Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/421

Rh Agua, near Puebla, he sent to Castro Terreño on the 27th of August triplicates of his reports to the viceroy, nothing having been hitherto known of his movements owing to his despatches having been intercepted. The expedition arrived in Mexico on the 5th of September.

The plains of Apam, common to the provinces of Mexico and Puebla, had been but scantily garrisoned since Soto's division marched to Izúcar in December 1811. Owing to this, Tulancingo was assailed, about the middle of February, by 3,000 cavalry and 300 infantry under generals Anaya, Cañas, and Serrano, and colonels Osorno, Olvera, and Guarneros; but the assailants were beaten off by Captain Las Piedras with his small force of a little over 100 men of regular troops, and the royalist auxiliaries. The hostile parties extended their raids to the city of Tezcuco, whose small garrison made several sallies and prevented their capturing the place. Of all other places, however, most desired was Pachuca, a mining centre, having Spaniards to kill and silver bars to capture. On the 23d of April Serrano undertook the attack with 500 men, and two pieces of artillery managed by Vicente Beristain, a brother of the archdeacon of Mexico. They soon had possession of all the houses but three, which were held by Madera, and the conde de Casa Alta, who commanded the royalist forces. During the whole of that day the three houses were under fire, particularly the one owned by Villaldea, a rich miner. Night came on, when some of the houses caught fire, and altogether the people were badly frightened. The religious of the apostolic college finally mediated to obtain terms of capitulation, which the insurgents