▁basic ▁knowledge ▁of ▁milit ia ▁work . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁taking ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁all ▁Spanish ▁authorities ▁were ▁requested ▁to ▁p ledge ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁crown . ▁Bel gr ano ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Cons ulate ▁should ▁leave ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁join ▁the ▁vic ero y , ▁but ▁the ▁others ▁did ▁not ▁agree . ▁They ▁obey ed ▁the ▁British ▁request ; ▁Bel gr ano ▁refused ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁" e ither ▁our ▁old ▁master , ▁or ▁no ▁master ▁at ▁all ". ▁To ▁avoid ▁being ▁forced ▁to ▁p ledge ▁alleg iance , ▁he ▁escaped ▁from ▁Buenos ▁Aires ▁and ▁sought ▁as yl um ▁at ▁the ▁chap el ▁of ▁Mer cedes , ▁in ▁the ▁Band a ▁Oriental . ▁ ▁The ▁British ▁army ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁an ▁army ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁Santiago ▁de ▁L ini ers , ▁and ▁Spanish ▁authority ▁was ▁restored . ▁It ▁was ▁expected ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁would ▁return , ▁and ▁the ▁whole ▁city ▁started ▁to ▁prepare ▁for ▁that ▁possibility . ▁Bel gr ano ▁returned ▁to ▁Buenos ▁Aires ▁after ▁the ▁recon quest , ▁and ▁put ▁himself ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁L ini ers . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁ser ge ant ▁of ▁the ▁Pat r icians ▁Regiment , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Corn el io ▁Sa aved ra , ▁and ▁started ▁to ▁study ▁military ▁strategy . ▁After ▁some ▁conflicts ▁with ▁other ▁officials , ▁he ▁res igned ▁as ▁ser ge ant ▁and ▁served ▁again ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁L ini ers . ▁A ▁new ▁British