Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/343

Rh in the mountain wilds of Zitácuaro. Torre, having advanced during the night up the San Mateo canon, at daylight on the 22d of April attacked the town, his force consisting of 700 men provided with artillery. At the opening of the engagement the infantry led by Ventura Mora, second in command, gained some advantage. By a gallant charge they made themselves masters of the hill of the Calvario, which commanded the town; but though they captured the enemy's guns, they were unable to hold their position against the immense numbers by which they were in turn assailed. Mora and Captain Piñera were slain, and the soldiers broke and ran to the artillery for refuge. Pursuers and pursued, however, were so intermingled that the artillerymen could not fire without inflicting heavy loss upon their own men; and the crowd rushing in among the ranks of the main body threw it into confusion. Finding it impossible to arrest the panic, Torre tried a retreat by the way he had come. When he had reached the narrow entrance to the canon, however, he found that a breastwork of loose stones had been thrown up, behind which a host had collected to cut him off. His destruction was now certain. The soldiers lost all hope. A few only escaped to tell the tale. Torre prepared for death. He confessed to Padre Arévalo, the cura of Tlalpujahua, who accompanied him, and then under his guidance endeavored to escape from the trap he had entered. Accompanied by a few horsemen, he succeeded in extricating himself, and on the following day even passed Tuxpan without harm. On arriving at the hacienda of Xaripéo, however, he was captured with his companions by Benedicto Lopez and taken back to Tuxpan. As they crossed the bridge of that town Torre was killed by the natives, who showered stones upon him until his dead body was covered. The fruits of this victory were the