The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1883-02-24
BII4LN WALkER'S SIEGE or
MASASS.
TButou Rouc,e Il Il h.1

| 1ue lOfCe OF Americans Delhg mucn
reduced and the men completely worn
out with the three days fighting, adj
ded to the desire Of Walker to protect
the Transit road, caused lis to retire 60
Granada. Accordingly, near miuuight,
our troops silently abandoned the
houses they held, and took up the line
of march. Our loss had been more
than hundred, or rather more than one
third Of the force engaged. So soon rs
the enemy became aware of our retreat,
they dispatched body Of lauccrs to
harrass our rear; but they We're kept
back by our occasionally halting and
pouring canister from a howitGer into
their ranks.
l had suffered with fever during the
entire engagement, and being terribly
| weak found it almost impossible to
march. Had it not been for the occa-
sional halts referred to I should have
fallen into the euemy's hands. BY
time morning had dawned and the sun
become powerful, the fever was so
intense that l could no longer travel.
A mounted man accordingly took pity
! on mo and placed me behind him on
his horse, carrying me thus a long
distance. But during an attack by the
lancers upon the rear, my friend was
compelled to dismount me and return
to the fight. l then staggered along
some distance; but when about two
miles from Granada, l became delir
ious and lay down by tho sldo of the
road. In one Of my occasional lucid
moments, finding that the rear guard
had passed on and left me in danger Of
being found by tho enemy, | crawled
into the thicket only just in time to
escape body of lunccrS who were in
the rOSd Il few PAGES distant. Crawl
ing still further | came upon one of the
many foothpaths with which the coun-
try aboundcd, and unable to so fur
ther, lay down. Another attack of de
lirium cnsued; but l at length regaincd
consciousness by some one lifting my
head. Opeuing my eyes, beheid by
my side Il beautiful young native girl,
the deepest sympathy rs she addre lsed
her mother who was seated holding
my head in her lap. Taking my can
teen the girl started off, shortly to re-
turn with it filled with delicious, cool
water, of which she allowed me TO
drink small quantity. With the
remainder she bathed my head and
face. Under the cooling and refreshing
influence of the water, | was not long
in regaining my senses, when the wO.
men Informed me j was in great dan.
ger OF being captured; aud that al.
though the husband and father was in
the enemy's army, if not shot by the
Americans within the last few days,
yet as Christians they could not abun
don me to certain death, but would
guide me through the forest to the
American outpost at Granada. SO
picking up my rifle, which Ihad clung
to, the old lady placed herself on one
side, while her daughter with my can.
teen took the other and thus assisted
me to within sight of Our picket posts.
Here the women left me, a5 they said,
in the hands of friends. AS | tried to
thank them for saving my life, they
simply asked that, should one of their
countrymen fall into my hands, ]
would be mcrciful, for their sake, and
spare his life. l never saw my re-
scuers and guides again; but at times
when memory calls me back through q
quarter of Il century Of stirring times, ]
picture to myself an angel standing
amidst the tropical foliage of Il Central
American forest, such an one as | saw,
in that simple beauty in which she
appeared to my ievcrcd, delirious eyes,
on tho occasion just related. Heaven
surely blessed, in after life, these two
angels of mercy aud charity--thc beau
tiful daughter and her Christian
mother.
Mrs. Langtry is disposed to look up
on her visit to New Orleans with
much pleasure. In an interview with
a reporter of the Cincinnati CONNER
cial-Gazettc--and in response TO the in
terrogatory, "Nou found the Southern
people very charming ?' she prompt
iy responded "Oh, most delightful;
so cordial and so courteous. Even in
New York people stared at me nj the
stage door, but in New orleans not at