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 THE RE VOL UTIONA R V PERIOD 185 tives, and in the confusion which ensued the victors en- tered pellmell close behind the royalists. Before mid- night the strongholds of Aguada del Tngl6s, San Car- los, Amargos, Chorocomago, and, finally, the last resort of the fugitives on that side, Corral Castle, were taken one after another. On the following morning Cochrane sailed into the bay under a heavy fire from the Spanish forts, on the side of the bay opposite those which had been captured during the night, and anchored before the fort of Niebla. Troops were dispatched at the same time from the op- posite side in boats, the intention being to land them in two divisions, one to storm forts Niebla and Riojo, the other to advance against fort Manzanera. The garrisons in all these forts, seeing the boats setting out, the flags of the patriots flying on the fortresses op- posite, and the "O'Higgins" prepared to open fire upon them, became panic-stricken and fled to the city. Cochrane followed the fugitives into the city, and meeting no opposition, planted the patriot flag in the plaza. His loss had been seven killed and nineteen wounded. The royalists lost ten privates and three officers killed, twenty-one wounded, and eighty-two taken prisoners, besides their cannon, ammunitions and stores. In this action, Majors Miller and Beauchef and Cap- tain Erezcous especially distinguished themselves for gallantry. The victory was important, as Valdivia was a veritable Gibraltar in strength. Its forts mounted one hundred and twenty-eight guns and were garrisoned by over eight hundred men under the command of Col- onel Hoyos. There were altogether fifteen forts, whose guns commanded the anchorage from all directions. That these forts could all be taken one after another by a few companies of men seems almost incredible.