Calleja was not a person either to conciliate or to pause in victory. He believed that rebellion could only be rooted out by utter destruction of the insurgents and their seed. Accordingly orders were issued to "exterminate the inhabitants of every town or village that showed symptoms of adherence to the rebels," whilst, from the pulpit, new denunciations were fulminated against all who opposed the royal authority. The insurgent chiefs fled, and reached Saltillo with about four thousand men. There it was resolved to leave Rayon in command, while Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama and Absolo endeavored to reach the United States with an escort for the purpose of purchasing munitions of war with the treasure they had saved from the sacking of Guanajuato. But these fierce and vindictive soldiers were destined to end their lives by treachery. Hidalgo's associate rebel, Ignacio Elizondo, hoping to make his peace with the government by betraying so rich a prize, delivered them up to the authorities on the 21st of March, 1811, at Acatila de Bajan. Hidalgo was taken to Chihuahua, and, after being degraded from holy orders, was shot on the 27th of July, whilst Calleja was rewarded for his victories with the title of Conde de Calderon, won by his brilliant charge at the bridge near Guanajuato. Such is an outline of the warfare between the Sylla and Marius of this continent, and of some of the most prominent events in the origin of that revolution which finally resulted in the Mexican independence. [Footnote 51: John Quincy Adams's letter to Mr. Anderson, minister to Columbia, May 27, 1823. See President's message on the Panama Congress, March, 1823.] [Footnote 52: Zavala, Historia, vol. 1, p. 38.] [Footnote 53: Robinson's Hist. Mex. Rev. p. 10.] [Footnote 54: Ward's Mexico, vol. 1, p. 127. Id. p. 157.] [Footnote 55: This term has been variously interpreted; it is supposed to be an ancient Indian word significant of contempt. It is applied by the natives to the European Spaniards or their full blooded descendants. See Robinson's His. Rey. Mex., 15.] [Footnote 56: Robinson Memoir Mex. Rev. 19.] [Footnote 57: Ib. p. 20.] [Footnote 58: Wards' Mexico in 1827, vol. i. p. 169.] [Footnote 59: The creoles although unfriendly to the Spaniards, and ready to rebel against them, were nevertheless willing to aid them against the Indians whom they more reasonably regarded, under the circumstances as the more dangerous of the two classes.] CHAPTER II. 1810-1816. VENEGAS VICEROY.--RAYON.--JUNTA IN 1811--ITS WILLINGNESS TO RECEIVE FERDINAND VII.--PROCLAMATION BY THE JUNTA--MORELOS.--ACAPULCO TAKEN--SUCCESSES OF THE INSURGENTS.--SIEGE OF CUAUTLA--IZUCAR--ORIZABA--OAXACA-- CHILPANZINGO.--CALLEJA VICEROY--ITURBIDE.--REVERSES OF INSURGENTS--MORELOS SHOT. LIEUTENANT GENERAL DON FRANCISCO XAVIER VENEGAS, LIX. VICEROY OF NEW SPAIN. 1810-1813.