sioned in assembling the members, who had retired to their houses, and when they met they had no advice to offer. Calling attention to the fact that they had neither troops, arms, nor funds any longer at their disposal, they said that it remained with the intendente to act under the circumstances as it seemed best to him. Riaño's reply was at last written and Camargo sent back, but the long delay had caused Abasolo to return, and Hidalgo was already approaching up the Marfil road. The intendente then wrote Calleja: "I am about to fight, for I shall be attacked immediately. I shall resist to the uttermost, because I am honorable. Fly to my succor."
Riaño now disposed his forces, which consisted of four companies of the provincial infantry, commanded by Captain Manuel de la Escalera, in the absence of the lieutenant-colonel, Quintana,[1] and scarcely numbering 300 men. Besides these was a company of armed Europeans, which raised the number to about 500, and two troops of dragoons, not mustering more than seventy, under the command of Captain José Castilla.[2] A portion of the infantry and of the European company was stationed on the roof of the alhóndiga, and detachments of the provincial battalion were posted at the three barricades. The cavalry were drawn up inside the barrier at the descent to the Rio de la Cata; to the remaining armed Europeans was assigned the defence of the hacienda de Dolores, while a body of reserves was retained within the alhóndiga.[3] While these preparations were going on, it was noticed that the surrounding heights were oc-
- ↑ Liceaga states that Quintana, the Conde de Perez Galvez, colonel of the dragoon regiment del Príncipe, and a number of Europeans had suddenly left the city, while others did not cooperate with those in the alhóndiga, but remained in their houses. He gives a list of 20 names of these latter. Adic. y Rectific., 79. This is confirmed in Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., ii. 279.
- ↑ Mora says six hundred in all. Ut sup., 29.
- ↑ Alaman conjectures that Riaño intended to sally with the reserves and cavalry, and attack the enemy at the most assailable points, 'plan ciertamente de muy aventurada ejecucion, con el corto número de tropa de que se podia disponer.' Ut sup., 424.
