On the night of the 12th the camp was again on the banks of the Ochomogo.
Col. Natzmer was sent forward to Granada with orders to have all the
disposable horses and mules, together with some provisions, brought to
Nandaime; and about noon of the 13th the force had reached the latter
village. Here the first report of the losses at Rivas was made by the
adjutant-general. The official report showed 58 killed, 62 wounded, and
13 missing. Most of the latter afterward came in; so that the whole loss
may be put at 120. A very large proportion of both the killed and wounded
were officers. Among the former were Captains Huston, Clinton, Horrell
and Linton, Lieutenants Morgan, Stoll, Gray, Doyle, Gillis and Winters;
of the latter were Captains Cook, Caycee and Anderson, Lieutenants Grist,
Jones, Jamieson, Leonard, Potter, Ayers, Latimer, Dolan and Anderson. The
loss of the enemy is difficult to determine: for the Central Americans
never, even to their own officers, state their losses accurately. But
there were probably near six hundred of the Costa Ricans put hors de
combat; two hundred killed and four hundred wounded. Their force at the
beginning of the action was upward of three thousand; and their losses
may be estimated by the wounded they afterward took away from Nicaragua.
From Nandaime to Granada the march was long and wearisome, in spite of
the additional facilities of transportation. Hence, it was near midnight
when the shattered forces of the Republic entered the capital. The
friends of the government in Granada were, however, awake, in order to
receive the force with every demonstration of respect and confidence. The
bells rang forth a joyful peal, rockets were sent up into the air, and
all appeared thankful for the services the army had rendered the State.
Although the Americans had not succeeded in driving the Costa Ricans
from Rivas, they had struck a blow which paralyzed the enemy. Mora was
surprised by the suddenness and the force of the attack made on him;
and the sight of the crowded hospitals at Rivas depressed the spirits
of his soldiers, new to the trials and sufferings of war. The people,
too, of the Meridional Department, as well as those of the Oriental and
Occidental, seeing the Americans were not intimidated by the numbers
brought against them, regained their confidence, somewhat lost by the
disgrace of Santa Rosa.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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