Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-09
A Terrible Combat.


The first battle between the Moors and tho
Spaniards, at the Serallo, was one Of the blood
lest in modern times. 1t was, in fact, worthy
OF the barbarous ages, when the Staying Of foes,
and not the triumph of victory, was the main
object of warfare. The Moors have no martial
discipline; they fight In herds, armed with
muskets and long knives, the latter being their
tavorite weapon. with bare arms and legs, red
dish brown in color, which, with their barbar-
ic costume and indescribably fierce countenances,
render them most fearful looking foes Their
charge is audacous, dashing and furious, and
accompanied with demoniac yells and howIs
sufficient to make the bravest enemy nervous
They neither ask nor give quarter, and put to
torture every Spaniard whom they get into
their power, a fact which, of course, inches
the Spanish troops to fight with the fury of
despair. The descendants OF those Moors who
were driven out of Spain by Ferdinand and Is
abella, are especially fierce in their hatred of
the SpAniards. They still retain the keys of
the houses once owned by their ancestors in
Grenada, and burn with the desire to re possess
those world renowned homes from which their
forefathers were 50 cruelty driven, and to wreak
the bloodiest vengeance on the hereditary foes
of their race.
When the Moors began to descend the noun
tain, the Spaniards opened upon them constant
and destructive discharge Of grape shot. But
they held their ground, and continued to ad.
vance, showing degree Of courage which sur
prised their enemies. On reaching the low
ground, and emerging from the forest, they re-
doubled their wild and savage cries, and rushed
forward without hesitation, as if sure of an
instantaneous triumph. But the Spanish gen.
eral, acquainted, no doubt, with the nature Of
Moorish warfare, had made preparations to re-
ceive them. He had prepared battery at the
point where he expected their attac and drawn
up body of troops in solid square, directly
in front of it, SO as entirely to conceal it from
view. lie then placed IL corps in readiness to
cut off their retreat and, in that condition,
allowed the MOors to approach. They came on
like herd of wild beasts, uttering the most
internal yels and howlings, until they had al.
most reached the square, when the soldiers
composing it suddenly divided, and retired,
right and left, thus unmasking the battery,
which Immediately opened terrible fir, in their
faces, and moved them down by hundreds. The
Spanish troops then fell upon them; and, the
MoOrs standing their ground and drawing their
knives, and finding themselves engaged at close
quarters, they flung their carbines behind their
backs, drew their poniards, and fought hand to
hand. From that time the scene was one of
horrid butchery. The hate Of centuries, pent
up In the Moorish heart, and handed down from
generation to generation, that day glutted it
self in the hearts blood Of Spaniards Not a
Moor attempted to fly. With uncomfortable
fury they rushed upon their foes, careless Of
their own fate, if they might but once drive
their knives through Spanish hearts. Some of
them, rushing forward, sprang upon the Span
sh cannoniers at their guns, and scratched
their skin with their nails, and bit their flesh
with their teeth. Others stood in the midst of
the field, when surrounded by their enemies,
making desperate resistance to the last, abso-
lutely refusing to surrender on any terms, and
falling one by one under the FIRE of the Spanish
muskets, until they were all dead. Nor a sim
gle Moorish prisoner was taken On the other
side, however, the results were somewhat diff
ferent. Sever heads of Spanish were taken to
Tetuan and also one wounded soldier, who was
tortured, and then killed.