Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/737

Rh the former he made known that he had appointed a mixed board of civilians and military officers to aid him in devising means to establish uniformity of opinion in defence of Spanish rights. But whatever his wishes might be, his only recourse was to pursue the same policy as his predecessor. The audiencia had declined to administer the oath, on the ground that under the new order of things it was no longer a royal council. Several of the most distinguished military officers, such as colonels Llano and Luna, threw up their commands on various pretexts, and others, who were not at the capital when the change took place, expressed their disapproval. These circumstances tended to augment the confusion and the difficulties that the government was laboring under. Novella called the former governor of Tlascala, Estevan Gonzalez del Campillo, to be military governor of Mexico, and himself superintended the work on the fortifications that were being erected for the defence of the capital.

Since his release from prison, January 1821, Nicolás Bravo had been leading a retired life at Cuautla, where he was visited by Antonio de Mier, Iturbide's agent, inviting him to join in the meditated movement. An interview between Bravo and Iturbide at Iguala followed, which resulted in the former approving the plan and accepting a colonel's commission. Bravo, raising a considerable force, went to Izúcar and Atlixco. Being joined by Osorno and other chiefs of the plains of Apam, he established his headquarters at Huejotzinco. About the middle of April Tlascala fell into his hands. There he obtained twelve pieces of artillery, besides being joined by a number of the royalist garrison. He next went to Huamantla, and spread the revolution throughout the valleys.