ATTACK ON CARTAGENA. Repulse of the Rebels in an Attempt to Scale the Walls.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 109, 4 July 1885, Page 3

ATTACK ON CARTAGENA. Repulse of the Rebels in an Attempt to Scale the Walls.

New York, June 3. — The steamer which to-day arrived from Panama brings the following account of the attack upon Cartagena : i ate news from Cartagena confirms the intelligence received by the Spanish gunr boat Ferdinand El Catolico and the American (lag-ship Tennessee. Gaitan on learning of the approach of the Government troops under Bricano and their junction with the small force led by Gen. Vila at Sinceljo, resolved on making a general attack on Cartagena, assaulting it both by land and sea ; but he paid dearly for his temerity. Securing a number of scaling ladders, he sent a force by sea to appioach, as silently as possible the walls of the city, and to cover this movement ho began a most furious attack along Ins whole line of siege works, paiticularly at Lapopa. Thu assailants from the J-ea side sue ceeded in placing many of their ladders, and a number of men succeeded in scaling the walls. Had a sufficient number done so before miking a demons' 1 ration to attract the attention of the besieged, their triumph would have been secure, but with chaiaciotifuc enthufcia.'-m, when only about sixty men had reached the wali^, they began thouou tl %( vivas," which biought upon them fit unco thu main foice of the besieged. The re-ult was that the attack by sea was repul-cd with frightful loss—bayonet, machete and knifo doing their deadly hand-to hand work. Every man who reached the summit of the walls was killed or wounded, and many at their baße who sought to escape by swimming were drowned. The loss of Gai tan's forces was nearly 600 killed and wounded, and of tho Loyalists 14 wounded and 9 killed. After the repulho Gaitan withdrew his forces and proceeded to Barranquilla to await an attack by the Government forces, and he has since abandoned the city.