tion of entering Michoacan, retired to La Piedad unpursued by Empáran, who, little inclined to be subservient to Calleja's orders, under some pretext directed his course toward Guanajuato. At La Piedad Rayon could not collect more than about 200 of his scattered troops and $30,000 in money. Not disheartened, however, and having obtained in that town a few arms and three cannon, he proceeded to Zamora, where he organized a force of over 400 men, whom he placed under the command of Torres, with instructions to proceed to Pátzcuaro and unite his division with the troops under the revolutionary chiefs Padre Navarrete and Manuel Muñiz.[1] In the neighborhood of Pátzcuaro Torres was vigorously attacked by a royalist force. The contest lasted nearly the whole day without the enemy being able to dislodge the insurgents from the position which they taken up on the eminence of la Tinaja. Torres, however, was severely wounded in the arm, and his troops were so hard pressed that their defeat was imminent. At this moment Rayon arrived with reënforcements; the royalists were soon routed, even losing their baggage, which they had left at Huiramba.
The conjunction of the insurgent leaders being thus accomplished, Rayon prepared to attack Valladolid. After Cruz's departure from that city in January, only a small force remained for its defence. Torcuato Trujillo, who, as the reader will recollect, had been appointed military commander of the province, was so arrogant and tyrannical that he brought upon him the hatred of the inhabitants. His conduct was not conducive to the pacification of Michoacan; in fact, the whole province, with the exception of its capital and the immediate vicinity, revolted. After the fatal day at the bridge of Calderon, Muñiz, and a number of other chiefs who had sustained defeat there or else-
- ↑ These leaders were respectively the revolutionary commanders in the departments of Pátzcuaro and Tacámbaro in Michoacan. Id., Cuad. Hist., i. 215.
