Show letter from froin Corri corrientes entes THE AMERICAN TROOPS ON SHORE the first encounter beti veen the american 11 troops lops mid aud the paraguayans Paraguay ans tile the alta california cali fornia of april 30 39 says A friend furnishes us the in extract from a private letter written by an ali american fit corrientes Corn Corri entes feb 20 23 and sent to this city cily v via ia mendoza and valparaiso A detachment of our tj oops intended for land service se ivice w were ere dis embarked at the village of on the about ten miles below the junction action of the parana with the paraguay this ahia chiefly consisted of light dragoons and mounted riflemen with the luggage ads adapted p ted to that department of the service these were to cross tte country and forma form a junction with mith the steamers at the mouth of the parana tor for the double purse purpose of I 1 el ieving the over crox ded vessels and an intercepting epting tord ging carlies of who had been seen holdring hol ering in the neighborhood on the at 12 bt we had received final oi 01 ders and commence commenced dour our march across the pampa until the shott tv alight settled into darkness when we received orders to encamp c mp and nd had commenced preparations for our first essay in ill paraguayan field fare vi hen our scouts brought in in tile the g news that a large detachment of paraguayans Paraguay ans were mere bivouacked bivouac ked a few miles distant and fiori their movements were evidently meditating a night ight attack As we feared the treachery of native scouts ts of spa ish origin indians were employed p I 1 oye d instead but they were lvere always accompanied cou compa nied by some of our soldiers supposing post n g m that the meditated attack would aou id not net take ake place until the drowsy hours hour of morning our commander glie gave orders order ill that at we should prepare to anticipate their attack aid surprise theta them during the earlier hours of tile the night after having dispatched our first rati ils of jerked pampa beef we allowed our fires to burn low as though we intended to sleep early and take advantage of the early hours to renew our march at eleven concluding that we ve were no do longer watched d we broke camp and the three parties uie tended to attack them in front and either flank filed separately out but keeping within earshot ear shot they proceeded silently until about hall half past t twelve elve when tile gatinho gavilo iho encampment in ent broke brok upon poll their view view the tents of tile the enemy were A ere arranged in a circle u within thin m which aich were picketed what appe appeared arted to be an innumerable herd of horses borses but from the distance and rising mist of I 1 the he plait plain it was impossible to tell uli whether ether they were or not although they apparently outnumbered us by some hun th deeds eds our commander resolved upon an immediate met liate attack and after a spirited whispered exhortation the he word forward was given we proceeded silently until within pistol shot and then with a shout the charge was sounded simultaneously we discharged our pieces which was answered by the terrified screams of a hundred female vo voices ices as we rushed to the encounter ind and lol lo 10 we found ourselves in in the midst of bellowing cattle NN winch aich m we e had mistaken tor for horses in n the distance anti and our opponents were some fourscore four score naked senoras sedoras herds women who were rapidly striking their diminutive tents which was accomplished in rather a i ovel manner which cannot fall fail to be interesting to their more civilized sex in 11 other countries upon discovering the baracker bar acter of our opponents we burst into a bett hearty aly laugh this bis recovering them from their 6 i r surprise ur prise they each dodged beneath the skirts kirts 3 of their tents and a head bead and shoulders e rs the opening of the tent pole it was displaced displace tip but instead of being struck it ft became a fixture rg about tag aed aad upon closer examination we found that w hat gehad aall a d supposed ose I 1 to be tents were nothing less ti than a mo ped skirts which had been imported by some soine enterprising yankee ser serving the guachos sedoras senoras as aa app apparel arel during the day and tents at night I 1 chis his our first encounter with the lie enemy was valiantly achieved and afterwards gallantly maintained as our foes of the skirts must admit I 1 |