New-York tribune., 1902-03-20
THE FIGHT AT aqua DULCE.
COLOMBIAN GENERAL CASTRO TELLS OF
HIS DEFEAT BY HERRERA.
TRY TELEGRAPH TO THE rnrRrNE.I


New-Orleans. March 19-News reached this
city to-day from Bocas del Toro. announcing
the arrival in that city of General Castro aud
Ortiz, of the government troops. with four hun
dred men. the wreck Of the army defeated by
the Liberal general. Herrera Castro arrived
at Bocas at midnight on March II. after a terri
ble march across the sthmus, in which he was
seventeen days cutting his way through a track
less forest and over painless mountains, there
being no road between Bocas and Aqua DuIce
the Pacific side. where the battle with Gen
eraI Herrera occurred In giving an account
OF the battle General Castro said:
Il was occupying Aqua Dulce with 500 men
when General Herrera made a sudden attack
with force of 2,JOo men, many of them wear
ing the Nicaraguan uniform and using new
magazine rifles. Aqua Dulce lies in a valley
surrounded by close lying hills. These oc-
cupied by the enemy, and field pieces were
trained on the town. We repeued the first at
tack made the 21st and on the I'D l sent
out a party To capture one Of the hills, which
was especially annoying, but after hours
lighting men had to retreat TO strengthen
our line on the other side. on the I'D / made
strong sortie AT opposite points, and captured
one hill after desperate charge and killed loo
OF the enemy. The second Of our attacking col
umns. however. was driven back, and We had
To abandon the captured hill for strategic rea-
The lighting that day lasted eleven hours
before our forces were finally withdrawn into
the city. Up 10 this time l had lost two hun
dred killed and many more prisoners. Just
before dark Herrera demanded complete sur
render. | sent General Ortiz. To gain time. and,
while he talking. / withdrew from the town.
The ruse was successful far leaving the
place was concerned. but We found the road To
Panama ObstruCted in a narrow raVine by two
commanding hills strongly fortified. one Of the
hills had "A battery of cannon. could have
made a detOur through an immense cane field,
but | am convinced that the Liberals idea
10 trap me into the field and then set fire to the
dry fodder and burn me and my command. So
l cut across the country to a little place called
Santiago
Il had meanwhile returned to Aqua DulCe to
hold Herrera in suspense. He, on the oath, see
ing that nothing could come Of the alleged
negotiations. made rush on the town, and |
with my aids barely escaped capture.
We then learned that Herrera detached
dila, bound. presumably. for David. Colonel
Lastra, the prefect, was defeated, and has also
come to Bocas with the few left Of his command
[ told him not to give battle until | could
tions and disaster followed. While route for
David / learned of the outcome of the attack
there, the Liberals being in command of Colonel
QuintJro, and, fearing to be entangled in a mar
rowing line | cut boldly across the virgin
wilderness toward BoCas."
Most of CastTo's men were barefoot and the
march succession of frightful hardshps
Only four hundred reached Bocas OF fifteen hun
dred who marched out of Panama three months
ago. General Ortiz was i'm command OF the
forces in BOcas when the notorious Mexican
bandit Cara, in 1890. attacked and attempted
to burn the town. No apprehension is felt at
BOCas. Two sChoOners being held at Bocas
to carry CaStro's men to Colon.