horse.fesh as quite passable-when one
can get nothing bette.
The enemy, the General states, had suf-
| fered much from desertions, and on the LIST
of May could no have had more than 2 500
| available men about Rivas. He thinks that,
had General Walker held out two weeks
longer, scarcely shadow would have been
left of the Allies.
Gen. Henningsen has fortunately escaped
W thout single bloodlet,ing wound though
he has received great number of contu
sions. This is somewhat remarkable, as he
has been engaged in many very hot encoun
ters, and enjoys the reputation OF being one
of the bravest, as also the most efficient,
of Walkers late officers.