The appearance of a small force commanded by the brave young Alvarez, caused the division of Benavides to disperse; while the monk retreated, and by a rapid march reached Mendoza in time to put down the rebellion of the 4th of November. The people looked for nothing else than a repetition of the slaughter of 1829, but Aldao contented himself with some persecution and imposition of taxes. His rage for shedding blood seemed to have ceased, and from this time no such wholesale murders would have taken place in Mendoza but for his disciples, who had profited but too well by his former example.
Aldao again joined Benavides, and with him conquered Brizuela, both of them then taking up quarters in Rioja, in order to intercept the army under Madrid, which was approaching from the north.
One day the news came to San Juan that a division from Tucuman was near at hand, and eight hundred men went out to meet them, but were repulsed. Then Acha, the immortal Acha, went with a handful of men to meet the united forces of Benavides, Aldao, and Lucero, amounting in all to twenty-five hundred men, with four pieces of artillery; and this battle of Angaco is the one glorious event amidst the errors, failures, and defeats of that period.
Acha's men were only about four hundred, little disciplined, and unacquainted with the country, but to make up for these disadvantages, he had with him a number of truly patriotic young men of high standing in the army, and their enthusiasm gave to the little company the strength of double their number. As the troops of the enemy quietly took their position, Acha
