APPENDIX. 451 



ation from the plan previously understood by the officers, and by his unac- 

 countably exposing the cavalry in a place where they ought not to have been 

 employed, as they could be of no service. We remained before the town two 

 days, and then returned to Sause, leaving Bustos unmolested to effect his 

 junction with his allies, Lopez and La Madrid. We lost between forty and 

 fifty men in the assault ; the enemy's loss could not be so little : Bustos, how- 

 ever, gratified his allies by reporting that he knew from good authority that 

 our loss in killed and wounded was not less than 300 men, and even gave 

 them a description of the manner in which we buried our soldiers to keep our 

 loss unknown, &c. On our arrival in Sause, we were informed by our spies 

 of the operations of our enemies. Buenos Ayres, Santa Fe, Cordova, San 

 Juan, San Luis, and Mendoza, had sent out divisions against us. 



The Padre Guirajdes was sent as a deputy from Mendoza, under pretence 

 of negotiating a peace or neutrality on the part of that province, whilst his 

 real object was to cause a revolution amongst the officers of Carrera. Don 

 Juan Jose Benevente, a resident of Mendoza, and brother to our colonel, was 

 obliged by the government to give a private letter to Guiraldes by way of re- 

 commendation to the Colonel ; and in which he conjured his brother to accede 

 to the propositions which the holy father would make him, as the good of the 

 country and his own safety and welfare depended on them. The conditions 

 were to be privately made known to the Colonel, who was expected to disse- 

 minate the seeds of sedition among the officers. The following are the ideas 

 which were conveyed to us in Father Guiraldis' mission. — That Carrera and 

 his division had done the greatest injuries to the nation ; nevertheless, there 

 was yet an opportunity for the officers to make reparation for the evils to which 

 they had been accessaries, by abandoning the standard of anarchy and enrol- 

 ling themselves under that of the Patria, leaving Carrera alone with his sol- 

 diers, to receive the just punishment which the nation would think proper to 

 inflict. Some compliments were paid to the understanding of the officers, 

 and the Patria anticipated that these propositions would be joyfully received 

 by us ; for though xve had the misfortune to have been misguided, they flattered 

 themselves we were still zealous for the public good, and would avail ourselves 

 of this opportunity of showing it. . In return for this important service, the 

 Colonel was to be promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and every officer 

 receive a rank above that which he held in the service of Carrera ; our com- 

 missions were to be, not from any particular province or government, but from 

 the nation, which are considered the most honourable. There was nothing 



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