Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 4 July 1863, page 5


MEXICO.

RETREAT OF THE FRENCH FROM

PUEBLA.

(FROM THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, JUNE 29.)

-.- ----a, vast v

The Evening Bulletin translates and con-dense the following from the German

Democrats:

" Guerrero, April 7,1863.-I arrived herein the 4th inst. just at the right moment to see a torchlight procession, given in honour of General Ximenes. Three bands of music played before his house, and there was a universal fandango in the Plaza. The night passed in undisturbed jollification, and in the morning the public joy was greatly increased by the news brought by an extraordinary courier, that on the 25th of March, 14,000 Frenchmen three times attempted to enter Puebla by storm, and were three times re-pulsed. During the last retreat, 8,000 Mexican Lancers came down on the invaders. All the roads to Orizaba are beset by the Mexicans, and if the French should not succeed on taking Puebla they may find themselves in a ticklish position. They must take Pueblo, fight their way back to Orizaba, or be captured. The rejoicing is almost universal ; but a few prophets of evil say that Puebla lnUBt fall, for the French have cannon of long range, and can batter down the town from a distance from which the Mexican arms can-not reach them. The French are short of

provision, and can get none near Puebla. They are also suffering much with sickness and 10,000 Mexican lancers are always swarm-ing around every little party which leaves the main camp.

Cbilapu, April 15. On the 1st inst. the French opened on Puebla with ninety guns, and after the fortifications had been seriously damaged a storming party of 14,000 men advanced, but they were driven back, retí eating, as the report says, " with considerable haste." On the morning of the 2nd April three storm-ing parties were repulsed. On the 3rd the French occupied some deserted fort of San Xavier, but were compelled to abandon it. About noon on the 3rd the French attempted to storm the forts of Santa Anita and San Augustin, but were driven back after a deadly struggle. It was a dreadful conflict, and at night the field of strife was piled with dead horses. The 4th was spent in cannonading and at night the French found themselves where they had been on the 24th March-and no further. April 16.A messenger has just arrived from the city of Mexico, where everybody is drunk in rejoicing at the defeat of the French. Sau Augustin was treated in the same manner as the other forts, and with the same result. On the 5th and (6th, there were grand councils of war in the French camp and on the 7th, the whole French army stormed the Garita do Mexico. They succeeded in getting into the city, but were driven back, with frightful loss, at the point of the bayonet driven back ten miles to Cholula, where they are now en-trenching themselves, whether to await, re-inforcements or cover their retreat is unknown. The mob have murdered three Frenchmen, but forty-one of the murderers have paid for the offence with their lives, Germans and Americans are carried about on the shoulders of the people, and are " brothers

and friends."

(TO THE RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT OF THE

ALTA CALIFORNIA )

City of Mexico, April 8,1883.

AH J MI juridical, calling o, JOUO,

The evacuation of Fort San Javier was reported in my last letter, and since that time the most desperate fighting has been going on around, or you might say in, Puebla. The soldiers of Louis Napoleon, although fighting for despotism, have shown a valour and a heroism worthy of a butter cause. They are determined to take Puebla, regardless of cost, as retreat would be utter ruin j but the Mexicans are determined to keep it, and up to this time they have been successful in repelling all the attacks made by the invaders; and the advantage General Forey may claim to have gained in bought at a sacrifice that may be called a defeat. On the 4th, the sheila and Congreve rockets of the enemy took effect in the church of the convent of St. Augustin, and sundry dwellings in town and while the conflagration was raging a general attack was made. Port San Javier opened on Santa Anita ; the heavy siege guns opened on St. Augustin, and the fortifications on the suburbs. Shells and rockets, thrown at random into the dwellings of peaceable citizens, made dreadful havoc ; 18,000 French came to assault St. Augustin, and the redoubts of Moreton, but the Mexicans held their ground. The French guns in Fort San Javier were silenced, and all the guns of the Mexicans concentrating their fire on the storming party soon cut them to pieces and in the greatest disorder, they succeeded in regaining their old positions. The redoubts of Moreton were afterwards abandoned by the, Mexican?, after removing all their guns. The French actually took some five or six blocks in the suburbs of the town, up to the hospital. On the 6th their guns destroyed the block opposite the hospital; and they made a strong effort to gain possession of the Calle de Miraflores, in which they were repulsed, leaving 500 dead and wounded on the field. All the progress the French made in the last week is the taking of a few earthworks entirely at the command of our guns, and six squares. Their loss we can only estimate, but it must be at least three to one, as our men have been only on the defensive and behind the walls. We have lost nearly 2,000 men, killed and wounded, in two weeks, and during that time it is estimated that one-quarter of the French army has been put hors de combat. The small city of Cholula was retaken by the French, who are now fortifying that place. It is situated between the army of Comonfort and Puebla. The city of Puebla has suffered a great deal by the shells of the French, who. seem determined to destroy the town, if they cannot take it. It is even worse than the bombardment of Acaplace.