CHAPTER XXII.
CONGRESS OF CHILPANCINGO.
1813.
Morelos' March to Acapulco — He Besieges and Captures It — Royalist Reaction — Piaxtla — Guerrillas and their Doings — Bravo's Operations — His Repulse at Alvarado — Siege of Coscomatepec — Orizaba Surprised — Second Royalist Defeat at San Agustin del Palmar — Its Consequences — Discord in the Suprema Junta — Congress of Chilpancingo — Rayon's Action — Morelos the Generalissimo and Siervo de la Nacion — Declaration of National Independence — Constitution — Jesuits.
Morelos, having decided to lay seige to Acapulco, started from Oajaca on the 9th of February, 1813, with 3,000 men,[1] leaving there a force of 1,000 under Colonel Rocha; 1,000 having previously been despatched against the royalist chiefs Montaño, Sanchez, and others. Marching to Yanhuitlan, he stationed there Matamoros with 1,500 men to secure possession of that country. In the Mizteca road he detached Galeana in aid of the brothers Bravo, who had been assigned the duty of guarding the line of the Mescala River on Chilapa arid might need assistance in their encounters with Páris, now subordinate to the royalist brigadier Moreno Daoiz. Galeana was to rejoin the main army at Ometepec, of which place Vicente Guerrero was made comandante. On the 2d of March the independents opened their way at the Jacalones del Camparnento, a strongly fortified place defended by royalists, whom they routed.[2]
