Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-10-23
THE RICHMOND WHIG.
COL. O y. HENNISGsEN.

To hs Bditor Of ths Wig:
The present period SO opaln, in high military genius
has furnished no one whose character aud
soldier form admirable and attractive study fs
those Ct the whose heads this article. Wheth-
or We contemplate him campaigning, amid the s.eppes Of
Tart.ry and Ctcassia, battling successfully against
the national guards OF Nina ia the bold aud barren pro-
yinses OF the Baaq1e or striking lust blpx for Hunga
~ amid the backered walls and beediag dust of Co.
morr or leading his devoted band through the hintu
nian marshes aud pshss serras OF Nicaragua he ap-
pears always the seposed and fearless soldier su-
p,io to all emergencies aud true to the path Of honor
the needle 70 ihs North. --.s - .-.----- s.
We present u brief the salient incidents In the hsc
~ Of this officer gathered from the London Qlarer!
Review. the columns Of tie American and European
journals aud from the article entitled Henningsen" in
the American EacycloI Tia.
Col. q. y. HennDgsen born in London, Of Swc-
dish parents in the year 1916 When seventeen years
Of age the Spanish war then attracting the attention Of
Eurep he volunteered to serve under Zlm.clregui in
the Bssqlo Provinces and speedily to be Captain
Ct Zlmalcsregui's body guard, Knight OF St. Fidi.
nsnl, etc. The Elliot Convention, the paternity Of
which is,ascfibtd 10 Col -Gurwood editor OF yelling
tons dispatches sent young Henuinssen to Rogland,
where justice done him by Mr.. LockhaIt in arti-
Gle in the Quarterly Rssiw HenDngsen's History Of
the War in Spain. This work him the favor aud
ffierdshp of both Wellington and Sault, who had been
rivsl commanders in the Peninsdsr Returning TO
Spain, with the rank Of before Re
was twenty he was indebted 10 fortunate scoidsut
for his frat important command. General DsLicy Ey-
met the Spipi,h orcts San Sebastian and Of
fsrsd battle. The Spanish general pretended to be sick
his chief OF the staff, brave young min but Without
any extensive military knowledge, glad 10 avail hin-
self Of Hennngssns destruction in tho management tf
his forces. He Teriec'ly succ s,fu the Foreign
Legion was beaten back San Sebastian, and their
leader severely wounded.
Subsequently, be bed e,mmand in the expedition thst
marched Madrid from Aragon and CASTLE. After the
battle of yllar-de-losNavarrosh he assigned to tis
comm.rd Of the Cavalry. When within three miles Of
Madrid he attacked by the leens cavalry in great
force. Seventeen times that day did he lead his
the charge before be succeeded u breaking the ranks
of the enemy Once broken they routed and he
pursued them TO the very gateway Of the Spanish Capt.
tai He received reward for bis galantry these
casouP, the ratk of full CI,ne and the tile Of Knight
of Isabella His next service in CrcaSsia where he
spent several campaigns 10 the service OF Russia and
compiled report the Caucasian countries, which
pabishsd public doouusn, by the Russian GSy.rn-
ment. He subsequently wrots Revelations Of Russia"
which received the high compliment OF reproduction in
the United Srvics Haga=iHe He neN: appeared in
Hungary, where be exchanged the pen for the sword
when the crisis In that unhappy country was approaching
There 50 600 men. and 1900 pieces OF cannon in
ComoID, and the question how beat to use these
and guns. Hennirgsen proposed plan Of cam.
psgn. General Guyon so highly approved II, that
he obtained the chief command in Comorp, and Was 10
vested with all the despoc powers which the Diet had
formerly conferred but on t~o rspresents,Sestha Mn
i.sr Of War aud Coubt Bibyani. Wien this struggle
Was over be urned hI attention to the sub aol of I'M
proyements in firearms he made nauy instructive erpe
ments with the frussian needle gun and Hsss rockets
10 England and sup.rialended the uction Of he
6rst Annies made In the la.e Uuited States. He
likewise devoted part Of bis leisure 70 literature
for the leading Reviews, and published several woke
he White Slave among others-which have been sue.
cessfu When the war In Nicaragua began to assume
serious proportions the necessity for soldier Of ability
and experience severely felt; aud the more judi
cious friends Of General Walker Immediately thought Of
General Hennsngen, Who happened to be in New York.
Application made TO him, his terms at orce
cspted, and be embarked for Nicaragua. We will not
hearse the history Of the in Nicaragua for l. is
too well known to require repetition here Suffice
il to remark that the Expedition to Nicaragua was
honorable both in its origin and It's object and
blsed upon the expressed sanction of the Government
aud people Of that State. It wes designed ultimate
ly to establish Constitutional American Govern
Ans hal ipsf;tn no
African Slavery its declared laborbass It fAild not
bee use Of any integral defect in the plans or combra
don Of its leaders, any of prowess in the mea
who sustained it, but bcausc Of the combined action
against Of England and the then United States The
actors n that expedition have been termed "f,busteis
Il the charge be just, il may bs stated in honorable
tsnuatiop that t is shared by my Of the first military
characters of age, among whom may be mentioned
General Joseph T. Johnston General @. W. Smith, and
General Mar sield Lowell, who were all emineutly
associated wi the Expedition organized agains'
Ciba, und-r the immortal Qlitman in 1884 The
defence and destruction of Granada, form the uoi
brilliant episode OF the in Nicaragua, and
furnish the most splendid proof record of the nvr
c'be piowtsi and terrible audacity Of the Anercsn
Volunteer in battle, when properly led For niceeen
days did Henningsen in Granada with less than 400 men,
resist the allied forces Of Guatemala Honduras aud Cos
Rica, with the insurgents OF Nicaragua, total force
against him of 5000 well armed and equipped so,dtrs
Day after day he led bis brave command in depsrAe,
and death dcsling sorties upon the enemv aud VIXEN
r,sd back by the sheer weight Of the brute te
FIRE him. he burned the city step bJ step he retired,
6ghtirg amid coaoen.ric circles Of fire. ua be received
the order from Gen. Walker to abandon the position,
which order he obeyed after planting standard the
mai pie q, with the inscription "dqai (us Granada"
here stood Granads" At tue initial point Of the pres
snt struggle as carly the 10 Of November is:, Gen.
Hsnningsen advocated the withdrawal Of the States Of
the South from the Federal Unlon, in forcble article
the New York Herald He then repaired to G,orgii,
Of which noble State he Is ctisn, aud In which he la,
considerable interest and x,rted bis nhsence in be-
half Of prompt acon. Content to serve iu any capacity,