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124 his march against the rich mining town of Zacatecas, which was occupied without a blow on February 7th. Here Castagny was left in charge, while the former hastened to the relief of Garnier at Guadalajara, and began in this region a campaign for driving out Juarists. He was encouraged at the outset by the adhesion of General Lozada, who, at the head of the Indians in Tepic district, had affected independence of the two contending parties. Going south in pursuit of the guerrillas Gutierrez and Rojas, he inflicted a severe defeat on the former, and destroyed two factories for arms and powder near Cocula. A little later he entered Colima, pressing closely General Uraga, who had here sought to recuperate himself.

Meanwhile detachments were penetrating northward, a garrison being placed at Cuquio, on the road to Zacatecas. Colonel Potier, on May 13th, took by assault Nochistlan, one of the chief republican strongholds, which was obstinately defended. He thereupon entered the mountains in pursuit of the guerrilla chiefs Sandoval and Cadena, and after more than one victorious encounter, managed to restore tranquillity for a time in the valleys above Juchipila. The upper portions thereof had been cleared three months before by Castagny's men, who on February 16th surprised