women whom they encountered, "threatening them with dagger and pistol to force them to succumb to their brutal desires."[76]

The Federalists tarried at Victoria a week awaiting the advance of Canales. During that time they afforded protection to the newly installed Federalist regime under Licenciado José Nuñez de Caceres the Old.[77]  Finally, despairing of aid from Canales, whose forward march was reported cut off by General Arista's advance from Matamoros, the Federalists discussed the question of abandoning Victoria. Molano reported the receipt of intelligence of the approach of a large hostile force of some five or six hundred under Arista,[78]  which was expected to reach Victoria within a few hours. On October 6 Arista was encamped at the hacienda de la Gavia, near San Carlos, with eight hundred infantrymen and six pieces of artillery.[79]  A council of Federalist leaders was hastily assembled and Molano urged that the city of Victoria be evacuated at once and that the Federalists head for Saltillo, where, he said, it would be possible "to sack the city and pay ourselves."[80]  His proposal was quickly adopted, and the Federalists retired to the mountains to the west of the city on October 6, but because of strong opposition from the Texans, the entire force halted at Aguayo, about three miles from Ciudad Victoria, so as to control the pass of the mountains at which point they hoped to give the enemy battle. Upon the withdrawal from Victoria, a few of the Texans loitered behind, "got drunk and surrendered themselves to scandalous license," but certainly not "nearly all" of the Texans, as represented by Molano, sank to such degradation.[81]  Jordan dispatched Captain Price to bring them out. Price found James Wait from La Bahía, Texas, who desired to obtain some tobacco before leaving. An argument ensued, during which Captain Price drew his pistol and shot Wait, who died the next day in the home of a rich gachupín woman [Ed: a native of Spain]. Before his death Wait is reported to have told the woman that he had been shot for disobedience of orders, and because of "a grudge which the Capt. had against