New-York tribune., 1901-11-28
GEN. ALBAN'S CAMPAIGN
DETAILS OF THE FIGHT AT
BARBACOA.
1rRFRALS DRIVEN FROM 4 STRONG
POSITION A CAPTURED
AMERICAN

Colon. Colombia, Nov. 27.-The following dis
match was received this afternoon from Panama
The Colombian gunboat Boyaca was dis
Matched Tuesday, having on board about fifty
eoldiers for Chane its vicinity. where it
vas claimed party of Liberals. under Cen
srsl PoTras had received quite recently a fresh
.unnlv OF arms and ammunition
san Paolo and Barbacoa are known here TO
nc Liberal stronEholds and places very easy TO
defend while TO cross the bridge spanning the
rbagres River, now swollen. was next 10 i'm
nossible Tor an attacking fierce. The feat was
accomplished, however. but the reason the Lib
erals abandoned Barbacoa is not made clear
Tbe death rate on the government side was
,ery great many bodies falling into the river.
An attempt was also made to make d detour on
.be river IN boats. but the Chagres was swollen,
the boats were capsized and many men were
drowned.
General Castro commanded the government
forces at Barbacoa- General Alban tried 70 set
train Yesterday morning to convey two hun
d-ad men 10 the scene of the engagement at
Rarbacoa. bat Captain Perry of the Iowa said
that not q single armed man would be allowed
10 entrain
FEELING AGAINST AMERICANS
.eTbe feeling here against foreigners, particu-
la-lv the Americans. runs high
"A speciaI train at Panama. to convey Cen
eral Alban. alone and unarned. awaited the ar
rival for hours OF the morning train from Colon,
brt en- the arrival of the latter here at b O'CLOCK
in the evening bringing forty wounded men,
among whom were several officers, with the
news that The government troops had victorious
liz crossed the bridge al Barbacoa, the special
1rsin was not dispatched, and General Alban
remained at Panama.
Al S:3Q o. m. yesterday large procession.
headed by a band OF music. marched in an or
derly manner all over the city Of Panama
sbouting General Adams praises and proclaim
ing that the deathblow had been given to the
Liberal cause in this department.
In a skirmish last night at Buera Vista the
government troops lost ground somewhat ana
retreated TO Taberniua. losing six thousand
cartridges. The government forces now occupy
Tabernilla. which is on the Colon side Of Bar
bacOa.
Colonel Rarrera is now the Liberals only hope.
His pleasing manners and kindness to foreign
ers have secured him many friends at Colon
General Sotamayor. with $50 men, commanded
The Liberal forces at Bdrbacoa bridge. Good
authorities hold that twenty men ought TO nave
f,aer abl. To have prevented the government
troops from crossing the bridge SotaInayor ;
conduct is everywhere decried. He seems TO
nothing personally hence the reckless waste OF
ammunition which caused the eventual retreat
of the Liberals who lost less than dozen men
Yesterday The Liberals badly neeG tfe wise
heads Of Generals Domingo Diaz and -Lueo, NNflo
have ,eeu unable yet to arrive here with thelf
troops. 49,
n was learned OF the highest authority this
afternoon that General Jeffries is with General
Aiban on the Colon side of Barbacoa, and th4l
three hundred men from Panama are now
marching join them
An American named Murphy relates the fol-
lowing story corroborating the report that the
Colombian gunbo8t General Pinzon fired on
Porto Bello. on Monday morning Murphy was
in an open boat bound for Playadonna, on a
mining excursion Besides himself. there were
three Chinese and a Colombian negro in the
boat. which Fvas commanded by the colored
man When they were passing Porto Bello a
boat containing soldiers from the General Pin
zon then at anchor off Porto Bello. captured
Murphy and his companions After they had
been made prisoners, and while on their way to
the g1lnboat. the General PirZon rred many
shois at Porto Bello On arriving on board the
gunboat Murphy learned that no less than fifty
shots had been fired at Porto Bello. He also
SAYS that one or two of the largest houses of the
place could, from the sunboat be plainly seen
10 have been wrecked.
Men from the General PinZon who went
ashore at Porto Bello say the town was eV2cu-
ated. Not single Liberal was to be seen any
where. They had all taken to flight on the Ar
rival Of the Pinzon- Explosive bullets were
used. as part Of one was brought on board ana
was subsequently exploded.
Murphy was handed over to the officers OF
the United States gunboat Marietta when the
i1eneral PinZon returned TO Colon