15 January 1811

I have been a little ill these last couple of weeks, just after the celebration of Christmas and New Year.  As a abstemious I was uptime I am not used to drink too much and after being sober the whole Christmas eve my companions would not forgive me if I did not drink with them on New Years eve.

Actually I don't know if it was an intoxication with this guarapo (alcohol) or some bug that bit me, but I was having some hallucinations, fever, etc.  But now I am far better.  I have been brought to Paramillo Base Camp where people have taken care of me.  Even Comandante Jorge Tadeo came during my convalescence.

The army I am training and indoctrinating is doing very well.  I think that the training tactics we have been developing are giving some measurable progress, however we have not tested against a real enemy.  I am surely looking forward for the advisors other Uptimers have promised me, however I am not sure on the real cost all this will represent.  The courier system between the camps is progressing also.  Between Upper San Juan and Lower Atrato couriers are making less than 48 hours, there is about 36 hours between Lower Atrato and Paramillo and 72 hours between Paramillo and Upper San Juan.  These times are to be triplicated for a column displacement of a well- trained group with full load.

None on this small army have been a soldier, including me, so I have been working harder on discipline, indoctrination and basic use of the weapons than actually on war tactics and military strategy.  By indoctrination I mean telling them why we will fight for and what we should do with the power we get.  Things are more clear on this field yet: we need to be a balance factor that could push to reforms that increase education and technology as the bases of the future wealth of the new nation.  Our goal is to build a small nation in Darien and to help build a bigger nation in New Granada.

We are slightly more than 500 people, most of them Mulattos and free Negroes, but also Mestizos, a few Indians and two Criollos.  I have finally decided to count with Indians in my army, as longer as they are willing to fight for the bigger multicultural nation and not for their own tribes, but now it is time to seek help from the tribes and the most important for me are the Cunas I expect to visit next week.

Anyhow, the more I see my current situation the more I realize I have been becoming one of the kind of people I hated uptime: a guerrilla.  Even my title as Comandante is actually a copy from uptime Guerrillas.  Well.  I did not actually hated them, just that I did not believe in their fight and in their way to fight it.  I some times wonder if all this is worth. I could have well decided to work for the kingdom to help develop science and technology in New Granada for the sake of the king and the people around, but then I realize that my chances to actually do that in the current situation are slim. They will still be slim if I just let the Criollos to do their stuff as OTL.  So my only chances to reach my dream is to get involved in any war as a balance factor.

So this is what I am fighting for.  This is why I am becoming a guerrilla, hoping to evolve into a real army commander.  Something like that is what I have been telling people, and this is why I want mainly mixed bloods and free blacks in my army.  Not Indians, as they will want their own autonomy which I am willing to give but I do not want them to forcefully take it.  Not Criollos as they want autonomy from the crown for themselves (not all of them but most of them).  But I must count with Indians and Criollos and some of them are in my army.  I would like to have more women and no children, but I know that people is not ready to accept a woman fighting beside a man.  All people I have been training have sword they are above 18, but I have my reserves on several of them.

The father of Comandante Prudencio is a mine owner, and part of the production of their gold mines are being used for the cause.  We are also taxing some smugglers and raid a couple of gold caravans in Antioquia.  These are too risky movements but care have been taken for having a low profile.  I am also tempted to drug dealing.  Anyhow we have to be careful to ensure that this are means to fund the revolution and we are not becoming bandits.

-- Carlos E. T. Pinzón G.
   Paramillo Base Camp, Antioqua
   Viceroyalty of New Granada

Or

-- Comandante Tomás
   Paramillo Base Camp
   Rebel State of Darien