was first besieged, who, with its inhabitants, defended the city; the federal congress of New Granada was unable to afford them any assistance. Bolivar went to Jamaica to fit out an expedition for the relief of Carthagena; but the town surrendered before he carried his plan into execution, and he again turned his attention to Venezuela. About the same time that the Spaniards took possession of Carthagena, Arismendi again raised the republican standard in the island of Margarita; and after defeating the garrison Morillo had left, in several actions, took possession of a part of the island. In the mean time, the spirit of the revolution revived in Venezuela, so that those parts of the country which the royalists had reduced, and where they considered all resistance at an end, were again, either in the possession of the patriots, or the seats of war. The insolence and

arrogance of the royalists at Caraccas revived the disaffection of the inhabitants, and occasioned many of the provincial troops, who, after the conquest of the province, had consented to fight under the royal standard, to desert and join themselves to the republican troops, who were dispersed over the country, after the defeat at Urica. These troops served as rallying points for the disloyal from all quarters in Venezuela.

The guerrilla system of warfare was now adopted, in imitation of the Spaniards, in the war with the French. Various guerrilla parties were formed, at the head of which were Monagas, Piar, Roxas, Zaraza, Llanos, and other intrepid leaders, who occupied the interior of the provinces of Guiana, Cumana, Barcelona, Caraccas, and Barinas. More unanimity prevailed among the inhabitants of Venezuela than had existed at any former period; alarmed at the impending danger, they seemed disposed to forget former differences, and to unite in defence of the independence of their country. The guerrillas carried on an active partisan warfare, harassing the Spanish troops, and by rapidly advancing and suddenly retreating, worried them with constant marches and counter-marches, and when a favourable opportunity presented, engaged them, and often successfully.

To aid the exertions of the patriots in the island of Margarita and in Venezuela, Bolivar planned and fitted out an expedition from Aux Cayes, in conjunction with Brion, a native of Curracoa, who had served on board the flotilla, in the employ of the republican government of Venezuela. Brion, being wealthy, contributed largely towards the expenses of the expedition, and as a remuneration, was appointed to command the maritime force, which consisted of two ships of war and thirteen transports, most of which carried guns. One thousand troops were on board, made up of the emigrants from Venezuela, and a part of the garrison that escaped from Carthagena. The expedition

sailed from Aux Cayes the latter part of March, 1816, and on its passage engaged and captured two Spanish ships of war, after a severe and bloody conflict, in which Brion was wounded. Early in May, the expedition landed at the island of Margarita, and disembarked the troops. The patriots took possession of the whole island, the Spaniards abandoning all but the fortress of Pampatar. The expedition sailed from Margarita to Carupano, fifteen miles west of the town of Cumana, where Bolivar overcame the royalists, and took possession of the town. His successes revived the spirit of resistance in Caraccas, and numerous guerrilla parties came to join him, which he furnished with arms. From Carupano, Bolivar sailed to Choroni and Ocumare, situated between the ports of La Guira and Porto Cavello, where he landed on the 6th of July. Near Ocumare and Choroni are numerous plantations of sugar, cocoa, and indigo, on which many slaves were employed. As the enemy had set the example of liberating slaves, and thinking that this measure would be expedient in the present aspect of affairs, Bolivar, on landing at Ocumare, issued a proclamation to the inhabitants of Caraccas, in which he declares that "justice and policy demand the emancipation of the slaves, and that henceforth there shal be but one class of people in Venezuela; all shall be citizens."

The successes of the patriots under Bolivar, and on the island of Margarita, astonished the royalists, and filled them with rage. To perceive the patriots rising up, they scarcely knew from whence, and defeating their garrisons and troops, and re-occupying the country they had so recently conquered, served not only to convince them what kind of enemies they had to contend with, and how difficult it would be to conquer a country, where, like the fabled hydra, for every head that was cut off, two sprang up; but these successes seemed to be robbing them of the victories they had already won, and the advantages they had obtained. Nothing could exceed their violence and fury towards all, without distinction of age or sex, who favoured the cause of independence. Among other outrages which were committed in the town of Cumana, a female of respectable family, for the crime of having spoken against the Spanish government, was placed on an ass, led through the streets, attended by a guard of soldiers, and publicly scourged so barbarously as to occasion her death.

Bolivar left part of his troops at Choroni, under Sir Gregor M'Gregor, a Scotchman, who had been a captain in the English army in Portugal, and had served in the cavalry of Venezuela in 1811, but whose subsequent exploits acquired for him more notoriety than honourable fame; and the residue he disembarked at Ocumare. M'Gregor, whose force formed the vanguard of

the army, took Maracay and La Cabrera, and was proceeding against Victoria when he was arrested in his successful career by the arrival of a detachment of Spanish troops under general Morales. He had been sent by Morillo on his receiving intelligence of the expedition against Venezuela. The two divisions of Bolivar's little army, consisting in all of less than 1000 men, were unfortunately separated several miles, of which Morales took advantage, and attacked the rear guard under the liberator himself; and after a desperate and sanguinary contest, Bolivar was compelled to leave the field with the loss of 200 of his men, including most of his best officers. The remnant of his army sought safety by speedily re-embarking. This disastrous event induced M'Gregor to change his intended movements, and to take the road to Barcelona by the plains. Encouraged by the defeat of Bolivar, the royalists thought that M'Gregor would fall an easy prey; they pursued him so furiously, and were so certain of capturing him, that they sent official information to Caraccas that he had been defeated, all his men made prisoners, and himself killed; the very soldier being named who had stripped him of his uniform on the field of battle. It was 100 miles to Barcelona, and Morales pursued the patriots with all his forces, and came up and attacked them at Alacran, but was repulsed. Morales also engaged the patriots at Juncal, where he was completely defeated, and M'Gregor took possession of Barcelona in October, which opened to him a communication with the other republican generals in Cumana and Guiana.

The royalists evacuated the fortress of Pampatar on the 2d of November, leaving the island of Margarita in the quiet possession of the patriots, which enabled general Arismendi to embark from the island with part of his troops and join the patriots in Barcelona. Bolivar, after his defeat at Ocumare, sailed again to Aux Cayes, where, having obtained re-enforcements, he embarked in December, 1816, and stopping at Margarita, he published a proclamation, calling a general congress of the representatives of Venezuela, and proceeded with his expedition to Barcelona. Here he organized a provisional government, and was attacked by the enemy, under Morales and Real, in the months of February and March, 1817, but defeated them with great loss. The royalists were also defeated in Guiana by the patriots under Piar, in April, and compelled to shut themselves up in the town of Angostura.

We return to the movements of general Morillo, who, it will be remembered, entered Carthagena on the 6th of December, 1815. The possession of Carthagena, in a great degree, opened to Morillo the conquest of all New Granada. The army of the confederacy that had fought under Bolivar, which was not destroyed in the civil war, had joined the garrison of Carthagena, and the ar

mies under Cabal and Urdaneta were small, and occupied with the Spanish forces directly opposed to them. Morillo had a powerful force, which enabled him, by dividing it, to invade the confederate provinces in three different directions. General Calzadas, with a force consisting of some provincial royalists, and a part of the troops left by Morillo at Caraccas, invaded the provinces of Pamplona und Tunja; another division of the Spanish army marched into the provinces of Antioquia and Popayan, and Morillo, with the principal division of his army proceeded up the river Magdalena. Following the river nearly to Sanbartolome, he divided his forces, taking himself the road towards Ocana and Sangil, in the province of Socorro; whilst a part of his troops continued up the river as far as the town of Honda, the head of boat navigation.

Formidable and appalling as was this invasion, the congress exerted themselves to the utmost to meet it, and defend the country. The members either joined the army, or returned to the provinces to rouse the people. The greatest efforts were made to raise an army such as the crisis demanded; and the government was greatly aided by the emigrants from Venezuela, among whom were many experienced officers. But a consternation prevailed among the people, which paralyzed every exertion. The day of triumph had arrived for the Spaniards, and the republicans could not stop their victorious career. The confederacy, however, was not overrun and subjugated without a struggle and severe fighting. The defiles, through which the enemy were obliged to pass, were fortified, and many of the towns were put in such a state of defence as not to be overcome by the royalists without many bloody conflicts. At Zaragoza and Remedios the patriots made a resolute defence, and in the attack on the latter place, they repulsed the enemy, and obtained considerable advantages. In most of the skirmishes and actions, however, which occurred, the advantage was on the part of the royalists. At length, the hardfought and sanguinary battle of Cachira, in which the best troops and most of the officers of the confederate army fell, decided the fate of New Granada. The congress immediately separated, and the remnant of the army that survived the action, under generals Cerviez and Ricaute, sought safety by taking the road to Los Llanos. There being no longer an army to oppose him, Morillo entered Santa Fe de Bogota, in the month of June, 1816, where he remained until November, carrying on the work of pacification Vengeance now opened her floodgates, and the blood of the patriots flowed as freely and profusely as the waters down the Andes. "More than 600 persons," says an authentic work, "of those who had composed the congress and the provincial governments, as well as the chiefs of the independent army, were shot, hanged, VOL. II.

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or exiled; and the prisons remained full of others who were yet waiting their fate. Among those executed were the botanists, Don J. Caldas, and Don J. Lozano, who had been ordered by the congress of New Granada to publish the works of Dr. Mutis; Don J. M. Cabal, a distinguished chemist; Don C. Torres, a man distinguished for his learning; Don J. G. Gutierrez Moreno, and Don M. R. Torices, both well known for having been entirely devoted to the cause of their country; Don Antonio Maria Palacio-faxar, Don J. M. Gutierrez, Don Miguel Pombo, D. F. Ulloa, and many other learned and valuable characters. The wives of persons executed, or exiled by Morillo, were themselves exiled too.”

What but the out-stretched arm of exasperated despotism could produce such a picture of cruelty, suffering, and bloodshed; such waste of life, such accumulated misery? Surely, tyranny, this is thy own work! Well might the author of such horrid deeds conclude, that “a military government is the worst of any known form; that it is the most tyrannical and destructive ;” and, after viewing the works of his own hands, with truth might he speak of America, as a country "in which all was war, desolation, and horror."* If any thing could aggravate these enormities, it would be the consideration, that they were committed against a people, who, Morillo himself says, were timid, and would not have made much resistance, had not the insurgents from Venezuela come to encourage and assist them. "In Santa Fe," says Morillo in a letter to the Spanish minister of war, which fell into the hands of the patriots, "there are but few blacks and mulattoes; in Venezuela a considerable part of the white population has perished in the revolution. The inhabitants of Santa Fe are timid; those of Venezuela bold and sanguinary. In Santa Fe much has been published during the revolution, and the learned have ruled all with their pens; but in Caraccas they displayed earlier the naked sword. From this dissimilarity of character arises the different opposition we have met with; but in their dissimulation and perfidy, the people in all the provinces resemble each other. Probably, in this viceroyalty, the inhabitants would not have opposed so firmly the king's troops, had not many from Venezuela come to support them. It was spurred on by them, that Carthagena resisted so strenuously. The division of the army that attacked Zaragoza and Remedios has opposed many troops disciplined by these insurgents. The government of Antioquia has already twice proclaimed la guerre muerte, and has skilfully fortified the defiles of the province, by engineers from * Extract from Morillo's Letter to the minister of war in Spain found on board of the schooner La Leon, captured by the privateer, The Congress, from Buenos Ayres.