70 MEMOIR OF COLONEL TUPPER.
subsequently joined by about four hundred militia cavalry. On arriving near San Fernando we found that the mutineers, battalion No. 6, about three hun- dred in number, had taken up a strong position to the north of the town. Not judging it prudent to attack them, we passed on to San Fernando ; the general sent me before him, with two weak companies of infantry, to take possession of the place ; on arriving in the Plaza Mayor I was charged by a body of dragoons, two hundred strong, who, having declared for the mutineers, had just arrived from Curico, about twelve leagues south of San Fernando. After a little skirmishing I succeeded in driving them out of the town, having lost on our part two men killed and five wounded, which casualties arose from the fire of a detachment of No. 6, which had possessed itself of a church steeple. The general soon after joined us. Immediately after this affair the dragoons re-united out of the town, and joined battalion No. 6. Both corps marched to Santiago, seizing all the horses on the road, and were so expeditious as put it altogether out of our power to overtake them. They were met near Santiago by about one hundred cuirassiers and four hundred militia infantry. After exchanging a few shots, the government party took to their heels and ran into Santiago. About sixty of the militia were cut down by the dragoons, and the mutinous troops marched in the evening to the artillery bar- racks. We arrived next day close to the capital, and they, finding our force so near, the people enraged against them and altogether opposed to the change of government which they had in view, accepted a general pardon and submitted to the constituted authorities. And thus ended the business, being, I
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