be encountered; a well disciplined army, three times our own number, were in front of us, and occupying all the military positions of those regions."

On the arrival of the army in the province of Casanare, it formed a junction with the troops of that province, under the command of general Santander; on which occasion Bolivar issued a proclamation to the inhabitants of New Granada, in which he says, that "the groans which Spanish tyranny extorted from you have reached the ears of your brethren in Venezuela, who, after having thrown off the yoke of our common oppressors, wish to share their liberty with you. A British legion, from more distant climes, has left the glory of its country to acquire the renown of saviours of America; this liberating army of friends and benefactors is now in the bosom of your country, and God, who always protects suffering humanity, will make the arms of your redeemers triumphant."

The united armies were a whole month in marching through the province of Casanare, and in overcoming the obstacles which every day appeared to multiply as they advanced. They had to cross a number of navigable rivers, which, at this season of the year, overflowed their banks, and inundated the country and the roads over the plains. It rained almost constantly day and night. The roughness of the mountains rendered them almost inaccessible, and in four days' marching over them, all the transports were rendered useless, and all the cattle provided for the army were lost. No enemy was discovered until they reached the river Guya, on the 27th of June, 1819, when the vanguard of the liberating army attacked and dislodged a detachment of 300 royalists, occupying a position so strong by nature, that 100 men are sufficient to stop the passage of 10,000.* The destruction of the bridge across the river, by the royalists, prevented their being pursued, so that the only direct advantage of the victory was the possession of the harbour, and the provisions left by the enemy. But as this was the opening of the campaign, it had a favourable influence on the army after their incredible fatigues, as the first events are often regarded, in some degree, as presages of the final result.

This affair was immediately followed by a succession of the most splendid victories the revolution affords, and which not only speedily terminated the campaign, but decided the fate of New Granada, and, perhaps, it is hardly too much to say of the revolution in the whole of Spanish America. 'The first action was fought on the 1st of July, in the valley of Sagamoso, in the province of Tunja, between the liberating army and the main army of the royalists of New Granada, commanded by Bareyro. The * Despatch of Bolivar, dated 30th of June, 1819.

contest was long, obstinate, and continued until ten o'clock at night, when the Spaniards were routed and compelled to retreat in great disorder, to save themselves from destruction.

After considerable manœuvreing by both the hostile armies, they encountered each other again on the 25th of July, at Pantano de Bargas, near the capital of the province of Tunja. The action lasted for five hours, both parties fighting with the greatest desperation. Victory at length declared for the patriots, and the rout of the royalists was complete; they were obliged to retreat in confusion, leaving their artillery, baggage, and treasures, on the field of battle, with their killed and wounded. The Spanish army retreated by the road of Samaca, in the direction of the capital, and were pursued and overtaken by the liberating army on the 7th of August, at Boyaca. At daylight the advanced corps of the patriots discovered that the enemy intended to pass the bridge at Boyaca, when Bolivar ordered the whole army under arms for action, and to march to the high road to prevent the royalists from crossing the bridge, or force them to give battle. At two in the afternoon, the enemy's first division reached the bridge, where they saw the advance cavalry of the patriots, and supposing it a reconnoitring party, they attacked it to clear the way for the main body of the royal army. The divisions of the liberating army quickened their march, and, to the great surprise of the royalists, the whole of its infantry appeared in a column on a height commanding a view of their position. The main body of the enemy was stationed about three fourths of a mile from the bridge. The infantry of the liberating army came down from the height, and, together with the cavalry, marched along the road to give the enemy battle; who, in the mean time, made a movement by his right, which was opposed by the British legion. The battalions of Barcelona, the intrepid corps of Paez, and the squadron of cavalry of the upper plains, formed the centre of the liberating army; the battalion of the line of New Granada, the battalion of Cozadores, and the guards of the rear, formed the left, and the columns of Tunja and Socorro remained as a reserve. The enemy was formed in a column on a height, with three pieces of artillery in the centre, and two squadrons of cavalry on the flanks, where they waited the attack. The patriot general, Anzoatequi, directed the operations of the centre and right, and general Santander the left. The troops of the centre, comprising the invincible corps of Paez, whilst exposed to the fire of a body of the enemy posted on their left flank, attacked with great intrepidity the main body of the royalists. The enemy received them with firmness, and poured into them a tremendous fire; but the independents, regardless of this, by the most daring and active movements, surrounded all the enemy's corps, when the cavalry, charging with

great impetuosity and courage, the enemy was driven from their position and thrown into disorder, which rendered all the efforts of the Spanish commander unavailing. The horse grenadiers set the first example of flight; the infantry attempted to form on another height, but were assailed so hotly, that they were instantly routed, and being enclosed on all sides, threw down their arms and surrendered. By an almost simultaneous movement, general Santander, who commanded the left, and who had met with but little resistance from the enemy's van, charged, passed the bridge, and completed the victory. The conflict was short, but terrible, and victory was not for a moment doubtful; the slaughter was great, and the Spanish army entirely annihilated. General Bareyro, the commander in chief, Ximines, the second in command, a great number of field and inferior officers, and 1600 men were made prisoners. The spoils of the vanquished which fell into the hands of the patriots were great, consisting of artillery, arms, ammunition, horses, &c. General Santander, with the van, pursued the fugitives to Venta Quemada, and the rest of the army remained all night on the field of battle. The Spanish army consisted of above 3000 men; that of Bolivar of something less.*

This great and decisive action, which may be regarded as holding that place in the Colombian revolution that the victory at Saratoga did in our own, gave the patriots the possession of Santa Fe, the capital of New Granada, and the neighbouring provinces. The viceroy, Samana, immediately on obtaining news of the defeat of the royal army, with a few attendants, left the capital, and reached Carthagena by way of Mompox, where he was defeated, and escaped with a handful of men to Tericabo, an elevated position about twelve miles from Carthagena. He left all his military stores at Santa Fe, and a large sum in specie in the treasury and mint, said to amount to two or three millions.

It is impossible for language to describe the joy and enthusiasm with which the inhabitants of Santa Fe de Bogota received the victorious Bolivar, who had generously come to their relief when hope had almost forsaken them; he was hailed as their deliverer, their redeemer; as the first of patriots and the greatest of heroes, who surpassed the renowned Hannibal in overcoming the obstacles of nature, and the still greater Bonaparte, in the rapidity of his movements, and the success of his bold and noble enterprises. In 75 days he performed a march of nearly 1000 miles, fought three pitched battles, and emancipated a nation struggling under the weight of oppression, and whose wounds, inflicted by the sanguinary Morillo, were not yet healed.

Improving the advantages which fortune and his own valour had conferred on him, Bolivar immediately directed his attention to * Official despatch of Bolivar.

making the best dispositions of the augmented military resources now at his command. The inhabitants flocked to his standard, and two armies were raised, organized, and put in motion about the 20th of September; one for the south, and the other destined to liberate the provinces of the north, still in the possession of the royalists. A provisional government for New Granada was also established, and all the necessary arrangements made for the security of the country, in which Bolivar was seconded by the inhabitants; and after submitting to Samano proposals for an exchange of prisoners, he left the capital of New Granada to return to Angostura, where the congress of Venezuela was expected to be in session. He travelled with an expedition corresponding with the celerity of his movements when at the head of the army. Pamplona to Angostura, which usually requires twenty-five or thirty days, he went in seventeen, and arrived at the latter place on the 11th of December, 1819, where he was received with the greatest demonstrations of joy, now the liberator of New Granada as well as of Venezuela.

From

On the 14th of December the congress was installed, on which occasion the president delivered a speech, giving a brief account of the campaign, the difficulties the army had to encounter from the inundations of the plains, the roughness and frozen summits of the mountains, and the superior force of the enemy, which occupied all the strong positions of the country. But notwithstanding these difficulties, in less than three months this victorious army, besides overcoming the floods of the plains, and the forests of the Andes, annihilated an army of three times their number, and liberated twelve provinces of New Granada. The president does justice to the inhabitants of New Granada; "It is not alone to the liberating army that we are indebted for these signal events; the people of New Granada have shown themselves worthy of liberty; their efficient co-operation retrieved our losses and augmented our strength." He recommends the commemoration of these great achievements of his companions in arms; and concludes by informing the congress of the desire of the people of New Granada to unite their destiny with Venezuela, and his own ardent wishes for the union of the two countries. "Yes, legislators, the unanimous determination of perishing free, rather than to live slaves, hath given to the people of New Granada a title to our admiration and respect. Their ardent desire to unite their destiny with Venezuela is not less magnanimous. The inhabitants of New Granada are intimately penetrated with the great advantages to be derived from the union of both countries in one republic. The re-union of Venezuela and New Granada have been the unceasing object of my desires from the commencement of my military career. It is also the original wish of the

citizens of both countries, and a certain guarantee of the liberties of all South America.

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Legislators-The time to give a fixed and eternal basis to our republic has at length arrived; it belongs to your wisdom to decree this great social act, and to establish the principles of the sacred compact upon which the republic was to be erected. Proclaim it to the whole world, and my services and those of my companions in arms will be amply remunerated, and their utmost wishes accomplished."

Bolivar having closed his address, Mr. Zea, the vice-president, arose, and replied:

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Among the many glorious and illustrious days consecrated by you to the republic, none has been more auspicious than that of the present, in which you have laid at the foot of the national representatives the laurel wreaths of victory, and the chains cut in pieces by your swords, which had bound in fetters two millions of people." After describing in glowing language the obstacles the army had to encounter on account of the rainy season in passing the Andes, and from the superior force of the enemy, he says:-" But every difficulty disappeared before the courage and impetuosity of the soldiers of independence. Scarcely can victory keep pace with the victor, and in less than three months the principal and greatest part of New Granada is liberated by those troops whose destruction the viceroy of Santa Fe had declared, in anticipation, as an inevitable consequence of their rashness and temerity." In conclusion, he adds his desires to those of the president for the union of the two countries: "Quito, Santa Fe, and Venezuela united in one republic, who is competent to calculate the measure and magnitude of prosperity which belongs to such a mass of physical and moral power. May heaven bless this propitious union, whose consolidation is the first object of all my cares, and of the most ardent desires of my heart."

On the 17th, the congress passed what is called the fundamental law of the republic, which unites Venezuela and New Granada into one state, under the name of the "REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA." This act of union declares that the debts of the two republics shall be consolidated, and remain the national debt of Colombia; that the new republic shall be divided into departments, over each of which there shall be a chief magistrate, to be appointed by the president; that a city shall be built, bearing the name of Bolivar, which shall be the capital of the republic; that a general congress of Colombia shall be assembled at Rosario de Cucuta, in January, 1821, and that the present congress shall be dissolved in January, 1820; that the general congress shall form a constitution for the new republic, and decree the arms and flag of Colombia. It further provides that a commission of six members should be inVOL. II.