Page:A history of Chile.djvu/238

218 dictator even went so far as to offer a reward of $2,000 for General Bolivar's head.

The conservatives having obtained political ascendency in Chile, the liberals called upon General Freire to lead them, for their enemies had broken faith and were persecuting them. Civil war followed ; two thousand men were killed or wounded for party sake. The decisive battle of Lircay was fought, April 17th, 1830, in which the liberals were led by Freire, the conservatives by Prieto. Freire embarked at Valparaiso and came to Constitución, from which place he advanced toward Talca. Prieto marched against him. The liberals, after great losses, were compelled to quit the field utterly defeated. In the battle the valiant Colonel Tupper, an Englishman, fell ; Colonel Viel, a French officer, escaped, but was captured near Illapel. Freire was banished from the country and retired to Peru. From that time the conservatives appeared to be strongly intrenched in power. Ovalle died on the 2ist of March, 1831, and General Prieto was named by congress as provisional president until the new elections.

General Prieto was elected to the presidency in the early part of 1831, and took his seat September 18th. At the same time the energetic Diego Portales was elected vice president.

The civil war brought to a close, the government dispatched General Bulnes against the Pincheiras, who had been ravaging the districts of Chilian, Maule and Colchagua. These desperadoes had enlisted the Pehuenche Indians with them and in the fastnesses of the lofty Cordillera felt themselves secure. Bulnes penetrated to their camp by Lake Epulauquen, took them by surprise and utterly destroyed them.

Another attempt was soon made to draft a new con-