Teran's persuasion and example, and the renewed pardon issued from Mexico, enabled Llano, commanding the Puebla region, to report by the middle of February that peace was restored throughout the section. This left the royalists free to enter with greater force into Vera Cruz. Armiñan retook Nautla on February 24th, and with it the roadsteads of Palmar and Barra Nueva, after which he overran the adjoining districts northward, and succeeded within a short time in restoring order throughout nearly all of Huasteca, whereof he had been made comandante general. Donallo continued his work southward by driving Victoria from Misantla, and clearing the whole district as far as the Vera Cruz road. Below this Colonel Ruiz expelled Couto from the fortress Maltrata, whence he had been raiding the neighborhood of Orizaba.[1] Hevia followed up the success in February by taking Huatusco and the bridges Atoyac and Chiquihuite, while his subordinates cut short the career of Calzada, and crowned the campaign with the capture of the strong barranca fortress of Palmillas, the last refuge of Couto, who became a prisoner.[2] Applications for pardon had meanwhile been flowing in from every quarter, and before the close of the spring a few fugitive bands, one of them headed by Victoria, were all that remained of the lately imposing insurgent forces along the gulf coast.[3]
- ↑ At the close of 1816, Couto was the successor of Montiel, who had lately died of sickness. He was again defeated at Tomatlan on February 9th in connection with Luna, who soon after submitted.
- ↑ The fortress was about to be assaulted, when on June 28th Couto sought escape with his followers. They were captured, however, and shot, Couto escaping at the last moment and gaining pardon. Calzada's fort, La Fortuna, was taken about three months earlier, he being overtaken and executed in April.
- ↑ Among those who applied for pardon were Deputy Castañeda, and Cárlos Bustamante, the historian, who was confined in Ulúa fortress, and at first treated harshly. For details of this campaign, see Gaz. de Mex., viii., January
followed by Brigadier Aldana, who had been a lieutenant-colonel in royal service, by Manilla, Osorno's second, Espinosa, and the cura Correa. Bracho reported his own force at 1,043 men, and the capitulated at 570, the latter having lost 73 killed and 22 wounded. At the fort were found nearly 400 muskets. Gaz. de Mex., 1817, viii. 104-15, and adjoining numbers for other parts of the campaign. The royalist participants in the campaign received promotion from the rejoicing viceroy.
