Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/382

366 position, from which he was, however, unexpectedly relieved. Venegas had received Calleja's report with undisguised displeasure, but recognized the fact that Cuautla must be taken. He therefore despatched immediately all the munitions of war which could be spared from the capital, and ordered Llano to raise the siege of Izúcar and join Calleja. Accordingly on the 26th Llano retired from the scene of his failure and marched to Cuautla, harassed incessantly in his rear by the insurgents.

Every preparation was now made for a determined siege. Llano took up a position opposite to that of Calleja; redoubts were thrown up, batteries erected, and the place invested as closely as possible. Morelos also improved his line of fortifications. The premises of the hacienda de Buenavista were strengthened, and a redoubt was erected in the platanar on the east side to defend the approach to the river. The revolutionary leader, encouraged by his late success, not only felt confident of maintaining his position but anticipated victory, with the capital itself as the objective point.

The bombardment began on the 10th of March, and for four days the iron shower fell upon the city. But the bursting shells and hurtling shot as they tore through parapet or house wall could not break the spirit of the defenders. Even the townspeople soon lost alarm as their children at play began collecting and making piles of the cannon-balls strewed about the streets. Breaches in the defences made by day were repaired by night, and each morning the royalist general must begin anew. As the water supply was cut off, wells were sunk. Every privation was