It set out with a force of about 2,500 men, and arrived at Tepic on the 11th of December, where it was still further augmented by volunteers.
On the 15th Hermosillo reached Acaponeta, the border town, distant 115 leagues from Guadalajara; and on the 18th engaged with Colonel Pedro Villaescusa, who was in command of the troops at the real del Rosario. The royalists were defeated, and the town remained in possession of the independents.[1] Herrnosillo gave Villaescusa a letter of safe-conduct to rejoin his family, exacting from him an oath not to take up arms against the independents. Villaescusa, taking advantage of this clemency, retired from the town with more than seventy of his troops, and having recruited on his march all whom he could induce to join the royalist cause, reached San Ignacio de Piastla. He now sent information to the intendente of Sinaloa, Alejo García Conde, who resided at Arizpe, and who hastened to his aid with a company of Indians.[2] Meanwhile Hermosillo entered San Sebastian on the 27th of December without opposition, having been previously joined by the garrison of Mazatlan. His army now numbered nearly 5,000 men,[3] and on the 29th he took up a position on an eminence which commanded the town of San Ignacio de Piastla, a considerable river intervening. Misfortune here
- ↑ Padre Parra relates that the alcabalero, a European, had made a final but unsuccessful stand with a piece of artillery and been slain, 'y para saciar mas los indios su corage, al Europeo artillero le cortan los genitales, quo pendientes de una cuerda los paseaban por toda la poblacion, lo que infundio tanto terror a aquellos habitantes, y a los soldados realistas, que en un momento quedaron las calles limpias de toda gente enemiga.' Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., i. 380. Hidalgo promoted Hermosillo to the rank of colonel for this victory, and promised him a brigadiership if he captured Cosalá. Id., 24-28.
- ↑ 'Con refuerso de cuatrocientos indios Opatas de caballeria armados de fusil, lanza, rodela y pistolas, y un cañon de a seis.' Id., 382.
- ↑ 'Se contaron 4,125 infantes, 476 caballos, 900 fusiles, algunas escopetas y carabinas. 200 pares de pistolas y mucho numero de lanzas. . .se condugeron tambien los seis cañones que se le quitaron a Villaescusa.' Id. 381.
temporarily defrayed by him. Hidalgo appointed him as leader of the expedition, with the rank of brigadier, Hermosillo being nominally the commander, as Parra did not wish this appointment to be made public, it not being in conformity with his position as a friar. Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., i. 379.
