Ponce de Leon: The Rise of the Argentine RepublicPilling, William
History
Ponce de Leon: The Rise of the Argentine Republic
Pilling, William
Argentina -- Fiction
Soon after sundown Major-general Levison Gower, with a strong escort of
Spanish troops, proceeded through the city to the fort for the purpose
of drawing up with General Liniers a formal deed of capitulation, which
should be signed on the day following. As he passed through the streets
the excited populace thronged round him with fierce shouts of defiance,
at times firing into the air, but by the exertions of the Spanish
officers who were with him he reached the fort in safety, and was led to
the room in which General Liniers was at that moment at dinner, having
several of the English officers, his prisoners, with him as his guests.
The disorderly crowd, armed with swords and pistols rushed in over the
drawbridge in front of the escort, and forced their way into the
dining-room, shouting--
"Señor Pack! Señor Pack! come out, we have something to arrange with
you."
It had been represented to the people by the Spanish authorities that
General Beresford and the officers who had escaped with him from Lujan,
in March, had broken their parole. This together with his success at
Perdriel and Colonia, and the fact of his having been the only English
officer who had attacked the entrenchments on the 5th, greatly irritated
the populace against Colonel Pack, and they would certainly have wreaked
bloody vengeance upon him had they got him into their power.
General Liniers sprang from his chair as the rioters burst into the
room, and seizing the foremost by the throat forced them back, going out
with them and doing all in his power to pacify them, in which he
partially succeeded, but apprehensive of a further attempt, he, two
hours later, sent Colonel Pack to the Retiro under a strong escort of
Spanish troops.
Two priests, who were dining with General Liniers that evening, also
interposed between Colonel Pack and the rioters, and declared that they
would lose their own lives rather than permit any harm to befall him.
The following day the treaty of capitulation was signed by Santiago
Liniers, Cæsar Balviani, and Bernardo Velasco on the part of the
Spaniards; and by General Whitelock and Admiral Murray on behalf of the
British, the latter agreeing to evacuate Monte Video within two months.
On the same day the British released all their prisoners, and about 1700
men, many of whom were wounded, were released by the garrison of the
city; but the British General was forced to leave about 200 men who were
too severely wounded to be moved, in the care of the Spaniards, and it
was impossible for General Liniers at that time to deliver up the
prisoners captured with General Beresford, they being dispersed at great
distances throughout the provinces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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