"
He was thinking of Boves, Boves who had a large army, all the resources of
the plains, and the support of public opinion, while he had neither men nor
resources, nor the invigorating approval of his fellow citizens.
Marino established himself in La Puerta, a place of ill-omen for the
patriots, and his position was disadvantageous. When Bolivar arrived to
take charge of the army, it was too late to change the place, for Boves was
to the front, with three times as many men as there were patriots. It
was necessary to fight and it was impossible to conquer. All was lost. A
patriot general (Antonio Maria Freites) killed himself in despair; some
officers who had been with Bolivar since the beginning of his glorious
career died on the field of battle.
Boves killed all the wounded men and prisoners who fell into his hands. He
invited a prisoner colonel (Jalon) to dine with him, and at the end of the
meal he ordered him to be hanged and his head sent as a present to his
friends at Calabozo.
Marino escaped in one direction, and Ribas and Bolivar went to Caracas,
not without first taking all possible steps to hinder the advance of Boves
towards the city. Bolivar was always full of enthusiasm. At that time his
most frequent remark was:
"The art of conquering is learned through defeats."
This battle of La Puerta took place on June 15, 1814. Boves entered the
city of La Victoria and then besieged Valencia, which resisted until every
means of defense was gone and the defenders were dying of thirst and
hunger.
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