New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-24
SEVEN HOURS FIGHT
FIERCEST ACTION or
VAR IN NICARAGUA.
Both Madris and Estrada Send
Ont Reports Of Victory-
Losses Heavy.

Managua. Feb. 23.-Another victory
over the revolutonists has been an
ncunced by General Toledo. the Mica
i raguan Minister of War. The announce
ment was based on dispatch from
| General Rivas in command of the gov
eminent forces who engaged the revoiu-
tioniStS under General Chamorro. al
Tisma5 which is twelve miles fro"
Masaya.
General Toledo added that the losses
on both sides had been very heavy. ana
that the battle had lasted seven hours
resulting in the bloodiest fighting OF the
war. The insurgents were compelled 10
abandon their positions
The government asserts that ChaInor-
/, To was in personal command OF '"e
enemy. and admits that the engagement
was fought with varying fortune hh'ii
late in the afternoon. when the FORCES
under General Lara. a government CUM
nlander. were in disorder. A request was
then sent FOR reinforcements, and these
arriving an hour later. turned the uoe
OF battle
General Rivas's dispatch was posted
on the street corners; bands appeared
in the streets and a general celebration
followed The dispatch said:
The battle began at a. m. February
%, Lara attacking the enemy. who were
then occupying Tisma Masis tof the
provisional forces) with two Maxims IN
ficted serious losses and the advantage
was with him until 3 p. m, when Cha-
varrfa and later Vades, and then Gar
rida. Zelodon Nasquez and Aguilar ar
rived with renforcements from three
sides The firing ceased at $50 the
reyolutionists retiring in the direction OF
Tipitapa.
The battle was the boodiest vet
there being much hand-to-hand fighting
with machetes. Lara's men charged
Masis's Maxine, capturing one of them
The losses are estimated at four hun
dred killed or wounded. detachment
of government troops were taken prison.
ers. but later their rescue was effected.
Chamorro succeeded in reorganizing his
forces. and rushed the trenches occupied
by General Ramirez at o'clock this
morning at Tipitapa. The fight lasted
four hours when the government troops
mated by a CALLING fire. They abaIl-
doned the dead and wounded, but sue
ceeded in making their way through in
the direction of Satillo, their object being
evidently to effect & junction with
Mena"
BIuefields. Feb. 23-Telegrams from
the front reporting victory threw Blue
fields into throes OF jubilation this even
ing. In one of the kilograms General
Mena reported the complete rout of the
enemy at San Vicente. The others said
that the important city of Granada was
in the hands of the revolutionists; that
the steamer Victoria. which piion Lake
Nicaragua had been captured, and that
General Aurelio Estrada, with one thou
sand men, has formed a junction with
General Chammoro and that their COM
bined force was now marching north
ward and on to Managa The only dis
appointing feature of the days news
was the failure definitely to locate Cen
eral Chemorro.
General Mena's telegram, which was
addressed to Estrada from San Vicente.
was timed p. m. and reads as follows:
have the honor to notify YOU that.
according to the advice which
brought to US by the people of this vi
cinty, the enemy suffered in the last
battle more than we imagine. The dis
banded men are fleeing in every direc-
ton without apparent destination and
escaping in state of great disorder. de
spite the efforts of the leaders to hold
them The latter are attempting CON
scription in this vicinity but the natives
and In columns which preclude our arm
ing of all of them. Acoyapa. according
to information brought from there by
citizens flying from CONSUMPTION. has
been abandoned by all save the officers,
who are hopelessly trying to recruit.
General Mena's statement regarc y
the enemy's losses in the battle at San
Vicente was confirmed in an interview
had with Captain Gordon, the American
who estimated the enemy's dead at $50
He said that piles of dead men are now
being buried
Wounded men from the enemy's camp
who crawled through the mountain
passes were brought to Mena's camp
and testified to the murderous effect of
the fire which they endured Menas
men acknowledged the great bravery of
detachment of the enemy, which
crossed the open plain to attack their
position. Suffering losses almost at
every step the remnant reached the crest,
driving the PROFESSIONALS before them,
but with their ranks depleted they were
unable to hold it. Retreating under the
continued fire. they reformed on another
hill only to be driven into the open
again by a f1anking movement. OF the
seventy who took part in this Central
American Balaklava only seventeen es-
capped.
Admiration is also felt by the pro-
yisionals for the devoted band of officers
who. although beaten on February Is,
losing many more of their men by de-
sertion overnight. remained to serve the
re- Did frers the next morning to cover
the bringing in of the dead and wounded
between the two positions.
The remainder Of the forces. under
General Matuty, reached San Vicente,
giving General Mena six hundred men,
exclusive of recruits. The first report OF
the capture of the steamer Victoria was
sent by Mena. ION trustworthy informa-