Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-04-24
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BY TIE TEN.

NEssEE.
From the New York Journal Of Oom7ssrss We Sopy
the following details Of the news brought By the
Tennessee, synopsis OF which was given few days
since under telegraphic head.
Explosion Of the J. " Scot-Lar0s Number Of KilE-
ed aad FOUNDED CoHdi.ion Of the SolliersTbe Ten
nessee brought on ffty-ive men recently connected
with Walkers army They are in state Of pitiable
restitution, poorly clad, gaunt with hunger and pri
walton, and penniless. They are all rejOioed, how
ever, TO have escaped from the perils Of Nicaragua
any terms. We have had conversation with g
number Of them, intelligent young Americans who
agree on the following particulars Of news since
the last arrival bringing an account Of the attack
on Castillo March so.
The report Of the capture Of that place and
large loss Of OekFidges men proves to be entirely
unfounded. Col. ocEridge advanced on the town
with some 200 men, but seeing that it was in pos
session Of far superior force, purdently rereated
to Kelleys where he was joined by Col Titus's bat
talon. The whole force including about so sick
and wounded, numbered some go men; of these,
100 were newly arrived Texans. The sOldies were
nearly destitute Of provisions, and were put on
allowance Of one craker day. meat, and q cup
Of very weak tea without sugar. The disabled were
slowed away in temporary hospital made out of an
old shed 40 feet long and 20 wide, devoid Of all
commodations They had nothing softer to lie on
thOn the rough bamboo floor, peculiar to houses in
that country. Medicines were scarce and the small
stock on hand was alomst worthless, and there was
only army surgeon to attend to the wants Of all
the patients.
In this desperate condition of affairs Col. Lock
ridge concluded to make one more attempt to join
Gen. Walker, now at Rivas, by the way Of the San
Juan River, Panama, Aspinwall, up to San Juan del
Sur, and then to Rivas about Is miles from the lat
ter place On the LIST Of April he accordingly called
all Of his together who were able to stand in the
ranks, and addressed them.
He complmented the soldiers the bravery and
patience which they had exhibited under the severe
trials to which they had been long subjected. He
regarded the taking Of the forts up the river prac
tcally impossible and did not ask the men to volun
teer on any such service. He had been disappoint-
ed by the nOn-arrival Of bombshells and mortars
from New Orleans, without which he would be pow
erless before the enemys Notifications He then
proposed to lead them TO Gen. Walker by the route
above specified He wanted only those to accom-
pany him who were perfectly willing to 90 and could
speak good English. The sick, wounded, and per-
sons desiring to return to the States he would take
to Punta Arenas, where they could wait for the first
chance to 60 home. He asked those to step forward
who were willing to make the effort to join General
Walker. About 100 men responded by advancing
from the ranks and cheering Some of the men who
remained behind expressed their disapprobation by
groaning
The whole force, those who still stuck to Walkers
fortunes the malcontents, the sick and wounded,
then went board the steamers J. n. Scott and the
Rescue which were lying at the beach ready to take
them down the river. A barge, carrying six
FOUNDER, four FOUNDER, smaller pieces Of ar
tillery and the small remaining store of bread and
meat taken in tow by the J. n Scott. The sick
we're placed in the J. n. Scott, principally the
second deck. The Rescue also carried gun.
On the first day Of their voyage down the river,
when nearing Fort Slater, two of the iUes of the
Scott exploded, but without doing any serious dam
age The steamer put in at Fort Slater a short
ov41r rroHb o,c
A. NJ, Of the second day, the Scott stopped at the
beach, about 81 miles from Kelly's and mile and
a half above Serapequi, for the purpose Of making
a reconnaissance Of that place, it expected
that the Costa Rcans were entrenched there ready
to give the steamers g warm reception they went
by. The Rteamer rescue, about quarter Of a mile
behind the Scott at thattime to be sent that
mission.
Shortly after as the Scott touched the beach, the
boiler head blew out with terrible explosion, kill
ing three men outright and wounding and scaldng
about forty others in the most shocking manner
A large number were blown into the river, which
fortunately only or feet deep at the stern Of
the boat.
Among them were Gen. Wheat, well known in this
city, who, soon as his head appeared above the
water, called to the boys not to jump overheard,
(which some of them were about to do but to re-
main where they were. The Rescue soon came up
and rendered an essential service in picking out the
sufferers from the river and taking them off the boat.
The force of the explosion proved to have been pro-
digiOus tearing away the whole of the warehouses,
the second deck where the bar situated, the top
deck abaft the Wheelhouse, and considerably dam
aging the hull.
The number Of men on board the Scott was about
$50. Most of them were standing on the forward
part Of the boat at the time Of the explosion. The
sick were aft the boiler. Two and half tons of
powder in kegs, were stored on the third deck and
covered with canvass to prevent its ignition by
sparks from the chimney-the powder was uninjured
by the explosion. Some of those who we're on board
surmise that the disaster was caused by quantity
of powder being thrown into the furnace
The Rescue proceeded with the wounded to Sera-
piqui where six or eight of them soon died. The
remainder were then taken to Pnta Arena several
dying the way or soon after their arrival there.
The whole number Of deaths resulting from the dis
aster is believed TO be about p, and the wounded
alive at last accounts Is. Among the dead are Maj
MoTy, Capt Sleight of New Orleans, and Lieut..
Coghlin of Philadelphia. On reaching Punta Are
was abandoned impracticable. The men who had
expressed their willingness to accompany Col Lock
ridge, refused to 90 on.
Two days after the force reached Punta Arenas
the Tennessee came along and offered to take 80 Of
the most disabled Of the soldiers on board. They
were selected by the sergeOn attached to the steam
er. The men who were left behind became exaspe-
rated beyond all bounds, learning that they could
not get passage, and brought a six FOUNDER with
the intention offring into the Tennessee This move
ment was observed from the English feet near by
and several gun-bOats sent to take up position
commanding the quarters of the insurgents with or
ders TO fire them if any attempt made to
arrest the progress Of the steamer. By this timely
Interference, the disturbance was prevented. Ten
Of the men on the Tennessee were put off at Key
West.