Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/567

Rh the origin of misfortune to Morelos. The time he employed in the capture of Acapulco from early in February to the end of August—gave Calleja the advantage of seven months, the best of the year, for his own operations, enabling him to carry out without opposition all his plans—to destroy the most dreaded revolutionary chiefs in the north, and then turn his united strength upon those in the south. The capture of a single seaport town could hardly compensate for this. The best course for Morelos to have pursued would have been to concentrate his forces in Oajaca, fortifying the passes in the Mizteca Mountains, and open the ports of that province on the Pacific to foreign commerce; then to send a division from Oajaca to take possession of the country at the bottom of the gulf, particularly Goatzacoalcos, and promote trade with the United States and the British colonies, which would have assured an abundance of supplies. Instead of this, the immense booty captured at Oajaca was to a great extent squandered by incompetent officials, and conduced little to the improvement of the army. The fact is, Morelos was at this time too sanguine of success, expecting to be able soon to capture Mexico, when the fall of Vera Cruz and other places would quickly follow. Having arranged matters at Acapulco he departed for Chilpancingo.

Shortly after Morelos set out on his march to Acapulco, an expedition of about 700 men under Lieutenant-colonel Dambrini invaded Oajaca from Guatemala, to avenge the death of Saravia; but on the 19th of April it was attacked by Matamoros, and driven back across the frontier with the loss of the military chest and armament.

The royalist party, which during the winter of 1812-13 had been apparently destroyed in the Costa Chica,