with, and who were under the direction of Garrote, had retreated to Tixtla; and Morelos, without allowing Garrote time to repair his losses, followed with all speed. On the 26th of May the insurgents arrived before the town, and although the royalists were well protected by fortifications and provided with artillery, the attack was commenced without delay. The contest was long and obstinate, but after six hours hard fighting, during which a portion of the town was set on fire, the royalists were driven from the fortified points, and retreated to the church, where most of them were made prisoners.[1] Besides the prestige gained by this victory, the material results were of high importance; eight cannon, 200 muskets, and 600 prisoners being captured. During the two following months Morelos was actively employed in repairing and strengthening the fortifications of Tixtla, in augmenting the number of his forces, and above all in attention to their military instruction and discipline.
When these successes became known to Fuentes, he recognized that it was of paramount importance to arrest the progress of Morelos; and stopping preparations to attack Ávila at the Veladero, he concentrated his forces in his pursuit. Taking up a position at Chilapa, an important town four leagues distant from Tixtla, he made his dispositions for the recapture of the latter town. Meantime Morelos, having completed the defences at Tixtla, leaving there a garrison of 104 men under the command of Hermenegildo Galeana and Nicolás Bravo, returned to Chilpancingo, and on the 15th of August celebrated the virgin's ascension. Fuentes, duly informed of this division of the enemy's forces, and the diversion caused at Chilpancingo, hastened to avail himself of the opportunity, and vigorously assaulted Tixtla on the same day. Galeana and Bravo, however, resisted the attack with
- ↑ The cura of Tixtla delayed for some little time the entrance of the victors into the church by the elevation of the host at the entrance. Id., ii. 17. This afforded an opportunity to the leading officers and a portion of the troops to effect their escape. Mora, Mej. y sus Rev., iv. 301.
