leading to Zitácuaro; but having received orders from Venegas to move from Toluca against Tenango, he directed his march thither, and occupied the place during the 29th and 30th of December, meeting with little opposition except that offered by its mountainous position. Porlier then proceeded to Tenancingo, which the revolutionists abandoned on his approach, concentrating themselves in the barranca of Tecualoya. On the 3d of January he drove the enemy from their position and took possession of the pueblo. But the troops of Morelos were approaching in force, and about the middle of January the barranca was again occupied, Galeana having arrived with the advance division. On the 17th Porlier attacked the insurgents, who had taken up the same position from which they had previously been driven. Though, the royalists gained some advantage at first, and advanced to the pueblo which had been occupied by the enemy, they finally sustained a repulse with considerable loss, and retreated to Tenancingo. Here Porlier was assailed by the combined forces of Morelos, who conducted the operations in person.[1] The attack began on the 22d, and the firing continued all through the night and the following day. Portions of the town were set on fire, and the royalists, having lost several of their principal officers, were driven to their last position in the plaza with no hope of maintaining it. On the night of the 23d Porlier abandoned the place, effecting his retreat with great difficulty and with the loss of eleven cannon to Tenango, whence he returned to Toluca, with the remnant of his force in miserable plight and thoroughly dispirited.[2] Morelos
- ↑ His forces numbered about 3,200 men, commanded by Galeana, Nicolás Bravo, and Matamoros. Morelos, Declar., 23.
- ↑ The account of Porlier's operations has been mainly derived from his despatches in Gaz. de Mex. y 1811, ii. 1231; Id., 1812, iii. 18-19, 61-70, 159-61. Consult also Alaman, Hist. Mej., ii. 460-7; Torrente, Rev. Hist. Amer., i. 314-16; Bustamante, Campañas de Calleja, 166; and Cuad. Hist., ii. 10-32, in which last narration the author gives a very incorrect version. Alaman remarks that had Calleja obeyed the orders of the viceroy to march against Morelos as he approached the valley of Toluca, Porlier would not have sus-
