The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-27
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
Tuesday Morning, January ~, 1857.
THE WAX IN NICARAGUA.
6IEGH OF GRANADA
Fourteen Hundred Of the knemy and Tive
Hundred Americans Killed and Wound.
ed.

the following account OF tne nneteen uays siege
of Granada:
General Walker left Granada on the 25.h Nov,
for 0motepec Island and Virgin Bay, win the main
body of the army aud most of the sick and wounds
ed leaving Gen Henpipgsen, with about two hun.
dred troops and $50 citizens, women and children.
Gen H. had orders to complrte the burning of the
town, and then remove the balance OF the ammu'
nition, stores and cannon to Virgin bay. All the
ammunition and arsenal stores were sent on ex.
cept about 5000 rounds of rife and minnie car
fridge, 80 rounds canister shot. and 80 shells.
together with few round shot Everything would
have been removed and the burning and evacua-
ton completed by the 2lst or 22d, at farthest but
for the fact that Gen. Henningsen gave notice to
the native population that all who desired to move
with the army to Virgin Bay or Omotepec would
be transported with their baggage on the steam
ers free of charge, before he abandoned the town.
Large numbers avail I'd themselves of this permis.
sion, and both the lake steamers were occupied
for three days in carrying off the natives and their
baggage. On Monday, the 24th,7 At p. NJ, the
town was attack ed from Il Q lake side 1t. Gel
O'Neil and Major Henry, of the Quarter Masters
Department, took part of company about TWEEN.
ty i've mem and made NOS. gallant charge
upon body of the enemy about 300 strong, who
were advancing on the town to thelef of the main
road leading to the lake. The enemy were com.
pletely routed, with lose of from forty to fifty
killed. ONeil followed them up until he found
himself out of ammunition, when he returned to
the plaza His loss was, think, one killed and
two wounded
The night of the oath was spent in fortifying the
plaza. On the 25th we burnt the balance of the
buildings around the plaza saving only the paro.
chial church and houses on that side. We then oc.
cuped the church AZ the principal place of defence
its towers commanded the whole town. On the
Goth, commenced fighting our way towards the
lake and occupied the houses nearly to the church
of E. squelapia. In the afternoon made charge and
took that church, but were driven from it, and did
not retake it until the next morning. On the 9th
moved the sick, wounded and ammunition, etc
toward the lake; fired the remainder of the build
ings on the plaza and blew up the parechiai church.
At2P. M, attacked the church of Guadaoupe
which is the last building toward the lake, and
about seven hundred and fifty yards from 1t 1t
was occupied by about three hundred Guatema
lans. We eopened on them with shot and shell from
two six Founders and one twelve pounder howiz
er After ten or fifteen minutes cannonading,
charged the church with fifty men, when the enemy
fed and our men took possession Here we found
the bodies of twelve or fourteen of Capt Green s
company, who had been surprised and taken pri-
soners. They were half consumed by fire, some
or all of them having been burnt alive. One of
the men ad his legs entirely burnt off, and his
hands tied behind him. He had no wounds on his
body, proving that he must have been burnt alive
We now moved all our store and artillery to this
church and fortified it. This place we held until
the siege was raised We called it Fort Henning-
sen.
On the 28th, at IL O'Clock, M, an American who
had been taken prisoner by the enemy in the attack
ON the wharf, appeared with flag of truce. He was
brought inside the church, where he presented to
General II. letter 81 ghed BY the several Generals
of the besieglng force stating that Gen. Walker had
been attacked on the Transit Route and completely
defeated; that his army entirely disbanded, and
himself fugitive, and calling on him in the name
of humanity to surrender, and promising homo BILE
treatment and free passage out of the county to
all, both soldiers and citizens. While the General
preparing his reply, en- adjutsnt Of Gen. Zaraa,
accompanied by several other Gustemslan officers,
Ill, hAo. a. l.. L
The adjutant was met by the General and Major
Caycee outside the works, where he stated tn be
had come to urge upon him the acceptance of the
Gen I'll. told him he would send bis reply in wri-
ting, and very politely invited the officer to ak in
to t. church, and view our fortihcas0ns men, etc,
etc. which hs declined doing.
The Gomez al then read his reply to the whole gar
rison and when he had finished, the walls ofthe old
Gusdaloupe church rung With three hearty cheers
for "Unce Billy Walker and his cause"
Guatemslan prisoner then liberated and sent
with the reply, hich to the effect that their
communication was lie from fist to last; that he
Bile to cut his way through their lines whenever
he fit aud that If they remained in the country
three months longer, he would have them hung as
high az Haman.
The enemy were now in possession of the wharf
and fort ON the lake. At 5 Z. M party sent
toward the lake. to drive in the enemys piquet and
take possession Of the post wbi'h they coupled it
being the Only defensible point between the church
and lake about $50 ards distant from the latter
The attack was entire y successful and oar men
manea il possession undistuIbed until r; M when
they attacked in front and flank by large force
fom toe wharf Gen. H at once sent Col Schwartz,
with IL pound howiZer and 25 men, to their relief
After half an hour OF sharp firing the enemy retired,
leaving large number of dead on the field Major
Henry who was in command. at once commenced
fortyins, and be fore morning had himself strongly
entrenched We called this place Fort Henry. On
the z9th at p. NJ, the enemy attempted grand at
tack from the fort in front and the town In the rear
upon bot cur strongholds; but the unerIine Iitles
dealt such death among them that they retired sfter
ahC ffaen mi rin &
M. they renewed the attack upon tho rear of the
church with 500 or 600 men. Here we had battery
were allowed to advance close up to our breast
works, when we opened on them with canister, our
rif.ruen ct the time doing fine service. They
could not stand the wiherng fire. and broke and run,
leaving the ground covered with dead and wounded
and all that night the air was filed with the groans OF
the poor wretches who were strewed over the whole
space for two hundred yards around
From his time until the 9th of December, nothing
Of moment occurred in the way of fighting
The enemy kept up constant firing on u.s. and oc-
cssionaly wounding some one. Our men never re
turned the fire until certain of their aim and dis
tance, and when you heard the sharp crack of our
Mississippi rifles you could feel qui g certain that
another world On the 20 h or Stth the cholera
btoke out among u.s. 1t was, no doubt brought on
BY the stencil srsing from the bodies of the enemy,
which were In great numbers unburied around the
church. The medicines having been sent off on the
steamers We could give the sick but little relief and
We must have lost some ~ or so by disease alone
time we lived entirely on the flesh of horses and
mules, and occasionally few green bananas.
think II was on the 9Th Of December that Gen.
Zaraila, the comm ander Of the San salvador forces
sent another letter to Gen Hennngsen, telling him
that the allied forces had ZION of the river and
transient route, and asked Gen. III. to come to his
camp pedeng his honor his safe return, and
ting that be had the highest regard for him gal
liant soldier and gentleman. Gen H. sent him yer-
bal reply that he declined his invitation; that he
had no communication to make, and that he should
be most happy to meet Gen. Zaralla but it must be
in battle AZ this time we had but three day pro-
visions, or, in other words but three horses left.
On the morning of the llth, the steamer Virgin
arrived before Grenada, and boat put off from her
and reconnoitred the shore. We coud see but few
men on board, yet every one In camp felt certain
that we were shortly to be relieved.
At 10 O'Clock r. M the steamer moved sbout
three miles above the town. to the same point whore
Gen. Walker landed when he first took Granada, snd
at midnight Col John r. Waters landed with $50
men Tho enemy made an unsuccessful attempt to
oppose their noing and then retired to thelr barri
cades about . few hundred yards distant Col. Wa
te advanced steadily until In sight OF the barrcades
when the enemy opsned lively IRE. Our boys fired
volley, and then with q rush and cheer mounfed
the barricades and drove the astonished 'gresssrs
st the point Of tho bayonet. They rallied, however
ct the next bsIricade, about half mile Distant but
them from every barrissde, (some five or six IN nun
ber, until he reached the very centre Of 0Tansds.
his was about 8, A H., December H. de WIS
now about 500 yards from the Gusdaloupe church.
and between II and the town, and not knowing our
exact position, waited for daylight before srtemptng
TO communicate with us. At sunrise, Capt. Laslis
Of the hsngeI came oysrto our camp, snd In . few