Mar.] 



CHRONICLE. 



47 



Captain-General, pro tempore, 

 of Venezuela. 



" Head-quarters of Cagua, 

 March 15. 



*' The 13th instant, in the 

 afternoon, I came out from Va- 

 lencia, finding myself decided to 

 attack the enemy; and yesterday 

 morning I succeeded in surpris- 

 ing 200 of them at La Cabrera, 

 none of whom could reach the 

 Maracay, where they had their 

 principal forces, which were 

 composed of 1,200 cavalry and a 

 small battalion of infantry ; they 

 were attacked by the gallant 

 Brigadier D. F. Morales, who 

 charged them through the streets 

 of the same town with the 

 dragoons of the Union and the 

 squadron of guards of the Ge- 

 neral, routing and dispersing 

 them totally in all directions, after 

 having slain more than 250, taking 

 from them a flag, 40 loads of 

 ammunition, about 2,200 horses, 

 mules, and beasts of every de- 

 scription, and a number of bag- 

 gage boxes of spears, the articles 

 which they cowardly left there. 

 We had only five men killed and 

 four wounded. I immediately 

 proceeded to this town on pur- 

 pose to attack them in .their rear, 

 knowing that they were in the 

 town of La Victoria ; and now 

 that it is half past one o'clock, I 

 have been informed by a woman 

 that the Brigadier Latorre re- 

 pulsed them yesterday, obtaining 

 advantages, and obliging them to 

 come back to the above said town 

 of Victoria; but 1 am yet un- 

 acquainted with the certainty of 

 this fact, as 1 did not receive any 

 official report of the above from 

 the Brigadier. I have been like- 



wise warned this very moment by 

 the advanced posts, that the 

 enemy are seen directing them- 

 selves through the road of Coroso, 

 after having come down the Hill 

 of the Mules on their march to- 

 wards Villa de Cura; for which 

 reason, in this very moment, I 

 undertake the pursuit after them, 

 notwithstanding that the troops 

 have had no time either to dine 

 or to sleep, and I intend to follow 

 them, without having time to 

 rest, to the very river Oronoco. 

 God preserve your lordship many 

 years. (Signed) 



*■' Pablo Morillo. 

 " To D. Juan Baptista Pardo.^* 



" POSTCRIPT. 



" Head-quarters of the Villa 

 de Cura, March 16. 



" It is one o'clock in the night, 

 the hour in which I have just 

 attacked this town, where the 

 rebels took shelter ; and when 

 they found themselves charged 

 by my troops, they dispersed 

 themselves, and continue being 

 charged through the road which 

 leads to St. John, by the Euro- 

 pean cavalry, and the column of 

 chasseurs. The main body of the 

 army is repairing from the heights 

 of the mountains in order to 

 march, supporting the van. 



" Their cavalry is in the most 

 deplorable state, and it will not 

 be able to escape from the 

 gallant dragoons and hussars, who 

 are in the highest spirits, as also 

 are the brave squadron of the 

 guards of the general. 



" The greater part of their 

 cavalry was in pasturage ; it 

 inevitably must be dispersed. As 

 it is night yet, the issue of this 

 attack cannot be ascertained, 



which 



