peditions. Calleja, after taking Zitácuaro, sent a division of the central army against the parties over running the Bajío or plains of Guanajuato.[1] Colonel Diego García Conde, the chief commander, displayed great activity. He fortified his headquarters at Maravatío, a central point between Valladolid, Guanajuato, and Querétaro, and organized royalist companies.[2] His chief aims were to destroy Albino García, and to secure communication with Mexico and the safe passage of trains. Villalba went against Cañas and Ramon Rayon, and destroyed the artillery and foundry at Santa María Tismadé. Oroz and Iturbide were sent with a force as far as Indaparapeo to relieve Valladolid, and García Conde, after visiting Celaya, hastened to Acámbaro to be at convenient distance from Valladolid. Albino García kept the garrisons of small towns constantly alarmed, and forced other insurgent leaders to obey him.[3] At this time he formed a combination with Muñiz and Father Navarrete to assail Valladolid, on the 3d of February, which had a most disastrous result.[4] Trujillo defeated them in detail, captured their artillery, and destroyed their foundry at Tacambaro. This, however, did not improve
- ↑ It consisted of one battalion of the Corona, lieut-col. Villalba, another made up from several regiments under Captain Agustin de Iturbide, the Puebla cavalry regiment, and two squadrons of frontier troops, with some pieces of artillery.
- ↑ His report of Feb. 17th, from Salamanca. Gaz. de Mex., 1812, iii. 218-22, 225-8.
- ↑ As he acted with entire freedom from control, the junta, when at Zitácuaro, sent a certain Cajigas with troops and artillery to bring him under subjection; but he, caring no more for the junta than for the government at Mexico, fell upon Cajigas, taking his cannon and other arms, and sent him back to the junta. Mora, Revol. Mex., iv. 430. The junta on the 18th of March, 1812, declared Albino García an outlaw, 'por su crueldad, y embriaguez, lascivia, latrocinios, escándalos y despotismo conciliándose el odio y detestacion general.' Negrete, Mex. Sig. XIX., v. 198-200.
- ↑ The plan was for García to attack on the north; Navarrete on the west; Muñiz on the south; and Piedra with 400 men from his hacienda El Canario was to render aid. Trujillo and his subordinate, Captain Antonio Linares, made short work of the matter. The latter, with 100 foot, 200 cavalry, and 3 pieces, charged upon García, who had about 4,000 or 5,000 men, mostly mounted, and six pieces, on the heights of Tarimbaro, and after some fighting dispersed them and captured their artillery. Linares returned to Valladolid with the cannon and upward of 600 horses and mules, most of them saddled, and other spoils. Muñiz, not knowing what had befallen García, appeared before the city, and occupied the heights of Santa María with 10 pieces. Trujillo
