Historical and descriptive narrative of twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 3 of 3): Containing travels in Arauco, Chile, Peru, and Colombia; with an account of the revolution, its rise, progress, and resultsStevenson, William Bennet, active 1803-1825
History
Historical and descriptive narrative of twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 3 of 3): Containing travels in Arauco, Chile, Peru, and Colombia; with an account of the revolution, its rise, progress, and results
Stevenson, William Bennet, active 1803-1825
Chile -- Description and travel; Ecuador -- Description and travel; Peru -- Description and travel; Peru -- History -- War of Independence, 1820-1829; South America -- History -- Wars of Independence, 1806-1830
The person chosen to convey to Santa Fé the whole of the proceso was Dr.
San Miguel, a young advocate who had become the constant companion to
Arrechaga. Not less than six reams of written paper formed the important
charge, for the safety of which a piquet of horse was ordered to escort
San Miguel as far as Pasto, lest some of the outlaws might surprize him
on the road. The prisoners expected no favour at the hands of the
Viceroy, because he was the uncle of the Oidor Fuertes who had tried
them. It was natural to suppose that he would not extend his mercy
against what he would consider the justice of the law as expounded by
his nephew; for, although it may appear very strange in England, that
the inclinations of persons in such elevated situations should be
biassed by personal interest, this was too frequently the case in South
America.
CHAPTER II.
Second Revolution at Quito....Massacre of the Prisoners....General
Meeting held....Spanish Troops leave Quito....Revolution at Santa
Fé....Arrival of Don Carlos Montufar at Quito....Arredonda invades
Quito....Arrives at Huaranda....Flies from....Montufar marches
towards Cuenca....Desists from attacking the City....Returns to
Quito....My Appointment to Esmeraldas....Capture and
Escape....General Montes enters Quito....Death of Montufar....Quito
taken by General Sucre.
After the departure of San Miguel for Santa Fé many of the soldiers who
had belonged to the insurgent army returned to the city, supposing that
the prosecution had closed; but they were apprehended, and sent to the
presidio. Several individuals also who came from different parts of the
country were apprehended on suspicion, and, although they were liberated
after examination, the alarm flew from one place to another, so that
none would bring their produce to market, and a consequent dearth of
provisions began to be experienced in the city. This, instead of
producing conciliatory measures for procuring them, enraged the Spanish
soldiers, who committed several depredations, and the injured
individuals through fear abstained from complaining to the officers, or
if they ventured to do it, they were insulted with the epithets of
rebels, insurgents, and traitors. Thus the evil increased daily till the
second of August, 1810, when some of the soldiers confined in the
presidio surprized the guard, and depriving them of their arms, and
putting on their uniforms, ran to the barracks at one o'clock in the
afternoon; the disguise prevented all suspicion on their approach, and
they succeeded in driving the sentry from his post at the door, and
securing the officer of the guard: at this moment a bell was rung in the
steeple of the cathedral, as an alarm: the officers who had just sat
down to dinner in the palace rushed into the plasa mayor, and observing
a considerable degree of commotion at the door of the barracks not fifty
yards from that of the palace, the guard was ordered to fire on those at
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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