Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

170 BOLIVAR.
rnce of Pamplona, which led to an irrec- Meantime, Marirlo had effected the liberoncilable difference between them. At ation of the eastern provinces of Venezulength, having overcome a multitude of ela, of which the patriots had regained
difficulties which retarded his advance, entire possession, excepting only the forand driven Correa from the valleys of tress of Puerto Cabello. —At this period,
Cucuta, he commenced his march for the whole authority in Venezuela centred
Venezuela, with a small force of but little in B., as the commander of the liberating
more than 500 men, but accompanied by army, and the oppressions of some of hia
excellent officers, some of whom after- subordinate officers excited loud comrnwards acquired great celebrity, such as plaints. Nevertheless, convinced of the
Rivas, Jirardot, Urdaneta and d'Eluyar.- necessity of having the resources of the
Heedless of the accusations of rashness country, at such an emergency, in the
lavished on his enterprise, B. plunged into hands of a single individual, it was rethe province of Merida. The inhabitants solved, in a convention of the principal
of the provincial capital rose upon the civil and military officers, assembled at
Spaniards on learning the news of his Caraccas, Jan. 2, 1814, to confirm the dicapproach. He hastily reestablished the tatorial powers which circumstances had
republican authorities there, while his already thrown upon B. A desperate
van-guard was proceeding upon Trujillo, contest now ensued between the royalist
under Jirardot. A single engagement and patriot parties and forces; and to
took place in Carache, where Jirardot narrate the part which B. took therein,
defeated a strong corps of royalists under would be to relate the history of the war.
Caiias, after which the provinces of Me- Suffice it to say, that, after various vicisrida and Trujillo remained wholly free situdes of fortune, B. was beaten by
from the Spaniards. B. had detached Boves, in a battle fought in the plains of
from his troops a small bhc, minder La Puerta, near Cura, and compelled to
colonel Briceio for the ccmupatii of embark for Cumrana, with the shattered
Varinas. Briceflo was defeated; and, remnant of his forces; so that Caraccas
fialling into the hands of the Spaniards, was retaken by the Spaniards in July,
was shot in cold blood, with 17 of his 181.4, and, before the end of the year,
companions, and many of the p:-triots of the royalists were again undisputed masVarinas, by the Spanish commandant ters of Venezuela. Once more, therefore,
Fiscar. Meanwhile, B. obtained authen- B. appeared in Carthagena as a fugitive,
tic intelligence of the horrid and shame- and proceeded to Tunja, where the conless cruelties and oppressions every where gress of New Grenada was sitting, to give
perpetrated in Venezuela by Monteverde an account of his blilliant, but, in the reand his subordinate officers, analogous to sult, disastrous expedition. Notwithstand-.Ie butcheries of Fiscar. Exasperated by ing his misfortunes, and the efforts of his
the knowledge of these events, he issted personal enemies, he was treated with
the famous decree of guerra ad muerte, great consideration, and received the apcondemning to death all the Spanish plause merited by one who had needed
prisoners who might fall into his hands. only resources proportionate to his talBut he is not of a cruel or sanguinary ents to have accomplished the permanent
temper; and this decree seems to have deliverance of his country.-When B.
been intended rather to intimidate the arrived at Tunja, the congress was orroyalists than literally to be put in execu- ganizing an expedition against the city
cion. His army increasing daily, he sep- of Bogota, for the purpose of compelling
arated it into two divisions, committing the province of Cundinamarca to accede
one of them to the charge of Rivas, and to the general union of the provinces of
both rapidly advanced upon Caraccas New Grenada, and thus put an end to the
through the provinces of Trujillo and collision which divided the means and
Varinas. Several engagements ensued, crippled the exertions of the republicans.
in which the patriots were successful; Every conciliatory measure having failed
and, at length, the decisive victory of to effect a union of the provinces, the
Lastoguanes, in which the flower of government had recourse to arms. B
Monteverde's troops were completely de- was intrusted with the delicate task of
feated, left open the road to Caraccas. commanding the forces of the union upon
Monteverde shut himself up in Puerto this occasion, and marched against Santa
6Cabello, and B. lost no time in marching Fe early in December. 1814, at the head
upon the capital, which was evacuated of nearly 2000 troops. He invested the
by the Spaniards without a struggle, and city, drove in the outposts, obtained posentered in triumph by B., Aug. 4, 1813. session of the suburbs by storm, and wxa,