PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR 289 :Michoacan division, and blackened him with the epithets of thief, turn- coat and traitor. Santa Anna's object was none other than to satisfy his personal vengeance against Cortazar in that way, because he had not served as an instrument for his desires, and to malign Farias at the same time by causing the resentment which such injustice would arouse in the nation to fall on him. Oortazar having been deposed, General Valencia was ordered to march against Escalda. After many manoeuvers, detours, marches and countermarches on both sides, the forces finally met on the 14th of July at Las Cruces, a place famous for the battle which took place there between Hidalgo and Trujillo in 1810. The forces were almost equal, each commander having between seven and eight hundred men. Escalda was defeated and fled to Mexico where General Victoria placed him in prison. Colonel Moreno, the Centralist leader, defeated General J arero at Chilpancingo. In Queretaro Governor Canaliza declared in favor of Arista and Duran. General Mejia marched to that State with 900 men, obtained a victory by capturing Canaliza, who was sent to Mexico where Mejia soon afterwards made his triumphal entry and was greeted with gen- eral applause. Santa Anna ordered :Mejia, while the latter was marching to the aid of General J arero after J arero's defeat, to arrest General Bravo and send him to the Capital, alleging that Bravo had had some part in J arero's defeat, but Bravo comprehended what was happening and took flight. Mejia communicated this news to Santa Anna who showed great surprise on receiving it, and openly denied having ordered Bravo's -arrest. But the Secretary of State did not permit him to profit by this lie, for he had been the one who had written the letter to Mejia ,and had preserved a copy of it in his department. In view of Arista's surrender Santa Anna took possession of Guan- ajuato, and during the few days that he spent there was domiciled in the Governor's house, and all of his following and servants lived at the expense of that citizen. On taking leave of the Governor he did not fail to take with him the Governor's best horses and such other things as he desired. This was the manner in which he was accustomed to acknowledge hospitality and return favors. While there he learned that Don Lucas Alaman had operated a silver mine in company with the State ever since ·Bustamante's admin- istration, and that there were from 6000 to 8000 pesos in metal in the mine at that time. Santa Anna at once fell in love with it and added it to his baggage with the aid of 7000 men who sustained him in the robbery. He did still worse with some very valuable jewels which they brought for him to look at as a curiosity. He thanked the owner, pretending that he thought they were a gift from this man, and said with the coldest impudence: "Fulano, take those stones and put them carefully in my box." Ashamed and confused, the owner of the stones departed, repenting too late his desire to show the hero Farfulla the treasures of his mine. We will conclude with the following anecdote which, accord_ing to the order of time, should have been placed first. Doiia Francisca Santa
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