THE BAPTISM OF FIRE
Drearily passed the night of the 1ST July with the citizen soldiers of
Buenos Aires and their Spanish brethren in arms, who to the number of
about 8000, with fifty guns, under the command of General Don Santiago
Liniers, the Reconquistador, the hero of the 12th August, had crossed
the Riachuelo by the Puente Galvès after nightfall, and had encamped in
the open country beyond, there to await the advance of the English upon
the city. Tents they had none, baggage little more than each man could
carry for himself, and their commissariat was of the most limited
extent. The mounted auxiliaries from the campaña, many of whom had
arrived at the general rendezvous, had driven herds of beeves before
them; many of these beeves were slaughtered, abundant rations of raw
meat were served out to the hungry soldiery, but for the cooking of it
each man had to trust to his own devices. The hardy horsemen of the
campaña were accustomed to such emergencies, they threw slices of the
meat into the ashes of their bivouac fires; when the outside of the meat
was burned to a cinder they considered it cooked, and devoured it half
raw. But the more delicately nurtured citizens of Buenos Aires could not
eat the tough meat with such cookery; some of them had been provident
enough to carry small supplies with them, but the majority were
dependent upon the ration beef, and suffered accordingly.
* * * * *
Some two hours before midnight a mounted officer, covered from neck to
heels in a long cloak, rode through the encampment inquiring for the
bivouac of the Patricios, and more particularly for Captain Lorea of
that regiment. Captain Lorea, his brother-in-law Don Felipe Navarro, and
several other officers were grouped round a fire, talking together in
low tones and puffing wreaths of blue smoke into the chilly night air
from under the wide brims of their hats.
"Felices noches, Señores," said the horseman, drawing rein beside them.
"Ah! Don Marcelino," said Captain Lorea, starting to his feet; "welcome!
Dismount, and tell us what you have seen of these invaders. I hardly
thought to see you till to-morrow."
"To-morrow we shall have plenty to do," replied Don Marcelino Ponce de
Leon, dismounting; "so I have come to talk to you now, and to ask you
what preparations are making in the city. I have been encamped here for
two days, but know nothing of what has been done."
"This will not be new to you," said Don Felipe Navarro, as they shook
hands.
"Oh no! Among you city men I feel like an old campaigner. You have much
to learn yet, from what I could see as I came along. I fear some of your
men will not be in very good fighting trim to-morrow."
"To-morrow is another day," said Lorea. "We shall pass the night badly,
but it will pass."
Marcelino then gave them a detailed account of the events of the 27th
and 28th June.
"My uncle," he added, "is encamped with part of his cavalry between this
and Quilmes, a chasque has just come in from him. He says that the
English have already marched a strong vanguard in this direction, but he
believes that the main body is yet beyond Quilmes."
"So much the better," said Lorea. "We will beat their vanguard to-morrow
and there will be so many the less to fight the day after."
"And what of the city? Have any preparations been made to resist an
assault?"
"An assault! There is time enough to think about that. To-day, at a
meeting of the Cabildo, your grandfather proposed that the city should
be entrenched, and that we should let the English attack us there.
Fortunately the Reconquistador was there. Here in the open camp, in face
of the enemy, is the proper place for the defenders of the city."
"In any way," said Marcelino, looking gloomily at the fire, "this is not
our proper position, with a river and a narrow bridge behind us. We
ought to be on the other side the Riachuelo to defend the bridge and the
passes higher up."
"Oh!" said Felipe Navarro impatiently, "the Reconquistador knows what he
does."
"Don Gregorio had a plan," said Lorea. "According to him our city is
much stronger than Monte Video, just because it has no walls."
"I have seen that plan," replied Marcelino, "and I believe that if it
were adopted the English could never take our city by assault, every
street is a new line of defence. The man who drew out that plan----"
"Your friend Evaña," said Lorea scornfully. "All that he does is well
done in the eyes of a Ponce de Leon, and there is no Ponce de Leon among
you who is not worth three of him! Bah! we will speak no more of it. How
did your negroes stand the march?"
"For them it was nothing. I left them singing round their fires after a
good supper; come and see them. I can give you a good cup of coffee to
warm you up for the night."
The negro corps, which was known as "Los Morenos de Ponce," was encamped
near to the Puente Galvès, almost in the centre of the position occupied
by the army; sentries paced to and fro between the watch-fires; round
each fire groups of men lay wrapped in their thick ponchos, sleeping
soundly; beside each fire stood a row of camp-kettles filled with soup
for the early breakfast on the morrow.
At one fire sat Lieutenant Asneiros on a three-legged stool, beside him
knelt a tall negro who was feeding the fire, and watching a kettle of
water which stood on the embers. Giving his horse in charge to the
negro, Marcelino introduced his friends to the lieutenant.
"Here you are quiet enough," said one of the officers of the Patricios;
"the rest of the army is too enthusiastic to care much for sleep."
"They know nothing," said the lieutenant. "Good food and sleep are the
necessary preparation for hard work."
"For my part," said Don Isidro Lorea, "I rejoice to see the men so
joyful. I feel no inclination to sleep, and am only anxious for the
moment when I can give the word to fire on the invaders."
"You will give it without doubt to-morrow," replied the lieutenant. "I
hope to God that firing may be all we have to do."
"And what more would you have?" asked Don Felipe Navarro.
As the lieutenant only shrugged his shoulders contemptuously at this
question, Marcelino answered for him:
"Any man can fire off a musket, but only a trained soldier can
manoeuvre in face of the enemy."
"What matters it?" said Asneiros; "what will be, will be."
After this they sat or lay on the ground round the fire till midnight,
talking cheerfully together of the loved ones whom they had left behind
them in the city, sipping coffee which was served to them by the tall
negro (who was Marcelino's favourite servant, Manuel), scenting the damp
night air with the perfume of their cigars, and occasionally singing
snatches of song. When his guests left him, Marcelino wrapped himself in
his cloak, threw himself down under a low hedge on a heap of twigs and
leaves which Manuel had prepared for his couch, and slept till dawn.
Gaily the trumpets sounded a welcome to the new-born day, the men sprang
up with alacrity from their couches on the cold, wet ground, threw fresh
fuel on the watch-fires, and crowded round them chafing their hands at
the ruddy blaze.
Marcelino, climbing to the top of the hedge under which he had slept,
looked eagerly out over the encampment, marked by the blue lines of
smoke which hung heavily in the damp air over every watch-fire. The
extent of ground it covered made the force collected appear much greater
than it really was, and the heart of the young soldier swelled within
him with pride and a fierce joy as he looked upon this evidence of the
power of his native city.
A fresh flourish of trumpets saluted the rising sun, and then the whole
force stood to arms, each regiment in its own encampment, while the
aides of General Liniers galloped wildly about, for an immediate
movement was in contemplation. The Reconquistador had ridden out at dawn
to survey the ground in front of him; the aides, as they delivered their
orders to the commanders of the different regiments, announced that
fresh chasques had arrived from Colonel Lopez, that the English vanguard
had encamped that night two leagues this side of Quilmes, and must now
be close at hand. For an hour there was a great amount of marching and
counter-marching, then on a level space of ground intersected by the
southern road the whole force was drawn out in line of battle, with guns
in the intervals between the different divisions. The extreme right was
held by the first regiment of the Patricios, the left by General
Balviani's division, and the "Morenos de Ponce" were stationed near the
centre of the line. In front of them groups of horsemen were dotted over
the plain, while far away on the great southern road was seen a dense
column of infantry marching steadily towards them, their scarlet
uniforms contrasting vividly in the bright sunshine with the dark
verdure of the surrounding pasture-land. This was the British vanguard,
under the command of Major-general Levison Gower, numbering some 2000
bayonets.
General Liniers, attended by his whole suite, rode along the line from
right to left. Confidence and exultation beamed in his face, and with
many a cheerful word he complimented the commanders of the various
regiments as he rode by upon the martial appearance of their men. Each
regiment presented arms as he passed it, but the negro corps alone
received him with shouts of welcome, shouts which were sternly silenced
by Lieutenant Asneiros, as subversive of discipline. Marcelino sat on
horseback in front of his men, the Reconquistador drew rein beside him.
"What say you?" said he. "These friends of ours arrive late to the
dance. Think you that they will force their way through us and gain the
bridge?"
"That is more than they can do," replied Marcelino.
"Just so, but they will try it, probably by an attack on my right flank.
Your negroes march well; when the action commences I shall send orders
to you to make a circuit beyond yon clump of poplars and fall upon their
rear. Balviani will support you, but will advance by the road; the
success of the movement will depend upon your speed."
"Your trust shall not be thrown away, general," replied Marcelino,
dropping the point of his sword as the general rode on; then looking
round he scanned the dark, eager faces of his men, as they watched the
movements of the foe, and he knew that they would not fail him, but
would follow him where he led, even into the thickest of that forest of
glittering steel.
General Liniers had hardly completed the inspection of his forces, and
the British were yet more than half-a-league distant, when Marcelino saw
them halt. They had reached the crest of a lomada, from which the ground
sloped gently towards the position occupied by the army of Buenos Aires,
and which stretched away westwards as far as eye could reach, running
nearly parallel to the course of the Riachuelo. On resuming the march,
the hostile column left the highroad and turned off westwards, following
the course of this lomada.
Liniers, fearing to be taken in flank, immediately commenced a
corresponding movement to his right. Both armies thus marched parallel
to each other, retaining much their former relative position, but hidden
from each other by the rising ground and by the various chacras and
plantations which lay scattered about.
The British, marching on the high ground, met with few obstacles to
their progress, while the Buenos Airean army had to force its way
through swamps and the many water-courses which intersected the
low-lying grounds between the lomada and the Riachuelo. Through these
swamps the men waded knee-deep in mud; in the water-courses many of
them sank up to their elbows, wetting their ammunition. After more than
a league of this toilsome marching they reached firmer ground, where the
lomada approached nearer to the course of the river; here they found
that the British had again halted behind the crest of the lomada. Again
Liniers drew up his array, and the citizen soldiers forgot the
sufferings of the rapid march and the cold which pierced them to the
bones in their eagerness to close at once with the foe.
The British screened their movements by the rising ground, but the gleam
of bayonets to the right of their position showed that some manoeuvre
was in preparation. Then skirmishers in the dark-green uniform of the
rifles moved rapidly forward on the high ground. An aide-de-camp from
General Liniers came at headlong speed to the left centre, where stood
the "Morenos de Ponce." He delivered an order to the commandant of that
corps. Marcelino, wheeling his horse, addressed a few words to his men,
then, waving his sword, the negroes with a loud shout rushed forward,
and, breaking into skirmishing order, ran swiftly up the slope. The
British rifles received them with a spattering fire, then hurriedly
retreated to the crest of the lomada, and formed in line. A few notes on
the bugle and Marcelino had his men all again together, and, telling
them to reserve their fire, led them on. The dark line of soldiery gave
way before them and marched rapidly off. The negroes broke their ranks
and rushed after them with loud yells.
On the crest of the rising ground Marcelino drew rein, and----Where was
the British army? Half stupefied, he gazed over the vacant plain before
him. All of the enemy that he could see was this small body of
light-armed riflemen, who were in rapid retreat, pursued by his own
negroes.
"Marcelino! They have gone! They have gone!"
"Evaristo!" exclaimed Marcelino, as he saw his brother, mounted on his
pony, close beside him.
"I told you I would be with you when the fighting came," said the boy,
with a bright smile. "Before day I was up and saddled my pony and came
away. I have watched them all the morning, and I knew you could not be
far off."
"But they? Where are they?"
"They have gone, do not I tell you? There where those quintas hide the
river, the Paso Chico. They have crossed by the pass, and have marched
up the road straight away for town."
"There, Evaristo, over there," said Marcelino, pointing towards the
hollow where the army of Buenos Aires was waiting, drawn up in
battle-array, for the foe who had escaped them; "gallop as hard as you
can to General Liniers and tell him that. Tell him that I have gone in
pursuit."
As Evaristo galloped off, Marcelino put spurs to his horse, and,
rejoining his negroes, urged them on; but, rapidly as they marched, the
British riflemen, who had nothing more than their rifles and
cartridge-boxes to carry, out-paced them, and had crossed the pass ere
Marcelino and his negroes reached the river.
Evaristo was not the first to announce to General Liniers the evasion
of the English vanguard. Colonel Lopez had also watched them all the
morning, hovering on their flanks and rear, but not venturing to molest
them. When he saw them march from their second position straight for the
Paso Chico, he sent off an officer at once to the general with the
intelligence, and putting himself at the head of such of his cavalry as
he could collect around him he drew them up across the road leading to
the pass. One British regiment deployed, poured in a volley, charged,
and drove most of the horsemen pell-mell across the pass to the other
side, dispersing the rest in all directions. Again collecting some of
his scattered troops, Colonel Lopez endeavoured to cut off the retreat
of the detachment which had remained on the lomada. But the ground
favoured the light-armed infantry. Instead of following in the track of
the main body, they made at once for a quinta which lay between them and
the river, and bursting through the fences, which were impracticable for
cavalry, reached the pass, and crossed without the loss of one man. The
colonel then led his troopers to the road at a gallop, but on reaching
the river was met by a volley of grape from two field-pieces in position
on the far bank. Many of his men fell. He drew back to the shelter of
the poplars which formed the quinta fence, and awaited the arrival of
his nephew.
Marcelino, dismounting when he reached the quinta, led his men on foot
to the edge of the river, just in time to witness the repulse of the
cavalry. The owner of the quinta had a boat moored to a post about a
square down the stream, hidden from sight of the pass by a bend in the
river and the trees of another quinta on the left bank. Enjoining the
strictest silence, Marcelino marched his men with trailed arms through
the quinta to beyond the bend, rapidly passed them across the river, and
took possession of the other quinta without being perceived by the
enemy, who first knew of his whereabouts as from the shelter of the
trees he opened a heavy fire upon the artillerymen and the light
infantry who had halted close at hand. Colonel Lopez, who had been
informed by him of his intention, and who had meantime been reinforced
by several squads of cavalry, once more emerged into the main road, and,
at the head of a yelling mob of horsemen, dashed through the pass. For a
moment the capture of the guns appeared inevitable; the artillerymen
defended themselves desperately, but were completely surrounded by the
furious horsemen.
Colonel Lopez, however, by his eagerness to capture the guns, blocked up
the head of the pass, and prevented the passage of half of his troops,
and the riflemen, who were screened by the horsemen from the fire of the
negro corps, rushed upon the disordered mass with levelled bayonets,
forced many of them into the river, and drove the rest back upon the
quinta. The negroes, who were advancing from the shelter of the trees to
the assistance of the horsemen, were thrown into great disorder by the
fugitives, and before Marcelino and Asneiros could reform their broken
ranks and draw them clear they were attacked in flank by an entire
regiment of light infantry, which was sent at the double by General
Gower to the support of the rifles.
The bulk of the British vanguard had halted about a quarter of a mile
from the pass to rest the troops after their rapid march from the
lomada. General Gower had not perceived the passage of the river by the
negroes, and was taken by surprise at the sudden fire opened upon his
two guns from the quinta. The whole force was immediately under arms,
and one regiment, driving Colonel Lopez and his scattered horsemen
before them, charged upon the right flank of the "Morenos" at the same
moment that the guns opened fire upon them from the river-side.
"To the quinta, muchachos!" shouted Marcelino.
The negroes faced about and ran for it. Marcelino, catching his bugler
by the arm, followed more slowly, and as soon as the bulk of them had
gained the shelter of the trees the trumpet sounded the "rally." About
half his force obeyed the summons, the rest dispersed in confusion about
the quinta. Despatching Asneiros to collect the stragglers, Marcelino
then spread his men along the fence and again opened fire upon the
English, who replied by one volley, and then retreated rapidly up the
road, taking their guns and wounded with them.
Of the horsemen who had passed the river, hardly any were in sight; some
had taken refuge in the quinta on foot, many had forced their horses
into the river and had swam across; of what had become of his uncle,
Marcelino knew nothing for long after.
When Asneiros rejoined him, they paraded the corps once more in the open
and found they had suffered a loss of fifty men in killed, wounded, and
missing.
"We have begun badly," said Marcelino to his lieutenant.
"What would you!" replied Asneiros, shrugging his shoulders. "Alone we
should have done something. But with these others--Bah!"