The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-09-24
CAPTURE Of cANTA.
Defenseless Inhabitants Massacred BY
the victors Without Regard to
Sex or Condition.
Suicide Of the officer Responsible for
the Defeat-Flight or the
Survivors.
Panama dispatchI

The latest adyices from Lima give details
Of the battle at Canta on the 18th ult On
the morning of that day a detachment of
Government troops occupying the town Of
Canta, sixty miles from Lima, in the val
ley running parallel to that of the Rimac.
was surprised by division of Gen.
Caceres' army, and after a sharp action of
several hours was forced to fly in disorder.
The Government troops operating against
Canta were $50 men of the line, with one
Calling gun. so cavalrymen. and 90 mount
ed gensdarmes, the whole force being COM
manded by Col Torres.
Canta had been occupied for several
DAYS. the montoneros or irregular revolu-
tionary forces retiring on the approach Of
this detachment. On Friday evening news
arrived of the approach Of considerable
division of the enemy, and upon Col. Bus
tamentes advance il was decided 10 defend
the town.
On Saturday at 7 a. m. the hills inclos-
ing Canta were occupied by the enemy, APP
parently 800 or 1000 strong, and with
about 200 cavalry. The latter were sta
toned at the outlets of the valley leading
toward the coast and to the interior. so that
from the first the Government forces were
effectually corraled. Col Torres had placed
"
principal square of the town, having also
small outlying squads behind some of the
walls in the suburbs.
Caceres' artillery, four small field
pieces, opened fire from the hill at Huay-
chullani at half-past z, and in q few
moments the firing became general.
The enemy descended the hills and at
tempted to enter the town, but were re.
peatedly driven back. For two hours the
positions of the combatants were unaltered,
the fire being all the time very heavy.
At midday the defenders of the place
slackened their fire, for their ammunition
was rapidly becoming exhausted, and for
an hour they received without reply the
volleys of the attacking party.
At 2 o'clock desperate effort was made
to drive the rebels from the town, which
they had then entered, at the point of the
bayonet. This failed, and then the defeat
was accomplished.
The fight was hand to hand in the streets,
no quarter being given, and the most dread
ful scenes of carnage occurred. Houses
where some of the defeated soldiers had
taken refuge We're broken open and all
found within murdered without distinction
of age, sex, or character. and then were
burned.
few of the most determined of the Gov
eminent cavalrymen, headed by Colonel
Pachas cut their way through their oppo-
nent and made good their escape.
Col. Bustamente, to whose counsel the
defeat was due, seeing that all was lost,
blew his brains out on the field of action.
Col. Torres escaped early in the fight,
and the Government has named another
officer TO command the decimated "Caga-
marica.
OF the five hundred or six hundred men
engaged on the Government side, probably
two hundred escaped by flying to the
mountains or following Pachas. They are
still coming in in parties of two or three.
Very few prisoners were taken, for, as has
been stated, no quarter was given.
The Cacerists were commanded by Col.
Morales Barmudas, and it is stated that
Caceres with his staff arrived at Canta the
day after the battle. The losses of the
revolutionary forces are not known. From
the fact that the Cagamarica battalion was
decidedly the finest in the Government
service the partisans Of Caceres here are
jubilant over his success.
The 5000 soldiers in garrison at Lima
are not at all affected by the re-
verse, and their officers are
confident of their loyalty in case of an
attack on the city. Energetic precautionary
measures are being taken. The church
towers are occupied tonight by strong de-
tachments of rifemen, and the Project has
issued a notice Offering reward of from
so to 1000 soles to any one who may de-
nounce the existence of conspiraoies or aid
the police in their efforts.
The Government forces have been with
drawn from Chosica, and are now stationed
at Santa Clara. fifteen miles nearer to Lima.
Nothing positive is known regarding the
whereabouts of Caceres.