662
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
This City has been and now is a constant scene of rejoicing illumi- nations etc. etc for three weeks past, on account of the birth •of another prince and the return of the Emperor from Xalapa-fare- well, study hard, keep steady habits-live frugal-and keep up your spirits all will be right in the end- ESTEVAN }rfuxroAN PouTics, DroEMBER 1822 1 on the 2d. of December 1823 [1822] Brig· Gen 1 • Don Antonio Lopes de Santana proclaimed in favour of a Republic in the city of Vera Cruz at the head of his Regiment No 8 of infantry-amount- ing to about 800 men well provided with amunition small arms· and cannon and mortars, provided for the attack on the castle--the civil authority of Vern. Cruz seconded him, and a plan was published on the 6 stating the basis of future operations-Gen!. Guadalupe Vic- toria soon after joined Santana with a considerable body of troops and took command of the Strong and important fortified position of Puente de Rey (IGngs Bridge) on the Main road from Vera Cruz to Xalapa Puebla and l\'Iexico-about the 9 Santana left Vera Cruz and marched in the direction of Cordova with the intention as was said of endeavouring to induce·Gen 1 • Lobato and the division under his command to join him-Lobato however attacked his advance guard repulsed them and took two small field pieces and a few pris- oners-Santana then collecting about 1000 men took the main road to the city of :Mexico and having surprised and cut off, by a rapid movement, a detachment of the Imperial troops at the Plan del Rio, • in advance of the Puente del Rey near Xalapa, made an attack on the latter city on the 23 Decr· at daylight and was repulsed with considerable loss in killed wounded and Prisioners,-This obliged him to retreat rapidly to Vera Cruz in which city he shut himself up with the remnant of his army. Victoria remaining in possession of the Puente del Rey-during this period the town of Alvarado, which had followed the example of vera Cruz a few days after the proc- lamation of the 2a. Decr·-redeclared for the Emperor-and was taken possession by Gen'· Lobato-The Captain General of the Province of Vera Cruz fielcl Martial Echavari uniting the divisions of Gen'· Lobato and Cortnzar and adding to them a few troops from Xalapn. encamped before Vern Cruz and commenced the siege of tha.t city with about ____ .on the ____ duy of ---- leaving a detachment to besiege Victoria at the Puente del Rey under the commu.nd of Gen'· • This was proba.bly written by Austin In 1829. In much brlefe1· fol"m It a.ppeurs In a pamphlet which he published In that year and which h; l"eprlnted In part In ,1 Compre- he 11 stve /Jistorv of 'l'czaa, I, 4M. The paper ls published here for Its description ot the celebration ot December 14 In Mexico City. For a &eDeral account of the period see l:I. a:. Bancro!t, H-18torv of Mez-lco, IV, 786-94.
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