able to cross it without fear from their artillery. His success promoted the advance of a detachment by the ford, and the town was taken with hardly another blow.[1]
The battle is remarkable less for the forces engaged and the direct result than for its effect on later operations, and for the decided step toward greatness which Iturbide gained thereby. He was made colonel of the Celaya regiment, his later main reliance, and comandante general of Guanajuato province, now taken back by the viceroy from the control of Cruz, of Nueva Galicia.[2] Another feature of the engagement was the neglect of Liceaga to relieve Rayon, though it was in his power, it is said, to have done so.[3] He is even said to have rejoiced over the mishaps of Rayon, who retaliated by proclaiming his conduct. Indeed, Liceaga was unfortunate in other respects. In January he had failed in an assault on Celaya,[4] and after avenging himself on the surrounding settlements, he joined Ver-
- ↑ In his report of the action, sent April 17th to General Cruz, under whom Guanajuato then stood, Iturbide assumes that Rayon had 4,000 men, with 14 cannon, including nearly all the forces from Tlalpujahua, and estimates loosely that some 350 'miserable excommunicated ones descended into the profound abyss,' and 25 were captured and shot, while his own men suffered a loss of one killed and 14 wounded. Gaz. de Mex., 1813, iv. 439-42; Méx. Bosquejo, 13, 253-6; Mendíbil, 165-6. Bustamante, who attributes Ramon Rayon's disposition for fighting to the calumny of his rivals, indicates merely 500 infantry, including some cavalry and 3 or 4 cannon. He was assisted by his brother Francisco. Ramon collected more than 300 men, leaving 40 killed and 130 captured or missing. Cuad. Hist., ii. 276-8. Rayon reported the total losses at merely little over 47. Negrete, Mex. Siglo XIX., v. 481.
- ↑ Iturbide naturally maintained his boast of the achievement as one of his greatest, and obtained a shield with the inscription 'Venció en el puente de Salvatierra.' He certainly behaved brilliantly, but he also stained this victory by shooting the prisoners. Liceaga adds the story of a clergyman's execution, after a convivial supper in Iturbide's company. Adic. y Rectific., 245-6.
- ↑ 'Se mantuvo espectador. . .distante tres leguas,' says Bustamante, Cuad. Hist., ii. 278, adding that his men urged him at least to fall on the unprotected silver convoy; but he mistakes, the convoy had not yet left Guanajuato. This conduct led royalists to state that he had assisted them. Gaz. de Mex., 1813, iv. 407.
- ↑ Assisted by Rubí and others, he had attacked January 10th, and obtained at first an advantage over the garrison, which was exhausted by an expedition of the preceding day; but a reenforcement of 250 men under Gomez Pedraza came up and routed him at Peña Colorada, with a loss of 90 killed, and 400 horses, according to Gomez's report. Gaz. de Méj., 1813, iv. 193-4, reproduced in Zamacois, Hist. Méj. , ix. 775-7, and others.
