600 POLITICAL TROUBLES. 



tude of the crime committed can only "be judged of when it is known that this is the storehouse 

 of an immense amount of munitions of war and a large quantity of gunpowder. To have 

 hurned it must have blown the whole neighborhood in pieces, and made thousands of victims. 

 This was known to the insurgents ; for they spoke of it, and securely counted on such a re- 

 sult. The main force of the Valdivias had taken up a position on the corner of Calle Recojidas 

 and the Canada, some twenty yards from the main door of the cuartel ; and another portion 

 established themselves at the entrance of ' Calle San Isidro,' just opposite. At this decisive 

 moment, and when the roof was already smoking, Col. Maturana ordered out two field-pieces, 

 under charge of Capt. Gonzales ; but the shower of balls wounded so many artillerists that it 

 was almost impossible to work the guns, and their operations were delayed. Capt. Gonzales 

 was wounded ; and Capt. Escala, who went out to replace him, was rendered liors du combat 

 after a few rounds. Then the old Colonel sent his own son, Lieut. Maturana, to the slaughter- 

 house. He had just left the Military Academy, and proved himself a worthy scion from such 

 a stock. The youth also was wounded; and the father, taking his place, fought until every 

 artilleryman was killed or wounded, when he abandoned the guns ; and the enemy rushing 

 instantly upon them, they were dragged to the opposite side of the Canada. For a moment 

 the insurgents shouted victory ; they had obtained those anxiously coveted cannon from whose 

 possession they had augured so much. They then changed position, reinforcing the party 

 in front in order to command the door of the cuartel, and drawing in on all sides the circle of 

 troops thrown around it. But this proved only a change of the dramatis personce of the con- 

 test; for the door of the cuartel was again thrown open, and the National Guards poured out a 

 torrent of balls of the same width, thus showing the rebels who had captured the artillery that 

 their condition was in no respect bettered. 



"The action continued with renewed fury, and the National Guards revenged themselves for 

 what they had suffered when attacked in the rear. It would have continued without termina- 

 tion if an incident had not occurred to show the sentiments of the Valdivias sentiments stifled 

 during the ardor of the struggle by the desire to conquer. A sub-lieutenant of the Chacabucos 

 had been made prisoner at the principal guard-house, and was retained in the rear of the column 

 of the insurgents. During the combat he managed to approach the corner of Calle Recojidas, 

 and the moment he could do so he ran to join the commandant of his corps, who was opportunely 

 guarding the side-door; having agreed with Col. Maturana to go to and fro, in order that they 

 might inform themselves of all that passed in the difficult defence of a place so reduced. This 

 incident induced twelve men of the Chacabucos to follow the example of their officer ; and one 

 by one the Valdivias also availed themselves of the door of salvation, until about 150 of them 

 were united in the cuartel. The firing slackened in front; and by being open, the principal 

 door soon invited other groups to abandon a useless conflict a conflict in which all had shown 

 the bravery of Chilenos. In this manner terminated the defence of the cuartel ; its walls then 

 enclosing the artillery, Valdivias, Chacabucos, and four battalions of the civic guard. Stupor 

 had succeeded those three hours of terrible combat. The streets were covered with the dead ; 

 the interior of the cuartel was crowded with the wounded ; and the mob associated in the revolt 

 entered without knowing precisely what was going on, many felicitating themselves on the 

 triumph they thought they had achieved. 



" The glory of the day belongs to each of the battalions who successively entered that 

 confined space. The artillerists, the *70 men of the Chacabucos who had surpassed what it was 

 reasonable to expect from human energy, and the National Guards, sustaining the end of the 

 action, secured the triumph of law and that continuation of order which makes Chile the honora- 

 ble exception of Spanish America. A notable fact is, that the measures taken by the President 

 secured the salvation of the country ; that is, the appearance of the Chacabucos on Santa Lucia 

 prevented an attack on the cuartel by an infinitely superior force, and the arrival of the National 

 Guards was at the most opportune moment." 



So far the publication issued is explicit, and to near the close it seems fair ; but there are several 



