a fugitive body, flitting about in a remote part of the country, among petty haciendas, with scanty means and a ragged escort. It was decided therefore to leave a neighborhood which was becoming so unprofitable, and which was overrun by pursuers; yet a council was formed of the leading chiefs, including Muñiz and Ayala, to represent the migrating authority and keep the scattered bands in accord.[1]
It was not so easy however to depart with a large body, while the royalists were scouring the provinces in all directions, ready to perform such marches as did Iturbide when within four days he came down in large force upon the devoted Ario from his distant headquarters in Guanajuato. To penetrate through the province of Mexico or northward seemed hopeless. The only way was to pass through Tecpan and the Mizteca, with the aid of the bands there scattered. As Morelos possessed the most influence in this region, and had the best knowledge of it, the members were only two glad to entrust the undertaking to him, and to this end he was specially empowered to assume direct command. Requests were sent to Nicolás Bravo, and other leaders along the Zacatula, who brought reënforcements to Huetamo, swelling the escort to about a thousand men,[2] half of whom had fire-arms. The orders to Teran, Guerrero, and Sesma to assist were disregarded.
Morelos sought to confuse the royalists by a series of feints and false rumors; and on November 2d, he brought to Tenango his party, including less than half a dozen members of the congress the rest having either leave of absence, or instructions to join later three judges, the secretaries, two members of the executive, and Antonio Cumplido, the successor of
