Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1875, Volume II
No. 474.
Mr. Thomas
to Mr. Fish.
Lima, Peru , January 5, 1875. (Received January 26.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose extracts from the South Pacific Times, showing the present status of the rebellion.
The promptness with which President Pardo placed himself at the head of the Peruvian army, and the consequent defeat of this revolutionary movement, must give additional stability to the present government of Peru.
I am, &c.,
Present status of the rebellion.
attempt to seize arequipa—rout and dispersion of the last rebels.
The following intelligence was received by the Chalaca at 3 p.m. on the 1st instant, and immediately published by us in the form of a bulletin:
Mollendo, December 30, 1874.
The following telegram has been received from Arequipa, at this moment, 5.15 p.m.:
“Señor Commander Grau:
“Send the Chalaco to Pisco and Callao at once with the following telegram:
“Providence does not cease to protect Peru.
“Whilst at the risk of being, attacked in the rear at any moment by Colonel Suarez, and taking advantage of a dense fog, and the knowledge of a good guide, Señor Miranda, the enemy attempted to surprise Arequipa early this morning. Of course anticipating at the same time to be supported by friends in the city.
“I heard at 7 a.m. that the enemy were at Characata, and that they were inarching on the city. In the shortest possible time I placed the troops under arms, and occupied the principal towers of the city. The sixth guards and the cadets stood under arms on the roof of San Augustin, the Ayacucho battalion and the twelfth guards in the chief square; and I ordered Colonel Rivarola with a half-battalion of the Pichinchas to attack the enemy wherever he met them. A short time afterwards I was informed they were entering the suburbs, and I ordered Colonel Velarde with the twelfth nationals to go to the support of the Pinchincha. This movement was immediately made and led to the enemy being taken in the rear.
“Col. Rivarola attacked the enemy with his accustomed bravery in the Miraflores suburb, where they had occupied Ballon’s country-house under the command of Escobar. To attack and disperse them took Colonel Rivarola twenty minutes. They left a number of killed and wounded. The body of Colonel Escobar has been found. Pierola and the other leaders remained in the rear, and fled by the road to Chignata. Being short of cavalry, I have had to mount a hundred men of the sixth guard, who are following them up.
“I have sent an aid-de-camp to a squadron of huzzars at Pocsi, and another to Suarez, who is in Salinas Pampa, with orders to follow the fugitives.
“The rebels in Arequipa had absolutely no time to render assistance. Arequipa remained tranquil.
“Nothing can be more providential than the circumstance that this revolution has expired on the outskirts of Arequipa.
“Send telegrams to the prefects of the other departments, and the Chalaco must return immediately.
“PARDO.”
the revolution.
Sunday, January 3, 1875.
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company’s steamship Eton arrived this morning, bringing news fully confirmatory of that published in another column which appeared in a special bulletin on Friday last.
[Page 999]After the death of Escobar and the defeat of his men, Pierola took flight in the direction of the Santa Rosa baths, with the cavalry after him. Since that time nothing has been heard of him. Eight mules laden with munitions had been taken from the rebels.
The total killed in the light on the 30th was twenty-four; Colonel Escobar and SenorVillafuerte being among the number.
General Segura is sick at Ornate.
Colonel Santa Maria returned by the Eten.
The troops from Iquique will arrive by the Bolivia, which is due on Wednesday.
A grand banquet has been given to President Pardo in Arequipa. He has not yet visited Puno.
The La Noria and Albarracin Montoneros have entirely disappeared, and the whole province of Tarapaca is quiet, although in Iquique the friends of the revolution are greatly crestfallen.
On the day of the fight in Arequipa it was reported in Tacna that Pierola was about to enter that city.
attempted revolution in ayacucho.—death of two leaders.
The following dispatch from the prefect of Ayacucho explains the discovery of a conspiracy, and the steps which were taken to suffocate it, and which led to the death of two of the leading conspirators:
“Ayacucho, December 22, 1874.
“On the 18th instant I informed the government that I had sent a small force to Cachipacca hacienda, for the purpose of arresting the conspirators who I knew were holding a meeting there. By copies of documents herewith you will learn that that expedition led to nothing save the capture of thirty-six kegs of powder and a packet of communications with reference to the revolution, which were found in a cave in the side of the hill. The conspirators all fled with their arms. Learning from the correspondence captured that the conspiracy was a serious one; that it had agents at Huanta, La Mar, and Cangallo; that it had considerable sums of money sent from Lima; that they had with them a person who had also arrived from the capital for the purpose of directing and leading the movement; and being informed by friends of the government that the rebels were re-assembling in greater numbers, and were casting bullets, making cartridges, and otherwise preparing to attack this city or to resist in the hacienda, which for a long time past has been their meeting-place and depository for their arms, on the night of the 19th I ordered the subprefect and the commander of the police to leave with eighty men for Cachipacca, and gave them written instructions as to the steps to be taken to surround the hacienda and capture all the conspirators and their arms. One of their spies, however, fired off two rockets, which gave them the alarm, and they accordingly took to flight and left the hacienda. I then sent Commander Campos forward with forty men, and he soon after learned they had taken refuge on a steep and difficult hill called Chorro, from which roads run to La Mar and Huanta. Lieutenant Torre with ten men was the first to approach this hill, and on being fired on, his men returned the fire, wounding Señor Felipe Cucalon, who had brought money from Lima for the revolution, and the half-pay lieutenant Señor Adolf Machuca, nephew of General Vargas Machuca, both of whom died yesterday evening. The other conspirators took to flight on perceiving that another picket under Lieutenant Castro was about to close in on their rear. In communicating these facts to the supreme government, I beg also to state that the original documents captured from the conspirators have been handed to the criminal officers in fulfillment of the law. The complete dispersion of these conspirators, and the check it has given to their plans, insures peace in the department.
“M. V. ALVAREZ.”