776 



SPAIN. 



first time during the war there seemed a chance 

 of a fair trial of strength between the two 

 armies. But once more he was to receive a 

 severe check. On February 21st, the prepara- 

 tions for the siege of Bilbao being terminated, 

 Don Carlos left Durango, a town some miles to 

 the southeast, and took up his quarters at 

 Baracaldo, on the north side of Bilbao, at a 

 short distance from the mouth of the river 

 where the Republican squadron was stationed. 

 The next day the Oarlists began shelling the 

 city. According to one of the dispatches, 

 they had 1,500 shells and an abundant supply 



of powder perhaps not material enough for a 

 prolonged and vigorous siege, but formidable 

 against such a town as they attacked. Bilbao 

 had kept them at bay since the beginning of 

 the war, but now its safety must depend on 

 the energy of the Republican commander in 

 the field. General Moriones had advanced a 

 week before as far as Somorrostro, and every 

 day it was expected in Madrid that he would 

 attack the enemy. About the time when the 

 fire on Bilbao opened, he telegraphed to the 

 Government that he was ready to advance, but 

 had been prevented by the bad weather. His 



ROYAL PALACE, MADRID. 



forces were variously estimated at from 20,000 

 to 30,000 men, but there can be little doubt that 

 he commanded the most powerful force which 

 has been at the disposition of any General 

 since the abdication of King Amadeo and the 

 disorganization of the regular army. Moriones 

 advanced against the Oarlists, and attacked 

 them on the 24th in their lines at San Pedro ; 

 but the troops, after crossing the bridge of San 

 Pedro, were encountered by a bayonet-charge 

 of the Oarlists, and, after suffering a loss of 

 about 800 men, he was obliged to fall back on 

 his position at Somorrostro. He telegraphed 

 that he was able to maintain himself there, 

 and to keep up his communication withCastro- 

 tlrdiales and Santander. But he demanded 

 new reinforcements, and also desired that an- 

 other general should be sent to command the 

 Republican forces. The Oarlists were highly 

 elated at their new success, 'and their prospects 

 at this time appeared all the more hopeful as 

 considerable progress had also been made in 

 other quarters. Tolosa was in their hands, 

 and, in Catalonia, Vich and Manresa had been 

 taken ; .General Nouvitas had been defeated 

 by them at Olot, and had himself been cap- 

 tured. In the provinces of Aragon, Valencia, 



and Murcia, they numbered about 20,000 in- 

 fantry, 1,000 cavalry, and 12 cannon. In the 

 two Oastiles and in Estremadura the movement 

 was also gaining ground. Don Carlos ap- 

 pointed governor-generals for all the provinces, 

 even for those in whicn there were as yet no 

 organized forces of his partisans. The siege 

 of Bilbao, which had been opened on February 

 22d, was vigorously pushed, and from that 

 day to March 4th about 2,600 bombs were 

 thrown into this town. The conservatives of 

 the besieged town were willing to capitulate, 

 but the volunteers, the middle and lower class- 

 es, were utterly opposed to any negotiations 

 concerning surrender. 



Under these circumstances, Marshal Serrano 

 deemed it best to assume himself the chief 

 command. He appointed, on February 2Vth, 

 Sefior Zabala prime-minister, retaining only 

 the title of chief of the executive power, and 

 placed himself at the head of the army. From 

 March 25th to 27th severe encounters took 

 place between the two armies. The Republi- 

 cans made some progress, but the key to the 

 Carlist position, the church of San Pedro 

 Abanto, they could not take, the Carlists mak- 

 ing a desperate resistance. On the Republican 



