the lives of the Spanish prisoners, in the possession of the patriots at Acapulco, whom Morelos by way of retaliation put to death.

The Spaniards at this time had a powerful force; the royal army consisted of four strong divisions, and from the vigorous conduct of Calleja, who was now appointed viceroy, they drove the revolutionists from the principal part of the country. Morelos, Rayon, Doctor Cos, and some others of the patriot chiefs, however, kept the field, and occupied a considerable part of the provinces of Guanaxuato, Valladolid, and Zacatecas; Liceaga fortified a position on the Lake Chapala, where he repulsed the royalists in several attacks made to dislodge him.

In hopes to revive the spirits of the inhabitants, Morelos called a congress, consisting of forty members, which opened its session at Chilpanzingo, 90 miles south of Mexico, and was afterward removed to Ario, about 130 miles from the capital, where it declared Mexico independent, and constituted a triplicate executive, consisting of Morelos, Liceaga, and Cos. From thence the congress was transferred to Apatzingan, in the province of Valladolid. There, on the 23d of October, 1814, they offered to the people a democratic constitution, and on the 25th issued a decree, prescribing the oath of allegiance to all who were to enjoy the benefits of the new government. These proceedings increased the rage of the royal governors, and the constitution and decree were publicly burned at Mexico on the 25th of May following, and the punishment of death denounced against all who should retain in their possession any copies of the constitution, or refuse to deliver them to the government.. Morelos found that the establishment of a congress, and the resignation of his power to it, instead of promoting, injured the cause, and greatly embarrassed his operations. When he, or any of the generals, proposed any military plan of action, the long discussion which it must undergo in the congress, not only occasioned delay, but often defeated the object, and finally led to mutual jealousy and distrust between the civil and military authorities.

Many privateers were fitted out under the authority of the new government, which supplied the armies of the patriots with arms and ammunition, through the port of Boquilla de Piedra, on the Gulf of Mexico. Being no longer able to maintain himself in the intendancy of Valladolid, and receiving intelligence that Toledo and general Humbert had arrived with arms and ammunition at Elpuente del Rey, situated between Xalapa and Vera Cruz, which was fortified by the independents, Morelos determined to retire into that province, and the congress and a large portion of the inhabitants resolved to accompany him.

The expedition had more the appearance of a large caravan,

or the migratory incursions of those nations of the north of Europe, which overran the Roman empire, than that of a regular army on its march. The royalists pursued and hovered round this vast multitude, armed and unarmed, but made no general attack. Morelos had separated himself from the main army, to cover the retreat, and with a body of cavalry lay at a place called Tepecuacilco, of which the royalists obtaining information by their spies, attacked him by surprise, and after a short conflict, he was defeated and made prisoner, on the 5th of November, 1815. Morelos was carried to Mexico, deprived of his clerical orders, accused of heresy, but acquitted of that charge by the inquisition. On the 22d of December, he was shot in the back as a traitor, in the village of San Christobal, 18 miles from the capital, the viceroy not daring to execute the sentence in the city, for fear it would excite the people to rise.

The congress convened at the city of Tehuacan, in the province of Puebla, where Teran, an independent officer, commanded a considerable body of troops. Here, on the 17th of November, they sent to Calleja a despatch, imploring him to spare the valuable life of Morelos, which he did not condescend to answer. The loss of Morelos was irreparable; the congress had great difliculty in supplying his place as a member, and president of the executive department; the place was demanded by Teran, whom the congress did not seem disposed to appoint, and serious disputes arose. Teran being provoked, and taking advantage of the existing disputes, dissolved the congress by force, in December, which arbitrary act proved very fatal to the cause of the patriots. There was no longer any national authority, unity of power, or concert of action; but the military officers in the different provinces acted as independent chiefs, and the war languished until the arrival of general Mina, in the autumn of 1816.

Mina was

a nephew of the celebrated general of that name, so distinguished for his patriotic devotion to his country, and the constitutional cause in Spain, and the long and successful resistance he made against the French and the Spanish royalists. He sailed from Liverpool with a small expedition, in May, 1816, having 7000 stand of arms, and equipages for 2000 infantry and 500 cavalry, and arrived in the United States in June. Here he obtained some officers, and additional muskets, some pecuniary aid from Baltimore and New-Orleans, to help out the expedition, and sailed for the Gulf of Mexico. Having suffered much in the passage from unfavourable weather and disease, he landed at Galvestown in November, where he was joined by Aury, the commander of the privateers in that quarter, and by some of the inhabitants. Hastily organizing his forces, he proceeded to Soto Marina, and entered the place without opposition. Here he constructed a fort,

and left a small garrison for the protection of his military stores, and on the 24th of May commenced his march for the interior of the country.

At this time the revolution was at its lowest ebb, and little or no resistance was openly made to the Spanish government, except in the internal provinces; there were, however, some guerrillas, in other parts, that kept the field. Calleja had been succeeded, as viceroy, by Don Juan R. de Apadoca; and the new viceroy departed from the policy of his predecessors, who had attempted to govern solely by fear and terror. Sensible that the

cruel and bloody career of Calleja was not calculated to restore tranquillity to a distracted country, where all was war and desolation, he resolved to try a different line of conduct, and attempt to conciliate the affections of the inhabitants, and to regain their confidence. This conciliatory policy was attended with great success, and almost put an end to the revolution, in the capital and that part of Mexico. But the spirit of independence was suppressed, not extinguished, and it was revived by the invasion of the country by Mina. When he commenced his march, his whole force, including officers, was 308 men; with which he encountered a body of the enemy on the 8th of June, 1817, near Valle del Mais, routed them, and entered the town. He made no stay, but continued his march with great expedition, being desirous to unite with the independents in the interior, and on the 14th of June he encamped at the hacienda Peotillas. Here he was attacked by a force greatly superior, but his heroic band, few in number but brave in spirit, directed and encouraged by their gallant leader, not only defended themselves, but compelled the enemy to abandon the field with a heavy loss. In this action Mina proved himself to be a brave and skilful officer, and acquired the highest confidence of his followers. Continuing his march, on the 18th he stormed and took the town of Real del Pinos, although defended by a garrison exceeding his own force; and on the 24th of June he reached Sombrero, where he found the forces of the independents, having marched 660 miles in thirty-two days. His troops had endured the greatest fatigue, and almost every hardship and privation; but being animated by their commander, young, gallant, and popular, who shared himself in all their sufferings and wants, no murmurs or complaints were heard. When Mina arrived at Sombrero, he had 269 men, rank and file. Here he wrote to the junta which had been established, acquainting them with his object in invading the country, and offering his services in the cause of independence; he also wrote to Padre de Torres, who was regarded as commander-in-chief of the patriots. Mina learnt that a body of royalists, amounting to 700, were in the vicinity, and leaving the fort under the command of Don Pe

dro Moreno, he marched in conjunction with a guerrilla, commanded by Ortis, of 100 men, to meet the enemy. His whole force amounted to 400 men, with which he did not hesitate to engage the royalists, drawn up at the hacienda de los Llanos. So spirited and vigorous was the charge of the independents, led on by Mina, that the enemy yielded before them and fled in disorder, with the loss of half their number left on the field. After the troops were refreshed by a few days repose at Sombrero, Mina and Moreno penetrated as far as Xaral, 60 miles from Guanaxuato, and surprised and took the place, in which they found immense booty.

On his return to Sombrero, Mina received intelligence of the surrender of Soto la Marina to the royalists, commanded by Arredondo, governor of the internal provinces. Following up their success, the Spaniards invested Sombrero. The patriots made an obstinate defence; but it being evident the place could not hold out much longer, Mina left the fort and proceeded to general Torres, in hopes of obtaining some troops for the relief of the besieged, in which he did not succeed. A few days after he left the place, the patriots were compelled to evacuate it, and had no other means of escape but by cutting their way through the lines of the enemy. Fifty only survived, who joined their leader at Los Remedios, the headquarters of general Torres. The royalists under general Linan, marched against Remedios, and invested the place on the 31st of August, which was defended by Torres, assisted by some of Mina's officers. Mina, at the head of a body of cavalry, marched toward Guanaxuato, and captured the hacienda of Biscocho, and the town of San Luis la Paz. He also advanced against the town of San Miguel, and commenced an attack upon it, but retired on receiving information that a strong force of the enemy was marching to the relief of the place. He retreated to the valle de Santiago, where he was joined by many patriots, so that he soon was at the head of one thousand cavalry. With this force Mina set out for the relief of Remedios, but learning that the besiegers were stronger than he had supposed, he deemed his force insufficient for the purpose, and retired to the mountains near Guanaxuato, being pursued by Orrantia. The Spaniards carried on the siege of Remedios with great vigour; yet Mina continually harassed them with his cavalry, and cut off their supplies. But at length he was attacked by Orrantia at the hacienda of La Caxa, and defeated with a heavy loss. He retired to a small town called New Puebla, twelve miles from the scene of action, and attempted to rally the fugitives, who had escaped, but with little success, as most of them returned to their homes. In this forlorn condition he proceeded to Xauxilla, to obtain from the government of the independents, which was then

fixed at that place, some troops to resume his military operations. He proposed attacking Guanaxuato; and after considerable opposition to his plan it was agreed to, and he was supplied with a small body of troops. With this force he marched to the valle de Santiago, where he was re-enforced by a few men from Xalapa, waiting to join him; but the approach of a detachment of royalists compelled him to withdraw from the valley. By a rapid movement through the mountains, he descended in the rear of the royalists, and marched to La Caxa; and from thence he proceeded by a rapid march across the country during the night, to an obscure place called La Mina de la Luz. Here he received some re-enforcements, which increased his little army to 1400 men, with which he did not hesitate to attack the city of Guanaxuato, although entirely destitute of artillery. As might have been foreseen, the attack was unsuccessful, and after burning the machinery of the mine of Valenciana, he retired, and ordered his men to their different stations, retaining sixty or seventy only under his immediate command. The bold career of this brave and intrepid young officer and patriot was soon terminated. He was surprised and captured by the Spanish general Orrantia, at Venadito, on the 27th of September, 1817. Apadoca the viceroy gave orders for his immediate execution, and he was conducted to the headquarters of Linan, commanding the royal army before Remedios, where he was condemned, and shot on the 11th of November. The capture of Mina not only occasioned great joy among the royal chiefs in Mexico, but was regarded as so important an event by the Spanish government, that Apadoca was honoured with the title of Conde del Venadito, and Linan and Orrantia received marks of distinction for having rendered so great a service to their country.

The royalists now directed all their efforts in prosecuting the siege of Remedios; and Torres finding his ammunition failing, evacuated the place on the night of the 1st of January, 1818. The evacuation was so unskilfully conducted, that nearly all of the garrison were killed or made prisoners, and the inhabitants of the town, of all ages and both sexes, unarmed and unprotected, were involved in one common ruin, and nearly all massacred.

The death of Mina, the fall of Remedios, and the loss of the garrison, presaged the speedy overthrow of the cause of independence, and encouraged the royalists to redouble their exertions for the consummation of an object so devoutly to be desired. The town and fortress of Xauxilla, the seat of the government of the revolutionists, was invested by 1000 men under Aguirre ; and the place was compelled to surrender, after being gallantly defended for three months. The government was removed into

VOL. I.

* Poinsett's notes on Mexico.

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