Fénix 10, 203-234

LETTERS TO JAMES PAROISSIEN 2 19 Ixnowing their retreat was c r~ toff, they had only one good alternative by attacking the enemy, in which case they ought to have gained a victory from the superiority of their infantry and woody environs of Ica. But they ran away at night, and perhaps the chapetones, who completly dispersed them, were not more than 120 in number. 150 cavalry, 50 officers and about 50 infantry soldiers are al1 that heve escaped as yet. The rest, about 1500, have fallen a sacrifice t'is supposeri. A dreadful feeling has been excited against Tristan who, with Gamarra 66, have escaped. But what in the world could people expect from a man of 50 whose sole pursuits have been the gambling table with al1 its attendant refinements? 1s it possible he can have courage or ambition, unless indeed they consider talk the one and vanity the other. 1 am neither surprized at what has taken place or do 1 E?] blame the man. He now knows the difference of fighting over a bottle of wine with a belly full (which always makes a man braver) than with one in the field. The affair has been the most shsmeful and in fact the only one the liberating army has suffered. The eneny only took the arms the men had. The rest were embarked previously, but 60,000 rounds of musqt. ball cartridges fe11 into their hands, as well as four field pieces with baggage, maestranza, etc etc. Pardo Zela 67, Gumer 68, and about 40 officers are missing. Aldunate 69 was wounded and taken to Ice. Some say that he is dead, but there are hopes of him yet, 1 think. We are making active preparations here. Our cavalry has already mar- ched to Lurin. Our advanced pofits are in Cañete and those of the enemy on this side of Chincha. The people here think that Ramirez 70 from Arequipa arid the force from Cuzco are about to unite with Canterac 71 and that he will advance upon Lima immediateiy. But 1 am too well acquainted with the road, climate, and difficulties of advancing by the coast, to believe this. On the other hand, if they remain in Pca six weeks they will certainly lose one third of their force from the mal temperamento. Loriga 72, it is said, remains in Xauxa with about 700 men. Although we have lost much 1 cannot but anti- eipate speedy success and an early conclusion of the war and of Spanish do- minion in this country. My political spirits never were higher than at the present. Martinez 73 and Necochea 74 have offered their services, which have been accepted of, but they have not yet perforrned any duty. 1 suppose our army will be divided with divisions and that each will have command of one. Our effective force is 1000 good cavalry and 4500 infantry, half re- cruits. I do not imagine myself the enerny, even when united, will be ena- Colonel (later General) Agustín Gamarra. Juan Pardo de Zela. Major Gurner, a Gerrnan officer. José Santiago Aldunate. See note 40. See note 62. Brigadier Juan Lóriga. See note 8. Eugenio Necochea. Fénix: Revista de la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú. N.10, 1954