The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-22

The losses OF the allies in the ten days. desperate
struggle on the peninsula were serious, not being
E ess ,nan hve hundred men, The marine lost SIX
lights from the 2sth OF July TO 4th OF August The
official returns OF the previous allied losses the
leth or July give them at 1020, of whom 22S were
Killed. On the 18TH go, including sxty-six killed.
1t Is said that French baker and an Italian ped
der discovered the evacuation OF Rumaita early on
the 18th july and after wen rummaging the place
and securing all the portable property during sew
eral hours carried the news into the camp.
The British gunbOat Lnnet had gone to limbo and
received there DR.. Stewart.
division Of iron-clads commenced the lombard
ment OF Tebicuari on the Both OF July.
The Terms Of Surrender-Paragunynn PrisOn-
ers Forced to Serve in the Allied Ranks
limbo Yet to be Observation-Disclosures
oSthc Tebicuari Line.
RIO JANIERo, August rs, 1868.
The latest news we have from the seat of war reach
no later than the 9th instant.
The last remnant of the gallant garrison OF HUI
malta, under Colonel Francisco Martinez, which,
since the 25th uit., had been surrounded by about
twenty thousand allied troops ON the Chaco penn-
sua laid down their arms ct last the 5th instant
on condition that the officers should be free to
choose their place Of residence wherever they
pleased out OF Paraguay, and that the men
should not be coerced into the allied military
be mentioned in passing to the disgrace Of the allies
that they have actually forced many hundreds OF
Paraguayan prisoners to serve In their ranks. Nay
the Montevdean contingent, under the pay of Brazil
Is almost wholly composed OF Paraguayan prisoners
OF war. Colonel Francisco Martinez surrendered to
General Rivas after having held at bay the whole
allied forces for eleven days together. After
making as many attacks against their besiegers to
break through their lines and after having
remained for three days without taking food OF any
kind and only when several of his had actually
died of hunger.
Heroism, 1t must be owned has hardly ever been
carried further by any other body Of troops III the
world. trs1. ~. .s go
The siege Of Humaita is, therefore, brought to an
end-Brazllians think to glorious end; and tes
tfy their thankfuness pompous "Te Duemn
was sung at the Imperial chapel the 2st of this
month.
What amount Of glory the allied army and Brazil
ian navy and their Commander in Chief Marquis
de CaXias, have really achieved at Humaita, let
the world now Judge for itsAf bearing in
mind the Unreasonable superiority and ex-
haustless abundance ,S Of the destructive means
had at his command. My private Paraguayan
counts estimate at about thirteen hundred the num-
Der Of men who surrendered to General Rivas. or
these about one hundred are inferior officers the
only ones above the rank Of lieutenant being
Captains Cabral and Gil. These accounts set down
the losses of these gallant fellows In their several
nightly attempts to escape at about 200 killed or
drowned and ut about 800 wounded. The number
of the inmates of Humaita who had reached limbo
in safety, stated to be $780, Of whom about 1000
had actually crossed over unperceived before and,
on the 2sth ultimo when the retreating Para.
guayans were for the first time discovered crossing
the Guaicuru lake, and had TO exchange few shots
with the allies. After this date the allies placed
successfully upwards OF twenty field pieces on the
narrowest parts OF this lake, and the number or
armed boats being likewise increased daily, all
chances OF escape, without being literally moved
down by musketry and grapeshOt, became impos-
sible.
1t should be mentioned to the honor of Soano Lopez
who expressly gave the orders for the abandonment
of Humaita and prescribed the way In which the off,
first people transferred to limbo were all the women
and Children few only excepted who had preferred
remaining with their husbands; next all the sick and
badly wounded, prisoners as wen as Paraguayans;
and last OF all his own valid men, The prisoners
they had made on the Chaco ON the Sd of May and
on the ramparts OF Humaita on the 10th had like
wise been transferred to limbo before the 10th ult.
According to my accounts all this livingtnpedt-
moved to Tebicuari, along a swampy road on the
Chaco Of the existence Of which the allies seem to
have no knowledge, for this road being cut perpen-
dcularly by the large rvar Bermij0. lying
almost Uts-dUts with Tayi, where O Brazilian corps
ddrnee Is quartered 1t is utterly inconceivabe why
this their only line OF retreat has not this been
completely cut Off, having now, as Brazans have,
fifteen iron-clads above limbo Up to the 9th inst.
camped OH the Chaco, preparing, it was said, to at
tack limbo both by land and water. 1t Is however,
as e TO De TO a s ae caxa ygar
GUS course. It is far more likely I think,
that he viii content himself, as heretofore,
with investing this position and trying to starve
out its brave defenders, in which case we
may expect to witness second repetition OF the lu-
siege OF Humaita, where the matchless heroism Of
the dauntless Paraguayans made such glaring con-
technical ncapaclty Of the Brazilian COMMANDMENT
Chief. At any rate Marquis de Caxias annot think OF
attempting anything serious against the lines OF
firstly, because the allied force at present
In Paraguay are insufficient to invest both these
positions at the same time; and second because the
water transports cannot pass by limbo a. long as 1t
is held by the Paraguayans, without running risk OF
being all sunk. Now, without the free navigation OF
the river as far as Tebcuari, the provisioning and
munitionng OF their army there would of itself be-
come costly difficulty and serious affair. That IS
seli-evdent.
According to Brazilian advces a reconnaissance OF
los Fortunes the batteries of the river Paraguay, OF
the oath ult by three Brazilian iron-cads,
under Baron de Passagem, the same gallant
10th OF February last. The strength OF this posi-
ton on the river side Is as great as my private In
formation had led Inc to believe. Baron de Passa-
gems despatch WILL perhaps be read with interest,
even by professional men, as solving, practically,
at least the question Of four-inch plated ironcads
versus smooth bored sixtyeight FOUNDER shots, at
short range, when the guns are manned by cool, in
trepid and expert marksmen. enclose herewith q
translated copy Of this despatch, which has, BESIDES
the MERIT extremely rare IN such Brazilian docu-
ments, OF relating occurrences with but o slight
dose OF idle and declamatory bombast. OF these
iron-cads the Bahia, casemated, had her sides
shot through by four balls; the Selvads turret ship,
had hers pierced through by two balls, and alto
gether, writes their commander received such In
juries as cannot be remedied with such means We
have here at our command"
The only other incident worthy Of no.
tice Is Marquis de Caxas order for de-
m0shing Humaita, OF which fortress General
Gelly y Obes, COMMANDMENTS Chief Of the Argentine
forces In Paraguay, writes-half surprised, and
doubs not quite ashamed-On the 5th instant, to
President b. Mitre, curious and interesting private
letter, which, by the by, has been republlshed by all
the River Plate journals. He distinctly states in this
private communication that this dreaded bulWark