This extract from the "Harper's Weekly" of April 11, 1857 was submited by Mark Keigwin of the U.S.A. and I hope will be of some interest to the readers who research "Filibusters".

NICARAGUA: THE BATTLE OF RIVAS

A great battle has been fought at Rivas and the allies have been defeated with great slaughter. It appears that General Walker left Rivas on the 16th March, with the main body of his little army, for the purpose of attacking San Jorge; that he was doing well there against the allies, when he heard firing at Rivas; that he immediately thereon abandoned the fight at San Jorge and hastened back. When near Rivas he opened fire on the enemy's rear, while General Henningsen was using grape with much effect upon the front. The result was a slaughter of some 500 men of the allies and a stampede of the rest.

A FILIBUSTER'S DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE

.. The fight was in fact, a second edition of the Granada battle, but we had a better chance at them. You remember how they scattered when we returned from Massaya. Well, here they didn't have the same chance. The old San Jorge road, you know, is lined with native ranches and fenced with the cactus. Probably 200 or 300 got into these huts and escaped by the gardens in the rear. We killed or took prisoners all the rest. You never heard such a howling among the poor devils as when we opened; for Henningsen as General Sanders facetiously remarked, was giving them all the law allowed.

They flung their arms every way. This morning we are bringing them into Rivas, half of them loaded. We shan't need any more importations from California for a while. Of course you will all want to know how many we killed. If any body asks you, you can say - as our old water-cure friend used to - "Any number you please." Wilson began to count them and got up to 320 and said he thought it was wasting the precious hours of a probationary state to spend any more time on dead greasers. It is certain that we finished at least 500. and have about as many more on our hands in a most deplorable condition. But the General' has given orders to take good care of them all and no doubt we shall save all that's worth having. One thing you may be sure of; they will never stand up against us again -- even if there was any sort of harmony among their leaders. So you may consider the hard fighting about over. A letter from one of Walker's Officers says;

It is astonishing what astounding stories are told of desertions from Walker's army. One would suppose there were not men enough left to beat a drum for retreat. I can assure you that not one good mars has left the army. There have been desertions, as there are in any war and will be. The sum total of the desertions will not however exceed 100 men; these have been almost exlusively Germans and Frenchmen, whom General Walker has been more anxious -to get rid of than retain

[Gives one the feel of the "Manifest Destiny" attitude of the early 19th century North Americans, thanks Mark. -- T.D.H.]