Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/195

Rh of the situation, and had made all haste to occupy it from the Santiago road; but Trujillo's march had been equally rapid, and the royalists gained the eminence first, anticipating, however, the insurgent force only by half an hour.

At eight o'clock on the morning of the 30th, the action commenced by light skirmishing between the royalist cavalry and guerrilla bands in advance of the main body of insurgents. Opportunely for Trujillo, he received at this time a reënforcernent of two cannon, with an escort of fifty Spanish volunteers, under Captain Antonio Bringas, and 330 mounted lancers from the haciendas of Yermo and José María Manzano, the whole force being placed under the command of Juan Bautista de Uztariz, a lieutenant of the royal navy. About eleven o'clock the attacking column of the insurgents, with the artillery in front, came in sight on the road from Toluca. It consisted of the infantry provincial regiment of Valladolid, the Celaya companies, and the Guanajuato battalion, which were flanked by the provincial dragoons of Pátzcuaro and la Reina, the rear being brought up by the dragoons of el Principe—a force in itself greatly superior to that of Trujillo, but which being without efficient officers had already lost much of its discipline. These were preceded on the front and flanks by crowds of ill-armed Indians, and numerous bands of horsemen, who streamed along the Toluca road or wound round the sides of the hills wherever the ground was practicable for horses. Trujillo now made preparations to receive the coming attack. His two field-pieces were placed in position so as to enfilade the road and adjacent ground, and were hidden from sight with