The captain-general, however, bravely pushed forward. Aware that there was abundance of water at the hacienda of San Eustaquio, which was occupied by a royalist force under Larrainzar, he sent forward a detachment under the direction of Anaya to attack the place. Anaya succeeded in surprising the enemy and dispersed them. From this time the sufferings of the independents were mitigated. At San Eustaquio Rayon halted for two days, in order to refresh his exhausted men.[1] On the 11th of April he advanced to the hacienda of Pozo Hondo, whence he detached 500 men under Sotomayor to take possession of Fresnillo, which was done. As Rayon approached Zacatecas, he sent forward another detachment of equal number, under Anaya and Victor Rosales, to reconnoitre. They were attacked, and Rayon sent José Antonio Torres to their assistance, while he took up a position on the cerro de la Bufa, about a league distant from the city, with the rest of his forces, which amounted to little over 1,000. The royalist commander, Colonel Juan Zambrano, deeming his position in Zacatecas untenable, withdrew to the cerro del Grillo, and there intrenched himself. He was, however, surprised by a night attack conducted by Torres, with whose previous successes in Nueva Galicia the reader is already acquainted. The defeat of Zambrano was complete; his camp, artillery, ammunition, and baggage, with 500 bars of silver, fell into the hands of the assailants. Zambrano fled to Jerez, ten or twelve leagues distant, and on the following day, the 15th of April, Rayon entered Zacatecas without opposition.[2] Thus terminated the retreat from Saltillo,
- ↑ Bustamante gives a detailed account of Rayon's march from Saltillo, having obtained it personally from Rayon. Cuad. 11 1st., i. 200-4. Alaman, to whom Rayon also narrated the events, corroborates Bustamante in all main particulars. Hist. Mej., ii. 261.
- ↑ Id., ii. 262; Mora, Mej. y sus Rev., iv. 170-2; Bustamante, quoting from the Abispa de Chilpancingo, no. 19, relates that in the attack on the royalist camp a small cannon was brought into play by the revolutionists. The gun-carriage being broken, a soldier voluntarily supplied its want by placing himself on his hands and knees and supporting the piece on his back. The recoil of the piece shattered his spine at the first discharge; this did not,
