Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/739

Rh a large force under Lieutenant-colonel Zarzosa, to recover the villas of Córdoba and Orizaba, where the government had 60,000 bales of tobacco, but two thirds of his troops deserted to the enemy. Herrera was now joined at Tepeaca by Bravo, against whom the viceroy had sent Hevia with a strong division. Here they were attacked by Hevia, and after a severe engagement, in which the loss on both sides was serious, Herrera abandoned Tepeaca, and followed by Hevia, retreated through San Andrés Chalchicomula on April 29th to Orizaba and Córdoba, while Bravo went to the plains of Apam and occupied Zacatlan. Hevia, in attempting to capture Córdoba, lost his life, and the assailants, on the arrival of reënforcements to the besieged under Santa Anna, and a body of deserters from Jalapa, beat a hasty retreat to Puebla. Santa Anna entered Jalapa almost without opposition on the 29th of May, thereby obtaining a valuable supply of arms and ammunition.

Perote was also for a time in great danger of capture, but was relieved by Samaniego on the 11th of June, notwithstanding Santa Anna's efforts to prevent him. The latter's next step was to attack Vera Cruz, the only other place in the province still held by the government. Previous to his march from Jalapa he issued a grandiloquent proclamation, which, though little understood by the troops, greatly animated them.