▁he ▁was ▁keeping ▁it ▁for ▁a ▁great ▁victory . ▁ ▁Three ▁months ▁later ▁royal ist ▁general ▁P ío ▁Tr ist án ▁advanced ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁three ▁thousand ▁men , ▁prepared ▁to ▁in va de ▁the ▁United ▁Provin ces . ▁Once ▁again ▁out number ed ▁by ▁larger ▁arm ies , ▁Bel gr ano ▁organ ised ▁a ▁great ▁ex od us ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Ju ju y : ▁the ▁entire ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁retre at ▁with ▁the ▁army ▁and ▁not ▁leave ▁behind ▁anything ▁that ▁might ▁be ▁of ▁value ▁to ▁the ▁royal ists ▁( such ▁as ▁animals , ▁cro ps , ▁or ▁housing ). ▁By ▁September ▁a ▁proper ▁formation ▁of ▁columns ▁provided ▁them ▁with ▁a ▁victory ▁against ▁a ▁royal ist ▁task ▁force ▁of ▁ 5 0 0   men ▁during ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Las ▁P ied ras . ▁The ▁First ▁Tri um vir ate ▁commanded ▁Bel gr ano ▁to ▁retre at ▁to ▁Cord oba ▁without ▁fighting , ▁but ▁he ▁thought ▁that ▁doing ▁so ▁would ▁mean ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁northern ▁provinces . ▁Thus , ▁instead ▁of ▁continu ing ▁to ▁Cord oba , ▁he ▁was ▁convinced ▁by ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁San ▁Miguel ▁de ▁T uc um án ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁stand ▁there . ▁His ▁forces ▁had ▁increased ▁by ▁then ▁to ▁nearly ▁ 1 , 8 0 0 ▁soldiers , ▁still ▁much ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁at ▁Tr istan ' s ▁command . ▁Even ▁so , ▁he ▁obtained ▁a ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁T