government depended on the result of a single engagement. He despatched to the front two of his most trusty generals. Alatorre advanced upon Oajaca, which he occupied on the 4th of January, 1872, after a sanguinary encounter between Loaeza's brigade of his command and a body of Diaz' forces under General Luis Mier y Teran at San Mateo Xindihui.[1] This victory virtually ended the campaign in Oajaca. Félix Diaz lost his life soon after.[2]
Porfirio Diaz, after organizing the insurrection in the east, marched with about 100 mounted men into the interior, reaching Zacatecas[3] on the 8th of February, amidst a great ovation. Rocha repaired to the interior, and on the Cerro de la Bufa in Zacatecas signally defeated the main army of Nuevo Leon under Treviño on the 2d of March,[4] after five hours' fighting, the latter losing all his artillery, a large number of prisoners, together with an immense supply of arms and ammunition. His infantry was lost, and the remnants of the cavalry fled, one portion toward
- ↑ The action took place from the 21st to the 23d of Dec., 1871, the Porfiristas being nearly annihilated, and their general seriously wounded. The remnants of Terán's force, as well as himself, succeeded in reaching Oajaca, where Gen. Félix Diaz commanded, who concluded not to defend the place, on being informed that the forces of both Alatorre and Rocha were approaching it. Mier y Terán, Apuntes Biog., 40–2; El Monitor Rep., Dec. 29, 1871, Jan. 4, 9, 10, 13, 23, 1872.
- ↑ His body was brought to the commandant of Pochutla at 5 a. m. of Jan. 23, 1872. He was slain by a pursuing party from Tehuantepec. Official telegram in El Monitor Rep., Feb. 2, 1572.
- ↑ The place had been taken by the Porfirista chiefs Donato Guerra and Pedro Martinez, Jan. 26th. Id., Feb. 3, 20, 1972; El Federalista, Jan. 24, 1872.
- ↑ According to Marquez de Leon, the Porfirista army was 9,000 strong, of which 3,000 were cavalry armed with repeating rifles. Treviño started with this force toward San Luis Potosí. Rocha was then coming against him from Mexico with 3,500 men, and Corella was moving from San Luis with 1,500 to watch their opponents. Antillon had 3,000 in Guanajuato, offering to join the pronunciados and end the revolution if the president of the supreme court was called to the presidency; but Licenciado Benitez was present and opposed it. There was now a favorable opportunity for the pronunciados to defeat the enemy before he got his forces together; they also had the best of artillery. These advantages were thrown away by Treviño's retreat into a region where, from the nature of the ground, artillery was rendered useless. Rocha came against him with 8,000 men, on the Bufa hill, and routed the Porfirista army. Mem. Póst., MS., 366-7; El Monitor Rep., March 5, 15, 26, 1972; Boletin Ofic. Est. Sin., May 8, 12, July 10, 1872.
