RECOMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. 511 



reasonable demands, La Torre, who had 

 succeeded Morillo as Spanish commander- 

 in-chief, stated, that in conformity with the 

 twelfth article of the armistice, hostilities 

 would recommence on the 28th of April. 



Morales and La Torre collected all their 

 forces, and concentrated them about Va- 

 lencia and Calabozo, leaving Caraccas un- 

 protected, which was in consequence, after 

 some parley, taken possession of by Ber- 

 mudez on the 15th of May ; but the patriots 

 were driven out again on the 25th of the same 

 month by the royalists, under the command 

 of Morales, who then proceeded to Valencia 

 to join La Torre, leaving Colonel Pereira, with 

 fifteen hundred men, to protect Caraccas. 



Bolivar and Paez effected a junction in 

 Varinas, and proceeded towards Valencia. 

 On the 24th of June the battle of Carabobo 

 was fought, in which the royalists were 

 completely defeated, and their army very 

 nearly destroyed ; and which, with regard 

 to the independence of Colombia, may be 



