Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/130

110 troops, 3,700 strong, on the 3d of March, and suffered a disastrous defeat, losing heavily in killed, wounded, and prisoners, besides a considerable quantity of ammunition and muskets. The ministerialists' loss was also severe. After this disaster Santa Anna hurriedly returned to Vera Cruz with the remnants of his force. He at once set to work to organize another army, and prepared the town for defence. Calderon by a little activity might now have made short work of the revolution, but by his dilatoriness, expecting that the town would easily fall into his hands, and also from motives of humanity to avert further bloodshed, he gave Santa Anna time to complete his preparations, and on arriving in front of the city found his adversary strongly fortified, with 112 heavy pieces of artillery on the ramparts, and 2,500 men. Calderon completed his preparations for the siege on the 12th of April; but all his efforts failed to reduce the place, while hundreds of his men were falling victims to the deadly climate. Finally, in view of occurrences in other states, and after losing upward of 1,000 men, Calderon raised the siege on the 13th of May, and retired to Jalapa, where we must leave him for the present to consider important events in other parts that eventually affected Vera Cruz and neighboring states.

Rumors had been for some time in circulation that several states intended to disregard the authority of the general administration. To ward off such blows, the government used all its means of persuasion, and made the most of Teran's influence in the eastern states, where he had the military command. Peace was preserved in that quarter till March, when the