APPENDIX. 



441 



to negotiate with him personally ; and required that we should advance no 

 farther. Carrera told them that he was willing to suspend hostilities for 

 twenty-four hours, but that they should give up their position on the bank of 

 the river and retire elsewhere. Suasti, who was the deputy of the enemy, 

 refused to give up the ground which Carrera had required of him, and which 

 (on account of the water) was absolutely necessary for us. Carrera desired 

 he would immediately return to his troops, and, at the same time, gave 

 orders that Colonel Benevente should prepare to carry the enemy's position 

 by force. Suasti, seeing the General resolute, requested a few minutes to 

 deliberate with his officers, which was granted him ; and sooner than fight 

 they consented to retire, and allowed us to take possession of the ground in 

 dispute. We heard the enemy sound their march with a number of trumpets 

 and bugles, but neither saw their force nor knew whither they retired. 

 Suasti accompanied us to the place where we were to encamp for the night, 

 when he had an opportunity of estimating our effective force. An officer 

 arrived late in the evening with a letter from Governor Ortiz to General 

 Carrera, which was to be answered next morning. 



The ground which we occupied was a square of about 150 yards each 

 way ; one side was formed by the broad sandy beach of that part of the 

 river ; the opposite side by houses, corrales, gardens, and paling ; and the 

 other two sides by thick woods. 



Early in the morn, when the General was in the act of answering the letter 

 of Ortiz, the enemy's trumpets sounded in the woods in every direction, and 

 soon after our advanced posts reported the advance of the enemy in several 

 different quarters. The General could not suppose that this attack had the 

 sanction of Ortiz, but rather supposed it to have originated in some mistake, 

 and therefore sent an officer with a flag of truce to enquire into the cause of 

 such dishonourable proceedings. The enemy received our flag of truce with 

 fire, which sufficiently proved the baseness of their design : our outposts 

 retired into the square, when we prepared for action. Some officers requested 

 the General would give up to them the officer of the enemy who had 

 brought Ortiz's despatches, and who was nothing less than a spy, that they 

 might have him shot in front of our line, and in sight of his own, by way of 

 commencement ; but he appeared so very sad, and protested so earnestly that 

 he was ignorant of the treachery of his countrymen, that the General, so far 

 from giving him up to be shot, as was solicited, sent an officer with him to 

 put him out of the reach of danger from our troops, that he might with safely 



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