His spies soon brought him intelligence of the
defeat of two similar commands to his own, sent out at the same
time to meet the insurgents; and, also, that their partial success
had very naturally elated them in the highest degree. That they were
regularly organized into regiments, with their stands of colors, and
proper officers, and that one regiment had been sent to take the
fort where he was, and would shortly be in the neighborhood.
Lorenzo Bezan was a thorough soldier; he looked to the details of
all the plans and orders he issued, so that when the enemy appeared
in sight, they found him ready to receive them. They were fully
thrice his number, but they had a bad cause and poor leaders, and he
feared not for the result. On they came, in the fullness of
confidence, after having already participated in two victories over
the regular troops; but they had, though a younger, yet a far better
and more courageous officer to deal with in Captain Bezan. The fight
was long and bloody, but ere night came on the insurgents were
compelled to retire, after having lost nearly one third of their
number in the contest.
The camp of the insurgents was pitched some half mile from the old
fort occupied by Captain Bezan and his followers, just beneath the
brow of a sheltering undulation of ground.
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