286 INSURGENTS DEFEATED EXECUTION OF HIDALGO. 



persons to death in some secret and solitary place, where their fate 

 may remain forever unknown ! As the cruelty of Old Spam to 

 the Mexicans had well nigh driven them to despair, such savage 

 assassinations, in turn, drove the Spaniards to revenge, or, at least 

 furnished them with an excuse for their horrible atrocities. 



Calleja, intent on the pursuit of his Indian prey, was not long in 

 following Hidalgo. The insurgent chief endeavored to excite the 

 ardor of his troops, while he preserved some show of discipline in 

 their ranks ; and, thus prepared, he gave battle to the Spaniards, 

 at the bridge of Calderon, on the 17th of January, 1811. At first 

 Hidalgo, was successful, but the rebels were no match for the 

 royal troops kept in reserve by Calleja. With these he made a 

 fierce charge upon the Indians, and sweeping through their broken 

 masses he " pursued and massacred them by thousands. " 



Calleja was not a person either to conciliate or to pause in 

 victory. He believed that rebellion could only be rooted out by 

 utter destruction of the insurgents and their seed. Accordingly 

 orders were issued to " exterminate the inhabitants of every town 

 or village that showed symptoms of adherence to the rebels, " 

 whilst, from the pulpit, new denunciations were fulminated against 

 all who opposed the royal authority. The insurgent chiefs fled, 

 and reached Saltillo with about four thousand men. There it was 

 resolved to leave Rayon in command, while Hidalgo, Allende, 

 Aldama and Absolo endeavored to reach the United States with 

 an escort for the purpose of purchasing munitions of war with the 

 treasure they had saved from the sacking of Guanajuato. But 

 these fierce and vindictive soldiers were destined to end their lives 

 by treachery. Hidalgo's associate rebel, Ignacio Elizondo, hoping 

 to make his peace with the government by betraying so rich a 

 prize, delivered them up to the authorities on the 21st of March, 

 1811, at Acatila de Bajan. Hidalgo was taken to Chihuahua, and, 

 after being degraded from holy orders, was shot on the 27th of 

 July, whilst Calleja was rewarded for his victories with the title of 

 Conde de Calderon, won by his brilliant charge at the bridge near 

 Guanajuato. 



Such is an outline of the warfare between the Sylla and Marius 

 of this continent, and of some of the most prominent events in the 

 origin of that revolution which finally resulted in the Mexican 

 independence. 



