The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-04-20
THE DAILY DISPATCH
Mondny Morning, Aprii 90, 1857.
TAE RXPLOSxaN In NICARAGUA.
EurlhAr Pur1lcnlaTs


THE RxPLOsIsN In NICARAGUA.
Further Particulars.
The New York papers contain the statements Of
several returned llitus,ers with regard to the dis
asters attending Lockridge's Expedition against
CASTILLO and bis return. One of them says:
On the first of April. when we got about q
mile and quarter above Sarapiqui, the boat ].
N Scott, which was used as hospital, exploded:
the second deck WAS used as \ hospital The boat
had just grounded on q sand bar when the explo-
sion took place There were thirty men killed
instantly or missing; many went to the bottom and
never rose again, and many were terribly scalded
we took launch, and got off the sick and wouu.
ded first. and then sent them down to Pun.a Are.
mas. The sroans Of the wounded were heart
piercing-many beseechiug US to shoot them and
put an end TO their sufferngs The boat being
grounded on q bar, she could not sink and only
one half Of her was destroyed, the other ha,f was
used as temporary hospital for the rick and
wounded.
The Rescue. being but a short distance IN al
vance Of us, came back and assisted us, and We
soon got all the men to Punta Arenas, The Brit.
ish vessels there sent their surgeons immediately
over with port wine and refreshments, and thew
dressed the wounds and paid US the utmost atten-
tion. waslying there among the woun nded very
much injured from wounds received at Serapioui.
and from being tossed about the time of the ex
plosion. heard the British officers say that when
the Tennessee arrived, If she would not take us
off they would themselves send us to any part of
the United States In their propeller. They had
been in the habitf II doing that ever since we Lam
ded there in January. All the deserters that came
down they would take In their propeller to the
United States
The explosion on the ]. Scott was caused by
some miscreant, who threw a Task of powder into
the frsnace. Il is not known who il was We
know it must have been powder, FROM tie fact of
the faces OF the wounded being great deal black
ened with powder. We bad at least two tons of
powder on board the Scott, but not bit of 1t was
disturbed by the explosion The side of the boiler
must have been frat blown in and the steam did
the rest of the damage The worst of 1t was that
most of the men who were scalded, were the yery
men who had agreed to go with Luckridge to ioin
Walker, SO that do not suppose that he will get
over ten men to go with him
The following is list of the killed and wound
ed
Killed: Maj. w. Morris; Capt Sohlight; 1t. Vo'se1;
1T CcshiaD; J Burlington. private; j. aurry private;
m M Backsnan, private; J L. Finell private; Vim
Ednnon,on, private; Jas Wiison, private; = Hig
gins, private; Thos Alexander, private; Gh.s YORK
private; Calvin 5. Thomss, private. Fatally Wound
ed: J. hosn private; = Lansing, private Badly
HoanSed; L. Lieut. g Col Doubleday Capt .a,se!ya
w. Barr;nston; Lieut. J. A Cisdear; Lieut. Mulhol-
land Frank Grswford, private; E. Baker, private;
Alex ai'ey, private; ark Nett private; D. Stspn
private Daniel Burr. private; -mcCrae, private;
e. Holmes, private; - mt, private; Ema
nue Slightly Wounded: Col Frank Anderson; Ma
jor w. C Cspers; CAPT VIM. scott; Adiutant A
G Hill; Lieut. Samuel Jackson; Lieut. Thos. Smith:
Dr. T. Charlton
The account s6ds:
A long matched shed, which was formerly used
for a woodshed, was converted into a hospital
snd The wounded removed there. Having no beds
and but few blankets, boards were placed for them
to lie upon. The surgeons of the English fe ct
renee ed all the assistance In their power in dress
ing the wounded and prescribing for the sick. of
whom there were about 70, mostly suffering from
fever.
Notwithstanding all the efforts Of the medical
oflers the greatest Suffering exists In the hospi-
tai The men being under command refuse
TO assist in waiting upon the SICK The few whv
actuated by nobler spirit, remain in the hospital
are unable to give such attention as each de.
mands. It Is impossible to keep the flies from the
wounds, and few hours are sufficient to produce
large colony of msg2ots. l have seen q man
with his face covered with them, and another from
whom they dropped by scores as he dragged him
self along. There is great scarcity of medciner.
The medicine chest was Just behind the boiler and
was blown into the water, together with Doctor
Charlton, the apothecary of the regiment The
doctor was uninjured, and had sufficient presence
of mind to save two bottles of laudauum which
were near him in the water, and which were of
the greatest use in aeviating the horrible suffer
ings of the wounded, some of whom ran about
the boat after the explosion with the skin of their
arms and hanjs hanging in strips, shrieking snd
groaning and begging to be put out of misery
An account of the retreat of Lockridge from
Castillo, and its cause, says.
The army landed about mile and half below
the castle. and marched through the woods to the
attack. They found, to their surprise that the
allies had fortified Nelson's Hil-wbich is back of
the castle. $50 yards distant, and commands it
c mpletely-with several large cannon and about
500 men. They had dug bitches and cut down
trees, and formed barricadss, making the position
h4t - al,
a formidable breastwork which could only be car
ried by howtzers and shells. The castle was also
fortified and filed with soldiers. The scouts of
Col Lockridge's party approached so near the en-
emy that they could have killed several with their
swords, while they were at work, and in one in
stance lieutenant was obliged to run to escape
from under tree, which the Costa Rcans were
cutting down.
Col Lockridge ordered a retreat, the officers
and men supposing that he intended to attack the
of the river, in frcnt of the CASTLE and were sur-
prised TO fad themselves on the way back to their
Own camp After holding council of war, he de-
cid ed to abandon the river.
On the 1st of April the Rescue, which had been
lying at Holleuback's island, started down the
river With all the troops, numbering about three
hundred. At Mschuca rapids, Col. Lockridge
called his officers on the upper deck Of the boat
and made speech, stating that the counci OF ON
eers bad determined that they could take the Cas-
sltO Dut IL De AT An SACRIFICE OF
probably one half of their number at least They
would then have too few to garrison the river and
to advance on San Carlos. He told them his inten~
tiop was to abandon the river and to 60 round to
General Walker. He drew line on the deck, and
called for volunteers Those who stepped over
the line we're required to swear allegiance to Walk
er's government. He then called for volunteers
from among the soldiers. About one hundred step.
ped forward. among whom were ninety Texans.
Those who declined going with him were disarm-
ed and put on board the steamer Rescue, which
vas 81 Mt down the river in advance of the Scott,
which contained Lockridge and most of his party.
They left amid the groans and dcrsions of their
former comrades some of the officers high in
SO far forgetting themselves as to curse
hem for the most cowardly set of men who ever
iisgraced any country. They were ssnt down
he river in advance of the Scott without arms,
o draw the enemy's fire should there be an at
ack.
FOREIGN IrEMs-At the Irish elections the bal
Ince of parties is not disturbed except in the
# Mr. Under Secretary Ball. who ia At present uu-
provided with . seat, but there is a chance, only
amt one, of his late seat for Carlow county being
Iained by the Hon. Frederick Popsonby.
Gen. Todleben, the chief defender of Sebasto.
'ol, arrived in Paris on the I'd instant.
ME- Horsley Palmer Is about to resign his post
IS director of the Bank of England, which he has
occupied for forty six years.
The Dowager Countess of Westmoreland died
nj Mure In