Page:Mexico (1829) Volumes 1 and 2.djvu/223

 MEXICO. 185 eleven of the little band of foreigners, to whom he was in- debted for his first successes, fell upon this occasion : some died upon the spot, and others were only wounded. The fate of the last was, perhaps, the most melancholy; for, on the following morning, they were carried to a spot immediately in sight of the walls of the fort, and there strangled in the sight of their old comrades. On the 9th of August, Mina, finding that the reinforce- ments and supplies promised by the Padre Torres, did not appear, quitted the fortress, accompanied only by three com- panions, in order to concert measures with the Insurgents without, for collecting a force sufficient to raise the siege. In this he completely failed : the cause of the Insurrection was in much too low a state to admit of the organization of a body numerous enough to contend with Lilian's force, and Mina, as a last resource, was compelled to send orders to Colonel Young, to evacuate the place by night. Before these orders were received, that officer had perished. He died in repulsing an assault made by the enemy, on the 18th of August, which he effected, although the previous sufferings of the garrison had reduced his numbers to one hundred and fifty effective men. Upon his death, the com- mand devolved upon Lieutenant-colonel Bradburn, who at- tempted to abandon the fort on the 19th of August. But, amidst such a multitude of women and children, to preserve order was impossible ; their screams and cries alarmed the enemy, whose whole force was immediately put under arms : many of the fugitives were shot down, before they could cross the ravine : the rest, who, from "their ignorance of the country, were wandering about the mountains in small par- ties of six and seven each, were cut off by the cavalry, which was detached for the purpose, on the following morning. Out of Mina's whole corps not Jifty escaped. No quarter was given in the field, and the unfortunate wretches who had