punity if we all cooperate to repel a perfidous and ungrateful enemy." General Mariano Arista and General Isidro Reyes appealed to the people in the most patriotic strains to rally to the support of the government and army to save the country from pillage and destruction.[93]

Many Mexicans and their officers were convinced that the Texans' ambitions were not limited to the attainment of independence for themselves, but also for Nuevo León, Nuevo México, Coahuila, and San Luis Potosí.[94]  Such, it was said, has been their desire since 1836 and now late in 1839, in spite of their "odious flag," they seek to persuade the multitude to believe that those who captured Mier were not Texans, but only Federals. This, it was said, is an utter falsehood. Whatever support the liberal cause in northern Mexico may have had up to this time, it began to wane as the Centralist press sought more and more to exploit "nationalism." A revolutionist was one thing. An ally of the hated, revolted Texans was something else. The cooperation of Texans and Federalists injured the Federal cause tremendously. Yet, on the other hand, the Mexican government was "thunder struck at the poor turn out of the patriots and the slow augmentation of the army" destined for frontier service.[95]

While the Mexican government sought to bolster the morale of its loyal citizens and stave off further humiliating defeats, the Federalists lost no time in pushing on toward Mier. Zapata and Ross hastened to join Canales, who commenced his march rapidly toward Mier about 3 o'clock in the afternoon following the capture of Guerrero.[96]  Upon the receipt of the news at Matamoros of the fall of Guerrero, the commandant there immediately dispatched a "respectable section" of troops to re-enforce the convoy of supplies he had earlier started toward Mier;[97]  while, on the other hand, from Reinosa the alcalde, Manuel de la Fuente and his associate, Pablo Ansaldua, confederates of Canales, hastened to join the Mexican-Indian-Texan army.[98]

At 2 o'clock the next morning the Federalists arrived within four miles of Mier and encamped. Their spies soon reported that Colonel