 Chapter 38, Part 2 of the Emancipation of South America, by Bartolome Mitre, translated by William Pilling. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, recording by Piotr Natter, the Reconquest of Venezuela, 1813, Part 2. Bolivar entered Caracas in triumph on the 6th of August. The bells rang, the cannon roared, and the people shouted in applause of their liberator. His path was strewed with flowers, blessings were showered upon his head. Beautiful girls, belonging to the principal families of the city, dressed in white and wearing the national colors, led his horse by the bridle and crowned him with laurels. The prison doors were opened, and the captive patriots set free, and he did not sully his triumph by one act of vengeance, in spite of his terrible decree of extermination, which had been ruthlessly carried out on every field of battle. Two days later, he announced the re-establishment of the republic, but he did not restore the federal system, to which he was opposed on principle, and which was not consistent with the public safety. He proclaimed himself dictator with the title of, quote, liberator, end quote, and in this he showed both foresight and patriotism the restoration of the old system would have certainly entailed anarchy and defeat. There were thus two dictators in Venezuela, Marinho in the east, Bolivar in the west. Marinho sent commissioners to Bolivar to treat concerning the form of government, which should be adopted. Bolivar hesitated. He saw the necessity of establishing a firm central authority, and meanwhile Marinho, who had by this time a powerful army, did nothing against the common enemy. On the 25th of August, Bolivar laid siege to Puerto Cabello. His Granadian troops stormed the outer defenses and drove the garrison into the castle. Then batteries were erected on the coast, which beat off three Spanish bricks of war, whose fire had raked the lines of the besiegers. On the night of the 31st, an assault was made, but the only result of it was that Suasola, who commanded an outwork, was made prisoner. Bolivar offered to exchange him for one of his own officers, who had been captured. Monteverde refused, whereupon Suasola was hanged on a gallows in front of the walls. The royalists were defeated, but they were not conquered. They soon recovered from their stupor, and reports of reactionary movements came from all sides. Then, on the 6th of September, the dictator fulminated another decree, his last thunderbolt in this war to the death, which produced one of the most dreadful hackathoms of which history bears record. He declared that all Americans, who should even be suspected of being royalists, were traitors to their country. This extreme and ill-advised measure greatly contributed to the defeat of Bolivar in the campaign now commencing. Such is the logic of destiny. On the 16th of September, the frigate Venganza arrived at Puerto Cabello from Spain, accompanied by an armed schooner and six transports, with the Granada Regiment, 1200 strong, under command of Colonel Salomon. Bolivar raised the siege and retired to Valencia. Monteverde, encouraged by the retreat of the Patriots and by the reinforcements he had received, took the field on the 26th of September with 1600 men, but he had no fixed plan and committed the grave mistake of dividing his forces. He himself took up a position on the road to Valencia at a place called Las Trinceras and detached 500 men by another road to the heights of Barbula. Bolivar remained quiet for four days, unable to divine his intentions, and then sent Hirardó and De Luyar with the Granadian troops against the enemy at Barbula, while a column under Urdaneta went in support. On the 30th of September, the royalists were driven from this strong position, but Hirardó fell shot through the head in the moment of victory. His troops in revenge asked permission to attack the main body at Las Trinceras by themselves. Bolivar acceded to their request, but supported them with 1000 of his own troops. Monteverde was driven out of the entrenchments he had thrown up with heavy loss on the 3rd of October. He himself, being wounded, returned to Puerto Cabello, leaving Salomon in command till he should recover, and the Patriots under De Luyar again laid siege to the fortress. Bolivar, eager for fresh ovations, decreed some choose funeral honors to the memory of Hirardó, to whose valor both New Granada and Venezuela owed their greatest victories. The citizens wore mourning for a month. His heart was taken out and carried to Caracas to be deposited in the cathedral. His body was sent to Antioquia, his native province, and his pay was secured to his posterity. Bolivar himself accompanied the funeral procession to Caracas. On the 14th of October, the day of the obsequies, 20 of the civic functionaries of the capital assembled and decreed that Bolivar should be appointed Captain General of the armies of Venezuela with the title of Liberator, which he had already bestowed upon himself, and the inscription, quote, Bolivar, Liberator of Venezuela, end quote, should be inscribed over the gateways of all the public offices. Posterity has confirmed this title to him, but its acceptance at that time, when the reaction was gaining ground every day, was a symptom of inordinate personal vanity. In return for this compliment, Bolivar instituted the military order of the Liberators, a star with seven rays, symbolical of the seven provinces of the Republic, given as a decoration to those who should merit it by deeds of arms and which carry it with its certain privileges. This order was more democratic than those instituted by Ohigins and San Martin in Chile and Peru, as it was for lifetime only, and was less aristocratic than the order of Sin Sinatos, created by Washington. The time with Bolivar wasted in theatrical displays, the royalists made good use of for their own purposes. Boves was a Spaniard by birth, whose real name was Rodriguez. In his youth, he was condemned to eight years' penal servitude at Puerto Cabello for piracy, but was released chiefly through the intervention of a man whose name he then adopted in gratitude. He joined the revolution when it first broke out, but being looked upon as disaffected, he was thrown into prison at Calabotho, till that town was retaken by Antonianthas, when he joined the royalists and took part in the butchery at San Juan de los Morros. Morales, his companion and second in command, had served as a volunteer with the royalists at Barcelona and was made a sublutinent of artillery by Monteverde. These two men were both endowed with the warlike instinct, were both distinguished by indefatigable activity and by an iron will. They were just the sort of men to act as leaders of semi-barbarous troops. But Boves, with all his ignorance and brutality, had something of a moral elevation about him. He fought for a cause, not for raping. Morales took an actual pleasure in cruel deeds and was of insatiable rapacity. These two men were the first to discover the latent strength of the people, which the revolution later on assimilated to itself. Up to this time, the revolutionary movement had been confined to the cities and towns. Bolivar, with all his perspicacy, never suspected that the main strength of the country lay on the plains around them. When these two men were left on the north bank of the Orinoco by Cajical, they adopted Bolivar's plan of rousing the country by proclamations. They called the Janeros to arms, offering them bloodshed and booty in the cause of the king, with pain of death to all who disregarded the summons. Each man presented himself on horseback with a lance. In each district, a squadron was formed, which took its name. Boves taught them the secret of victory, which was to have no fear of death, to go straight on and never look behind. In a very short time, they had 2,500 men embodied, an army of horsemen, such as had never yet been seen in America. Colonel Jose Agnes, a Canarian, was a man of the same stump as Boves and Morales, but of greater military skill. After the dispersion of the column by Tizcar, he had retreated to San Fernando on the Apure River, and with some help from Guyana, had there organized an infantry corps of 500 men, which he named the Numantia Battalion. He also raised two regiments of Yanero cavalry, each 500 strong. With this force, he invaded Barinas in September, before the waters had retired from the plains. Boves opened his campaign by surprising a column of 1,000 men, which had been sent against him near Calabotho on the 20th of September. The cavalry passed over to him, the infantry he routed. He murdered all the prisoners, and then took and sacked the small town of Cura. Now there appeared upon the scene another singular character of the iron temperament of Boves, with all his ferocity and courage, who raised a barrier to his impetuous onslaught. Nothing was known of him except that he was a Spaniard, who had come to America very young, and had married an American wife. When Bolivar opened his campaign of emancipation, this man had headed the rising Edmerida. Then, leaving wife and children, he raised a battalion and devoted himself body and soul to the cause of independence. Throughout the campaign he distinguished himself by his indomitable valor, and by his cruelty to prisoners, to whom he gave no quarter. Because of his hatred to his fellow countrymen is unknown, he was accustomed to say, quote, When the Spaniards are all killed, then I will cut my own throat, so that there shall not be one left, end quote. The name of this man was Vicente Campo Elias. At last Trinceras he was raised to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel for conspicuous bravery. This was the man to send against Boves. He marched from Valencia with 1,000 infantry and 1,500 cavalry. Boves, with 2,500 horse, and Morales with 500 infantry, waited for him at a place called Mosquitero, at the entrance to the plains. On the 14th of October the armies met. Boves charged the left wing of the Patriots with his usual impetuosity and carried all before him. But Campo Elias, carrying nothing for this, rushed upon the main body of the royalists and routed them completely in 15 minutes. Morales escaped badly wounded, but nearly the whole of his infantry were butchered and the Llanero horse were cut to pieces. Boves and Morales fled with 20 men beyond the Apure and the state of the plains rendered pursuit impossible. Campo Elias contended himself by retaking the town of Calabasso and killing every man in the place for having given assistance to Boves. Unarmed Venezuelans were butchered by Venezuelan troops at Calabasso in the name of liberty on the same day on which Bolivar was greeted in Caracas as the liberator. This cruel deed decided the Llaneros. Seeing that there was no mercy for them, they abandoned their homes and looked to Boves for their revenge. The decree of extermination began to bear fruit. Ceballos, who commanded at Coro, on hearing that reinforcements had reached Puerto Cabello, drew up a plan for the concerted action on the scattered bands of royalists. With such men as he could collect, he saluted forth and after routing to the Dutchmen's of Patriots took Barquisimiento, where he was attacked by Bolivar and Urdaneta. Bolivar captured the town with a handful of horse, but his main body was totally routed by the Spanish infantry led by Ceballos, who after his victory crossed the Cordillera and at Araure in the valley of Caracas effected a junction with the column Andrianieth. Salomon, instead of joining him, marched with 1,000 men to the heights of Vijima to the west of the city of Caracas and there entrenched himself. Bolivar was then at Valencia with the Grenadian contingent. He collected what other troops he could. Rivas brought up the garrison of Caracas with a battalion of 500 students from the university. After two days fighting, Salomon was on the 25th of October driven back to Puerto Cabello with the loss of four guns. Bolivar then turned his attention to Ceballos and by drawing 1,500 men from the force under Campo Elias he had by the 1st of December collected a force of 3,000 men. Ceballos had 3,500 men and 10 guns posted in a strong position on the slopes of the mountains at the town of Araure. Here Bolivar attacked him on the 4th of December. One patriot battalion advancing inconsciously was cut to pieces but Bolivar, nothing daunted, brought up the rest of his troops and ordered a charge with the bayonet which was his favorite maneuver. He was no tactician. He hurled his men in masses upon the enemy and trusted to their valor. Yannith attempted to take the attacking column on the flank with his cavalry but was himself taken in flank by the patriot cavalry and utterly routed. Ceballos after a stubborn resistance was completely defeated losing 500 killed, 400 prisoners and all his guns. He fled to Guayana, 800 of his infantry escaped in the same direction and Yannith fled to the Apure with 200 men. This was the first pitched battle won by Bolivar. After the rout of Barquisimiento, Bolivar had formed the fugitives into a battalion which in punishment of their cowardice he called the Nameless Battalion telling them that they should have no flag till they did something to merit one. This corps greatly distinguished itself at the Battle of Araure. Bolivar now presented it with the flag of the Numantia Battalion which had been captured in the fight and renamed it the Victor of Araure. Salomon had again taken the field with 1300 men but on hearing of the defeat of Araure he again retired to Coro, harassed on his way by detached parties of the Patriots and losing two guns and more than half his men. Bolivar then marched to assist Deluyar in the siege of Puerto Cabello. The moment was propitious. The Spanish ships of war had left for the Havana and Piar, with the flotilla from Cumana, had established a blockade cutting off the garrison from all supplies. Monteverde had been dismissed in disgrace from his command. Ceballos, who had been appointed to succeed him, was a fugitive in Guayana where also was Cajical, who had been appointed by the home government Captain General of Venezuela and had as yet done nothing. Still the garrison, which was only 600 strong, held out. Meantime the dual dictatorship brought forth its natural fruit. The victories of the West were sterile without the concurrence of the Army of the East. Marinho refused to combine operations with Bolivar until he was recognized as the supreme ruler of the territory he possessed. The liberator modestly entreated him to march upon the plains where Boves and Yanis were recruiting. Far from doing this, though such action was necessary to his own security, he even recalled his flotilla from Puerto Cabello, but Piar listened to the appeals of Bolivar and continued the blockade. The result was that Bolivar being unable to attend to the siege of Puerto Cabello and to the war upon the plains at the same time. Boves and Yanis were speedily in a position to assume the offensive. Boves, more especially with that wonderful energy which hesitated at no means however terrible they might be to the end before him, again took the field, two months after his defeat by Campo Elias. On the 1st of November, he summoned all able-bodied men to join him, proclaimed war to the Knife against the Patriots, decreed that their goods should be distributed among his troops, liberated all slaves who would enlist under the banners of the King. The Llaneros, irritated by the massacre of Calabotho and eager for plunder, flocked in masses to his standard. From Guayana came 100 infantry and one gun. Like the middle of December he had 3,000 cavalry, the blades of whose lances were forged from the spikes torn from the railings of windows. With this horde he descended to the lower plains. On the 14th of December he routed a division of 1,000 men at San Marcos and occupied Calabotho, slaughtering without mercy and enriching his troops with booty. He then overran the whole plain, lying between the Windward Coast range and the Gulf of Paria. For further operations he needed infantry and set to work to make some. At the same time Yanyev, with some help from Guayana, organized a force of 2,000 men on the Apure and captured the city of Barinas, while Cajil and Ceballos raised another army on the Leeward Coast. Bolivar was reduced to Caracas and the neighboring valleys with a feeble reserve in Valencia and was constantly harassed by royalist guerrillas. Urdaneta, who had marched on Coro, was forced to return to his assistance. Malinio, with 3,500 men, distributed along the coast of Barcelona and Cumaná and in the adjacent valleys did nothing. All the rest of Venezuela was occupied by royalists. The country people were everywhere in favor of the reaction and the Patriots were forced to seek refuge in the cities. The Patriot armies were entirely without guides. No one would give them any information. Dispatches to the various commanders could only be forwarded from headquarters under strong escort. At times, only 4 men out of an escort reached their destination. Public opinion had returned to the state in which it was left by the earthquake of 1812. Colombian historians attribute this revulsion of feeling to Bolivar's decree of extermination and to the excesses authorized by him. Bolivar was to fall as Miranda had fallen before him but from different causes. Ever the logic of destiny. End of Part 2 of Chapter 38. Chapter 39 of the Emancipation of South America by Bartolome Mitre, translated by William Pilling. This slipperbox recording is in the public domain. Recording by Piotr Natter. The second fall of Venezuela, 1814. A dictatorship was a necessity of the time but the powers of a dictator to be efficient must be united in one person. Bolivar shared his power with Marinho. The alleged rights of both rested upon force only. To put an end to this anomaly, Bolivar determined upon an appeal to public opinion. It was impossible to summon a congress. He therefore convened an assembly composed of the civil corporations and of the heads of the families of the city of Caracas. Now was disclosed another phase of his complex character. Never in any public man were seen greater contradictions between word and deed. A prey to insatiable ambition he was eager for uncontrolled power but repudiated it in theory. In South America he was the inventor of the system of resignations which has had great vogue since his time. He had supreme power in his hands and resigned it protesting that he would never again accept it but took it back on conditions imposed by himself. Throughout his career he ever invoked the high authority of congresses as the representative for public opinion. Sometimes he gave way to them. More frequently he imposed his will upon them but he always sought their sanction for his acts and so compelled them to share responsibility with him. To the assembly he now convened at Caracas to which by a convenient fiction he attributed representative authority he gave an account of his administration and into its hands he abdicated the power he had bestowed upon himself only to receive it back again intact. He made three speeches. In the first he abdicated the dictatorship and pronounced a warm illogium upon his own deeds. In the second he gave a biographical sketch of his own life and showed from it that it was impossible for him to continue in the exercise of unlimited power. In the third he again accepted the dictatorship which was bestowed upon him without conditions by the acclamations of the assembly. His next step was to endeavor to secure the cooperation of Marinho by recognizing his authority in the eastern provinces and in January 1814 a treaty was signed between them but it was too late now their union merely prolonged the struggle. Yanyeth was advancing with 1,000 men by the eastern slopes of the Cordillera. Ordaneta crossed the range and on the 2nd of February met him with 700 men at Ospino. Yanyeth led the charge of the Yannero horse upon the Patriot infantry but was killed and his troops dispersed. His body was cut into fragments which were sent as trophies to the scenes of his atrocities. Calthada, who took the command in revenge burned the town of Ospino and then retreated. Campo Elias was detached with 1,500 men against Boves and his hordes of Yannero horse. He marched to the town of Cura where it was arranged that he should be joined by Marinho but Marinho never came. Boves detached Rosetta with 1,200 men to Okomare a town lying to the west of Caracas which was feebly defended and the inhabitants, men, women and children were all butchered even those who had taken refuge in the church found their no safety. On the 3rd of February Campo Elias and Boves met at La Puerta. The Patriots were crushed by overwhelming numbers and all the infantry perished but Boves was badly wounded. Campo Elias, with the remains of his force retreated to the narrow pass of Cabrera in front of Valencia where he threw up entrenchments. Morales, who now took command of the Royalists advanced with 1,000 horse and 300 infantry by the Valley of Aragua to Victoria which city he attacked on the 10th of February. Here Rivas was in command of the Patriots but had hard work to hold the position against the superior number of the Royalists till Campo Elias suddenly appeared at the head of 220 horse and Morales was beaten off with the loss of all his artillery and retired to Cura. Rivas then marched with 800 men upon the town of Charavaia then occupied by the Colom under Rosete and cut the Royalists to pieces giving no quarter. He then retook Okumare and finding the streets strewn with dead bodies swore an oath of vengeance in which oath he was joined by Arismendi who held the command at Caracas in his absence. This vow was most fearfully fulfilled. Arismendi finding the prisons of La Guaira full of Spaniards wrote to Bolivar who was at Valencia asking instructions and stating that their presence was a danger to the capital. The answer was an order for the immediate execution of all of them except such as had taken out letters of naturalization. Quote the secretary of the liberator is a fool and quote said Arismendi quote he has put with the exception instead of including end quote. Then with a refinement of cruelty he said the prisoners to work to erect a great funeral pile on which their bodies should be burned. When the pile was ready the massacre commenced the prisoners were brought in groups from the dungeons to the sound of the trumpet the soldiers fell upon them with bayonets axe and poneyard and cast their quivering bodies into the flames. Very little powder was burned on the eight days during which the slaughter lasted. 866 victims perished among them being many who had saved the lives of the patriots at the risk of their own. These horrible massacres were the natural fruit of Bolivar's decree of extermination. They utterly failed to accomplish their purpose that of stamping out the spirit of reaction and only served as a pretext for the perpetration of equally brutal atrocities by the royalists. Bolivar who had only 1500 infantry and 600 cavalry could not advance into the open country against Boves who had at least four times that number of resolute horsemen. But the capital was safe against an assault by such troops. He fortified Valencia and armed a flotilla on the lake strengthened the Passet Cabrera occupied Victoria and threw up field works at San Mateo where he established his headquarters while he waited for Marinho. The position was well chosen on the heights which surrounded it to the country house which was his own property to the east of which lay one of the most valuable of his patrimonial estates. But in place of Marinho, Boves, whose wound was by this time healed appeared in his front on the 25th of February at the head of 2000 light infantry and 5000 horse. Morales was completely routed in an attack on his right flank and Boves himself was repulsed in an attack on the center but captured some outworks on the right. Bolivar sent a reinforcement under Villapol and Campo Elias. Both these leaders were killed but the son of the former, Captain Villapol restored the day, drove the royalists from the positions they had captured and though badly wounded held his ground till nightfall. Boves, who was again severely wounded was carried off the field by his men and Morales resumed the command. In this desperate fighting the royalists had exhausted their ammunition and were for 15 days compelled to remain inactive till on the 11th of March Morales again attacked the entrenchments but was again repulsed. On the 17th Boves again took command and was on the 20th beaten off in a third attack. The Patriot magazine was established in the country house to the rear of the position. On the 25th of March Boves detached a column of infantry to make its way by the heights beyond the Patriot lines to capture this magazine while he himself led a general attack in front. The magazine was in charge of a young officer a native of New Granada named Riccorte who had only 15 men with him. When this young officer saw the infantry column rushing down upon him from the heights he knew that it was hopeless to attempt to defeat the house. He sent off his men and remaining alone he waited till the enemy burst in upon him with shouts of triumph when he fired the magazine and he himself and the greater part of the royalist column were blown into the air together. When Bolivar saw the flight of the small garrison he thought that all was lost. He dismounted from his horse and ran into the ranks calling to his soldiers that he would die with them but the royalists were so terrified by the sudden destruction of their column of infantry that they desisted from the attack and withdrew leaving 800 dead and wounded behind them. While attacking the lines of San Mateo Boves had detached a strong column under Rosete to make an attempt upon the capital. Rivas was ill in bed and 800 of the youth of the city solid out under Ismendi to meet the enemy on the open plain but were cut to pieces on the 11th of March. Bolivar sent 300 picked troops under Colonel Montia to the assistance of the garrison. With this reinforcement Rivas managed to organize a column of 900 men and leading them out in person lying on a stretcher he totally defeated Rosete on the 20th of March at Okumare and the capital was saved. Cajial, the new captain general had established his headquarters at Coro and had formed a column of 1000 men from the remnants of various shuttered battalions. These troops he placed under command of Ceballos who drove Urdaneta before him out of Barquisimiento. Urdaneta then endeavored to hold San Carlos but was driven thence by Calzada and took refuge in Valencia where the war material of the Patriots was stored. Here he received orders from Bolivar to resist to the last extremity and to send 200 men to aid Deluyar in the siege of Puerto Cabello. Urdaneta obeyed orders but was left with only 280 muskets to make head as he could against the united forces of Ceballos and Calzada who now attacked Valencia with 3000 men. The royalists had no artillery but by dint of numbers they drove the Patriots from the outworks and cut off the supply of water from the garrison. Urdaneta called the council of his officers when it was agreed that if the inner line of defense was forced the garrison should retire to the artillery barracks and blow the place up. The example of Riccarte had inflamed their hearts. Boves for some time made no further attempt on the lines of San Mateo and the dispirited Yaneros began to desert but the situation of Bolivar was desperate. His only chance lay in the speedy arrival of Marinho who was at last advancing by forced marches from the east and was sweeping the plains in the rear of the royalists. Then Boves after one more desperate assault upon the lines which was repulsed retreated to La Puerta to stop the advance of Marinho from the plains. But Marinho succeeded in turning this position and established himself at the Boca Chica. Here he was attacked by Boves on the 31st of March but forced him to retreat with a loss of 500 killed and occupied the city of Victoria. Ceballos then, fearing an attack on his rear by the United Forces of Bolivar and Marinho raised the siege of Valencia and retired to San Carlos to await reinforcements which Boves was collecting on the plains. Here he was attacked by Marinho on the 17th of April. Marinho was so destitute of military capacity that the troops under his immediate command dispersed at the first volley but Urdaneta rallied the infantry and retired to Valencia. Cajigal then brought up a strong reinforcement and took command of the royalists. Bolivar, after being joined by Rivas with 800 men from Caracas, advanced against him. After some maneuvering, the armies met on the plain of Carabobo and Bolivar won a complete victory. The royalists lost 300 killed and older guns and flags while the Patriots had only 12 killed and 40 wounded. Bolivar was victorious over the Spanish generals but the strength of the people was against him. The indefatigable Boves had received large supplies of arms and ammunition from Guayana and again rushed upon him from the plains with about 7000 men of whom more than 2000 were infantry. Bolivar, instead of massing his troops to make head against this new danger detached Marinho against Boves with only 2300 men while he sent Urdaneta with 700 men off westward and another division of 1100 in pursuit of Cajical and Ceballos. But the slaughter corps joined Marinho who then in complete ignorance of the superior strength of the royalist leader determined to wait for Boves at La Puerta in a most unfavorable position. Bolivar joined him too late to remedy the evil. The Patriots were overwhelmed by a desperate charge of the Diannero horse on the 14th of June and were slaughtered without mercy. At least 1200 were left dead upon the field. Boves himself reported that 2800 were killed. Bolivar fled to Caracas but instead of making some attempt to reunite his shattered forces maintained the siege of Puerto Cabello and instructed the Garry son of Valencia to hold out to the last extremity. A small detachment of 250 men defending the Pass of Cabrera was overwhelmed, every man was killed and Valencia was forced to capitulate to Boves who in spite of his oath to spare the lives of the Garry son butchered them all and many of the inhabitants of the town also. The Luyar being isolated spiked his guns and embarked his troops on the flotilla. Urdaneta was left alone in the west. Bolivar evacuated Caracas and withdrew to the east carrying with him all the jewels and speci he could find in the churches and embarrassed by the multitude of fugitives who fled with him. He reached Aragua with 2,000 men and at once commenced to throw up entrenchments. Marinho sent him 1,000 men under Bermudez from Cumaná and some supplies of war material. On the 18th of August the position at Aragua was attacked by Morales with a horde of 8,000 Negroes, Mulatos and Indians. The Patriots defended themselves with the resolution of despair but after two hours fighting in which entire battalions had perished Bolivar retreated with a part of his force on Barcelona. Bermudez still held the position for two hours longer and then fled to Maturín with the remnant of his cavalry. The butchery which followed was frightful more than 3,000 were killed in cold blood even the townsfolk who sought refuge in the church had their throats cut in the sacred edifice. The loss of the royalists was nearly 2,000 in killed and wounded. Bolivar, Marinho, Rivas, Piar and Deluiar met at Cumaná and resolved to concentrate the resistance at Guiria a position easily defended while the flotilla kept open their communications by sea. Bolivar had shipped the treasure brought by him from Caracas on board of these vessels. Bianchi, who was still in command determined to seize it. Bolivar and Marinho hearing of his intention embarked with him as he sailed for the island of Margarita. He gave two vessels up to them with all the jewels and two-thirds of the species retaining the rest as payment for the prizes he had made upon which the two dictators returned to the mainland. On the 3rd of September they landed at Carupano where they found that they had been proscribed as traitors who had deserted their comrades while Rivas and Piar had taken the command. Piar had the intention of treating Bolivar as he had treated Miranda but Rivas set him at liberty and arrested Marinho. At this juncture Bianchi returned and by threats saved them both. Bolivar gave up the treasure to Rivas and retired to Curacao leaving behind him an address to the people in which he disdainfully left his justification to the future. Quote I swear to you that this title, Liberator which your gratitude bestowed upon me when I broke your chains shall not be in vain. I swear to you that Liberator or dead I shall ever merit the honor you have done me. No human power can turn me from my course. End quote When he had gone Rivas took the supreme command but the genius of Bolivar was wanting. On the 26th of August Cumana pronounced for the royalists. Bermudev entrenched at Maturin was attacked by Morales with a greatly superior force but selling out utterly routed him killing 2,000 of his men. He was then joined by Rivas. Between them they assembled nearly 5,000 men. Piar disregarding the orders of Rivas to join him marched on Cumana which he retook and collected 2,000 men but was then attacked by Boves and totally defeated. Boves then retook Cumana and put every man to death who fell into his hands. It is said that more than a thousand victims perished in this massacre. Cumana was left a desert. Boves was then joined by Morales who had reorganized his army and together they marched on Maturin at the head of 7,000 men. The patriots solid out to meet them under the command of Rivas and Bermudev. With very inferior numbers they met the royalist army at Urika to the west of Maturin on the 5th of December. Boves drew up his men in two lines and awaited their onslaught. An impetuous charge of the Patriot cavalry broke the right wing of the royalists and Boves, ever foremost in MLA was killed by a landstrust. Morales with the left and the reserve restored the combat and gained a complete victory. No quarter was given and the last army of the republic was destroyed. Morales was by acclamation named general-in-chief of the Windward army which was the name which had been given to this royalist force by its late commander and lost no time and marching upon Maturin which city was well fortified and had a good supply of artillery. But the garrison, only 600 in number, was but poorly armed. After an obstinate defense which caused severe losses to the royalist army this last bulwark of the patriots was captured on the 11th of December. Bermudev escaped with 200 men but Rivas flying alone was overtaken and killed and his head, covered with the Phrygian cup of liberty was exposed in an iron cage on the road from Caracas to La Guaira. According to contemporary writers more than 3,000 victims were slaughtered by Morales after his victory. The peace of the tomb reigned in Venezuela. Three popular leaders still kept up the flames of insurrection at the headwaters of the Orinoco and its tributaries Tharatha, Monagas and Zedenio who afterwards became celebrated as guerrilleros. In the west all was quiet after the rout of La Puerta. The column under Urdaneta so imprudently detached by Bolivar after Caravovo was cut off when Boves occupied Valencia. Urdaneta retreated with 1,000 men and being hotly pressed by Calzada crossed the frontier into New Granada. He then detached 200 infantry and some cavalry officers to defend the province of Casanare. This small detachment became the nucleus of the famous Army of the Apure which changed the destinies of the Venezuela by leading the people to embrace the cause of the revolution. Among these cavalry officers was one named Jose Antonio Paeth a man till then unknown who was soon to become the Achilles of Venezuela and was to eclipse by his deeds the fabulous prowess of the heroes of Homer. There now only remained one spot of Venezuelan territory over which still floated the flag of the Republic the island of Margarita where Arismendi and Bermudev with some few followers had found asylum. End of chapter 39 Chapter 40 of the Emancipation of South America by Bartolome Mitre translated by William Pilling This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Pietronater the dissolution of New Granada 1815 to 1817. The second fall of the Republic of Venezuela was coincident in point of time with the fall of constitutional government in the mother country and the absolute King of Spain and of the Indies after subjugating his vassals in the peninsula turned his attention to subduing by force of arms his insurgent colonists beyond the seas. Up to that time with the exception of New Granada and Venezuela none of the colonies of Spanish America had declared themselves independent or had adopted the republican form of government. They made war on those who upheld the royal standard but they were governed by rulers of their own choosing in the name of the captive king. Thus, naturally, Venezuela and New Granada were the first of these colonies to receive attention. In the year 1813 these two colonies had been united by the Spanish authorities under one nominal government Marshal Montalvo being appointed Viceroy. The peninsular troops had made but a poor show in the war in Venezuela. The two restorations had been achieved by native troops under the command of Monteverde, Boves and Morales who looked with contempt upon the Spanish generals as they condemned their excesses and who refused all obedience to colonial authorities. Thus Montalvo looked upon the preponderance of the native element as a source of danger and as a dishonor to the cause of royalty and had applied to the home government for reinforcements. New Granada was now to be the theater of war and thither went Bolivar either to take part in it or to seek help for another reconquest of Venezuela. He presented himself to the Congress assembled at Tunja. Camilo Torres, the president, thanked him for his distinguished services saying that Venezuela was not lost so long as Bolivar lived. He was at once put in command of a corps of 1800 men of which Urdanetas colon formed a part and was sent to reduce Cundinamarca which still held aloof from the federal government. In view of the danger which now threatened the Republic the Congress had appointed a Supreme Junta whose authority was recognized by all the provinces except Cartagena and Cundinamarca. Santa Fe de Bogota was the arsenal of the Republic. The subjugation of Cundinamarca was therefore necessary. Bolivar prosecuted his campaign with his usual activity. At his approach all the towns of Cundinamarca declared in favor of Congress. Bogota, the capital where Alvarez who had been left in command by his nephew Narinio when he had marched for the south had entrenched himself alone offered any resistance. Bolivar laid siege to the city and by a series of vigorous assaults shut up the garrison in the principal square and cut off their supply of water. Alvarez was forced to capitulate. Congress then changed the seat of government to Bogota. The Republic had at last possession of its own capital and the government was greatly strengthened. Bolivar was named Captain General of the Confederation. His title of liberator was recognized and another was bestowed upon him that of illustrious pacificator. Of course Bolivar made a speech on this occasion and prophesized that the army of New Granada would break the chains of all the oppressed peoples of South America. The new plan of Bolivar was to advance by the coast to Coro. Government gave him three battalions of infantry and a squadron of cavalry in all 2,000 men with orders to seek supplies of arms and ammunition at Cartagena. Colmel Castillo, who was governor of this province prompted by his old jealousy of Bolivar and listening to the councils of Marinho and Montillo who had taken refuge at Cartagena refused these supplies. Bolivar established his headquarters at the beautiful city of Montpox and remained inactive passing his town in feasts and parades and in intrigues against the local government till his money was spent and he had lost half his troops by sickness and desertion. Then with only one gun he laid siege to Cartagena the strongest fortress in South America till a powerful Spanish expedition landed on the coast and brought him to his senses. On the 8th of May 1815 he handed over the relics of his army to Castillo and took leave of his man in a sentimental address in which he expressed his sorrow at not being able to share in the triumphs which awaited them. He then withdrew to Jamaica but ere he went fired a parting shot declaring quote, Cartagena prefers her own destruction to the duty of obedience to the federal government end quote a shot which recalled upon itself for he also had preferred his own destruction to obedience and had inoculated the Granadian Republic with a new germ of the solution. In Jamaica he published a memorial in his own defense which rather strengthens the case against him. Soon after that under the signature of quote a South American end quote he published another memorial upon the revolution in South America and upon the future organization of the New Republics which is a refutation of the chimerical plan of a continental monocracy which he attempted to establish later on. In this memorial he advocated the absolute independence of each separate colony quote, but New Granada shall unite with Venezuela and this nation shall be called Columbia end quote a prophetic vision. The reinforcements applied for by Montalvo reached Cumana early in April one ship of the line, three frigates and 21 smaller ships of war came in convoy of a fleet of 60 transports carrying 10,600 men and a siege drain. This was the greatest effort which had as yet been made by a mother country to crush the insurrection in South America and it was the last. The troops were selected from regiments which had fought against the armies of Napoleon and had been educated in the school of Wellington. They were under the command of Marshal Morillo the best of all the Spanish generals of that time. Originally a sergeant of Marines he had won his way by distinguished valor to his present high position. He had seen hard service among the Spanish guerillas and had learned the art of war in the Anglo-Spanish armies. He was no great military genius but he had respectable talents and was a good fighter. He was popular among the soldiery but was a strict disciplinarian and tenacious in his enterprises. He was cruel by system not from inclination but was also of a suspicious and passionate temperament. He knew nothing of the country he was sent to pacify and his instructions gave him no information of any value being drawn up in complete ignorance of the actual state of South America and were instinct with contempt for the Creole inhabitants a contempt in which he also shared. This expedition were originally intended for the river plate but on the fall of Montevideo its destination was changed. At the same time as Panama was considered to be the key to the continent another expedition of 2500 men was sent under command of General Miárez to Veracruz for the purpose of securing the Isthmus. Morillo was instructed to overrun the mainland from Guayana to Darien first of all reducing the island of Margarita. He was then to take Cartagena, subdue new Granada and re-establish order in Venezuela. All this was thought so easy that he was further instructed to send his spare troops to Peru and Mexico. Váces was his plan, Morillo accomplished it in the time given him for the purpose. In the course of the year 1815 all the insurgent colonies of Spain were reduced to submission with the exception of the provinces of river plate. The rest of the instructions were drawn up in terms of benevolence towards the Americans. The atrocities committed under the royal flag were severely censured and the troops who had taken part in them were directed to be withdrawn from the theater of action but ample power was given to Morillo to deviate from these instructions when he thought it necessary and he had also permission to suppress the tribunals of justice. Thus everything was left to his discretion. The first man with whom Morillo spoke in the new world was Morales who was now master of the east of Venezuela and had fitted out a flotilla for the attack upon the island of Margarita. Early in April the expedition was sighted from the coast of Cumaná. Morales sailed out to meet it with three Briggs manned by a division of infantry to place himself at the orders of the general. Camba, the historian who was present says that his European soldiers gazed in astonishment upon the decks of these three small vessels as they sailed through the Spanish fleet. They were crowded with dark-skinned men wearing straw hats, a waistcloth with a cartridge box buckled over it and in general no other raiment. If these were the victors what must the vanquished be like? An unfortunate first impression to receive which gave them a false idea of the work before them. Quote, Venezuela and Caracas were lost after the arrival of first-class troops who were well commanded, end quote. In accordance with his instructions Morillo went on to the island of Margarita with all his army reinforced by 3,000 of Morales troops shipped on the flotilla. The Patriot cruisers had captured one of the vessels of the convoy so that the strength of the expedition was known. Bermudez proposed to resist to the last extremity but finding no support fled to Cartagena. Arismendi gave himself up and was kindly received by Morillo who seated him at his own table apparently forgetting his massacre of 800 Spaniards. On the 9th of April, 1815 the island was occupied without resistance. Morillo issued a proclamation offering an amnesty to all insurgents who would give themselves up and kept his word but 15 men who gave himself up to Morales were slaughtered. The first success and the first disaster of the expedition came together. The ship of the line San Pedro the most powerful vessel of the squadron caught fire and was a total loss. The military chest and the great quantity of war-like stores being burned with her. The generous behavior of Morillo at Cartagena procured him a favorable reception at Caracas where he arrived on the 11th of May but his first act was to levy a forced loan to replace the treasure lost on the San Pedro. He then proceeded to confiscate the properties of all who had taken part in the revolution and of those who were absent or who were suspected the amount so taken being estimated at $15 million. General Mohawk, a man of cruel and trapezius character was made governor of Venezuela. The Audiencia and all the civil tribunals were suppressed and were replaced by councils of war. A military despotism was established. Morillo had now 16,000 men under his command including the native troops. He sent a battalion of light infantry to Puerto Rico A division of 1,700 men to Peru 3,000 men were told off as Garrison of Venezuela and Calzada's division in Barinas was reinforced by European troops. Then, with 5,000 Europeans and 3,500 native troops under Morales embarked in 56 ships he sailed on the 12th of July for the Leeward Coast to commence operations against New Granada. The employment of native troops was in accordance with his instructions but the measure produced discontent in his ranks. These troops were despised by the Spaniards and had no wish to leave their native country. More than a thousand of the Janeros deserted rather than embark the way in which they were treated aroused in them the native instinct for independence of which they soon became the most dotty champions. Morillo landed at Santa Marta intent upon the capture of Cartagena. The Garrison was weak, was short of arms and of provisions and was cut off from help either by sea or by land but was nevertheless resolute to resist to the last extremity. The ground was cleared for three leagues round, outlying posts were called in and flotilla was armed for the defense of the bay, 60 guns were added to the 84 already mounted on the batteries, martial law was proclaimed and all men capable of bearing arms were compelled to serve. The Garrison was thus increased to 3,600 men of whom 1,300 were regular troops. The command was at first given to Castillo but he was soon after replaced by Mermudez and Fontia was named Major General. Cartagena was then the strongest fortress in America. It was captured by the French in 1697 but when the English under Admiral Vernon attacked it in the year 1741 they were beaten off, although they had 9,000 soldiers in addition to a powerful fleet. It was built upon a promontory running into the sea and is so separated from the mainland by marshes that it may be considered an island, a sort of military Venice. The city proper is situate to the northwest of this promontory and to the west of it lies a suburb called Getsemani which communicates with the city by a fortified bridge thrown across a deep canal and is closed at each end by a stockade. Getsemani is also joined to the mainland by another bridge of similar construction. The fortress, the city and the suburb were all enclosed on the land side by high walls and bastions. To the east, beyond the swamps and about half a mile from the walls stood a castle on a hill called San Latharo whose fire swept all the city but was itself under the fire of a fortified hill called La Poppa which commanded all the approaches. The most accessible part of the city was the bay which runs from north to south and is nearly a mile in length. This bay is shut in from the Gulf of Mexico by two islands which leave only two practicable entrances the Boca Grande by which Admiral Vernon penetrated and which was afterwards closed by orders from Spain and the Boca Chica which was defended by two castles on the island and by batteries on the coast. The flotilla consisted of a corvette, seven schooners and some gunboats aided in shallow water by a sort of armed rafts called bongos. Morillo detached Morales with his division across the Magdalena to blockade the city by land while he blockaded it by sea his idea being to starve out the garrison. The heavy rains of the season and frequent tempests made the work of the siege very arduous to the royalists filling their hospitals with sick. On the 25th of October the city was bombarded with no other effect than to kill a few women and children. Several assaults were made upon various outworks which were repulsed but in November the larger island was captured by Morales. Two batteries were placed upon it and upon the adjacent shore the first from which swept the bay and prevented fishing thus destroying one great resource of the city where hunger soon proved more formidable than shot and shell. Fevers broke out, rats and hides were eaten by the starving garrison sentinels were found dead at their posts when parties were sent to relieve them but no one talked of surrender. At last it was determined to drive from the city two thousand useless mouths, old men, women and children. It was a procession of specters only one-third of them reached the advanced post of the besiegers the rest sank down and perished on the way. The survivors were kindly received by the Spaniards but Morillo wrote to the Patriot leaders that if they did not surrender in three days he would drive the fugitives back into the city. On that day the 4th of December 300 persons died of hunger in the streets it was impossible to hold out longer but still they would not surrender. On the night of the 5th the guns on the hill of La Popa and on the castle of San Lazaro were spiked and dawn on the day following a remnant of two thousand men embarked on the flotilla crossed the bay under the fire of the royalist batteries took on board the garrisons of the batteries at the Boca Chica and on the 7th put to sea in a storm which dispersed the blockading squadron. Morillo entered the city on the 6th of December and founded a hospital of dying men and a cemetery of dead bodies which lay all about the streets the very air was poison the siege had lasted 108 days it was calculated that 6000 had died in the city of hunger and disease besides those who were killed in the various attacks the loss of the besiegers was nearly 3500 men. The victory was stained by an act of barbarism Morales who had occupied the batteries at the Boca Chica on their evacuation by the patriots offered an amnesty to all fugitives who would present themselves 400 old men, women and children and some fishermen who had hidden in the brushwood covering the island presented themselves the throats of every one of them were cut on the seashore by his orders Morillo was more humane but Castillo who had hidden himself was put to death by his command and his body was exposed on a gibbet the same fate was meted out to 6 of the principal citizens among them being Garcia Toledo who had headed the revolution in 1810 at the same time the Inquisition was re-established Calzada advancing from Barinas to aid in the subjugation of New Granada attempted first to clear the plains of Casanare of the Patriot light horse but being beaten by them on the 1st of October he crossed the Cordillera with 1800 infantry and 500 cavalry routed various detached parties of patriots who came in his way and totally defeated their main body at Balaga on the 25th of November he then occupied Pamplona where he found the streets strewn with the corpses of Spaniards who had been barbarously murdered by the patriots when they evacuated that city Congress now again made Torres president with dictatorial powers and appointed Torreses vice president Torres raised an army of 2500 recruits with which he forced Calzada who was advancing on the capital to retreat to Ocania but Calzada after receiving some reinforcements turned upon him and completely routed him on the 25th of February the three provinces of Pamplona, Socorro and Antioquia were then occupied by the royalists and the capital lay defenseless Torres resigned and a physician named Madrid was appointed in his place he called for volunteers, only six men offered themselves Cundinamarca, which had been forced into the Union, had remained disaffected and now became openly royalist the rest of the country was worn out and was only eager for peace Congress authorized Madrid to negotiate with Murillo and dissolved itself the new president retired to the south with the remnant of the army and joined the division of Popayán under Mejia who then marched against the royalist force under Samano which was advancing from Quito and was totally defeated Murillo left a strong garrison at Cartagena and divided the rest of his diminished force into four light columns for the complete subjugation of the country Bogota fell without a shot being fired but while he was at Ocania with his reserve news reached him that Venezuela was again in commotion that a fresh insurrection had broken out in the island of Marcarita and that the emigrants headed by Bolivar were preparing an expedition to rekindle the flames of revolution on the mainland seriously alarmed he sent Morales with a division back to Venezuela to secure his base of operations Murillo now for the first time appreciated the magnitude of the enterprise he had undertaken and with rare perspicuity foresaw its fatal termination he wrote to the home government that in spite of his success he could not without reinforcements bring the Yaneros into subjection and that it was necessary to establish a military government and so crushed the rebellion by the use of the same means which had been employed at the time of the conquest he then published an amnesty to all officers of the revolutionary armies from captain downwards who would lay down their arms but he put to death all superior officers who fell into his hands quartering their bodies and exposing their heads in cages General La Torre who commanded at Bogota published a similar amnesty to civil officials for which step he was severely censured by Murillo and in May 1816 the prisons of the capital were full Murillo then went there himself avoiding a public reception and entering the city by night La Torre and Calzada were again censured for receiving presents from rebels the first was as a punishment sent off to the planes and the second to Cucuta the amnesty was then annulled and severe decrees were published against all who should either write or speak on forbidden subjects on the 30th of May which was the birthday of the king the women of the city presented themselves imploring mercy for their fathers, sons and husbands Murillo received them roughly and sent them off with insults the prisons being insufficient to accommodate the multitude of prisoners some were confined in the convents he searched the city archives for pretexts to increase their number and a military tribunal was established to try them Via Vicencio, Montufar, Lothano, Camilo Torres and Torreses were executed being shot in the back as traitors and their bodies were hung on gibets Baraya and Mejia shared the same fate Caldas, the philosopher whose scientific labours had won him worldwide fame was sentenced to the death and when Murillo was entreated to spare the life of so illustrious a man he answered savagely quote, Spain has no need of sages end quote 125 victims perished on the scaffold of whom a fifth part were graduates of the university the properties of all victims were confiscated their families were reduced to misery the entire male population was classified as convicts and gangs of them were forced to work on the public roads truly the system adopted by the Spaniards at the conquest was now re-established in America in the cause of Spanish absolutism and for a king who was spoken of by his own mother as quote, tiger heart and mule head end quote bloodshed and absolute power clouded the mental faculties of Murillo he dreamt of destroying the Argentine Republic and of then returning in triumph to Mexico to repeat there the cruelties of Cortes but the course of events in Venezuela soon opened his eyes he left a garrison of 3,800 men at Bogota Venezuelans and pastuzos and with 4,000 Spanish troops crossed the Cordillera in November 1816 taking some prisoners with him to shoot on the frontier line this march convinced him for the second time of his importance to prosecute his enterprise by his own confession he could neither pass the rivers nor procure supplies without the help of the Llaneros who went with him General Samano remained in command at the Bogota his first act was to erect a gallows in the great square in front of the windows of his palace and to set up four execution posts, banquios, on the public promenade one of his first victims was a beautiful young woman convicted of sending information to the patriot guerrillas on the plains of Casanare she was shot in the back with seven men implicated in the same affair she died encouraging her companions to meet their fate like men and prophesizing that her death would soon be revenged under the name of Lapola her memory is still preserved in the songs of her native land Morillo finding Samano so up the pupil in his school of terrorism made him viceroy in place of Montalvo whose more humane nature shrank from the perpetration of such cruelties End of chapter 40 Chapter 41 of the Emancipation of South America by Bartolome Mitre translated by William Pilling this LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Pietronater the third war in Venezuela 1815 to 1817 in none of the colonies of Spanish America was the struggle for emancipation so stubborn so heroic and so tragical as in Venezuela in the north of the continent she was the nucleus of the revolution gave it both its military power and its political basis and supplied to it the genius of Bolivar twice conquered she had arose a third time against her oppressors after the rout of Urica and the catastrophe of Maturín the remnants of the republican army of the east were dispersed as guerrillas along the banks and about the headwaters of the Orinoco and on the plains of Barcelona while the insurrection was still unquelled on the plains of Casanare a first signal for a general revolt was given by the island of Marcarita immediately after the departure of Murillo on his expedition against New Granada the royalist governor Colonel Urreistieta to assert his authority ordered the arrest of Alice Mandy 1500 of the islanders rose in arms the governor ordered the troops to give no quarter to the insurgents gave them permission to pillage as they chose and burned two towns in accordance with instructions received from General Mohawk the insurgents accepted the challenge of war to the knife Alice Mandy put himself at their head and took possession of the northern half of the island captured by assault the fort at the Via del Norte and put to death the whole of the garrison who numbered 200 men then on the 15th of November 1815 he laid siege to the capital and shut up the government in the castle of Santa Rosa his army numbered 4300 infantry and 200 cavalry badly armed but all resolute men on the plains of Casanare the scattered groups of guerrillas were organized by paeth into an army Jose Antonio Paeth was a native of Barinas and was at this time 26 years old he had served bravely throughout the campaign of the reconquest but had never attracted special notice now he was to show his great talents as a leader he was a genuine creole of Caucasian race with some mixture of native blood a man of herculean strength a breaker in of wild horses and an untiring swimmer skillful in the use of lance and sword in moments of danger he was ever in the front rank and had great influence over his men both by his personal and by his moral qualities they were accustomed to calling him uncle when addressing him if any soldier committed a crime or showed unwillingness to obey orders it was his custom to challenge him to single combat whether the challenge were accepted or not he was always the victor either physically or morally after the excitement of a battle his nervous system would frequently give way and he would fall to the ground apparently lifeless his plans were always carefully thought out and rapidly executed he at this time knew neither how to read nor write and was in no sense a politician but was of a kindly generous nature and of very superior intelligence in times of peace he was easily led but in times of danger he led everyone his usual dress was a blouse of blue cloth with a cloak thrown over his shoulders a slouched hat the front rim turned up and decorated with the cockade of Venezuela and the gaiters of Ayaneiro he wore a tolledo sword and invariably carried a long glance Paeth was serving as a simple captain with a small corps of patriots which held the town of Guadalito when news was brought of the approach of the Spanish governor of Barinas with 1100 horse and 300 infantry the officer in command proposed to retreat Paeth requested permission to remain with one squadron to defend the town most of the other officers present approved of the proposition on which the commander said angrily quote then let Paeth command you and those who choose may follow me to Casanare end quote Paeth left with 500 men marched out to meet the enemy whom he found on the 16th of February 1816 near to the sources of the Apure Paeth, advancing alone to reconnoiter the position had his horse killed under him by a musket ball it was near nightfall some advised him to wait for daylight quote it is as dark for them as it is for us end quote said Paeth and shouted to his men quote comrades they have killed my horse if you will not revenge his death I will revenge him alone and will die in the enemy's ranks end quote the men shouted back that they would go wherever he would lead them he formed them in two lines and led them on under a heavy fire such was the fury of the charge that two-thirds of the royalist cavalry were driven in confusion from the field as he led an attack upon their second line his horse was wounded and burst the girths of the saddle with his plunges the attack was beaten off springing on to the first horse he could catch Paeth rallied his men and again charged at full speed upon the rest of the royalist cavalry and bore them down in the rush while the Patriots pursued the broken cavalry the Spanish infantry retreated through the woods 400 killed and 200 prisoners were the trophies of the day Paeth treated his prisoners so well that they all voluntarily took service with him this brilliant affair attracted the attention of the Lianeros who were wary of the brutal rule of Boves and Morales and won them over to the cause of independence Paeth became at once the first general of cavalry in America he was the bond of union between the Lianeros and the Patriots he was proclaimed the chieftain of the planes and from the recruits who poured in to join his standard he organized the famous Army of the Apure on taking command he told his men that he would do his best to merit the confidence they had placed in him but exhorted them above all to put faith in divine providence in September 1816 he invaded the province of Barinas while the Army of the Apure was thus gathering itself together the parties of Gerias scattered along the banks of the upper Orinoco and on the eastern plains also collected forming divisions of as many as 1500 men under Monagas, Saratha and Sedenio the governor of Guyana sent a strong column against Sedenio which was completely routed by him on the 8th of March 1816 a second expedition of 1500 men sent in boats up the Orinoco had no better fortune and was forced to retire to Angostura the capital of Guyana while Bolivar in exile at Kingston, Jamaica was turning over in his mind many plans for renewing the War of Independence he had a narrow escape from assassination a slave of his who had followed his fortunes went one night into his room when all was dark and seeing a man asleep in his hammock gave him two stabs with a poneyard, killing him on the spot the dead man was found to be a poor immigrant named Aemstoy who knowing that Bolivar would not sleep at home that night occupied his room the slave was caught and confessed that it was his intention to kill Bolivar but said not a word about accomplices he was hung but it was generally believed that an emissary of General Mohawk had paid him to do the deed from Jamaica Bolivar crossed to the island of Santo Domingo hearing on his way of the fall of Cartagena where too late he had been offered the command the famous mulatto, Alexander Petion was at that time president of Haiti he was an ardent partisan of the emancipation of Spanish America and not only supplied Bolivar with arms for another expedition but opened the credit for him for the necessary expenses with the house of a wealthy English merchant named Robert Sutherland Bolivar also met here a Dutch shipbuilder named Louis Brion who, becoming deeply interested both in him and in his designs placed seven armed schooners at his orders with 3,500 muskets and offered his life and fortune in the same cause Bolivar commenced his preparations early in 1816 at the port of Caos de Saint-Louis which has given its name to this famous expedition there the refugees from Cartagena and many officers from New Granada and Venezuela had collected among them were Piar, Marinho, Bermudez, Montilla, Soublette the English colonel McGregor who had served with Miranda Duconte, Holstein and Francisco Cea there was anarchy among them many of them refused to recognize the authority of Bolivar Petion interposed his influence and Brion declared that he would entrust his ships and armament to no one but to the liberator he was at length accepted as leader of the expedition from which Montilla, who had challenged Bolivar and Bermudez, who had led the opposition, were excluded Brion, with the title of admiral of Venezuela took command of the squadron which sailed from Caos on the 16th of March 1816 the expedition consisted of 300 men whom Bolivar afterwards compared to the 300 Spartans of Leonidas as he compared his reconquest of Venezuela to the redemption of Jerusalem by the Crusaders they reached the island of Margarita early in May finding there the Spanish Brick, Intrepido and the Schooner Rita, which Brion boarded and captured after a desperate resistance in which three-fourths of their crews were killed the expedition then disembarked at the port of Juan Griego the royalists concentrating their forces at Pampatar and Porlamar Bolivar and Arismendi then conjointly convened a meeting of the officers of the Patriot army and of the principal inhabitants in the church at La Via del Norte in order to name the supreme ruler of the republic they were about to restore in accordance with his custom Bolivar immediately renounced all pretensions to so important a post which, as he had already arranged the matter with Arismendi was merely one way of securing his own appointment on the 7th of May he was named supreme chief with power to do whatever he might find necessary for the salvation of the country Marino was named second in command on the 8th of May Bolivar published a proclamation to the people of Venezuela announcing that the National Congress would be reinstalled and authorizing the three towns to elect deputies who should have the same sovereign powers as in the former epoch the expedition reinforced by four ships from the island then went on to Carupano on the coast of Paria capturing two armed vessels of the enemy and the fort which was abandoned by the garrison here Bolivar established his headquarters on the 1st of June rumor had greatly exaggerated the strength of the force he had brought with him but Bolivar made small use of the stupor into which the royalists were thrown he detached Piar to Maturin and Marino to Guiria but remained himself at Carupano issuing pompous bulletins in which he renounced his former system of a war of extermination as a mistake also in fulfillment of a promise to Petion he published a decree giving liberty to all slaves and called the people to arms but no one joined him he then convened an assembly of the townsfolk who at his suggestion decreed the decentralization of the powers of government the federal system was abolished in Venezuela but a month of precious time was thus lost 20 days after the disembarkation his advance posts were driven in and he was besieged by a division of 1300 men while a Spanish squadron threatened his communications by sea Marino sent him a strong reinforcement but Brion refused to risk his ships in an unequal fight with the Spanish squadron meantime the guerrilla leaders of the east proclaimed him general in chief and desired his presence rejecting the advice of Piar to occupy Guayana as a base of operations he re-embarked his small force and again landed on the 5th of July at Okumare between Caracas and Puerto Cabello this step can only be explained by his anxiety to rescue his native city from the royalists a preoccupation which was to cost him the loss of three campaigns again rejecting the advice of his officers who wished to effect a junction with the guerrillas and so form an army he detached Soublette with the bulk of his men to occupy the Pass of Cabrera and a smaller force along the coast in search of recruits while he landed a printing press and issued more bulletins and Brion went off on a cruise leaving him one armed brig and two small schooners on the same day on which Bolivar landed at Okumare Morales reached Valencia and was detached by Morillo after the surrender of Cartagena in the face of such a superior force Soublette was compelled to retire to a strong position on the heights of Okumare Bolivar went to his assistance with 150 recruits but the combined force was completely routed by Morales on the 13th of July MacGregor was then sent off with a detachment southwards while Soublette protected the retreat of Bolivar with the artillery where he intended to re-embark while engaged at night in this operation he received word that the enemy were entering the town it was a false alarm Soublette still held his ground but his men were panic struck and Bolivar without inquiring into the truth of the report abandoned his sick and wounded and fled on board the brig where his stores of war material were already in safety he sailed at once and reached Bonaire on the 16th of July here he was joined by Brion and sailed with him to Cioroni where he learned that Soublette and MacGregor had marched inland and had taken refuge in the valleys of Aragua returning to Bonaire he there met Bermudev and with him sailed off to join Marinho at Guiria Soublette and MacGregor had joined forces at Cioroni the latter taking the command two days he waited for news of Bolivar and then marched off for the planes with 600 infantry and 30 horse dispersing a royalistic which attempted to bar the passage of the hills he occupied Victoria and routed another detachment under Rosete on the 1st of August he was met by a squadron of Sarasas Guerilas who were in search of him and on the 2nd of August routed another division of 1200 royalists at Quebrada Onda on this day he was joined by Sarasas and Monajas with their divisions of Guerilas and was master of the planes of Barcelona while Sedeño held his ground on the upper Orinoco Soublette was formed the army which was afterwards known as the army of the center which in conjunction with that of the Apure decided the destinies of Venezuela of this army MacGregor was recognized as general in chief with but a sorry reception the troops of Marino refused to obey him and the island of Margarita declined to recognize his authority Bermudev charged him with cowardice for deserting his soldiers when in danger amid threats and jeers he was forced to re-embark and returned to Haiti where he was coldly received by Petion the people were incensed against him and had lost all faith in him nevertheless Bolivar was the man not only for the revolution in Colombia but for the emancipation of South America none so well as he could rise superior to adverse fortune none had such power as he over the petty chieftains none but he could organize the discordant elements of the revolution into the strength of a war like nation in spite of his ignorance of military tactics and of his pure ill vanity he was the genius of the revolution in the north of the continent the sacred fire of liberty and of patriotism burned within him and inspired him as he himself said he would yet married the title of liberator history owes to him disjustice as she turns this disgraceful page after the departure of Bolivar Marino was named general of the army at Guiria with Bermudev as his second in command but his authority did not extend beyond the peninsula of Paria after occupying the plains of Barcelona MacGregor marched upon the city a royalist force which under the command of Colonel Lopez occupied the town of Aragua solid out to meet him the action was hotly contested but was decided by desperate charges of the Llanero horse led by Saratha and Monagas and by a bayonet charge led by MacGregor in person the royalists lost 500 killed 300 prisoners and one gun Barcelona was evacuated by the royalists on the 12th of September after they had murdered many of the town's folk and plundered many of the houses but MacGregor was now threatened by Morales who had advanced to Aragua with 3000 men he sent to Arismendi, Marino and Piar for assistance Piar, who was then besieging Cumaná came at once with all his troops and took the command on 12th of September the two armies met at the Playa del Juncal near to Barcelona MacGregor, supported by the fire of Piar's artillery led a bayonet charge which decided the day the royalists were totally routed with a loss of 300 killed and 400 prisoners after this victory MacGregor worn out with fatigue and unwilling to brook the diminishing ways of Piar withdrew to Marcarita Paeth, by skillful maneuvers forced his old opponent, Colonel Lopez to retreat to the line of the Apure in October the town of San Fernando on this river was the key to the plains he resolved to seize it but he had no boats in which to cross the river the royalists had a flotilla of four flecheras and seven long boats manned by 400 men note a flechera is a flat-bottomed boat capable of carrying one or two guns and is very swift managed by Venezuelan boatsmen they rendered great service in this war end of note an officer named Peña had committed some fault Paeth ordered him as a punishment to get himself killed by the enemy he crossed the river in a canoe with eight men at midday and threw the royalist camp into confusion in the skirmishes which followed Colonel Lopez was killed and the Patriots seized seven boats Paeth then crossed the river and in December laid siege to San Fernando there he received news that La Torre and Murillo were on the march from New Granada to the plains watered by the Arauco and Tapure Marindio and Bermudez were engaged in the siege of Cumana aided by the flotilla from Margarita the Spanish garrison was about to evacuate the city when the royalist force on the island abandoned it and came to their assistance the Patriots were forced to raise the siege at the close of the year 1816 the Patriot armies had gained many advantages but they felt the need of a head to give cohesion to their efforts with the army of the center where many of the partisans of Bolivar backed by Alice Mendy they induced the army to demand his recall assisted by Petion and by Brion he organized another expedition sailed from Haiti on the 21st of December and reached Barcelona at the same time as Alice Mendy who brought a strong reinforcement from the island of Margarita but the army of the center was no longer there Pierre had seen from the beginning that descents on the coasts and the incursions on to the plains would lead to no satisfactory results that the Orinoco was the true line of action and that Guayana was true base of operations Bolivar without any plan had never drowned Caracas like a moth round the candle and had burned his wings even Zedeno, the rude guerrilla had seen more clearly as was shown by his success on the upper Orinoco Morio himself had seen the same thing and her leaving New Granada had written to the home government impressing upon them the importance of preserving the line of the Orinoco Pierre, after the victory of Junkal found himself in command of an army and at once proceeded to carry out his idea thus saving the patriot cause by forcing Bolivar to give up his pursuit of a phantom at Caracas he left a small garrison at Barthelona left the guerrillas to defend the plains and marched for Guayana the royalists had a powerful flotilla on the Orinoco and had fortified Angostura which was the capital of Guayana Pierre cut down trees in the woods and made small boats captured two boats from the enemy and forced the passage of the Cauca in front of the royalist camp the guerrillas under Serenio swam the river on horseback fighting with the crews of the royalist gun boats as they passed and on reaching the opposite shore charged upon the encampment driving out the enemy before them Pierre then marched upon Angostura but was repulsed in every attempt to take the city by assault desisting for a time he passed behind the city at Coroni where supplies were plentiful one of his officers cut the throats of 21 friars who were given into his custody and received no reprimand for this barbarity in fact this cruel deed greatly increased the popularity of the patriots in the country round about as these friars were hated by their Indian neophytes at Coroni Pierre established a regular administration which was of great service to the patriot cause as the armies were by it afterwards regularly supplied with cattle and corn by these successes Pierre acquired great fame which for a time eclipsed even that of Bolivar himself all the patriot leaders had now done something except Bolivar but when he assumed the command for the second time he was another man more grave and more thoughtful than he had been but he was not yet a true soldier he still took audacity and inspiration and launched forth on enterprises without first of all adapting the means to the end desired immediately on landing in Barcelona he issued a proclamation that he was about to liberate the province of Caracas and in 20 hours set forth on his expedition with a force of 600 men a royalistic detachment lay in his way in an entrenched position on the river Unare without any reconnaissance he rushed at it 40 horse fell upon his rear through his attacking column into confusion and totally destroyed it the liberator was lost again he was now in a worse plight than when he fled from Carupano he wrote to Pierre and Sedenio to abandon their attempts on Guyana and to Paeth, Monajas and Saratha that they should come to the protection of Barcelona all this was utter folly for Morillo with 4000 men he ordered the approach to Caracas and La Torre with Calzada occupied the higher plains meantime he fortified himself in Barcelona and mastered 600 more recruits he turned the Franciscan convent into a regular citadel and sent for Marinho Marinho forgetting his jealousy marched from Cumaná and joined him with 1200 men Bolivar then left 700 men in Barcelona and naming at the point of concentration for the scattered forces of the patriots he went off to Guyana to persuade Pierre to join him in an invasion of Caracas on the 7th of April 1817 Barcelona was attacked and taken by the royalists who cut the throats of the whole of the garrison and in addition killed 300 old men women and sick Marinho retreated to the peninsula of Paria and again declared himself independent while Bermudez and other leaders got together 500 men and awaited orders from Bolivar on the plains the liberator attended by 15 officers met Pierre near Angostura and found that he was already in possession of all the open country the behavior of the negro general was noble and patriotic he showed no jealousy of his superior who had come to seize the laurels which he had won in spite of him and set to work to show him that Guyana must be the base of a successful campaign the veil fell from the eyes of Bolivar for the first time he saw before him the true theater of the war leaving Monajas to hold the plains of Barcelona with his guerrillas he summoned Bermudez, Arismendi and Saratha to join him and the revolution was saved thanks to Pierre the royalists held the coastline from Coro to Cumaná with the army of Caracas, 5000 strong the division of La Torre with Calzada, 4000 picked troops with 1500 ianero horse had concentrated at Guadalito on the Apure and in January had forced Paeth to raise the siege of San Fernando Paeth sent a small force against them to draw them on La Torre, who had no idea of his force, fell into the trap and advanced with all his army on to a wide plain covered with dry reeds here the fugitives were joined by the main body and facing about charged furiously upon the royalist cavalry dispersed them completely and then by repeated charges forced the infantry to form square then Paeth with 50 men whom he had detailed for the purpose set fire to the reeds all around them fortunately for them they found a marsh into which they plunged with the mud up to their wastes until the fire burnt itself out when they heredily retreated leaving Paeth in possession of the whole country round this famous deed of arms confirmed the authority of Paeth over the ianeros and put him into a position to overrun the province of Barinas he concluded his glorious campaign by placing himself voluntarily at the orders of Bolivar on condition that he might still protect the province he had conquered Murillo who was well aware of the importance of the province of Guayana La Torre with a strong force to drive out the patriots while he marched with 3,000 men to reduce the island of Margarita La Torre embarked his force at San Fernando and descended the Apure and the Orinoco to Angostura without meeting any resistance and maneuvered to draw Piar from the missions of Coroni hoping then to capture them by crossing the river at Angostura but Piar devined his intentions and leaving a reserve of horses on the right bank he marched by the left bank to the vicinity of Angostura then after nightfall leaving his campfires burning he rapidly counter marched to his former position La Torre crossed the river as he had proposed but was met by Piar at San Felix on the 11th of April 1817 the Spanish infantry advancing in 3 columns with cavalry on the flanks were received by volleys of infantry and showers of arrows the patriots among whom were 1200 Indians from the missions armed with bows and pikes then charged and a furious hand-to-hand fight ensued in which the Spaniards were totally routed. La Torre escaped with 17 men but all the rest of his Spanish troops were killed Piar spared the lives of all the creals among the royalists who would join his ranks Bolivar on his return from an expedition to the plains where he had a narrow escape from falling in with Morillo then on the march from Marcarita found himself at the head of a respectable army all the patriot leaders now recognized his authority except Marinho who summoned a congress at Carriaco of which Thea and Admiral Brion were members this congress appointed an executive junta of which Bolivar was named one and gave Marinho the title of general in chief Morillo soon put an end to this farce he overran the peninsula of Paria sang the patriot flotilla and dispersed Marinho's army shooting all prisoners taken those who escaped headed by Urdaneta and Col. Sucre a name soon to become famous went to join Bolivar in Guyana while Marinho with a few followers fled to Maturin until the Patriots had the dominion of the Orinoco their tenure of Guyana was insecure Bolivar armed and organized a flotilla of Flecheras but what was more to the purpose Brion again came to assist him with five brigs, some schooners and some Flecheras from Marcarita these vessels were commanded by a mulatto named Diaz one part of the royalist flotilla was engaged in the defense of Angostura and Guyana Vieja which still held out the other guarded the mouth of the Orinoco under the protection of the forts Diaz being sent by Brion to explore the position of this latter detachment was attacked by 16 royalist Flecheras and lost two of his boats with three Flecheras which remained to him he then attacked the royalists recovered his two boats captured two of theirs, sank five and compelled the rest to retreat in confusion Brion then entered the river under full sail at the approach of Brion La Torre evacuated Angostura and was soon afterwards obliged by hunger to abandon Guyana Vieja the last position held by the royalists in Guyana the remnant of his army which now numbered on the 600 men he embarked on 32 vessels and gained the open sea in safety Piar, though he had recognized the authority of Bolivar was in his heart disaffected and entered into a conspiracy with Marinho to restrict his authority by the appointment of a junta of war he also gained over Arismendi to his views Bolivar prudently quelled this attempted sedition by councils and threats conveyed privately to the conspirators Piar, in alarm asked leave to withdraw from the army on pretext of illness and retired to Upata where he continued his intrigues till Bolivar wrote a friendly letter to him asking him to desist he then fled to Maturin and concerted with Marinho a plan of independent action the position of Bolivar was now one of great danger the troops of the army of Guyana were for the most part men of color Piar was very popular with them and was accused of an intention to produce among them a mutiny of race Bolivar gave orders to Sedenio to arrest Piar the negro chieftain made no resistance and was brought to Angostura by a trial by a court marshal under the presidency of Breon he was sentenced to death for disobedience sedition and desertion Bolivar confirmed the sentence and he was shot in the great square of Angostura on the 16th of October 1817 dying as bravely as he had lived if not an act of justice this execution was warranted by necessity it was the only means of preventing a civil war which would have ended in the destruction of the army Mareño was still in arms at Cumana with 400 men Bolivar sent Bermudez with his corps to arrest him Bermudez being an old friend of Mareños procured his banishment Bolivar was now rid of a position but still his power was far from being well consolidated End of chapter 41