The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-02-09
The United States Expedition Against
Paraguay-Preparations of Lopez for

war.
The Buenos Ayers correspondent of
the New York Herald, writing under date
of November Is, gives the following par
ticulars of the preparations which the ty.
rant of Paraguay has made against the
American squadron. He says: ai5
The Dolphin, of the Paraguayana aeet,
is anchored in this harbor, and three
Others are at Monte Video: The expcdi-
tion commands great Attentions, and is hon
ored with all kinds of predictions as to
success .eaz., .af.a asaa-s
a late number of the Seminario, a Par.
aguayan- journal, sums up the grievances
of that country in this manner: "The mon
ey lost by the company claiming DANA
ges was borrowed from the National Bank.
No machinery was ever brought. The
laborers were Paragraphs. The prop
erty was fairly valued, and sold for its
worth The Water ,citch was warned not
to intrude upon the Paraguayon side of
the river. The republic can have but one
answer, and for the war is well prepared"
| l am able to lay before you some items
concerning the last point-the Paraguay.
an preparation for war. The irst defen.
ses worthy of the name, are two or three
leagues above the confluence of the rivers
Paraguay and Parana. At what is called
the Tres Bocas (the three months of the
Paraguay there is small station, but OF
too little force to be considered. But
there is, a little higher up, range Of de-
defenses called Humaita, that is intended
to command the river perfectly. 1t con-
sists of a range of batteries extending
along the shore for distance of about a
: mile and half, and mounting about one
hundred and fifty guns. The breast
work are made of timber in front, filled in
with clay from behind, making such an
elevation for the guns as directs them to-
ward the middle of the narrow channel.
4 The bank here is about fifteen feet above
the water About the middle of this
line of unsheltered guns there is o
covered battery, mounting thirteen guns.
The walls and covering are ofbrick. The
embrasures or openings for the guns are
beveled from the outside instead Of from
within, making large target around each
gun, and making the wall SO weak that
a cannon ball hitting any where near the
gun would knock the bricks over the
heads of the gunners. Across the river
from this line of batteries they have re-
Gently cleared away a heavy forest, and as
that side would command the river for a
greater distance than does the Ole now
occupied, the probability is that our ex-
pedition will find guns on both sides.
The river at that point is narrow, and
!, the channel is SO narrow that turning
, round is out Of the question. and so close
f to the Humaita fort is it that you could
stand on shipboard and toss buiscuit on
shore. - -,,.--
I Below the Fort, and on the same side
the ground is covered with low trees and
tangled brush, almost impenetrable. -
Here and there in this forest, within sight
of the river, little patches have beer
cleared. There is at this point also
such bend in the river that ship as
cending does not see the fort until nearly
upon it,. But vessels that can throw
, shells two miles, as ours can, could lie un
der cover of that forest and that bend
!. and the range of batteries is such that
shell would have width of target of /,
mile and q half; so that not she'll neet
0 be lost. Does not Lopez foresee this ant
:: are not these patches of cleared fores
g places where guns will be planted to an
|, noy the shell throwers? s.o,-
g Back of the defences directly on tn
: river bank there are placed breastworks
r at irregular distances, and pointing som
It down the river aud others up, with refer
e ence to a retreat from the river side, an
to be used in case of an attempted landIn
It by the attacking party.