aborigines. The entire poem is reprinted in the " Collections " of the Massachusetts liistorical so- ciety (first series, vol. i.).
MORELL DE SANTA CRUZ, Pedro Agustin (mo-rel), R. C. bishop, b. in Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, in 1(394; d. in Havana, Cuba, 30 Dec, 1768. He studied theology in the
University of Santo Domingo, and was ordained
priest in Havana in 1718. Soon afterward he was
appointed dean of the cathedral of Santiago de
Cuba, and in 1745 elected bishop of Leon, Nicara-
gua. Nine years later he was appointed bishop of
the dioceses of Cuba and Florida, and in 1754 he
went to Havana to assume his office. There he
built several churches, founded some charitable
institutions, and was indefatigable in the fulfilment
of his duties and in his efforts to better the condi-
tion of the poor. When England took possession
of Havana in 1762, he was banished by Lord Albe-
marle, and went to Florida, where he did much
missionary work among the Indians. He was the
first Roman Catholic bishop to enter the limits of
the British colonies. After the withdrawal of the
English. Bishop Morell returned to Cuba. He left
two historical works, " Historia de la Isla y Catedral
de Cuba" (Havana. 1766), and Relacion de las
tentativas de los Ingleses en America " (1767).
MORELOS, Jose Maria (mo-ray'-los), Mexican
patriot, b. in Valladolid (now Morelia), 30 Sept.,
1765 ; d. in San Cristobal Ecatepec, near Mexico,
22 Dec, 1815. He was of humble parentage, and
after the early death of his father, his mother, un-
able to give him an education, sent him to a rela-
tive, whom he assisted for many years as a mule-
teer between Mexico and Acapulco. At the age of
thirty he had saved enough to enter the College of
San Nicolas in Valladolid, of which at that time
Miguel Hidalgo {q. v.) was rector, and in 1800 he was
ordained to th'e priesthood. He obtained by com-
petition in 1801 the parishes of Caracuaro and
Nucupetaro, where he constructed a church. When
Miguel Hidalgo proclaimed independence in 1810,
Moi'elos sympathized with him, and when, after
the capture of Guanajuato, the former marched
upon Valladolid, Morelos offered his services, was
appointed colonel, and commissioned to organize
the revolution in the southwest of Mexico. Setting
out with 25 men from his parish, he displayed
great activity, and soon gathered a force of about
700 men. with which he invested Acapulco early
in December, defeated the governor of the fortress,
and captured a large quantity of arms. After his
junction with the brothers Galiana he surprised in
the night of 4 Jan., 1811, the Spanish chief Paris,
who had marched from Oajaca against him, and
captured 600 guns, 5 cannon, and much ammu-
nition. But in the same month he lost his artil-
lery in meeting a sally from the fortress, and to
evade superior royalist forces, which were gather-
ing from all sides, he raised the siege, and by quick
marches soon captured every place on the Pacific
coast and the provinces of Guerrero and Michoa-
can, leaving the Spaniards in possession only of the
fortress of Acapulco. He defeated the royalists at
Chautla de la Sal and Izucar, and on 16 Aug.,
1811, entered Tixtla, after gaining twenty-two vic-
tories within nine months, and carrying dismay
into the Spanish ranks. By the end of the year all
the southern provinces from the Pacific coast to
the confines of the valley of Mexico were freed
from the enemy. On 22 Jan., 1812, he captured
Tenancingo, and, preparing to attack the capital,
established his headquarters in the town of Cuautla
Amilpas; but the viceroy, Venegas, alarmed at the
proximity of the enemy, hurried forward the army
of the centre under Gen. Felix Calleja {q. v.), order-
mg the Oajaca division to join him. Morelos, with
about 5,000 men and 30 pieces of artillery, fortified
Cuautla as well as he could, and awaited Calleja.
The latter, after placing his batteries, tried to take
the place by assault on 19 Feb., but was driven
back with the loss of 500 men, and laid siege to the
city. Morelos ^vithstood daily attacks until, after
seventy-two days of defence, the ammunition and
provisions were exhausted, and an attempt of
Mariano Matamoros to relieve the place having
failed, Morelos resolved to evacuate it, and on the
morning of 2 May made a bold attack, and after
an obstinate fight broke through the lines of the
enemy, whose forces numbered more than double
his own. He soon gathered his men at Chiautla
and began the campaign anew, capturing Orizaba
in October, 1812, with a great quantity of arms and
ammunition. Although he was defeated on his
march to the south on the heights of Acultzingo,
he soon collected 5,000 men in Tehuacan and
marched on Oajaca, which he took by storm on 25
Nov. After organizing a government there, he
marched again to the Pacific coast, invested Aca-
pulco, and occupied the city on 15 Aug., 1813, and
after he had captured the island of Roqueta, in a
night attack, the fortress surrendered on 20 Aug.
Morelos now convoked a congress from the south-
western provinces that had submitted to the inde-
pendent forces. This assembly met on 13 Sept.,
1813. at Chilpantzingo, and on 6 Nov. the solemn
declaration of independence was formally signed
by the first Mexican congress. Morelos now re-
solved to establish a regular government in Valla-
dolid, organized his forces with those of the other
patriots, and with more than 20,000 men appeared
before that city on 22 Dec, 1813, and summoned
the commander to surrender. But the garrison
had been re-enforced, and in the night of 24 Dec.
Agustin de Iturbide made a daring sally. Mo-
relos's army, surprised and fighting in the dark-
ness, was totally routed, and retired to Chupio.
After the second defeat of his troops at Puruaran,
15 Jan., 1814, where Matamoros was taken prison-
er, Morelos fled toward Acapulco. With what
forces he could gather he joined the congress at
Texmacala, and that body, on 22 Oct., 1814, pro-
claimed at Apatzingan the first Mexican constitu-
tion, and appointed Morelos one of three to take
charge of the executive. Soon there were dissen-
sions among the three, and congress, not feeling
secure at Uruapam before the advancing royalist armies, resolved to transfer the seat of government to Tehuacan, and ordered Morelos to act as escort. With about 1,000 men he set out on 29 Sept., 1815, and, although pursued by several bodies of Spanish troops, he was able to conceal his movements until he passed Mescala river, but at Texmalaca he was overtaken by Col. Concha, and after a short fight was totally routed on 5 Nov. After his flight he was recognized by a Spanish officer who formerly had served under him, and delivered to Concha, who conducted him to Mexico. After a brief trial he was degraded from the priesthood and condemned to death. While in prison he could have escaped through the intervention of the physician of the prison. Francisco Montesdeoca, but, fearing to expose the latter to Spanish vengeance, he refused to avail himself of the offer. Fearing a popular commotion if the execution should take place in the capital, the authorities transported him early on 22 Dec. to the small village of San Cristobal Ecatepec, near Guadeloupe, and there he was shot from the rear, according to tlie sentence, as a traitor. He died like a brave man, walking with a
