459
PAPERS OF l\IIRABEAU BUOKAPARTE LAMAR
Next morning 19:..._forced march they reached the Real de Pinos at sun- set. In Zacatecas.- It had a garrison of 300 men- Mina sum- moned the place to surrender-refusal returned-prepared to storm the place See page 112- They now hoped in few days to form the long desired junction with the patriots. 3 day they marched thro' an airid plain strewed with bones-beast, bird, human being nothing visible-a perfect waste. No provisions procured; coYered with grass for their horses.- 22nd Guide became bewildered & the Division halted-been 3 days without nourishment- Early 23 they fell in with a small party patriots who were reconnoiter- ing See page 114- Thro mistake they attacked :Mina as an Enemy; explanations- "The joy of the troops, at having at .length, after surmo,unting so many obstacles, joined their allies, may be readily imagined." All for- got past sufferings, & looked forward to future glory. Mina set off to meet the Commt. Col. Don Christoval Naba, & in the fore noon re- turned to his encampmt. The district under the comd of Naba was poor- Mina learned from him that 5 leagues off was a national ranch, & 4 leagues farther was the national fort called Sombrero.- resumed his march.-22 "While assending the heights of Ybarra, a strong body of the enemy were seen in the plain below. Their appearance was as unexpected as unwelcome, to the exhausted troops- Mina prepared for battle-the enemy declined- & Mina moved on to the national ranch unmolested; foun[d] plenty provisions & feasted 4 days. The enemy was encamped close by, comanded by "Don Francisco de Orrantia, who, it appeared, had been ordered, after the defeat at Teo- tillas, from the city of Queretaro, to prevent Mina's junction with the patriots" , "Mina, with his staff early on the morning 24 proceeded to the fort" the division followed soon after & "arrived at noon at the patriot fortress. where they were reed. with the most cordial demonstrations of joy. The patriots viewed the Division with astonishment, & could scarcely believe it possible that such a handful of men could have pene- trated such a distance to the interior, & thro' a country occupied by Royalists in every part of the route"----"The division had been 30 days on the march, and had gone over a distance of two hundred & 20 leagues."- See page 117. double the real distance between Soto la :Marina & Sombrero, in consequence of the Circuitous route they had to take, thro' unfrequented paths.- They reached Sombrero with 269 men-Killed and taken prisoners on the road amounted to 39-and 25 wounded. See reflections page 11.9, & 120 On arriving at Sombrero, he published a manifesto; & also wrote to Padre Torres, "a neighboring chieftain, who bore the title of Com- mander in Chief. Sombrero was commanded by Don Pedro Moreno Mariscal de Campo had 80 infantry & few cavalry tolerably well clothed & armed.-Dn Pedro had also under his orders, a body of about 200 Cavalry Commanded by Don Encarnacion Ortiz, who traversed the Country in the [neighborhood?] of Sombrero."-
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