suspicious, and the fort could now be carried by surprise. "Malediction on it," exclaimed Filisola, just as he was about to direct the rush against the parapet. A favorite hound of his had broken loose to follow him, and came now bounding forward with a joyous bark of recognition. The insurgents were warned just in time to meet the assault. A hot fire was then opened by the revolutionists, from which the exposed Spaniards suffered severely while vainly trying to scale the walls.[1] Iturbide saw that they would be slaughtered, and honor being satisfied he sounded the recall, "with the fortunate result of saving four fifths of the men," as he writes.
A council of war agreed only too readily with Llano that the siege would be a mere sacrifice of life, and two days later the royalists withdrew from what Iturbide calls the scene of his first repulse, amidst the undisguised joy of the garrison and the settlers of the district. Calleja did not conceal his displeasure, condemning the operations as badly planned, and the retreat as premature; yet he consented to Llano's suggestion of leaving Aguirre with about 600 to ravage the neighborhood and cut off supplies while watching the garrison. Llano made Maravatío his headquarters, and Concha was stationed at Ixtlahuaca to assist in operations, and in keeping open communications with Valladolid.[2]
- ↑ It would seem that the troops had brought no scaling ladders, to judge by the quoted observations of Calleja, in Bustamante, Cuad. Ilixt., iii. 130.
- ↑ Llano had pleaded lack of supplies as an excuse, and insisted that of infantry alone 3,000 were needed for the siege. Calleja maintained that the batteries should have been better employed for opening a breach or covering attacks, and that the garrison could have been starved out. Bustamante reproduces the text of these letters, together with Llano's boastful order for retreat, etc. Cuad. Hist., iii. 137-42, 122 et seq. 'Hombre estúpido y calmado,' is what he calls Llano. He places the loss of Iturbide alone at over 400, which is of course exaggerated. Llano admits only 27 killed, and 60 wounded. Reports in Gaz. de Mex., 1815, vi. 211-14, 335-42, 353-71. Céspedes, later republican president, distinguished himself here. The dog story was told by Filisola to Alaman, Hist. Méj., iv. 270. Bustamante speaks of a 'mute dog' among the insurgents as giving warning. Torrente alludes to brilliant deeds to compensate for a failure which cost over 100 royalist lives. Hist. Rev., ii. 188-9. See also Negrete, Mex. Siglo XIX., vii. 169-92.
