nder the command of Colonel Charles and Colonel
Miller, that made itself master of the place, after a bloody combat, in
which the former gallantly fell while cheering on his troops, and the
latter received several musket balls, one of which passed through his
liver.

According to the plan of General San Martin, the force landed to the
South of Lima, advanced into the interior to the silver mines of Pasco
under the command of General Arenales, where it defeated the Spanish
forces under General Oreilly, while San Martin himself, with the main
body, effected his landing near Huacho to the North of Lima. By this
plan, ably conceived and no less ably executed, the Spaniards were
reduced to the Capital and Callao, which port at the same time was
strictly blockaded by Lord Cochran's squadron. The fall of both Lima and
Callao was only a question of time; it was retarded for some months
owing to the great sickness that weakened San Martin's ranks; but these
were filled up by desertions from the enemy; the whole regiment of
_Numancia_ passed over to the Patriot side, and at last San Martin
entered the Capital at the head of his troops, amidst the acclamations
of the inhabitants. He was soon after declared Protector of Peru, and
General-in-Chief of the Army. Having now a Peruvian character, and
having come to liberate--not to conquer the country, he considered it
right to create a Peruvian Army. As a _nucleus_ for its formation, the
_Peruvian Legion_ (intended to consist of several Batallions), was
raised, and placed under the command of Colonel Miller. But Lima and its
luxuries proved the _Capua_ of San Martin's army--national jealousies
arose between the Buenos Ayrean and the Chilian chiefs--San Martin's
confidence in foreign officers and his endeavors to create a national
army in Peru gave great umbrage to both; a secret political Lodge was
formed among the leading chiefs of corps, and he was openly charged with
latent designs to make himself the King or Perpetual Dictator of Peru.

The Spanish army, which had evacuated the Capital unbroken, profiting by
these dissensions and the delay of the Patriot army in the Capital, had
largely recruited itself in the valley of Jauja; they were every day
gaining more strength, while the Patriot army was becoming daily weaker
both physically and morally; under these circumstances General San
Martin sought an interview with _Bolivar_, at Guayaquil, and shortly
after his return to Lima, in 1