Hidalgo

Hidalgo however, unfortunately halted in his advance on the capital, the royalists had time to rally, and he was utterly defeated at Puente de Calderon, Jan. 17, 1811, and after in vain endeavoring to rally the national army, was captured by treachery while endeavoring to escape to the United States. He was executed ten days afterwards. On his death, Morelos, another priest, assumed the command; a congress of forty members was called, but after the defeat and execution of Morelos. it was dissolved by general Teran, who succeeded him. The revolt was entirely quelled in 1819. Mexico gained its independence in 1822, which, amid anarchy and continual turmoil, it has retained until the present, barring the French occupation of 1862 to 1867. Today the grateful republic of Mexico repeats in her decorations and uses on her postage-stamp the mild features of her illustrious son, the priest-patriot, Michael Hidalgo y Costillas. See (N.Y.) Cath. Almanac, 1876, page 105.