Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/723

Rh military operations. But facts all tend to prove that the viceroy had no suspicion of Iturbide's real purpose. Apodaca was a faithful subject of Fernando, and his loyalty would not permit a project to detach Mexico from the Spanish crown.

Iturbide's force on the 21st of December amounted to 2,479 men, scattered throughout his district; and on the 22d he started from Teloloapan for the purpose of concentrating them, with the double object of assuming the offensive against the insurgents and placing himself in a position to effect the meditated revolution which, according to the plans formed, was to take place in March following. Dispositions were at once made to open the campaign. The troops were brought together and formed into strong divisions, and active operations opened. But sanguine as had been Iturbide's expectations of immediate success, a series of reverses followed. Both he and his officers were signally discomfited, both by Guerrero and Ascensio, and the plan which he had formed of confining the former in the sierra lying between the