Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/233

Rh arrival was celebrated by the intendente Gomez with enthusiastic demonstrations. The bells were rung and guns fired; but as in formal procession the authorities and principal citizens entered the municipal hall to receive the insurgent leader a ghastly spectacle presented itself. Allende's horsemen dashed into the plaza, and drawing up in front of the building, exposed to view a hacked and blood-stained corpse lashed to the back of a mule. An unfortunate creole, named Manuel Salas, a native of Dolores, had taken part with Calleja when he passed through that town, and having fallen into the hands of the insurgents had been brought by them to Guanajuato and put to death at the entrance of the city. Having given the members of the ayuntamiento ample time to reflect upon the significance of this portentous exhibition, the body was paraded through the streets as a warning. The ayuntamiento felt conscious that this action of Allende was intended to intimidate them, but although, in conjunction with the other authorities, its members sallied forth to meet him, they claim to have preserved their dignity and allegiance by not giving to their procession the character of an official reception.

Allende then made his preparations to engage Calleja. According to despatches written by him to Hidalgo on the 19th and 20th of November, I gather that when those leaders separated they made an agreement that they should support each other against Calleja. It was now no longer doubtful that the latter would march against Guanajuato, and Allende strongly urged Hidalgo to come to his aid as soon as possible. He, moreover, sent instructions to Iriarte, who was now at San Luis Potosí, to join him at once. The forces at Allende's disposal were in all respects inadequate to cope with the royalists,