prisoner, the soldiers arriving at the hacienda only two hours after his departure. Without waiting for instructions from the viceroy, Calleja issued orders to place the two provincial dragoon regiments of San Luis and San Cárlos under arms, and to draw recruits from the different towns and haciendas of his district. This could not be very quickly done, scattered as the troops were in different localities; nor was it a matter of small difficulty to convert into an efficient force men drawn from their agricultural pursuits. Calleja, however, was ably seconded by the authorities and proprietors of estates, as he had their full confidence.
Felix María Calleja del Rey, the future viceroy of New Spain, was a native of Medina del Campo in old Castile, and a member of a distinguished family. He commenced his military career as an ensign in the disastrous expedition against Algiers conducted by the conde de O'Reily in the reign of Cárlos III. At a later date, he was appointed captain and instructor of one hundred cadets at the military school in the port of Santa María. In 1789 he came to New Spain with the viceroy Revilla Gigedo; and with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, served in the frontier states, successfully levying and organizing troops in Nuevo Santander and Nuevo Leon, the defence of which territories was intrusted to him by the viceroy Branciforte.[1] When the government at Madrid adopted the system of dividing the provincial militia into ten brigades,[2] the command of that of San Luis Potosi was bestowed by Viceroy Azanza upon Calleja, with the corresponding rank of brigadier.[3] During his resi-
- ↑ Branciforte, Instruc., MS., 31, in Linares, Instruc., MS.
- ↑ Consult Hist. Mex., iii. 415, this series.
- ↑ Id., 491. Calleja's military services were such as to gain for him the recommendation of the six viceroys who preceded Venegas, one of whom says: 'Calleja era uno de los pocos oficiales de graduacion, de quienes podria valerse, con seguridad, por las ocasiones dificiles que presentasen, por su inteligencia, actividad y conocimiento.' Prov. Intern., Real Orden, in Mayer MS., no. 7. In 1794 he was selected by the viceroy for important work. N. Esp. Acuerdos, MS., 185.
hist. mex., vol. 13
