Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 1.djvu/215

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MEXICO IN 1827.
189

Ăcāmbarŏ, in the province of Mīchŏăcān, to march, with all his forces, against the town. Calleja obeyed; and his army sustained such hardships, and overcame such difficulties on the way, in crossing a country where roads were unknown, and where, at times, they were forced to cut their way through forests so thick, that it required the labour of twenty-four hours to enable them to advance a single league, that even their enemies speak of the undertaking with admiration.

On the 1st of January, 1812, Căllējă arrived before Zitācŭarŏ; and on the 2nd, he attacked, and carried the town by assault, which must have been badly defended, as, from the strength of its situation, it was capable of making considerable resistance. The Junta escaped to Sūltĕpec, where it established a new seat of Government; but the honour of having been selected for its first residence proved fatal to Zitācŭarŏ. Calleja, after having passed a fortnight there, which he employed principally in examining Rayon's papers, decimated the inhabitants, ordered the walls to be rased, and burnt the town on his departure, sparing only the churches and convents.[1]

From Zitācŭarŏ, he proceeded, by forced marches, to Mexico, where Venegas most anxiously expected him, in order to check the progress of Morelos. The army made a triumphal entry into the Capital, on

  1. I saw this unfortunate town in 1826. The situation is lovely, but the place is still in ruins.