The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-27
THE DAILY DISPATCH.


Friday 11ernina, February ~, 1857.
THE BATTLES In INNICARAGUA.
distressing Account Of Walkers Opera.
lions and Prospects.
The correspondence of the New Orleans papsri
contain full and interesting accounts of the battle,
of which intelligence has been published by tele-
graph. The correspondent of the N. o. Picayune
says: ....
The day after my arrival at Rivas, the 2o.h O,
January. . report was brought into town that q
small force of the Allies had set themselves down
In Obraje. little pueblo, eight miles distant Two
companies, one of the Rifles and the other of the
Mounted Rangers, were Immediately dispatched
to rcconpoltre. Late at night courier came into
town with news that the Rangers had bad brush
with the advanced guard Of the enemy, In which
Capt Phiuney was badly, II rot mortay wound
ed On the 27tb, at IL o'clock, 800 men, under
Gen Heuningsen, were sent to the scene of action.
Walker having learned that the main body of the
Allies, under Csnas supposed to consist OF l300
men, had marched Into Obrsje. and were strongly
foetifying the church and plaza Henningsen's
force, 10 all 440 men, endeavored to draw them
out but they were rather wary. and after twenty
hours skirmishing. he received orders from WAN
loss of Cap. Phinney and fve of his Rangers. The
enemy lost 100 killed.
On the 2ssh, the whole of Walkers force wasre-
called to Rivas. even the sixty or seventy men sta
toned 1t Virgin 10 watch the movements OF the
lake steamers and to guard the transit road being
called in Walker also burned the small schooner
on the lake, (which he bad been endeavoring to
repair to assist in an attack upon the steamers
for fear she would fall into the epemys hands -
His scouts reported that the enemy had fallen
back from Obraje upon Pueblo Nuevo, which
proved TO be incorrect, for on the morning of the
Goth, they marched into and occupied st George,
oaly . league distant, and Immediately COM
menced strengthening the church and barricading
the plsza in front. At 10 o'clock, A. NJ, Walker
dispatched a force of 450 men, under Hennipgsen,
to attack them. The lst Infantry arrived three
quarters of a mile in advance of the main force,
aud without waiting for it to come up. immediate
ly commenced the attack. with view of forcing
themselves into the plaza They were repulsed
with great loss. The main body of Hennipgsen's
force having come up. the attack was renewed,
aud kept up with Indifferent success until late in
tie night Hennipgsen had two four FOUNDERS
and the enemy four or five pieces. but neither
party seem TO have used their artillery to much
advantage. 10 attempting 10 throw out two wings
to flank Walkers little force, the enemy met with
their principal loss from well directed fire of the
fbusters in the plaintain patches. They at once
fell behind their barrcades, with loss, 1t Is said
by some, of 200 killed and 400 wounded Others
say, which is the most probable that the Allies
lost in all eighty to a hundred killed. Brig Gen
BosQuet, of the Costa Rican division, is supposed
to have fallen from the fact that ope of Walk er
soldiers took off from the dead body of an off ;er
. sword former belonging TO the hiibu,ter chief,
and VIII Bosquet picked up In the last battle OF
kivas and wa, known to wear. But l was well
acquainted with Bosquet, and from the description
the soldier gave me of the body, / feel satisfied
he was mi itaken in the man.
Finding his force, as at Obrsje, fighting at great
disady sntage Wake order a retreat and at 4
o'clock in the morning of the 30th, it fell back
again upon Rivas. IL ia said he withdrew for fear
the enemy might throw in q force between him
and the transit road, through means of the Lake
steamers, thus cutting him off from communca
tion with the Orizaba. then nearly due from S2p
Francisco, and by which he expected men and
provisions. Walkers loss at ST. George WAS 16
killed al 80 wounded. Caps Wilkinson and Rus.
sail and Lieut. Hyer were killed. Col Jaques ana
Major Dusenberry were mortally wounded Col
Leonard, Capt johnson and LIEUT.. ChafaRt badly.
aud Lieuts Na8le. Northridse, Steele and Scher-
msrhorn eighty wounded.
On the evening of the Both, Walker At the head
of force of 800 men, started for San Juan del
Sur, 10 guard over the men and supplies expected
on the steamer. He arrived with several carts
and baggage wagons next morning, bringing also
about 200 spa re skets the recruits expected
He took up his quarters in the Transit Company 3
office; bis officers and men quartering in the de-
serted shanties about to- wn.
On the first hs ordered court martial on de
sertsr from the battle of ST. George picked up that
morning. The poor fellow was found guilty. and
at sunset shot on the beach In preseace of the
whole force, drawn up into line. did not learn
bis name, but be was German, of family, and had
lived in New York
The steamer Orizaba hove in sight about an hour
after the exc cution. She had, however, only 50
m. for Walker and SMALL lot of provisions, about
enough to fill a small wagon. These so men re-
mained board sll night, besting their drums, and
making valorous speeches; but the next morn.
ing, when ordered on shore, twenty of them were
found slowed away, hoping to escape to New
York.
ASP M General Walker, after placing bis
spare arms on board his little two gun war schoe-
ner In the harbor for the use of future arrivals,
prsts d three or four struggling Americans into
his force, who were waiting . passage 10 the
States and then took up his line of march for Ri
vas.
At IL O'Clock A. NJ of the same day. force of
300 to 400 Costa Ricans entered Virgin, on the
transit road and the steamer Virgin came up to the
wharf for the first time since ths enemy has had
her, and landed few men and officers. On each
ing Virgin, they Immediately commenced throw
ing up barricades, but hearing probably that the
steamer was in with reinforcements and that
Walker was in their rear, they posted up notices
offering free passages to desertsrs, to the States
and then rejoined their main force At st George.
Walker appears to have given up all hope of
p.i, Jog possession of his steamers, as he has
sbano ,ued has small boat expedition as impracti-
scheonsr The allies evidently have force sta
toned ON tho slsnd of Ometepec, as they keep the
two stesmars ~ ostantiy cruising about it When
w alker had !. fore there they would occasionally
approach Virgin and brow harmless shot into the
town, but latseriy they appear to nave more I'M
portant business on hand. Ing general eAPec'e-
ton At Rivas is that the flh, 'ustel IoIce ~
town will get possession of the 'Vel, our w" 10
to be accomplished no one kl "~s ne .n.ee
pt ints, asso, Hips Point and e1n CsI13s' sIs
probably now strongly fortified ' >heM w.H. M
lost San Carlos, At the junction Of the 1NeI VIII
the lake, there was = good tw enty .fou, snu ons
six pounder mountt there, and nothing thu couio
navigate tbs river could pass 1t.
The whole force under Walkers command "e.
'ore the battle of st. George amounted 10 eigLt
hundred men He had ir his two hospitals 1t HI
vas about one hunGred and fifty sick and wound.
3D. counted seventy-ive in one hospital a.2o
vas told that the othe.- had little larger number
There may bs two hun.Ted more about the camp
onsisiing Of hosters, cooks servants, and useless
oafars, who receive rationI The nifty men from
california make up the loss Vt st. George
The men look we'll Rivas, " this season, peing
'ery healthy. A fresh, invigo rating breeze comes
If the lake. tempering the hot sun, ana making
he nights cool and delicious. l 'ut In SIX weeks
here will be q change of weather win less WINDS
md more heat, and then probably oe tooops wili
ufer some by sickness. Most of I. 10 Cases IL Tue
lospital are old from Granada, vnere the ell
nate is extremely faIal to foreigner some OF
Walkers officers estimate that he b. nieo from
500 to 1000 men there
Al Nn